Moving Forward

I have decided to finally announce this to you. I wasn’t going to do this until later, but I feel like it is time I did.

I have been posting the same recipes on two different sites, this WordPress site, and my own website. I am sorry to say that I will not be doing this anymore. This process takes time. Time that I do not have. Time that I can be using more productively to create new recipes, and share them with you.

If you wish to see my new recipes, and follow me on my website, you can always do so by visiting glutenfreecooking123.com. By the way, I just uploaded a new recipe there Gluten free bagels. Check it out!

You can also follow me on my YouTube channel Gluten Free Cooking 123

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, laughter, love, and many blessings.

Lubieh Be Lahmeh (Green Bean Stew)

This is by no means your traditional crunchy green bean recipe. This stew will be slow cooked to help marry all the flavors together giving you a heartwarming stew at the end of a very hard day. This is one of my comfort foods. Traditionally, it is made with flat beans, but since those are not always available, regular green beans are just fantastic.

Ingredients

– 2 pounds green beans

– 1 pound stew beef cut into 1 inch cubes

– 1 large onion diced into small pieces

– 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes

– 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic

– 1 teaspoon ground coriander

– ¼ teaspoon black pepper

– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 1 tablespoon salt or to taste

– 4 cups of boiling water

– 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Utensils

– Chopping board

– Sharp knife

– Medium Heavy bottom stockpot (preferably non-stick)

– Wooden Spoon

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

Directions

1. Before you begin, you’ll want to prepare your green beans. Rinse the beans under cold water. Remove the ends on both sides of the beans. Snap them into thirds, or about 2 and a half inch each. If the beans are fat, you’ll want to slice them down in the middle length wise (like French beans). Set them aside until you’re ready to use them.
2. Into a medium stockpot add in the olive oil. Place the pot onto medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the cubed beef to the pot. Brown for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Once the beef has been browned, add the chopped onions, and cook until they’re translucent. About 3 to 5 minutes. Stirring frequently
4. Add the minced garlic, and the ground coriander and cook for 3 minutes, or until the garlic is aromatic.
5. Add the green beans into the pot containing the beef, onions, and garlic. Cook on medium high for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the diced tomatoes. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let it cook for 25 minutes.
7. Add the 4 cups of boiling water or enough to cover the green beans with about ¼ to a ½ inch of water. Add in the cinnamon, salt, and black pepper into the pot. Turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 25 to 40 minutes or until the beef and the green beans are tender.
8. Serve over Mediterranean rice, or you could have it as a “soup” with a piece of gluten free bread on the side.

Note: If you are using a cut of meat that is not meant for stew. Cut it length wise following the grain of the meat. The “grain” is the lines that you see in a big chunk of meat. They resemble wood grain. If you cut along those lines about 1 inch long pieces, and then chop it into cubes opposite the grain, you will end up with a tender cut of meat regardless of the type of meat that you have purchased. I do this all the time, and it saves on money. I try to create a video for you to give you a visual perspective of what I am talking about.

Tips:

You could use this recipe as a crock pot recipe. You’ll still want to stir fry most of the ingredients except the tomatoes before you add them into the crock-pot. This will give you the same flavors as if it were cooked over the stove top, and it will actually enhance them because of the slow cooking method. After you’ve added everything into the crock pot, you can cook it on low for 6 to 8 hours. I actually prefer this method because it really does enhance the flavor. I just have to remember to start early in the morning before it’s too late.

Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken (Crock-pot Shredded Chicken)

This is a dump and go recipe. You really don’t have to do anything after you dump the chicken in the crock-pot, except shredding it after it is fully cooked (which is super simple and easy after it is fully cooked.) It can be used in many different variations. It is all up to your imagination!

Ingredients:

– 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, or 4 chicken thighs

(I used 2 full chicken legs with the bones-in, and I deboned them after they were fully cooked. However, using this technique with bone-in chicken, is a little bit fiddly, and you are more likely to end up chewing on a bone than not.)

