Lentil Soup from Jordan

Warning: This soup is very ugly, and very delicious.

1 cup lentils
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 onion
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp cumin
1 lemon

Boil lentils, potato and onion until potato is soft (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and let sit five minutes. Blend until smooth and put back in pot. Add tomato sauce and spices and water if it needs it. Heat through for 5-10 minutes or whatever. Serve with lemon slices to squeeze over soup.

Variation: use ½ Tbsp curry instead of cumin

from Helen Macfarlane and her friend Michelle Laraway

Arabic Hamburger Kebabs

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2/3 green onions, minced
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand in fridge one hour to blend flavors. Make into meatballs or skewer into round kebabs. Broil in oven or grill over hot coals. Tastes like being in the Middle East without the gunfire.

from Helen Macfarlane and her friend Michelle Laraway