Labneh

A friend from the Galilee area came to visit a bit ago and told me about some of the foods they’ve been eating while meeting with people in the Arabic villages in the area. One that intrigued me to try was Labneh. It’s very simple to prepare and is versatile in it’s flavorings.

– Yogurt
– Cheese Cloth (or other meshed cloth)
– Herbs & Spices

Set a cheese cloth in a strainer, or suspend it in a jar with a rubber band. Fill with yogurt and put in the fridge for a couple/few days. The liquid will filter out.

This was filled to the top, so quite a bit of liquid will filter out.

The remaining becomes more solid and soft cheese like.

Chop some herbs to mix in. I used green onions and the tops of fresh garlic. And by fresh I mean fresh.. like just pulled from the ground. The tops are basically green onions with garlic taste.. awesome.

Mix it all together and you get a little bit of awesome that is great on crackers, pita, as a sandwich spread, etc.

The taste before the herbs is very light and neutral. So as you can imagine it could be flavored in a variety of ways. Here are some I’ve been thinking about.

– Mustard greens and Dill
– Cinnamon, Vanilla, dash of sugar
– Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary (Garlic Herb bread anyone?)
– Cilantro and Parsley
Za’atar and Olive Oil

Cheese Crackers

Cheese Crackers .. like Cheez-Its but cheesy and buttery instead of oily and chemically.

1/3 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese (extra sharp is best)
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Warmed Butter
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Flour
3 Tbsp Ice Cold Water

Thoroughly mix cheeses, butter, and salt. Gradually mix in flour until mixture is crumbly. Add 1 Tbsp of water at a time mixing thoroughly between each spoonful until mixture is a firm dough. Press into a disk like you would a pie crust, then wrap in plastic and set in the fridge for an hour or so.

After dough is set, cut into two pieces then roll each piece onto baking paper until very thin. Divide the rolled dough with a pizza cutter or knife.

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Bake at 200° C for about 15 minutes or until fully cooked and golden. Even what may appear to be slightly more done than it should be will turn out awesome and crunchy. Experiment.. you’ll see.

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