Sfiha - Arabic mini pizzas ( kosher, gluten-free)

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Sfiha, Arabic mini pizza is a perfect choice for meze table... or picnic. You can even make these on BBQ! 

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Hebron, located on West Bank, is sweating in the sweltering August heat. It's far too hot to be outside: temperatures are well and truly above 40ºc . The air stands still and the dry, hot wind, occasionally making an appearance to lazily blow sand around offers absoutely no relief.

The kitchen in the home of the Palestinian family that's adopted me offers a welcome shade. The mother of the family is clapping her hands excitedly: her own daughters can't stand cooking so she's grateful to finally have landed a daughter who shares her passion. 

There's someone she loves more than me, though: Nigella Lawson. Proudly she displays a technique for chopping up spring onions she picked up from Nigella Lawson herself; using a pair of scissors from Nigella Lawson-collection. 

Huddled around the kitchen table we drink tea and exchange recipes and stories behind them. Laughter echoes in the room and the cigarette smoke slowly slithers its way towards the ceiling. 

Mama Tarawa has invited me over, her only wish being that I teach her to "cook like Nigella". She on the other hand can't contain her confusion upon learning that her new prodigée, born and bred halfway across the world at the Arctic Circle, has never made sfihas. 

"You don't know how to make sfihas"? she repeats, incredulously. "What do you eat back there, then?"

Yeah, well. If I had anything to do with it, that'd be sfiha. 

Sfiha, Arabic mini pizza, is part of pizza family's Levantine branch. As fas as the consistency and flavour go, it's closely related to its Turkish cousins; lahmacun and pide.

Over in the Palestinian territories I've encountered two versions of sfiha: in the other one the the base is topped with a yogurt-based meat mixture but this, I think, is infinitely the superior one. 

Traditionally the meat used for these is lamb, but in case you're having difficulties getting your hands on some, you can just use beef.

In addition to Middle East these treats have found a passionalte following inn Brazil of all the places, too. 

And now, habibi, it's your kitchen's turn!

Makes 15

Sfiha - Arabic mini pizzas:

The base:

7 ½ dl all-purpose-flour (gluten-free if needed)

1 tbsp of dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

5 ½ tbsp oil

2‒2 ½ dl warm water

Topping:

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

500 g ground lamb (or beef)

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tomatos, finely chopped

2 tbsp quatre epices- spice blend or bokharat-mix

1 tsp salt

2 handfuls of finely chopped parsley

1 dl pine nuts, lightly toasted

a couple of tbsp oil for frying

To serve:

lemon wedges

For the base combine the dry ingredients. Then add 4 tbsp of oil and and finally water, continuously mixing until you're left with a smooth, elastic dough that won't stick. Slather rest of the oil on top of the dough, place in a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise.

In the meanwhile prep the topping. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté garlic and onion over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Then add meat, bring the heat up and continue cooking until the meat is properly browned. Add the spices and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes. 

Add the pomegranate molasses and tomatos into the mix. Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. 

Fold in parsley and pine nuts. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. 

Pre-heat the oven to 225ºc. Leave the tray in the oven and, once the dough has doubled in size, prepare the bases.

Divide the dough in 15 portions and roll into circles of about 15 cm in diameter. Transfer on parchmens (4-5 on each) and leave to rise, covered with a tea towel, for half an hour. 

Top the bases with the topping, leaving about 1 cm edge uncovered. Press the topping onto the base either using your hands or the back of a spoon. 

Transfer the parchments onto the hot tray and bake, until the sfihas are golden brown - depending on the oven 8-10 minutes. 

Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

Equally delicious served hot or at room temperature, which makes these perfect make-ahead delicacies for picnics or get-togethers with friends!

Any of you familiar with sfihas, Arabic mini pizzas? Or have you already fallen in love with lahmacun or pide?

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Lahmacun - Turkish pizza (kosher, gluten-free)

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Lahmacun is Turkish pizza and transports taste buds instantly to Istanbul. Ahhhh!