– 1 teaspoon ground ginger

– 2 small chicken bouillon cubes (omit if using chicken broth)

– 1 cup water or chicken broth

– ¾ cup Salsa Verde Avocado Yogurt dressing (Bolthouse Farms) you can find it in the refrigerated section

– ¼ cup Cilantro Avocado Yogurt Dressing (Bolthouse Farms) you can find it in the refrigerated section

– ¼ teaspoon black pepper

– ½ tablespoon onion powder

– ½ tablespoon garlic powder

– ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning

– ¾ teaspoon salt

– 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Utensils

– Crock-pot

– Spoon for mixing

– 2 forks

– Spatula

Directions

1. Dump all the ingredients into the crock-pot except for the chicken. Mix until everything is well combined.
2. Add the chicken to the sauce making one layer. Coat the chicken with the sauce. Using a spatula, scrape the sauce off the sides of the crock-pot to prevent it from drying up.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. When done, the chicken should be very tender to the point of falling apart.
4. After the chicken is fully cooked, shred it using 2 forks. This should be very easy. If the chicken isn’t falling apart easily, then perhaps it needs to be cooked a little longer.

Notes: You could serve this as chicken tacos with some sliced avocado, Salsa Verde, Lettuce, and green onions, or whichever way you want. It is all up to your imagination how you choose to use this chicken!

Cauliflower Hummus (Cauliflower Dip)

I have recently watched someone on YouTube make a Cauliflower hummus. I was inspired by that and thought that maybe I should try to make my own. I based this recipe off of my chickpea hummus recipe. I loved it, everybody loved it even the kids! It was a win in my house. Not to mention that it is a lot lower in carbs than a chickpea hummus is. So if you are on a low carb diet or somewhat of a low carb diet such as Trim Healthy Mama or Keto, this would be a great option for you.

Ingredients

– 4 cups cauliflower florets

– ¼ cup of water

– ¼ cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons

– ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh is better if possible)

– ½ cup of Tahini and 2 tablespoons (Tahini varies in flavor.) My favorite is the Sadaf tahini. I have tried other tahini. Among the many that I have tried, Lebanon Valley Tahini was one of them, and I was not fond of it. It has a slight lemony taste and it is not as nutty in flavor as the Sadaf Tahini

– 1 small head of garlic

– 2 teaspoons salt

– Extra olive oil for dressing

– Cooking spray

– Toasted pine nuts for garnish (optional but it does add a great flavor)

– chopped parsley (optional)

Utensils

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Food processor

– Spatula

– Silicone matt

– Cookie sheet

– Serving platter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place the cauliflower florets onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone matt.
3. Drizzle the cauliflower with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix them well. Spread them evenly on the pan and lightly spray them with the cooking spray. The olive oil will give the cauliflower heads a nice flavor while the cooking spray will make sure that everything is evenly coated with oil in order to bake properly.
4. Bake the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are soft and slightly golden brown.
5. Place the baked cauliflower, garlic, ¼ cup of water, ¼ cup of olive oil, ½ cup of lemon juice, ½ cup and 2 tablespoons of tahini, and 2 teaspoons of salt into the food processor. Process on high until smooth and creamy.
6. Remove blades from food processor. Using a spatula, scrape the cauliflower hummus into a serving platter. Garnish with some parsley and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle some olive oil on top.
7. Serve with some rice bread, green peppers, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes or whatever your heart desires.
8. You could also use this Cauliflower hummus recipe as a sandwich spread with some chicken or beef Shawarma, or whatever you like! I think some grilled chicken topped with this cauliflower hummus along with some grilled veggies on the side sounds like an excellent idea. It is making my mouth water just thinking about it!

Note: If you like less lemon juice, you could add one quarter cup at a time or less until you get the desired taste. If you like it to be tangier, you could substitute the chickpea liquid with lemon juice. If you like it to be more garlicky, then by all means, add as much garlic as you like, but always add in small quantities and then taste to see if you like it because you could easily mess it up if you add too much of something. If you do omit some of the lemon juice, the consistency of the dip will be much thicker, so you might want to substitute it with some water.

Chicken Curry Bake

This recipe was so easy, and so comforting. I created this recipe because I wanted chicken curry, but I did not want to stand there and tend to it. Chicken curry is one of my favorite dishes. This recipe is not as moist as regular chicken curry because it is a bake, but it tastes delicious!

