When Middle Eastern Cuisine meets Chinese Techniques

Since I posted the Lebanese Street Kaak Bi Semsem, I wanted to do an additional posting for the Date Stars Bread, which is very popular in Lebanon, its a sweet bread stuffed with dates and cut in the shape of a star, for the sweet tooth in us. You find these stars in every bakery in Lebanon, small to a multi stories ... You can buy them from the bakery when you purchase your pita bread, also the street vendors sell them beside the Kaak Bi Semsem.

I want to take this chance to thank my dear readers; the Kaak Bi Semsem is the highest hit in my blog, followed by homemade yogurt.

I like to do another posting for two more street breads, one for kaak Allete which is a round thick sponge bread stuffed with oregano sumac mix or Dakkah. The second one is the big Barazik, extra large sesame seeds crunchy cookies. All these breads are part of my childhood; and because my mom is very strict when it comes to our food and very concerned to what we are eating. We were not allowed to buy any junk treats or beverages from the stores. She will take us to the bakery for these breads, and we buy them fresh, our drink will be freshly squeezed orange juice or lemonade.

my head is full of her stories about the food preparation and sanitation. (do you believe that I didn’t taste hot dog until I came to Orlando; my dear friend John from work, brought me a hot dog sandwich and said your mom is not here watching, I want you to taste it, I did eat it, but to me, it’s was not the big deal every one go crazy about. When you think what kind of meat they used in preparing these dogs.

I have to thank my mom for her care and concern about our safety, and what we put in our mouth, and because of her, I do every thing I like from scratch, knowing what I am using in my food, and going to my body.

For these yummy breads, I used the Hokkaido Milky Bread Recipe, instead of the additional Rye Flour I used Whole Wheat, and doubled the recipe and made the Stars, and the Brioche, which I stuffed with pastry cream and dark chocolate.

To make the date softer and easy to spread I warmed it with a spoon of butter and added some cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, I like the spice flavour in the date and it’s a good vehicle to add spices. You can use your preference.

When I took the brioche out of the oven the cream and the chocolate were oozing out of the dough, burning hot, I didn’t dare taste it. Beside it was almost midnight, I don’t want to eat and sleep… This morning I am enjoying a very nice cup of coffee with one of these babies… and All I can leave you is my photos to drill……………

Dear Readers do you have special bread or treat from your childhood days you like to share about.

Hokkaido Milky Buns and new Bread Technique

As you know I am always in search of new bread recipes and more new techniques and when I saw Angie’s recipe for Hokkaido Milky Buns, I knew immediately that I have to try this recipe and the new technique, which is called Tangzhong Starter, which is cooked roux starter.

The Tangzhong Starter is a mixture of one part flour and five part of water by weight, cooked for couple of minutes to bring out the gelatinization of the starch in flour. What makes the bread baked with this kind of starter difference is Starch Gelatinization, which helps to engage more water, namely more water will be absorbed, to provide characteristic softer, more elastic-textured bread. Moreover, the bread will have long-lasting freshness.

Tangzhong Starter - Angie's Recipe here

50 g Bread flour

250 ml Water

In a bowl, whisk together the water and the flour until the mixture is well blended and lump free. Stir the mixture while it cooks over the medium heat to reach 65C/150F. It takes about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and cover loosely with plastic wrap to prevent from drying. Store the starter in the refrigerator after completely cooling down. To use the starter, measure out the amount called for in a recipe and let it warm to room temperature. Unlike sourdough starter, this special Tangzhong starter doesn't improve its flavour with age. So it's preferably to use up in 3 days.

Hokkaido Milky Buns or Loaf

300 g All-purpose flour 50 g Rye flour 30 g Milk powder 120 g Tangzhong-Water Roux Starter 55 g White sugar 14 g Fresh yeast or three teaspoons dry yeast

