13. CAULIFLOWER AND TAHINI SAUCE T
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B
oil some cauliflower in water with salt (and a few optional lime leaves) until it is soft enough to easily slice with a fork or a blunt knife. This will take reaching pressure and immediate cooling in a pressure-cooker. Drain the boiling water. Use this as a soup or curry stock, but to avoid spoilage use it within a few days.P
lace pieces of the cauli on a medium rimmed dish and drain off any excess water. Cover the cauli' with a generous coating of tahini sauce which should cling in a thick layer over the surface. Place this in a hot oven for about 3-4 minutes (longer if the cauli' was cold). A microwave` oven takes about 1 minute if you begin with a hot mass of cauli. Remove from oven and sprinkle with paprika and a little chopped parsley. Fresh ground black pepper and shallots are nice also.A
n excellent variation to this is to mash 1/4 of an avocado into the tahini sauce before spreading over the cauliflower.S
erve with pita bread and eat by scooping the cauli' like a dip.14. LENTIL SOUP T
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For every 1L of water:
100 gm brown lentils
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick celery, " "
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1 d/s grated ginger (optional)
1 medium potato, diced
1/4 t/s black pepper
1 t/s cumin powder
1 t/s garam masala powder (optional)
1 d/s salt (or to taste)
1/2 lemon juice
3 or 4 chopped spinach stems and leaves (optional)
paprika and/or tahini sauce to garnish
F
ry the onion, garlic, celery and ginger (if your using it) until the onion is soft, add the potato and fry a little longer. Add the water, then the lentils, salt, pepper , cumin and the chopped spinach stems. If pressure cooking, set the time for 5 minutes, otherwise bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils until they are disintegrating and the potato are very soft. You will have to add more water if simmering.W
hen cooking is complete either blend about 3/4 of soup by using an insertion blender (e.g. Barmix), or blend until most of the soup is pureed with a few whole lentils and small pieces of vegetable remaining. If you prefer, puree the entire soup. Add the chopped spinach leaves (or silver beet) if you are using it and bring the soup to the boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes then add the lemon juice and allow to simmer a few more minutes.I
f you intend keeping the soup for a few days, allow the ladle or jug with which you will transfer the soup to the storage container to boil in it for the last few minutes. This will reduce the chances of the soup souring in refrigeration. Transfer to a clean dry glass jar while the soup is still simmering.S
erve hot and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley. A spoon full of tahini sauce (#10) is also an excellent garnish. 15. LENTIL PIES & TRIANGLES
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100 gm brown lentils
1 medium onion chopped
3-6 garlic cloves chopped
ginger - thumb size- chopped or grated
2-3 celery stalks - chopped
2-3 medium potato - cubed
1 d/s cumin powder
1/2 d/s garam masala
1/2 d/s black pepper
1 d/s fennel powder or seeds
10 lime leaves (optional)
400 ml water
1 d/s salt
Fry the onion, ginger and garlic gently in a few d/s of oil, until soft. Add the spices, stir well. Add the water, lentils salt and celery. Simmer for about 10 minutes covered. Add the chopped potato and when boiling simmer on very low heat with regular stirring until potato and lentils are soft. Cool and make into pies or triangles as with the samosa recipe (# 61).
16. FUL MEDAMES T
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pot is designed to cook this dish. The cooking procedure traditionally takes up to 24 hours. This recipe uses ful beans (also known as "tick peas") although broad beans are also commonly used in the Middle East. These are more commonly found in Western supermarkets than are the ful beans which are always available at Arab or Greek stores.
250 gm dried ful beans (or dried broad beans)
50 gm split peas (optional but good)
1 medium onion loosely chopped (optional)
1 garlic knob - cloves crushed or chopped
1/2 t/s black pepper
3/4 d/s salt or to taste
75 ml lemon juice
Olive oil for frying and serving
Serving:
pita bread
Tomato diced
White onion chopped
avocado (optional)
olive oil
S
oak the beans and peas in about a litre of water over night or for about a day if you are using broad beans.D
rain the beans into a measuring jug and if you are using a pressure cooker, make up what is left of the soaking water to 700 ml with fresh water. Add this to the cooker along with the beans and salt and pressure cook 5 minutes.
