Lebanese: Hummus and Fattoush

For a change of pace, I decided to make a meal from the top ten cuisines of the world. I pleasently surprised on some of the food we tried, but not so much on others. The tenth best cuisine (according to our source) was Lebanese.


Seved here with pita bread



Hummus

 Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans

1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas

3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
2. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
3. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
4. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Fattoush
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sumac powder

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 medium cucumber, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped purslane

1/2 (5 ounce) package arugula

4 pita rounds, toasted and torn into pieces

Directions:

1.Mix the water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until thickened. Remove from heat, and mix in lemon juice, garlic, sumac, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2.In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, bell pepper, purslane, and arugula. Toss with the dressing, and serve with pita.

Thoughts:

I liked the hummus, but I'm not a huge fan of the fattoush. In fact, if I ever had it again it will be to soon. It was just too sour tasting.