Middle Eastern Christmas Recipes
By Saad Fayed
mideastfood.about.com
Despite popular belief, Christmas is observed in some Middle Eastern countries. There are many Christians living in the Middle East with most living in Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. Saudi Arabia currently has a ban on any other religion besides Islam, therefor no Arab Christians can be accounted for in that country. Smaller Arab Christian populations can be found in Iraq, Turkey,
and other countries.
The Christmas dinner menu varies from country to country, depending on what ingredients are available and what is native to each region. Here are some dishes you may find for Christmas dinner across the Middle East:
The Mezze, or Appetizers
Appetizers in the Middle East are an important part of the meal. You will find many dishesserved on small plates in a Middle Eastern mezze. Common Middle Eastern appetizers include:
Hummus is one of the most popular Middle Eastern appetizers. Made with mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and spices, hummus is used as a dip for breads, pita sandwiches, and even
Baba ghannouj (ba-ba gan-oosh) is just as fun to eat as it is to say! This eggplant based dip if
Spinach fatayer, are small, triangular spinach pies
Main Dishes
Lamb dishes are the most popular holiday main dish because it is widely available. Unlike western countries, turkeys in the Middle East are very small, and many would be required to serve a large group of people. Middle Eastern Christian families in the U.S. commonly adopt traditional western holiday customs like a turkey or ham. Pork products, however, are not widely available in Middle Eastern countries due to the large Islamic following.Roast leg of lamb may sound difficult, but is just as simple to prepare as beef roast. Leg of lamb
If you are serving a turkey this holiday season, why not stuff it with pomegranate stuffing! Pomegranates and turkey compliment each other very well. Try this pomegranate stuffing recipe
Baked ham is one of the most popular Christmas main course. About.com's own Southern Food Guide, Diana Rattray has several baked ham for you family to enjoy.
Side Dishes
Several dishes may be offered, and the most common may be:Couscous is an easy versatile, grain that goes with everything. Couscous can be "doctored up"
Green beans with toasted pine nuts is the perfect side dish for any meat for chicken dish. The crunchiness of the nuts compliments the green beans very well. Try this green beans with pine nuts recipe.
Steamed asparagus with lemon is the perfect side dish. Not only is it easy to make, it has few ingredients. Completely foolproof!
Middle Eastern Desserts
Dessert is one of the most anticipated courses of a holiday meal. In the Middle East, you will commonly find fruit as the dessert, depending on whats in season. It is light, sweet, and aBaklava takes a lot of time to make. It's sticky and gooey. You will get messy - thats a given. But
Baked quinces are a great dessert. Quinces are like an apple or pear, with a little more tartness.
Middle Eastern people are famous for stuffing food -think stuffed grape leaves, stuffed green peppers. Fruits are not excluded. Dates are perfect for stuffing! These stuffed dates are stuffed
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