Jerusalem

Ingredients

• 1 7 oz jar of chickpeas – aka garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 c tahini paste
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2-4 T of water (add gradually until you get the desired consistency)
• 1 large roasted red pepper – about 4″ long (use two if they’re a lot smaller)
• olive oil to drizzle on the top
• sumac to sprinkle on the top – or paprika

Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil and sumac in a blender and process until smooth.  Place in a bowl to serve with carrots and pita bread or lentil chips; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac.

Ingredients

• 1 T white wine vinegar (I substituted rice wine vinegar)
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 1/2 oz Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise
• 2 T butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 small pitas (about 3 1/2 oz) roughly torn into 1 1/2″ pieces
• 1/2 c whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp sumac (we found it in our regular grocery store – in the spice section; it’s worth it….a whole new flavor experience)
• 1/2 tsp chile flakes
• 5 oz baby spinach leaves
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• salt

Heat the butter and half the olive oil in a medium fry pan over medium heat.  Add the pita and almonds and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring all the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown.  Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, chile flakes and 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside to cool…..and try not to eat it all before you serve it with the salad!   Delish.  And note that the pita crisps up as it cools.Put the vinegar, onion, and dates in a small bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and mix well.  Leave to marinade for a few minutes (don’t leave longer than that).

When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large mixing bowl.  Add the dates and red onion, the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice, and another pinch of salt.  Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 c basmati rice
• 1 T butter
• 1 T vegetable oil (sunflower oil is suggested by Ottolenghi)
• 1/2 c (scant) of orzo
• 2 1/2 c chicken stock
• 1 tsp salt

Wash the basmati rice well, then place in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow it to soak for 30 minutes, then drain (note: I was in a hurry and only soaked the rice for 10 minutes and it seemed to cook fine).

Heat the butter and oil over medium high heat in a medium sauce-pan which has a lid.  Add the orzo and saute, stirring regularly, for 3-4 minutes or until the grain are dark golden (note: I think I almost burned them, so be cautious here).  Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the drained rice and salt, bring to a gentle boil, stir once or twice, cover the pan and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.  Don’t be tempted to uncover the pan.

Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and quickly cover the pan with a clean tea towel.  Place the lid back on top of the towel and leave for 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving (another note here: I had never tried this before, and the result was perfect.  I highly recommend the towel-covering/steaming).

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into 1/4″ slices
• 1 T coriander seeds (we prefer not having the whole seeds in the stew so opted for 3 rounded teaspoons of ground coriander)
• 2 medium peppers (1 red and 1 yellow), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4″ wide strips)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 T curry powder
• 3-4 tomatoes, chopped – you want a generous 2 cups
• 2 1/2 T sugar
• 5 T cider vinegar (I’d start with 3 T and go up to 5 T after tasting – though we liked it with 5 T)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt – or to taste
• 1 lb fish filets divided into 4 pieces.  Sustainable seafood suggestions: halibut, sea bass, catfish, tilapia, some cod (depends on how they’re caught), haddock
• flour for dusting the fish
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• chopped cilantro to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 2 T of the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and coriander and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, bay leaves, curry powder, and tomatoes, and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the sugar, vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and some black pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 T oil in a separate frying pan over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the fish with some salt, dip in the flour, then in the eggs, and fry for about 3 minutes, turning once.  Transfer the fish to paper towels to absorb the excess oil, then add to the pan with the peppers and onions, pushing the vegetables aside so the fish sits on the bottom of the pan.  Add enough water just to immerse the fish (a generous cup may be about right).

Place the pan in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is cooked – no need to cover. Remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.  You can serve the fish immediately, but letting it sit for a day or two in the fridge will actually improve the flavor.  Before serving, taste and add salt and pepper if needed and garnish with the cilantro.