Feb
by Wardeh Harmon
I am thankful to have grown up eating and loving the foods of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. My namesake grandmother, Tata Wardeh, taught my mom authentic recipes and techniques when my mom and dad were first married. My grandmother lived most of her life in the Middle East cooking the foods just the way they have for ages. Even though she is no longer alive, I’m thankful to share her name and to have learned her ways.
Traditional Mediterranean foods are known for being tasty and healthy. Originally, the women of this part of the world used whole food ingredients in their cooking. However, at some point in time, they made a switch to using some not-so-whole ingredients, like white flour, white rice and white sugar. On the other hand, many food ingredients that we know to be healthy — whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds — are still staples in this rich diet.
The advantages to following a traditional Mediterranean diet are*:
- lots of whole-grain foods, as opposed to refined grain foods
- mostly mono-unsaturated fats (from olive oil)
- good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from nuts, seeds, fish and vegetables
- less consumption meats and poultry
- greater consumption of legumes and fish
- less consumption of dairy foods
- where dairy in consumed it is usually in the form of small amounts of cheese & yogurt
- emphasis on fresh foods and a great variety of fruits & vegetables
- little processing of foods
- usage of seasonal, local ingredients
The Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower incidence of obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer than in most of Europe and the Americas.
Dr. Andrew Weil, Eating Well for Optimum Health
Benefitting from the training of my mom, I have been able to adapt some of my favorite Mediterranean recipes to using whole food ingredients (if they weren’t already this way). Our family has two reasons for preferring whole foods and whole food ingredients over more processed foods. First and foremost, we desire to honor God by using ingredients that are as close as possible to the way He created them. Second, we know that doing so ensures that we eat in the most healthful manner. So, you will find that in my recipes, I use brown rice instead of white rice; whole wheat flour instead of white flour; and natural sweeteners such as raw honey or raw agave in place of white sugar.
I truly hope you will enjoy experiementing with the foods of this region of the world. I love to cook them for my family and I’m pretty sure my family loves to eat them. Your palate may find some of the flavors familiar and others unfamiliar, but I hope the experience will be a delight to you!
Arabic Meatballs ~ Kefta Kebobs
Makes 2 dozen meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (grass-fed is preferable)
- 1 onion, diced very fine
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mix all ingredients together well. Form into 2 dozen 1-1/2 inch balls or football shapes. Brown all sides and cook thoroughly in a frying pan. Or, bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Eat as is, in a pocket bread sandwich, or incorporate into sauce.
A sauce idea: Put all meatballs in a 4 to 6 quart stockpot. Add:
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Let simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Serve over warm brown rice.
Cucumber-Yogurt Salad ~ Khyar bi Laban
Recipe from the cookbook “Sahtein”
- 2 large cucumbers
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 quart of plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- sea salt to taste
Peel and chop cucumbers to medium/fine size pieces. Mash garlic. Add to yogurt. Salt to taste. Add the cucumbers to the yogurt. Mix. Garnish with dried mint.
Falafel
Recipe by Martha Bisharat, Wardeh’s mom
My mom submitted this recipe to a newspaper’s cooking contest back in 1984 and she won first prize — $50. I have upped the seasonings a bit, but other than that, this is the same great recipe.
- 4 cups dry garbanzo beans
- 3 large onions
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic
- 2 bunches parsley, with stems removed
- 3 to 5 jalapeno peppers (optional)
- 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 5 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 t baking soda (when ready to fry)
- expeller-pressed canola or grapeseed oil (for frying)
- Garnishes: whole wheat pocket bread, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, shredded greens, sliced avocados, sprouts
Soak the garbanzo beans in water overnight. Wash and drain. In an electric or manual meat grinder*, grind together the garbanzo beans, onions, garlic, peppers and parsley. Grind a second time. Add salt and pepper, cumin and baking powder and mix thoroughly.
When ready to deep fry, add the baking soda to the mixture and mix again. Shape the falafel mixture into patties which are 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. You may also use a Pampered Chef small scoop to shape the balls easily. Deep fry the patties in hot oil until golden brown.
While the falafel is still warm, serve the patties in half rounds of pocket bread. Garnish with thinly sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded greens and top with 2 tablespoonsful of tahini sauce (see below).
