Recipes from Cooking Together: The Israeli Pantry

Israeli Ceviche

This fresh fish recipe blends locally caught fish with wonderful vegetables and dairy products made in Israel. The fish rests on a bed of Israeli salad and labneh cheese. It makes a perfect starter for any meal.

Yield: 4 servings Total time: 15 minutes Dairy Fish Avocado grown in the Gaza Envelope

Ingredients:

For the base:

4 tablespoons labneh (or Greek yoghurt)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon hyssop (wild thyme)

Avocado, peeled and diced

The Ceviche:

2 maggie or plum tomatoes, cubed

2 cucumbers, sliced

7 oz. (250 gr.) fillet of anthias or sea bass, roughly chopped

1 red onion, chopped

¼ green chili pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Juice and rind from a whole lemon

Pinch of Atlantic salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl, coating the fish and letting the juices penetrate to "cook" the fish; if necessary, add more lemon juice.
• Spread the labneh on a serving dish, sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with olive oil.
• Place the fish over the labneh (or yoghurt) and serve.

Our Farmer-Inspired Ceviche

Brings all of Israel's produce together in one bowl to be eaten family style.

Yield: 8 servings Preparation time: 10 minutes Fish Peppers, mango and olives grown in the Gaza Envelope

Ingredients:

10 oz. (300 gr.) fresh fillet of fish, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

I mango, diced

1 red onion, diced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

1 cup fresh herbs (coriander, parsley, mint)

1 green chili pepper, sliced (optional)

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lime

Olive oil

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
• For deeper curing, allow the fish to sit in the mixture 30 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and serve
• Serve with warm pita bread.

Chicken Cutlets with White Beans

A local variation on a recipe brought over from Italy. This healthy dinner comes together in no time and is a complete meal in one pot.

Yield: 4 servings Total time: 60 minutes Meat Chicken, garlic and onions from the Gaza Envelope

Ingredients:

1lb. (500 gr.) ground chicken breast

½ lb. (250 gr.) ground spring chicken

1 red onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 bunch parsley, thinly chopped

3 teaspoons grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil for frying

Sauce:

3 cups white beans, cooked

6 cups vegetable stock (1 liter) or water

½ cup olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 green chili, sliced

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

¼ cup lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

• Preparing the cutlets: in a mixing bowl, mix chicken breast and spring chicken meat with the rest of the ingredients until fully incorporated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.
  
• Add the oil to a frying pan. Form the meat into balls and fry in hot oil till golden brown on both sides.
• Preparing the sauce: in a deep pot, warm the olive oil, adding the garlic and green chili. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice and vegetable stock and bring to boil. Season with salt, black pepper, paprika and sugar and cook 30 minutes more.
• Add white beans and chicken balls and simmer another 20 minutes.

Remove from the fire and sprinkle with fresh parsley

Goezleme

Goezleme are savory Turkish stuffed turnovers filled with cheese and sometimes spinach. They can easily be prepared in a frying pan; the dough is easy to prepare and is based on the wonderful attributes of yoghurt. Israeli tourists flocking to Turkey's popular all-inclusive resorts brought this dish to Israel.

Yield: 5 servings Total time: 30 minutes Dairy Cheese made in the Gaza Envelope

Ingredients:

For the dough:

10 oz. (300 gr.) 3% yoghurt

1 ¾ cup (250gr.) flour

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

1 onion, diced

5 oz. (150 gr.) feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

The dough:

In a mixer combine the flour, yoghurt and salt using a dough hook or kneading the dough by hand. If it is sticky, add more flour. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 10 minutes.

Preparing the filling:

• Warm the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for 15 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl combine the onions, feta and cheddar cheese.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal parts, forming each into the shape of a small ball.
• Dust flour on a work surface, flattening each ball with a rolling pin.
• Place the mixture on one half of the circle (approximately 1/8th of the mixture), fold one half of the dough over the other, and pinch firmly to close.
  
• Using a non-stick frying pan, pour a bit of oil into the pan and over a medium flame gently fry until golden on both sides.

Mushroom Filled Bourekas

This is an intoxicating recipe prepared from a special dough called "oiled dough". It's possible to use a combination of fillings, creating a roulade and rolling it into a shell shaped pastry called Cukur in Turkey.

Yield: 8-10 shells Preparation time: 20 minutes Dairy Mushrooms grown in the Gaza Envelope

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 ½ cups white flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup boiling water

For the filling:

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups champignon mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 oz. (120 gr.) ground caciocavallo cheese, grated

4 oz. (120 gr.) crumbled feta cheese

Topping:

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

For folding the pastry:

4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

• Preparing the dough: using a mixer with a dough hook, place the dough ingredients in the bowl and mix for 10 minutes until an elastic dough is formed. To reach the right consistency, start with 1 cup of water, adding an additional ½ cup of boiling water if the dough is too dry.
  
• Fold the dough and let rest for two hours.
• Preparing the filling: in a frying pan, add olive oil and onions and fry until golden, approximately 10 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and black pepper and continue frying for an additional 5 minutes.
  
• Remove from the flame and drain any excess liquid, letting the mixture completely cool.
• Add the cheese, mixing well.
• After letting the dough rest, divide the dough into 8-10 equal parts, shaping them into balls.
• Using a floured working surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible without tearing it. If the dough does not cooperate, let it rest for an additional 30 minutes.
• Spread olive oil on the dough folding over three times, then let the dough rest for an additional 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 o F (180oC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough once more, again trying to make it as thin as possible, then add a small amount of the filling. Roll the dough into the shape of a roulade, then forming the shape of a snail. Place onto the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
• Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
• Serve either hot or at room temperature with a side of freshly cut vegetables and hard-boiled eggs.

See also: Cooking Together: The Israeli Pantry by Judith Cooper-Weill