SAUDI ARABIAN: Sambousek

Out of all the recipes I tried in the month of September, the only new recipe I saved for my collection was Sambousek (my pitas were delicious but incredibly pocket-less). Here’s my recipe for Saudi Arabian turnovers.

Filling:
1 pound ground beef
2 grated onions
salt and pepper
1 tsp cumin

Dough:
3 cups flour
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp fennel
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
3.4 oz oil
up to 8 oz water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, fennel, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
2. Add oil to the flour mixture and mix until crumbly.
3. Add just enough of the water to the flour mixture to create a dough. Knead until smooth. Set aside, covered and warm, for 1 hour.
4. Cook beef, onions, cumin, salt and pepper in a frying pan over low heat until beef is browned.
5. When the dough is ready, roll it out and cut it into circles with an 8- to 10-cm diameter. Place 1 TBSP of beef filling in the center of each circle. Fold in half. Seal by pressing the edges, then rolling them upward in a clever pattern.
6. Heat more oil in a large frying pan and fry the sambousek on each side until lightly browned.

MEXICAN: Taco Filling

From Simply in Season, a cookbook I got last Christmas from Ten Thousand Villages. The book is written by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

1 pound ground meat or 2 cups kidney beans (cooked)
¾ cup onion, chopped
½ cup green pepper, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 TBSP fresh cilantro, or 1 tsp dried
1 TBSP fresh parsley, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
Dash of chipotle pepper or other hot chili pepper
¾ cup cooked rice

1. In a large frypan, sauté the meat, onions, green peppers, and carrot until the onions are clear and the meat is browned. If using beans, drain them, reserving the liquid, and set aside. Do not cook them with the onions, etc.
2. Add the garlic, cilantro, parsley, chili powder, lime juice, cumin, salt, and hot pepper. Sauté until the garlic is cooked. If using beans, add to the mixture with enough liquid so that it can simmer without getting dried out. If using meat, add liquid if needed so that it can stew a little, allowing flavors to blend.
3. Add the rice and stir well. Use mixture to top tortilla chips or to fill taco shells or tortillas. Garnish with any of the following: grated sharp cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, sliced jalapeno peppers, olives, shredded lettuce or spinach, fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or plain yogurt.

MEXICAN: Chili con Carne with Beans

So, this is one of three things that I make that my dad will actually eat seconds of.

1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
4 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP Essence of Emeril (recipe following)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (15-oz.) can whole tomatoes
3 TBSP tomato paste
1 (15-oz.) can beans of your choice
1 tsp sugar
2 cups water

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the meat and stir to break up the pieces.
3. Cook, stirring, until the meat is brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, Essence, salt, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes.
5. Put the whole tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and squeeze them with your hands to break them into pieces.
6. Add the squeezed tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, beans, sugar, and water to the pot.
7. Stir well and bring to a boil.
8. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I got this recipe from Recipezaar.com.