cumin

Yorkshire Beef Pie | The Levantess

Yorkshire Beef Pie (gluten-free, dairy-free) Before you tell me that this recipe isn’t authentic…I’m not pretending it is. To be honest, I don’t know what authentic Yorkshire beef should taste like. All I know is that when we were kids, there was this recipe called “Yorkshire Beef” in an old Betty Crocker cookbook, and we had it for dinner … [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…]

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…]

Meatless Monday- Egg In A Rabbit Hole (Egg with Kale & Spinach, Topped With Cracked Pepper & Sumac)

Eggs In A Hole typically place the egg in the middle of a slice of bread. I like to place mine in the middle of a bed of greens, the kind that would make any rabbit (and veggie-loving human) happy. It’s a fast and easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and pretty healthy, too. You get 2 cups of leafy greens in this meal, heart-healthy olive oil, and a … [Read more…]

Tilapia on a Bed of Spinach, Topped with Tomatoes, Capers, Onions, & Garlic

This is a colorful seafood dish that can be thrown together quickly, yet has great color and flavor. The most laborious part of this is chopping the tomatoes, onions, and garlic – and you could even use canned chopped tomatoes and their liquid to save even more time. The rest is layering. I have to admit that tilapia is not my preferred seafood, … [Read more…]

Caldo De Yum! , or Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and Alphabet Noodle Soup

We needed soup, because everyone in our house was sick. I didn’t have any chicken, but I did have sweet Italian turkey sausage, so I decided to make a soup that complemented the sausage. I thought of tomato, automatically, but we didn’t want it too strongly tomato-ey. So, this soup is mostly chicken stock based, with some tomato paste to flavor … [Read more…]

Kofta Kabob Under the Broiler

This is your basic kofta recipe, shaped into kabobs, and broiled. Once you do this, you can either serve with rice, or wrapped in flat bread or pita. Let me tell you, this recipe takes ground beef (or lamb) and elevates it way, way up. A little secret – My husband asked for this exact meal two days in a row. Shhhh. Broiled Kofta Kabob 1 1/2 … [Read more…]

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches – Djaj Musahab

This is called ‘pulled chicken’, but I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for ease. You can serve this chicken in a crusty bread, or wrapped in flatbread. You can also eat it with rice and a salad. I prefer it as a sandwich, to feel like I have just stopped at a food cart in the center of a Levantine city. Tahini sauce 1 Tablespoon … [Read more…]

Beef and Green Bean Curry

This is a curry made up of beef and some flat Italian green beans that I froze at the end of summer. I had been feeling too unwell to go to the supermarket, so this had to be a pantry meal day. You could use regular frozen green beans, or fresh, blanched green beans for this.Peas would also work well. 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil 1 pound beef … [Read more…]

Deconstructed Levantine Cabbage Rolls (Lazy Malfouf)

I felt like eating stuffed cabbage, but didn’t have time to separate and boil the leaves, then stuff them one by one, so I decided to make it lazy-style. It’s not as pretty, but tastes very good on those days you just don’t have the time for rolling them. To be clear – It isn’t a replacement for the original – and certainly not something you’d … [Read more…]

The Levantess