I love Thanksgiving. I love being with friends and family. I love the sentiment of being thankful. And, I really, really love Thanksgiving dinner. I have heard lots of people say that they don’t really care for turkey. That it’s bland or blah, or whatever. I do really like turkey. When it is brined and then properly seasoned, it is really … [Read more…]
Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
The lentil is a humble but mighty ingredient. It is a superior form of protein, and contains significant amount of fiber and iron. It is also good source of folate, an important nutrient for women of child-bearing age. But, what is the best part? It cooks in a short time, relative to dried legumes. That makes it a better option for a weeknight … [Read more…]
Crockpot Chicken, Peruvian style
I have rekindled my relationship with my slow cooker. I have started using it at least once a week, and this week, I’ve used it twice so far. There is something SO satisfying coming home to the aroma of home cooking. The common complaints I’ve heard about chicken in the crockpot are: It dries out It gets overcooked and shreds, losing its … [Read more…]
Ropa Vieja in the Slow Cooker
This is a lovely dish of shredded beef, with a delicious sauce. It is really easy to put together, since you prepare everything, set it in the slow cooker, and go about your day. Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish. It translates to “old clothes” , because it looks like shredded old fabric. It tastes a heck of a lot better than old clothes, though. … [Read more…]
Zucchini/Summer Squash Fritters – ijja
I made some fritters for dinner Friday evening to go along with some leftover soup. I had 1 zucchini, and 2 yellow crookneck squashes. I considered several different ideas before I stopped at Ijja (the Arabic name for these fritters – and also the word for omelet). I didn’t need to consider anything else after that, because, YUM, fritters! This … [Read more…]
Throwback Thursday : Fall Lentil Vegetable Stew
It appears that this time last year was the same kind of chilly, rainy Fall weather that we are having today. I made a lentil stew then that had carrots and spinach, and nicely spiced with curry, cumin, and allspice. This is a wonderfully homey, satisfying stew that can be made with things that most people have on hand. Thus, I have tagged it … [Read more…]
Slow Cooker Kofta (or converting a kofta recipe to a crockpot recipe)
This past weekend, my brother was visiting. We wanted to go out, yet have a home cooked meal and not resort to just getting takeout on the way home. I had already planned on making Kofta with Tomato Sauce (Mediterranean Meatballs with Tomato Sauce), so I thought that I would put my dusty, neglected slow cooker to good use. I made the kofta … [Read more…]
The Levantess’s Famous Falafel
Our Sunday brunch centered around falafel. I’ve seen many falafel recipes on the interwebs. Some use canned chickpeas, some add flour, and some add fava beans. My preferred falafel contains ONLY chickpeas, no fava beans. I also like mine to have lots of parsley, onion, and garlic. You can see the greenish cast when you break it in half. Also, … [Read more…]
Chicken Freekeh Soup
NPR predicts that freekeh is one of the new foods to watch in 2014. Freekeh is a very nutritious and filling ancient grain. It has a low glycemic index, according to Eatright.org , and is higher in protein and fiber than other grains. Freekeh is a really rustic food that has been around in the Middle East forever. It is roasted green … [Read more…]
Kofta Wrapped in Grape Leaves – Lahma ‘a Waraqa (la7ma 3ala waraqa)
This is my third kofta post. As you can see, these marvelous morsels of meat are very versatile and come in many variations. This particular variation is the standard kofta mix, formed into small patties, and wrapped in grape leaves. If I mention grape leaves, my husband automatically says, ” we should make kofta with them!”, he prefers them to … [Read more…]