Homemade Pickled Lemon

You may have seen it called preserved lemon, but my husband's family has made it and called it pickled lemon for generations in Egypt. Regardless of the name, pickled lemon is easy to make and takes about a week to marinate. 

You pickle the entire lemon including the rind.

You may be wondering why anyone would actually pickle lemons to eat them. Well, my husband is a lemon lover and pickled lemon provides the taste he is looking for to add to his sandwiches, salads, dinner, and other meals. 

My husband and his siblings grew up eating pickled lemon in Cairo, Egypt and it is still a favorite of my husband until today! 

His mother always made her own pickled lemons, but when he came to the US, we always bought it In the Middle Eastern grocery. The other day, I was introduced to a new friend from Egypt who shared her recipe! It is fairly easy.. 

First start with a plate of kosher coarse salt. 

Then the lemons are washed well, sliced in small slices, one side gets coated with salt, and then placed into a small bowl to allow the juices to ooze out and the lemon to marinate. After a day (left on the counter she said), she transfers the lemon pieces to a small jar and allows them to sit covered on the counter for 1 week. (I decided to refrigerate mine).

After a week, the lemon is pickled and can be enjoyed as a condiment on sandwiches, with meals, or alone as a pickle.

Ingredients: 

2 lemons, washed and cut into pieces 

Kosher salt 

Paprika

Directions :

Take each piece of cut up lemon and dip one side in kosher salt. Put all the pieces in a small bowl and allow the lemon to sweat for 24 hours. Pour into a small jar, add a little paprika for color and store covered for 1 week. 

MY NOTES: 

1. The liquid in the jar is from the lemon juice ( not water)

Egyptian Foul Medames/Moudammas

Considered the national dish of Egypt, foul medemas/moudammas is a popular staple in parts of Africa, Israel, Syria, and Malaysia. This inexpensive local bean, the fava bean, is frequently cooked and seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. 

Dry fava beans

Surprisingly to Americans, foul is eaten for breakfast in most of those countries. 

I spend my winters in South Florida in an area that is a melting pot of cultures. In addition to large communities of people from Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, Morocco, and Turkey, there are many Israelis of Sephardic descent (meaning their families originally come from a Middle Eastern or African countries such as Morocco, Syria, Egypt, etc.). 

This morning I was invited to a brunch that featured foul Medames/moudammas as the main course at the home of an Israeli friend. They also served  baba ganooj, quinoa tabouleh, hummus, salads, beets, falafel etc. with the foul- a vegan's delight!

My late mother-in-law, from Egypt, always made her homemade falafel from fava beans! In the US we are more accustomed to falafel that is made from chick peas.

Foul, or better known as fava beans, can be purchased as dried beans or in the cans. You may need to visit a Middle Eastern grocer to find them. The produce store near the bridge in Morrisville, Pa. actually sells them.

If you are lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern grocery store near by, you can purchase the cans and follow this traditional easy recipe. 

Using canned beans is of course a much faster method than using dried beans that require soaking. This could probably be made in the Instant Pot -but I have not tried that method yet!

My husband's family eats foul with pita bread. A gluten-free wrap would work! Actually, I like mine without bread. It's just a bowl of tasty beans.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of cooked fava beans with the liquid from the can

1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed

3 cloves of pressed fresh garlic or garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) 

Salt and cracked pepper

Toppings: sliced green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro

Directions: 

Pour the fava beans and liquid into a sauce pan. Add the garlic and the cumin and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours, covering the pot the last 1/2 hour. When the beans are soft, add salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (Add a tablespoon of olive oil if desire- I do not) . Pour into a serving bowl and eat with green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro if desired. (Some people eat it with chopped hard boiled eggs as well but being vegan, we do not.)

My Notes: 

1. It is difficult to know the exact spelling of a word that is translated from another language. It goes by many different spellings. 

2. My husband said that cooked foul was a popular street food in Egypt when he was young (1950's) and that it was very inexpensive and eaten by the poor people. Actually, foul is full of iron, protein and fiber making it a very healthy food!

Baby Bok Choy with Ginger and Walnuts

Baby bok choy is easy to find, easy to cook, and is tender and delicious. Candied ginger, chopped walnuts, and garlic add a beautiful flavor in this simple recipe that tastes exotic and looks creative. 

Bok Choy is a light and healthy vegetable that you may want to include in your diet.

Heart Healthy for Valentine's Day

Looking for heart healthy low-fat low calorie delicious desserts for Valentine's Day? Think fruit. 

Red fruits make the perfect dessert for this heart based holiday! 

Treat your loved ones to some luscious red or fruit that is full of protective and valuable antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.

Red colored fruit provides lycopene and anthocyanins which provide a variety of  health benefits and fruit is naturally gluten free.

Wishing you hearts, health, and happiness for Valentines Day!

What is your favorite red fruit?