Food Secrets 2

ICH (Wheat Bulgur)

½ cup of Mazola oil1 Large onion, chopped1 can of 16 oz petite diced tomatoes1 tablespoon tomato paste1 tablespoon of pepper paste¾ cup of lemon juice

In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions

until limp and translucent, then add the diced

tomatoes, tomatoe paste, pepper paste, salt and

red pepper. Reduce heat and let in simmer for 15

minutes. Put it aside. Pour 1 cup of the bulgur over

the simmered onion and tomatoes. Then pour the

lemon juice and one cup of the water in the skillet,

bring it to boil. Then pour the boiling water over

the bulgur and tomatoes and mix it all together and

let it cool off for 15 minutes. Then all the parsley

and green onions over for garnish.

1 cup of water1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon of red pepper1 cup of regular (#1 grade) bulgur1 cup of boiling water½ cup of parsley and green onions for garnish

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 35 minCooking time: 20 min

“Em ip euguero odolesenim aliquis accum ad erit ea ad etum zzriliquis dui blandigna adio enit niscipsum dolorem deliqui scipsusto co-num verosto do con-senibh etuerci pisisim vulputpat”

I

INTRODUCTION

Food Secrets began as just a senior project, but it has become more than just a mere project for me. This book is composed of the Araradian and Avakian family recipes that have been shared with me by my mother, Anita Araradian and my grandmothers, Jeanette Ava-kian and Mariette Araradian. These Armenian recipes have been in my family for many years and have trav-eled with my family from Beirut, Lebanon. This book is composed of my family favorites and the recipes were too good to not share with the rest of the world. The recipes are very easy to follow and can be accomplished by any cook, even a teenager like myself. I hope all the meals created with this cookbook are enjoyable and great tasting.

I would like to thank Michael Nahabet, Seta, and Femi for helping me design this cookbook and teaching me throughout the process.To my grandmothers, Jeanette Nene and Mariette Nene, for sharing their recipes with me and allowing me to use them to create this book.To my mother, Anita, who helped me cook these food items many times in order to get the perfect picture and for sharing some of her own recipes.To all my friends who spent countless hours hearing me talk about this book and helping me whenever I was stuck.To all my family for believing in me and showing an interest in helping me bring this book to life.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fatoush.......................................................Page 1Taboouleh........................................................Page 2Ich...................................................................Page 3Potato Salad................................................Page 4Cheese Boureg (Individual).............................Page 5Cheee Boureg (Large).....................................Page 6Pasta...............................................................Page 7Manti..........................................................Page 8Lahmanjune....................................................Page 9Squash and Meat Medley..............................Page 10Eggplant Kebab...............................................Page 11Oroukh............................................................Page 12Steak Kebab....................................................Page 13Chicken Kebab...............................................Page 14Kunefeh...........................................................Page 16Chocolate Biscuit Cake...................................Page 17Namura...........................................................Page 18

II

FATOUSH

2 Whole Pita Bread½ Bunch of Parsley3 Cucumbers, Cut3 Green Onions, Chopped½ Teaspoon Salt1 Tomato, Cut½ Pirpirem2 Tablespoons Sumac

Open two pita breads and place both sides on a tray. Place the tray into the oven on 350 for 15 minutes, until the bread is crunchy (Cook the bread at least one day in advance). Then chop up the cu-cumbers, green onions, tomatoes, and parsley and place them in a bowl. Add the washed pirpirem and 2 tablespoons of sumac. Next, cut the bread into pieces and add it to the vegetables. Add the salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Fatoush tastes best with fresh lemon juice, but store bought lemon juice from a bottle also works. Mix everything together and the fatoush is ready to eat.

½ Cup of Lemon Juice½ Cup Olive Oil

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 40 min.

“My favorite salad, especially with a side of steak or fish. It is very refreshing and tasty.”

1

TABBOULEH

½ Cup #1 bulgur4 Ripe tomatoes, finely chopped1 Small onion, finely chopped6 Green onions, finely chopped½ Bunch of mint

In a mixing bowl combine bulgur and tomatoes. Let the tomatoes and bulgur sit for about an hour in room temperature. While waiting for the bulgur and tomato, add the green onions, mint, parsley, and onion in a separate bowl. Once the hour is over add the vegetables to the tomatoes and bulgur and mix well. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and red pepper over the mixture and mix well. Put in the refrigerator in order for it to chill, but it is not necessary.Surround the bowl with Romaine lettuce leaves for garnish.

1 Cup lemon juice4 Bunches of parsley, finely chopped1 Cup olive oilPinch of red pepper and saltRomaine lettuce leaves (Optional)

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 30 min.

“A great tasting salad, especially with a piece of pita bread and Romaine lettuce.”