I
f you are simmering the beans, make up the remaining soaking water to about 1 litre, add to the pot along with the beans and salt and simmer covered until the beans are very soft. This will probably take at least 2 hours. You may have to top up with water during this stage. The mixture after cooking should be about half beans and half water.W
hile the beans are cooking fry the onion (if you omit these, increase the amount of garlic) in some olive oil and when it begins to soften, add the crushed or chopped garlic. Turn the heat down so as not to burn the garlic. When the garlic is becoming soft add the black pepper and fry gently for about 30 seconds. Add this to the cooked beans and simmer with regular stirring for about 1/2 an hour.A
dd the lemon juice, stir in well, bring to the boil slowly and remove from heat as soon as simmering is even. If you intend to keep this preparation for some time, transfer it to a clean dry glass jar and refrigerate when cool.Serving:
F
ul medames is usually served hot in a bowl and copiously sprinkled with fresh diced tomato, onion rings or diced onion and a covering of olive oil. It is eaten as a dip with pita bread. For a delicious variation add slices of ripe avocado to the topping salad. Add more black pepper for a spicier serving. Another traditional variation is to serve ful with a topping of tahini sauce (#10).17. BUGHUL PILAF A
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1 medium onion finely chopped
10 medium mushrooms sliced
100 gm burghul
100 gm pine nuts or almonds
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 d/s salt or about 75 ml soy sauce
2 - 3 d/s vegetable oil for frying
B
egin by soaking the burghul in about 200 ml of boiling water. It will take about 1/2 an hour for the grains of wheat to soften and absorb the water. Cold water will take considerably longer.I
f you are not using pine nuts, it is worth lightly chopping the bigger nuts like walnuts so that the pieces are about as big pine nuts. Place the prepared nuts in a fry pan with a little oil and fry lightly for a few minutes taking care not to burn them. You can use roasted mixed nuts from a packet to by pass this step.F
ry the onion in oil for a few minutes and then add the mushrooms and fry until both are soft. Add the salt or soy sauce at this stage. It will release more juice from the mushrooms causing them to stew. Cover and simmer this mixture on low heat until the mushrooms and onion are soft.A
dd the nuts and the parsley. Mix in well and simmer for a few minutes, then add the soaked burghul. Most of the water should have been absorbed but do not discard any that hasn't. Stir this mixture almost constantly until it is steaming. It will tend to burn at the base of the pot or fry pan. If it begins to dry out too much add a little water. The final product should be a mixture of loose grain and nuts. It should have very little liquid remaining.
A
nice alternative is to use white wine instead of water to soak the burghul and add to the mixture. Another alternative is to use cuscous instead of burghul.O
nce it is evenly hot and steaming remove from heat and immediately transfer to a sealable container - preferably glass - to prevent too much drying.S
erve garnished with chopped spring onion. An excellent dish with salads.|
TWO SEPARATE RESOURCE CENTRES OF COMPASSION - ONE FOR HUMANS AND ONE FOR ANIMALS - WITHOUT IMPLEMENTING STRINGENT AND DEBILITATING RULES. |
18. STUFFED VINE LEAVES (DOLMADES)
M
arinated vine leaves are usually available in Arab and Greek stores but if you have access to
vines, try using some of the fresh young tender leaves for this recipe. Although it is quite time consuming, it is not all that difficult to marinate your own leaves and have a supply throughout the year. It is important to check whether toxic horticultural sprays may be present on the leaves you intend picking.
The commercially available marinated leaves are likely to have a very high salt concentration and should be washed in running water before use. This does tend to remove some of the fermentation flavor of the vine leaves. An alternative to washing them is to omit adding salt to the filling mixture.The following mixture is only an example:
100 gm rice grain (uncooked)
50 gm burghul (un-soaked)
50 gm pine nuts (optional)
1/2 d/s cumin powder
1/2 t/s black pepper
1 medium onion finely chopped
or a few d/s of dried onion flakes
1/2 d/s salt
3 d/s dried mint
50 ml lemon juice
600 ml water
1 medium tomato
M
ix all the first set of dry ingredients together in a bowl.S
lice the tomato and arrange the slices to cover the base of the cooking pot to prevent the vine leaves burning and sticking to the pot.W
hen you have washed the vine leaves and removed any thick stem, spread each leaf flat one by one as shown in the diagram below and place enough of the dry mixture on it so that when you enclose and roll it into the leaf, the roll is about 1.5 cm thick.A
rrange each roll neatly on the tomato slices making sure to pack them firmly next to one another and with the flap of the leaf facing downwards. Continue to layer upwards until all the rolls are packed in. Place something like a flat plate on the top layer of the vines to prevent them floating and unrolling during cooking.
