If you happen to like a bit of heat, you will love this version of  labneh. At  Souk el-Tayeb it is served slathered on a markouk bread baked on the spot.

Since labneh is simply drained yogurt it is very easy to make this at home with a jar of hot red pepper paste, some yogurt and some goat cheese. You can also  buy goat yogurt and drain it for a couple of days and mix it with your favorite chili paste. Either way, it will be customized to your liking and the procedure takes only minutes of mixing in a food processor. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 ounces of labneh, ready-made or a one-pound jar of whole yogurt
• 4 ounces of goat cheese (optional)
• 1/2 cup (more or less, to taste) of hot red pepper paste 
• chopped parsley for garnish
• any flatbread to serve it with 

A quick-to-put-together casserole (is that word dated or what?) with some squash, diced bacon and diced brie; a few sliced almonds on top for a little crunch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 squash (I picked a Turban squash for its bright orange color), about 1 pound of  squash meat
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and mashed in a mortar with a dash of salt
• 6 slices of bacon, baked in the oven and crumbled
• 1/2 Brie cheese (6-inch), crust removed and diced
• Spices: salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper or paprika, dash of nutmeg
• 2 tbsp of sour cream or labneh (optional)
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds, toasted in the oven at 300F for 10 minutes

METHOD:

1. Bake the bacon strips in a 375F oven for about 12 minutes until crispy (place them on a foil-lined pan to save clean-up time).
2. Chop the onion and fry till golden in a little oil. Cut the squash and microwave for 10 minutes (adding 1/4 cup water to the pan and covering it). When cooled enough, peel and cut in chunks and mash with a fork. Add the golden onion, spices, labneh or cream if using (I did not) and bacon, drained, dried and cut in small pieces. Add the Brie cut in small dice as well and transfer the mixture to small ramequins or a large pyrex-type dish.
3. Bake in a 350F oven until the top is bubbly and the squash is warm. Top with the almonds and serve.

If you are going through the trouble of making your own yogurt at home, why not take it one step further and make your own cheese?

This cheese does not require rennet tablets, only milk, yogurt and some fresh lime or lemon juice; a dash of nigella seeds or herbs if you have some.

Time required to prepare this cheese: 30 minutes

The result is a very delicate, mild-tasting cheese, delicious on crackers or toasted bread  garnished with a fresh basil leaf. Delightful as an appetizer.

Plus you get to decide how much salt will go in it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 gallon whole milk (1.9 liter)
• 1 cup of yogurt
• 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 2 tsp of nigella seeds or powdered mint

METHOD:

1. Pour the milk in a pot and bring to a boil over low heat; add the yogurt, salt and lemon juice and whisk. Simmer the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes or until the milk turns yellowish in color and the mixture seems to separate into curds and whey. (if not, it will be fine anyway)
2. Transfer into a colander lined with a large piece of muslin or several pieces of cheesecloth. When the mixture has drained, add the nigella seeds or herbs. Tie the ends of the muslin and place a heavy weight on the formed bundle (or press on it with the palms of your hands) and let it drain for at least a couple of hours. Refrigerate the cheese for one hour or longer to allow it to set further.
3. Serve with fresh herbs such as basil and mint and toasts or crackers.

Piquillo peppers are tasty and  mild peppers originating in Spain; I buy them in a jar. I had seen recipes for piquillos stuffed with cheese and served uncooked.

These piquillos are stuffed  with a cheese and egg mixture  bursting  with herbs and spices and baked briefly until they puff up.

Any roasted and jarred peppers can be substituted.

INGREDIENTS: 12 servings for an appetizer or 6 for a main dish

• 3 jars of piquillos
• 8 ounces of goat cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 1/4 cup of whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of mashed garlic (with salt in a mortar)
• Spices: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of seven-spice, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme or wild zaatar, 1/2 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper
• 1/4 cup of minced parsley
• 1/4 cup of minced dill (or other herb)

METHOD:

1. Prepare the piquillos by laying them flat on a surface on paper towels. Prepare the cream by placing all the ingredients in a food processor and mixing until a thick cream is formed.
2. Transfer the cream into a pastry bag and stuff the piquillos with that mixture; (or use a small spoon). Place in small ramequins greased previously with some olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 20 minutes. Serve.

