Palestinian and Arab Dishes Featuring Palestina Olive Oil
Msakhan (Palestinian)
Ingredients:
A glazed onion sauteed with sumac flatbread. Ingredients (2 loaves = 4 servings)
¼ cup sumac
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup olive oil
Taboon bread or use pizza dough
4 large onions
2 loaves taboon bread (or pizza dough)
Preparation:
Chop the onions in about ¼ inch squares
Place the onions in a pan and add a generous amount of olive oil
Cook the onions over low heat stirring occasionally until they are translucent without overcooking to the point they are mushy (about 20-30 minutes)
Drain the excess oil into a cup
Sprinkle all the spices on the onions and toss them until the onions have a reddish color from the sumac.
Brush the taboon lightly with the olive oil drained from the onions and place in a preheated oven at 450 F for 3-4 minutes
Top the taboon with a thin layer of the onion mixture. You may need to use more or less loaves depending on the size of the onions used.
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with pine nuts and sumac to serve tw0
Zaatar Flatbread
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp active yeast
1 tbs sugar
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup zaatar
Preparation:
Mix yeast, sugar, ½ cup warm water in a large bowl and set aside for 10 minutes until foamy
Add the flour, remaining water and salt and mix at slow speed
Slowly add Palestina olive oil and increase the speed of the mixer until fully combined
Lightly flour a large bowl and place the dough inside
Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for an hour (should double in size)
Divide the dough into 12 balls and cover again and let rise for another 30-45 minutes
Preheat oven at 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface into 6 in diameter circles
Top each with the zaatar and bake for 10-12 minutes until the dough is brown.
Optional: halfway through baking the dough, add thin slices of tomato
Hummus a la Jamil Ziadeh
Ingredients:
4 cans chick peas (or better yet, soak dry peas overnight, drain, cook in fresh water till tender) bring chick peas to a boil saving cooking or can water.
1/2 cup tahini
4 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp Palestina olive oil
Topping, mix the following:
2 tbsp Palestina olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 garlic cloves smashed chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 finely diced jalapeno pepper
Process chick peas while hot. Add remaining ingredients. Process 20 minute till smooth. This really takes time. Add hot cooking water until creamy and fluid enough to dip. Adjust lemon and salt.
To serve, swirl cold hummus onto a platter leaving a round or oval well. Pour topping into well. Decorate with 5-7 whole chickpeas.
Eggplant salad
Ingredients:
Palestina olive oil
Two large eggplants
Two tomatoes
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
Small red onion
Lemon
Pomegranate molasses
Salt
Heat your oven to 425°. Cut off the tops of the eggplants and slice them long-ways into 6-8 pieces. Brush with Palestina olive oil and roast for about 40 minutes. When cool, remove the flesh from the skin and mash with a fork in a large bowl. While the eggplant is cooling, chop the tomatoes into small cubes, mince the parsley, and half the onion. (Use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the onion for the salad and reserve the remaining onion for another use.) add all these to the bowl with the mashed eggplant. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice, one tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. This dish can be eaten warm or cool. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley sprigs and pomegranate seeds if available. Serve with toasted pita bread, or over salad greens.