M
ix all the liquid ingredients and pour them over the vines. Bring to the boil slowly and then simmer with a well fitting lid for about 30 minutes in which time all the liquid should have been absorbed and the rolls swollen to pack the vine leaf firmly. Fresh leaves will take about 1/2 hour to soften on simmer. Allow to cool and firm for about 30 minutes before trying to remove from the pot.S
erve in any arrangement with some quarters of lemon. Squeeze some juice over them before eating if you like a tangy flavor.19. SPINACH ROLL T
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1/2 cup black-eye beans
1 bunch silverbeet or spinach (alternatively use
frozen spinach)
1 medium onion chopped
3-6 cloves of garlic crushed
1 d/s salt
1 t/s ground cumin
1/2 t/s ground black pepper
1/2 t/s ground nutmeg (optional)
75 ml lemon juice
2-3 d/s oil for frying
S
oak the beans in some water for about 1 hour or overnight before you are ready to use them. Although this variety of bean cooks very quickly and does not normally need soaking, doing so will reduce the cooking time.F
ry the onion in oil until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and fry gently for a few minutes. Add the other spices and salt then the black-eye beans and lemon juice. Add a little water, but keep the level below the top of the beans because you need a fairly dry mixture after cooking. Chop the heavy stems of the silverbeet very fine and add to the mixture but do not add the leaves at this time. Bring to the boil and simmer with regular stirring until the beans and stems are soft.W
ash and chop the spinach leaves and add them to the simmering mixture. Stir regularly to prevent burning . When the preparation begins to simmer evenly, remove from heat. If you intend storing the preparation, transfer it to a clean dry glass jar. It will take about a day for the mixture to firm so that it is easy to use in making rolls.Serving:
Warm and spread in a bowl or a shallow plate as a pita bread dip. Garnish with a light sprinkle of lemon juice. It can also be served along with rice or corn chips.Roll :
S
eparate the two sheets of a round of pita bread and spread some margarine (Nuttelex and Becel are two brands of margarine which contain no animal or milk products) on the inner side of the strongest sheet. Spread some of the spinach mixture across the margarine side about 2/3 from the rim. Carefully roll the mixture into the bread and then place under a grille or a toaster (preferably one which toasts from both sides at once). Grill or toast until the bread is evenly crisp.R
emove from grill and allow to stand for a few minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces. A serrated knife will cut the roll into neat pieces. For extra presentation, slice each piece diagonally. Arrange these slices on a plate with the cut surface facing upward.A
nother use of the prepared spinach mixture is to make pies or pasties. The same pastry mixture as is used for samosa (#88)20. ORIENTAL SPINACH - a simple alternative T
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1 Bunch spinach (de-stemmed and chopped)
or 2 bunches ong choy (also known as kang-kong)
1/2 knob garlic (crushed or chopped)
100 ml lemon juice
1 or 2 hot chili - chopped (optional)
50 ml soy sauce or equivalent salt
50 ml olive oil or sesame oil
G
ently fry the garlic (and the chili if you are using it) in the oil. When the garlic is beginning to brown add the lemon juice and the soy or salt. Allow to simmer for a moment then add the chopped ong-choy or spinach and allow to simmer for just a few minutes. Do not discard the stems of ong-choy. They cook within a few minutesServe
hot with bread, with rice, on pasta, or with a dish like humos (# 3). Try cooking this dish with a little more olive oil or with sesame oil, especially if you are preparing it as a dip or to serve with pasta. Add some brewers or other yeast flakes such as nutritional yeast to the mixture at the end of cooking. Spinach and nut-cheese rolls made with spring-roll skins are also an excellent use for this preparation. (# 41)21. NIVIK T
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250 gm chic peas
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 bunch of silverbeet or spinach
2 d/s grated ginger
1 d/s salt
1/2 t/s bi-carb (optional)
1/2 d/s sugar
1/2 d/s black pepper
75 ml olive oil
75 gm tomato paste
1/4 d/s asafoetida* also known as "hing"
S
oak the chic peas over night in about 1 litre of water. Do not discard the remaining soaking water but measure 500 ml of it and pressure cook the peas in it with the salt and bi-carb for 5 minutes. More water will have to be used if you are going to simmer the peas. Cook the peas until they are soft but not mushy. They will cook sooner and have a softer texture if bi-carb is used.W
hile the peas are cooking, fry the onion and ginger in the olive oil. When they are soft add the black pepper, the hing, tomato paste and the sugar. Fry all these gently until an even pasty consistency is formed. Mix in the peas and bring to a simmer.W
ash and chop the spinach and add it to the pea mixture. Simmer until the spinach is soft.
