Vegan

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Do pumpkins symbolise Autumn? Every time I look at the different colourful varieties, I visualise the glorious changing colours of leaves in Autumn. I also think of Halloween and associated traditional Western dishes, such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup and so forth but there is one which you may not have heard of and that is Pumpkin Kibbeh.

  

Kibbet La’teen or Pumpkin Kibbeh is one of the multiple variety of vegetarian Lebanese kibbeh. It is in fact suitable for both vegetarians and vegans as well as meat eaters for the mingling of flavours makes it quite tempting. Another advantage is that it keeps and freezes well. Although, it is called pumpkin kibbeh, I normally go for butternut squash because it is part of the pumpkin family and it is easy to handle.

 

However, if you prefer pumpkins, go for the smaller ones because they retain more intense flavours. For both pumpkins and squash, always choose those with smooth, unblemished flesh, when you hold one, it should feel firm and heavy.

 

Here are 2 websites which you might find useful:

 

http://home.howstuffworks.com/pumpkins3.htm

 

http://www.kew.org/plants/cucurbits/index.html

 

Serves: 4-6

 

Ingredients

 

For the filling:

 

  • 50 g / 2 oz chickpeas soaked overnight in 3x times their volume of water,  add ¼ tsp of bicarbonate of soda, alternatively, you could use the same amount of tinned chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium onions thinly sliced
  • 35 g/ 1¼  oz shelled walnuts broken into chunky pieces
  • 35 g/ 1¼  oz pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp of pomegranate syrup

 

For the kibbeh

 

  • 550 g / 1¼ lb  pumpkin or butternut squash (skin on)
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 225 g /  8 oz fine burghul
  • 50 g / 2 oz plain flour

 

Seasoning:

  • Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

 

Utensils: you need also a deep baking dish rectangle one measuring 20 x 30 cm and 5cm deep ( 8 x12 x 2 inches), or any shape that has the same approximate surface area.

 

Method

 

For the kibbeh

 

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C /  400°F.
  2. Wash the pumpkin or butternut squash. The easiest way to cook pumpkin is to cut it in half, remove seeds put the halves in a lightly greased baking tray, drizzle over some olive oil, season with nutmeg, cover with aluminium foil and pop it in the oven for roughly 50 minutes (it depends on the size). It is cooked when you can easily run the fork through.   
  3. While the pumpkin or butternut squash is baking, rinse thoroughly and squeeze dry the burghul. Finely chop the onion and season it with salt and pepper.
  4. When it becomes easy to handle, scoop out the flesh of the cooked pumpkin or butternut squash and put it in a large mixing bowl. Mash it with a fork and season with a little pepper.
  5. Add the onions, burghul and flour to the pumpkin or butternut squash and mix everything with your hands until you obtain a dough-like consistency, it should hold together so you could spread it easily, if necessary, add more burghul. Taste and adjust if needed. Let it rest in the fridge while preparing the filling.

 

For the filling

 

  1. Wash the soaked chickpeas and transfer to a pan, add fresh water and ½ tsp salt.  Using a high heat setting, bring to the boil and remove any scum, then reduce the setting to a medium heat, cover and keep checking once or twice if needed toping with hot water. It takes about 45 minutes to cook, afterwards leave it on the side to cool. You can do that well ahead of time, even a day or two before cooking the whole dish.
  2. Using a medium setting, heat up the oil in a large frying pan then add onions and fry until golden.
  3. Drain chickpeas and stir them into the mixture for another 3 minutes.

 

  1. Add pine nuts and walnuts to the onions-chickpeas mixture and cook for further 3 minutes.
  2. Season with salt and freshly milled black pepper, allspice, ground nutmeg and cinnamon, taste and adjust if necessary.
  3. Finish off by stirring in the pomegranate syrup, mix thoroughly, switch off the heat. Let it cool.

 

Assembling

 

  1. Prepare a small bowl of iced water to dip your hands in if necessary.

 

  1. Grease generously the baking dish with olive oil and divide the kibbeh dough in halves. Take the first half and divide it into 4 balls. Spread them within an equal distance from each other in the baking dish. Flatten each ball to about ½ cm / ¼ inch thickness, so at the end it is one piece that covers the bottom of the baking dish. If your hands become sticky, dip them in the water and smooth the dough, so in the end you have one uniform piece that covers the bottom of the baking dish. Now spread the filling all over.