5 g Salt or one tsp 1 Egg 30 g Milk 50 g Crème Fraiche/or sour cream 30 g Soft butter, diced Preparation Place all other ingredients, except butter, in the mixing bowl with a dough hook and stir over the low speed until the ingredients incorporate. Adjust speed to medium and continue to beat. When a dough ball starts to form, cut in the butter. Low down the speed to knead until the butter has blended into the dough. Increase the speed to medium again and knead until the dough has become very smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer into a large greased mixing bowl. Roll it around so the dough gets coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough to release the gas produced during the proof and divide it into 3 even portions, each about 240 grams. Round up and let rest for 15 minutes. Press out the gas of each dough and roll out into an oval shape. Fold it into thirds, overlapping them in the center, press the dough down firmly. Turn over and roll out into a 30-cm long strip. Turn over and roll up each to a column shape. Or you can divide the dough into 12 portions and shape each into a ball. Place them in a 30x11x8-cm loaf pan. Let the dough rise up to 2/3 full. I turned the dough into 6 buns and rolled them like small baguettes and buns and double brushed the face with egg wash to give them a deep golden color. My note: preheat the oven at 450F and when its ready put the baking tray in and lower the heat to 350F , it’s a trick I learned it by myself, and it works great in anything you are baking… the bread will take around 30-35 minutes … All I can say, that I baked the bread around 11 pm last night, and I couldn’t resist the smell coming from the kitchen and I can hardly wait to have a bite of this bread. It was Hot, amazingly delicious, spongy with layers and layers of spongy dough, taste like a rich brioche … I truly encourage you to try this bread and this new technique, Still have half of the starter in the fridge and iam going to try another recipe with it.

Tangzhong Starter

I wish you can smell this bread

Source: http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/hokkaido-milky-loaf-buns.html

Thank you very much my friend for a great bread recipe... I am trying another one.

Daoud Bacha Stew or Kabab Hindi and some cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry Coconut and Walnut Cookies
Melting Moments with citrus flavour

I got the recipe for the Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies from my friend Rosa from Rosa YummyYums

Oatmeal Coconut Cranberry Walnut Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/3 Cups All purpose flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/5 Tsp Ground cloves
A pinch Ground nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Sea salt
3 Cups Quick cooking rolled oats - I used original oats
1 1/2 cups Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Light brown sugar
1/3 Cup Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs *** I added three eggs
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Cup Grated coconut, unsweetened
1 Cup Walnuts, roasted & chopped coarsely
1 Cup Dried cranberries, chopped coarsely

Mix the butter and the sugar , then add the eggs one by one then the dry ingredients and nuts.

preheat the oven at 375F , bake for 12-15 minutes depend on your oven.

I used an ice cream scoop and got 32 cookies out of this recipe.. Rosa got around 66 cookies, seems she made them smaller.... these are amazing cookies and adding the extra egg kept the cookies soft crumbly and they didn't get hard till the last one...

Daoud Bacha

Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years, Daoud Bacha was one of the Mouttasarefieh Leader he was a bad ruler and divided the Country and created a conflict between the Christian Maronite and the Muslim Duruz in Mount Lebanon.

I am not sure if this dish was created in his kitchen, or it was one of his favourite.

Ingredients:

500 gm extra lean grind lamb meat or beef

1 kg of fresh tomatoes chopped

50 gm of toasted pine nuts

2 large onions thinly sliced

1 ½ head of garlic sliced

2 heads of green pepper

½ cup butter of less

Salt, black pepper, Lebanese seven spices

1 cup of beef stock or water,

Tomato juice to be used later

* juice of one lemon or couple spoons of pomegranate molasses (optional)

Preparation:

Grind the meat in a food processor add salt, pepper and seven spices (you can see the recipe in an old posting) using your hand mix the meat thoroughly with the spices to combine, turn them into medium size meat balls.

In a non stick skillet melt the butter and fry the meatballs, in batches, and drain on paper towel. Add the onions and when halfway done add the sliced garlic and the green pepper turn until they welted. Add the chopped tomatoes, pinenuts, and cup of stock or water, and cook for ten minutes, add the meatball and continue cooking until the sauce thickens.

* If you like your stock with a hint of sour you can add the pomegranate molasses or lemon juice stir and cook for extra 5 minutes.

In case the tomatoes are not juicy enough you can add some of the tomato juice, continue cooking until the meats are cooked, and the sauce is thickened. Serve over rice pilaf or burghul pilaf with some of the sauce as well.

Its delicious , simple to prepare . Enjoy.