Imagine a moist carrot cake in which the cheese frosting is baked with the cake, instead of being plopped on top as it usually is.

I used  homemade labneh instead of cream cheese, but they are interchangeable here.

The cake can be made with a few ingredients, or enriched with almond flour, pistachios, raisins, banana purée, pineapple, etc. Either way it will work.

I used a technique recommended by chef Roland Mesnier, formerly pastry chef at the White House, in his Dessert University; he likes to beat the eggs, sugar and oil for 5 minutes until the consistency is that of a runny mayo, then add the dry ingredients; (he claims it makes for a fine-crumbed cake).

The cake here is baked in a mini-loaf pan, but you can use any size pan or muffin tins, reducing or increasing baking time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large eggs
• 6 ounces oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup raw sugar or regular
• 1 tablespoon of grape molasses (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of orange rind (optional)
• 1 banana puréed (optional)

DRY:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of almond flour (optional)

Fold in: 8 ounces of shredded carrots (4 large ones), 1/2 cup of raisins and nuts

Cheese layer:

• 8 ounces of labneh or cream cheese or mascarpone
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

METHOD:

1. Place the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, rind (if using), grape molasses (if using) in the bowl of a mixer and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes until the texture is a bit thick, like a runny mayo.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and almond flour (if using); mix until they are incorporated. Fold the carrots and nuts into the batter slowly.
3. Beat the egg into the cheese and powdered sugar and vanilla until the cheese batter is smooth. Line 3 mini-loaf pans with parchment paper, preheat the oven to 350F and pour the carrot cake batter into the pans, stopping halfway up. Pour the cheese batter on top, leaving at least half an inch to the rim of the pans. Bake until puffed up and dry. Cool and serve.

To make labneh, line a coffee filter over a sieve and place the sieve on a large bowl (not touching the bottom); drop the contents of a yogurt jar and let it drain its whey for 24 hours. Labneh is born.

There is a delightful tradition in the Middle-East called sobhiyeh, (meaning morning), which means a morning get-together. Our neighbors in the Chouf mountains would often invite us to a sobhiyeh (and we would reciprocate) and this would always entail cups of Turkish coffee being served and lots of pastries (savory and sweet) and of course, lots and lots of banter (and gossip). Usually, only women would be present.

May Bsisu in her The Arab Table, refers to this tradition and how she used to be invited to sobhiyeh in Kuwait with other women; how each one would try to outdo the other by producing  a new and delicious pastry.

Mrs. Bsisu came up with the idea of a pull-away cheese roll for one of her sobhiyeh. Here it is, adapted.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 cup of powdered milk
• Dash of salt
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of oil
• Olive oil, as needed

Cheese Filling ingredients:

• 1 package of halloumi or akkawi cheese or mozzarella (8 ounces)
• 1 package of shredded swiss or any cheese of your choice (8 ounces)
• a few tablespoons of minced herbs such as parsley (optional)
• a few tablespoons of nigella or sesame seeds

METHOD:

1. Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl; stir and add 1/4 cup of warm water; place somewhere warm and let the yeast proof.
2. Combine the flours, powdered milk and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Add the proofed yeast mixture, the oil, egg, and the rest of the warm water and mix till the dough becomes compact and not too sticky. Roll the dough in oil, cover and place in a warm place for one hour or so till doubled in size.
3. To desalt the haloumi and akkawi cheese, soak in cool water; rinse after 15 minutes and repeat the process three or four times until the saltiness is gone; dry the cheeses and grate. Mix with the other cheese and the herbs and set aside.
4. Deflate the dough and shape into ropes; cut each rope into smallish egg-size balls and take each egg and flatten it to enclose one tablespoon of cheese mixture. Fold it well and set aside. Grease a 10 inch pan and place the cheese-filled balls side by side. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds and let the balls rest for 30 minutes.
5. Bake in a 400F oven for about 25 minutes until they are pale gold and baked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is the quintessential Ramadan treat. According to Claudia Roden, it has remained unchanged since the days of the Caliph Mustakfi of Baghdad in the tenth century!