*You may also use a food processor or Vita-Mix to grind the ingredients. Grind the ingredients separately. Do not puree the onions or the parsley, but keep them fairly chunky. Otherwise, the parsley is likely to turn the whole mixture green or the onions may make the mixture too watery. Add a small bit of flour or commercial falafel mix if too watery.
Tahini Sauce ~ For Falafel Sandwiches
Recipe by Martha Bisharat, Wardeh’s mom
- 1/2 cup sesame tahini
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup filtered water (or more if needed)
- handful of parsley, chopped
Cream tahini and lemon juice together. The lemon will thicken the tahini. Add water to thin the sauce until it has a creamy, spoonable consistency. A handful of chopped parsley added to the sauce gives it an interesting texture and delicious taste. Sauce may be prepared ahead of time.
Hummus ~ Garbanzo Bean Spread
Recipe by Wardeh Harmon
- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (heaping)*
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup water**
Put all ingredients in Vita-Mix. Adjust water to desired consistency. Blend to make a smooth, thick paste. Place in serving bowl and garnish with paprika, parsley and/or extra virgin olive oil.
*3 tablespoons tahini if not using a Vita-Mix. **You may also use bean cooking water, as long as the beans were soaked and drained before cooking in fresh water.
Halawa ~ Halvah
Original recipe by Bruce Weinstein, modified by Wardeh Harmon
Makes about 1-1/2 pounds
Wardeh’s note: In the Middle East, both Jewish and Arabic people love this dessert. Arabic people call it Halawa and Jewish people call it Halvah. Everyone calls it healthy and yummy! The commercial varieties, however, are NOT healthy. This version is.
- 1/2 cup untoasted or toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup tahini
- 3/4 cup raw agave (or raw honey)
Warm the oil in a large heavy skillet over low heat. Add the flour and stir until the oil and flour are thoroughly combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to turn pale brown. Add the tahini and stir until the mixture has a uniform color and consistency. Turn off the heat.
In a separate small saucepan, bring the agave (or honey) to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 minute. Immediately add the hot honey to the flour mixture. Stir until the honey is completely incorporated.
Spread the mixture into a small ungreased 5- by 9-inch loaf pan and pack the mixture down with the back of a spatula. Let the halawa cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours or until the pan feels cool. It will shrink back slightly from the edges of the pan as it cools, and should therefore unmold easily when the pan is inverted. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To serve, cut into thin slices.
Quinoa Tabouli
Recipe by Wardeh Harmon
The quinoa must be cooked ahead of time and allowed to cool completely. If the quinoa is even the slightest bit warm, it will cook the parsley — turning it brown — when the salad ingredients are mixed together.
I chop the parsley finely using my Vita-Mix. I put the wet container (with lid on) on the motor base and turn it on to between 5 and 6 (variable speed). Then I drop handfuls of parsley leaves through the hole in the lid. The leaves fall on the blades, get chopped and move to the sides of the container. After chopping a few handfuls, I empty the container into a bowl and repeat the chopping, until all the parsley leaves are chopped.
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 bunches parsley, washed
- 1 1/2 bunches green onions
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 3/4 t sea salt
- garnishes (optional): Romaine lettuce leaves, diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes
Rinse the dry quinoa in a fine sieve under cold running water for 2 minutes to rinse off the bitter saponin coating. Put in a small pot with the 4 cups water and the teaspoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer the quinoa from the pot into a bowl and chill until it is no longer warm.
Pick leaves of parsley off stems. Discard stems or set aside for green smoothies. Chop parsley fine, either by hand or in food processor. Chop green onions fine by hand. Mix parsley and onions with 7 cups of the cold quinoa, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill. Allow the flavors to mingle for several hours before serving. Give the tabouli a stir just before serving to incorporate the juices throughout.
If desired, scoop servings of tabouli onto Romaine lettuce leaves and top with diced cucumbers and tomatoes.
I have three more technique-intensive recipes/tutorials posted on my blog: Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolma); Whole Wheat Pocket Bread; and Raw Goat Milk Hard Cheese. If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please contact me at wardeh@t2chk.org or comment below.
*information taken from Dr. Andrew Weil’s book, Eating Well for Optimum Health.
© Copyright 2007 by Wardeh Harmon. Used with permission from the author.