Ingredients:

– 4 chicken breasts (you could also use chicken drumsticks or wings)

– 3 large potatoes cubed into 1 inch cubes

– 2 large green peppers sliced into ½ inch thick long slices

– 1 cup carrots sliced into ½ inch thick slices

– 3 large celery stalks sliced into 1 inch cubes

– 2 jalapenos

– 1 red onion sliced into large pieces

– 1 teaspoon salt

– 3 tablespoons curry powder

– 1 tablespoon garlic powder

– 1 tablespoon onion powder

– ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

–  ¼ cup olive oil

– 3 tablespoon fish sauce

– 3 tablespoons soy sauce or brag’s liquid aminos. I personally used liquid aminos

– ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar

– ½ tablespoon dried basil

– 1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger

– Cooking spray

Utensils

– Large bowl

– Pastry brush

– Large Sheet pan

– Aluminum foil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh ground ginger, ground black pepper, salt, and dried basil.
3. Spray the sheet pan with cooking spray. If the Chicken breasts are too thick, you can slice them in half the long way. Lay them on the pan making sure to leave some space between them. Using a pastry brush, brush the sauce that we had prepared earlier on both sides of each of the chicken breasts.
4. Place all the veggies in the large bowl with the remaining sauce. Mix all the ingredients together, until all the vegetables are well coated.
5. Spread the coated vegetable along with any remaining sauce around the chicken breasts.
6. Cover with foil, shiny side down, and bake for 1 hour.
7. Using a butter knife, poke the chicken in the middle to ensure doneness. If the butter knife does not easily go in all the way through the chicken breast, this means it is not fully cooked. Cover with foil again, and place back into the oven, until the chicken is fully cooked.
8. When you check the chicken for doneness, check the vegetables as well. If you can easily poke the vegetables all the way through with a fork, you will know that your vegetables are done.

Notes: If the chicken happens to be fully cooked before the vegetables are done, transfer the chicken onto a plate, cover with foil and place in the microwave with the microwave being off. This will ensure that your chicken will stay warm while the vegetables are getting cooked.

You might also want to cook the vegetables and the chicken in separate pans. This way, when any of them are done, you can simply take them out of the oven, store them in the microwave while it’s off until the rest of the ingredients are cooked.

If you would like, you could add a can of coconut milk to the pan with the rest of the vegetables. I haven’t tried this myself yet, so I don’t know what the results will be like, but I think the next time I make this recipe, I will be adding the coconut milk in.

Lentil Soup I (Mjadara)

This recipe is thousands of years old. It is even mentioned in the Bible, the time when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup. Even though it is not the most famous dish in Lebanese cuisine, it has been famous in its own right all throughout history. I hope you will like it as much as Esau did, but don’t sell your birthright!

Ingredients

– 2 cups brown lentils (or green. I personally prefer the brown ones)

– 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 large onion diced into small pieces

– ¼ cup of long grain rice

– 1 tablespoon salt or to taste

– 9 cups of boiling water.

Utensils

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Medium bowl

– Large Fine mesh Strainer

– Medium nonstick stockpot

– Wooden spoon

Directions

1. Place the lentils in a medium bowl. Rinse and drain them using a strainer. Do this about 3 times or until the lentils are thoroughly cleaned. Allow the lentils to soak in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Place the 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil (depending on how much you prefer to use) into the stockpot. Turn the stove unto medium heat and place the diced onions into the pot with the olive oil. Stir frequently to avoid the onions from burning.
3. Once the onions have become translucent and golden brown, drain the lentils and add them into the stockpot with the onions. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add in 6 cups of boiling water into the pot. Turn the heat on high. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. After the 30 minutes have passed, check to make sure that the water is not completely evaporated. If most water have evaporated, add in the remaining 3 cups of boiling water. Stir, and allow to cook for one and a half hour stirring occasionally. Check on the soup every 30 minutes to make sure that the water has not completely evaporated. You want to achieve a porridge consistency. So if you need more water, don’t be afraid to add more!
6. After the lentils are fully cooked, and have achieved the desired consistency, add in the 1 tablespoon of salt (or to taste) and stir.
7. You can serve this dish with rice bread, pickles, cucumbers, onions, radishes, or any other type of vegetable that you might like. You could also add in a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to your bowl. I personally prefer it as is. I just add a whole lot more salt to my bowl (because I love salt) and I prefer to eat it with Lebanese pickles, cucumbers, and onions.

