From Ma’amoul to Couscous, why not try a new vegetarian dish from the Middle East and North Africa region this Ramadan?

There are some dishes that evoke such strong memories of a festive occasion, that eating them any other time of the year feels wrong. For me, Qatayf (mini nut pancakes) and Mamoul (date cookies) are two things I only ever eat during Ramadan and so just seeing them gets me in the Ramadan spirit. Another great thing about these two succulent sweet pastries is that they are vegetarian and with enough sugar and calories to give you a post-fast energy boost.

Indeed there is an amazing array of special Ramadan dishes from around the Muslim world that are suitable for vegetarians. In an effort to encourage more Muslims (and non-Muslims!) to reduce their meat intake during this holy month, I have collated a list of delectable dishes and pastries that would make the perfect Vegetarian iftar.

After a long day of fasting, the last thing I want to eat is heavy, greasy food. It’s too demanding for your stomach and means you end up feeling very uncomfortable and lethargic. Vegetarian food is the answer. As long as you go easy on the pastries and sweets, vegetarian dishes tend to be fresher, healthier and lighter on the stomach. 

I think soups are an absolute must during Ramadan. After a long day of fasting, nothing helps ease your thirst and hunger like a bowl of hot soup. I was lucky enough to try some tasty Moroccan Harira Soup when I was in Tangiers and I highly recommend it. It’s a lovely mix of lentils, chickpeas and vermicelli which is a particular Ramadan favourite.  You could also try our Moroccan wheat soup recipe here which promises a hearty and warming bowl of goodness.

Salads are another must have and you can’t wrong with Tabbouleh and Fattoush. Check out this recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad for a modern twist on the traditional Tabbouleh by our resident cook Miriam Kresh.

You could also give Fattoush a try – made from leftover pitta bread, tomato, cucumber, mint and lots of other things you should have lying about in your kitchen, it makes a lovely starter. Here’s a great recipe for the traditional Lebanese dish and you could also throw in some avocado to give it a bit more weight.

For main dishes, give couscous a whirl this Ramadan with our very own lemon-scented vegetarian couscous. We even have a special vegan-friendly couscous recipe that you can try out.

Freekah, an ancient grain makes a lovely, hearty soup but could also be cooked as a main and stuffed in a Kobocha squash as you can see below.

Another great vegetarian dish which is a firm favourite even amongst the non-veggies is Imjadarra/Mujaddara. A very traditional Middle Eastern dish, Imjadarra it is made using either rice or bulgar wheat with green lentils, onions and some basic herbs and spices.

Finally to finish off any meal, something sweet. Arabic sweets in my personal opinion are quite tricky to pull off (but I find all pastries and cakes a conundrum to make…) but this recipe for Baklava looks simply enough.

You could also try to make the traditional Ramadan date cookie called Ma’amoul which would really impress your friends. Or even better, you could make the ultimate half-moon shaped Qatayef for a real taste of Ramadan.

For more on going green this Ramadan see:

Go Green This Ramadan (6 Steps)

The Eco-Mosque Checklist – 7 Steps to a Greener Mosque

Feasting on Fairtrade this Ramadan

The post Vegetarian Ramadan Recipes From the Middle East appeared first on Green Prophet.

This recipe actually brought water to my mouth even as I was reading it through. Then I cooked these spicy bulgur balls and set the platter on the table. The  family and guests simply snarfed it up; not a scrap left.  This bit of Turkish home cuisine is called Arap Koftesi, and I discovered it in Özlem’s Turkish Table.

One thing I particularly liked was the mention of lamb’s lettuce, a foraged green. No lamb’s lettuce growing conveniently nearby? The author offers spinach as an alternative. I expect more delicious recipes will immigrate from Turkey to my own kitchen via that cozy cookbook.

Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe. The method is easy, and author Özlem Warren says that the bulgur balls may be made ahead and frozen. 

The post Arap Koftesi burgul balls in a garlicky yogurt sauce appeared first on Green Prophet.

Herbed Salmon and Zucchini
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 16-20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, any color, chopped thickly
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets

To season the salmon:

2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or za’atar, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2  teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Note: To use dried herbs instead of fresh, halve the quantities given.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees°F – 200 C°.
Lightly oil a baking sheet, or line it with baking parchment.
Mix the brown sugar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, dill, oregano, thyme and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place the zucchini in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Dribble olive oil over the slices and season with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon fillets in the pan, in between the zucchini slices.. Spoon some of the herb mixture over each fillet.
Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, between 16-20 minutes. Check for doneness at 16 minutes. If not quite cooked through, give it another 2-4 minutes.

Garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve.

Enjoy!

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Consider this, most Americans are sort of in denial when it comes to climate change and their food. That means more steaks on the barbecue, less care about food miles, and more interest in eating fast?  But is that the whole picture?

Let’s see what the research says.

In a national survey released this week by Earth Day Network and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Not talking about the impact of food

The report, titled “Climate Change and the American Diet,” found that half (51%) of Americans surveyed said that they would eat more plant-based foods if they had more information about the environmental impacts of their food choices.

But, 70% rarely or never talk about this issue with friends or family.

Nearly two-thirds of the Americans surveyed report having never been asked to eat more plant-based foods, and more than half rarely or never hear about the topic in the media. Guess they aren’t listening to NPR. 🙂

However, the report found that more than half of Americans are willing to eat more vegetables and plant-based alternatives and/or less red meat. So that’s good news for startups like Impossible Food and Beyond Meat that are using labs to create plant based meat, without harmful soy, and which tastes and even bleeds like meat.

The Slow Food Movement defines Slow Meat

But at the same time American consumers are already changing their diets and purchasing habits in favor of plant-based foods.

Are you doing Meatless Mondays?

Although four percent of Americans self-identify as vegan or vegetarian, 20% choose plant-based dairy alternatives about two to five times a week or more often. Roughly the same percentage choose not to buy products from food companies that are not taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.

“Many American consumers are interested in eating a more healthy and climate-friendly diet,” said Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale University. “However, many simply don’t know yet which products are better or worse — a huge communication opportunity for food producers, distributors and sellers.”

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Pungent saffron and turmeric give a deep yellow color to this vegetarian version of a traditional Iranian dish. As many traditional dishes do, this one requires several cooking phases. The easy part comes later, when all you have to do is pop it in the oven and let it finish cooking while you’re doing other things. This is an impressive, and delicious, party dish.

Vegetarian Tahcheen

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups white basmati rice

1 1/4 tsp saffron strands

A pinch of sugar

3 tbsp freshly boiled water

3 medium eggplants (around 1 1/4 lb), cut lengthways into 1-inch slices

Sea salt and black pepper

Sunflower oil

3 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced into large chunks

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 egg yolks

Scant cup Greek yogurt

For the topping:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp barberries or dried cranberries

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped

1 tbsp sugar

You will need a large, flat platter to take the cooked dish when it’s cooked.

Pre-heat your grill to medium-high.

Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. (Don’t worry about the large amount of salt here, the rice has a very short time to absorb the water and the final result won’t be too salty.) Add the rice and cook for 4–5 minutes over a medium heat. Taste to test; the rice should be soft on the outside but still hard and firm in the middle. Drain, then rinse with tepid water to stop it cooking any further and set aside.

Make a saffron liquid by using a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron strands with a pinch of sugar and then add the boiled water. Leave to steep.

Drizzle the eggplant slices with some sunflower oil and season generously with salt. Grill for 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the eggplants are cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the rest of your filling. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a small pan for a minute and then crush them with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder, and add them too. (Green Prophet note: you can pour the seeds into a wooden bowl and crush them with the bottom of a jar or bottle, too.) Cook until the mushrooms are soft and then take off the heat.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the yogurt, saffron liquid, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Fold the rice in until it is evenly coated with the yogurt and saffron.

Rub 1 tablespoon butter over the base and sides of a 10-cup ovenproof glass dish. (GP note: you can also use a 10-cup capacity casserole dish.) Spoon half of the rice into the dish and press it down evenly. Add a layer of eggplants and mushrooms and finish with a final layer of rice.

Dot with the remaining butter, cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 1 1/2–2 hours or until the base of the tahcheen is crisp and golden brown.

When the tahcheen is ready, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while you make your topping. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the barberries, pistachios, and sugar for 2 minutes until the sugar has melted and the dried fruit has plumped up.

To serve, run a butter knife around the sides of the tahcheen to separate it from the dish. Place a large board (or platter) over the top and quickly invert the whole thing. Garnish with a sprinkling of the barberry and pistachio topping.

Bon appétit!

