Fatayer Food

FATAYER BI SABANEKH (LEBANESE SPINACH PIES)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Stir to combine, then let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Gradually stir in the oil, followed by the yeast with water until dough comes together.
• On a lightly greased surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place in large bowl, cover, and let rest until doubled, 1-2 hours.
• Rinse the spinach and dry well to remove any moisture. Chop, place in a bowl, and toss with the 1 teaspoon salt.
• Using your hands, massage the salt into the spinach to coat thoroughly. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Squeeze excess moisture out of the finely chopped onion and place in a large bowl. Add the sumac, paprika, and black pepper.
• Squeeze the rested spinach well to remove as much moisture as possible and place in the bowl with the onions. Toss to coat with the onions and spices.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. Pour over the spinach mixture and toss to coat immediately before assembling. Adjust spices to taste.
• Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
• Divide the rested dough in half, covering one half with a towel. On a large, lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough into a thin sheet about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Use a 3 1/2 inch (9 cm) wide round cutter to cut out circles of dough.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle, being careful to not let it touch the edges. Top with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. Pull up three edges of the circle over the center of the filling and pinch well to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining circles and the other half of dough.
• Brush the tops of the assembled Fatayer with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven until golden, 15-20 minutes.
• Serve warm from the oven or at room temperature.

CHEESE FATAYER RECIPE WITH FATAYER DOUGH RECIPE

Steps:

• Add yeast, sugar, salt and yeast to the milk.
• Add this milk to the all purpose flour and mix.
• Now add in the olive oil and knead for about couple of minutes. Cover with damp muslin cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, make small dough balls.
• Meanwhile soak the feta cheese in cold water for 10 minutes changing the water twice.
• Crumble the feta cheese in a bowl, add the mozzarella cheese, egg, onion seeds and parsley and mix.
• Roll out the balls in an oval shape and place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the middle.
• Hold both the sides of the edges and fold like a boat as shown in the picture above.
• Bake in a preheated oven of 180 C for about 15 - 20 minutes. Serve hot.

SPINACH FATAYER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the scallions, spinach, sumac, red pepper flakes, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl.
• After it has risen, divide the full dough recipe in half, reserving one half to make Manakeesh Zaatar (keep the extra dough covered until ready to use). Divide the remaining dough into 4 equal portions, then roll into a small ball shape. Flatten with a rolling pin, sprinkling with more flour as necessary.
• Divide the stuffing mixture between the dough rounds, using about 1/2 cup for each. Fold 3 sides over the filling, encasing the filling and shaping the dough into a triangle, overlapping and twisting each side to seal.
• Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake until golden for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with red tea and mint, if you like.
• Mix the flour, yeast, olive oil and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the warm water, a little at a time, until the dough starts to come together into one mass and forms around the hook. Increase the speed to high and continue kneading for 4 minutes.
• Dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough to it. Continue kneading by hand, then form the dough into a large ball, dust lightly with flour and place in a large bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

LEBANESE FATAYER

Steps:

• Mix 1/3 cup hot water and yeast together in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Mix in flour, powdered milk, sugar, olive oil, baking powder, and salt while adding remaining water gradually to make a combined dough. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
• While the dough is rising, prepare the stuffing: Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, then add spinach and stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Take small portions of the risen dough and roll into small, flat circles. Fill each circle with about 1 teaspoon spinach mixture and fold into a triangle as follows: fold one edge of the circle to the middle, then the next, then fold the third edge over the top to shape a triangle. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush each piece with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

LEBANESE BEEF FATAYER | A MIDDLE EASTERN MEAT PIE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook onions for one minute.
• Add meat and salt and break up into small pieces. Continue to cook over medium heat uncovered until cooked through.
• Add garlic and spices, stir and cook for one more minute. Add catsup and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Remove pizza dough from packaging and roll out thinly on a floured surface. Use a small 6 inch bowl to make a template into the dough. Cut circles out with a sharp knife. Dust well with flour and stack in a pile for easier assembly.
• In a small bowl add egg and water and whisk with a fork until combined, set aside.
• In each circle add 2-3 Tbs of filling. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash and start the fold. Fold two sides about 1/3 of the way, pinching the sides closed as you go. Then take the middle of the remaining side and bring toward the pinched edge making two new seams. Pinch the two new seams closed.
• Place all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
• Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (white or black).
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the baking sheet around half way through cooking.
• Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

FATAYER

Steps:

• METHOD:.
• 1. Start by making the dough. Proof the yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. While waiting for the yeast to proof, mix the oil with the flour (or flours, if using more than one type) in a mixer fitted with the dough hook or by hand. When the yeast has bubbled, add it to the flour mixture, and mix in the water gradually. Knead the dough until it is as smooth as baby skin. Let it rest for one hour or more, while you mix the stuffing.
• 2. Defrost and thaw out the spinach and collard greens. Place them in a colander and squeeze them out to get 3 cups of juice, at least. You want to get them very dry.
• 3. Chop the onions very fine and place them in a bowl. Mix in all the spices.
• 4. Make the dressing: mix the oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses in the quantities suggested. Squeeze the onions dry and add them to the spinach and greens mixture, along with the pine nuts. Now, pour the dressing very conservatively until the greens are moistened but no more than that. If the stuffing is too wet, it will open up the turnovers.
• 5. Cut the dough in half and spread it on a cold and greased counter as thin as possible, about 1/16 of an inch. If you can't make them that thin, it is OK, just don't make them too thick (no more than than 1/8in).
• 6. Cut rounds with a 4 inches cookie cutter and start spreading one tablespoon of stuffing on each fatayer.
• 7. Lift the fatayer and pinch 2 ends first and then the third to form a pyramid.
• 8. Place them in greased cookie sheets and bake them after 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the top and bottoms are golden.
• 9. Cool and eat at room temperature or slightly warm. These can be frozen for a month or longer.

BEEF FATAYER

Steps:

• 1. SPINACH FILLING DIRECTIONS: 1. Thaw the spinach and then cut up and wash it and make sure to drain it very well!! This is a VERY important step, you do not want to keep any liquid from the spinach, it needs to be water-free! 2. Add chopped onion (since I'm not a huge onion fan, we'll go with 1 large onion, maybe a little more) 3. Add lemon to taste ( I prefer it tart, so aim for 1 large lemon per lb. of spinach = 2 lemons for this) 4. Add oil to the mix 5. Add salt, pepper and a little bit of sumac Mix together to get something similar to a 'paste' ASSEMBLE AND MAKE TRIANGLES: Pinch off about 2 1/2″ balls of dough and roll out into a 4″ circle. Put a heaping tablespoon of the spinach filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up from the bottom to the middle and bring in sides to the center to form a triangle. Press down on the seams firmly and pinch ends together. Place the fatayer on a cookie sheet that has been brushed with butter or olive oil and place the pies on the tray. Brush the tops with oil and put in a preheated 500 degree oven for 15 minutes or until a little brown.
• 2. MEAT FILLING DIRECTIONS: Mix all above ingredients together Instead of making into triangles, you will make squares. Just add a tablespoon of the mixture to the middle of the square dough and pinch each side of the edge to hold the meat. Put on a greased cookie sheet and bake on 500 for 15 minutes.

FATAYER (LEBANESE MEAT PIES)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add steak pieces, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook until steak is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Pat bread dough on a lightly floured surface into 4- to 5-inch rounds. Place about 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each dough round. Fold dough over the mixture to make a triangle. Pinch the edges of the dough together but make sure to leave the very center of the meat pie unsealed so steam can escape while cooking. Set on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and meat mixture and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake fatayer in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.