Great Pyramids of Giza? More Like Great Pyramids of Can-I-Please-a Have Some More

We all know how to walk like an Egyptian, but how about eat like one? Well if your part of the 97% of the world who have no idea what Egyptians eat, it's ok...let us enlighten you.

Establishing their civilization along the banks of the Nile, the Ancient Egyptians set themselves up to eat very very well. The fertile soil provided by the Lady Nile, along with new innovative irrigation techniques, allowed them to cultivate basic crops like cereals, vegetables, and fruits. The most common items used in Egyptian Middle Kingdom cuisine were onions, different types of beans (i.e. lentils, chickpeas) and fruits served with some variety of cereal food. 

Egyptians as whole, were crazy about dates...and not the kind involving drive-in movies. Rich in sugar and protein, dates were significant to the diets of the poor lower class and the noble upper class. However, the nobles coated their dates with honey, a luxury good at the time, while the poor ate them as is. 

Since this diet led to imperial domination...of a very solid portion of Africa and Middle East, we decided we had to make something from this fascinating civilization. We decided to prepare Egytpian Koshary Pasta...along with Tiger Nut Sweets for dessert. Are y'all excited? Because I sphinx this dish is going to be quite tasty!!

Egyptian Koshary Pasta, a meatless dish which layers common grains (rice, lentils, and pasta) with a tomato-cinnamon flavored sauce. 

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups cooked penne pasta

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin , divided

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 cup cooked lentils

1 can (15 ounces)  crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon  Crushed Red Pepper

3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups), optional*

mmm lentils

Instructions:

1. Combine rice and pasta; spoon into the bottom of a shallow serving platter. Keep warm.

2. Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta.

3. Combine tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash. Spoon tomato mixure over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, prepare crisp-brown onions as directed below and add as a topping.

*Cook onions in large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, stirring frequently, until brown and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.

Tiger Nut Sweets, recipe from 1600 BCE.

 

Ingredients:

1cup of fresh dates

1t of cinnamon

1/2 cup of fresh ground walnuts 

small amount of warm honey 

dish full of fine ground almonds

Instructions:

1. Mix the dates with some water to paste 

2. Mix in cinnamon and kardemon seeds 

3. Kneed in the walnuts 

4. Form balls, spread with honey and cover in the ground almonds.