* Asafoetida or hing is a food additive which is used extensively in India and the Middle East. Besides adding a characteristic flavor it prevents flatulence which can result from pea dishes. Some denominations of Hinduism which do not use onion and garlic use hing as a flavoring agent.
|
IS KNOWINGLY RESTING ONE'S DEEPEST DREAM OF DESTINY AND FREEDOM IN ANOTHER. CONCEPTION ETERNALLY UNFOLDS THE DREAM. SEEING TRUTH BRINGS LIBERATION. |
22. ARTICHOKE A
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Artichokes
water to cover
50 ml cider vinegar for every litre of water
2 d/s salt for every litre of water
50 ml olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves
Tahini sauce (# 10)
R
emove the stems and leaves from the base of the artichoke flowers. These are good to eat but have a more bitter flavor .Cut the stems into about 5 cm pieces. Arrange the artichokes in your cooking pot so they are sitting facing upwards. Inter space the stems and leaves between the flowers. Measure roughly how much water it took to just cover the artichokes and then add the suggested amount to vinegar, salt and olive oil.P
ressure cook for about 5 minutes and allow the pressure to come down at its own rate. If you are using a simmering method, try cooking them for about 1 hour on slow simmer. You need to cook long enough so the heart is soft inside. After removing from heat and allowing to stand for about 15 minutes, drain off the cooking liquid and store the artichokes in a bowl. Use the cooking water to cook the stems and leaves. This will not take as long as the flowers.S
erve the flowers and pieces of stem and leaves with a dipping bowl of tahini sauce, especially one made with a mixture of vinegar, lemon juice and chopped parsley.
23. GREEN BEAN SALAD
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T
his dish can be made in a variety of ways. Instead of green beans, eggplant and/or zucchini can be used. Also instead of using water to dilute the tomato sauce base, a light red wine or a white wine such as moselle can be used. It will keep for a long time under refrigeration.1 onion chopped into slivers
1 knob of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
100 ml olive oil
400 gm tomato paste
400 gm sliced peeled tomato
1 t/s black pepper
2 d/s salt
1 t/s mixed herbs
1 kg green beans, fresh or frozen
500 ml wine (optional)
P
our about half the olive oil into a saucepan and fry the onion on medium heat. When it begins to soften, add the chopped garlic and fry on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. The garlic should not be too brown as this will add a bitter flavor to the sauce. Add the remainder of the oil and stir it in. Add the tomato paste and peeled tomato and stir until the oil has completely mixed with it. Add the pepper, herbs and salt. If you like a wine flavor, add about 500 ml. Otherwise add that amount of water. Stir well and allow to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the green beans. When simmering begins, stir well for about 1 minute then remove from heat and transfer to a clean jar.R
epeat the procedure if using zucchini. If using eggplant, you will have to prepare it beforehand. Slice about 1 kg of it into about 2 cm sections then cut these into cubes. Pour about 3 or 4 d/s of salt over the cubes and stir so that all the pieces are coated and then leave in a colander to drain for at least an hour. Squeeze and wash these cubes under running water before adding to the prepared tomato sauce. In this case only add 1 d/s of salt to the sauce because some will remain in the eggplant cubes. Simmer the eggplant in the sauce until it is soft then remove from heat.A
nother alternative is to heat about 1 cm deep olive oil in a pan or wok and to quickly fry the eggplant pieces before adding them to the sauce. In this case be careful not to over cook the eggplant once they are in the sauce.Serve
this dish hot or cold with pita bread and with other dishes such as falafel and humos.|
DO NOT FEED HER MORE DEATH AND MISERY AND SHE WILL YIELD YOU HER STRENGTH ONCE AGAIN |
24. PICKLED TURNIPS S
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10-20 medium sized turnips (careful they are not woody)
2-3 medium beetroot
3-4 garlic cloves
3-4 sprigs of tender inner celery leaves
Medium
750 ml boiled and cooled water