 

  1. For the top part. Divide as before the remaining half. Now because you need to cover the filling, it becomes a little trickier. Dampen your hands in the iced water, take one ball at a time and flatten it between your palms to the same thickness as before and lay it on top of the filling. If it is a rectangular or square baking dish, start from one corner, repeat the same process with all of them until you cover the filling including the edges. Again, smooth it together so it is uniform.

 

  1. Cover and chill in the fridge for ½ an hour before cutting it into squares, then make a hole in the middle of the baking dish. Drizzle the top with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

 

  1. Bake in a pre-heated oven 190°C / 375°F for 30-35 minutes. The top should be golden.

 

  1. Serve hot or cold with any lemony salad such as rocket, cabbage or simply Tabbouleh (See recipe in Salads)

When it comes to aubergines or eggplants, Lebanese cuisine does not restrict itself to the famous Baba Ghannouge or Moutabbal, we do several dishes ranging from salads to main courses, with or without meat. This one is a healthy salad starter for the summer. The addition of fresh tomatoes, spring onions and fresh mint to the grilled aubergines, makes this dish colourful and tasty. You can prepare the aubergines ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

There are different varieties of aubergines that come in different sizes, shapes and colours like purple (most commonly available in the Western supermarkets), green, or white, there are even orange varieties. You can read more on the subject and look at photos of the different varieties by visiting:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=22&tname=foodspice

 

For this salad, you need large plump aubergines (purple) because they are meatier and grill better. As for the herbs, go for fresh ones if you can, they give a better taste and you can vary: fresh parsley or basil for example make a good alternative to the mint I use for this recipe.

 

Serves 3-4

 

Ingredients

 

  • 2 large aubergines or eggplants  about 1½ kg / 3¼ lb
  • 300 g / 11 oz tomatoes washed
  • 3 spring onions trimmed and washed, alternatively use one medium red onion
  • Leaves of 3 sprigs of fresh mint, rinsed and patted dry on kitchen paper
  • The seeds of half of a sour pomegranate or 1 tsp paprika.  

 

Dressing

 

  • 2 or 3 fat cloves of garlic peeled.
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & freshly milled black pepper

 

You also need a large shallow baking tray, lined with aluminium foil to catch the juices later, and prevent them from sticking directly onto the baking tray.

 

Method

 

  1. Pre-heat the grill to a medium to high setting.
  2. Wash the aubergines as they are (you do not need to remove the stems) and pat dry the skin with kitchen paper. Laying the aubergines on the baking tray, make four evenly spaced longitudinal cuts to stop them from bursting during cooking.
  3. Grill the aubergines for 40 minutes turning them every 10 minutes to cook all sides thoroughly. You should end up with a black charred skin with soft inside and some of their juices coming out. Let it cool down slightly so it is easy to handle.
  4. Split each aubergine in half lengthways, remove the soft flesh and lay it in the salad dish. If you have too much excess juice, use a kitchen paper to absorb it because it can affect the taste. You can stop at this stage, if you are not eating immediately, cover the salad dish with cling film and pop it in the fridge.
  5. When you are ready to serve, smash the garlic until smooth, then mix in all the dressing ingredients, season and adjust taste.
  6. Chop finely tomatoes and spring onions, roughly shred the mint leaves, then scatter the whole lot over the prepared aubergines. Do likewise with the pomegranate seeds  
  7. Drizzle the dressing all over the aubergine mixture and serve at once with warmed Lebanese bread.

Traditionally, this dish is cooked with white short grain rice, but I put a twist on it and used wild rice. The nutty flavour of the wild rice simmering with the lentils makes a delicious combination. Either way, it’s a winner because it is versatile, you could have it as a starter, light lunch, or as a healthy vegan main course accompanied with bread salad (fattoush), you could also add it to the repertoire of your mezza dishes.

 Wilde rice takes longer to cook than white rice, about 40 minutes, that is why I cook it with the lentils. If you choose to use white rice, then add it 15 minutes before the finishing cooking time of the lentils.

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients.

 

  • 150 g / 5 oz green lentils.
  • 125 g / 4¾ oz  wild rice or 75 g / 3 oz white rice.
  • 750 ml / 1¼ pints water.
  • 100 ml / 3½ fl oz extra virgin olive oil.
  • 4 medium onions thinly sliced.
  • Seasoning: Salt & freshly milled black pepper + ½ tsp allspice.

