Ijjeh

Ijjeh, a Middle Eastern quiche of sorts, is fairly easy to put together. I grind my own lamb, though you can buy it already ground or have a butcher do it. My late mother-in-law, Sandy, a wonderful lady of Syrian descent whose cooking drew raves from everyone, taught me to make this delicious dish.
Depending on the size of the squares you cut, Ijjeh can be an appetizer, a side dish, or part of a colorful party buffet. Enjoy!

IJJEH

1½ lbs. lean ground lamb

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbs. of Syrian allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 dozen eggs

2 Tbs. cornstarch

Light oil  
Fresh chopped parsley
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1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Coat 15 x 10 baking pan with light oil and heat in oven.

2.  Fry lamb in a pan. No oil is needed. When about halfway cooked, add chopped onion. Continue cooking until lamb is browned and onions are soft. Add Syrian allspice and mix well.

3.  Whip eggs in blender with cornstarch and ½ tsp. salt.

4.   Pour egg mixture into hot pan. Sprinkle with ground lamb and parsley.

5.   Bake 20-30 minutes, until browned.  Cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Ground Lamb and Zucchini (Fedicay)

This recipe has a mysterious Arabic name that sounds something like "Fedicay." I can't find it in my Syrian cookbooks, but Sandy, my late mother-in-law, made it often. She delighted me by approving of the personal touches I added, using broth instead of water, mixing in yellow squash for color, and boosting the flavor with a little tomato sauce. I make it a day ahead to allow the fat to cool for easy removal, but if you want to serve it right away, you can easily skim the fat—and there will be some, as that is the nature of even lean ground lamb. But Fedicay is so good!

Serve this soup-like supper with your favorite pilaf and a dollop of yogurt (laban).

GROUND LAMB and ZUCCHINI (FEDICAY)

1½ - 2 lbs. ground lamb                      2-3 medium yellow squashes
1 large onion, finely chopped               3-4 cups chicken broth, boiling
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce                     2 tsps. Syrian allspice (baharat)
2-3 medium zucchinis                          Salt and pepper

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1. Wash squashes well. Slice into half-inch rounds (the thick slicing blade of a food processor is ideal), and reserve. Bring broth to a simmer.

2. Fry lamb and onion in a 6-quart pot. (No oil necessary, the lamb will have enough fat.) Stir until lamb is browned and most of the onion juices have evaporated, 10-12 minutes. Season lamb with salt and pepper.

3. Add tomato sauce to lamb and stir well, cooking for a few minutes to heat through.

4. Lay squash over the lamb. Add enough broth to almost cover the squash. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the squash is steamed tender, about 8-10 minutes (or to desired doneness).

5. Remove pot from heat. Add Syrian allspice to taste. Stir/rough chop squash into lamb. Serve with rice or wheat pilaf and yogurt. Serves 6-8.

Lamb and Barley Soup

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

In celebration of Robert Burns' birthday, the famous Scottish poet, I thought I would share this thick and hearty Scottish inspired soup. Soups are wonderful comfort food especially appreciated on chilly winter evenings.

This recipe begins with the preparation of roux, a paste like thickener.

Ingredients:

1 pound medium barley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons flour
43 ounces fat free, sodium reduced, chicken broth
1 pound ground lamb
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 medium turnip, finely diced
3 stalks celery
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Cook barley according to package directions and set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, sauté onion in oil over medium-high heat until limp. Reduce to low-medium heat and add garlic and flour to make roux, stirring often for about 10 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth to roux and blend, then bring to a boil. Add lamb and cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Add pre-cooked barley, carrots, turnips, celery, milk, basil and pepper and simmer until vegetables are tender.

This recipe freezes well. Add a small amount of chicken broth when reheating to thin soup.