Watercress& Eggplant Frittata

Tags

breakfast recipes, brunch, eggplant, eggs recipes, frittata, grilled eggplant, suhur recipes, فطور صباحي, watercress, اطباق البيض, اطباق السحور, بقله, باذنجان مشوي, عجه, عجه بالباذنجان والبقله

Frittata with buttery sweet eggplant, the watercress is the right herb to complement the eggplant.

A frittata is a flexible dish that appears in many cuisines. In Spain it is known as a tortilla, Eggah in the Middle East. The common ingredient is eggs. From there, you are limited only by what is available or the imagination. In this recipe, the oven roasted eggplant have a nice buttery sweet flavors to add to the Eggah. To add more vitamins and minerals, I sautéed some fresh chopped watercress with the onion. Served with chopped fresh tomato and watercress salad.

A dish to enjoy anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a nice fresh tomato salad.
Also a perfect dish at the Suhur meal, a meal that resemble a breakfast eaten right before Fasting begin or a couple of hours before the sunrise. Proteinous meals is perfect to be eaten at Suhur meal, eggs recipes, beans, and vegetables are the most. While the protein keeps us full for a long time, the vegetables provide the body with hydration while they break down.

At Suhur Time. Al-Mesaharati wandering in the alleys of the old town of Jerusalem.

Another memories from Ramadan in my country: AL-Mesaharati المسحراتي.
An old traditional habit in the holy month of Ramadan, a dedicated people take care of waking up neighbors and other Peoples a couple of hours before sunrise to eat their Suhur meal, punctuated by religious songs and praises while they roaming in the streets of the town.
Not like any fancy alarmed clock, or any of the most modern communication tools. It’s the tradition that will not fade not even in our today’s modern civilization.

Watercress & Eggplant Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup watercresses, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoon milk
• salt and pepper

Direction:
1. Peel and slice the eggplant into about 3/4 inch rounds. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the hot oven until golden. Turn halfway through roasting. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. In a large frying pan sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
3. Add the chopped watercresses, sauté for 1-2 min.
4. Cut the eggplant into cubes and add to the pan, stirring gently.
5. Beat the eggs, milk, and seasoning. Pour over the eggplant mixture. Cook on medium heat until eggs just begin to set.
6. Using flat spatula, flip the frittata to the other side, and continue cooking. The frittata will become fluffy. Cook for no longer than 1-2 minutes on low heat.
7. Serve with a fresh tomato and mint salad.

عجة الباذنجان والبقله

١ حبة باذنجان
زيت زيتون
١/٤ ك بصل مفروم ناعم
١ ك بقله مفرومه
١ م ك توم مهروس
١ م ك زيت زيتون
٤ بيض
٢ م ك حليب سائل
ملح وفلفل

نقطع الباذنجان لشرائح رفيعه بسمك ٣/٤ انش، نمسح كل قطعه بالزيت على الوجهين ونصفها بصينية الفرن لتتحمر ، نقلبها على الوحه الاخر لتكمل التحمير.
نضيف ملعقة الزيت للمقلاه وندبل البصل والتوم، نضيف البقله ونقلب لدقيقه. نضيف قطع الباتنجان المشويه بعد تقطيعها لقطع صغيره.
في طاسه، نخفق البيض والحليب والملح والفلفل ونضيفه فوق البقله والباذنجان بالمقلاة، نغطيه لحتى ينضج البيض، نقلبه على الوجه الاخر ليكمل الاستواء

Another Egg recipes:
Eggs On Hash

Herbed Eggs and Turkey Patties Sandwiches

Advertisement

My Mom’s Za’tar Spice Mix

Tags

breakfast recipes, caraway seeds, homemade, middle eastern, middle eastern pantry food, oregano, pita chips, sesame seeds, spice mix, Sumac, Za'tar, za'tar spice mix, شبس الخبز بالزعتر, طريقة عمل خلطة توابل الزعتر

A popular Middle Eastern spice that is actually a mix of herb and several spices, is easy to make at home, used on just about anything.

There is nothing resemble the smell of my country, Palestine. The green plain land wears its most beautiful dresses every season. The brave mountains and lofty hills all jeweled with olive and pomegranate trees, figs of all kinds. The smell of the wild, wafts through the sun warmed air with aroma of thyme and oregano that fills the villages with fragrances of wild flowers and herbs from sage to chamomile.

Za’tar is the arabic name for the crushed dried oregano and thyme leaves mixed with spices, also for the oregano plant as well. In Middle East, it is like a staple ingredient, a pantry essential, should be kept handy at all the time.

An oregano shrub in my backyard.

Oregano and thyme are wild plants, found mostly in mountinous hills all through the Middle East and Mediterranean region, suitable best in cold areas. You can also plant it in your house but it’s less fragrance than the wild.

