Recipe Swap: Lebanese recipes add variety to church banquet

Each year our church holds its annual Youth Stockholder Banquet to celebrate those who supported the youths on their summer mission trips. The high school students went on a weeklong mission trip to Chicago and were lucky enough to eat at a different ethnic restaurant every evening as part of the cultural diversity portion of their trip. They mingled with people from all over the world. One of their favorite nights out was at a Lebanese restaurant. In celebration of the trip, Barbara Kinder planned a Lebanese menu for the banquet, including the recipes that follow, and she served baklava with ice cream for dessert. It was a wonderful evening as the youths gave their testimonies and we watched video from the high school and junior high trips.

Hummus

2 (12-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste

1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend, adding more lemon if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Refrigerate for several hours. It may be made a week ahead of time. Serve with pita chips or bread.

Chicken Shawarma

For the dinner Lori Edwards made the marinade for the chicken and allowed it to marinate overnight before grilling. The cardamom gave the chicken an unusual surprise in taste, and we all agreed it was really good.

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon grill steak seasoning

1 lemon, juices of, divided

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 (6 to 8 ounces) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 large onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1/4 cup tahini

1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

8 pitas

Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to high. In a bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, cardamom, chili powder, paprika and grill seasoning. Add the juice of half a lemon, the garlic and about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and stir until it is pastelike. Slather the mixture all over the chicken until it is well-coated. Transfer to the grill and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest before thinly slicing.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When you see the oil ripple, add the onions and peppers, and season with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the veggies start to wilt.

Then make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the juice of the remaining half lemon, the tahini, yogurt, some salt and a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix to combine. Place the pitas on the grill to warm them and give them a light char, about 1 minute on each side.

To assemble, place some of the sliced chicken on each pita, top with some of the pepper and onion mixture, and a good dollop of the yogurt-tahini sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

Mediterranean Salad

4 large tomatoes (not over ripe, cut into small wedges)

1 English cucumber (cut in 1/2-inch cubes or smaller)

1 medium red onion (cut in thin wedges)

1 large green pepper (sliced)

1/2 lb. feta cheese (cubed or crumbled)

12 black Greek olives (or green)

4 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Salt (to taste)

1/4 cup Italian parsley (optional)

Cut the tomatoes into small wedges, cube the cucumber, cut red onion into thin wedges, slice green pepper and place into large bowl. Add the cubed or crumbled feta cheeses, olives and olive oil and salt to taste. At this point I toss and sprinkle with Italian parsley and some of the crumbled cheese.

For the church dinner Barbara chose to use bottled Greek salad dressing and it was delicious on the salad.

I hope you have enjoyed this little international culinary recipe trip and will give these recipes a place in your files. Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.