And now for something completely different - Kibbeh, Hummus, Stuffed Tomatos, and Creamy Lime Tarts

These recipes are a tribute to my Lebanese heritage, actually I'm only like 1/16 Lebanese but I still carry the last name and am proud of it.

These Lime Tarts are a favorite. They are a very refreshing end to a meal. Simple and quick and oh so good.

Ingredients:

Phyllo Dough

Whipping Cream

Sugar

Lime Juice

All you do is whip some cream until stiff, add a little sugar and lime juice to the cream. I then just filled these phyllo cups with the lime cream mix and froze them. You can make the cups by cutting 6 sheets of stacked phyllo dough in a circle and place in a muffin tin then bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown, or you can get them pre-made from most grocery stores.

These are some hollowed out Romas, I love the flavor of Romas.
Here is the stuffed Roma ready to go into the foil.
Hollowed, stuffed, and wrapped all ready for the oven.

Ingredients:

6 Romas

8 ounces feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Greek Seasoning (I like Cavender's, or Penskey's.)

Mix the feta, oil and seasoning. Hollow tomatoes, save the caps. Stuff, recap and wrap, (oops didn't mean to rhyme). Cook for about 20 min in a 400 degree oven.

Here is my favorite pita. Goes great with Kibbeh and Hummus.

Preheat oven to Hi Broil

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons yeast

1 tablespoon salt

Warm Water

I'll be honest I've never measured, but that is about what I put in. Mix all the dry ingredients. Then add water til the dough sticks together. It is better to make it a little sticky, it seems to rise better. Then break it into 8 or so even sized balls. Let them sit for 1/2 hr. Roll them out to 1/8 inch thick or so. Put your top oven rack as high as it can go. This is the fun part, at least for me. I place the rolled out pita on a cookie sheet directly under the broiler then I watch it until it stops rising or gets some brown spots which ever comes first, the rising always amazes me, I guess simple things really amaze simple minds. Then flip and let it do the same. Then pull it out and enjoy.

Hummus and Kibbeh recipes.

Hummus

1 can chick peas

3 tablespoons tahini (look in the health food isle, by peanut butter, or with condiments it is always in a weird place.) Tahini is just sesame butter.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Small spoonful of garlic (minced or crushed)

salt, pepper, paprika and Greek Seasoning to taste.

Mix everything and blend it in a food processor, let it sit. This one is dusted with paprika a few chick peas and pine nuts.

Kibbeh

1 lb lean ground beef

1/8 lb pine nuts

red wine vinegar

rosemary

basil

thyme

small spoon full of garlic (crushed or minced not powdered.)

Salt, Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into balls and place in muffin tins bake at 425 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160.

The white sauce in this picture is Tzatziki. It is yogurt, plain - not vanilla or strawberry or the awesome key lime pie that Yoplait makes, with grated cucumber and a small spoonful of garlic.
Cut the pita in half and stuff with everything for a messy Mediterranean Taco.