This is simple food at its best. A traditional peasant dish, quite popular in the olive growing regions of Lebanon. My kids love zucchinis cooked like this, and that’s because being quite a bland vegetable, zucchinis get to really soak up and absorb this rich tomato sauce. This dish uses only three main ingredients, and … Continue reading
Whenever I have made this dish for friends’ dinner parties, it always disappears in no time. What I love about it is that it goes really well with other dishes, but if you serve it with rice and fresh lemon wedges, it makes a great main dish. It is very easy and quick to prepare, … Continue reading
When friends taste this dish at my place for the first time they are surprised that it tastes so good, looks are so deceiving. This is peasant food at its best. The northern region of Lebanon where I come from is famous for its olive oil. Its cuisine is extremely rich in vegetarian dishes which … Continue reading
This is the season for silverbeet or chard, and I love to serve this salad warm in winter. This particular salad uses the stalks of the silverbeet which many people tend to discard. It is my version of a Lebanese salad which was invented to make use of the stalks which are usually left behind … Continue reading
Okra is a vegetable that is not used that much in the West but I absolutely love it. It is sold either fresh, frozen or dried and it has many health benefits. Some people might not like it because it can be gooey if not cooked properly. This problem is not an issue if you … Continue reading
I will be sharing with you today an authentic recipe for a traditional Lebanese rice dish full of aromatic spices. Do not let the word authentic scare you, it is very easy to prepare. Chicken and rice pilaf was traditionally served at feasts and special occasions, and it still is a great dish to serve … Continue reading
This is a traditional Eastern Mediterranean red lentil soup. It is so simple yet full of flavour, a favourite peasant soup of mine. When I make it for friends, they usually cannot believe that it has only two main ingredients. A perfect winter soup. Serves 4 preparation time 10 minutes cooking time 50 minutes Ingredients: … Continue reading
I made today a perfect soup for a rainy autumn day in Sydney. This is a popular winter soup in Lebanon and a really healthy one. ‘Adas bi Hamoud’ soup, which literally translates as lentils and lemon soup is packed with iron and vitamin C. It is a perfect combination because the vitamin C in … Continue reading
Vine leaves with herbed rice ” Vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs (dolmades in Greece), are a sign that one is eating the food of eastern Mediterranean. Tender leaves should be harvested before sun and wind had done their damage. In South Africa, my mother once fooled a guest at the table and told … Continue reading
Artichoke hearts are one of my favourite vegetables and I love them in this quick and delicious dish. They are full of antioxidants and people tend to mostly eat them marinated, not knowing what else to do with them. The marinated option has the least nutrients, fresh is best but a frozen artichoke still retains … Continue reading
As of early last year I started cutting down on consuming animal products, and as a result I was constantly coming up with new vegetarian dishes. This is one of them. The lemon and coriander bring out the flavour of the artichoke really well. Serve extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges separately.This is a … Continue reading
Baba ghannouj is traditionally made with tahini sauce, but this is a refreshing and light twist to this dish. I like to call it baby ghannouj. It makes a great dip served with warm pita bread or crackers, or a side dish to any meal. Add fresh mint to it, or serve it plain with … Continue reading
YES…. The leaves, not the bulb. Most of us just discard the leaves however they are fully packed with nutrients even more so than the beetroot bulb itself. They are great for the liver as well as reducing cholesterol and much more. Pick a bunch that has young fresh leaves and cook within a couple … Continue reading
Pomegranate molasses is made up of the fruit’s freshly squeezed juice, then simmered until it is reduced to a thick syrup. The process is tedious, it involves peeling off the outer layer of the skin and then removing all the membranes from the various segments of the fruit, otherwise this will add bitterness to the … Continue reading
Shish Barak is one of my favourite childhood dishes. Growing up I loved to help out with cutting the pastry and making the dumplings. I remember begging mum to let me eat a few of the ‘mini hats’ as they came out of the oven. However I no longer follow my mum’s recipe in baking … Continue reading
Poem and Dish 