250 ml cider(or wine) vinegar
100 gm salt
P
eel the tough skins from the turnips and quarter them. Slice the beetroot 5 or 6 pieces. Place the beetroot, garlic and celery at the bottom of a large clean jar. Pack in the turnip pieces. It is important that none of the turnips are exposed to the air during the first week or so of fermentation, so either pack them in tightly or find a clean weight such as a small plate which can be used to keep them under the solution during this period.D
issolve the salt in the water then add the vinegar and shake well. Add enough of this solution to cover all the turnips and store the remainder. It will keep indefinitely. This pickling medium can be used to ferment fresh olives and fresh vine leaves for making stuffed vine leaves (dolmades). It can also be used to ferment gherkins. Inspect the turnip jar daily to make sure all the turnips are covered with solution. Add more if you have to. Invert the jar a few times each day so that the beetroot dye is evenly distributed. The turnips should be ready in about 1 week although they will continue to improve for the next month. After a week store the jar in a cool spot away from direct sun light. Remove turnip quarters with a clean implement to reduce the contamination of the solution. Serve 1/2 cm slices with falafel and salads etc.25. SPICED / PICKLED OLIVES
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F
or an interesting variation of olives which can be served with any of these Middle Eastern dishes simply pour off a little of the brine in which the olives are immersed, sprinkle in some ground oregano, chili powder (optional), drop in a few garlic cloves and top up again with olive oil. Shake or invert daily to allow the flavors to penetrate the olives. Ready in about 2 days.PICKLED OLIVES
M
any areas of Australia have olive trees who's fruit simply ripen and rot on the ground. It is worth picking these olives and pickling them.O
ne simple process is to use the same pickling juice that is made up for pickled turnips (page 18 ). For a spicy variety add garlic and spices such as fennel seeds, chili, oregano and onion rings to a jar. Top it up with fresh black or green olives and then fill it with enough pickling juice to cover all the olives. Weigh down the top layer with a clean rock or a plate and allow to ferment for about 2 weeks. In colder weather it may take longer.26. DEEP FRIED CAULIFLOWER)
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Cut fresh cauli' into about double bite-size pieces. Deep-fry these until light brown. Drain oil and place on absorbent paper to drain, sprinkle with salt. Serve hot or cold.
27. ENDIVES IN OIL)
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T
his preparation has an exotic taste and presentation. It can be used in combination with any Middle Eastern dishes. It can be presented hot or cold, but it is especially nice at room temperature.1 bunch endives
1 or 2 medium onions
1 knob garlic
200 ml olive oil
1/2 d/s salt
C
ut the onion into about 1/4 rings and fry them gently in the olive oil. Slice the garlic thinly and add to the onions when they are beginning to soften. Remove the base of the endive and separate the leaves so they can be washed. There often are sand grains in the core of the stems. Drain as much water as possible from the stems. It is worth patting them dry with a cloth. Chop the stems and leaves into about 2 cm pieces and add to the frying mixture and stir. Add the salt and allow to fry for about 5 minutes once the mixture begins to bubble evenly. Remove from heat and transfer to a dry jar.S
erve hot or cold with almost anything Eat with pita bread as a dip. Add to rolls or toast. Sprinkle with savory yeast.CONTINENTAL DISHES F
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observations generally hold little importance. Orthodox Christianity (eastern and southern Europe) has retained a great deal of non-animal dietary awareness compared to the Rome oriented culture. It is as recently as 1968 that Roman Catholicism officially trivialised killing animals and removed the requirement to strictly observe non-meat Fridays. Besides religious influence, climate and the environment have also contributed to the lowering of awareness towards non-sacrificial diet and the associated behavior.