We’re in Lebanon…

I must admit that, as a little kid growing up in San Francisco, the first time I ever heard about Lebanon was because of Danny Thomas. He was on TV, and he founded a Children’s Hospital – St Jude Children’s Hospital. He was also born in the same town as Kahlil Gibran. It’s rather amazing what one man with a little bit of money could accomplish because he cared about other people. Imagine what the richest people in the world could do if they weren’t such narcissistic bastards.

But I digress…

Lebanon seemed pretty much like California to this naive little kid. It had modern buildings, lots of cars, lots of beaches, palm trees… Unfortunately, it’s neighbors haven’t been able to play nice and it’s been caught in the crossfire of a lot of conflicts. Civil war and other armed conflicts have plagued the country for the past 50+ years…

But… the food, the food, the food……

Like many places, much of Lebanese cuisine is based upon the town one grew up in. Each area – and each family – gives dishes their own unique tweaks and twists. Also, like so many other places, it’s family oriented and its cooks want to use the best and freshest ingredients possible. Lots of vegetables and grains and seafood, along with beef and lamb fill the plates – put together with their own unique spice blends.

The first thing I did was to make Sabaa Baharat – a Lebanese 7-spice blend. It has the same basic spices one will find in any number of homes or countries. As always, it’s the combination that makes them unique.

 

 

Sabaa Baharat

adapted from The Matbakh

  • 3 tablespoons allspice
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons ground cloves
  • 3 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white pepper

Mix all the spices, pour the blend into a glass spice jar, label and store in a cool and dry place for up to 6 months.

 

I used it to make Lebanese Kafta Kabobs – Lamb Kabobs.

Kafta Kabobs

adapted from The Matbakh

  • 2 lbs minced meat (beef or lamb) 85% to 90% fat content
  • 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spices
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter or ghee

Wash the parsley. Remove the stems. Chop the parsley finely. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the onion.

Place the minced meat in a deep mixing bowl. Add in the chopped parsley, minced garlic, finely chopped onion, and all of the spices.

Mix them in really well, dip your hand in a bit of water to help the mixture come together.

Take a handful of the meat mixture and start shaping it on a wooden skewer. Dip your hand in some water before shaping meat on each skewer. Repeat until all of the kafta meat is skewered.

Place the kabobs in a hot grill pan greased with ghee or butter or grill on a standard outdoor grill.

Cook for a few minutes on each side until your meat reaches the desired wellness.

 

 

And then we come to the dish I was really looking forwards to – Mjaddara/Mujadara: Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions.

I love lentils – we have we have 5 different varieties of them in the cupboard, right now. Besides being one of my favorite foods, they’re extremely good for you! Win/Win, indeed!

Mjaddara/Mujadara

adapted from The Mediterranean Dish 

  • 1 cup black lentils, sorted and rinsed
  • 4 cups water, divided
  • 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil, more for later
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, soaked in water for 10-15 minutes and then drained
  • black pepper
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Parsley, for garnish

For The Fried Crispy Onion Garnish (optional)

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion cut in very thin rings

Place the lentils in a small saucepan with 2 cups of the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer, cover until the lentils are par-boiled (10-12 minutes). Remove from the heat, drain the lentils and set them aside.

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook until the onions are dark golden brown, darker than typical caramelized onions (about 40 minutes), sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt as they cook.

Carefully pour the remaining 2 cups of water, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the rice and par-cooked lentils into the onion mixture. Add a good dash of kosher salt, black pepper, and the cumin.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both cooked through (about 15 to 20 minutes).

If you are adding the fried onions, work on them while the rice and lentils are cooking. In a large skillet, heat about 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. When a small piece of onion bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onions in batches until they are crispy and deeply golden brown. Transfer the crispy onion rings to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of excess oil.

Let the rice and lentils rest covered for about 10 minutes undisturbed, then garnish with parsley and transfer to serving bowls. Top each bowl with the crispy onion rings.

 

This really was the perfect meal! The kafta was moist and tender – and really flavorful. The spice blend was great and the bit of added cinnamon came through just enough. I do like my heat, however, and think some cayenne would be an excellent addition! Not authentic, perhaps, but food is all about playing! The lentils and rice were really good, as well. Lots of flavor for so few ingredients! The caramelized onions really made the dish.

I did cheat at the end. I used packaged fried onions for the topping. Next time, I’ll do the real McCoy. They didn’t do it justice.

And now on to “M”…..