Cardamom Flavored Fruit Salad Salatat Al Fawaakih Food

CARDAMOM-FLAVORED FRUIT SALAD (SALATAT AL-FAWAAKIH)

Steps:

• Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine honey, water and cardamom and bring to a boil, stirring a few times simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cool completely.
• When sauce is cooled- toss it together with the fruit and refrigerate until it's ready to be served.
• Make sure to include some of the sauce with each serving!

YOGURT SALAD (JAJEEK)

Steps:

• In a bowl stir yogurt until creamy. Add finely diced cucumber, minced and crushed garlic, sea salt to taste, and optional mint. Stir well and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving but not too much longer or cucumbers will lose their crunch.
• Enjoy!

ARABIAN GULF SHORTBREAD COOKIES (GHIRAYBAH)

Steps:

• First of all, sifting is an important part which must not be left out or the cookies will not turn out the right texture so be sure you have a sieve.
• If need be, chill samneh or butter in refrigerator if too soft. (It should be somewhat soft just not very soft)
• Put samneh in mixing bowl and beat until light. Gradually add sifted icing sugar, beating until very creamy and light.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Sift flour and fold into butter mixture. Knead lightly until smooth. (Don't overdo it) If kitchen is hot, chill dough in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
• Roll pieces of dough into balls the size of a walnut and place on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Flour hand lightly if necessary. Top half or all with a slivered almond. (I like to do half with the nuts and half with the dusting of icing sugar after cooled).
• Bake in the preheated moderately slow oven for 20-25 minutes until very lightly coloured. Cool on baking sheets. Dust the other half without the almond slivers with icing sugar. (Makes for a pretty presentation of the mixed biscuits on a platter) then remove. These are very delicate biscuits and must be handled carefully.
• Enjoy!

BEET SALAD WITH CHIVES (SALATAT SHAMANDAR)

Steps:

• Boil the beets until tender.
• When beets are cool enough to handle, peel, dice, and place in a salad bowl.
• Stir in garlic, cilantro, chives, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Chill for at least 1 hour.
• Stir, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CHRISTMAS BREAD (JULE KAGA)

Steps:

• Plump raisins by placing them in a microwavable container adding 1 c water for 3 minutes.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c warm water, set to the side. Mix together shortening, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, cardamom. Add in proofed yeast mixture and slowly add flour and reserve about 1/2 cup. If using Kitchen Aid with dough hook, mix for 5 minutes, if not, knead by hand for 3 minutes. Chop cherries, raisins and nuts mixed with the remaining flour and then work into bread.
• Place in a large greased bowl and let raise for one hour in a warm area. Punch down bread and place into greased bread pans - should make 3 large loaves or 4 medium. Let raise one hour.
• Preheat oven to 325. Cook bread for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.