 

 

Method.

 

  •  
    1. Tip lentils & wild rice into a medium-large sized pan. Cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Using a high heat, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let it simmer for 40 minutes or a little over, checking occasionally to check if it needs toping up with hot water.
    2. Meanwhile, heat up the oil in a large frying pan and add the onions. Fry stirring from time to time, until the onions reach a dark brown colour but not burnt. Remove half of the onions with a slotted spoon, and spread them on a kitchen paper, so they lose the excess fat and become crispy.
    3. At that stage the lentils-rice mixture should be cooked. The grains should feel tender and the water is absorbed, it should be moist but not dry, season. Stir in the remaining onions with their oil, cook for 1 minute. Switch off the heat, remove the lid and cover with a tea towel, let it stand for 5 – 7minutes, before dishing out.
    4. Sprinkle the crispy onions on top and serve with bread salad, cabbage salad, or pickled turnips. My favourite is my mother’s sauce: Lemon & Garlic Sauce, see recipe below. 

Although it is an old dish cooked by country people during Lent, nevertheless, the combination of basic ingredients gives this dish an unexpected earthy delicious taste. It is very easy to prepare and quite sustaining.

 

Serves 2 as a main course

 

Ingredients

 

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 medium onions thinly sliced
  • 1 tin 400 g / 14 oz Italian chopped tomatoes
  • 500 ml / 17 fl   water or vegetable stock
  • 150 g / 5 oz  coarse bulgar wheat (see glossary)
  • Salt & freshly milled black pepper

 

Method

 

  1. Heat up the oil in a medium saucepan, tip in the sliced onions and fry until they turn golden.
  2. Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes, then add the water or vegetable stock.
  3. Bring the mixture to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat if necessary and let it simmer for half an hour, by which time the sauce should have reached the right consistency. Season and taste.
  4. Tip in the bulgar wheat, give the whole mixture a good stir, then let it simmer for roughly 10 minutes or until the bulgar wheat has absorbed the sauce but still moist. Switch off the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.
  5. Serve hot on its own or with any green lemony salad.      

 

An unusual rice pudding because it contains no milk or any other animal products which makes it suitable for vegans. Simple, yet the combination of spices gives it an aromatic taste. The secret as my mother always emphasised is in stirring the pudding. In fact, Meghli in Arabic means thoroughly boiled, which implies that the pudding requires steady boiling and simmering. You have to be patient because you must keep a close eye on it while it is cooking. The good thing is that you could prepare it a day ahead because it can be served either at room temperature or chilled. As for the topping, you could vary this to suit your taste. 

 

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

 

For pudding:

 

  • 2 litres / 3½ pints of water
  • 150 g / 5 oz ground rice
  • 1 tbsp ground caraway seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground anise seeds
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 275 g / 10 oz caster sugar

 

For topping:

 

  • 100 g / 3½ oz dried shredded coconut
  • A selection of mixed nuts: you need about 75 g / 3 oz of each walnuts, pine nuts and blanched almonds
  • rose petals for decoration (optional)

 

You also need a large saucepan, preferably non-stick.  

 

Method

 

  1. Pour the water into saucepan and tip in the ground rice. Using medium to high heat, bring the mixture to boil stirring constantly. Reduce slightly the heat and add all the spices, continue stirring for about 20 minutes or until you feel that rice and water are thoroughly combined and there are no lumps.
  2. Next, add the sugar and continue stirring. This is the stage where the mixture begins to thicken up, so you can loosen pause your stirring occasionally while watching vigilantly.  It should take about 25 minutes for the pudding to reach the right thickness. You know it is ready when a thick layer coats the back of the spoon.
  3. Once ready, take off the heat. Give the pudding a good stir and ladle it into individual dessert bowls or a large one.
  4. Cool then decorate with shredded coconut, a little red petal jam in the middle and the nuts scattered all over.
  5. NB. If you are allergic to nuts and you would like to try it, have a go without them. It still tastes nice.

