Lebanon

Lebanon (#10) Malfouf (Stuffed Cabbage Leaves)

I have had this recipe bookmarked since I first started this blog in 2013.  Turns out it was well worth the wait to finally make it.  The ingredients are ground beef (or lamb), uncooked rice, and a little cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg.  A head of cabbage is boiled for a few minutes until the leaves can easily be peeled off.  The leaves are stuffed with the meat mixture, rolled cigar-shaped then stacked in a deep pot that has been coated with a little oil.  Fill the pot with water just to the top of the cabbage rolls.  Add the juice of 3 or 4 lemons, and 5 or 6 cloves of garlic.  Place a small plate on top to keep the cabbage rolls from floating, cover and cook for about an hour.  Serve with lemon and yogurt sauce.

Philippines

Philippines (#9) Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)

This dish is the national dish of the Philippines and I'm so glad I discovered it.  It can be cooked with chicken or pork, or a combination of both.  I used organic chicken thighs but any cut of the chicken can be used.  They're stewed in a mixture of onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, soy sauce and vinegar until fall-off-the-bone tender.  The recipe called for only 6-8 peppercorns but I like a burst of peppercorns in every bite so I tripled that amount.  This is one of those recipes that is even better the next day.  http://www.whats4eats.com/poultry/adobong-manok-recipe