Couscousy bil hout ( Fish Couscousy)

wet 1 kg couscousy with 2 cups water and 1tsp. salt

place couscousy over steamer and steam for 30 minutes

make a small hole in the center so steam comes through.....

saute hot chili peppers in 3/4 cup oil

slice 7 medium sized onions after taking out the peppers!

leave peppers aside

when onions turn golden,add 4 cloves of garlic mincing them through garlic presser

add 3/4 Tbs camoun el hout(cumin powder)

!/2 Tbs natural sea salt

adding water to make sauce....


add 2 tbs.tomato paste to onions ans other spices in pot



As soon as sauce is cooked 35-45 mins ,add fish and be careful to not overcook !Take out fish then add vegetables of choice ex zuchini ,potatoes .






sieve the sauce ,so only sauce goes through
















then decorate with fish and peppers as shown.



SAHTEN !

Yahni Beselia and Yahni Fasulia....

for Biselia no sauteing anything all* is placed together covered with water and left to cook;in this case chicken but its best with lamb

Ingredients:

1 medium sized chopped onion, 1/2 cup olive oil,2 Tbs tomato paste,1/4Tbs. bzar(turmeric) 1/2 Tbs fil fil(red cayenne pepper) 1 green chili pepper,salt to taste or1/2 tsp. biselia fresh or frozen not canned,pieces of meat (this recipe is for 4-5 people) water to cover all leave either on slow heat or put in pressure cooker till doness desired.

my cant do without pressure cooker ! after it whistles add timer according to your own cooker. If using normal pot 1/2 hour for chicken, 1 hour for lamb,1 1/2hrs. for beef and 2 1/2 hrs. for camel meat

the final result

white rice pilaf

nice cool sald

Saute 1 medium chopped onion in 1/2 cup oil of preference ;I use corn oil. Olive oil I never heat.

pieces of beef

Add meat and red filfil same as for Biselia but saute all* here instead and add 1 clove of garlic minced

I have chosen beef pieces for fasulia(bean) or camel meat ,others prefer lamb

cook all till thick

beans are pre-soaked overnight then cooked in the pressure cooker
resulting in above pic then ad to the yahni and leave to simmer for 5 minutes..then serve.

last result fasulia with rice pilaf

Yahni , a Turkish word meaning stew with meat and a selected vegetable or legume is a kind of casserole with a side dish of salad and rice pilaf ....

Sahten !

The Tajeene

wash chicken and and squeeze lemon over chicken to remove any bad smell . This is only for the Libyan chickens !
1/2 cupOlive oil ,3 green chili pepers, 4 tomatoes cut upin quarters ,1 large onion diced.....
Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cayenne pepper ( filfil ahmar) 1/2 tsp bzar(turmeric) and 1 Tbs tomato paste , lastly add 3 cups water anmix all together thoroughly. with 2 kgs washed ,peeled and sliced thickly potatoes and 1/2 a bunch of fresh celery also chopped .
Set aside for 30 minutes then place in pizza pan or oven afer covering tightly with foil.






The above recipe is for 4-5 people .

This is especially for Simsim living in Canada who asked me to show her how I do my tajeene. Every family has their own version of cooking Libyan dishes but with the tajeens its a different story all together, cause we all do it in the same way.Everything is mixed left to marinate then shoved into the oven ! Nice and easy -nothing to it !

Tajeene a kind of casserole where the meat, fish or chicken of choice will be mixed all together,with the potatoes always being the main ingredient . All is done without sauteing ,foiled and put in the oven ......or as in my case this new pizza pan which is quite easy to use and gives the right texture to the tajeene ie must never be watery....

NB
the tajeene is cooked when meat and potaotes are done.Some like the potaoes crispy then high flame last 10 minutes of cooking,would be needed to obtain the result.

When using fish the spices change and instead of bzar cumooun el hout at the same measure and garlic would be added. Please pay atention to slicing the potatoes thinner when fish is to be consumed.

Sahten !

yummy dishes on the go at the souk el talat new mehari !

r


This is when going to the new mall I was surprised to find such tasty ready take away meals....
And the cost of the salads varied from LD 2 for the salads per portion andLD 4-7 for the meals per person a bit expensive for the everyday Libyan but as its not an everyday option it works out great for the working women and a great help too !This might be something normal for those of you living abroad for us its party time lol......

Bakbuki !

saute medium sized onion with 1/4 cup olive oil quickly
Add filfil (Red pepper) and salt
add your meat ( here chichen pieces

Add sauce made from1/2Tbs Bzar(turmeric) 2 Tbs tomato paste frozen soaked chick peas and green peas
Simmer all together and close with lid . cook and time when steam starts 15 for chicken.
Take chicken or other meat of choice out of pot.Put aside.

Add water till where was before...
Add quartered potatoes cook in pressure cooker for 5 mins.
My timer
This is my fav pasta (Tunisian) add to bakbuki last thing and cook for another 5 mins and serve.

the finale !

*Bakbuki !

You can call it a kind of casserole where anything to taste can be added, in addition to the first ingredients, some of which are below;

Chick peas

Cubed or cut potatoes and or carrotts

Green Peas

Ghergoush/Jerky or

or

Lamb –cut into portion size

Or

Beef or

Pasta is the last ingredient to be added

sahten !

Saltata in Padella !

t
Saute 3 hot green peppers in 1/4 cup olive oil


Add few leaves sweet basil,1 Tbs hot cayenne pepper(filfil ahmar har) ,1 Tbs tomato paste,1 tsp.salt,3 cloves of freshly minced garlic.Saute all quickly ....


Add 7 tomatoes liquified in the multimixer....then add to pan



this is what it looks like after having simmered for 10 minutes(above)

Add strained and rinsed spaghetti to sauce in pan...leave for 2 minutes then serve immediately and garnish as desired.

The final touches...Buon Appetito !

This is also an easy dish to make -which is originally fr Sicily. Many Libyans have adopted it and added their own variations; tunafish, mushrooms ,olives and harrrisa....
Saltata in padella means the spaghetti is cooked for 4- 5 minutes ,drained and rinsed quickly under running water ,then placed in the padella (frying pan or wok )to simmer in the sauce.

recent menus

Chicken Tajeen
Rice with fresh green peas,carrotts
Green Fava Beans(foul bil zeit)



Sepia with green peas and rice pilaf


Saltata in padella (makes you jump lol veryyyy hot )





Menu(vegetarian)
Sharbet Addes(pick me up fast lentil soup ) not what you're thinking lol
Tabahaj
Rice Pilaf
Salad

Step by step method will be posted asap......