Alsace Onion Tart

In the Alsace region, conviviality and good-nature are the ingredients for a great, friendly evening. That is why it is not surprising that Alsatian people like both good food and good wine! Indeed the Alsace region of France is one of the country's smallest regions but it boasts mouth-watering specialties. This French North-East region – that shares borders with Germany – perpetuates the traditional gastronomy of France that is now renowned worldwide.

Ingredients

For pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For filling

• 4 bacon slices (1/4 lb), cut crosswise into 1/8- to 1/16-inch-wide strips
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 lb onions, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise (10 cups)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup crème Fraiche or heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Special equipment: a pastry scraper; an 11-inch tart pan (1 1/4 inches deep) with a removable bottom; pie weights or raw rice

Preparation

Make pastry:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with pastry scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang over pastry and press against side to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Line chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer shell to a rack. (Leave oven on.)

Prepare filling while shell bakes:
Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain and pour off bacon fat. Add butter to skillet and cook onions with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover surface of onions with a round of parchment or wax paper (or cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid) and continue to cook, lifting parchment to stir frequently, until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Whisk together crème Fraiche, eggs, nutmeg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions.

Fill and bake tart:
Pour filling into tart shell, spreading onions evenly, and bake until filling is set and top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cooks' notes:

* Dough (as a disk or fitted into tart shell) can be chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 day. Let disk stand at room temperature 20 minutes before rolling out. ·Tart can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

** Tart can be baked in muffin pan and served as an appetizer instead of first course.

*** Source Epicurious.com

Lebanese Mloukhieh - Jews Mallow Stew

Fresh Mloukhieh Leaves

Corchorus is a genus plant of about 40-100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Different common names are used in different contexts, with jute applying to the fibre produced from the plant, and Mallow-Leaves Mulukhiyah (with many similar transliterations from Arabic: ملوخية‎) applied to the leaves used as a vegetable. The leaves of the Corchorus plant have been a staple Egyptian food since the time of the Pharaohs and it is from there that it gains its recognition and popularity. Varieties of Mallow-leaves stew with rice are a well known Middle-eastern cuisine.

Corchorus aestuans in Hyderabad, India

The plants are tall, usually annual herbs, reaching a height of 2-4 m, unbranched or with only a few side branches. The leaves are alternate, simple, lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, with an acuminate tip and a finely serrated or lobed margin. The flowers are small (2-3 cm diameter) and yellow, with five petals; the fruit is a many-seeded capsule. It thrives

Fiber

The plants of Corchorus genus satisfy the world with great amounts of fiber needs. The fibers from these plants are the most widely cultivated vegetable fiber after cotton.

Young Mulukhiyah leaves are used as a green leaf vegetable; Corchorus olitorius is used mainly in southern Asia, Egypt and Cyprus, Corchorus capsularis in Japan and China. It has a mucilaginous (somewhat "slimy") texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The seeds are used as a flavoring, and a herbal tea is made from the dried leaves. Mulukhiyah is eaten widely in Egypt and some consider it the Egyptian national dish. It features in the cuisines of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Tunisia. The basic recipe for Egyptian Mulukhiyah stew is to place 400 grams of finely chopped fresh or frozen mallow leaves in two cups of chicken stock and cook over a low fire. In the meantime prepare the Mulukhiyah spice mix by frying a tablespoon of ground dried coriander and three cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of oil in a separate pan until golden brown. Right before the Mulukhiyah and the stock start boiling, place the spice mix in the mixture and immediately remove from the fire. It is very important not to allow the Mulukhiyah to boil as it coagulates and becomes inedible. The resulting Mulukhiyah dish can be served with white rice and chicken, or as a soup.

In Nigerian cuisine, especially amongst the Yorubas, it is commonly used in a stew known as ewedu, a condiment to other starch-based foods such as amala.

In rural villages of the near east many families grow their own Mallow Leaves. It constitutes a significant constituent of their diet, thickening dishes and contributing vitamins, especially A. Here is a picture of the plant taken in Bi"lim:

The leaves are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C. The plant has an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent Vitamin E.

 

Recipe for using fresh leaves Mloukhieh if available in your area.