These pancakes are traditionally either stuffed with a sweet cheese, or walnuts or clotted cream.

These are stuffed with the ricotta cheese or areesheh that was made a couple of days ago. A store-bought ricotta is fine.

The batter is egg-free and only consists of flour, water and some yeast (and baking powder for extra leavening).

These pancakes are spongy and only fried on one side.

INGREDIENTS: Yield 8 to 12 pancakes

For the pancakes:

• 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup of warm water
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of dry instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

For the filling:

• 1 cup of ricotta cheese ( can use mozzarella, desalted as well or a combo of both)
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water

For the syrup:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water and (or) rose water

OIL for frying, about 3 cups

METHOD:

For the syrup:

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil and add the lemon juice; boil the syrup for 8 minutes or until it gets a bit syrupy (test it on the back of a spoon and see if running your finger will leave a mark). Add the flavorings and simmer a few seconds more then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool. This can be done several weeks ahead and the syrup kept in a jar tightly closed in the fridge.

For the cheese:

Combine the cheese with the sugar and flavoring and set aside till needed, covered.

For the pancakes:

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl; place the yeast and 1/4 cup of warm water, plus the sugar, in a small ramequin and stir to mix; let the yeast bubble up. At this point,  add it to the flour mixture along with the rest of the warm water. Stir continuously to prevent lumps and then strain the batter through a sieve onto a bowl. Cover the bowl and let the batter rise  for about one hour or up to two hours; it should be bubbly.
2. When ready, stir the batter  to smooth it out (it will feel elastic). Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet and brush with a film of oil; when it is hot, drop 2 tablespoons of batter, tilting the pan a bit to obtain an even circle, about 4 inches in diameter or larger.
3. Let the pancake bake on one side; it will fill up with bubbles and the surface will go from shiny to dull. At this point, remove the pancake and immediately fill with one tablespoon of the cheese mixture (or less, depending on the size of your pancakes), pinching it shut. Set it aside and do the others.
4. Heat the oil till hot but not smoking; drop the pancakes in the oil and fry 30 seconds on each side till golden; remove, place on a paper towel to remove the excess oil and serve warm with syrup.

NOTE: The tricky part here is the thickness of these pancakes; they should be rather thick, but not so thick that they don’t cook enough and stay soggy in the middle. If that happens, add a bit more water to the batter and whisk to combine before frying the next one. I would start with a couple of tablespoons and gradually increase the water if that does not help.

Recipe for the batter was adapted from Nada Saleh Fragrance of the Earth

When making the farmer’s cheese of the previous post, a lot of whey is left; in order to make areesheh, a type of ricotta cheese, a quart of milk and some fresh lemon juice is added to the pot; the mixture is brought to a boil and, presto, curds appear; they are transferred to a glass bowl (over a colander lined with paper towels) and the cheese is ready.

I have made this cheese with a traditional Ramadan treat in mind: Atayef, a Lebanese-style pancake, which is filled with either cheese or walnuts or cream (ashta). More on these later…

Had the best areesheh in Tyre last summer, made  by some local folks, which I will track down next time I am in the neighborhood.

A simple and traditional way to enjoy areesheh, which is served at rural restaurants and cafés, is with a drizzle of local honey and some bread.

INGREDIENTS:

• Remaining whey from previous recipe
• 1 quart of whole milk
• 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
• Optional: Salt or sugar or honey to serve

METHOD:

1. Add to the remaining whey the quart of milk and the fresh lemon juice; bring to a boil.
2. When the milk starts to curdle and develop big lumps of curds, remove them with a slotted spoon and drop into a sieve lined with paper towels over a glass bowl. Let the cheese drain for an hour or longer.
3. Serve as is or salt or sweeten with a bit of sugar or honey.

