Flavorful Fish Recipe from the Middle East

I've been testing and trying out flavors of the Middle East, as well as working to amass the tastiest low-cal dishes for our health regimen. Luckily, it seems to be a relatively easy task, and in the same week I read about Chreime (or Chraime), and then saw it on television.

Chreime or Fish Stew

Chreime is a fish stew. It has either tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers, or both. It is best with a nice firm, white fish like halibut, snapper or cod. But where, exactly, this dish originates is debatable, apparently. In the show I saw, they said it was originally a Jewish dish from north Africa, but that it has sort of become a dish of Israel.

Cooking Chreime or Fish Stew

I have no roots in Israel or the Middle East, so this is only recounting what I heard or read, but however this dish came to be, it sounded like something that would tempt my husband - who generally does not eat fish. As it happened, one recipe is in one of the many cookbooks he got for me to explore Middle Eastern cuisine (just because I commented that I didn't really know much about that whole section of the world's cooking!). 

When a recipe is well known, there are always going to be similarities. I like to adjust amounts to my own taste. Some recipes use what is to me an extraordinary amount of cumin. I do not care for cumin. If I can actually taste cumin as a stand-out flavor - it's just way too much. Some recipes call for a whole lot of smoked paprika. This is great, as I love it, as does my husband. Others call for just a little bit. Some recipes add lemon juice, some not. As I mentioned, some use red bell pepper, some use tomatoes and some use both. Some use onion, some do not. Some use stock, some add water, some do not. 

What is generally included is the fish of course, and cumin, paprika (smoked or plain or hot!), something as a red base (tomatoes, red bell peppers, roasted red bell peppers, tomato paste, etc) and lots of garlic. So here is what I put together to make this dish, and I have to say, that it is truly flavorful, absolutely delectable, and lo-cal! And best of all, my husband loved it! What better way to enjoy a dinner?

Chreime or Fish Stew

Chreime, or Fish Stew

Serves 4

1 pound firm white fish fillets (haddock, snapper, cod)
6 - 8 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, chopped, 
    (OR 1 large jar roasted red bell peppers, drained, chopped)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup water or fish stock
1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
large handful cilantro, coarsely chopped 

In a small bowl or with a mortar and pestle, smash together the garlic with the salt, until it makes a paste. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add in the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add in the peppers, tomato paste and stock (white wine can be used, if preferred), stirring to mix. Sprinkle on the paprika, cumin and lemon juice, then add in the garlic paste and bring to a simmer. Nestle the fish fillets in among the sauce and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes (more, or less, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets), or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle on most of the cilantro and stir in, reserving some for garnish. Serve immediately, with either brown rice or couscous.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Stew with Middle Eastern Flavors

I mentioned in my blog of November 14, 2017 that my husband took my chance comment that I knew little of Middle Eastern cooking and flavors completely to heart and bought me about 8 or more cookbooks on different Middle Eastern foods from varying countries. Many of these dishes are easy to make as a healthy addition to our diet, using additional vegetables and skimping on the breads.
 

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

I used some of the flavors I saw being used repeatedly in recipes, such as cinnamon and cardamom, making an excellent and light-on-calories but high-in-flavor supper meal using beef or lamb. It was so delicious in fact, that I made it twice in as many weeks. The first time I used beef stew meat, and the second I used a chuck roast, cut into large chunks. The first time I added Brussels sprouts to the stew towards the end of cooking time, and the second time I opted to steam the Brussels sprouts and serve them alongside, for prettier presentation. It made no difference to the flavors, but visual appeal is half the battle, when going for something low cal that tempts.

I used celery in the stew itself, and quite a lot of it. I figured it is a good filler vegetable; few calories but holding its own on stomach space 😀. I served this stew with a little rice, and I always use whole grain brown rice, or red rice or pink rice or other whole rice blends. Altogether, it made a most excellent meal with excellent flavors. If preferred, couscous is a great combination also, though couscous does not generally contain the whole grain.

