Sephardic Night and the Recipes I Cooked

On Tuesday night we had a special dinner featuring all Sephardic (Spanish, Arabic, Turkish Jews) foods. This was part of a local Adult Continuing Ed class and was great fun not only to cook but to serve. We had 6 folks join us who were not part of the class and they said they enjoyed themselves as well.

"Why Sephardic food?" you might well ask. I and the other 2 restaurants also participating were asked to use the fact that this is New Mexico's Centennial Year as a state as our theme. Many Jews faked converting to Catholicism to escape the Spanish Inquisition and then fled Spain for the New World when the church began to suspect that the conversions might not have been real. When the Inquisition came to Mexico City these Conversios fled north into the territories that became New Mexico and southern Colorado. So the Sephardi have been part of New Mexico's history since the start of Europeans settling here. The food I cook at the restaurant is pan-Mediterranean and Sephardic cooking is part of this tradition as well as an distinct influence on the North African, Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisines; as well as being a minor influence in the dishes of the other countries in the Mediterranean basin. It was the logical fit.

The dinner included a discussion of the history of the Sephardi being thrown out of and needing to flee Spain and parts of the history of their arrival here. We also discussed each dish's influences since the Moorish (Moroccan) Caliphate- under which Jewish culture thrived- influenced Sephardic cuisine; as well the spices and traditions of all the other countries the Sephardi settled in. As an Ashkenazi Jew (Eastern European) I not only had friends and family who were Sephardi but lived and visited Sephardic communities when I lived in the Mediterranean region back what feels like a hundred years ago.

People loved the food so much they asked for the recipes. Here we go, the in some cases I don't guarantee 100% (I'll warn you when) the proportions since I'm used to doing it by eye, taste and smell. When I have time I will update these recipes with exact spice amounts.

ENJOY!

FATTOUSH: Serves 4
I ate this originally with my Syrian Jewish relatives. I learned how to make it living in Lebanon. Its fast, easy and extremely refreshing on a hot day.

Traditionally this dish is made with old dry pita bread, but toasted works just as well.

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in 1/2 moons
• 1 pint tomato, cherry or grape
• 3 each scallions or Green Onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp roasted garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sumac, ground
• 1 each  pita bread, toasted lightly and broken into pieces

1. Put all the ingredients EXCEPT the pita bread into a bowl and toss. refrigerate for an hour.
2. While the salad is chilling, toast the pita and then let sit out until you are ready to serve the salad. At that time, break the pita into approximately 1/2 " pieces.
3. SERVE: Quickly toss the pita pieces into the salad and serve immediately on lettuce leaf or over mixed greens.

Tips: Refrigerate in a covered container WITHOUT having adding the pita. Consume all the salad within 2- 3 days for the best flavor. Day 1 is the best! You can substitute a large fresh ripe tomato cut into bite sized chunks. In the restaurant we use heirloom tomatoes of any form for this salad. 

MUJADRAH: Serves 8


This is a sort of Lentil & Rice Pie with the rice substituting for the "crust" due to the fact that it's a popular dish for Passover- when we Jews avoid all leavened bread like products. It can be made the easy way by just by cooking all in a pot together or by separating it out and putting the rice on the bottom of a casserole dish and using it as the crust the lentils tare filling.

WARNING: This is a recipe I do without a recipe, so the spice amounts will NOT be accurate. Use as a guide and change to your taste.

• 1 cup Lentils, dry
• 4 cups stock or broth- vegetable or chicken, low fat and low sodium
• 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup white rice, dry
• 2 lg yellow onions, small diced
• 2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 Tbs fresh ground black pepper, semi coarse
• 1 tsp cumin seed, ground
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Cook the lentils in the stock until tender.
2. In a separate pot saute the onions in the oil until transparent. Add the rice and saute a minute more. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
3. IF you want the rice as a "crust" you will need to strain all the broth left from cooking the lentils BUT a 1/2 cup's worth into the rice pot. Cook the rice until done and layer into a casserole or baking dish. The lemon juice and spices will be added to the lentils and left over broth to be cooked together for 3- 4 minutes. Spoon the lentil mix over the rice and keep warm in an oven until serving.
4. IF you want them mixed, add all the lentils and broth into the rice pot or visa versa and cook until the rice is done. Add the lemon juice and spices and cook a couple of minutes more.
5. Adjust spices as well as the heat from the cayenne to taste. I prefer it spicier but I didn't use much more than what is in this recipe for the class. It should have a nice bright taste from the lemon and a distinct hit of cumin.

Tips: Can be made the day ahead of time and will taste great. This reheats nicely in the microwave and will last up to a week in a closed container under proper refrigeration.

CHICKEN "TAGINE" in a TOMATO & HONEY SAUCE: Serves 8

This is a traditional Tagine in flavor though not in cooking method. Tagines are cooked in a special pot- which would have made a Conversio look suspicious if they had used one of the heathen cooking impliments. Therefore a nontraditional cooking technique was devised. Its faster than a traditional tagine.

• 1 lg onion, thin sliced
• 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 lbs Chicken parts,skinless & boneless is easiest. Cut into bite sized pieces or larger.
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth, low fat low sodium
• 4 cups roasted tomatoes, diced- fresh or canned, drained
• 1/3 cup honey- orange honey is best and relatively easy to find, but clover will do
• 1 Tbs cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp ginger, ground
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Saute the onions in the oil until transparent.
2. Add the chicken and lightly color.
3. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a simmer and add all the other ingredients.

GARNISH: With toasted slivered almonds- which i admit I had ready and forget to add at serving time during the class. (Even professional chefs have moments where they make mistakes.)

Tips: Serve with the Mujadrah or else over cous cous. Reheats nicely in a microwave and will last 5 days covered under proper refrigeration. Also, remember that thigh meat is nutritionally the same as breast, but less expensive and more flavorful. I like a mix of both white and dark meat.

PARVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: Serves 6

This reads like an inedible recipe but, as the class found out, this is a rich and silky, beautiful tasting mousse. 

Parve means that an item isn't dairy or meat under kosher law. Parve items are beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs and fish and these can be eaten alone or with a meal of dairy OR meat. Since if one keeps the kosher religious strictures you can't eat dairy as part of a meal with meat or poultry this is not only a wonderful substitute but left our guests amazed by its delicious flavor and texture. 

It's also a great recipe for those who are lactose intolerant!

• 6 ounces baker's chocolate, semi-sweet or darker
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs coffee or espresso
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 Tbs granulated sugar

1. In a double boiler melt the chocolate in the oil and extract. Stir frequently.
2. As its melting beat together the 1/3 cup of sugar and the salt until the yolks turn a pale yellow. When the chocolate mixture has cooled to about 110F temper the yolks by slowly beating in the chocolate to warm the yolks without cooking them. When warmed add the yolk mix into the chocolate and quickly whip together.
3. As the chocolate- egg mix is cooling to room temperature, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Sprinkle the 2 Tbs of sugar over the top[ and beat to stiff peaks.
4. Gentle fold the beaten whites into the room temperature chocolate mix. Leave small ribbons of beaten white running through the chocolate- DO NOT mix completely!
5. Chill and serve.

Tips: Don't tell anyone the secrete of this mousse until after they rave about the quality of it's taste and texture. Will last up to a week in a closed container under proper refrigeration.