Many Middle Eastern breakfasts involve different ways of cooking eggs. Sarah Khalil / The Blue & Gray Press by SARAH KHALIL Staff Writer When cooking your eggs in the morning, they don’t have to be plain and boring; there are various ways to enjoy eggs with a hint of […]
Click here to view original web page at blueandgraypress.com
by SARAH KHALIL
Staff Writer
When cooking your eggs in the morning, they don’t have to be plain and boring; there are various ways to enjoy eggs with a hint of Middle Eastern taste. The following recipes are very popular in parts of the Middle East. Although they are mainly enjoyed during breakfast, they can be eaten during any time of day. These recipes are healthy and easy to make and use affordable, common ingredients.
Fava bean eggs
The first recipe is a way to enjoy eggs with beans. Fava beans are called “ful” in the Arabic language. They have a unique taste and are used in many creative ways. You can enjoy fava beans on their own or add other ingredients to them, such as eggs and vegetables. This recipe can be served with pita bread or any other type of bread. It is best when the bread is toasted or warm.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs, beaten.
- 1 (15 oz.) can fava beans
- 1 medium-size cucumber, diced
- 1 medium-size tomato, diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Splash of sesame seed oil (optional)
- 1 ½ tbsp. salt
- ¼ tbsp. black pepper powder
- 1 ½ tbsp. cumin powder
- ½ tbsp. chili powder (optional)
Instructions:
- Strain out the water from the canned fava beans.
- Add the fava beans into a bowl and mash the beans using a fork.
- Add the cucumber and tomato. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Add the salt, black pepper, cumin and (optional) chili powder. Mix all of the ingredients together.
- Heat up the skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat.
- Add the eggs (scrambled). Stir occasionally for 4-6 minutes, depending on how you like the consistency of the egg.
- Remove the skillet from heat and let the eggs cool.
- Transfer the eggs into a separate bowl.
- Add the mixture of fava beans and vegetables on top of the eggs.
- Add a splash of sesame seed oil on top (optional).
Shakshuka
This dish is packed with flavors and nutrients, and it consists of a mixture of eggs and vegetables. The word shakshuka simply means “a mixture” in the Arabic language. This recipe can be served with pita bread or any other type of bread.
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- ½ bell pepper, diced
- 1 (10 oz.) can of unsalted diced tomato
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. salt
- ¼ tbsp. black pepper powder
- 2 ½ tbsp. paprika
- 2 tbsp. cumin powder
- ½ tbsp. chili powder (optional)
- Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Heat up the skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and onion. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to change colors.
- Add the bell pepper and stir occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add the salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin and (optional) chili powder, stirring until these are well mixed.
- Add the canned diced tomato and stir until it is well mixed. Lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Create four empty circles in the pan.
- Crack the four eggs, one in each of the circles.
- Cover the skillet and let the food cook for 8-10 minutes, depending on how you like the consistency of the egg.
- After the eggs are cooked to your desired liking, turn off the heat and let it cool.
- Add chopped cilantro on top (optional).
White cheese eggs
White cheese is one of the most popular types of cheese in the Middle East. It’s the key to transforming any dish, and it has a soft texture that melts in the mouth. This recipe is the best way to combine eggs with cheese and vegetables, and it is made with few ingredients. The addition of the white cheese adds extra creaminess and texture to the dish. This recipe can be served with pita bread or any other type of bread, but it’s best if the bread is toasted.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium-size tomato, diced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 oz. Middle Eastern white cheese
- ¼ tbsp. cumin
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper powder
- Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- In a pan, boil the eggs for 12-15 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the eggs cool.
- Peel off the eggshell.
- Put the eggs in a bowl, and mash the eggs using a fork.
- Add the tomato and onions, using a fork to mash all of the ingredients together.
- Add the white cheese. Mash well using a fork until the ingredients are well mixed.
- Add salt, cumin and black pepper. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Add cilantro on top (optional).
by THERON GERTZ
Staff Writer
International students aren’t easily identifiable upon first glance. Much like shapeshifters, one can usually only identify them by very minor idiosyncrasies revealed through prolonged conversation. Unlike shape-shifters, they are real people whose experiences we should try and empathize with and better understand. I know this because I initially transferred here from Japan.
To start this discussion about the international student’s experience, we must first note that culture shock is real and jarring. People who are born in the U.S. might not consider some things strange, but they can appear truly bizarre to non-native citizens. To list some of my first impressions, I’ve noticed Americans’ road rage and how often they honk and curse each other out on the road. I’ve also observed how little they know about the rest of the world compared to other groups. Living in Asian and European countries, I felt a much stronger cultural emphasis on being worldly and informed about different cultures.
Unfortunately, this information leads me to my next point, which is that telling people you’re an international student––or, more organically, telling people you’re from “X” country––is a lot like telling them you’re vegan. More often than not, they will respond with a quick “that’s cool,” and allow the subject to change. Best case scenario, they may throw a few declaratory statements about how “they aren’t, but how cool it is that you are” or ask a couple of superficial questions. Either way, the eventual result is the same: conversational annihilation.
As an international student, isolation is an incredibly terrifying prospect, making it especially important to make friends. Without family members close by, you have few other options for a support net. While many international students can attest to having made lifelong friendships, most can also admit it is initially difficult to connect with locals.
One of the first things I noticed upon arriving here was just how much of Virginians’ small-talk is based around the state itself; historical knowledge, district rivalries, regional descriptions such as NoVA (Northern Virginia) and SWVA (Southwest Virginia) are rife. Having a conversation with a local Virginian feels eerily similar to taking a test without having read the textbook pages that you were assigned. This even holds up for their specific vocab terms, such as “seeing someone in a brick,” or, upon finding something funny, being “geeked.”
Another important fact worth noting is how different the relationship of an international student with this university is compared to that of non-international students. For example, it may be significantly harder to feel school pride when you’re paying almost twice what an in-state student does. Regardless, not having a family to visit means you will become more acquainted with this school than the average person. I know this university like the back of my hand, mainly because I’ve spent the past three, almost four, years living in it. What this often means for international students is that they will become more acquainted with school facilities than native students could possibly imagine. For us, financial aid, the student health center or the Talley Center are not resources that are “nice to have” and that you can possibly put off until going home; rather, they are absolutely essential.
Holidays are uniquely bad in this regard. More often than not, I stay on campus and choose to wait out the days. Without its usual population, the school looks like New York did in the movie “I Am Legend.” That is to say, eerie and depressing. The few people who are on campus seem to make frictionless eye contact with you, and it almost never leads to social interaction.
Still, despite all of this, it’s not all bad. Not being from here means you can better appreciate all that the area has to offer. I can attest to Virginia’s spring being one of the most beautiful anywhere in the world. Likewise, while not perfect, Virginians are, more often than not, incredibly well-meaning. A big part of why I decided to stay here was because of the warmth and support people showed me.
To truly survive in a place, you often have to find your own niche, and nothing teaches you that more effectively than living in a foreign country. While I believe people are fundamentally good, not all of them may be your crowd. Still, you will find out that many of them are, country or culture of origin notwithstanding.
