Feast in the MIddle East

What a pleasure it was to cook up a middle eastern breakfast for the Mornings on 2 crew on KTVU Fox news of San Francisco! I have to say the people at this station, both on camera and behind the scenes were the most gracious and down to earth people. It was tough picking exactly what kind of dish to make for their breakfast, as we went live at 9:30 in the morning, but I wanted something hearty and unconventional with a delicious smell that would permeate the building. So I picked hummus bil lahme, or hummus with lamb and pine nuts. Not to worry vegans, I also hooked them up with another platter of hummus layered with sauteed mushrooms as well!  I am so grateful that they gave me this opportunity to share my beloved cuisine with them:

 

 

The tough part about live television is the short time–literally we had to cram in the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, as well as cooking and tasting in under 4 minutes. Back in the day I used to report on live television daily, and I forgot how 4 minutes literally feels like 30 seconds! However,  I did manage to finish and plate the dish. I only wish Ally (the host) got to try the food on camera.  To see the televised spot, click on the video below:

 

 

While I did a short version of the recipe on the morning show, here is the long form recipe for you below. Generally I do like to add shallots to the dish, but this is optional. The combination of pureed legumes (hummus) with garlicky lamb and toasted pine nuts can fill you up way more than oatmeal ever good. That is why this is such a popular breakfast or brunch specialty in Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian households.

HUMMUS WITH LAMB OR MUSHROOMS

HUMMUS

1   (15-ounce) can chickpeas

1/3   cup tahini paste

1/3   cup lemon juice, or to taste

1   clove garlic, or to taste

1/8   teaspoon cumin

1   teaspoon salt, or to taste

Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/4 cup liquid. Place the chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add some of the reserved liquid until it reaches desired consistency. For an optional topping, melt butter in a skillet and brown pine nuts in butter, stirring rapidly for about 2 minutes or until the pine nuts are browned. Place the hummus in the center of a large flat plate and spread it toward the edges with a spoon, creating a rim around the edges so it looks sort of like a pizza crust.

TOPPINGS

Mushroom topping

• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms

* 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• Salt to taste

Meat topping

6 ounces  ground or chopped lamb

• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon allspice

Salt  to taste

Pine nuts

• 1/3 cup pine nuts

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Optional garnishes

• Paprika or parsley

Melt butter and olive oil in skillet. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms  or meat and spices and continue to sauté until browned.

In another smaller skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add pine nuts, stirring constantly for approximately 1 minute until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside immediately to avoid burning pine nuts.

To assemble, place hummus in the center of large, flat plate and spread it toward the edges with a spoon so that it looks like a pizza crust on the outer edge. Spoon mushroom  or meat mixture in the middle, then sprinkle with pine nuts. If desired, garnish edges with dashes of paprika, chopped parsley and more drizzled olive oil.