:: The Saffron Tales, by Yasmin Khan

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The two-month “Grow Your Food” campaign kicked off  via social media as part of Dubai’s World Food Day activities which focus on the theme of “Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth”.  People can establish gardens on their balconies, rooftops, in courtyards or car parks – any sunlit area that can allow undisturbed growth.

When asked whether the Dubai weather could prove tricky for home farmers, Khalid Sherif, Director of the Food Control Department, insisted that there’s always a way around it.

Contestants must post pictures of their new gardens on the campaign’s Facebook page (which Green Prophet has tried to find, without luck). A  jury will select the best 100 images and, following visits to each garden, will pick 10 winners. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, told Emirates24|7, “It’s our way of telling people that we need to focus on eating healthy.”

Winners will be announced in February 2015, and during the National Day celebrations each will receive a certificate and cash prize worth up to $2,700.  That’s a lot of green, but we wonder if the results will be perennial.

Image of rooftop plantings from Shutterstock

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The glass jar salad trend is currently raging on Pinterest with hundreds of free recipes floating elsewhere online. These perfectly portable (and recyclable!) containers never spill and are ideal for night-before prep, so you can just grab-and-go the next morning. The jars’ ability to hold strategically layered fruit, grains, veggies and dressing  without creating a soggy mess underpins their popularity.  Making them is simple, and an ideal way to use leftovers.

You’ve seen these delicious eco-meals for sale at hipster food shops. Here are the dance steps to making your own at home:

1. Start with a wide-mouthed Mason jar. You can buy them in a variety of sizes at home goods and hardware stores. IKEA even sells them.
2. The first layer of the Mason jar salad is always the dressing. (Alternatively, add dressing last, stored in a nifty paper “cup”. Take a 6 inch square of parchment or wax paper, cover the top of the food-filled jar, make a dent (or bowl) in the center and pour in your dressing. Cap the jar tightly – trim excess paper – and the dressing is segregated until chow time.)
3. The second layer creates a barrier between the dressing and delicate, absorbent ingredients such as leafy greens, tomatoes, rice, and pasta. Use hearty vegetables that would do well in a marinade: tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, carrots, and peppers are all good choices.
4. Softer foods like cooked beans, mushrooms, squash, sprouts, avocado and corn go in the third layer. These items won’t swim in the dressing all day, but it won’t be catastrophic if they take a dip.
5. This fourth layer is for pasta and grains. Rice, couscous, freekah and quinoa are good choices – filling and inexpensive, but ideally kept undressed until serving.
6. The fifth layer is for hardcore proteins such as meat, eggs, and cheese.
7. The final layer is reserved for everything that is best kept dry. Greens will stay crisper, nuts crunchier if left to the Mason jar’s penthouse.

There are zillions of recipes online for both dressings and full salads.  Your local farmer’s market will inspire many more ideas. I expect this will be the perfect solution for school meals, plus it eliminates ziplock bags, paper sacks, and lunch boxes. (My kid brings along a reusable fork and bowl, eating out of a jar is a tad awkward in the end.)

Home-packed lunches are the better choice for your health and your waistline, and you’ll save a significant amount of money bypassing takeaway.

Image of a Mason jar salad from Village Green Network

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If readers from other Middle-Eastern countries have spotted Romanesco broccoli in their local markets, please drop a comment below.  Romanesco, like conventional broccoli, pairs well with pasta and cheese. It would be great in our pan-roasted cauliflower and broccoli recipe too, or in our tri-color pasta salad.

In this recipe, olive oil and strips of sun-dried tomatoes lend Mediterranean accents to the dish.

Pasta With Roasted Romanesco Broccoli

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 package shell macaroni

1/4-1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 head Romanesco broccoli

3 Tblsp. olive oil

3 Tblsp. Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, shredded with a vegetable peeler into strips

1 tsp. salt

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. – 400 degrees F.

Pour the olive oil into a bowl big enough to fit the florets. Add salt, pepper, and 1 Tblsp. of the cheese.

Separate the Romanesco broccoli into florets and place them in the bowl, turning them over a few times to coat them.

Roast the florets on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, then turn them over and roast another 10 minutes.

While the Romanesco broccoli is roasting, cook the macaroni. Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water; drain and chop them coarsely.

Drain the cooked pasta; cover and keep it warm.

Toss the roasted Romanesco broccoli with the pasta and  tomatoes. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tblsp. cheese over all.

