Garlic Sauce

Garlic sauce...

Depends on who you ask and where you come from, garlic sauce can be made a lot of different ways, Egyptian style, Lebanese, Saudi, everyone has thier own way, but these two are our favourites. T especially is a fan.

4 cloves garlic finely minced
1 cup canola oil (it's taste is inert and won't fight the rest of the ingredients)
1 or 2 egg whites (depending on size of eggs)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt (more or less to taste)


In a food processor put the garlic and salt.
Turn on the food processor and very slowly add the oil and the lemon juice in small quantities, alternating until gone. It should emulsify.
Scrape down the sides.
Turn the machine back on and add an egg white, blending it until it looks like mayonnaise. You might need to add the second egg white, depending on the size of the eggs you used. I have thought about using a pasteurized egg white substitute instead of the raw egg. I haven't done it yet, but I will let you know when we do!
This recipe can be kept in the fridge for about a week.


or without egg...

1 bulb of garlic peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup canola oil

Add into a blender the minced garlic, lemon juice and salt.
VERY slowly add in the canola oil and allow to emulsify.
It should be the consistency of a thick mayo.
Put into a jar and it can be kept for awhile in the fridge.


It goes amazing on the shwarmas, pita bread, on steak, the possibilities are endless.

Hummus

So T and I are a little obsessed with Middle Eastern cuisine.
There was a fantastic Egyptian place close to where we used to live in the land of lakes and warm weather. We haven't been able to go for a bite lately, as we're on the prairies now and we miss it.

They made the most fantastic fresh pita bread, but it was their hummus and garlic sauce (that would stay with you for days) that were the real winners here.
We have tried to replicate these little gems to make shwarmas at home that much better... we have had some success, which I will share with you now.

Hummus
1 can drained and washed chick peas (reserve the water from the can for later)
Tahini (ground sesame seeds) about 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves peeled to taste (we usually do 1/2 a bulb, but we live dangerously)
A whole lemon juiced
Salt to taste


In a food processor add the tahini, chick peas and garlic.
You will most likely have to add in the water from the can to get the right consistency. Add in a little lemon juice and salt to taste.

The best way to do this recipe is to go by taste. T, the boy and I LOVE the super garlic-y hummus, but it is an acquired taste. Play around with different amounts of different ingredients to get a taste that you like.

We have thrown in roasted red peppers, jalepenos, Masala spices among others just to make it interesting or if we are using the hummus as a dip, like for veggies or as an appetizer.