Armenian Khavits Recipes

ARMENIAN SHISH KABOB

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, lemon juice, wine, and garlic; season with salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaf. Toss lamb with marinade until evenly combined, then pour into a resealable plastic bag, and marinate in refrigerator at least 24 hours.
• Position oven rack to its top setting and set oven to broil.
• Remove lamb from marinade and thread onto metal skewers; reserve marinade. Thread onion wedges, green peppers, and mushrooms onto separate metal skewers. Brush vegetables with reserved marinade.
• Broil the skewers on a broiler pan, turning frequently. Cook onions for 12 minutes, lamb for 10 minutes, green pepper for 7 minutes, and the mushrooms for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle.
• Remove skewers from ingredients and set aside. Reassemble skewers, alternating lamb, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Place onto broiler pan and brush again with marinade. Discard remaining marinade.
• Broil skewers again to finish cooking, turning frequently until the lamb is medium-rare and the vegetables begin to blacken in spots, 5 to 7 minutes.

ARMENIAN KHAVITS

Steps:

• Place the cracked wheat, water, and salt in the slow cooker insert. (If you are using something other than wheat you have cracked yourself, use the liquid instructions on the package as your guide.)
• Cover and cook on low overnight, about 8 hours.
• In the morning, stir the cinnamon into the wheat, then spoon the cereal into individual bowls and top each portion with 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of feta cheese, 1 tablespoon of pistachios, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of flaxseed.
• Pour half-and-half over the top and enjoy!
• I would opt for a cup of freshly brewed black tea, especially one that has fragrant hints of smoke, such as Scottish breakfast tea.

ARMENIAN KUFTA

Steps:

• For the outside shell, mix 1-1/2 lbs. ground lamb, bulghur, onion, salt, pepper and parsley together with 1 cup of water. Knead until it becomes cohesive and dough like.
• Set aside and brown 1 lb lamb with large chopped onion until meat is cooked. Add parsley, salt and pepper and cool.
• In the meantime, roll outside shell mixture into balls the size of a small egg. Use a bowl of ice water to keep mixture from sticking to your hands. Shape into cups by inserting your thumb into ball and rotating in your opposite hand until you form a thin shell. Keep wetting your hands in the ice water to keep shell from cracking.
• Fill shell with cooked meat mixture, about 1 tablespoon, close shell, wetting hands with ice water, and seal opening.
• Set aside on a sheet pan, continue to roll balls. Place tray in refrigerator to chill.
• Boil 2 quarts of broth, add pasta and vegetables. Add meatballs and cook them 10 minutes or until they rise to the top.
• Sometimes served with yogurt on the side.

CHAIMEN- AN ARMENIAN SPICE RUB! (USE FOR BASTERMA)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients.
• Add a enough water, a little at a time, to make.
• the mixture as thick as waffle dough.
• Blend well to avoid lumps.
• This mixture may be kept in fridge for several weeks.
• Eat by dipping bread morsels into the dish of Chaimen.
• Use Chaimen to make Basterma, The dried Armenian Jerky!