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Orange Salad with Onions and Olives

2 large oranges, pared and thinly sliced
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
8 Greek olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground red pepper

Arrange orange slices on lettuce; top with onion and olives. Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered container; drizzle over salad.

Yields 4 servings.

Perch Baked with Sesame Seed (Samak Tahini)

Serve with Moroccan Herbed Olives, Pocket Bread or hot cooked rice for a simple Middle Eastern meal.

1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup sesame seed, toasted
1/4 cup water
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Dash of ground red pepper
Olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 pound perch fillets
Parsley
Ripe olives

Cook and stir onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Mix sesame seed, water, garlic, salt, lemon juice and red pepper.

Lightly brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; sprinkle with bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons parsley. Pat fish dry; arrange in baking dish. Pour sesame seed mixture over fish; top with onion. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F until fish flakes easily with fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and ripe olives.

Yields 4 servings.

Persian Apple Dessert

Rose water and orange flower water can be found in gourmet and specialty shops as well as in pharmacies.

3 medium apples, pared and cut up
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon rose or orange flower water
Dash of salt

Place half the apples and the remaining ingredients in blender container. Cover and blend until coarsely chopped, 20 to 30 seconds.

Add remaining apples; blend until coarsely chopped.

Yields 3 servings.

Pocket Bread (Pita, Arab Bread, Israeli Flat Bread, Armenian Bread)

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch dough down; divide into 6 equal parts. Shape into balls. Cover; let rise 30 minutes.

Roll each ball into a 6- to 7-inch circle 1/8 inch thick on floured surface. Place 2 circles in opposite corners of each of 3 cookie sheets. Cover; let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake until loaves are puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Pork with Coriander (Afelia ? Cyprus)

1 (2 pound) boneless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound new potatoes, halved
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, halved

Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 1-inch cubes.

Heat oil in Dutch oven until hot. Cook pork over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is evaporated and pork is brown, about 25 minutes; drain fat.

Stir in wine, coriander, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and mushrooms. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until pork and potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Preserved Lemons

Lemons
Coarse salt
Sterilized glass jar
Olive oil or water

Cut lemons into slices or wedges, and sprinkle each with coarse salt. Place in a sterilized jar filled with olive oil or water and cover or cork tightly. Let stand in a warm place for three weeks, then store in the refrigerator. Lemons will keep for months.

Saganaki (Flaming Cheese)

Serve this with sesame crackers, wedges of pita bread, cocktail rye bread or assorted crackers.

1/2 pound Kasseri or Kefalotiri cheese*
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Cut cheese into 3 wedges; place in shallow heatproof serving dish. Brush cheese with butter or margarine.

Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F. Broil cheese with top 4 to 6 inches from heat until bubbly and light brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

Heat brandy until warm; pour over cheese. Ignite immediately. Squeeze lemon over cheese. Cut wedges into halves.

* Mozzarella cheese can be substituted for these cheeses.

Samak Tahini (Perch Baked with Sesame Seed)

Serve this with Moroccan Herbed Olives, Pocket Bread or hot cooked rice for a simple meal.

1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup sesame seed, toasted
1/4 cup water
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Dash of ground red pepper
Olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 pound perch fillets
Parsley
Ripe olives

Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Mix sesame seed, water, garlic, salt, lemon juice and red pepper. Lightly brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil; sprinkle with bread crumbs and parsley. Pat fish dry; arrange in baking dish. Pour sesame seed mixture over fish; top with onion Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F until fish flakes easily with fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and ripe olives.

Bean and Sesame Seed Spread (Hummus)

This is also known as "hummus bitahini."

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup sesame seed
1 clove garlic, cut into halves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Snipped parsley
Pocket Bread, crackers or vegetable dippers

Place reserved bean liquid, sesame seed and garlic in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until mixed. add beans, lemon juice and salt; cover and blend on high speed, stopping blender to scrape sides if necessary, until of uniform consistency. Garnish with parsley.

Serve as a spread or dip with wedges of pita bread.

Semolina Pudding (Ma'Mounia ? Syria)

This makes a wonderful breakfast dish.

2 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup semolina (couscous)*
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground cinnamon

Heat water and sugar to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes; remove from heat and reserve. Heat butter in 1 1/2-quart saucepan until melted; add semolina. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes.

Stir in reserved sugar syrup, raisins, almonds and salt. Heat to boiling. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour into serving dishes; sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm or cold with sweetened whipped cream.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

* 1/3 cup farina may be substituted for the semolina.

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