2

ICH (Wheat Bulgur Salad)

½ Cup of Mazola oil1 Large onion, chopped1 Can of 16 oz petite diced tomatoes1 Tablespoon tomato paste1 Tablespoon of pepper paste¾ Cup of lemon juice

In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions until limp and translucent, then add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper paste, salt, and red pepper. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Put it aside. Pour 1 cup of the bulgur over the simmered onion and tomatoes. Then pour the lemon juice and one cup of the water in the skillet,and bring it to boil. After pour the boiling water over the bulgur and tomatoes and mix it all together and let it cool off for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle all the parsley and green onions over for garnish.

1 Cup of water1 Teaspoon salt1 Teaspoon of red pepper1 Cup of regular (#1 grade) bulgur1 Cup of boiling water½ Cup of parsley and green onions as garnish

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 35 min.Cooking time: 20 min.

“Ich tastes great with a cucumber and yogurt, especially when it is hot outside.”

3

Potato Salad

Boil about 10 potatoes for 45minutes with a pinch of salt. Then, peel off the skin of the potatoes and slice them into about 1inch pieces. Combine the potatoes with the parsley, mint, green onion, white onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix

everything together and enjoy.

½ spoon of red pepper½ spoon of salt

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings


“This potato salad tastes great with the eggplant kebab recipe found later on in this cookbook and a side of rice.”

1 bunch of parsley, chopped½ a bunch of mint, chopped6-8 green onions, chopped½ a white onion, chopped½ cup of olive oil¾ cup of lemon juice

4

CHEESE BOUREG (Individual)

½ Lb of Feta Cheese1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper1 Egg4 Small Squares of Dough

Put the ½ pound of Feta Cheese in a bowl and smash the cheese with a fork. Add the one tea-spoon of red pepper and half the yolk of a broken egg to the cheese. Then, cut the 4 square doughs into halves in order to have 8 triangles. Take out a tray and cover it with aluminum foil. Place a small amount of cheese in the center of one of the triangular doughs and fold the dough in half. Pinch the sides of the dough so the cheese doesn’t escape while it is cooking. With a fork stamp the sides of the boureg in order to make sure the cheese doesn’t escape and place the finished boureg onto the tray. Continue the same process for the remaining 7 pieces of dough. Once all the bouregs have been put on the tray, brush the remaining half egg yolk all over the top of the bouregs. Once all the bouregs have been covered, place the tray into the oven on 350 for 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 8 individual bouregs


“My mother uses the fork in order to pinch the sides of the boureg to secure the cheese in place and to make the boureg more presentable.”

5

CHEESE BOUREG

2 Pieces of large dough½ Red onion½ Lb Feta cheese½ Lb Monterey Jack Cheese½ Teaspoon Red Pepper5 Green Onions½ Bunch of Parsley

Mix the red onion, green onion, parsley, and red pepper in a bowl. Cut the half-pound of Feta Cheese and Jack Cheese into small pieces, you may also use shredded Jack Cheese. Add the two types of cheese to the other ingredients and mix well. Take out a pyrex and spray it with Pam. Put either one of the two large doughs onto the pyrex. Then, place all the ingredients from the bowl onto the dough that is in the pyrex. Once the bottom dough is covered, place the second dough on top of the first dough and the ingredients from the bowl. Once the second dough has been placed, pinch the sides so the cheese does not escape while cooking. Once all the sides have been pinched, break an egg into a bowl and add the milk to the egg yolk. Using a brush, cover the dough with egg and milk. Once the dough has been covered place it in the oven on 350 for 45 minutes.

1 Egg¼ Cup Milk

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 8-10 servings

Preparation time: 15 min.Cooking Time: 45 min.

“Whether eaten, hot or cold, this is my favorite boureg. It tastes great on the side of a plate of shish kebab or eaten by itself as a snack.”

6

Pasta With Feta Cheese

1 Package of Fettucini1 Lb of Feta Cheese ½ Cup of Milk2 Tablespoons of Flour½ Stick of butter2 Tablespoon Bread Crumbs

Boil the package of pasta until the pasta is soft. Drain the pasta, then put it back into the pan used to boil it. Add the feta cheese, milk, and flour to the pasta and mix everything together. Take out a pyrex and using the half stick of butter, cover all the sides of the pyrex. Next, sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs on the bottom of the pyrex and add the pasta to the pyrex. Then, add the remaining breadcrumbs on top. Place the pyrex in the oven on 375 for 40 minutes.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 6 Servings


“This pasta was my favorite dish as a child, and it is still one of my favorite recipes. It tastes great with a side of corn and brocolli.”

7

MANTI

Filling:1 Lb ground beefPinch of Salt, black pepper and red pepper

Dough:Chinese won ton squares

In order to prepare filing combine all the ingre-dients into a mixing bowl and mix well. Cut each sheet of Chinese won ton dough into four squares. Take out a Pyrex and spread butter all around the bottom and sides of the pan. Place about a tea-spoon of the filling into the center of a square of won ton dough. Pinch the sides with your fingers to form a small bundle. Place the completed manti in the pyrex and continue making the bundles until your meat and won ton squares run out. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Heat the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Before taking out the manti from the oven pour the hot chicken brother over the pan.