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

Serves 4 to 6

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

1 pound beef stew meat or a chuck
    roast, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
1 large onion, chopped
⅛ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly ground black 
    pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably true 
    cinnamon (usually "Ceylon")
1 teaspoon rosewater, optional
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced 
    tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved or 
    quartered

Pat the meat dry with paper toweling. It will not brown quickly if wet. Heat a large skillet and add in the oil. Brown the pieces of meat, about half at a time. Once browned, remove them to a heavy Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot with lid. 

In a small bowl, or using a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic together with the salt. Set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the onions until they are softened and translucent. Add a little more oil, if needed. Remove the onions to the pot. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the great color in the pan. Pour this into the pot, then add in all the remaining ingredients, except the Brussels sprouts. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook gently for 1½ to 2 hours. Check for tenderness. Check for flavor. Cook for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Brussels sprouts and (preferably) steam them for about 7 to 10 minutes. Try to keep them steamed just to "al dente" and not over cooked. They taste their very best when they are just under the point of being too soft, and still retain their vibrant color. Sprinkle with salt and serve with the stew, over a little cooked brown rice.




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Interesting Middle Eastern Flavors

The Night Counter
by Alia Yunis

In my last post, I wrote about making Baba Ghanoush for the first time. I was surprised to like it a whole lot, since eggplant is not necessarily the first vegetable I go for. Since that post, I happened to be reading a book (on my Kindle) called "The Night Counter," by Alia Yunis. The book was a fascinating journey through the life of an elderly Lebanese woman, Fatima, and told in "stories" to "Sheherezade" over 1,001 days. The book was absolutely fascinating on many levels. The characters were interesting and engaging and became very "real" over the course of the book. Another point of interest for me was Fatima's discussion of Lebanese foods.

I was telling my husband about the story as it progressed, and I made the comment that Middle Eastern cuisine is one I know very little about, but that some of the things Fatima described sounded interesting, such as Ma'amoul and Kibbe.

Cookbooks on the Middle East

Apparently this is all it took. My husband took this upon himself as a challenge, I guess, because a couple of days ago he brought home SEVEN different cookbooks. Six of them are on Middle Eastern cuisines. One is by Maureen Abood, a Michigan based Lebanese blogger I have been following for some time. Her blog "Rose Water and Orange Blossoms," is listed at right, below, in my list of blogs. Another book is about breads (Hot Bread Kitchen) and other foods made by immigrant women in New York, because I like making bread. And he claims he has yet a few more books on the way.

I told him it gets very confusing with all these books. One or two would have been a good start. But he only knows one way to do things, and that is big and over the top! So I have been poring over all these books, reading the stories, the recipes and the spice mixtures. The latest spice mixture to catch my attention is called Bahārāt. I have no recipe just yet, as I am still in the process of reading about it, the variances in the recipe in varying Middle Eastern countries. I've looked at at least 15 different recipes for this spice, so far. I will create one that sounds good to me very soon. But meanwhile, I found some variations on recipes for Baba Ghanoush.
 

Baba Ghanoush II

I love walnuts. They are, arguably, one of my most favorite nuts, along with almonds and pistachios. Oh! And cashews. My husband does not like walnuts. If they are very apparent in a dish, he will either pick them out, or just not eat the food. I can sometimes get away with grinding them very finely into a cake or cookie batter. But he claims they are very bitter, so if he tastes "bitter," that's the end of that food for him. I found a couple of recipes in this stack of books that mention using walnuts in Baba Ghanoush, instead of sesame tahini. Since my husband only took one tiny taste of my first attempt at Baba Ghanoush, I figured I may as well just go ahead and make this variation with walnuts, because the likelihood of him actually wanting to eat it is exceedingly slim. I roasted the eggplant yesterday. While I was roasting the eggplant, I took the opportunity to roast a head of garlic, as well. I wanted to try using roasted garlic in the Baba Ghanoush, instead of fresh garlic.

