Eggplant Salad (Salatit el-Batinjan) - سلطة الراهب

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.

Salads

4

Vegetarian green beans over rice (Loubiyeh w Rizz)

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.

Vegetarian

1

Super quick Man'oushi (Zaatar sandwich)

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.

Middle Eastern

3

Mediterranean Salad

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.

Salads

0

Cornish Hen with herbs and salad

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.

Middle Eastern

0