Chicken Shawerma

Marinade
2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts and
legs (do not remove the skin)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamoms
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot chile peppers
Salt, to taste
About 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sumac*, to be sprinkled on after cooking

* Ground powder from the cashew family, used as a seasoning

Wash the chicken pieces.
Put them into a bowl.
Mix all the
spices with lemon juice.
Pour Marinade over chicken and rub well.
Marinate for 5 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Grease a baking dish with oil,
put chicken pieces in skin side down, and bake for about 20
minutes.

Turn chicken pieces over and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and remove the skin.
With a sharp
knife, shred the chicken and put it back into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the sumac over and mix well.

Other Ingredients
Fresh pita bread
Garlic Spread
Dill pickle
French fries

Garlic Spread
2 whole garlic bulbs
1 teaspoon salt
About 1 cup corn oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Peel the garlic and put it into food processor.
Add salt.
Process until nicely mashed.
Add oil in a thin stream.
Keep on
processing until oil is mixed with garlic.
Add lemon juice.
Mix and
transfer it to a bowl.
(Can be prepared ahead of time).

Assembly
Take one pita bread, put a thin layer of garlic spread inside.
Stuff with shredded chicken, a few slices of pickle and French
fries.
Roll it, wrap in paper.
Serve.

Yogurt

This recipe comes from the Middle East, where plain yogurt is a
common ingredient in everyday cooking.
This is a handy substitute
for sour cream, heavy cream and cream cheese.

Makes about 9 cups.

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup half-and-half

Bring milk to a boil in a very clean pot (dirty or greasy
utensils won’t produce the desired results).
Remove from heat and
pour into a glass jar or pottery container; let stand until
cool.

Dilute yogurt in 1 cup cool milk and the half and half.
Gradually add this mixture to the remaining milk, stirring slowly
and gently.
Place container in a protected spot (it must not be
moved or touched).
Cover with a lid.
Cover container with a large
towel or blanket and allow it to sit at least overnight.

To obtain a thick yogurt, place 3 or 4 layers of paper towels
over the top for a few hours to absorb the excess liquid.
Store
yogurt in the refrigerator.

Per half cup: Per serving: 92 cal, 5.6 g fat, 21 mg
cholesterol, 6.3 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 4.4 g protein, 65 mg
sodium

Zalaabeh (Fritters)

Syrup
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons orange blossom water
1 leaf rose-lemon scented geranium (if available)

Measure sugar into saucepan, add water and bring to a hard boil.
Add lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes.
Add butter and orange
blossom water and scented geranium leaf and remove from heat.
Set
aside to cool.

Dough
2 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 cups lukewarm water
4 1/2 cups cake flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil (for deep frying

In a small bowl, stir together yeast, sugar and water and leave
for 10 minutes for yeast to proof and foam.

Measure flour into a very large bowl and mix in cornstarch and
salt.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until
well combined.
Cover and leave in a warm draft-free place for 30
minutes to form bubbles.
Stir well again.

Pour enough vegetable oil for deep frying into a pot and place
over medium high heat.
Place a cup of water close by.
To test the
temperature of the oil, dip a teaspoon in the water, scoop out a
spoonful of dough and carefully drop the dough into the hot oil.
If
the fritter browns too quickly, that means the oil is too hot;
lower the heat.
Keep dropping spoonsful of the dough into the oil
until you have a full layer of fritters cooking.
Turn them over
once or twice until golden.
Scoop out the fritters with a slotted
spoon and lay them on paper towels (only for 10 seconds), and
immediately drop them into the syrup.
Turn fritters over until well
coated, then scoop out and place in the serving bowl.
Repeat until
dough is used up.

Eat warm or at room temperature.
These will keep unrefrigerated
loosely covered for a day or two.
Makes about 50 small
fritters.

Serving variation
Drizzle the best quality melted chocolate over a mound of Zalaabeh
in a platter.

Almond Pancakes (Lahooh Bel Loaz)

Source: Saudi Arabia Magazine (an official publication of
the Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia),
Winter 1997

1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons corn oil
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups almonds, roasted and ground

Dissolve one package of dry yeast in the 1/8 cup of water that
is slightly cool to the touch, about 85 degrees F.
Add 1/2 teaspoon
of sugar to feed the yeast.
Stir to dissolve yeast and sugar.
It
will take about 10 minutes until the yeast begins to bubble or
foam.
If it does not foam it is not alive and should not be
used.

Put the flour in a bowl; add the milk, eggs, baking powder and
yeast mixture; mix together to form a batter; set aside to
rise.

Grease a frying pan with a little oil; pour into the pan half a
ladle of batter.
Spread the batter quickly into a thin pancake and
fry over medium heat until the top bubbles, then turn over and
brown the other side.
Repeat using all batter.
Mix the sugar,
cardamom and almonds together.
Stuff each pancake with the mixture;
roll into finger shapes, and arrange on a serving dish; sprinkle
with some ground almonds.

Serves 10 to 12.

Atter (Syrup)

This is the standard holy syrup that Arabs pour over most things
sweet.
This syrup is used for a number of Middle Eastern pastries
and treats.
It will keep for a very long time stored covered in the
refrigerator.

3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon rose water or orange blossom water

Dissolve sugar in water.
Add lemon juice, bring to a boil.
Stir
occasionally until syrup slightly thickens (about 10 minutes).
Add
rose water towards end of cooking time.
Let stand to cool.

Yields 3 cups.

Black Rice Pudding

Black rice turns its cooking liquid purple, and this rich,
creamy pudding will become a luscious lavender.

1 cup raw black rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup canned cream of coconut
1/2 teaspoon rose water or vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts

Place rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce
heat and simmer, covered, 55 minutes.

Stir in the half-and-half and cream of coconut.
Slowly simmer 1
hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rose water or vanilla extract and salt.
Chill
completely.

Serve topped with whipped cream and pistachio nuts as
garnish.

Yields 12 servings.