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Let's say it out loud: Turkey is quite a shit country. No, no point arguing: it is. 

Just think about it: no-one other than Erdogan could possibly think that persecution of the Kurds, rampant violence towards women and honour killings somehow make up for the obvious deficiencies in the society such as lack of viable democracy and absence of human rights. Though, genocide-deniers such as him rarely make the merriest of the bunch. 

Incredible Istanbul, however, has for long been one of my favourite cities in the world. 

But the warmest memories I have of my Tour of Turkey some years back are, without a doubt, food-related (hardly surprising, eh?). One of my biggest favourites were lahmacuns, bought from a stall for a mere euro on one of the narrow alleyways surrounding The Grand Bazaar

No wonder I fell for it- it is, after all, member of the pizza family; the corner stone of my diet.

The dish combines meat (lahm) and dough (ajin) and is, depending on the region, also known as either Turkish or Armenian pizza. And unlike Turkish policies, this one is an easy one to fall in love with. 

Since discovering it, I've never missed a chance to get re-acquainted. If a trip to Turkey doesn't tempt you, you'll find good ones in London as well.

Both the base and the topping layer are thin - the crust does not need to be puffy as in a pizza and the toppings should not overflow either. 

Instead of lamb you could also use minced beef and, if in a hurry, you could substitute the base with soft wheat tortillas or flat breads, too. 

You could also bake the dough into mini-sized lahmacuns - perfect for parties and picnics. In that case the recipe yields 24-28 lahmacuns. 

Traditionally lahmacun is served with lemon wedges, fresh herbs and simple tomato and cucumber salad (such as my Israeli salad!).

Makes six

Lahmacun - Turkish pizza:

Base:

3 3/4 tsp dry yeast

2 1/4 tsp sugar

2 1/4 dl warm water

2 1/4 tbsp oil

5-6 dl flour (00- grade if possible, gluten-free if needed)

3/4 tsp salt

Topping:

400 g ground lamb (or beef) 
1 (large)onion
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large (beefsteak) tomato or 2 smaller ones
1 large green pepper
1 1/2 dl finely chopped parsley
3/4 dl finely chopped mint
2 tbsp tomato concentrate
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper

also: red chilli flakes

to serve: remaining herbs, lemon wedges

Combine dry yeast, water and sugar and leave aside, covered for 5 minutes while the yeast activates. 

Then add oil, flour (and along with the last dl of flour) salt. Knead into a smooth dough. Brush with a little oil, cover with cling film and leave to double in size in a warm place for an hour. In the meanwhile prep the topping.

Pre-heat the oven to 250ºc  at this point, too, (in a fan assisted oven 230 should do). If you have a pizza stone, leave in in the oven. If not, then do the same with the tray.

Finely chop/ frate the onion. You can do this in a food processor, too, but in that case drain most of the liquid.

Cut the tomato in half, remove the hard core and chop very finely. Do the same with pepper, too. 

Combine all the ingredients (except for the chilli flakes) and work into a smooth mixture. Chill in the fridge until the dough is ready. 

Turn the dough out onto work surface, knead and divide into 6 (there shouldn't be any need for more flour) and roll into thin discs. It's easiest to do this on a parchment, which in turn makes it easy to flip them over onto the hot tray. 

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the topping onto the base and pat into a smooth, even layer. Sprinkle chilli flakes on top and bake for 7-8 minutes until the meat is done and the edges start to get soe colour. 

In case you want your lahmacuns to stay soft, cover them with parchment and then top with a tea towel.

Serve with the remaining herbs and drizzle with lemon juice. 

PS. in case lahmacun is up your alley, you shouldn't forget another Turkish take on pizza: pide!

Onko teillä ollut jo mahdollisuus maistaa lahmacunia? Veikö se teidänkin sydämenne?

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Hummus with roasted garlic

I promise. I sooooo totally promise this hummus with roasted garlic is the last hummus recipe you'll see on the blog for a while. Not the last ever, mind, as I've been getting such great tips and ideas from you guys.

