Armenian Rice
Rice with noodles in chicken broth

4 Tablespoon butter
1 cup uncooked rice
2 oz small egg noodles
2 cups chicken stock
basil (optional)

Melt butter in large saucepan,  add egg  noodles, and cook until browned. Add rice, stir to coat with butter. Cook on medium high heat for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, and optional basil, and stir to mix. Reduce heat, cover, and  cook  for  25-30 minutes until rice is  done. Remove  from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Armenian Eggplant Dip

1 medium egg plant
1/4 cup  chopped red onion
1/2 cup  milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
3 oz Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prick eggplant with a fork in 10-12 places and rub with olive oil. Bake uncovered for about an hour, or until the pulp feels quite soft. Scoop out the pulp and place in a small saucepan. Add lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the water has evaporated - about 5 minutes. Saute the onion in butter. Blend enough of the flour in to make a thick roux, then add milk slowly to form a thick sauce. Beat lightly into the eggplant. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the Parmesan cheese and a few drops of warm milk if dip is too thick. Store overnight in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving with crackers, bagel chips, or strips of crisped pita.

Artichoke Hearts and Potatoes Cooked in Oil and Lemon
Serves 4
 
1 teaspoon Whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoon Whole coriander seeds
2 Whole bay leaves
4 Garlic cloves; peeled, and lightly mashed
3 tb Lemon juice; plus 1 Whole lemon
1/2 cup  Olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt; or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1 Boiling potato (about 8 oz.)
1 small Onion
 
Tie up the fennel, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and garlic in a cheesecloth bundle and drop into a 2-1/2 quart pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the cheesecloth bundle, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and sugar.  Mix and set aside. Halve the lemon.

Cut off the long artichoke stems, if there are any.  Starting near the stem end, press back the artichoke leaves, one by one, and then snap them off. Keep doing this until you have gone past the bowl part of the artichoke that harbors the heat and have reached the paler inner leaves. Using a sharp knife (a serrated one is particularly good), cut off the remaining leafy area and discard it. Immediately rub all cut sections with a lemon half. Scoop away the "choke" in the center of the artichoke with a grapefruit spoon. Squeeze a little lemon juice into this area and rub it in. Using a sharp paring knife, trim the outside of the artichoke bowl so there are no more dark green sections left and the bowl gets a smooth appearance.

Rub these newly cut sections with lemon. Cut each artichoke heart into four, again rubbing cut sections with lemon. Cut and prepare the remaining artichokes the same way. Peel the potato and cut into sections that seem roughly the same size as the pieces of artichoke heart. Peel the onion and cut it into eight sections. Put the artichoke hearts, potatoes, and onion into prepared liquid and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 12 minutes. Remove a piece of potato and a piece of artichoke. Cut off sections of each and taste for doneness and balance of salt and lemon. You may add more of either seasoning at this time if you wish.  Cover and simmer another 3 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Uncover and cool the vegetables in the liquid. You may refrigerate the contents of the pot if you wish. When serving, remove the cool (or cold) vegetables with a slotted spoon. Do not serve the liquid.

Tabouleh
(Wheat Salad)
Serve 6

1 cup bulghour
1 cup cold water
1 cup minced parsley
1 cup shopped green onion
3 tablespoons fresh mint
2 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Dash cayenne
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cucumber, peeled and grated
1/2 cup ice water

Combine bulghour with the remainder of ingredients and refrigerate 1 hour before serving. To serve, line a serving bowl with Romaine lettuce leaves. Mould Tabouleh in the center.