Here is another one of my absolute favorite Middle Eastern dishes. “Mahshy” literally means stuffed, and I love all things mashy. Stuffed vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, and stuffed cabbage are all fantastic dishes in the Middle Eastern kitchen. Parsley and mint are prevalent in most Middle Eastern recipes, as is garlic. All three of these flavorings take center stage in this recipe. This satisfying dish can serve as a main entree or a side. The stuffing can be prepared completely vegetarian with only the herbs and rice, or you can add ground beef or lamb as we typically prefer to do. But I have cooked it both ways many times, and it is very delicious and full of flavor either way!

The stuffing consists of medium grain rice (get Egyptian rice if you are shopping at an International market, or sticky sushi rice works well per the recommendation of my girl Dalia), chopped parsley, mint, dill, diced onions, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, and some spices. The spices are a medley of cinnamon, cumin,  baharat, salt and pepper. The Arabic spice baharat, is a warm, aromatic all-purpose spice and it is used often in most Middle Eastern recipes. You are not likely to find it in a regular grocery store. If you do not have access to a Middle Eastern store, you could use a combination of ground all spice and cloves as an adequate substitute. You could also make your own baharat spices with the following recipe I found on The Kitchn. If you are using ground meat in the stuffing, you will need to cook this first in a pot with minced onions, salt and pepper, and a dash of all spice.

Pictured above is the vegetarian mixture, including rice, tomatoes, parsley, dill, mint, onions, garlic, and spices. 

The eggplants and zucchinis need to get cored with a coring tool, or a butter knife works well if you use careful strokes! Peppers are wonderful because all you need to do is cut the top off. The last time we did this we used the smaller sweet peppers that come in a variety or red, orange, and yellow. I also love to use an onion as is typical in Iraq. You simply simmer a peeled onion in boiling water for a few minutes until the  layers become malleable enough to roll. When this dish cooks, the cinnamon, herbs, and vegetables scent the air beautifully; it simply smells amazing! 

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 Anybody can stuff some veggies with this flavorful filling, and you’d be halfway there at achieving deliciousness. But the secret is in the sauce. I have had this dish prepared before and it tasted either too dry from baking in the oven or too bland. The sauce I use to cook this in perfects the flavor and texture and must not be omitted! It is simply wonderful: very lemony and cooks the veggies and stuffing juicy and zesty and full of flavor. As most of my cooking is a delicate fusion of many Middle Eastern countries, this dish originates from my mother’s Egyptian cooking, but is infused with some delicious Lebanese flavor that I picked up from one of my best friends, Melanie. Melanie’s stepmother, Tunt Soad, who is an excellent chef from Lebanon would often have this dish prepared when we would come over after school and I always looked forward to it! When I wasn’t at her house I would beg her to bring some to school for lunch, and I still craved more. I finally asked Tunt Soad for the recipe and have been cooking my stuffed veggies the same way ever since! The sauce consists of marinara sauce, fresh squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, dry mint, baharat, cinnamon,  salt, and pepper.

 You can either stack the stuffed veggies in a pot and cook over the stove, or lay them in a baking dish and bake in the oven. As long as you cover the veggies with this sauce it will come out nice and juicy and flavorful. Enjoy! Or as they say in Lebanon “Sahtein” (good health) or “Bil hana wil shifa” (with joy and with health) as they say in Egypyt. After all isn’t that what food should be for: health, nutrition, and well-being?

Stuffed Zucchini

2014-03-26 06:13:49

Serves 4

A delicious mediterranean dish of zucchini and eggplants stuffed with a flavorful medley of herbs, spices, and rice.

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Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

55 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

55 min

Ingredients

1. about 10 short and wide zucchinis
2. about 10 short and wide eggplants
3. 1 large onion
4. 2 large bell peppers

For the stuffing

1. 1 c medium grain rice (Egyptian rice or sushi rice)
2. 1 tsp baharat or all spice
3. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
4. 1/4 tsp cumin
5. 1 tsp salt
6. pinch of pepper
7. 1 tbsp minced garlic
8. 1 medium onion, minced
9. 1-2 tomatoes diced
10. 1/4 c chopped parsley
11. 1/4 c chopped dill
12. 1 tbsp chopped mint
13. Optional: 1 lb ground beef, browned and cooked with 1 onion, salt and pepper, and baharat

For the sauce

1. 1/2 c marinara sauce, such as Prego
2. 1/2 c water
3. 1/2 c lemon juice
4. 1 tsp dry mint
5. 1 tsp minced garlic
6. 1/2 tsp baharat or all spice
7. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8. 1 tsp salt
9. pinch of pepper

