Tahini Sauce

Tahini Sauce:
=================

Place tahini and a 1/2 cup water in processor or blender; blend
until smooth.

Add wine vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

Add enough water to bring sauce to pouring consistency. Transfer
to small bowl and stir in parsley.

Set aside, covered, at room temperature.

Compliments of Chef Andree Abramoff, Andree’s Mediterranean Restaurant, New York

Kobeba Samakeyah

Title: KOBEBA SAMAKEYAH

Yield: 6 servings

1/2 c Bulgur, fine (cracked wheat)
1/2 sm Onion, cut in half
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

——————————–FISH FILLING——————————–
1/2 lb Flounder, fillets, OR
1/2 lb Cod, fillets
2 tb Butter, unsalted
1 md Onion, chopped
2 Scallions, trimmed, chopped
1 tb Cilantro, chopped
— (coriander) (opt)
1 ts Cumin, ground
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

——————————–TAHINI SAUCE——————————–
1/2 c Tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 c Water (approximately)
2 tb Vinegar, red wine
1 ea Garlic, clove, minced
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
2 tb Parsley, chopped
Oil, vegetable (for frying)

Cover the bulgur with water and soak for 30 minutes.

Drain and, a handful at a time, thoroughly squeeze out all
liquid.

Place bulgur, onions, salt and pepper in processor and process
with on-and-off turns until nearly smooth, scraping down sides as
necessary. Transfer to bowl and knead until smooth. Set aside.

Fish Filling:
=============

Steam fish until just cooked. Flake into small pieces and set
aside.

Heat butter in a small skillet then add onion and scallions and
saute until onion wilts, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in flaked fish, cilantro, cumin and salt and pepper,
stirring gently over medium heat 2 minutes.

Set aside and cool completely.

For Tahini Sauce:
=================

Place tahini and a 1/2 cup water in processor or blender; blend
until smooth.

Add wine vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

Add enough water to bring sauce to pouring consistency. Transfer
to small bowl and stir in parsley.

Set aside, covered, at room temperature.

To Assemble:
============

To assemble, place small bowl if ice water on work surface.
Using palms, form golf ball-size balls of bulgur mixture. Dipping
fingers in ice water as you work shape each ball into a hollow tube
around your index finger, gently pressing mixture into small
cigar-shaped tubes about 3 inches long.

Moisten fingers frequently and patch any cracks as you work.

Slip each shell off your finger and fill with about 1 tablespoon
of cooled fish filling using a small spoon. Press ends of tubes over
fish filling, forming a tight seal.

Cover and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in large saucepan to 375 F.

Fry Kobeba’s until golden, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once.

Serve immediately with Tahini Sauce.

Compliments of Chef Andree Abramoff, Andree’s Mediterranean Restaurant, New York

Keftede, Bulgur Meatballs

Bulgur Meatballs (Keftede)

Recipe By : Anne Marshall, World’s Finest, Pasta and Grains
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Bulgur Lebanon
Meats 4star

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3/4 cup bulgur
1/2 cup chickpeas — cooked 4 oz
1 pound ground lamb — lean, see note
1/2 cup bread crumbs
(finely crumbled pita bread)
1 large egg — slightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic — crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley — or mint or mix
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil — or less
1 Sprig fresh mint — for garnish
salad leaves — for garnish
1/3 cup plain lowfat yogurt — optional

VARIATIONS
Use less meat.
Substitute ground turkey
1 medium egg for the large

PREPARATION (30 minutes)
– Place the bulgur in a small bowl, add enough cold water to cover and let soak
for 10 minutes. Drain through a sieve lined with a piece of cheesecloth. Wrap
the cheesecloth around the bulgur and squeeze out the excess water.
– OR USE INSTANT
– Place the chickpeas in a blender or a food processor fitted with a metal
blade and blend until finely chopped. (Or coarse chop)

COOKING (30 minutes chilling and 30 minutes cooking)
– Place the bulgur, chickpeas, lamb, bread crumbs, egg, lemon juice, garlic,
coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and mint in a large mixing bowl and combine
well.
– With cold, wet hands, roll the mixture into 30 balls,about 1-1/2 in (3 cm) in
diameter. Place on a large plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 20
minutes. Re-roll the chilled meatballs, if necessary, to refine the shape.
– Heat half the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Reduce the
heat to low, add half the meatballs and cook, moving and turning over
frequently, until browned on all sides and cooked in the center, about 6 to 8
minutes. Test one for pink-center. Transfer to paper toweling when done. Cover
with foil to keep warm.
– Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and cook the remaining meatballs.
– Place meatballs on a warm serving platter. Serve hot, garnished with mint and
salad leaves or dandilion greens. Serve with yogurt in a bowl.
– - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

NOTES : Served with a salad with cucumber – it was a complete meal.
As appetizer, sweeten by adding 1 generous tablespoon of red currant jelly to
the meatball.

Recipe by Anne Marshall