The Levantess

Eggplant and Tomato “Stew”

We got some local eggplant and tomatoes at the farmer’s market. In the summer, I make this dish many times, using whatever vegetable I have on hand – eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, etc. It takes about 40 minutes, and doesn’t use a whole lot of ingredients. Fresh, seasonal vegetables taste best simply prepared. I don’t even use spices in this a … [Read more…]

Red Cabbage Salad

This is a salad made up of red cabbage, carrots, and onions, with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing. It is a slightly tangy salad, that isn’t heavy or dripping with dressing. My good friend, fellow blogger Corey of Cooking With Corey came up with the idea of a Vegetable Of The Week challenge, which I thought was great for inspiration. So, of … [Read more…]

Layali Lubnan – Cold Semolina Pudding topped with Cream, Nuts, & Syrup

This is Layali Lubnan, which translates to Nights of Lebanon. It is a delicious pudding of sorts, made with semolina and milk, but allowed to thicken to a slice-able consistency. The traditional flavoring is mastic (mistka – gum arabic), but I looked high and low in my kitchen and my little jar of mastic seems to have run away. I really wanted … [Read more…]

Puerto Rican Steak with Onions and Peppers

This is a simple, easy dinner recipe. It is my version of the Puerto Rican Bistec Encebollado (encebollao). It is very flavorful and makes a wonderful sauce that is delicious on rice or sopped up with some good bread. This is seriously comfort food for me. It is also delicious reheated, if you have any leftover…which we certainly did NOT. We … [Read more…]

Meatless Monday: Eggplant Dip – with Mayonnaise, Kefir (or yogurt), and Olive Oil

This is a different version of the mutabbal eggplant dip, which contains tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. The mayonnaise provides the creaminess, the kefir or yogurt gives the tanginess, and you need the garlic no matter which version you use. You can call this one “Mama Ghanouj”…or should that be, mama ghanouja ? 🙂 You might have noticed … [Read more…]

Lamb and Fava Bean Maqlouba (with Kefir Lamb Soup)

I was at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago, and found frozen shelled fava beans. I like fresh fava beans in the shell, but it is not often that you can find that in the Baltimore region. So, shelled frozen favas will definitely do. I’ve stocked up each time I found them, because they do seem to sell out. If you want to look for them, this is what … [Read more…]

Baked {Sweet} Coconut Black Rice

I almost named this recipe rice pudding, because that is what you think of when you cook rice with sugar and milk, but it isn’t quite a pudding. It is rather firm, but sweet, black rice. So it isn’t quite pudding-y. Plus, it isn’t cooked with dairy milk, it is cooked with coconut milk. A fellow blogger introduced me to Forbidden Black Rice. I … [Read more…]

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Iftar Menu for Ramadan

This Meatless Monday, a significant percentage of the world’s population is observing the Ramadan fast. I’ve decided to post a vegetarian iftar menu suggestion. It is important to break your fast on whole, nutrient-dense foods, and to keep refined and processed foods to a minimum. Some great sources of vegetarian protein include: Quinoa – a … [Read more…]

Kefir White Sauce/Dressing

This is a recipe for super delicious white sauce, the type that is drizzled on shawarma or kebab plates that you get from the currently popular food trucks. I have been culturing my own kefir in the kitchen for a few months, and am always trying to incorporate this healthy drink into our diet in new ways. This is better with homemade kefir, but … [Read more…]

Meatless Monday – Quinoa and Rice Vegetable Pilaf

This is a great pilaf that incorporates both rice and quinoa. It is versatile and you can use any frozen vegetables you and your family prefer. The nuts can also be swapped according to preference and what you have on hand. One day last week I used walnuts, this time I used almonds – your choice. You can eat this as a main course for a … [Read more…]