Fresh or dried, oregano is dearly beloved plant in Middle East. It’s known for increasing mental acuity. The fresh leaves are washed first then stripped out of their woody stalks and used in fresh salads, and many sauces and soups, it also makes the most delicious bread.

Oregano dries very well, retaining much of it’s flavor for several months, after stipping the leaves, spread in a clean towel in a dry shadowy place until it’s completely dry.

To make the za’tar mix, the dried leaves crushed and ground in local herb shops, they have large mills that accommodate large quantities. At home, you can use a coffee grinder or food processor.

 Duqa is the other name of the spice seasoning blend that used with the oregano and thyme to make the za’tar mix. It’s blend of caraway, dill, coriander, cumin, anise, sumac, and sesame seeds. Basically there’s no fixed recipe for the za’tar mix, the combination and quantities of spices vary from one home to another, it depends on personal preference. Some use oregano and thyme, others use only oregano.

Sumac is an important ingredient in the za’tar mix, which is used to season other food too. As a flavorant ingredient, it gives bread, olives, and yogurt an exquisite tangy taste. It adds the lemony taste to the za’tar mix.

Another important ingredient in making the za’tar spice mix is the sesame seeds, which is first picked from stones and small sticks, then toasted in the oven until it pop, you can also use a griddle pan to toast the sesame at range top.

Za’tar is used in hot and cold dishes. As a simple middle eastern breakfast, usually eaten with some toasted fresh baked pita bread, which is dipped in olive oil first then in za’tar, and perfect with a hot tea, it’s my best favorite. Also, za’tar may used in many dishes from fried halloumi cheese, to za’tar bread manaqeesh, or za’tar coated yogurt balls or may be as a season for many chicken and meat dishes, and many other savory dishes. As a delicious healthy snack try to make these incredibly delicious and addictive pita chips.

Za’tar can be found mixed and ready to use in almost all middle eastern markets, but it’s so easy and most be-referable to make it at home.

Za’tar Spice Mix

1 pound (16 oz) oregano leaves, washed, dried, and ground (this will yield about 1 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon sumac seeds, ground
1 tablespoon caraway seed, ground
1/2 tablespoon dill seed, ground
1/2 tablespoon anise seed, ground
2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
1/3 cup sesame seeds, picked and toasted

In a large bowl, add the ground oregano. Working with your hands, add the olive oil slowly, and massage the oregano, this will moist the dried oregano and stops it from fluffing and skittering all around the place.

Set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl, and pass the ground sumac, in case there’s still some seed pits.

Add the rest of spices and salt.

Spread the sesame seed in an oven sheet, and place it in the oven at 400 f, toast, stirring constantly, until the seeds begin to pop and crackle like a popcorn. Watch carefully, remove from the oven, add it while it’s warm to the za’ar mix.

Remember, In za’tar blend, there’s no specific measurement for the ingredient, so feel free to adjust the quantities to accommodate your tasting preferances.
Mix all together, set a side to cool completely before you pack into storage jars. Store in air tight jars up to Year.

Pita Chips

Thin pita bread
Zatar spice mix
Olive oil

Split the pita bread into two round sheets, stack it over each other. Brush or spray with olive oil. Spread the zatar mix on each pita sheet. Cut into triangles. Spread in an oven sheet, be careful not to crowd, bake at 300 f for 10 min, watch carefully.
Set in large bowl, let cool.

خلطة الزعتر على طريقة والدتي

للعيار حاولت ان اضع عيار لكميات صغيره
ولكن على طريقة الوالده كل ١٠ كيلو زعتر ورق منشف تعطينا ١ كيلو مطحون

لعمل ١/٢ كيلو زعتر ورق منشف يعطينا حوالي ١ ١/٢ كوب مطحون يلزم الاتي
١ م ك زيت زيتون
٣ م ك سماق
١ م ك كراويه مطحون
١/٢ م ك عين جراده مطحون
١/٢ م ك يانسون مطحون
٢ م ك سمسم محمص مطحون
١ م ص ملح
١/٢ م ك كمون مطحون
١/٢ م ك كزبره مطحون
١/٣ كوب سمسم محمص ساخن

نخلط جميع المقادير مع بعض
نتركها تبرد تماما وتعبا بمرتبانات وتخزن

لعمل شبس الزعتر
نحتاج خبز رقيق جدا
نفتحه نصفين
يدهن او يرش بزيت الزيتون
يرش بالزعتر
يدخل فرن محمى مسبقا على ٣٠٠ ف لمدة ١٠ دقائق
يترك يبرد

How to Make Yogurt Cheese Balls

Tags

breakfast recipes, dairy food, Homemade yogurt, How to, labne, middle eastern breakfast food, middle eastern food, middle eastern pantry food, milk products, step by step, toast sandwich ideas, كيفية عمل اللبنه بالمنزل, لبنه, لبنه مكوره, لبنه بالبندوره المجففه والنعنع, لبنه بالزعتر, Yogurt, yogurt cheese, yogurt cheese balls, yogurt cheese spreed, yogurt cheese with sun dried tomato and fresh mint, yogurt cheese with zatar spice, yogurt recipes

Yogurt Cheese Balls “Labneh”, makes one of the middle eastern stable breakfast dish and a quick standby for a snack spread on pita bread or crackers.

