RECIPES: Thanksgiving meal makes room for family’s Lebanese roots
“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays,” said Hala Yassine. “It’s about family, about being thankful. It has a special place in my heart.”
One reason may be because it was at a Thanksgiving dinner in 2015 that their siblings encouraged Yassine and sister Farrah Haidar to open their Johns Creek bakery, Seven Sisters Scones, a name that references the seven sisters in the family.
Theirs is an immigrant Thanksgiving, a blend of old and new traditions for the family with roots in Lebanon. The family immigrated to the United States in 1975. Escaping the civil war in their home country were parents Yousef and Maha and eight children, with mother Maha pregnant with Farrah. The parents and some of the children returned to Lebanon a decade later while other siblings stayed in the States. Yassine was in Monterey, California, working as a sous chef, and Haidar came to the States, moving to Boston for college. When Yassine was ready to start the bakery in Johns Creek, Haidar moved to Atlanta to work with her.
As for so many families, COVID-19 changed their holiday celebration, but the sisters remember family celebrations with those conversations about who would make what and where they would gather. “My kids don’t like turkey, so we make a filet instead,” said Yassine. “We do like all the sides, including the sweet potatoes, and we’re always thinking, ‘Let’s make one more dish.’ I say as Lebanese we just don’t know how to quit.” This year, they will gather at Haidar’s house.
While they may serve a filet and traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, the heart of the meal consists of the dishes that remind them of home, especially the sfeeha (meat pies), tabbouleh (bulgur salad) and warak enab (stuffed grape leaves).
“We grew up with these dishes and some of my best memories are of my mother making sfeeha. She would set up a table and make one after another after another. Now it’s up to us,” said Haidar. Their mother died last year.
Preparing sfeeha and warak enab takes time, making them a perfect social activity. “You want to serve the grape leaves cool, so you don’t make them the day of the dinner. We get together the day before, sit down with coffee and roll them and talk. Many hands make light work,” said Yassine.
On the day of the dinner, Yassine is the main chef and Haidar says she assists.
There will be a yogurt and cucumber salad and perhaps hashwet al-djaj, a dish of rice with spiced ground beef, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts. “Our mom would make this and stuff a small chicken, plus make a dish to serve on the side. It’s a great alternative to bread stuffing,” said Haidar.
Another addition to the table may be a bread basket with puff pastry twists, adapted by Yassine from the breadsticks that are street food in Lebanon. “I made them a little fancier using puff pastry.”
No matter what dishes are on the final menu, their Lebanese American Thanksgiving will be a combination of beloved dishes and cherished family memories.
RECIPES
Sisters Farrah Haidar and Hala Yassine share recipes for traditional Lebanese dishes that will grace their Thanksgiving table.
Akawi Twists
Akawi is a mildly salty Middle Eastern cow’s milk cheese, available at stores carrying Arabic groceries. The sisters shop for the cheese at Global Market or at Jerusalem Bakery, with locations in Marietta, Roswell and Alpharetta. The sisters say you can substitute grated mozzarella and also note that refrigerating the twists before you bake them helps the twists puff better. They also provided a variation using za’atar. Za’atar is a savory blend of dried herbs mixed with toasted sesame seeds, available at many grocery stores in the international food section, or where you shop for akawi. You will also find sumac there.
We prefer puff pastry made with butter like the brands available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market.
- 1/2 cup grated akawi
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 sheet puff pastry (from a 14- or 18.3-ounce package), thawed
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine akawi and feta.
- Arrange a sheet of parchment paper on work surface. Spread half the mixed cheeses over the parchment, forming a rectangle the size and shape of the puff pastry sheet. Lay puff pastry sheet over cheese. Sprinkle puff pastry with remainder of mixed cheeses. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the puff pastry to help the cheese adhere. Cut the puff pastry along the short side into 1-inch-wide strips. Pick up each strip and holding each end, twist the strip into a spiral. Place the spiral on a prepared baking sheet, pressing down each end to keep the spiral from unwinding. Continue until all strips are on the baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- While twists are refrigerated, heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake twists 20 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown and feel dry to the touch. Remove twists to a wire rack to cool. May be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per twist: 144 calories (percent of calories from fat, 64), 3 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 146 milligrams sodium.
Za’atar variation: Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup za’atar and 1/2 teaspoon sumac. Use in the Akawi Twists recipe, substituting the za’atar mixture for the mixed cheeses.
Per twist, Za’atar variation: 177 calories (percent of calories from fat, 74), 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 15 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 245 milligrams sodium.
Tabbouleh
Before starting this recipe, wash the parsley and mint and let them dry thoroughly.
Bulgur is cracked parboiled wheat, available at many grocery stores as well as at shops carrying Arabic groceries. If you can choose between grinds of bulgur, the sisters recommend #2 for this recipe.
- 1 pound firm ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, juices saved, plus extra chopped tomatoes for garnish, if desired
- 1/4 cup bulgur
- 4 green onions, finely sliced
- 4 bunches flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch mint
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- In a large bowl, stir together chopped tomatoes with their juices, bulgur and sliced green onions.
- Remove tough stems from parsley and chop the leaves, then add to the tomato mixture. Pick the leaves off the mint stems and chop the leaves, then add to the tomato mixture. Cover bowl and set aside until ready to serve. If there will be more than a 30-minute wait, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add olive oil and lemon juice and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, if desired.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/2-cup serving: 79 calories (percent of calories from fat, 80), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 12 milligrams sodium.
Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab)
Before starting this recipe, wash the parsley and mint and let them dry thoroughly.
You may need more or fewer potatoes than called for in the recipe. The goal is to cover the bottom of the Dutch oven with a layer of potato rounds. In our photo, the potatoes were removed from the inverted grape leaves and arranged around the dish. The cooked tomatoes were discarded.
Note that when adding salt and pepper to the rice mixture, you want the mixture to taste a little salty since this is also the salt that will season the rice as it cooks.
When arranging the grape leaves for cooking, you’ll want at least 1 1/2 inches of space above the stacked bundles to make room for boiling liquid, and the plate and weight that keep the stuffed grape leaves below the level of the liquid. If you have more stuffed grape leaves than will fit comfortably in your Dutch oven, arrange the remainder in a saucepan and cook using the same method.
- 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, divided
- 4 bunches flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch mint
- 4 green onions, finely sliced
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (1-pound) jar brined grape leaves
- In a large bowl, rinse rice with cool water. Keep rinsing until the water is no longer cloudy. Cover rice with water and set aside for 1 hour. Drain rice and discard soaking liquid, leaving rice in the bowl.
- Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a Dutch oven. Line the bottom of the Dutch oven with potato slices. Slice enough tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds, about 3/4 pound, to make a layer on top of the potatoes. Arrange on top of the potatoes.
- Finely chop the remainder of the tomatoes, capturing the juices, and add chopped tomatoes and juice to the drained rice.
- Remove tough stems from parsley and chop the leaves, then add to the drained rice. Pick the leaves off the mint stems and chop the leaves, then add to the drained rice. Stir in sliced green onions. In a measuring cup, stir together the lemon juice and remaining 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in cayenne, then taste the liquid and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over rice. Stir well, then drain liquid off rice, capturing liquid for later use. You should have about 1 cup.
- Carefully remove grape leaves from jar. They can be very tender at this point. Discard brine. Rinse grape leaves and if needed, remove stems. Lay a few grape leaves on a work surface, pointed side facing you. If leaves are heavily lobed, you may want to overlap 2 leaves. Top each leaf with 1 tablespoon rice mixture, laid horizontally across the middle of the leaf.
- Roll the grape leaf like a burrito, bringing the right and left sides toward the center, then roll from the pointed end of the leaf toward the wide end, wrapping fairly tightly. Place each rolled leaf on top of the tomatoes in the Dutch oven, seam side down. As you arrange, keep the stuffed grape leaves close together. Continue until all grape leaves or filling has been used. Pour the reserved liquid over the stuffed grape leaves and add enough water to cover everything.
- To keep the stuffed grape leaves submerged, top everything with a heatproof plate just large enough to fit inside the pot, then add a heatproof weight to keep the plate below the water. Add more water if needed to cover the plate. Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat so liquid is simmering and cover the pot.
- Simmer 75 minutes and remove a stuffed grape leaf, tasting to see if the rice is tender. Continue checking every 5 minutes until rice is ready. Remove from heat and let stuffed grape leaves cool. Remove weight and plate and carefully drain any water left in the Dutch oven.
- Place a large platter over the Dutch oven and carefully invert the platter and Dutch oven so the stuffed grape leaves come out of the pot with the potatoes on top, with the layer of tomatoes under the potatoes. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per grape leaf: 42 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 1 gram protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 163 milligrams sodium.
Maha’s Spiral Meat Pies (Sfeeha)
Haidar remembers these as her mother’s signature dish. “These are paper-thin, crispy, buttery dough, stuffed with spiced meat and made into a spiral. They can be served as an appetizer or as part of the main meal.”
Pomegranate molasses and sumac can be found at some grocery stores or in stores that carry Arabic groceries. The family prefers King Arthur all-purpose flour for the dough and says you can make the dough by hand if you prefer, kneading for about 14 minutes or until the dough is shiny and feels elastic.
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing baking sheets and working with dough
- 3 tablespoons powdered milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water, or as needed
- Make filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until the meat is no longer pink and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to break the ground beef into fine crumbles. Add onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon and taste for seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then stir in pomegranate molasses and sumac. Stir in pine nuts, if using. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. May be made up to 1 day ahead.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, 3 tablespoons olive oil, powdered milk, sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn mixer on low and add water slowly until you have a sticky dough. Turn mixer to medium speed and knead 9 minutes. Dough should be shiny and have an elastic feel.
- Brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Remove dough from mixer and pinch off 12 golf ball-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then arrange on prepared baking sheet, turning each piece so it is coated with oil on all sides. Lightly cover baking sheet with a dish towel and allow dough to rest 4 hours.
- When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush another baking sheet generously with olive oil and oil hands as well. Brush work surface with more olive oil. Take each ball of dough and using fingers, spread into a 9-inch circle on work surface. The dough should be almost transparent. Top dough with 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling and spread evenly, leaving edges of dough free from filling. Roll dough into a tightly packed cylinder, then coil the cylinder into a spiral. Arrange spiral on prepared baking sheet. Continue until all spirals have been rolled. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. May be served hot or at room temperature.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per spiral, without pine nuts: 223 calories (percent of calories from fat, 25), 12 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 25 milligrams cholesterol, 324 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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