"Hindbeh" or Sauteed Dandelion Leaves....a simple traditional Lebanese Dish

 

Hindbeh is a traditional Lebanese dish. It will vary depending on the region of Lebanon or between families. This simple version is the one used by my family who originally came from the mountains around Beirut. It is a very simple dish to make and used everything that was grown in their gardens. I eat it with either Pita or Naan bread, and a salad of cucumber, olives, pickles and a piece of string cheese or Mozzarella. It is even better refrigerated and eaten the next day. For added protein one can add a few toasted pine nuts. The dandelion leaves are very nutritious but if these are not readily available, you can substitute, chicory, endive or Swiss Card leaves. I get my supply of Dandelion leaves from Whole Foods! 

1 bunch of fresh Dandelion Greens

1-2 shallots

1-2 cloves garlic

Salt

Black Pepper

1 lemon

Couple of fresh mint leaves (not peppermint)

Handful of cilantro

 

1.      Slice the shallots thinly into half-moon shapes

2.      Pick over and wash the dandelion leaves carefully.Cut off the bottom 2 inches and discard that. Chop the remaining bunch into 2-3 inch pieces

3.      Crush the garlic with the mint leaves, salt and pepper I use a mortar and pestle). Add the juice of the lemon and an equal amount of olive oil to that and set aside

4.      Boil the dandelion leaves in water for 5-6 minutes. Pour out in a colander or sieve, wash with cold water and allow to drain.

5.      Place some vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots slowly until caramelized. Be careful as they burn easily. When caramelized, place on a paper towel to drain. Discard the oil.

6.      Using both clean hands, squeeze out excess moisture from the leaves until they form a little ball in your palms. Place on top of the drained shallots on a cutting board and rough chop the leaves and shallots. Mix in some chopped cilantro. Saute in the pan from which you discarded the vegetable oil, for 1-2 minutes,  just enough to dry out any excess moisture.

7.      Place on a plate and top with the olive oil and lemon dressing. Eat with Pita or Naan bread. It may be accompanied by a salad of cucumbers, olives, pickles and a piece of string or mozzarella cheese.

Jamaican "Toto" Breakfast Muffins

 

"Toto" is a Jamaican coconut cake that is more like a bread. It is very dense and filling probably because it was originally something that slaves would put together with available ingredients. As a child growing up in Jamaica, we always had Toto in the house as it made a good snack with any kind of beverage. The problem with the original Toto is that it quickly became dry and then really needed a beverage to wash it down. I have tried to make these muffins dense but also moist. That's where the sour cream and shredded apple come into play. Both keep the muffins very moist. I have also used half and half rather than whole milk as the cream from that makes a difference. You can substitute 1/2 of the half and half with coconut milk if you wish. If these are too sweet, decrease the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup. One, with a cup of coffee or tea makes a filling breakfast!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup half and half

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup coarsely shredded apple (from 1 small apple)

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root

Zest from an orange (optional but makes a difference in flavor)

Juice from 1 small lemon

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried fruit (blueberries, raisins, apricots, mango etc), OR Chocolate Chips

½ cup vegetable oil

 

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with jumbo sized paper/foil liners.

2.     Shred the apple (you will have some small pieces left over. Cut those into small cubes. . Mix with finely grated ginger root, orange zest (if using) and lemon juice. Set aside.

3.     In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, shredded coconut, whole-wheat flour, oats, dried fruit (or chocolate chips), cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.     In a large bowl, whisk together oil,  milk, sugars, sour cream, molasses and eggs until smooth. Mix in shredded apple, and ginger.

5.     With a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling ¾ full.

6.     Bake for about 25-30 minutes or a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the muffins, in the tin, to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely on the rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container or wrap and freeze.