The Electric Kitchen: Middle Eastern favorites

Middle Eastern food is gaining in popularity, taking over fast-casual restaurants serving flavorful, fresh and healthful foods.

Hummus, probably the best known dish, is a mashed chickpea dip made with tahini, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. You can find it mixed with red peppers, Sriracha, and even carrots! If you like hummus, you’ll love baba ghanoush and moutabal, an eggplant-based dip with savory spices.

With so many options, from delicious salads to skewered chicken and garlic puree in a pita, Middle Eastern food has won over the hearts of food lovers everywhere.

BAKLAVA

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1 pound chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts and pecans)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (16-ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter, melted

>> Sauce:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, toss chopped nuts with cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half. Cover with dampened cloth to keep dough from drying out.

Place 2 sheets of dough in pan, brush with butter to cover thoroughly. Repeat until 8 sheets are layered in pan.

Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of nut mixture over top layer. Top with 2 more sheets of dough, butter and nuts. Continue layering as you go. The top layer should match the bottom layer, 6-8 sheets thick.

Using a sharp knife, cut through all the layers to make diamond or square shapes. (Tip: Cut 4 long rows, then make diagonal cuts.) Bake about 50 minutes, until baklava is golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, make sauce: Combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to boil; stir to melt sugar. Add vanilla and honey; simmer about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over top. Let cool. Serve in cupcake cups. Makes 24 pieces. Store uncovered or it will get soggy. Freezes well.

Approximate nutritional information, per piece: 310 calories, 21 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 15 g sugar, 5 g protein.

BAKED FALAFELS

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground coriander, garlic powder and onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup panko
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap onion in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Set aside in bowl.

In a food processor, process garbanzo beans, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and baking soda until coarsely pureed. Add to onions. Stir in flour, egg and panko.

Shape mixture into 9 small patties and let stand 15 minutes.

In a large oven-safe skillet over medium, heat olive oil. Fry patties in skillet until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until heated through, 10-15 minutes. Serves 3.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 200 calories, 7 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 8 g protein.

BEEF KOFTA KEBABS

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 tablespoon EACH ground cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and cayenne pepper
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

Mash garlic and salt into a paste with a mortar and pestle or use the flat side of a chef’s knife on a cutting board.

In a large bowl, mix garlic paste and beef, along with onion, parsley and all spices until well blended.

Form mixture into 8 balls. Mold each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into 2-inch ovals. Place kebabs on baking sheet, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 12 hours.

Heat an outdoor grill on medium, and lightly oil grate.

Cook skewers on preheated grill, turning occasionally, until beef has cooked to desired doneness, about 6 minutes for medium. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 450 calories, 27 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 1,300 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 43 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.