1 1/2 kg fresh mloukhieh leaves without stems, picked the day before, then washed couple of times, then spread on kitchen towels over night to dry completely. The next day coarsely chop the mloukhieh, using a sharp knife.

1 kg of lamb shanks or shoulder of even stew meat (optional - can be prepared with chicken only, or you can bring the flavour more by adding the lamb shanks)

1 whole chicken skinned
2 medium onion sliced
1 bulb head of garlic - peeled (chopped with the fresh cilantro in mortar and pestle or pulsed in food processor)
1 large bunch fresh coriander washed, chopped and minced with garlic. plus 1/2 tsp. of whole dried coriander to boost the flavour and this is optional.
3 tbls Olive Oil for frying the garlic cilantro mix
1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp. sea salt
2-3  fresh lemons squeezed, use the peel for the stock.
4 cups of stock from the meat and chicken if you think it needs more add one cup water.
bay leaves and cinnamon stick .
 

Topping: toasted pita chips - cider vinegar and minced onion
 

Rice Pilaf: 2 cups of Basmati , Jasmine or Long Grain Rice washed and drained, 1/3 cup of butter, 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Toast the rice in butter and oil till it starts frying and keep stirring as it will stick in the bottom when you feel that its toasted for 7 minutes add 2 cups of water for each cup of rice and couple bay leaves for a nice smell and spoon of sea salt.  Cook on medium heat then lower when it starts boiling.  when the water evaporate shut the heart , and you see holes on the surface of the rice, shut the heat and leave it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.   Stir with a fork to fluff.

If you are using the two kinds of meat, fry them in a spoon of olive oil to brown or do like me; bake them in the oven for 30 minutes to brown, skin the chicken and put them in deep large pot cover them with 6 cups of water , the spices, lemon rind and brings to boil. Remove scum from surfaces.  Add the sliced onions, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hr. Remove chicken and debone, return half to the pot and leave half to decorate the plates.  Add the Mloukhieh and cook for 30 minutes , make sure the stock is enough you need to have at least 4 cups of the stock , after adding the Mloukhieh the stew seemed thick you can add one cup or more of warm water , you should have enough liquid when serving its a stew after all.  (If you added the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick to the meat stock you can fish them out before adding the Mloukhieh).
 

In a large mortar and pestle add the garlic , fresh cilantro and dried cilantro and start mashing till it become a paste (check the picture) you can pulse them in a food processor .  Heat the 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a pan , add the chopped minced garlic and cilantro mix fry for 5 mins till you start smelling the aroma , make sure not to burn it , soon as they start taking a light color add it to the stew and mix well to combine, squeeze the fresh lemon juice and add it stir, adjust the seasoning and continue cooking on medium heat for extra 10 minutes. (you need to add the lemon juice after the Mloukhieh Stew is boiling not before other wise it will turn slimy)

How to Serve:  in a plate add some rice, add Mloukhieh Stew with meat and chicken pieces and some juice, toasted pita chips, and sprinkle couple tablespoons of cider vinegar and minced onion  , then add some chicken pieces.
 

Recipe if using Dried Mloukhieh

150 Gms of dried Mloukhieh dehydrated in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain 

500 Gms bag of frozen spinach or one kilo fresh baby spinach or regular chopped.
same for the remaining ingredients .
and follow the same preparation after boiling the chicken and meat add the drained Mloukhieh and fresh spinach and cook for 30 minutes and when it starts boiling
add the minced garlic and cilantro mix after frying them to the stew and continue cooking.
follow the same steps.

 

No meal is complete without Dessert!!

White Genoise with Buttercream and Strawberry
 

You can cook it with Chicken & Meat


Many prepares the Mloukhieh with Chicken or Rabbit meat only




In the Winter Season, I prefer to use frozen spinach from Belgium .
During the Summer Season I buy it locally from my F. Market



1- Bag of dried mloukhieh
2-dehytrated in hot water
3- chopping and mincing the cilantro and garlic
4- fresh lemon juice

Note: During the Summer Season, I through some seeds in my garden and within couple of weeks the plants starts to shout... and within couple months you will taste your fresh Mloukheih out of the garden.... by the end of the season, the plants will starts seed on the top, and i collect them and use them from year to year.

Enjoy