TURKISH COFFEE

Turkish Coffee Ingredients and SuppliesTo follow along at home you will need the following things: an ibrik or cezve some sugar 1/2 cup water small cup Turkish coffee Homemade Turkish Coffee Grounds Now Turkish coffee can be bought at most food stores, but if you can't seem to find any, just make your own by grinding a handful of coffee beans in a pod of cardamom in the coffee grinder to a very fine grain Heat the WaterPlace the ibrik on the stove, add sugar to your liking, fill the pot with water, leaving a half an inch at the top and turn the flame to a low heat. Prepare the Turkish Coffee
Once the concoction comes to a low boil, remove the ibrik from the stove and lower the flame. Add 2-3 heaping teaspoons of coffee to the pot and slightly stir in. Put the pot back on the stove. Watch carefully as the mixture will start to tremble and foam quickly. You do not want to let the mixture boil over. Continue Heating the Turkish CoffeeOnce you notice the foam rising, remove the ibrik from the heat and let it cool for 15-30 seconds before placing it back on the stove. Repeat this process of removal and replacement 2-4 more times before serving. Serving Turkish CoffeeTo serve, skim the foam off the top and drip it into the cup, now pour the coffee in. Let the brew sit for a minute while the grinds settle to the bottom, and then enjoy your extra dark roast. If you dont have a ibrik or cezve you can just use a small pot on the stove.

addedby Samia

VEGETARIAN SAMOSAS

1 packet of spring roll pastry 3 large potatoes 3/4 cup peas 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 small onion, chopped 2 teaspoons red chili flakes 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon water

Make the Vegetarian Samosas Filling
Pour in your water into a small bowl with flour, and mix with a brush until it has a thin, glue-like consistency. Chop the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Put them in a medium bowl, then add peas, chopped onions, spices, coriander, and lemon juice. Mix everything together.
Stuff the Vegetarian SamosasPlace your pastry sheet on the cutting board. Lift one corner of half of the pastry sheet towards the center. Brush it with our flour glue. Lift the other edge of half cookie and lay over the previous. Press to seal. Now, you have formed a dough cone. Hold the cone in your hand, and take about a tablespoon of filling and stuff the samosa. Seal the open lip with sealer. Fold the edge over. Press and seal.

Fry the Vegetarian SamosasHeat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Put in three samosas, and fry them on one side until they brown. Then turn them over and fry on the other side. Lift them out of the pan on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. You can serve them as an appetizer or as part of the main meal.

added by Samia

MANGO LASSI

Mango Lassi a traditional South Asian drink, originally from Punjab. It is available not only from roadside cafe's but is also a great favorite in good restaurants and hotels. It is ideal served with hot dishes as it helps the body to digest spicy food.

1 fresh mango or mango pulp 3 cups yogurt 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup of crushed ice Cut the MangoWe're going to start off by peeling the mango. If you don't have fresh mango available, you can always use canned.

Slice the mango and remove the bone. Blend the Fruit and YogurtPlace mango, 3 cups of yogurt, milk, and sugar into the blender. Turn blender on until the ingredients are blended well into a smooth texture, then turn the blender off. Serve the Mango LassiPour the mango lassi into the glasses, place a straw, and serve

addedby Samia

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

2 large onions, finely chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 1 head garlic 1 tomato, chopped 1 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon tomato paste Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup white rice 1/4 cup chopped dill 1 (16-ounce) jar grape leaves

Put the onions and oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, peel the garlic cloves and mash them to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Add this to the pan along with the tomato, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dill. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. While this is cooling, drain the grape leaves and carefully pull them apart. Put them into a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak until you are ready to roll. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a grape leaf on your work surface, shiny side down. Add 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture to the middle of the grape leaf. Fold the sides over the rice and roll the leaf into a small log shape, about the size of George's thumb. Repeat with the remaining rice, placing the stuffed leaves into a 9 by 9-inch baking dish. When the dish is full, cover the stuffed leaves with several layers of flat grape leaves and pour in 1 cup of water. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Serve cool.

ADDEDBY SAMIA

TORTELLINI TOTEM POLES

Assalamo alaikum,Well I love to cook, but for me sharing that love with my children is great too.....to get my sons in the kitchen to do things is a wonderful thing.So this is a great easy thing for kids to help you assemble as well as easy to bring to those iftars and keep us women out of the kitchen all day long :)

2 cups tortellini (cheese, meat, vegetable - your choice!), cooked, drained and cooled 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (bocconcini or cut into 1-inch cubes) 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup black olives, pitted 1/2 cup cucumber peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup pepperoni slices 1/4 cup Italian dressing Place each type of ingredient in a separate small bowl and line up bowls on a table or countertop that's within reach for all the kids. Using age-appropriate skewers (kebab skewers, disposable wooden skewers, coffee stir-sticks or straws), have each kid personalize their own totem pole by adding ingredients of their choice onto the skewer. Make colorful patterns; see who can fit the most ingredients onto their totem pole; count pieces as each is added. Dip totem poles in Italian dressing and eat! Cook's Note: use all or some of the above ingredients when making this recipe

added by Samia

ALMOND BALLS

Assalamo alaikum. I have not tried this recipe but I found it and thought it seemed very fun using dates....I figured it would be great to bring to an iftar as well as easy to make InshaAllah

~~RECIPE~~1/2 pound raw almonds 2 pints pitted dates, preferably Medjool 1/4 cup honey Vegetable oil, for forming balls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grind almond in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Roughly chop dates and add to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and dates form a ball. Remove from processor to a bowl. Add half of the ground almonds to the dates, leaving the reserved almonds on the baking pan to roll the balls in once formed. Add honey to the date and almond mixture. Mix together until evenly incorporated and smooth. Coat hands with some vegetable oil so that mixture does not stick too much and form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each ball in chopped almonds to coat well. Place in a tightly sealed container until ready to eat. Any leftover chopped nuts for coating can be sprinkled over the balls to keep them from sticking together if transporting. Will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature or up to a week, if refrigerated.

ADDED BY SAMIA