Soup: Orzo (Lesan Asfour)

1 pack orzo (Lesan asfour) 500gm

3 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

Salt and black pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in pot then add orzo and stir until it turns golden brown. Then add chicken stock and season with salt and black pepper. Leave for ten minutes on medium heat to cook then serve in bowls. 

Salad: Oriental Salad

1 head lettuce

4 cucumbers

1 onion

2 packs arugula

3 tomatoes

1 pack parsley

1 radish

Dressing:

1 lemon

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt, black pepper

Directions:

Cut vegetables into medium pieces then mix in bowl.

For dressing, bring another bowl, squeeze lemon and mix with olive oil, white vinegar, salt and a little black pepper.

Pour dressing on vegetables, mix well and serve.

Main Course: Molokhiya with Fried Chicken

1 whole chicken

1 litre  water

1 small onion (peeled, cut into quarters)

1 pack chopped molokhiya (500gm)

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp dried coriander

salt, black pepper

Directions:

Pull off any remaining feathers from chicken then wash with clean water.   

Heat water in pot until it boils. Add chicken, onion and black pepper. Leave it to cook. Season to taste with salt.

In another pot, add two cups of chicken stock and molokhiya. Stir until mixed (do not leave it until it reaches boiling point).

Melt butter in small pan. Add garlic. Stir until it turns golden brown, then add dried coriander with pinch of salt and stir again until liquid disappears and you can see oil sizzling. Then add to molokhiya.

Fry chicken in oil in large frying pan over high heat. Keep turning chicken until it is brown all over (around 7 or 8 minutes).    

Serve molokhiya with fried chicken. 

Side Item: White Rice

2 cups rice

3 cups hot water or hot chicken broth

1 tbsp butter or oil

Directions:

Melt butter (or oil). Add the rice and season with salt. Stir for five minutes then add liquid. Leave it on medium heat to boil then cover and cook slowly over very low heat for ten minutes. Then serve.

Drink: Apricot Juice (Qamar Eddin)

1 pack dried apricot sheets (500gm)

1 litre water

1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

Cut dried apricot sheets into small pieces. Heat water until it boils, then add dried apricot pieces to dissolve in water. Add sugar and stir for one minute, then turn off heat. Leave mixture until it cools, then put in refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Dessert: Om Ali

Cooked puff pastry (500gm)

1 litre full cream milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp chopped coconut

150gm nuts (raisins, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc)

1 pack whipping cream (if it doesn’t contain sugar, add 2 tbsp of icing sugar)

2 tbsp of icing sugar

Directions:

Break cooked puff pastry into small pieces.

Heat milk until it boils. Add sugar. Stir until it dissolves then turn off heat.

Put half the broken pastry into baking mould along with half the nuts and one tbsp coconut. Then add rest of broken pastry, nuts and the other one tbsp of coconut. Then pour liquid in and leave for ten minutes.

In bowl, use electric mixer to mix whipping cream until it gains volume. 

Spread whipping cream over pastry and nuts mixture, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Place baking mould under oven grill until it turns golden brown.

You can serve hot or leave it to cool then put in refrigerator and serve cold.

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