Note: You can cook the lentils for only 30 minutes if you don’t like the porridge consistency, but I suggest you give it a try before you do this. The way how this dish is made varies from region to region in Lebanon. It even varies from family to family. My mom never soaked her lentils, or cooked them as long as I do, but I prefer to do it this way. I like my lentil soup to be super creamy, but yet still have a little bit of the lentil consistency. Sometimes I start my lentil soup around 10:00 AM and let it slow-cook for 5-7 hours on very low heat. It’s a very easy dish to prepare. It only requires some patience to wait for it to be ready. Another way I heard of people preparing this dish, is by completely blending it after it is fully cooked. I personally don’t like the idea, but if you like extremely creamy textures, you can try it and decide whether you like it or not.

Rolled Grape Leaves

This is my FAVORITE dish ever! My kids love it, and I often have to hold back on eating too much of it. You may find that you are in a similar pickle once you try it for yourself.

Ingredients:

– 1 Jar of canned grape leaves

– 2 cups of uncooked long-grain rice

– 1 pound ground beef

– 1 ½ chicken bouillon cubes

– 3 ½ teaspoon salt

– ¼ cup vegetable oil

– 2 tablespoons lemon juice

– 1 to 2 large tomatoes

– 4 cups boiling water

– 1 bay leaf

– ¼ teaspoon allspice

– ½ teaspoon cinnamon

– 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

– 1/8 tsp black pepper

Utensils:

– Large heavy bottom pot

– Sharp knife

– Measuring cup

– Large mixing bowl

– Large cookie sheet or large cutting board

– Colander

– Small ceramic plate that can fit inside the pot you’re using

– Tongs

– Clean dish towel

Directions:

1. Start by draining the grape leaves in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, to make the stuffing, rinse the 2 cups of rice in cold water. Drain using a fine sieve. Repeat this process twice.
3. Place drained rice in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 pound ground beef, 2 teaspoon salt, and the ¼ cup of vegetable oil.
4. Crumble 1 chicken bouillon over the stuffing mixture.
5. Mix all the stuffing mixture by hand until everything is well combined.
6. Canned grape leaves usually come rolled in bundles, so before you begin, you will need to unroll a bundle. Take one grape leaf and lay it flat vein side up. Leaf base should be closest to you, and pointy side facing away from you. Do this on a cookie sheet, a cutting board, or even a clean countertop. If the leaf has a long stem. You can chop that off using a sharp knife or pinch it off with your fingernails.
7. This is a messy job. If you don’t like touching meat with your hands, you may want to wear disposable cooking gloves.
8. Take some stuffing in your fingers. Lay it out on the leaf along the broad base side. Shape the stuffing slightly to form a log leaving ¼ inch seam allowance on each side of the log.
9. Fold the seam allowance over the stuffing on both sides.
10. Fold the bottom of the base toward the stuffing.
11. Begin rolling the leaf gently, not too firm (otherwise it would burst after it cooks) toward the pointy side.
12. Repeat steps 6 to 11 until all stuffing is used up or until all grape leaves are used up.
13. Slice the tomato thinly into circles.
14. Layout the tomato circles into one layer onto the bottom of a heavy pot.
15. Layout the grape leaves over the tomatoes, seam side down, Close together, one layer at a time.
16. Cover stuffed grape leaves with boiling water making sure the water is about an inch above the grape leaves.
17. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and the 1 ½ tsp of salt over the grape leaves.
18. Add the bay leaf and crumble the ½ chicken bouillon over the grape leaves.
19. Cover with the plate. Place the pot over a burner and turn onto high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
20. Mix the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with ½ cup of boiling water.
21. Carefully remove the plate that is covering the grape leaves using tongs and a clean dish towel and carefully place it into the sink.
22. Poor the lemon juice mixture over the grape leaves, and let everything sit on low heat for 10 more minutes.
23. Remove from heat, and enjoy!

Tips

1. You can layout several grape leaves on a cookie sheet, put the stuffing on them, and then roll them all out one after the other. I found that this technique saves me a lot of time. 

Sfeeha or Lahem Be Ajin (Mediterranean Meat Pies)

These meat pies are one of the most famous food items in Lebanon. As a child, they were my favorite type of “Pizza”. I still have fond memories of this one time when my father took me and my mom with him to Jbail and got us the most amazing meat pies that I have ever had from this little tiny shop by the side of the road. Ever since I was determined to achieve the same taste that my memories always take me to whenever I think of meat pies. I believe that I came pretty close to the taste. The secret is in the meat mixture, and the exciting thing is that these ones are gluten-free.