I made the new version, Baba Ghanoush II, this morning, and I love it. I actually love it using either recipe. So, I am sharing this new version here.

Baba Ghanoush II

Baba Ghanoush II

Makes about 2 cups

1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces)
3 cloves garlic, roasted or raw
1 cup shelled walnuts
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
3 - 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a smaller baking sheet with foil. Set the eggplant on the foil and bake it for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until completely soft and skin is slightly charred. 

If you are roasting the garlic, cut off the top ¼ of the whole head of garlic. Set the head of garlic on a square of foil. If there are any larger garlic bits left in the parts cut off, take them out of their husks and set them on top of the head. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil over top of the garlic, then fold the foil up over the garlic, making a tight little packet. Set it into a small ramekin and place in the oven alongside the eggplant, for about 45 minutes.

Once roasted, remove the eggplant and let it cool. At this point, removing the skin is very easy. Discard skin. Remove excess sections of seeds inside, if preferred. Separately, squeeze out all the garlic cloves from the roasted head of garlic and store them in a small glass jar with tight fitting lid, refrigerated. If being kept for more than a few days, pour olive oil over the garlic to cover and maintain freshness.

Heat a skillet over medium heat until very hot and pour in the walnuts. Use a wooden spoon and toss and stir the nuts constantly. Do not turn away for even a second, as they can, and will, burn. It will take about 4 to 5 minutes for the nuts to toast gently, evidenced by both the color and the toasty nut aroma. Pour them immediately out onto a plate to cool.

To make the Baba Ghanoush II: Once cooled, place the walnuts into a food processor and process to a very fine texture, almost a paste. Add in the parsley and pulse until well broken down in the nut paste. Add the peeled eggplant, the garlic and about 3 tablespoons of the lemon or lime juice. Add in the salt and pepper and process briefly to blend. Taste and adjust salt or add more lemon or lime juice as needed. Pour out the Baba Ghanoush to a container and stir in the olive oil. To serve, swirl the top of the dip and drizzle on more olive oil and garnish with pine nuts, if desired.

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I also made a couple of other dishes two nights ago, and one was a side dish. I wanted a vegetable to go with a lamb entree. I used asparagus, which I have not seen suggested in any of these books yet. But I did use other flavors to make the asparagus taste of the Middle East. Olive oil, garlic, saffron, pistachios, Feta cheese and Zah'tar. Zah'tar is a spice mixture (sumac, sesame, oregano, thyme & salt) I made a few years back, and while I have used it, I certainly haven't given it a really good go. In this particular application, the Zah'tar really perked up the flavors of the asparagus. Understand that this method can be used on many kinds of vegetables. I believe carrots, or squash or zucchini or various other veggies would benefit by using these flavors. Simply cook the vegetables, then drain and proceed with the recipe.

Asparagus with Feta, Pistachios & Zah'tar

Serves 2 or 3

Asparagus with Feta Pistachios & Zahtar

1 bunch asparagus
½ teaspoon salt
----------------------
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced finely
small pinch saffron 
----------------------
1 ounce Feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup shelled pistachios
½ to 1 teaspoon Zah'tar

Set the olive oil in a small pan over the lowest heat possible. Add in the garlic and the saffron, rubbed between the palms to break up. Stir, then allow this mixture to "steep", without ever boiling, for about 15 to 20 minutes, minimum.

Snap off the ends of the asparagus, then cut the spears on the bias, about 4 or 5 slices per spear. Set them into a saucepan with a small amount of water, about 1 inch deep in the bottom. Sprinkle with the salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until just tender but still bright green.  Drain the asparagus and return the pan to the heat to dry slightly. Pour in the garlic oil and stir. Add in the pistachios and stir. Pour into a serving bowl and add the Feta over top, then sprinkle with the Zah'tar, to taste. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.