SYRIAN BEANS AND RICE

My grandmother is Arabic and this meal always makes me think of her. it is only one of my favorite middle eastern recipes..... more to come soon!

Beans:

1 – 2 #’s ground lamb browned

1 large chopped onion – browned with ground lamb

add

1 large can of tomatoe juice

1 12 ounce can of tomatoe paste

Season to taste with salt, garlic powder & Syrian pepper (recipe below) – I usually add about 2 tsp. of garlic powder and 1 – 2 T of the Syrian pepper but start out slow, a little at a time and taste as you go.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1- 2 hours .

Add 1 to 1.5 bags of French style frozen green beans about 30 minutes before serving.

Rice:

5 Cups water

2 Cups Uncle Ben’s long grain rice

2 handfuls of egg noodles crushed

2 – 4 T of melted butter (do not use margarine – the taste is totally different)

1 – 2 tsp salt

Place water in pot and bring to full boil

Add rice to boiling water

Brown noodles in melted butter and add to rice and water when noodles arre golden brown (be careful not to burn)

Add salt, reduce heat to medium low and stir occasionally until rice is cooked tender (about 20 – 25 minutes)

Syrian Pepper (top secret recipe  )

2 portions Cinnamon

1 portion Allspice

1 portion Cloves

1 portion Nutmeg

Place all of the above in a bowl and blend with a fork for about 30 minutes and place in a an airtight container.

*You can start with a Tablespoon of each of these spices till you determine how much you enjoy them.