Session # 3 Recipes

DUMPLING SOUP / DUSHBERE
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cups water
Filling
8 oz / 225g ground lamb or beef
1 small onion, finely chopped or grated
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Broth
3 tablespoons oil (corn or vegetable) or butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 teaspoon salt
8 cups water
To serve
About 6 tablespoons grape vinegar mixed with 2 gloves crushed garlic

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, egg and water and stir using your hands until a rough ball forms. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and put it into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or a plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rest while you prepare the filling. To prepare the filling, in a mixing bowl combine ground meat, onion, salt and pepper. Using your hand, knead thoroughly until well blended. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a disc and using a rolling pin begin rolling out into a flat circle, about 1/8 inches (3mm) thick. Flour the dough lightly if it sticks to the pin. Continue rolling until you obtain a paper-thin circle about 16 inches (40 cm) in diameter. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into small squares, about 1 inch / 2.5cm. Place a little filling into the middle of each square. Bring two opposite corners together and seal the edges to make a triangle. Bring the two farthest ends of the triangle together and seal. Arrange the dumplings on a lightly floured surface, apart from each other to prevent from sticking together. Prepare the broth. In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add tomato paste and stir fry for another half a minute. Add salt, then pour in water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Drop dumplings into the pan in small batches. Stir gently once and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Cooked dumplings will surface to the top. Check to see if the dough and the filling are cooked. Cook longer if needed. Adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Ladle the dumplings and the broth into individual serving plates and garnish with fresh cilantro or dried mint. Serve immediately, with the vinegar-garlic sauce on the side, to be added to taste, as desired.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH BELL PEPPERS
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound (450 g) skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, for boiling
1 medium fresh cucumber, peeled (you can substitute with pickled cucumber)
2 medium carrots, boiled and peeled
1 medium green bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper, cored and seeded
1/3 cup or more, to taste, fresh chopped dill
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons lite mayonnaise (You can also mix 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of sour cream)

Method:
1. Place the chicken in a pot with about four cups of water. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into julienne (long thin) strips using knife or tear it using your hands.
2. Cut the cucumber, carrots and bell peppers, into julienne (long thin) strips.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, vegetables, and fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix. Serve slightly chilled.

FRESH HERB OMLETTE / KUKU
Ingredients
4 cups chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 cup chopped fresh green onions
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (optional, can be substituted with cilantro)
1cup chopped fresh green garlic, green parts only
8 eggs
salt, ground black pepper
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
garlicky-yogurt sauce

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped fresh herbs and eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly.
Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
Pour the herb-egg mixture into the pan to fill it completely, leveling it with the back of a spoon or by slighlty tilting the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Using a knife, carefully cut the omlette into 4 wedges (or smaller ones), and with the help of a spatula, gently turn them over to brown the other side for another 10 minutes. Add more butter if needed. Remove from heat. Transfer the ommlette wedges onto a serving platter. Serve immediately with garlicky-yogurt sauce and bread on the side or as the addition to rice pilaf. Or, chill it and serve as an appetizer.

ZEBRA CAKE
Ingredients
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 oz / 250 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (8 fl oz / 250 ml) milk, at room temperature
1 cup (8 fl oz / 250 ml) oil (corn, vegetable or canola is fine)
2 cups (10 oz / 300 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon (equals 3 teaspoons) baking powder (if not available, substitute with 1 teaspoon baking soda)
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder (make sure it is not very bitter) such as Dutch-processed
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Using an electric mixer beat until the mixture is creamy and light in color. Add milk and oil, and continue beating until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine and mix flour, vanilla powder and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. DO NOT OVERBEAT to prevent air pockets from forming in the batter. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions. Keep one portion plain. Add cacao powder into another and mix well. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease the pan with oil. Scoop 3 heaped tablespoons of plain batter into the middle of the baking pan. Then scoop 3 tablespoons of cacao batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter.

Source:
http://www.azcookbook.com/my-comebackwith-a-salad/