Jerusalem Cookbook

May -- Jerusalem Cookbook

Recipes adapted from JERUSALEM: A COOKBOOK by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

There are some wonderful, healthy recipes with a hint of old world food in this fabulous cookbook. Note that I did make some small changes to the recipes. If you are interested in trying more recipes from this book, click here to purchase it from Amazon.com.

Some of the unusual spices in these recipes can be found at a Mediterranean market, such as North County International Market in Vista, CA. They are well worth purchasing and using to get the great flavors.

Chermoula Eggplant with Bulgur Wheat

Ingredients for eggplant:

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 Tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon peel (can be purchased or made) I substituted lemon zest
⅔ cup olive oil
2 medium eggplants

Ingredients for bulgur wheat

2 cups medium bulgur
1 ⅓ cup boiling water
¼ cup olive oil
⅔ cup golden raisins
7 Tbsp warm water
¾ cup chopped cilantro
¾ cup chopped mint
1 cup pitted green olives, halved
1 up sliced almonds toasted
6 green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup Greek yogurt (if desired)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
To make the chermoula, mix together in a small bowl, the garlic cumin, coriander, chili, paprika, preserved lemon, two-thirds cup olive oil and 1 tsp salt.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh of each half with deep, diagonal criss cross scores, making sure not to pierce the skin. Spoon the chermoula over each half, spreading it evenly, and place on a baking sheet cut side up. Put in the oven and roast for 40 minutes or until the eggplants are completely soft.
Place the bulgur in an large bowl and cover with boiling water (or cook as package directs)
Soak the raisins in the warm water. After 10 minutes, drain the raisins and add them to the bulgur, along with ¼ cup olive oil. Add all of the herbs, olives, almonds, green onions, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
Serve the eggplants with the bulgur wheat ontop or alongside. The bulgur wheat can be topped with yogurt and extra chopped cilantro if desired.

Serves 4 as a main course.

Pureed Beets with Yogurt & Za’atar

Ingredients:

2 lbs of raw beets or 1 lb after cooking and peeled.
(can purchase cook peeled beets in the store)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish the dish
1 Tbsp Za’atar

To garnish:

2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp toasted hazelnuts, coarsely crushed (can substitute nuts of choice)
2 oz soft goat’s milk cheese, crumbled.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Wash raw beets and place in a roasting pan. Put them in the oven and cook uncovered until a knife slides easily into the center, about 1 hour. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut each one into about 6 pieces. Allow to cool down.
Place the beets, garlic, chile, and yogurt in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the syrup, olive oil, za’atar, and 1 tsp salt. Taste and add more salt if you like.
Transfer the mixture to a flat serving plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it around the plate.
Scatter the green onions, nuts, and cheese on top. Drizzle with a bit of oil. Serve with bread, crackers or a vegetable dip.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini & Za’atar

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, washed, peeled and cut into ¾” by 2 ½” wedges
2 small or one large red onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
3 ½ Tbsp olive oil
3 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 ½ Tbsp tahini paste mixed with 2 Tbsp water (or 5 ½ Tbsp Tahini sauce purchased)
4 Tbsp pine nuts
1 Tbsp za’atar
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F
Put squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add the oil, 1 tsp salt and some black pepper. Toss well. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed sooner. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl with the lemon juice, garlic and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey.
Put the remaining 1½ tsp oil into a small frying pan and place over medium low heat. Add the pine nuts along with ½ tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.
To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.

May -- Jerusalem Cookbook

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