Preserved in oil, “Labneh Mokawara” yogurt cheese balls, is one of the old and essential middle eastern pantry food. Stored in a special storage room  alongside with other foods like brine cheese, dried legumes and beans, wheat, spices and pickles. That was an old way to store middle eastern food items. Nowadays everything is  available in stores and ready for quick pick up.

Making yogurt cheese at home is very easy, it’s no more than yogurt that has been strained to separate it’s whey component, usually by hanging the yogurt in cloth bags. To make the cheese balls, you need to shape them into pearly little balls, then stack in olive oil. As the natural bacteria present in the yogurt ferment, the flavor is slightly modified.

To make yogurt cheese spread:

Yogurt (homemade recipe here)
salt

Pour the cold yogurt into a cloth or cheese cloth bag, sprinkle with salt and mix. Tie and let hang to drain for 1 day (I found that my kitchen cabinet door knob is a good hanger, you may try that).
Remove yogurt from bag and place in a mixing bowl. Add more salt if need it. refrigerate in a covered container. It’s prefered to spread the top of the yogurt cheese with some olive oil to store for long time and prevent the mold from forming on the top.

To make the yogurt cheese balls:

the same for the cheese spread, but in order to be able to roll the yogurt into a ball you need to let the yogurt hang to drain for more time until it becomes the consistency of cream cheese.
Remove yogurt from the bag and place in a large bowl. Add salt if need it and mix. Make balls the size of a walnut, using a little oil on the palm of your hands to prevent sticking. Place the balls on a clean towel for about 2 more hours to drain more of the moisture.

To make yogurt cheese balls flavored with fresh mint and sun-dried tomato:
chop some sun-dried tomato and some fresh mint leaves, mix together. Roll the yogurt balls into the mixer, then in olive oil. Drop into sterilized Jars, covered with oil and seal.

to make za’tar coated cheese balls:
Roll the yogurt balls into za’tar spice mix, then in olive oil. Arrange the balls into the cleaned jars, add more oil and seal.

To make a humble quick breakfast yogurt cheese sandwich:

This is my favorite breakfast sandwich, just be creative, you may add whatever you want. Love it with some pickle on the side.
1`small cucumber, grated coarsely
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped black or green olives
2-3 tablespoons Labneh (yogurt cheese spread)
olive oil

Mix all, spread on toasted bread slices, and enjoy.
Highly recommended 🙂 : Serve with your choice of pickles on the side.

Eggs on Hash

Tags

breakfast recipes, brunch recipes, eggs recipes, hash, potato recipes, vegetable recipes

Hi guys! It was an awesome weather yesterday and today, days to enjoy the spring with the kids, a relief after a continuous raining for the whole last week and the week before, which is good but not in kids spring break though. Hope it will not cool too much especially in April, as many are expecting, like what happened last 2 years when it snowed and made damage to a lot of trees and plants.

Today’s the last day of the kids break. We tried to make it super fun. Fortunately, they had a pretty little camp with friends last week before the rain, but during the rainy day, there’s only one thing. Sticking Inside. So we enjoyed some indoor plans, they had the chance to join me in the kitchen and make some of their favourite recipes, or actually, some of their long list of recipes they wished to make a long time ago.

Yesterday, we went for fishing to Falls River Lake, it is a nice large lake with a lot of camping and picnic areas around it. They played, giggled and enjoyed the fishing.

Anyway! The kids were happy, and now ready to back to normal schedule.
For the recipe today, it’s a super easy dish for breakfast or brunch with multiple variations, you can add anything to it. The simpler version is also what’s known in the Middle East as M’FARAKET BATATA,(The potato and scrumbled eggs).

Don’t limit this quick dish to weeknight; it makes a fabulous weekend brunch offering as well.

2 large white potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1\4 cup yellow onion, diced small
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoon red, yellow or green bell pepper, diced small
1\4 cup tomato, seeded and diced small
3 large eggs

In a large heavy skillet, on medium heat, add the oil, onion, and potato, season with salt and pepper, cover and let cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and let cook until potatoes are golden, for 5 minutes more. Add the parsley, tomato and red-pepper, cook 2 minutes. Make wells in potato mixture. Crack eggs into each well, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until all eggs set, about 6 minutes.

Note
Use the back of a large spoon to hollow out wells for cooking the eggs. This helps them cook evenly and keeps portions separate for easy serving.