#130 We made Pita Bread!

I was filled with joy when I successfully made pita bread at home, it was almost as delicious as the best tasting pita bread I've ever had! The best tasting one so far is the one that my friend's mom  makes. Aola is a magnificent cook, I just haven't had the chance to ask her for the recipe, will do very soon.  Pita bread is a round pocket bread widely consumed in many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. It is prevalent in Cyprus, the Balkans, North Africa, the Levant, Iran, Armenia, Turkey, and parts of the Indian Subcontinent. It is served with almost every dish in the Middle East. I've been wanting to do this, but since the total preparation: kneading, proofing and baking time is 3+ hours, I had to do it on a weekend. I failed the first time, so I had to make another batch. After successfully making the Pita Breads, here's what I learned:  It is important to roll the dough into 1/4 inches thick, because rolling it too thinly will prevent it to puff. It is also important to heat your baking sheets before adding the rolled dough on it to cook in the oven. And no matter how tempting it is, never open the oven while it is cooking, doing so will let go of the steam created by the high heat that is much needed to puff the breads in the oven. If your pita breads don't puff, then a pocket in the middle of the bread is not created. Lastly, make sure to put your cooked pita bread in a storage bag immediately after taking it out of the oven, failing to do so will cause the bread to harden. This recipe is very good, the pita breads were so soft, it puffed in the oven, and after a few days in the pantry, it remained soft. The bread will also freeze very well, using a freezer bag for up to a month. It is very hard to replicate pita bread made in  brick or commercial oven, but I was happy with the result using my small oven. My best friend who eats pita bread regularly, tried it last week, and he said that "it's very tasty, and soft, it's great" :)

 

PITA BREAD

Ingredients:

1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

Directions:

1.  Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.
2. Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
3. Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.
4. Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.
5. Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.
6. Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.
7. Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
8. Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.
9. Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.
10. Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.
11. Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.
12. Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags. 

Recipe adapted from here

#96 Tunisia's Leb Lebi

This soup is so simple and delicious, it's healthy because it's low in fat yet high in protein. Leb Lebi is a clear soup made with onion, garlic, garbanzo beans, herbs and spices. It has a nice flavor that comes from the mix of the beans, caraway seeds and cumin. I was introduced to caraway seeds was when I first made Goulash, and I immediately noticed the seeds' pungent taste. I did not expect that the same taste can add a wonderful flavor to a clear soup. In Tunisia where this dish originated, they eat this soup for breakfast, and I did too the following morning. Healthy, inexpensive, for under $2 we made a wonderful dish.

Yield: Serves 4

LEB LEBI

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Dump the chickpeas into a colander. Rinse and drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and light brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the caraway seeds and cumin. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the chickpeas, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer until the chickpeas are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Using the back of the spoon, crush some of the chickpeas against the side of the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm in bowls.

Recipe adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge.

We learned that Tunisia is the smallest country in North Africa, it is situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Tunisian cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean,  of their neighbors' in the desert and of the influences left by their conquerors. Most of their dishes are spicy. An interesting old wives' tale made me giggle. It is said that in Tunisia, the more hot peppers the wife puts in the food, the more affection the husband feels. When the food turns bland, it means the wife does not love the husband anymore. I wonder how many hot peppers the wife puts in the food when they have a lovers' quarrel?! :)

We love Leb Lebi!

#46 Roasted Chicken with Rosemary, Lemon and Honey

I made this dish last week when my Mama came to visit us here in California for a few days before flying back to the Philippines. Roast chicken is a favorite back home, our family loves it. This is a great recipe, the house smelled amazing! Mama said the chicken tastes great. :)  I always roast chicken myself instead of grabbing one from the grocery store, it just tastes different and so much better when you make your own. The rosemary, honey and lemon put altogether created  a wonderful blend of flavors and aroma. I am glad Ma enjoyed a good meal while staying with me. Since I like eating leftovers, I enjoyed it the next day. :)

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY, LEMON AND HONEY



Ingredients:

6 ounces of fresh rosemary springs
2-4 pounds of chicken
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 lemons, 1 halved, 1 sliced into eight 1/4 inch rounds
1 pound shallots, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large roasting pan with 3/4 of rosemary sprigs. Place chicken on top.
2. Whisk 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, and honey in a small bowl to blend. Using your hands, and beginning at the neck end of chicken, gently lift away skin from breast. Under skin of each chicken, rub 1/4 cup lemon mixture into meat.  Drizzle remaining lemon mixture all over outside of chicken.
3. Place 1 lemon half and 1 shallot inside chicken cavity; stuff with remaining rosemary sprigs, dividing equally. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place remaining shallots around chicken; arrange 4 lemon rounds on top of chicken, drizzle shallots and lemon rounds with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.
4. Roast chicken, basting frequently with pan juices for 45 minutes. 
5. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 Degrees and skin is deep golden and crispy, about 10 minutes longer.
6. Spoon pan juices over chicken, shallots, and lemon slices and serve in roasting pan.

Recipe adapted from: Melia Marden

Today I learned that the rosemary herb is native to the Mediterranean area. Rosemary is usually found growing by the ocean, it's latin name, ros "dew" & marinus "sea", equates to "dew of the sea",  in some areas it needs no water to live, just the breeze from the sea. Maybe I can bring some seeds when I visit my home in Philippines, since we live near the sea. I would like for every one back home to enjoy this wonderful herb, it smells good and it is said to improve memory.

Looks like the origin of roast chicken is unknown because I did not find anything on the internet after researching for several days now. If you know, please leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!