Serve right away.

More delicious vegetarian food recipes:

•  5 Ways To Eat Iron-Rich Foraged Nettles
• Green And Black Olive Spreads
• Baked Eggplant Slices in Tomato Sauce
• Make Your Own Sauerkraut

Image of Romanesco Pasta Dish and  Romanesco broccoli via Shutterstock.

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Quinoa is a healthy superfood filling up kitchen cupboards of ethical and vegetarian eaters, but quinoa comes at a high price for those in Peru and Bolivia,

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian or someone who is just trying to eat a little more consciously, you know that shopping can be something of a nightmare.

Taking into consideration food miles, sustainability, water footprints, animal-friendly production as well as making sure the food is organic and healthy is a minefield. So when something as tasty and low fat (I remember ‘superfood’ was being bandied about) as quinoa comes along it’s something of a blessing.

Quinoa is super high in protein

The fact it is high in protein is also perfect for those cutting out meat. However, new research has shown that affluent westerner’s love for quinoa is pushing up prices and denying Peruvians and Bolivians the crop which was once was a staple of the poor.

Since 2006, the price of quinoa has tripled and in Lima, Peru, the once unheard of grain now costs more than chicken. Overseas demand for the grain continues to grow which is all putting pressure on land in Peru and Bolivia that once produced a diverse range of crops to simply harvest quinoa.

Writing in the Guardian, investigative journalist Joanna Blythman states: “The quinoa trade is yet another troubling example of a damaging north-south exchange, with well-intentioned health and ethics-led consumers here unwittingly driving poverty there. It’s beginning to look like a cautionary tale of how a focus on exporting premium foods can damage the producer country’s food security. ”

Another example that Blythman highlights is that Peruvian asparagus which is grown in the arid Ica region has depleted water resources on which the locals depend.

She also adds that soya production is now one of the two main causes of deforestation in South America along with cattle ranching. It is worth pointing out however that according to a UN report in 2006, 97% of soya production was used for animal feed and not to fill vegetarian’s fridges. Even so, the food insecurity caused by the rising popularity of Quinoa is troubling and highlights the need for a more localised approach to food production and consumption. Especially when we are importing from countries with high poverty rates.

For more on sustainable food see:

Eat Like A Sustainable Iranian

Globally, Obesity is Now More Deadlier than Hunger

7 Evergreen Books On Sustainable Food For Your New Year

Mushroom Farmers Start To Sprout Up In Iraq

Image of Tabbouleh Quinoa with Tomatoes via Shutterstock.com

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Givatayim’s legendary eggplant-maker Oved Daniel, whom they call the “professor of sabich [Iraqi eggplant dish] science,” is opening up a new restaurant in Tel Aviv. Previously a gifted soccer player, today Daniel is a local food celebrity whose specialty sabich is one of Israel’s most beloved foods. Sabich has its roots in Israel’s Iraqi community. It is a traditional Baghdadi breakfast dish, consisting of fried eggplant, Arabic salad, parsley, fresh onion and a baked or boiled egg and emerged as a national sensation in the 1960’s.

In 1961 Tzvi Halabi opened up the first sabich stand in Ramat Gan, the Tel Aviv suburb with a thriving Iraqi-Israeli community. It was Halabi who first added hummus and tahini to sabich, and sold it to Israeli consumers inside a warm pita. Then Oved Daniel opened up his place in the neighboring suburb, which is when sabich grew in popularity.

The workers at “Oved” became local food celebrities among eggplant lovers, famed for their unique slang, derived from soccer metaphors and Hebrew wordplay.

For example, to order a sabich without red or yellow spicy sauces, one says the score is “zero, zero.” These colors correlate with popular Israeli soccer teams. You could also say that Maccabi Tel Aviv wins to order one sauce without the other, a tie to order both sauces.

In a few weeks, Daniel’s  highly anticipated new restaurant will become the first branch aside from the original “Oved” in Givatayim.

::Maariv (In Hebrew)

Read more about Israeli foods:
Eggplants and Peppers: Produce in the Middle East
Book Review: Mama Nazima’s Jewish-Iraqi Cuisine by Rivka Goldman
One-handed Whole Wheat Pita Recipe, the Old Yemini Way

Image of pita bread via Shutterstock. Image of Oved sabich via Leigh Cuen.

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