Dinner at Home - Middle Eastern Night (01/22/2009)

Today was a busy day for us. I had my usual Personal Trainer/Pilates class over at LA Fitness in Brandon early in the morning, and when I got home, I found out that Cary needed to not only get an oil change for the car that he drives to and from the airport, but also had a doctor's appointment in Temple Terrace. Thinking quickly, I suggested to him that we take his car to Super Walmart for an oil change, and then use my car until his was ready.

The doctor's appointment was uneventful, and afterwards, Cary said that he wanted to go to Al-Aqsa Grocery & Meat Market, the Middle Eastern place that I had found in Temple Terrace for some pita bread and perhaps a few other things. My brain clicked on, and dinner for the night was planned - a Middle Eastern spread consisting of Falafel, Baba Ghanush, Hummus, and Maftoul, a Mediterrean salad made up of cous-cous and vegetables in a honey-oil dressing.

We picked up a couple of Falafel mixes, a Maftoul mix, eggplants, chickpeas, and pita bread for our feast. On the way home, we stopped off at Publix and picked up red and yellow peppers, scallions, a red onion, and the rest of the ingredients that were going to be needed for hte Malfout.

Recipe for the Maftoul:
2 1/4 c. Chicken broth or water (I use Chicken Stock - gives it an awesome depth of flavor)
1 c. Ziyad Maftoul
2 t. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 t. Kosher Salt
1 1/2 c. (1 can) Ziyad (or any other brand) Chick Peas
3/4 c. Diced Red Bell Pepper
3/4 c. Diced Green Bell Pepper (I used Yellow Bell Pepper, as Green Bell Pepper upsets my stomach)
1/4 c. Diced Red Onion (approximately 1/4 of the red onion)
3 Green Onion Stalks, sliced
1/2 c. chopped Cilantro (1 bunch)
1/2 t. Hot Pepper Flakes (optional)

Equipment needed:

Adjustable Measuring Cup
Adjustable Measuring Spoon
Medium Mixing Bowl
Mixing Spoonula
Small (baby) Whisk

Process:

1. Bring broth or water to a boil.
2. Add Maftoul, 1/2 t. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a dash of Kosher Salt.
3. Simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the Maftoul is tender to bite.
4. Turn off heat when almost all of the broth is gone.
5. Cover with a lid - Maftoul will absorb the remaining broth.
6. Combine the cooked Maftoul with the remaining ingredients.
7. Drizzle the dressing (recipe below), blending well.

Makes 4-6 large servings, or 8-12 side dishes.

Maftoul Dressing:
1 T. Honey
3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Large Lime
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together until it is emulsified.

It's fast becoming one of our favorite grains, and I am really thinking about stocking it for my Personal Chef clients as an alternative to white rice!

Enjoy!

Chef Susan