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…]
(End of ) Summer Mint Macaroni Salad
If you have a little backyard garden going this summer, this macaroni salad could be a good way to use some of your home-grown produce. We have a ton of mint that I wanted to make use of, as well as pepper and tomatoes growing outside. This salad makes use of fresh mint and lemon juice, extra virgin olive, apple cider vinegar, horseradish sauce, … [Read more…]
Sloppy Joes
We needed a fast meal. We decided on Sloppy Joes, adding some veggies to it. To make it even faster, I started on the sauce as soon as I started browning the ground beef (each done in a separate pot). You could totally start with the meat, and continue adding the rest of the ingredients TO the meat. My kids like these with glazed or buttered … [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…]
Italian Flat Beans with Fresh Tomatoes
We went to the local farmer’s market, a favorite activity for the kids, because they love the fresh peaches and the grape tomatoes. I spied some broad bean pods and thought they were fava beans for a second, but on closer inspection, found them to be Italian flat beans. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should. They have a delicate sweetness … [Read more…]
Lentil Soup with Vermicelli Noodles
1 T extra virgin olive oil 1-2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon madras curry powder (optional) 1 cup lentils 4-5 cups stock or water ½ onion chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup angel hair noodles lemon wedges (optional) Heat oil in small pot. Add garlic and onions, and saute for 2 minutes. Add spices and saute another minute. Add lentils and stock. … [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…]
Lemony Dandelion Greens
It is common in the Levant region to forage for wild greens like Chicory, Dandelion, Watercress, and Purslane. So, when I saw that I had a couple of pretty lush dandelions outside, I thought to myself….”hmmm, I should pick those and cook them”. Then, cooler heads prevailed (my husband’s cooler head, to be exact) and reminded me that we don’t know … [Read more…]
Liver with Onions, Garlic, and Parsley – Kibdeh
This recipe, Liver with Onions, Garlic, Parsley, and lots of spices (Kibdeh), is for those who appreciate the rich goodness that is liver when it is prepared right. Now, I know there are some who say that liver must be cooked rare to retain its health benefits, but those nutrients do not benefit me if I will not swallow it unless it is fully … [Read more…]
Bolognese Sauce
This is my version of a Bolognese Sauce. My husband is not a fan of super tangy marinara sauce, so this is a better pasta sauce for him. The addition of carrots sweetens and mellows out the flavor of the tomato sauce. Bolognese sauce usually includes celery with the carrots, but I don’t like celery, so I substitute parsley. Regarding the … [Read more…]