Ingredients

– 1 ½ pounds ground beef

– 3 large onions minced and squished by hand to soften them or processed in a food processor, until they have a slightly minced texture

– 3 large tomatoes minced

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 ½ tablespoon sumac

– 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon depending on how spicy you like it to be

– 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

– 1 ¼ teaspoon 7 spices or allspice

– 1 tablespoon kosher salt

– Twice the amount of the Multi-purpose gluten-free dough

– 1 to 2 lemons for serving (optional)

– Extra cayenne pepper for serving (optional)

Utensils

– Spoon

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Medium size muffin pan

– Mixing bowl

– Parchment paper

– Rolling pin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place all ingredients (except the dough) in a large mixing bowl.
3. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
4. Place a parchment paper on a clean counter. Take about a golf size piece of the dough. Roll into a ball between the palms of your hands. Place on the parchment paper. Press down with the palm of your hands. Using the rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle of a ¼ inch thickness, and a diameter that is appropriate for your muffin tin cups (approximately about 6 inches in diameter)
5. Spray the muffin pan with a cooking spray. Place each circular dough into each muffin cup and press into the muffin cup in order to create the shape of the muffin cups. Make sure that you have enough dough to reach the top of the muffin cups (you are lining the muffin cups with the dough).  Repeat the process until all the muffin cups are lined with the dough.
6. Fill each muffin cup with enough stuffing to reach the top.
7. Bake at 400 F for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the ground beef stuffing is fully cooked.
8. To serve, squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on the meat pie that you are about to eat, and you can also sprinkle some extra cayenne pepper on top if you like it extra spicy. If you do not like lemon juice or spicy food, you can skip this step altogether. You do not want to squeeze your lemon juice on all the meat pies all at once because they can and will get soggy.

Note: You probably can roll the dough to mini circles, place it on an oiled cookie sheet, spread the filling on top and bake it, but I have never personally tried it this way. Maybe next time.

Cabbage Rolls II

This recipe is very similar to the first recipe that I have shared with you, but it tastes just as great. The difference in here is simply the technique. Instead of spending about an hour or two to make a large pot of cabbage rolls, this recipe takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and of course you have to add the cooking time too. I use this recipe often whenever I am out of time, and need something quick that my family likes to eat.

Ingredients

– 2 pounds cabbage leaves

– 1 pound ground beef

– 2 cups long grain rice

– 1 chicken bouillon cube optional

– 1 tablespoon salt

– ¼ cup vegetable oil

– 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (if you are not a garlic lover like I am, you could cut that amount in half or even completely take it out. I personally think that is absurd, but to each their ownJ.)

– 4 to 5 cups water or chicken broth if you are not using the chicken bouillon

– ½ tsp parsley if you are not using the chicken bouillon

– Water for blanching the cabbage

Utensils

– Chopping board

– Large sharp knife

– Medium Heavy bottom stockpot (preferably non-stick)