This is a good, plain, white cheese that can be easily made without any special equipment in one leisurely afternoon. It is close to the Mexican queso fresco. Its taste improves the day after, as it gets more compact. Eat it plain with some bread; or serve it  with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS and supplies: The quantity will yield about 6 balls of cheese.

Recipe is adapted from Linda Dalal Sawaya’s Alice’s kitchen

• 1 Large gallon-size bowl
• 1 large colander or sieve
• 1 cheesecloth or cotton muslin and several small ones (8in squares approximately) to squeeze the cheese (about a dozen)
• 1 8-quart stainless steel or enamel-lined pot to cook the milk in
• 1 small ramequin to crush the rennet tablet in
• 1 Gallon of whole organic milk (if possible)
• 1 rennet tablet
• 1 Tablespoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoons of extra milk (for mixing with the rennet)
• 1 tray to place the formed cheese balls
• 1 glass bowl with a cover or plastic wrap to store the cheese

METHOD:

1. Let the milk sit at room temperature for at least one hour; (it needs to be at room temperature)
2. Crush the rennet tablet in small ramequin with 2 tablespoons of milk and set aside.
3. Heat the gallon of  milk till warm in the pot. Add the rennet dissolved in milk and stir with a large spoon or whisk. Remove the milk from heat, cover the pot and let the milk mixture stand for 2 hours undisturbed.
4. Heat the milk again until the mixture curdles; stir the mixture frequently and keep heating it until the whey appears (the clear liquid when the milk separates). At this point, you will pour the milk carefully into the colander that is draped with a cheesecloth. Keep the whey that collects underneath if you wish to make areesh, a ricotta-type cheese later on.
5. Scoop out a generous amount of curds (careful, it is HOT) and place on a smaller piece of cheesecloth; enclose the cheese curds and squeeze the ball to press out as much liquid as possible. Place the ball of cheese on a glass tray. Continue with the remaining curds until all have been formed into cheese balls.
6. Sprinkle salt on the cheese balls and let them sit at room temperature for one hour till cool; press them some more to squeeze even more water out and store them in the fridge in a glass bowl covered in plastic wrap or a cover. The cheese can be served right away, but it will taste better the next day.

NOTE: The cheese will keep for 7 days refrigerated.

You can use goat milk instead.

This beoreg version in a pan is for these days when the desire to make individual beoregs is muted. This will make enough for a party of 12, as an appetizer.

Recipe is adapted from Anaheed’s cookbook.

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGH:

• 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 1/2 cup of yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of milk
• Sesame seeds and nigella seeds for topping

Filling:

• 12 ounces of string cheese (or use mozzarella), soaked in water and water drained a few times till most of the salt is removed
• 8 ounces of Feta, preferably Greek
• 2 Tablespoons of nigella seeds
• 1 white onion, chopped

METHOD:

1. Soak the string cheese (or mozzarella) in water (let the water cover the cheese by one inch or so); after 15 minutes, drain it and add fresh water. Do this 2 or 3 times (or more) until the saltiness is gone. Alternatively, you can skip this step if you don’t mind too much salt!
2. Fry the chopped onion in a bit of butter or oil till translucent and even golden; keep in mind that onion gains in flavor the longer it is fried, and will add a sweet caramel taste to the beoreg. Set aside and cool a few minutes.
3. Drain the cheese and place on paper towels; shred and add to the cheese the chopped onion, the feta, crumbled and the nigella seeds. Mix in a bowl, cover and set aside.
4. Mix the flour, oil, melted butter, salt, baking powder until a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic and let it rest 15 minutes. Divide in two parts. Grease a rectangular pan (9×13) and using your palm and fingers, spread half the dough on the bottom of the pan. Let the bottom layer go up all around about half of an inch.  Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 15 minutes until the dough is firm and dry. Remove from the oven and cool.
5. Place the cheese mixture on the cooked dough. Between two sheets of wax paper, roll out the remaining dough to fit the pan (more or less) and remove the top sheet of paper. Flip the bottom of the dough onto the cheese mixture; brush the dough with some egg yolk mixed with milk and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and nigella seeds.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the beoreg looks golden and dry. Remove and serve either hot from the oven or at room temperature.