all you need is love

These are the receipes that my mom sent. She said if there is anyting she forgot that you want to know how to cook you should just let me know and I'll get you the hook-up. She also sent some pics of how to roll the leaves in an attachment--if you want them just let me know and I'll forward them to you. I love you all.

Stuffed Zucchini or Peppers (any color)

KOUSA MAHSHIA

15 medium size squash zucchini

1 1/2 cups ground meat

1 cup rice

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Scrub zucchini well. Hollow from one end with apple corer or small spoon. Mix rice, meat, seasonings and half of the chopped tomato. Stuff squash three-quarters full. Lay several meat bones on bottom of pressure cooker and cover with the remaining chopped tomato. Arrange stuffed marrows in layers over bones. Add tomato juice, water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Cook under pressure 20 minutes. Open cooker and simmer to reduce sauce.

Kousa mahshi may be cooked in an ordinary saucepan. Prepare as above. Cover the saucepan and simmer for an hour, or until squash is tender. Uncover and simmer to thicken sauce.

In Syria this dish is flavored further with mint and garlic. Crush a teaspoon of dried mint with several garlic cloves and two teaspoons of salt. Mix in the juice of half a lemon. When the squash is tender, sprinkle it with this sauce and allow to simmer a few minutes more.



Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

MAHSHI MALFOUF

1 medium sized cabbage

1 1/2 cups ground meat

1 cup rice

1 chopped tomato (optional)

1 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

8 garlic cloves

1 tsp. dried mint

Separate leaves from cabbage head. Cut each into several triangular pieces, cutting away stems. Dip leaves a few at a time in boiling salted water until they become pliable. Prepare stuffing of meat, rice, tomato, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Place tablespoon of stuffing on each triangular leaf, fold sides toward center and roll up from bottom into a cigar shape (see illustra- tions with stuffed vine leaves). Press together firmly. Place layer of meat bones to form a rack on bottom of pressure cooker. Add two whole garlics. Put cabbage rolls in layers over the bones, placing them close together so that they will keep their shape. Add water, lemon juice and sprinkle with more salt. Cook under pressure 20 minutes. Open cooker and sprinkle mahshi with the cloves of garlic which have been crushed with the dried mint and salt. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of sugar if desired. Simmer several minutes more. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot. This amount makes about 50 rolls.

To serve, pour off the sauce and carefully turn the cooking pan upside down so that the cabbage rolls are turned onto a platter, or dip fingers in cold water to facilitate handling the hot rolls, and arrange the rolls one at a time on a serving platter. Cook without pressure if desired. Prepare as above and simmer gently until rice is tender in barely enough water to cover.





Stuffed Vine Leaves

MAHSHI WARAK AANAB


© Børre Ludvigsen, 1998

1 lb. fresh tender vine leaves

2 cups ground or chopped meat, preferably lamb

Several meat bones

1 1/2 cups rice

2 whole garlic cloves

8 garlic cloves crushed with salt

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups cold water

2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced

1 medium sized tomato, chopped (optional)

1 tsp. dried mint

Cinnamon and mint seasoning make this version of a popular eastern Mediterranean food typically Lebanese. Soften and blanch vine leaves by dipping a few at a time in boiling, salted water. Set aside. Wash rice and mix with ground meat, chopped tomato, salt, pepper, cinnamon and one half cup cold water. Stuff one leaf at a time. Place a teaspoon of stuffing in the center of each. Fold the bottom of the leaf up over the stuffing, then fold from each side to the middle. Roll tightly to form a cylinder about three inches long and somewhat thicker than a cigar (see accompanying illustration).


Place layer of bones in pressure cooker and cover with sliced tomatoes and the whole garlic. Arrange rolls side by side in layers on the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Add water. Cook under pressure 12 minutes. Simmer uncovered to reduce sauce. Mix one half cup of the sauce with crushed garlic and mint. Sprinkle this over the mahshi and simmer a few more minutes to enhance flavor. Remove mahshi carefully from cooking pan. Cool fingers in cold water to facilitate handling the hot rolls. Arrange on platter. Serve hot with bowl of the sauce.

Cook without pressure if you prefer. Prepare as above. Arrange mahshi over layer of bones and sliced tomatoes. When all has been added, press down firmly with palm of the hand. Add water to cover, salt, and cook about an hour, or until leaves are tender and the stuffing is well cooked. Sprinkle with lemon juice, minced garlic and dried mint. Simmer few more minutes.





Cucumber with Yogurt

SALATIT KHYAAR BI LZABADI

2 1/2 cups laban (yogurt)

1 cup peeled chopped cucumbers

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp. dried mint

Mint gives this summer salad a particularly refreshing taste. Good with stuffed grape-vine leaves

Stir until smooth. Combine with cucumbers. Work garlic to a paste with salt and mix then add it to the cucumber mixture. Add mint.