Out of all the recipes this past week dedicated entirely to hummus madness, this one stays truest to the original hummus, though garlic lovers will love this. Roasting gives garlic such sweetness and gentleness that I usually roast several heads at a time (well that just sounds so wroong...) - once you've tried it you can't think of anything it wouldn't go with. Use it to tweak your mashed potatos, in sauces, dips... My absolute favourite would probably have to be this wonderful (and, if needed, totally vegan!) cashew-based sauce.

Roasting is easy: just wrap each head of garlic in a piece of tin foil, chuck into an oven pre-heated at 200º and forget them there for 1,5-2 hours. Simples!

I mean, just think. Life without garlic? No point in that now is there?

Hummus with roasted garlic:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp mild olive oil

the paste squeezed out of 6 roasted garlic cloves (or more, depending on your palate, size of the cloves and the roasting time)

3 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water
(honey)

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add more salt/ lemon juice (or, if you want sweetness, a little honey) if needed. If it's too thick, add water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

Sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley on top (optional) and serve. For instance with pita or za'atar sprinkled flatbread crisps. 

Have you already had the chance to give your hummus a springtime makeover? Which one of my recipes was your favourite?

- Classic hummus

- Hummus with sun-dried tomatos

- Moroccan hummus with roasted carrots and harissa

- Hummus with roasted beets and rosemary oil 

PS. If you love garlic, do check out this recipe for skordalia, one of my Greek souvenirs!

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Hummus with roasted beetroots and rosemary oil

The previous hummus recipe got its glorious colour and sweetness from roasted carrots, this time it's time to celebrate beetroot, that unsung hero of the veggie world.

Beetroot itself is rather a humble looking knobbly little thing that doesn't really look like much. But there is sooooo much more than meets the eye!

It contains betaine among other things (a powerful antioxidant which is also used to treat depression) and tryptophan, that happiness-inducing chemical also found in chocolate. Some cultures believed that if a man and woman eat from the same beetroot, they'll fall in love. The oracle of Delphi even went so far as to declare it the second most powerful aphrodisiac known to man. 

Another strange if amorous association is the expression "taking favours in the beetroot fields", which in the early 20th century English was used as an euphemism for visiting prostitutes. This might have something to do with the brothel at historic Pompei, the walls of which were actually adorned with paintings of beets... Oh well.

One thing beetroots absolutely love getting jiggy with is rosemary, so instead of normal oil I used a rosemary infused one. For recipe, just see here. 

Roasted beetroot hummus with rosemary oil:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
1 largeish or 1,5 smaller beetroots (about 170 g)

3 tbsp rosemary oil

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp water

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt and/or lemon juice if needed. If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

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Moroccan hummus with roasted carrots, harissa and herbs

If the previous hummus recipe with sun-dried tomatos blew you away with its intense flavours, this one will seduce your taste buds with its gentle sweetness and Moroccan twist. I actually think this just might have been my personal favourite...!

Roasting veggies not only gives them depth of flavour, it also lends them a wonderful sweetness and is a great way of making the most of those winter vegetables, as tired and scruffy as the rest of us...

And yes, that is the next hummus recipe lurking in the back. I don't think I need to tell you where she got that gloriously vibrant colour of hers...?

Moroccan hummus with roasted carrots:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
4 medium sized carrots (total weight about 450 g)

1 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp harissa

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp water

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt and/or lemon juice if needed. If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

You know, hummus is a lot more versatile than you might think. Serve it as a dip, as part of a meze feast, as a spread on bread... but why not also as a warm side? This for instance would love the company of grilled pork. Or, you could fold in some grilled chicken and more herbs and use it as filling for salty crêpes, wraps or jacket potato...

How about you guys? How do you have your hummus?

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Hummus with sun-dried tomatos

Hummus - much like so many other things in Middle East- is a source of continuous fighting. Its name means "chickpea" in both Hebrew and Arabic and every single country in the region claims to have invented it. Whether or not the original inventors, Israelis have truly made it their own: their annual consumption is over double that of neighbouring countries. 

