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Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup of broccoli
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1/2 a bellpepper
1/4 cup of grated cheese (of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Salt & pepper

Dice all the vegetables, and in a non-stick pan start adding the olive oil, onions then the rest of the vegetables. Whisk the eggs then add, and mix them all together. Add the cumin, salt and pepper then the cheese.
Serve with pita bread.
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Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 big onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 can of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans
2 cups of canned cut tomatoes along with the juice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 cup of water
Olive oil
1 tablespoon of all spice (or 7 spices)
Salt and pepper

Take most of the skin of the eggplant by peeling it, leave some stripes and slice it into medium slices. Add salt and pepper, brush it with olive oil and bake it until it's half cooked. Meanwhile, cut the onion in half and slice it, medium slices too not too thin and add to a pan, sprinkle olive oil, some salt and pepper and let it cook until golden, then add the garlic and tomatoes. let all cook until tomatoes are tender then add the allspice, tomato paste and a cup of water and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Now add the chickpeas, mix all together then add the eggplant and let them simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Voila!

Tip: A lot of people still fry the eggplant (half way) and let them drain on a paper towel then add it to the mix. However, I bake them for less calories, but what I do also is after I take them out of the oven, in a non-stick pan I add some olive oil and add the eggplant to brown them a little bit. This gives them a wonderful flavor, color and texture.

For those who like to fry the eggplant, don't forget to sprinkle salt on those slices and let them drain their water half an hour at least before you fry them so they don't absorb a lot of oil.

Serve with any green salad.
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Servings 1-2

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
1 small tomato
1 small bellpepper
1 to 2 scallions (or any kind of onions)
1 clove of garlic minced
Some chopped parsley
Juice of a small lemon and some olive oil
Salt & pepper

Put the whole eggplant as is, (only cut and remove the stem from the top), on a baking sheet and bake it. You'll notice when it's done that the juice came out on the baking sheet and the skin is almost toasted and it becomes soft when you punch it with a knife.
Let it cool for a bit then cut it in half and remove the skin; just cut it roughly into pieces and put it in the salad bowl, it's ok if it has some juice still. Then chop or dice the rest of the ingredients and add them as well. Finally, add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.
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Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of fresh Green beans
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
olive oil, salt and pepper
water

For the Rice:
1 1/2 cup of rice
1 teaspoon of butter and a dash of salt

In a pan, add onions, olive oil (I usually eyeball, just enough to coat the onions), dash of salt and pepper, cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic, green beans, let them cook for few minutes then add the tomatoes, and keep cooking for another few minutes then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and water enough to cover what's cooking. Let it all simmer until the beans are cooked. Meanwhile, in another pan, add 1 teaspoon of butter, then add the rice, when the butter coats the rice, add 3 cups of water (or according to directions) and let it simmer.
Serve with any kind of salad.

PS: This recipe is good also if you add meat to it (cubes or minced), if you wish to do so, add the meat with the onions then continue the recipe.
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Zaatar is one of my favourite spice or herb or condiment or whatever you wish to call it. Man'oushi pies (Zaatar pies) are a Lebanese specialty, whether for breakfeast or as an appetizer. But if you are craving one and pie crust or dough is not ready why not replace it with a slice of bread like I did!
All you have to do is mix it with olive oil and spread it on the sandwich and toast it for a bit and voila!
I also had one with cream cheese and just sprinkled some zaatar on top, mmmmmm!!!

P.S: This Zaatar mix can be found in Middle Eastern stores. It is mixed with sumac and sesame seeds.
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Ingredients for 2:
4-5 leaves of romaine lettuce chopped
1 small sliced tomato
3-4 sliced radishes
1/2 an onion sliced
1 small carrot finely sliced
About a 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber

For the dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
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For 2 persons: 2 cornish hen
Herb mixture: 4-5 crushed cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of mixed mediterranean or Italian herbs (or any herbs you like), 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped thyme.

After washing and cleaning the hen and letting them drain, rub them with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of butter for both as well as the mixture of herbs prepared earlier. Heat the oven for 375 and bake until done. everynow and then bathe with the juices and drizzle white wine until golden and done.

