Lebane

Lebane 

Ingredients:
Yogart
Salt

Method:

Mix salt into yogart - add to a cheesecloth and leave for 24hours until you have a crumbly consistency. Strain out all the water - roll into balls and add to a glass bottle with olive oil. You could season it with red herbs or garlic.

Nice to add ontop of flatbreads with Za'atar.

Za'atar Pastries (not my recipe)

Provisions:

For the dough

   4 cups flour

   2 eggs, at room temp

   1 cup water

   Pinch of salt

   Yeast mixture: 1 tsp yeast + 1/2 tsp sugar + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed and set aside 15 mins

For the zaatar

   Equal tbsp (start with 4 tbsp each) dried oregano and sesame seeds

   1 tsp sumac

   Drop of olive oil, to make a paste

Method:

Using your hands, combine the flour and eggs. Slowly add half of the water, and mix until just combined. Add the yeast mixture and rest of the water, then mix once more until incorporated. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and place in a warm spot to rise for 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 200C / 400F while making the dough balls. Rub your hands lightly with olive oil. Take a handful of dough and make a fist, squeezing a little ball of dough up between your thumb and index finger. Place on an oiled cookie sheet, and repeat until all dough is used. Dip your fingertips in a bit more olive oil, and pat each sphere flat (they may shrink the first time, just keep flattening them).

In a small bowl, make the zaatar: mix the oregano, sesame seeds, sumac and olive oil into a paste (alternatively use store-bought) . Spread a thin layer of zaatar on each pastry round, and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and puffed up.

Manakish Za'atar (Lebenese flatbread)

Manakish Zaatar 

(recipe from http://www.thekitchn.com/flatbread-recipe-manakish-zaatar-recipes-from-the-kitchn-178416)

Makes 8 (7 to 8-inch flatbreads)

Flatbread
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (1/4-ounce package) active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

Za'atar topping*
1/4 cup ground sumac
3 tablespoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

*Can substitute 3/4 cup pre-made zaatar blend for the sumac, thyme, oregano, and sesame seeds.

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast, and let it stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and work it in with your fingers. Make a well in the center, add the yeast and water mixture, and stir to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise in a warm, draught-free place for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven as it heats.

Knead the dough briefly and divide it into 8 balls. Place the balls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the zaatar topping ingredients in a small bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball of dough and roll it into a circle 1/8-inch thick and about 7-8 inches in diameter.

Press each circle with your fingertips to make little indentations for the topping to rest in. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of za'atar topping over each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.

Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Depending on the size of your oven and baking stone or baking sheet(s), you may need to do several batches.

Serve warm right away or else cool on racks.

Dukkah

(Wiki) Reference to a 19th century text lists marjoram, mint, zataar and chickpeas to the mix. Or plain crushed mint, salt and pepper

• 1 cup nuts, roasted (macadamia, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts or combination)
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 2-3 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2-3 tablespoons cumin seeds or 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon good quality salt (like Celtic Sea Salt or Maldon Salt)

Nut-free recipe substitute nuts with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

dip bread in oil then in the dukkah mix

My Dukkah recipe

pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, toasted sesame, coriander seeds, zatar, marjoram, mint with olive oil over chickpeas

 

" Change your thoughts and you change your world" ~ Unknown

Za'atar

Fabulous recipe (from  http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2011/06/fattoush-salad-with-zatar.html?showComment=1354526572635#c1594776405347269918)

Ingredients:
¼ cup sesame seeds (raw or toasted)
¼ cup sumac
2 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a frying pan. Stir often.

Allow to cool, then mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Store the dry mix in a tightly-closed jar, away from light and heat.

Mix with olive oil as bread dip.

Sumac (dried berry from the middle east)

Sumac is a powder made from the berries of the rhus coriaria plant, found in the Middle East and parts of Italy. Its a dark red purpleish colour and even though described as tasting tart - its not that tart but really spice up dishes amazingly. Its an essential ingredient in Arabian cooking.

The berries are picked just before they ripen and dried. Sumac is used in the cooking of Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Iran. 

Ground sumac is rubbed into meats for grilling and is good with potatoes, beets, and in mixed bean salads. Whole, cracked or ground sumac berries are also used to make a fruity, sour culinary juice which can be added to marinades, salad dressings, sauces and yoghurt. 

This is made by soaking the berries 15-20 minutes in warm water, squeezing the berries to get all the flavor, and then straining the liquid. The juice can be added to food at the end of cooking. Crushed dried sumac is called somagh.

REF: http://www.food.com

Sumac

A Middle Eastern spice that grows wild in many parts of the mid-east as well as in Italy. The tart flavored spice is used mainly in Middle Eastern cooking. Sumac is mixed with thyme and sesame seeds to make a mixture called Za'atar.

Read more from GourmetSleuth.com: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/S/Sumac-5654.aspx#ixzz2DyRF3wlD

My Personal opinion - It is not as sour as described but it really jazz up dishes. I used Sumac with caramelized red onion tartlet and its really different and delicious.

Amchoor (Powered green mango)

Amchoor (pronounced AHM-choor), also spelled "aamchur," is a citrusy seasoning made from dried unripe mangos. Produced in India, amchoor, also referred to as mango powder, is used both to flavor foods such as fruit salads, curries, and dals and to tenderize meats, poultry, and fish.

Once harvested, the green mangoes are peeled, thinly sliced, and sun-dried. The dried slices, which are light brown and resemble strips of woody bark, can be purchased whole and ground by the individual at home, but the majority of the slices processed in this way are ground into fine powder and sold as ready-made amchoor.