This is a relatively fast appetising dish that can be eaten hot, warm or cold and can be used as starter, light lunch or a side dish for it complements meat dishes. Any fresh green beans that are in season will do. I also tried it with fresh Runner Beans and it was delicious. A word of advice, avoid tinned tomatoes because they can spoil the taste, nothing can complement fresh tender beans better than fresh ripe tomatoes.

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

  • 500 g/ 1lb 2oz green beans any kind available in season
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 head of garlic: cloves peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
  • 450 g/ 1lb of ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree or less depending on how juicy the tomatoes are
  • Seasoning: salt and freshly milled black pepper

 

Method

 

  1. Top, tail, string the beans then cut them into smallish pieces about 5cm / 2 inches, wash them in fresh water and keep aside.
  2. Heat up the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the chopped onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, stir in the chopped garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the prepared beans and stir them into the mixture, season with salt and generous freshly milled black pepper, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, cover and bring to the boil stirring once or twice then let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, by which time, the beans should be cooked and tomatoes have melted into a nice thick sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  5. Serve in individual dishes, drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on top and eat with warm bread.

I prefer to use fresh Lebanese green thyme, it has long leaves, bigger than the lemon thyme that is commonly known in England. However, Lebanese thyme is only found in Lebanese stores during spring and summer. This is why I tried it with lemon thyme and it worked. Thyme salad makes an ideal appetiser, regardless of your eating habits, and guess what! It is very easy to make.

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients.

 

  • 1 bunch weighing 25 g / 1oz of lemon thyme, leaves picked washed and dried on a kitchen paper
  • 1 or 2 spring onions finely chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Seasoning: salt to taste
  • ½ tsp sumac (optional)

 

Method.

 

1        Put thyme leaves and the chopped onions in a small salad bowl. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil, then toss into the thyme mixture. Season, taste and adjust if necessary.

2        Serve with Arabic bread or if you want to add a twist, thinly slice some Ciabatta bread, smear each piece with 1 generous tsp of the salad and enjoy with a well chilled drink.  

The Taro used in this recipe is the root (tuber) brownish one. Rich in calcium and iron, root Taro is an excellent source of energy and fibre. The traditional way we cook it with tahini sauce and chickpeas make it an ideal meal for vegans or non-vegans. This dish can be prepared in advance and re-heated, it also freezes well.

Taro Root (Colocassia)

Taro Root (Colocasia)

If you wish to know more about the benefits of Taro, I included 3 websites at the end of the recipe. 

Which one to buy?

Select a Taro that is firm and has no traces of mould. I normally go for the large ones (weighing about 1 kg / 2¼ lb) because they are creamier and richer than the small ones.

Word of advice

Root Taro contains calcium oxalate, a substance that can irritate both mouth and skin. So never taste the taro raw and preferably wear gloves when peeling raw Taro.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

  • 50 g / 2 oz chickpeas soaked overnight in water with ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda or the same amount of tinned chickpeas
  • 550 g / 1¼ lb  Taro / Colocasia
  • 450 g / 1lb onions peeled and quartered
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 300ml/ vegetable stock
  • Salt & freshly milled black pepper

Tahini sauce

  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed to a paste
  • 85 ml / 3 fl oz     tahini paste
  • 60 ml / 2¼ fl of lemon juice or for a sweet and sour taste, use half orange juice, half lemon juice
  • 100 ml / 3½ fl oz water

Method

 

1.      If you are starting with the chickpeas you soaked overnight, rinse them under cold water, transfer to a small saucepan, cover generously with water and add ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil using high heat and removing any scum that forms on the surface. Once you’ve finished, reduce to a medium heat, cover and simmer for roughly 40 minutes, (you know the chickpea is cooked when you can insert a fork). Check once or twice whether you need topping up with hot water. The tinned chickpeas can simply be drained and used as is in section 3.

2.      Peel the Taro / Colocasia protecting your hands with gloves, the skin is usually tougher than potato, so you need a sharp knife. Remove all the brownish muddy skin until you get to the firm, white flesh. Then halve the taro lengthwise and slice each half across into about 1 cm / ½ inch thick slices then into 1 cm cubes. Rinse them under tap water, then pat dry them thoroughly. Heat up 1 ½ tbsp of the oil in a pan and fry the Taro / Colocassia cubes until golden. Drain excess fat on a kitchen paper.