I normally serve the hen with this:
Mixed green salad with avocados and asparagus:

lettuce (of your choice), sweet corn, asparagus (canned or cooked earlier), half a red bellpepper diced, 1 avocado sliced into 4 or 5 slices and some onions on top.
Dressing: juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of some italian herbs mix, salt and pepper.
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In this recipe, you need to eyeball the amount of grape leaves, depending on the size of the leaves too. So I'm just gonna assume that we're using 100gr of leaves and here's a useful tip: if you roll them all and still have some filling left, very simple: stuff a potato, tomato or a bellpepper!

Filling Ingredients:
1 big tomato or 2 medium ones diced.
1 medium onion diced
3/4 cup of rice (any kind, I prefer white)
1 bunch of fresh parsley chopped
Juice of 1 big lemon or 2 small
1/2 tablespoon of allspice (or 7 spices)
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1/2 cup of olive oil (or a bit more)

Preparing the Pan:
Take few leaves and line them up in the bottom of the pan (why? cause grape leaves stick quickly to any pan! and then add on top of those the sliced potato.

If you are using fresh grape leaves, soak them in hot water and some salt for half an hour, or until completely soft then drain. If you are using the ones that you buy in the jar, soak them in warm water for few minutes then let them drain.

- Mix all the ingredients together and get ready to roll.
Rolling grape leaves:
Cut the stems if there's any and start adding the filling in the middle of the leaf, then fold the sides and roll while pressing a bit to let the juice out and also to make it a bit tight so it doesn't fall apart. (just like spring rolls). Then line them up in the pan on top of the potato layer. After you finish, get a plate that can fit inside the pan, flip it upside down and place it on top of the grape leaves to press them so when they start cooking they don't fall apart. Now add water just to cover them and let them cook on medium for about 12 minutes, if they boil too much reduce the heat. It's optional to add more lemon juice while they cook. Tasting one is always better to check if they're done :)
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Ingredients: (4 persons)

Half a kilo or one pound of lean minced meat or ground beef
1 cup of chopped parsley
1 medium onion chopped
1 tablespoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in medium rounded slices
1 big onion sliced in medium rings
1 big tomato sliced in medium rings
1 to 2 cups of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil for frying or sauteing the potatoes
1 teaspoon of flour

Mix meat, parsley, chopped onion, spices, and salt together.  Let it sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, saute the potato slices in vegetable oil, and let drain on paper towel. Take the meat out of the fridge and make medium sized patties.
In a non-stick hot pan let the patties slightly cook by turning them. Remove into a separate dish. In an oven baking dish, deep enough to hold the tomato sauce, rub the bottom with some butter or vegetable oil and start layering: the meat first, then potatoes, sliced onion, sliced tomato. Add the tomato sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of flour.
Bake into a 375 degrees oven for half an hour or until the sauce cooks and thickens with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with any salad of your choice.
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Ingredients:
1 bunch of Swiss Chards (sele2 in arabic)
1 big onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 cup of lentils
2 medium potatoes diced
2 tablespoons of allspice
1 tablespoon of sumac spice
Salt
1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of one big lemon
Olive oil (2-3 tablespoons)

In a pot, add 1liter of water, bring to the boil, add lentils and let them cook for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, you've washed the chards and chopped them, so you add those to the cooked lentils. In a pan, cook the onions and garlic with olive oil until light golden then add them to the lentils and chards. After that you add the potatoes, sumac, allspice, salt and let it cook for about 10-12 minutes then you add the lemon juice and the cilantro and let it simmer for like 5 minutes, then serve.
This is a great vegetarian soup, healthy and tasty.
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Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup of lentils
1/4 cup rice
1 onion
olive oil
Salt
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of allspice (= 7 spices)

Wash the lentils and put in a pot with 4-5 cups of water, let it boil gently and cook for 15 minutes. Soak the rice in water. After the lentils are cooked all the way, drain the lentils and grind them but keep the water on the side. Meanwhile in a pan, add the chopped onion, olive oil, salt and cook the onions for few minutes on medium flame, don't brown them just until they turn a bit gold.
Add the grinded lentils to their water, then add the onions with olive oil, add the soaked rice, spices and cumin. Cook for another 15 minutes on low. You have to stir it every couple of minutes because it can stick and burn easily. you might need to add a bit more water if you feel that it's too thick to cook the rice. It's done when it thickens. Not too lumpy but not too thick. Pour it in a bowl and let it cool off for few minutes.
Serve with bread and salads. (Fattoush is perfect with Mjaddara).
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Few leaves of red cabbage (depending on the amount of serving)
1 small onion (shredded)
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil
salt & pepper