Serve manti with plain yogurt or garlic-yogurt.

Broth:1 can of chicken broth

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings


“One of my all time favorite dinners. It tastes great with a side of yogurt and corn.”

8

1 Pound Ground Meat1 Onion, finely chopped1 Parsley, finely chopped4 Large Tomatoes, finely chopped1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste1 Tablespoon Pepper Paste

Mix the onion, parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper paste, mint, salt, red pepper, and lemon juice into the ground meat. Make sure everything is mixed equally into the meat before proceeding to the next step. Next, put a sprinkle of water on each tortilla and make sure to spread the water all over the tortilla. Then, put the meat on the tortilla and make sure to spread the meat to cover at least 3/4th of the tortilla. Place two tortillas on a tray covered with foil and place it in the oven on 350.

Each pair of tortillas take 20 minutes to cook.

½ Bunch of mint1 Teaspoon Salt1 Teaspoon Red Pepper¼ Cup of Lemon Juice8 Tortillas

Lahmajune (Armenian Pizza)

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 8 Servings


“This homemade Armenian pizza tastes better than the store bought ones because it has less bread and more meat, plus you can make it however you want by adding any special ingredi-ents.”

9

SQUASH AND MEAT MEDLEY

Meat:1 Pound of ground beefPinch of saltPinch of black and red pepperVegetables:5 Italian Squash, finely cut3 Potatoes, finely cut

Combine the meat with the salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a bowl and mix well. Put the bowl aside and take out a Pyrex. Combine the onions, squash, potatoes, and pour the diced tomatoes over the vegetables. Add the meat to the Pyrex and mix well. In one cup of water add the pepper paste and tomato paste in order to soften them up. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and meat. Fill another cup with water and pour the water over the mixture. Cover the pyrex with aluminum foil and cook in the oven on 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cook the food closed for 1 hour and take off the aluminum foil and cook for

another 15 minutes.

1 Can of diced petite tomatoes1 Onion finely sliced1 Tablespoon of pepper paste1 Tablespoon of tomato paste2 Cups of Water

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 8 servings

Preparation time: 20 min.Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 min.

“The squash and meat medley tastes great with a slice of a green bell pepper and a piece of pita bread.”

10

Eggplant Kebab

1 Pound of Ground Beef½ Teaspoon Salt½ Teaspoon Red Pepper½ Teaspoon Black Pepper1 ½ Pound of Japanese Eggplants

In a large bowl add 1 pound of ground beef, salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Wash the eggplants, then slice them into one inch pieces. Make sure to cut the stems off the eggplants. Place the eggplants in a Pyrex covered with aluminum foil and Pam. Form the meat into small flattened balls. Place the meatballs evenly in between the eggplant slice, side by side. Place the Pyrex in the oven for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 25 mins.Cooking time: 45 mins.

“This kebab is the best especially when it is cold outside and you aren’t able to barbeque meat. It is simple to make and it tastes delicious.”

11

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings

Oroukh (Meat with Bulgur)

1 Pound Meat1 Tablespoon Mint½ Teaspoon red pepper½ Teaspoon salt1 Cup of #1 Bulgur½ Onion, finely chopped¼ Cup Olive oil

Take the one cup of #1 bulgur and put it in a bowl

with ½ a cup of water. Set aside the bulgur with

for 10 minutes until the meat is prepared. Combine

the meat with the mint, red pepper, salt, and the

finely chopped onions, and mix them together. After

you have mixed those ingredients with the meat,

add in the wet bulgur and mix well. Once the meat

has been mixed, take out a pyrex and cover it with

foil. Next, take a handful of meat and roll it up into

the shape of a ball. Then, squish the ball into a

flat circular shape and place onto the pyrex. Once

all the meat has been shaped and placed on the

pyrex use a brush to brush olive oil onto each meat.

Cover all sides of the meat with the olive oil. Once

all the meat has been covered with olive oil, place

the pyrex in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes.


“Oroukh tastes great with a piece of pita bread and yogurt.”

12

STEAK KEBAB

1 Lb Filet Mignon½ Teaspoon Salt½ Teaspoon Red Pepper½ Teaspoon Black Pepper1 Teaspoon Pepper Paste1 White Onion, sliced2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Cut the Filet Mignon into small pieces and place the pieces in a bowl. Add the salt, red pepper, black pepper, pepper paste, and olive oil in the bowl. Mix everything together, and then add the sliced onions. Again make sure to mix everything together. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, before you start, make sure to put skewers in a cup of water, this will keep them from breaking when barbequing. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and place the meat and onions on the skewers. You should alternate on the skewers by placing one meat, one onion, one meat, and so on until the skewer is 3/4 full. Once all the meat and onions have been placed on skewers, they are ready to be bar-bequed. The meat should be barbequed for at least

20 minutes or until the meat is entirely cooked.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 4 servings


Helpful Hint: The longer the meat marinates, the better it will taste, so make sure to marinate the meat at least six hours before cooking.