To cook

1. 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Peel and score the large onion to slice it open halfway. This will allow you to peel away the soft layers later. Simmer in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes until the onion layers are malleable enough to stuff with filling and roll. Do not over cook it so that it is too soft as it will cook more later in the pot. Set aside to cool.
2. Wash the zucchinis, peppers, and eggplants and cut off the tops. Core out the center of the eggplants and zucchinis and reuse the inner flesh for another recipe such as baba ghanough or zucchini bread.
3. Combine all ingredients for the stuffing.
4. Fill each vegetable halfway with the stuffing, as it will increase in size as it cooks. For the onions, peel off a layer of the onion, fill with a teaspoon of stuffing, and roll tightly.
5. Neatly place each vegetable into a pot, standing upright to prevent the stuffing from spilling out as it cooks. If you will bake in a baking dish, laying the vegetables down will be fine as they will not be disturbed by boiling liquid.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Pour over all the vegetables and pour olive oil on the very top of the pot. Simmer on medium high heat, and turn the heat down to low once it boils. Cover halfway with a lid and remove from heat once the rice in the center is tender (about 20-25 minutes). If baking in the oven, bake at 350 degrees, for 35 minutes.

Notes

1. It is important that the rice in the vegetables is covered with cooking sauce in order for it to cook well. Potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables may be used in this recipe as well but using zucchini and eggplant is the traditional way to prepare this dish.
2. You may also substitute the rice for quinoa or bulgur to make this dish a little healthier and contain less carbs!

By Noha ElSharkawy

Adapted from Mom and Tunt Soad

Adapted from Mom and Tunt Soad

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

This is my all time favorite snack! I became addicted when we lived in Miami and had avocados in abundance, and it was served in many dishes. I use guacamole as an appetizer when entertaining almost every time, as a snack for my kids, and as a snack or salad for myself! Avocados are excellent sources of healthy mono-saturated fats, which are essential for keeping healthy cholesterol levels, improving blood pressure, and preventing heart disease. Avocados are also rich in potassium, vitamin K, vitamin B, vitamin C, and folate. Avocados are also one of the few foods rich in both insoluble and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is essential because it helps cleanse your body and will aid in the prevention of colo-rectal cancer as it flushes out and cleanses the colon quite well. Soluble fiber is great for your body because it remains in your body and make you feel fuller longer, preventing a person from eating more unnecessary calories and fats. Avocados have also been shown to significantly increase the body’s absorption of lycopene and beta carotene, so go ahead and add them to your salads and sandwiches!

With all of that said, I could eat this guacamole every day. And its a good thing it is extremely easy to make! Please, don’t bother buying it from a store! Please! A fresh avocado tastes SO much better and you will be so happy to see how easy it is to prepare. Sometimes I make it with only tomato and lime if I am missing the other ingredients and it still tastes just as wonderful! My general flavoring ratio is 1 lime and 1/2 tomato  per avocado, and optionally, 1 tbsp of chopped onion per avocado. Any more onion or tomato and it will be too liquified and saucy, which still tastes great as a salsa or dip, but will lack that nice, thick, and creamy texture of guacamole. The cilantro just gives it that perfect kick and flavor, so I always make sure to add it if I have it! I usually omit or limit the jalapeño if I have the kids eating with me, because that can get quite spicy for them!
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To pick an avocado, touch and press it gently, if it yields to your touch and is still firm, it is probably not ripe yet. And on the contrary if it is quite soft, has indentations, or is smushy it will be overly ripe or spoiled! You want it to be soft enough to give way a little bit under your fingers but still have firmness. You could also pull off the stump of the stem and check for a nice yellowish green color. Check out this useful post I pinned on Pinterest to help me pick avocados. 

Guacamole

2014-02-15 05:06:23

Serves 4

A delicious and healthy dip bursting with fresh flavor and nutrition!

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Prep Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Ingredients

1. 2 ripe avocados, sliced open, seed removed
2. 1 clove of garlic, minced
3. 1 tomato
4. 1/2 c cilantro
5. 2 limes, juiced
6. 2 tbsp onion, chopped
7. 1-2 tsp chopped jalapeño (optional)
8. 1 tsp cumin
9. 1/2 tsp paprika
10. 1/2 tsp salt
11. pinch of pepper

Instructions

1. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and combine all ingredients into a blender. Pulse gently until you reach desired consistency.
2. Serve with chips, pita, tacos, quesadillas, or burritos!

Notes

1. Depending on your blender or food processor, you might want to pulse the tomato and onion first so that it is chopped finely, before you add the already soft avocado. This way you can avoid making the dip too fine and liquified.
2. * I love to add roasted corn if I have it on hand; just roast the corn on the cob over the grill or a fire and slice the kernels off.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/