In 2009 I prepared a Middle Eastern Feast for around 75 people. Here are most of the recipes I used along with a few I considered.

Ladies 2009 Feast Menu

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Moroccan Brewat Rolls

We have very fond memories of our first vacation to Disney World, after dating for just 3 months. This was our favorite appetizer at Marakesh in Epcot, and I finally found a recipe that tastes exactly like the real deal! They're super easy to make and quite impressive to look at. Enjoy!

Ingredients

* 8 sheets Phyllo dough

* 1 pound ground beef
* onion powder
* 1 ounce chopped coriander
* 1 ounce chopped parsley

Mix above ingredients and brown. Add:

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 pinch ginger
* 1 pinch saffron
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs, whipped
* 1 ounce oil

Directions

1. Add to beef and herb mixture, cook fully, then cool.

2. Take one sheet of phyllo dough and brush half of it with butter. Fold sheet in half, brush with more butter.

3. Place a small amount of the beef mixture (my phyllo was turned with the short end facing me) towards one end of the dough. Fold up sides of dough like you're making a burrito and roll the dough and beef into an eggroll shape.

4. Place on a greased cookie sheet and cover with damp paper towel until all rolls are complete. Brush all rolls liberally with melted butter.

5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until brown and crispy. Let cool 2-3 minutes before eating. We sprinkled them with a powdered sugar & cinnamon mixture before eating and it really added to the flavor.

Yield: 8 rolls.

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Fattoush

INGREDIENTS this recipe is scaled for 75 portions.

33 pita breads
130 leaves romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
33 green onions, chopped
16-1/2 cucumber, chopped
50 tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cups and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16-1/2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cups and 1 tablespoon sumac powder
4 cups and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups and 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup and 1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1-1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 cups and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Toast pitas 5 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until crisp. Remove from heat, and break into bite size pieces.
In a large bowl, toss together toasted pita pieces, romaine lettuce, green onions, cucumber, and tomatoes.
In a small bowl, mix the parsley, garlic, sumac powder, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mint. Pour over the pita mixture, and toss just before serving.

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Lamoun Makbouss

(Pickled Lemons)

A delicacy which is also magnificent made with fresh limes.

Scrub lemons well and slice them. Sprinkle the slices generously with salt and leave for at least 24 hours on a large plate set at an angle, or in a colander. They will become soft and limp, and lose their bitterness. Arrange the slices in layers in a glass jar, sprinkling a little paprika between each layer. Cover with corn or nut oil. Sometimes olive oil is used, but its taste is rather strong and may slightly overpower the lemons.

Close the jar tightly. After about 3 weeks the lemons should be ready to eat - soft, mellow, and a beautiful orange color.

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Baba Ghannouj

(Eggplant Dip)

1 large round eggplant (aubergine)

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

60 milliliters (3 oz., 4 Tbs.) tahina

60 milliliters (2 oz., 4 Tbs.) lemon juice

salt, red pepper

olive oil

chopped parsley

slices of red bell pepper to garnish

Cook the eggplant in a hot oven or on a fork over the flame of a gas stove. When it is well cooked through and the skin is blackened, douse with cold water, peel and chop into small pieces. Mash two or three cloves of garlic to a paste with about the same volume of salt. Add eggplant, mash to a smooth consistency and blend the tahina and lemon juice to make the Arab version of this dish; omit the tahina for the Turkish version. Serve in a bowl with little olive oil on top and garnish chopped parsley, red pepper slices and a dusting of red pepper. Serves five.

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Hummus bi Tahina

(Chickpea and Sesame Dip)

125 g (4 oz) chickpeas, soaked for a few hours

juice of 2 lemons

3 Tbs. tahina

2 garlic cloves, crushed

salt

GARNISH

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. paprika

a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Drain the chickpeas and simmer in fresh water for about an hour or until tender. Reserve the cooking water.
Process the chickpeas in a blender (or food processor) with the lemon juice, tahina, garlic, salt and enough of the cooking liquid to obtain a soft creamy consistency.
Serve on a flat plate, garnished with a dribble of olive oil, a dusting of paprika (this is usually done in the shape of a cross) and a little parsley.
Serve with warm pita bread for dipping. Serves 4-6.

