Eid Fitr 2011

Harissa (Tunisian)

Ingredients

• 11 ounces dried red chile peppers
• 3/4 cup chopped garlic
• 2 cups caraway seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Remove the stems and seeds from the chile peppers. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain. Place the peppers, garlic, caraway, coriander, and salt in a mortar; pound with a pestle until smooth. Place harissa in a jar, and cover the top with a little oil to maintain freshness. Store in the refrigerator.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

Serve on couscous or other grain.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
dash of salt
1 large green bell pepper, cut in thin strips
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (or to taste)
1 28 oz. can undrained, chopped tomato
1 16 oz. can drained garbanzo beans
1/3 cup currents or raisins
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked couscous (below)
4 tablespoons feta cheese
toasted slivered almonds
salt, to taste>
DIRECTIONS:

In a large non-stick dutch oven, saute the onions in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne to the pot and saute for another minute for so. Stir in the tomatoes, chick peas, and currents or raisins, and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve over couscous, top with crumbled feta cheese, and toasted almonds if you like.

Lemony Lentil Soup

This recipe is a variation on a lentil soup served during Ramadan iftaar dinners. With its warm spices and lemony taste, this recipe can brighten a dark winter day or alleviate a cold or the flu.

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup red lentils, washed and cleaned
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
7-8 cups water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup basmati rice, washed
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil

(Serves 6)

In a medium to large sized cooking pot, sautee the onion and garlic on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Do not burn the oil or the garlic.

Add the washed lentils and all of the spices and stir for a minute or two. Then add the water and salt and bring to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, place a lid on the pot, and let the soup simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally. You can add more water if the soup looks too thick.

Bring the heat back up, add the rice, and bring to a boil for a minute, then reduce the heat to low again, replace the lid, and wait until the rice is cooked (about 15-20 minutes).

Remove from heat and taste to see if you would like more salt.

Add the lemon juice only after the soup is no longer boiling.

Serve with sprigs of parsley and drizzle olive oil on each soup bowl.

From the electronic intifada, but no longer there, at least that I can find. So, here's some good soup for cold days.