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These are my favorite snacks: Green almonds. They can be found during a very short period in springtime, while they are still soft from the inside, so you can chew and eat the whole almond. They are a bit sour, they taste even better when they are dipped in a bit of salt. Serve along with drinks and some assorted nuts and kernels.
- Just wash them, drain them and serve. You eat the whole almond, no need to peel the skin or anything.
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These green chickpeas are very healthy snacks and they are good with drinks. They are also very tasty in salads. They can be found in the produce section in Middle Eastern stores or in Korean grocery stores. You eat those raw, take off the skin or shell and eat the chickpea. Enjoy healthy snacking!
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Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes (any kind except sweet)
1/2 red onion
1 green onion
2 medium tomatoes
Half a bell pepper (if it's big otherwise 1 small)
1 crushed clove of garlic
1/2 cup of fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
Juice of a lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
A dash of cayenne paper (optional)

Peel the potatoes and cut in medium cubes. In a pan, bring water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt, add the potatoes and cook for 12 minutes or until cooked but you don't wanted them to fall apart. Drain and let cool. In the meantime, slice the onions and add to a bowl. Add the medium cut tomatoes, diced bell pepper, garlic, parsley, mint, thyme. Now add the potatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and all the spices and mix the salad and serve with a dash of cayenne pepper.

PS: You can skip the fresh mint and substitute the fresh thyme with dry thyme if not available during the season.
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Serves 4

Ingredients:
About 2 cups of minced meat
2 cups of chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 carrot diced (small)
1 onion chopped
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon of Italian spices
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or dry)
1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes or cayenne (optional)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
1 cup of water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pasta (of your choice) cooked and drained

In a pan, add olive oil, onions, carrot, Italian spices, pepper flakes, salt & pepper and cook for a minute then add the meat, allspice and cook for another minute then add the garlic and cook a bit until the juices are absorbed then add the tomatoes and basil, cover and cook on medium until the tomatoes are cooked, then add the tomato paste and water and let it simmer for 15 minutes, then add the parsley and mix and serve over the pasta of your choice.

*Before serving the sauce over the pasta: In a non-stick pan add the pasta add some olive oil or butter and some fresh chopped basil or parsley. It's a great way to heat the pasta and add more flavor to it. Some garlic powder also is good. Now I did not mention Parmesan cheese because it's always on the table ;)
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Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the kafta:
1/2 pound of minced lean meat
1 small chopped onion
1 small clove of garlic chopped
2 cups of fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
2 cups of chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1 small onion
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/3 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the rice:
1 1/2 cup of rice
3 cups of water
1/2 tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In the food processor, add: minced meat, parsley, onions, garlic, bread crumbs, allspice, salt and pepper for 1 minute or 2. When the ingredients are combined all together, transfer into a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for half an hour. After that, start making medium-small balls of the kafta. Heat a non-stick pan and start cooking the meatballs, turn them every 2 minutes until done. Set aside. In the same pan, if no juice is left from the cooked meat, you might wanna add a tablespoon of olive oil, then add the onions, allspice, chili flakes, salt and pepper, cook for about 3 minutes then add the tomatoes and let them cook on low for 10 minutes, then mix the tomato paste with the water and add it. Cook for another 5 minutes then add the meatballs and let all simmer for few minutes. (If you find the sauce thick you might wanna add a little bit more water.
Now for the rice: in another pan, add butter, then add the rice, fold them together until the rice absorbs the butter, add salt and pepper then the water and stir 1 time only. When it starts boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Serve the rice with the meatballs and sauce on top.
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Serves 4-6 (depending on the size of the dessert bowl)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup white rice
3 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of water
4 tablespoons of condensed sweetened milk (optional)
5 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rosewater
A pinch of salt
Apricot marmelade for the topping

In a pan, add water, pinch of salt, then add the rice and cook for 30 minutes on low. Drain any water left if not all absorbed. In another pan, add milk, sugar, corn starch, condensed milk, vanilla, rosewater. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked rice and stir. You need to keep an eye on that and keep stirring until it thickens. Also you need to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it thickens, pour into the serving bowls and let it completely cool. After that, spread the marmelade on top then refrigerate until time to serve.
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Serves 4

Ingredient:
1 cup of lentils
1 cup of white rice
1 cup of olive oil
2 onions sliced (medium half circles)
1 tablespoon of allspice
1 tablespoon of cumin
Salt, pepper to taste
5 cups of water

In a pan, add the 5 cups of water and the lentils, cook on medium until the lentils are half way cooked, then add the rice then the allspice, cumin, salt and pepper. Let them cook on low. Meanwhile, in a skillet, add olive oil and the onions, season with some salt and pepper and let them brown but be careful not to burn them. After the onions are ready, drain the remaining olive oil and add it to the lentils and rice that are cooking. After the rice and lentils are cooked and the water is absorbed, transfer to the serving plate and add the onions on top. Serve with plain yogurt or a salad.
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Serves 4 or more

Ingredients:
1 cup of fine bulgur
1 diced tomato
1 small onion or shallot, diced
Lemon juice (1 big or 2 small)
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixed with 1/3 cup of water
1 teaspoon of allspice or 7 spices
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley to top it
Cabbage leaves (optional)

In a pan, add the tomato sauce and the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Once they start boiling, turn the heat off, and add the spices, bulgur, chopped onion and tomato, cover and let it sit for half and hour. Mix in the olive oil then transfer into the serving dish. Add the chopped parsley. If you like to add some fresh chopped onions and tomatoes, you also can, it will give it extra flavors. I like to serve in cabbage leaves boats or cabbage on the side. It goes well with it but it's optional.

This salad can be served warm or cold.
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Serves 4 or more

Ingredients:
1 cup of Fava beans
1 cup of Chickpeas
1 big clove of garlic minced (or 2 small)
1 lemon (juiced)
1/3 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Some chopped parsley

Radishes and green onion (optional)
Pita bread (optional)

Soak the beans for 12 hours or overnight, then cook by boiling them until done. (If you're in a hurry, get them in the can.) Drain, but keep a little bit of the water, then transfer them in a bowl. Add garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley on top. Serve this warm. Radishes, green onions and Pita bread go well with this dish.
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Serves a lot! At least 9 sandwiches

Ingredients:
For the falafel mix:
1 1/2 cups of dried fava beans (found in Middle Eastern stores, since I couldn't find it elsewhere)
1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas
1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of allspice
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (fined not whole ones)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Salt, pepper

For the tahini sauce:
Tahini paste, lemon juice, water, some chopped parsley

* Vegetable oil for frying the falafel patties

Soak the dried fava beans and chickpeas in water for 12 hours or overnight then drain. Put all the falafel mix ingredients (except the baking powder and baking soda) in the mixer until you obtain a paste. Then add the baking soda and powder, fold them all together and let the mix sit for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce by adding about 3 tablespoons of tahini and 3 tablespoons of water, then the juice of a small lemon and a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. You might need to add more or less water, it depends really on the kind of tahini paste you have.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then with a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, take some of the falafel mix and drop in the hot oil, turn after two minutes, until golden on both sides then let them drain on a paper towel.

To make a falafel sandwich:
Put the falafel patties in pita bread, spread some tahini sauce on top, some fresh chopped parsley, sliced tomatoes and some pickled jalapenos. I like mine with Tabbouli on the side.
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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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