This hummus recipe will hardly add any fuel to the flames of any international incident: it's from my kitchen in Helsinki and outrageously rips its inspiration from Italy of all countries. It became a swift favourite of our hummus orgies yesterday. So freaking addictive even crack doesn't stand a chance - especially with these za'atar covered flatread crisps. 

Instead of sun-dried tomatos you could also use these oven-roasted ones. 

Hummus with sun-dried tomatos:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini
14 sun-dried tomatos

4 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatos

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely chopped basil
5 tbsp water
1/4 tsp black pepper

(1/4 tsp salt)

Measure the ingredients (apart from salt) into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add salt now if needed (there's quite a bit of salt in the tomatos). If it's too thick, add more water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

Here's a teaser of all the other hummus recipes making their on the blog this week. Ooh, those colours! Spring just can't be here soon enough!

Out of habit I peel my chickpeas (the skin comes off easily, you just pinch the chickpea), but do you? Does it make any difference to the taste? Oh, and is everybody happy with the tinned variety or are there people out there who soak and boil their own chickpeas? Can you tell the difference?

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Let the hummus madness begin!

There are many things about Israel that I doubt I'll ever understand, but one of the things that have puzzled me ever since the early days of our love affair is hummus. That dip, made of chickpeas is something of a national dish and people eat it all the time, everywhere. On its own, with falafel, in sandwiches, as part of a meze spread... in the movie Zohan (which depicts the Israel-Palestine conflict as humanely as Adam Sandler possibly can...) it's even used as a hair styling product.

For the first years I just kept politely eating it until it started coming out of my ears. Then I finally had to admit that I didn't even particularly like it. Though that of course is something I'd never say out loud in Israel. I made that mistake once and the memory of the silence that fell into the car still makes me shudder. "What. Do. You. Mean. You. Don't. Like. Hummus? Whodoesn'tlikehummusImeanwhat'stherenottolike?"

Israelis are very passionate about their hummus, to a point of comical at times. There are even restaurants specialized in hummus, called hummusias. 

When caught in the middle of a debate about the best hummus (they do happen), I tend to go for Abu Hassan in Jaffa. A friend of mine swears by a vendor at Carmel Market and another moved into his current building because he thinks the place downstairs sells the best hummus in the world.

It's taken me over a decade and several trips, but I can finally sigh with relief and proudly say I've seen the light. I've come to realize the reason for my antipathy is tahini. As long as the recipe goes easy on tahini, I'm in. 

For a new twist try different veggies, herb-infused oils or herbs. Even my basic recipe calls for coriander and parsley, which purists would probably frown upon. So, feel free to use only one of the two or omit them altogether!

Hummus:

400 g can chickpeas (drained weight 240 g)

1 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp mild olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

Measure the ingredients into a food processor. Blizz until velvety smooth. Check the taste and add more salt/ lemon juice if needed. If it's too thick, add water a tbsp at a time until you've reach the desired consistency.

Drizzle with a little oil, sprinkle a little paprika on top and serve. For instance with pita or za'atar sprinkled flatbread crisps. 

And here's a wine that charmed with its playful label, though it's really its fuss-free nature and versatility that has made me reach for bottle of this French red quite a bit in recent weeks. 

The Long Little Dog from Languedoc Roussillon region is a medium-bodied blend of Grenache, Syrah, Marselan and Petit Verdot full of ripe berries. Smooth tannins make for a easy-drinking and affordable everyday wine which sits well with a variety of dishes.  Steer clear from heavy, gamey and very spicy  meat dishes , though.

Owing to its lightness and versatility it's also a great choice for the picnic season (trust me - it's on its way...), also because of its impossible-to-break-and-have-another-accident-plastic bottle!

With this recipe we'll kick off hummus madness on the blog. Next week will be all about hummus and its countless variations (stay tunes especially for the roasted carrot one! Ooh, and the sun-dried tomato one, too!)

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

SHARING IS CARING!