Potato and Green Bean Salad, Egyptian Style

Ingredients


2 lbs boiling potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled,halved if large
1-2 clove garlic, very finely minced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
cayenne pepper (optional)
1 carrot, diced (optional)
1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed,cut into thirds
1/3-1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons chopped mint (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered (optional)


Directions

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, completely cover water and add salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until a knife can pierce the center of the largest potato easily and the potato falls from the knife when lifted, about 25 minutes.
In a small bowl combine minced garlic with a pinch of salt and mash with the back of a spoon.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, pepper and cayenne, then whisk again.
Drain the potatoes in a colander, rinse them briefly and leave just until cool enough to handle.
Peel them if you like, cut them in half and then into about 1/2 inch thick slices.
Put them in a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons dressing and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
With a rubber spatula, fold together gently but thoroughly.
Let potatoes cool to room temperature.
Put the carrots in a saucepan of water, add salt and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add green beans and cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
Drain, rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly in a strainer.
Add to the bowl of potatoes.
Whisk the remaining dressing, pour it over the salad and fold it in.
Add the green onions, mint and parsley and fold together lightly.
Taste, adjust seasoning, and add more lemon juice and olive oil if needed.
Garnish with quartered hard boiled eggs.
Serve at room temperature.

Egyptian Feta Salad

Ingredients

SALAD
2 lrg Cucumbers, peeled
Salt
2 tbl Chopped fresh mint

DRESSING
6 oz Feta
1/4 cup Finely chopped scallions
2 tbl Lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 tbl Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste



Directions
If you want to reduce the salt content of the feta, cut it into chunks and soak in cold water for an hour.
Score the cucumbers with the tines of a fork, and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds – a grapefruit spoon or melon baller works well. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt, and let them stand for about 1/2 hour. Then rinse, pat dry, and slice the cucumbers into 1/2 inch chunks.
In a medium serving bowl, crush the feta with a fork and mix it with the scallions, lemon juice, oil, and pepper.
Combine the cucumber chunks with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the salad with the mint. It can sit in the refrigerator before serving, but try not to hold it more than an hour or so or it will get watery.

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber or 3 small peeled cucumbers, cut into slices
2 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp dry mint
2 tbl water
1/2 tbl salt

Steps:
Put yogurt in a bowl and add garlic, salt, and water.
Stir it very well, then add the mint and the cucumber and mix it again.

Baba Ghanoug

In Egypt, eggplant is roasted over hot coals until the skin was charred. At home, I char the eggplant directly over the gas flame, turning frequently with tongs until the juices begin to ooze out. It can also be baked in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes.
2 large eggplants
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 cup tehina, if desired
Char eggplants over gas flames until soft, then allow to cool. Peel the eggplants and let them drain in a sieve. Purée the eggplant in a food processor with the lemon juice, ground cumin, garlic clove, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.