Flavors of Arabia

My Middle Eastern kitchen is pretty much nonexistent.  I have relatives that make wonderful Middle Eastern food, so I haven’t been tempted to butcher the cuisine with my cooking skills. However, now that I am far away from family, I am now motivate to cook it since I constantly have cravings for it. I was window shopping as I was walking downtown Seattle, and I came across the store City Kitchen,  within this store had the Middle Eastern recipe book for me.

The recipe book is Modern Flavors of Arabia, and I just recently attempted two recipes from the book.  The first recipe was Baby Okra and Sautéed Tomatoes, and the second was Rice and Lentil Pilaf (Mjadara). Both of these recipes were absolutely delicious, and so I am motivated to infiltrate my kitchen with a little bit more Middle Eastern flair!

Baby Okra and Sauteed Tomatoes

10 cloves garlic, finely sliced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 package (14 oz) frozen baby okra (I used 16 oz package)

6 tomatoes, chopped

1 head of garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled (I used half a head and then used minced garlic)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

2 Tbsp sugar (I used Truvia)

salt and pepper (I used a lot of pepper and just a dash of salt)

In a large frying pan put olive oil and sauté the garlic. Then add the okra. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and unpeeled garlic. (I have never cooked unpeeled garlic, so I was hesitant on what the texture was going to be. The garlic becomes really soft and absolutely delicious). Stir. Add spices. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. I wanted my okra to be really soft so I ended up cooking it for about 20-25 minutes. You are suppose to serve it cold or at room temperature but I prefer to eat it warm.

Rice and Lentil Pilaf

1 cup of brown lentils, rinsed (I used Spanish brown lentils)

4 cups of chicken stock

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup white basmati rice, presoaked and drained

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper (I used a lot of pepper and just a dash of salt)

In a pot place the lentils and cover them with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook until they are dente. In a frying pan heat the olive oil and fry the onions. Pour on top of lentils. Add the drained rice and spices to the pot. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed (it took about 15-17 minutes).