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Potato Kebba

1 lb. boiled potatoes

2 eggs

bread crumbs

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. almonds

fresh parsley

season to taste

Put meat, minced almonds, parsley on low fire for approx. 20 minutes. Mash potatoes and add eggs, mix well and add seasonings. Shape the potato mixture into a ball and stuff with the meat mixture. Dip in bread crumbs and fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown. Serve hot.

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Leban Sauce

3 cups homemade yogurt or yogurt from the market

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

salt to taste

Heat the yogurt in a 2-quart saucepan over low flame, always stirring in the same direction, using a wire whisk, until smoooth. Keep stirring for 5 minutes or more. Place a couple of tablespoons of the yogurt in a glass, and dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in it. Add the mixture back to the yogurt. Keep stirring. Add the garlic and salt to taste. You may sauté the garlic first for slightly more flavor. Serve over stuffed squash or any stuffed vegetable.

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Mint Tea

1 rounded teaspoon green tea

5 teaspoons sugar (granulated)

12-14 large fresh mint leaves

1 cup water

1 sprig of mint per glass to be served

Mix tea and sugar. Crush mint leaves in water. Bring to boil. Pour over tea and sugar. Let steep for 5 minutes. Place small sprig of mint in two thick 4-ounce juice glasses. Strain tea into glasses. Drink while hot.

The man I watched make this tea in Lebanon used one of the small brass coffeemakers so common in the Middle East. He boiled the mint leaves, tea and sugar over his charcoal fire. Then he strained this over the sprigs of mint in the glass. I also watched a man do it this way in Morocco, so if you want to be authentic, rather than take an American shortcut, that is the method to use.
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Souvlaki -kabobs

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

8-1/4 lemon, juiced
2 cups and 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups and 1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons and 2-1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
25 cloves garlic, crushed
33 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
16-1/2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
16-1/2 green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 12 servings.

In a large glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic; add pork, onions, and green peppers, and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Thread pork, peppers, and onions onto skewers.
Lightly oil grate. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or to desired doneness, turning skewers frequently for even cooking.

Cheaters Tazhiki Sauce

1 cucumber peeled
5 cloves fresh garlic
1 tbs lemon juice
1.5 cups mayonaise

Put it all in a blender and puree till smooth. Serve with Kabobs as a dipping sauce.

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Kibbe

Baharat is an all-purpose spice mix, especially used for meatballs. Kibbe is a Middle Eastern dish that is very popular as mezze, and can be shaped as a croquette or made, as this recipe, into a form of meat loaf which is cut in squares when finished.

800g (1 3/4 pounds) very finely ground sirloin
Onion powder
500g (1 pound) cracked wheat (soaked for about one hour in fresh water)
Few mint sprigs
Salt & pepper
**baharat spice blend

Stuffing

300g (10 ounces) ground lamb meat (any)
Onion powder
50g (1/4 cup) shortening
100g (1/2 cup) pine nuts

To Make Your own Baharat:

Baharat: Put all into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake.
This makes about 1/2 cup and will keep for about 1 year.
If you like you can play with other spices and add paprika and/or sumac and /or cardamom.

Baharat

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons grated nutmeg
1/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

Put the first 6 ingredients in a food processor, and reduce to a paste.
Stuffing: Fry the onions, pine nuts and the meat in the fat, until done. In a baking pan (shallow pan, or sheet pan) press first a little of meat, spread all the stuffing over it, and then apply another meat layer over. Bake at 190° C (375°F) for 40 minutes or more.

Ingredients for Life

Ladies Feast Menu 2009-Middle Eastern