Lenten Recipes part 3

Lebanese tuna casserole  (Servings: 8     Prep time: 25 Minutes)

Ingredients

• 2 cans tuna medium
• 2 onions (big) thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup 7 Spice or white pepper
• White vinegar for tuna marinade

The Tahini Sauce

•  1/2 cup Tahini
• 2 cloves garlic pounded to creamy texture
• 1 cup water as per consistence
• 1/2 cup lemon juice or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt pr to taste

Toppings

• 1/4 cup pine kernels
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 4-5 heads fresh parsley

Instructions

Preparing the Tuna

1. Drain the Tuna from its liquid, mince it with a fork and marinate it well with white Vinegar
2.    Slice the onions in thin length and fry them on High heat first then on Medium when the oil starts bubbling. Toss constantly so they won’t burn or change color.

3. M Meanwhile prepare the Tahini Sauce

Making the Tahini Sauce (Tarator)

1. In a separate bowl, mix well the creamy garlic with the Tahini.
2. To succeed the Tarator mixture, it is important to proceed gradually with the liquids while blending.
3. So first, add water slowly and gradually as you mix. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
4. Second, add the lemon juice slowly gradually while mixing. The Tahini Sauce, or Tarator, is ready now, Place the bowl aside.

Cooking The Tajen

1. Your onions should be ready by now. Drain them from ALL the oil and place them back into the same frying pan (out of the fire)
2. Drain the tuna from the vinegar, add them to the onions in the pan, and mix all smoothly.
3. Pour the tahini mixture over the onions and tuna in the pan and cook at low to medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Mix constantly. Meanwhile, start preparing the toppings:

Preparing The Toppings

1. Fry the Pine kernels to golden brown on Medium Heat. Be careful, Pine nuts burn very quickly.
2. Drain em from the oil and spread them without delay on a thick kitchen towel paper. Cover all with towel paper and pat them down smoothly. This will remove all the oil to keep the dish healthy and light.
3. Follow same steps for the Almonds.

Bringing the Tajen together: Serving

1. Pour the Tajen on a serving plate and spread it nicely. Top it with the golden fried Pine kernels and almonds.
2. BeBefore serving and as the Tajen cools down, decorate with half-slices of lemon on the sides of the plate as you like.
3. GaGather the heads of the fresh parsley into a very small bouquet and plant it in the center of the Tajen. Another option is to sprinkle finely chopped parsley around the tajen and a little on the top center.

To serve

1. Warm or at room temperature; with Lebanese bread, toasted, fried or soft.
2. ThThe most delicious option, and not the healthier one, is fried Lebanese bread. In that case, we cut the bread in small to medium triangle forms, fry them to golden, place them between layers of paper kitchen towel and pat out the oil. I recommend you try it!