3.      Heat up the remaining oil in a medium sized saucepan and sauté the onions. Drain chickpeas and mix in, cook until onions are soft. Now, add the fried Taro / Colocasia, season with salt and freshly milled black pepper, give the mixture a good stir, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, cover and let it simmer for about 7 minutes. Now, take the lid off and continue the cooking for another 5 minutes, by which time the Colocasia should be tender, not mushy and all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the prepared tahini sauce, mix it in thoroughly, give it 3 minutes to gently bubble, then switch off the heat.

4.      There are 2 ways to serve: hot with plain rice which makes it a meal in itself. You can also serve it at room temperature with Lebanese bread or just on its own.

 

 

Suggested websites

 

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2674/2

 

http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/x5425e/x5425e01.htm

 

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/taro.html

Although less fattening than those made from the potato, colocasia chips are equally delicious. Instead of frying the chips, as in the traditional way, I bake them as oven chips. Because of its high starch content, it is advisable to par-boil colocasia, so it becomes much easier to handle.

At home, we used to serve it with Garlic & Sumac dressing on the side, however, you can use whatever sauce you like. 

 

Serves: 2-3

 

Ingredients.

 

·         550 g / 1 ¼ lb colocasia

·         1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

·         Salt and freshly milled black pepper

 

Dressing

 

·         1 fat clove of garlic peeled and crushed to a paste

·         2 tbsp lemon juice

·         4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 tsp sumac

 

Method.

 

  1. Wash the colocasia and brush away any earth. Peel the colocasia and slice into chunky chips. Rinse a couple of times with cold water to get rid of the excess starch. Put in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and cook for six minutes. Drain off the water and dry on kitchen paper.
  2. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F, then pour the oil into the baking dish and pop it in the oven for five minutes.
  3. Next slide the dried chips gently into the hot oil, giving them a good coating. Season with salt and freshly milled black pepper, pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Take them out and turn them over, bake for another 15 minutes, at this stage, they should reach a light golden colour.
  4. While you are waiting for the chips, simply mix the ingredients for the dressing.
  5. Drain excess fat onto kitchen paper and serve hot, with the dressing in the middle, dip each chip in and enjoy. 

There are different varieties of endive but the one we use in this recipe (as shown in the photo) has a rosette of curly leaves dark green at the tips but lighter nearer the stem. Native to both China and the Mediterranean, it was grown on board English navy ships during the 16th century to prevent scurvy: http://thefoody.com/basic/vegce.html

It has multiple nutritional values (you could read about it on the websites I included at the end of the recipe) and is a delight for vegans, vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I haven’t seen this type of endive in Western supermarkets; however, it is available in Lebanese, Greek and Turkish grocers during the winter season.

 

Traditionally, it is cooked with olive oil and onions, but I also included garlic because it adds a lovely flavour. Some people boil it beforehand; I prefer to let it wilt while absorbing the flavours of the onion-garlic mixture.

 

Serves 2-3

 

Ingredients.

 

  • 500g/1lb 2oz endive
  • 4 medium onions: one finely chopped and 3 onions thinly sliced
  • 4 medium cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
  • 3tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 lemon cut into wedges to serve
  • Seasoning: salt & freshly milled black pepper

 

Utensils. You need a medium sized pan and a medium frying pan

 

Method

 

1.      Cut and discard the very bottom ends of endive which may still have soil on them, then wash until you get rid of the grit. Drain the endive then dry on a tea towel. Now, take bunches of the endive and cut across the stem in 3 cm / 1¼ inch strips.

2.      Heat up the vegetable oil in the frying pan and throw in the sliced onions, fry stirring occasionally until they become crispy brown but not burnt. Drain on a double layer of kitchen paper. Keep aside.

3.      While the onion is cooking, you could make a start with the endive. Heat up the olive oil in the pan and stir in the finely chopped onions, let them cook for about 3 minutes then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the endive in batches to the mixture, stirring each around with a wooden spoon so that they absorb the other flavours. Season then cover and let the whole mixture cook for about 15-20 minutes, at that stage the endive should be tender.

4.      This dish is usually served at room temperature but it is also nice eaten hot. Just before serving drizzle with the lemon juice and scatter the crispy onions on top, place some lemon wedges around the dish.  Eat with Arabic or Pitta bread

 

http://www.juicing-for-health.com/endive-nutrition.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-curly-endive.htm

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