Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups assorted cherry, grape, and teardrop tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for brushing
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 large loaf focaccia, halved horizontally (reserve half for another use)
1 garlic clove, peeled, halved

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine halved tomatoes, finely chopped onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, chopped fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar in medium bowl; season tomato topping with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Topping can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally.
2. Preheat broiler. Place focaccia half, cut side up, on baking sheet; brush bread with olive oil. Toast bread in broiler until top is golden brown, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Immediately rub cut side of bread all over with halved garlic, then cut focaccia crosswise into 4 equal pieces.
3. Top toasted focaccia with tomato mixture and serve.

Stuffed Green Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

2 green bell peppers
5 oz. ground beef
1 Tbsp chopped onion
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 peeled chopped tomato
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp uncooked rice
2 Tbsp water
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 can condensed tomato soup
water as needed

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds.  Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain.  Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2.  In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned.  Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.
3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture.  Place peppers open side up in a baking dish.  In a medium owl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency.  Pour over the peppers.
4.  Bake covered for 25 - 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Brownies

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioner's sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Mix well.
3.  Add in 1/3 cup cocoa. 1/2 cup flour, salt and baking powder.  Mix well.  Spread batter into one 8x8 square baking pan.
4.  Bake for 25 - 33 minutes.  Do NOT overcook.  These are better the next day.
5.  To make frosting:  Combine 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp cocoa, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla nd 1 cup confectioner's sugar.  Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Banana Pudding

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
6 oz vanilla wafer cookies

DIRECTIONS:
1.  In a medium saucepan combine sugar, flour, and salt.  Add eggs and stir well.  Stir in milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly.  When mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and continue to stir, cooling slightly.  Stir in vanilla and butter until smooth.
2.  In 9x13 inch dish, layer pudding with bananas and vanilla wafers.  Chill at least one hour in refrigerator before serving.

Mantoo (Afghan Beef Ravioli)

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb minced lamb or ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 red chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp ground coriander
salt (to taste)
ready made wonton wrappers (available at Asian food stores)

plain yogurt
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
a bunch of fresh mint
2 Tbsp ghee

1.  Melt ghee in a frying pan.  Add onions and fry until transparent.
2.  Add garlic and meat and mix thoroughly to break into finely minced texture.  Cook until the meat is brown.
3.  Add seasonings, coriander, and chili, and continue to cook for 20 minutes adding only enough water, if any, to prevent the meat from sticking.
4.  Allow the meat mixture to cool a little, and then take a wonton wrapper, and place a tsp of meat mixture into the center.
5.  Fold the wonton wrapper to create a dumpling by taking the two opposite corners and sealing them with wet fingers.  Then repeat with the other corners, creating a neat parcel.
6.  Place the mantu in a steam.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Create a sauce by mixing the plain yogurt and the garlic together.
7.  Assemble the dish by covering the base of a large platter with the yogurt sauce.  Cover with the meat parcels, piling them on top of each other to create a mound.
8.  A little sauce can be spooned over the lot, then some minced lamb or ground beef, topped with mint leaves.

Channa Masala

INGREDIENTS:
2 16oz. cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
4 large chopped tomatoes
1 large chopped onion
3 medium chopped potatoes
2 cloves garlic
green chili and ginger paste to taste
1.5 tsp turmeric,
2 tsp garam masala,
2 tsp ground coriander,
2 tsp salt
onion seed and cumin seed to taste
2 Tbsp ghee

DIRECTIONS:
Melt the ghee in a large pot.
Add the onion seed and the cumin seed until they fizzle and pop (20 seconds)
Add onions.  Fry until lightly browned.
Add garlic, ginger, and chili.  Stir fry on medium heat.
Add tomatoes.  Stir fry until the oil starts to separate from the onion/tomato mixture.
Add salt, coriander, garam masal, turmeric.  Stir thoroughly.
Add potato.  Stir until well coated in spices.
Add the water from one chickpea can.
Put the lid on the pot.  Bring the pot to a boil.
Let everything simmer on avery low flame for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Make sure the potato chunks are soft.  Add chickpeas to pot.  Stir.  Add a little more chickpea juice to the pot.
Bring to a fierce boil then turn flame down to simmer the pot for roughly 15 minutes - with the lid partially on.
Add freshly chopped coriander leaf and stir.
Simmer 10 more minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Put the lid on.  Let stand for 15 minutes.

Serve with rice or pita bread/naan.

Horseradish Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream
1 Tblsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tblsp prepared horseradish root
1 large garlic clove (chopped or juiced)
steak seasoning (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork.  Best when chilled.

Shakshouky (Lebanese Eggplant Salad)

INGREDIENTS:
1 eggplant
a bunch of scallions or 1 leek
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
5 tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp. pomegranate paste/juice
a pack of tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.  Cut slits in the eggplant.  Cover it with aluminum foil and place it in the oven at 400 degrees F for an hour.
3.  Boil enough water to cover your tomatoes.  Toss the tomatoes in the boiled water until the skin begins to crack (approx. 1 min).  Remove tomatoes and continue peeling their skin.
4.  Chop tomatoes.  Slice scallions or leek (white and green portions).  Chop or juice garlic cloves.  Juice lemon.  Place in a salad bowl.
5.  Pour pomegranate juice and a little bit of olive oil into the bowl.
6.  When the eggplant is ready, remove from the oven.  Skin the eggplant.  Remove the stem and some of the seeds.
7.  Chop the eggplant and place it in the salad bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix all ingredients.
8.  Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
9.  When ready to serve, add remaining olive oil and mix again.
10.  Tastes very good with toasted tortilla.  Just dip the tortilla in the salad and enjoy!