Some Child-Friendly Middle-Eastern Recipes Cucumber Yogurt To serve 10 children, you will need: 2 large fresh cucumbers A pint of plain yogurt Dry mint leaves Fresh or dried garlic Preparation: Shred or dice the cucumbers. Mix them with yogurt. Add a dash of salt and crushed dry mint leaves or fresh, finely cut garlic. Add raisins and nuts if you wish. Children love this dish.
Chick Peas Dip / Hummus Tehini
Vegetarian Couscous Couscous is a traditional dish made from semolina wheat and cooked with meats and vegetables. It is eaten throughout North Africa and the Middle East. For a class of 25, you will need: For the onion-raisin confit 12 small yellow onions 12 small red onions 3/4 cup margarine 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon of salt Season with pepper according to your taste 1 1/2 cup of dark seedless raisins 3 cups of water For the stew 3 small (1 pound) eggplants 6 tablespoons of salad oil 3 cloves of garlic, minced 3 tablespoons of curry powder dash of ground red pepper 3 l-pound cans of peeled whole tomatoes (undrained) 9 medium zucchini or yellow squash 6 medium sweet potatoes 1 1/2 pounds of green beans 3 sticks of butter 6 tablespoons of curry powder 3/4 teaspoon of salt 3 packages of precooked couscous (available in the gourmet section of most grocery stores) 3 cans of chick peas or garbanzo beans (undrained) Coriander leaves Preparing the confit: Cut the onions and sauté them with the ginger in margarine until the onions are translucent. Stir in the raisins and water. Cook until the liquid evaporates, then remove from the stove. Preparing the stew: Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch cubes. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the garlic, curry pow32
To serve 10 children, you will need: A large can of whole chick peas A small can of sesame paste (Tehini is available in Mediterranean markets, but can be omitted) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Fresh or dried garlic Salt
der, red pepper, and eggplant for three minutes. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, breaking them up as they simmer. Bring all this to a boil and let it cook, covered, for about 15 minutes. Cut the squash. Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them crosswise into 1/2inch-thick slices. Add the green beans. Steam them all together for 10-15 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Remove and keep warm. Preparing the Couscous Reserve 9 cups of the liquid from the steamed vegetables, adding water if necessary. Bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, butter, curry powder, and salt. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Stir the chick peas, their liquid, and the steamed vegetables into the tomatoeggplant sauce. Stir the remaining butter into the couscous until it melts. Spoon the couscous onto three large platters, and add the vegetable-sauce mixture in the middle. Serve the confit on the side. Serve with pita bread cut up into quarters. Egyptians would traditionally serve either mint tea (heavily sweetened with honey) or a fruit juice with this meal.
Preparation: Mash chick peas, sesame paste, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. Garlic goes in everything but you can leave it out, of course. Serve with warm wedges of pita bread. You can also dip any kind of vegetables into your hummus. It is delicious.
The Party Wear something white or striped for the party. Boys wear an outer robe that looks like a nightshirt and a headband. Girls wear long white or pastel robes and a scarf over their heads. Don’t forget to put on all your Egyptian jewelry. Line up for a parade. Every child should carry a flower, a sprig of mint, or a flower necklace. Walk around the school, your garden, your playground and smell the breezes. Have an Egyptian flag to carry. After your parade, sit down for a picnic with Egyptian fare, cucumber yogurt with crackers, hardboiled eggs or chick peas dip with pita bread, cucumber salad, and couscous. You might want to serve dates, figs, and grapes for dessert. Read a story such as Ali and the Camel.
©Tomorrow’s Child Magazine April 2013 • www.montessori.org