13

CHICKEN KEBAB

1 Lb Chicken½ Teaspoons Salt½ Teaspoons Red Pepper½ Teaspoons Black Pepper2 Garlic Cloves1 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Cut the chicken into small pieces and place into a bowl. Add the salt, red pepper, black pepper, and olive oil to the chicken. Then, using a garlic masher, mash the two garlic cloves into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, before you start, place skewers in a cup of water in order to keep them from burning when barbequing. Once the skew-ers have been soaked for at least 20 minutes, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and start putting the chicken on the skewers. The skewers should be about ½ to ¾ of the way full, do not put too many chickens on one skewer. One all the chickens have been placed on skewers, they are ready to be barbequed. The chicken should be barbequed for at least 25 minutes or until they are entirely cooked.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 8-10 servings

Preparation time: 20 min.Cooking Time: 25 min.

Helpful hint: You can marinate and cook this chicken with green and red bell peppers in order to add some more flavor and color. You can alternate adding the peppers to the skewers with the chicken.

14

15

Kunefeh

1 ½ Sticks of Sweet Butter16 oz. Box of Kataifi (shredded Filo Dough)16 oz. of Ricotta Cheese2 Tablespoons of Cinnamon (If desired)Syrup2 Cups Sugar1 Cup Water1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Melt 1 ½ sticks of butter. Place the Kataifi in a large bowl and separate it. Once the dough is separated, add the melted butter onto the Kataifi. Mix the but-ter with the Kataifi, then separate the dough into two equal piles. Place ½ the dough in a 9x13 pyrex and press down on it until it’s completely flattened. Next add 16 ounces of Ricotta cheese on top of the flattened dough. Now, add the 2 tablespoons of cinnamon if desired, more or less can be added depending on the how much cinnamon you enjoy. Place the remaining half of the Kataifi on top and again flatten it. Place in the oven on 350 for 45 mins. While the kunefeh is cooking, prepare the syrup by putting the sugar and water in a pan and bring it to a boil on low heat for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, add the lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the kunefeh is out of the oven and ready to be served add the syrup to each individual piece.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 20 mins.Cooking Time: 45 min.

“Kunefeh can be eaten as breakfast or dessert. Once it has cooked, it can be placed in the microwave for 30 seconds in order to heat it up and make it as tasty as it was when it was fresh out of the oven.”

16

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE

2 Cans of Cocoa with Condensed Milk1 ½ Packets of Simsek Petit Beurre Crackers12 Oz. of Challenge Whipped Butter

Open the cans of cocoa and butter, and place them in a bowl. Mix them together and place them aside. Next, take about 6 cookies and grate them into crumbs using a cheese grater. Once the crackers have been grated put them aside. Then, take the remainder of the cookies and cut them into 4 small pieces. Once all the crackers have been cut, add them to the cocoa and butter mixture. Mix the crack-ers and cocoa until all the crackers are covered in cocoa. Next, place the chocolate covered crackers into two pie pans. Add the grated crackers over the chocolate covered crackers in both pie pans. Next, place both pans in the freezer. The logs will be ready to eat within 4 hours.

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 12 servings

Helpful Hint: The chocolate covered crackers can also be placed into two pie pans instead of making the logs because it is less time consuming to place the crackers into a pan, but don’t forget to add the grated crackers on top.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE

2 Cans of Cocoa with Condensed Milk1 ½ Packets of Simsek Petit Beurre Crackers12 Oz. of Challenge Whipped Butter

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 30 min.Freezing time: 4 Hours

17

NAMURA

1 Cup Ferina (Cream of Wheat)1 Cup Sugar1 Cup Flour2 Sticks Sweet Butter2 Teaspoons Baking Powder½ Cup 2% Milk

In a mixing bowl combine the egg, butter, sugar, milk, wheat, baking powder, flour and lemon zest. Add the contents of the bowl into a Pyrex and place in the oven on 350. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by combining the sugar with the water in a sauce-pan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and add the lemon juice. Simmer for ten minutes. After 45 minutes of the namura in the oven, take it out and pour the hot syrup over it. Put the Pyrex back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

4 Eggs2 Teaspoons Lemon ZestSyrup1 ½ Cups Sugar1 ½ Cup Water½ Teaspoons Lemon Zest

Ingredients

Preparation

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 30 min.Cooking Time: 1 Hour

“Namura tastes great any time of the day with a cup of Armenian coffee.”

18

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Food Secrets 2