Kibe de Forno - Oven Kibbeh

Have you ever had Kibbeh?  

Do you know what Kibbeh even is?  I didn't for a long time, but a couple months ago, I started looking more into Mediterranean cooking, and found a whole new world of delicious recipes.  Kibbeh is one of them, and funny enough, it is quite popular in Brazil too.

The traditional Kibbeh is usually made into balls and fried.  I am all about the traditional most common way, but I also love trying the variations to the more popular recipes, from each country.

Ok so, first of all Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish from Lebanon.  It's basically a combination of ground meat, bulgur wheat and spices, and it is absolutely delicious and quite easy to make.  

 

One thing to keep in mind, there are different types of Bulgur Wheat, you want to use the fine, although I could only get some medium coarse which works well too, it just takes a bit longer to soak.

Let me show you....

 

Oven Kibbeh

Ingredients:

2 cups of bulgur cracked wheat 

2 cups of hot water

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, finely diced

Parsley and Cilantro

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic to taste

Juice from 1 lemon

Sumac, to taste (Sumac has become one of my favorite spices)

Aleppo pepper, to taste (another new favorite)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cream cheese

Olive oil

Directions:

In a big bowl add the bulgur wheat, pour over the hot water.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it soak for about an hour.  Should be long enough to hydrate the wheat. 

After the hour has passed, give the wheat a good stir to loosen it.  To the same bowl, add the meat, onion, parsley and cilantro to taste, butter, salt and pepper, garlic, lemon juice, sumac and aleppo pepper.  Mix well.

 

Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking dish, I used a 13x9 inch.  Take half of the kibbeh meat mixture and pat down into the dish.  Next, cover the mixture with some cream cheese, and then shredded mozzarella.  Take the remaining kibbeh and pat down on top of the cheese.   (I find it easier to grab handfuls of the meat mixture, at a time, and then pat it down on the palm of my hand, then place it on top of the cheese, that way it's not pulling off the cheese.)

Take a knife or dough scraper, and make a diamond pattern on top.  I just make diagonal lines one way, then come back the other way.  You don't have to go all the way down to the bottom of the dish, you basically just want a small dent to drizzle on more olive oil.

Once done, drizzle some olive oil across every line, then bake in a 375 F, for about 35 minutes.  Keep an eye on it, if you overcook it, the kibbeh will dry out.  I just check after 25 minutes, and if there's a lot of liquid in the pan, I pour it out and then pop it back in the oven for the last 5 minutes.  

Serve warm!

 

Turkish Flatbread Pizza - Pide

I have recently been on a journey, to find and try different recipes from all over the world.  My background is quite diverse, I am Portuguese, born in Africa, my greatgrandparents on my father's side were Brazilian, the ones on my mother's side were all from Portugal, Madeira and Azores.  We have French ancestors too.  

 

But having lived in South Africa my entire childhood, also opened up my palate to African food.  So I am quite blessed to enjoy so many different cultures with so many wonderful recipes.

 

Loving food the way I do, also means that I am very much interested in trying dishes from all over the world, and sometimes, something simple as watching a series or movie from a different country, and seeing the food they're eating, is enough to make me want to try.

 

I have recently (over the past few months), become completely obsessed with Turkish shows.  So of course, seeing what they eat, has peeked my curiosity into the food they eat.  The whole Mediterranean cuisine itself is very appealing to me,  Fresh ingredients, healthy food, lots of vegetables, delicious street food, and the flatbreads?  Yum!!!

 

So today, I am bringing the first of many recipes I've been trying, and loving recently.  

 

The Turkish Flatbread Pizza, known as Pide. 

 

The Pide originated in the city of Samsun,  in the Turkish Black Sea region, and has been a favorite since 1725.  The flatbread is shaped into a boat, or a flat American football, if that helps you visualize it, then filled with a variety of delicious fillings, from beef, to cheese, to spinach....yum!

 

 

 

This was my first attempt at making these, so although they were absolutely delicious, I wasn't thrilled with the final look.  It takes a bit of practice to make sure the Pide doesn't open up, and stays flat around the edges.

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this recipe, it is a great alternative to your usual Friday night pizza.  

The recipe I'm sharing with you, is from one of my favorite Turkish channels on Youtube.  I just love Aysenur, she is such a sweet lady and shares so many wonderful recipes.  Be sure to give her a follow.

Turkish Pide

Source: Turkish Food Travel

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 25 gr. fresh yeast or 1 tbsp active dry yeast (use dry yeast according to packet details)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• about 5 to 5+1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt

PIDE TOPPINGS: (You can adjust the amount depending on which pide you want more)

MINCED MEAT TOPPING (This is enough for about 8 pides)

• 1 medium-size onion
• 2 sweet green peppers
• 1 medium-size red capia pepper
• 1 tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 250gr. ground beef (%30 fat would be ideal if you can get it)
• 1 tsp salt and ground black pepper
• if the meat doesn’t have much fat add 3-4 tbsp olive oil

SPINACH TOPPING/ FILLING (for 3 pide)

• 1 small onion
• two handfuls of fresh washed and pat dried spinach
• 1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper

CHEESE TOPPING (use as much as pide you want) Turkish white cheese (crumbled) shredded kashar or mozzarella cheese

 

How to make Turkish Pide

Prepare the simple yeast dough:

1. In a mixing bowl add lukewarm water, yeast, sugar. Disolve the yeast or use according to package. Add most of the flour amount along with salt and knead adding more flour if needed until it is smooth and elastic.
2. Cover and let it rise until almost doubled in size

Toppings:

Traditionally we use a special knife to chop veggies and minced meat together. But it is easier to make it in a food processor. You can choose whichever you like.

• For minced meat topping: In a big size food processor process onion, red and green pepper until it is chopped in small cubes. Add peeled tomato, salt, black pepper, red pepper and tomato pastes and minced meat. Process pulsing until everything is chopped and mixed well. If the minced meat doesnt contain much fat you can drizzle a little bit olive oil.
• For spinach filling: Proccess onion with washed and dry spinach leaves, salt and pepper pulsing until everything is chopped (don’t make it very small) While fill it you can alternately add crumbled Turkish white cheese (or feta) or kashar, mozarella cheese (Check the video)
• Cheese and Sujuk topping: (use as much as pide you want) Turkish white cheese (crumbled) shredded kashar or mozzarella cheese

Shaping The Pide:

Rolling Turkish pide dough

Classic Open Pide Shape (Açık pide)

• Heat the oven to highest setting (about 230 to 250C). Cut the risen dough into 12 pieces and shape them round. Cover the ones you don’t use with a damp clean kitchen towel or freezer bag so they don’t get dry. 
• Roll out one piece in a lightly floured surface into a oblong shape that can fit to your baking try. Place then to the try that is lined with baking paper. Add generaously from the minced meat filling (about two full tbsp) on top leaving 1cm space in sides. Spread evenly with back of a spoon or your hand.
• Fold the sides of the pides inside and press them well.
• Pinch the ends and seal. Hold from the corners and strech a bit more as far as it can fit to your tray and place it back. Brush the sides with egg yolk and bake until sides and bottom has nice golden color.