For the February daring cooks challenge, Manal from Manal’s Bites invited us to celebrate the most important meal of the day Middle Eastern style!
It’s always fun to try food from a very different culture from your own. And that’s what we were invited to do – to make any three or more components of a typical Middle Eastern breakfast. I chose to make hummus, pita bread, stuffed dates and Moroccan mint tea. The hummus was rustic and incredibly tasty with a lemony tang. The pita bread, made with stone-ground wholemeal flour, had a wonderful bite to it and was the perfect partner for the hummus. The extra soft Medjool dates were filled with an unusual spiced ricotta and pistachio cream. And to finish it off, a refreshing, sweet minty tea – as delicious cold as it was hot.
I borrowed recipes from a bunch of places – the hummus from Manal’s Bites, the pita bread from Veg Recipes Of India.com, the stuffed dates from Clean Eating Mag.com and the Moroccan mint tea from Food Network.com.
HUMMUS
Whip up a batch of classic hummus in minutes! This simple recipe blends chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and a touch of yogurt for a creamy, tangy dip that's perfect for snacking. Enjoy with your favorite crackers, vegetables, or as a spread.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans), washed and drained
- 3 tbsp Tahini paste
- Juice of one lemon or more if you like it sour
- Salt to taste
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- A little water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in the food processor except for the water.
- Add water as needed to get a nice smooth texture (I didn’t add water to mine, as I preferred the rustic, nuttier texture).
- Give it a taste and adjust salt and lemon juice according to your preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 945kcalCarbohydrates: 121gProtein: 46gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 56mgPotassium: 1374mgFiber: 32gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 298mgIron: 14mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!
PITA BREAD
Bake up fresh, fluffy pita bread at home! This easy recipe uses whole wheat flour, yeast, and a few simple ingredients for a delicious and wholesome flatbread. Perfect for scooping up dips, making sandwiches, or enjoying warm with a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/4 cup warm water
- 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- Pinch of sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl add ½ cup of the warm water. sprinkle a pinch of sugar. then and the yeast and stir. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature.
- In a large bowl mix the rest of the warm water with flour, salt and olive oil with a wooden spoon.
- After the yeast has frothed, add the yeast mixture and knead into a soft, smooth dough – the dough should be moist and soft as well as smooth and springy.
- Place the dough into a greased container or in the same bowl with some olive oil applied all over the dough. Cover with a kitchen napkin and keep at room temperature for for 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F).
- Once the dough has doubled up, then remove the dough from the bowl. Put the dough on your working surface and deflate the dough (important to do this gently or else the bread may not puff).
- Make medium sized balls from the dough. Then dust the working surface with flour and roll each ball into round circles of about 6 inch about ¼ inch thick. Cover the circles with the kitchen towel loosely and let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Now place them on a greased tray and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or till puffed and light brown (mine didn’t puff much at all, possibly given the heavy flour I used, however they were easy enough to slice though to create pockets).
Notes
Note: It’s worth seeing the original site (see link above) for the excellent progress images.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 291mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!
STUFFED DATES WITH RICOTTA & PISTACHIO CREAM
Indulge in a simple yet sophisticated treat! Sweet Medjool dates are filled with a creamy ricotta, honey, and cardamom mixture, then finished with a sprinkle of vibrant pistachios. A delightful sweet-savory snack or appetizer that's perfect for entertaining.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 Tbsp ground raw unsalted pistachios (whiz whole nuts in a clean coffee grinder or food processor)
- 12 Medjool dates
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir ricotta and honey until well combined. Stir in cardamom and most of ground pistachios (you can reserve a little for scattering over top of the stuffed dates).
- With a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise slit on 1 side of each date. Remove pits. Using a small spoon, stuff each date with 1 tsp ricotta mixture. Sprinkle a little of the reserved ground pistachios over top.
- Arrange on a serving platter at room temperature. Keep left-overs in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 5mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!
MOROCCAN MINT TEA
Experience the vibrant flavors of Morocco with this traditional Mint Tea! Fresh mint leaves and fragrant green tea steep in hot water, creating a sweet and refreshing beverage. Perfect for sipping on a warm afternoon or sharing with friends.
Ingredients
- 4 tsp Moroccan or green tea leaves
- 24 fresh spearmint or mint leaves plus more for garnish
- 4 to 5 tbsp sugar or to taste (or honey instead for a healthier version)
- 1 quart just short of 1 litre boiling water
Instructions
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Add boiling water to a teapot that holds about 4 cups water, and swirl to warm.
- Discard the water and add the tea, 24 mint leaves, and sugar to the teapot.
- Pour the quart of boiling water into the teapot and swirl once or twice to dissolve the sugar.
- Allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes.
- Pour the tea through a strainer into small decorative Moroccan glasses or teacups. Garnish each with several fresh mint leaves.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 9mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 2gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 1020IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!
This was a perfectly timed post as I just made a LOT of hummus! I have never thought to eat it for breakfast, which is a little odd because I’m normally not a standard breakfast eater…Thanks!
I agree – it’s not what we’d eat normally for breakfast – lunch is where this type of food sits better for me!
loving all the dishes specially stuffed dates!!!
Thank you! Yes, they were particularly yummy!
looks great and is very tasty.
Thanks Magdalena!
Hi Susan,
Thank you so much for taking part of Feb daring cooks challenge…it was an honor that you guys took the challenge to different levels…I truly enjoyed it and I hope you will continue to experiment and try Middle Eastern dishes…they are delicious…
Manal
And thanks for hosting it Manal! Loved doing something so different!