Lentils Soup and One More Recipe- شوربة عدس

وصفة شوربة العدس :
كوب من العدس ألأحمر, يغسل و يصفىى
- تقطيع الخضار التالية الى قطع كبيرة :
حبتين من البصل والبطاطا و الجزر .

يمكنك اضافة القليل من السبانخ او بضع قطع من البندوره. يمكنك ان تعدلي هذه الوصفات حسب انواع الخضار الموجوده لديك او حسب رغبتك. و يمكنك ان تستخدمي انواع مختلفة من العدس كالعدس البني او الأخضر.
- ملح و فلفل وكمون
- ماء

ألطريقه:

بعد غسل و تقطيع الخضار المستعمله, ضعيها في القدر مع العدس , أضيفي الماء و دعيها تغلي على حراره عاليه ثم على نار متوسطة الحراره الى ان تنضج المكونات حوالي 30-40 دقيقه.

أرفعي القدر عن النار و ضعي الشوربه في الخلاط الكهربائي و أهرسيها حتى تصبح ناعمه. أضيفي الملح والفلفل الاسود والكمون.
هذه الوصفة عالية بالبروتين و خاليه من الدهون ،صحيّه و لذيذه. قدمي الشوربه مع رشة بقدونس و الخبز القلي او المحمص. القليل من عصير الليمون يضاف عند الأكل مع الزيتون الاخضر والفجل .

Recipe for Lentil Soup:

-1 cup red lentils-washed and drained
-Cut up the following vegetables into big pieces:
2 onions- 2 potatoes- Few carrots- Optional, you may use a small bunch of spinach or few pieces of tomatoes. You may modify these recipes to your liking by using different kinds of lentils or adding more vegetables to the soup.
-Salt, Pepper and Cumin
-Water
Directions:
Bring to a boil in a 5 to 6 quart pot then lower heat, cover and simmer gently about 30-40 minutes until all the vegetables become soft. Blend to a smooth finish in the blender, add salt, black pepper and cumin. This is a high in protein recipe and very low in fat, it is filling and tasty too.You may garnish with fresh chopped parsley and fried pita bread chips. A squeeze of lemon is added to it when it is served. Green olives and radishes compliment this soup. Serve hot. Enjoy!


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Spinach Rolls- 2 pounds fresh spinach or 3 packages (10 oz each) frozen spinach,1 or 2 medium size finally chopped onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper and sumac. Sumac is a lemony taste spice thats widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine.You may google "Sumac" to know more about it! Shrack Arabic Bread is used to roll up the filling, it is a very thin,one layer, round and big type of bread OR you may use corn or flour Tortillas to roll up the spinach filling in it. Brush your pan with olive oil and brush the top on the rolls with olive oil too. Bake for about 12 minutes in a 450 degrees Fahrenheit oven . You may spray "Pam" for lower in calories version until it becomes crispy and golden in color.Enjoy!
Note: You can find the Orange color Lentils, the Sumac and the Shrak Bread at any Middle Eastern store in the States.

Okra Stew- يخنة الباميه مع الارز

Ingredients:
One pound frozen or fresh Okra
Cooking oil
One diced onion
Minced garlic
2-3 diced fresh or canned tomatoes
Tomato paste or sauce
Water
Salt and black pepper to taste

-Sauté onions in oil
-Add garlic and sauté some more until garlic turns golden color
-Add the okra. Sauté until it is soft, this takes few minutes if the okra is frozen and may take longer if it is fresh. Some people deep fry the fresh okra before cooking it.
- Add fresh tomatoes and stir around for few minutes
- Add tomato sauce/paste and add water if needed
- Add salt and black pepper
- boil at first then lower the heat and let simmer until the tomatoes and the okra are cooked. This might take around 35-45 minutes
Serve hot with rice on the side

Poor Man’s Dish, Mujaddara! المجدره -المدردره

Mujaddara has always been considered poor man’s dish throughout the ages in the Middle East but currently it is considered a very healthy dish that provides a balanced healthy meal , with healthy fat, protein and carbohydrates. This dish is a very flavorful dish.

This dish goes by many names, In Palestine, Jordan and Syria it is called Mujaddara, and in Lebanon it is called Mudardara, while in Egypt it is called Kushari, a very similar recipe with addition of pasta and hot sauce to the dish. No matter what you name it, it is a very tasty recipe served hot or cold with small cut salad consist of tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.