Place the shredded cabbage in a plate, add the onion on to, salt & pepper and the dressing. Voila!
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Ingredients: (4 servings)
450 grs of green beans (fresh or frozen)
2 medium tomatoes (diced)
10 cloves of garlic (peeled only)
2 onions (diced)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of 7 spices or allspice

In saucepan, put the olive oil with the onions and the whole garlic cloves, add some salt. Then add the beans, cook until the beans wilt then add the tomatoes and keep cooking, add the 7 spices and then the tomato sauce followed by the water and let it simmer for another 12-15 minutes.

Serve warm with pita bread.
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Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2 cups of Basmati rice (or any other rice of your choice)
1 1/2 cups of assorted raw nuts
Butter
Salt

For cooking the chicken: 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper, cardamom, salt. Add all to a pot half filled with water including the chicken. When it starts boiling, clean the surface from the foam. Let it cook until done.
- For the rice: In a pot, put 1 tablespoon of butter, add the washed and drained 2 cups of rice. After the rice absorbs the butter, add 4 cups of water, add salt upon taste and let it simmer for 15 minutes. While the rice is cooking, in a pan, put a teaspoon of butter and add the raw nuts and mix with the butter and let it roast until brown or golden.
Once the rice is done, serve with nuts on top and then cut the chicken and put on top of rice and nuts and serve.

Tip: You can cook the rice with the broth of the cooked chicken.

This dish can be served with salad of your choice or plain yogurt.
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1 plain yogurt container
Teaspoon of salt
Olive oil
Cotton cloth to serve the purpose of a small bag

Open the container of yogurt and add the salt and mix, then empty the yogurt in the cloth, tie it and hang it over your sink overnight. You want the water to drain all night.
In the morning, empty the labneh from the cloth and serve with olive oil on top with any bread or toast.

Tip: You can make garlic labneh by adding a couple of crushed cloves of garlic or garlic powder. Also labneh can make a wonderful dip, serve it with a vegetable tray and add to the labneh a teaspoon of curry powder.
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Serving: 2 persons
Ingredients:
1 tomato
1 medium cucumber
1 cup of parsley leaves (not chopped)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1 small onion
salt & pepper
olive and juice of 1 small lemon for the dressing.

Chop the tomato, cucumber and onion then add to all the ingredients and mix in a bowl and serve.
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Ingredients: (5-6 servings) Choice of chicken: like chicken breasts or upper thighs 2 cups of rice 1 cup of ground beef Assorted raw nuts: cashew, chopped almonds, pine, pecan (1/3 cup of each) 1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil Salt, pepper (or seven spices) 1 celery stick, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 small carrot, 1 small onion
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Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 cup of minced meat
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 cup of chopped onions
1 cup of basmati rice
1 cup of fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup of fresh juicy tomato chopped (or canned)
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt, pepper (or seven spices: optional).

In a pan put 1 tablespoon of butter, then onions, after 1 minute add the minced meat, garlic, add salt and pepper, stir until the meat is not red anymore then add the freash carrots, mix and leave for few minutes then add the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes cooked, add the tomato paste with 1/4 cup of water, let it cook for 10 minutes then add the peas (after u wash them and rain them) and the cilantro leave for another 10 minutes (you don't wanna over cook the peas).
For the rice: add in another pan 1 tablespoon of butter, then add the rice after you wash it and rain it. Add salt upon taste. Mix the rice with the butter until absorbed, then add 2 cups of water. when the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes until it's done.
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Ingredients:
3 potatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (chopped)
Paprika
3 cloves of garlic (mashed)
Vegetable oil
Salt n' pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
Juice of half a lemon.

Peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes. Fry them in vegetable oil until golden. Drain them on paper towel.
In a pan, add butter, garlic then chopped cilantro, stir over medium heat (if you feel them dry add some of the vegetable oil, like 1 spoon), after 5 minutes add lemon juice. Now toss the fried potatoes, mix all well, add dashes of paprika, salt and pepper and serve.
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authorHello, my name is MAG. I've been running this blog since 2007. Follow me on Social Media!!!
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