– Wooden Spoon

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Large plate

– Tongs

-fine sieve

Directions

1. Start by filling the stock pot with water leaving about two inch head space.
2. Set the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, while the water is heating up. Separate the cabbage leaves from the cabbage flower by cutting the stem of each leaf that connects it to the head and pushing down from the stem toward the leaf. If this doesn’t work, you can try pealing the leaf off from the top.
4. Once you have 2 pounds of cabbage leaves and the water had reached the boiling point, reduce the heat to medium high and place about 4 to 5 leaves at a time in the boiling water and blanch them for one minute or until you are able to bend the leaf at the stem point without breaking the stem. Do this while pushing down on them with the tongs to make sure that all the leaf parts are submerged in the boiling water.
5. At this point you may notice that the water had stopped boiling. That’s ok, but if you do notice that it is taking longer than a minute for the leaves to become pliable, you can raise up the heat a little bit. If the water begins to boil to quickly, you can reduce the heat. It’s simple.
6. Pick up the leaves using tongs while making sure that the water drips out of them into the pot. Transfer onto the large plate.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 until all cabbage leaves are blanched
8. Once all the leaves are blanched allow to cool down until it is easy enough to handle.
9. Meanwhile, Dump the water that we were using to blanch the cabbage into the sink, or you can transfer it into a bowl to cool down, and then use it to water your plants.
10. Rinse the pot with cold water and dry with a clean kitchen towel.
11. Place the rice into the pot and rinse two to three times.
12. Drain the rice using a fine sieve, or if you are skilled at draining rice like I am, you can do so by keeping the rice in the pot and using your hand at the edge of the pot to act like a sieve. Do this very carefully as the rice has the tendency to slip out of the pot very easily, or you can just use a fine sieve as I have suggested earlier. Place the rice back into the pot.
13. Add the ground beef into the pot with the rice.
14. If you are using chicken bouillon, crumble it over the rice and beef mixture, and add the salt, and vegetable oil.
15. Now that the cabbage has cooled, using a sharp knife cut the thick stems out of each leaf. We will not be needing the stems.
16. Layer the cabbage leaves on top of each other. Cut them about an inch wide vertically, then chop them down horizontally to about ½ thickness.
17. Add the chopped cabbage into the pot.
18. Using your clean hands, or you can put on cooking gloves if you wish, mix everything together until very well combined.
19. Using the palm of your hand, level the mixture in the pot.
20. Using your index finger, poke multiple holes in the mixture, reaching all the way down to the bottom of the pot.
21. Using the liquid of your choice (water or chicken broth) add the amount of water that is required to cook the rice of your choice plus ¾ of a cup more. (this information is usually available at the back of the rice bag. Most rice requires a 1 to 2 ratio. That would be 1 cup of rice to two cups of water. For the amount of rice that we are using, you may need 4 cups of water.)
22. Place pot on high heat, and bring to a boil.
23. Once the liquid has begun to boil, stir the mixture using a wooden spoon making sure to break up any large clumps of rice. This will allow the water to penetrate all the crevices and it will ensure that everything cooks evenly. Otherwise, you will end up with a clump of mixture that contains uncooked rice.
24. After the mixture is all stirred up, lower the heat to medium low, and let it cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
25. Serve with your favorite side dish. Enjoy!

Note: You could chop and then blanch the cabbage leaves before adding them to the rice, but I never measured the amount of time that it takes to blanch them in order to achieve the right consistency. If and when I do so, I will update the recipe to make it easier for you 🙂

Roz Mfalfal (Mediterranean Rice)

This type of rice is served alongside many Lebanese dishes. I will be mentioning it a lot. So you might want to keep a copy of this recipe in an easily accessible place. This is my son’s favorite rice. He loves it so much that he asks me to make it often. I’ll have to admit, I like it as well, but I try not to eat too much of it as it can get addicting.

Ingredients

– 2 cups long-grain rice

– _1/3 cup thin rice noodles broken into 1 – 2 inch pieces

– 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

– 4 cups of boiling water and 2 tablespoons (or the amount of water required to cook the type of rice that you have chosen plus two tablespoons.)

– 1 tablespoon salt

Utensils

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Large fine mesh strainer

– Medium nonstick stockpot

– Wooden spoon

Directions

1. Place rice in strainer. Using cold tap water, rinse rice thoroughly about 3 times, and set aside.
2. Place the 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil (depending on how much you prefer to use) into the stockpot. Turn the stove unto medium heat and place the rice noodles into the pot. Stir frequently to avoid the rice noodles from burning. Once the rice noodles are browned or expanded depending on which type of rice noodles you use (different types behave differently under the same cooking conditions), add in the rice and stir. Stir fry the rice with the rice noodles for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add in salt, and boiling water into the pot containing the rice. Stir until the salt has dissolved. Turn the heat onto high. Cover the pot, and bring into a rolling boil.
4. Once the rice is boiling, turn down the heat to medium low (on my stove I use number 2 for heat), and let cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. If you are using an electric stove, you need to transfer the rice onto a different burner, and put that one onto medium low. I usually turn the second one on once I get the rice ready to boil. This way the second burner would have achieved the heat that I want it to be on when I am ready to transfer the rice onto it.
5. If after the cooking time has passed, all the water is gone, and your rice is still not cooked, that means you should have added more water. You can still add more water now, about a ¼ cup, and allow the rice to cook for extra 10 minutes.  

Note: You could also use different types of rice other than long grain rice, but I find this type to be the best for this recipe.

You can serve this rice with many Mediterranean dishes, especially with soups and stews. My mom used to make this recipe often for us. We would top it with plain yogurt as a quick lunch or dinner. I actually got so good at making this rice that my mom would always ask me to do it because mine always turned out good.