Mujaddara ingredients:
- 2 cups already cooked Rice
-1 cup brown Lentils
-Two to four onions, diced or cut into slices
- Oil for frying the onions
- 2 tablespoons Cumin
-Salt, Black pepper to taste

Directions:
- Wash and boil brown lentils until they are tender. Drain.
- Caramelize the onions by simmering them with cooking oil on medium heat. They will take a while to turn into that desired golden brown color. They burn easy if you turn your head away from it, so keep an eye on them!! You may increase the amount of the caramelized onions to garnish your dish with.
-Add the lentils to the onion and oil mix stir around for couple of minutes then add the rice.
-My personal recipe consists of using already cooked rice, or leftover rice. From my own experience, I found out that the rice and lentils both will keep their shape avoiding having lumps in the dish or having it to be too wet.
Top with the previously reserved caramelized onions.
Plate the Mujaddara and top with caramelized onions if desired. Serve hot next to simple peasant salad which includes small cut tomatoes and cucumber dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. You may serve it next to plain yogurt too.
Enjoy!

An update for the recipe, how to turn it into a Kushari dish, cook the rice and lentils as the above directions. Set aside. For the sauce and the pasta you need to do the following:
-1 cup uncooked pasta (small shells or elbow macaroni is best)
-2 large onions
-diced 4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tablespoons oil
-1 can chopped tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
-salt and black pepper
- A can of chickpeas 
- A cup of cooked lentils to be served on the side
Directions:

-Cook the macaroni in a separate pot

-Rinse and strain when done.

-Meanwhile, fry the onions and garlic in the oil until golden.

-Add the tomatoes, chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste and let it bubble for 10-20 minutes or until thickened and sauce like. Add the white vinegar. 

-You can now smooth out the sauce in a food processor until smooth or just leave as is.

-Plate your Mujaddara and add the macaroni on top .

-Top with tomato sauce.

-Sprinkle with more hot chili powder or salt and pepper, if desired. You may garnish with chickpeas and fried onions on top.

طبق المجدرة من المأكولات الشهية و الشعبيه, ويفضلها الكثير عن الأطباق الدسمة والمتعبه. وربما كانت في الماضي من ألأكلات المفضله للفقراء لقلة تكلفتها و لكنها اصبحت أكله مفضله للأغنياء ايضا لقيمتها الغذائيه الكبيره و الغنيه بالبروبينات و المعادن. وصفة المجدره في فلسطين, ألأردن , سوريه تسمى بأسم المجدره بينما في بعض المناطق بلبنان تمسى بألمدردره و في مصر هي ألأكله ألأكثر شعبيه بعد الفول المدمس و تسمى الكشري. هناك طرق عديده لتحضير هذه الوصفه و يعتمد ذلك على المنطقه, المواد المستعمله فيها و البهارات المضافه,بألأضافه الى ألرز, في بلاد الشام تُحضّر بالعدس و البرغل مما يزيد من قيمتها الغذائيه العاليه لكن لايهم بأي طريقه ستحضّر هذه الوصفه, النتائج النهائيه تكون بأنها طبق لذيذ و مفيد خصوصا اذا قدمت مع السلطه الخضراء الناعمه أو اللبن الرايب.

وفيما يلي وصف كامل للمقادير وطريقة التحضير:

كأس كبيرة من العدس الأسود غير المطحون
كأسين اثنين كبيرتين من الأرز المصري أو ألبرغل, حسب الرغبه

مقدار فنجان قهوة من زيت الذرة اوزيت دوّار الشمس
بصلة واحدة مفرومه

ملح الطعام حسب الذوق
ملعقه كبيره كمون
التحضيـــــر:
يسلق العدس حتى ينضج
بالوصفه العاديه لتفلفل الأرز يطبخ الأرز
يخلط العدس والأرز معاً مع التحريك البسيط
تقلي البصلة بزيت الذرة ويضاف الزيت فوق الأرز والعدس وهما ساخنان
تخلط جميع المقادير بخفة للمحافظة على شكل الأرز والعدس

تسكب المجدرة بالصحن مع وضع البصلة المقليه فوقها
يتم تقديم هذا الطبق ساخناً مع سلطة الطماطم والخضار
وكذلك اللبن الزبادي