Middle Eastern Recipes for the western kitchen!
shish ta wouk (lebeanese chicken kebabs)
There is something about chicken marinated in warm Arab spices such as cumin, cinnamon and allspice piqued with lemon juice, garlic and yogurt, that create the perfect flavor combo to make a kebab truly special. The Lebanese figured it out and are happy to share this winning spin on grilled chicken.
With a sprinkle of sumac on top, the red granular, lemon-tasting spice of Middle Eastern fare, and served with grilled onion and tomatoes it makes a great outdoor barbecue dish as well as an oven broiled entree when weather insists.
Adas- Lebanese Lentil Soup
Delicious Lentil Soup called Adas is one of our favorites. It’s a quick and easy dinner of lentils in broth and garnished with croutons, lemon and sumac. I often make it in my instant pot and I have a delicious filling dinner in 30 minutes. Plus it’s a great vegetarian option.
Chicken & Fricke (Middle eastern chicken Main dish)
A delicious combination of chicken, spices and the grain, fricke. Fricke is an ancient grain, green wheat which has been smoked. The flavor is unique, smoky and goes so beautifully with the chicken and warm spices! It’s an easy family entree and when festooned with toasted nuts and parsley, a thing of beauty!
Zucchini fritters (Arab style)
Wow - what a great, crunchy appetizer! The ever popular staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, zucchini, is combined with onions, peppers and eggs to create this easy appetizer. The spicy dip brings it all together as a bite of the Middle East! Great vegetarian option.
Maklube (Middle Eastern Chicken & rice)
This is an all-time favorite in our family, or at least for the past 40 years! Discovered and tutored in its creation in Jordan, it is always at the top of our list for big family dinners or company entrees. The combo of chicken, cauliflower and rice is meant to stand as a crown when unmolded from the cooking pot. But even if the crown slips a bit, no one will complain as the combination of soft rice and cauliflower, tender chicken and crunchy medley of nuts, reign supreme in consumer’s comments!
Mint lemonade (Jordanian style)
There is nothing more refreshing - nothing! The marriage of mint and lemon in this frothy version of lemonade hits the lemons out of the park! First sampled in the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank, I couldnt’ rest until I learned how to make it. Thanks to an obliging bartender at the Marriot Hotel at the Dead Sea, I saw with my own eyes the concoction of simple syrup, mint leaves, fresh lemon juice and ice creating this desert salvation!
Fateyah (Meat filled rolls)
A tender, yeast roll, filled with ground beef and onions and seasoned with warm Arab spices is a jewel of the Middle Eastern mezza (appetizer course). Perfect for picnics, patio entertaining or Christmas picnics as we used to take in the Middle East, these rolls which appear as regular dinner rolls, delight with the surprise savory filling studded with pine nuts and other such Middle Eastern ingredients. Frozen roll dough can be used if preferred and the filling is easy to make so you’ll have a couple dozen ready to go in an hour. Bet you can’t eat just one!
baklawa (the lebanese version)
Here it is - the ultimate in Middle Eastern Cuisine! The jewel of the Near East! The Queen of Sweets! The Empress of the Dessert Empire!
Pronounced Bak- law-wah in Arabic, due to the non-existence of the “V” sound in Arabic, by any other name it would taste as heavenly! This is the best recipe I’ve ever found and I have had Arabs actually tell me it is better than their Mom’s! So there you have it - you must give it a try.
Don’t be intimidated by the phyllo pastry - just be patient and work slowly and realize a little tear or hole in the pastry is no problem. It is so rewarding to have made it yourself and watch people’s eyes roll in delight as they sample it. Come on…you can do it…..you know you want to!
Israeli tomato, eggplant salad
The jewel like colors of this salad are such that they make you want to reach out and take a bite - a bite that is well rewarded with a perfect summer light-supper refreshment! The juicy slices of tomato sandwiched with garlicky pesto, smoked provolone and sauteed eggplant combine to create a luxurious silkiness in your mouth, at once fresh and earthy. This is a winner of a salad for summer barbecues, cook-outs or as your contribution to any pot luck affair. The lucky are those who sample from this dish!
Find the recipe here:
Fatteh - Yogurt & spicy beef
I never would have guessed that I would enjoy plain yogurt (I always go for the fruity ones) with fried eggplant. The spicy beef was no problem - the warm Arab spice trinity of cinnamon, cloves and allspice create succulent meat dishes which are rich and satisfying. - except with American hamburgers, a culture crossing faux pas that I couldn’t tolerate, a coming together of culture that is best left in its original form. But yes, this is one of our favorites and the silky fried eggplant, juxtaposed with the crunchy bread croutons on top, won me over at my first introduction. See if you feel the same with this unusual exotic dish that we can almost guarantee you and your friends have never tried before!
Find the Recipe Here:
Mujadara - poor man’s dish
Lucky the poor man who has this rice and lentil dish for dinner - I’d be happy to join him! This Levantine medley of steamed rice and lentils strewn with caramalized onions and seasoned with the typical cinnamon and allspice, is a satisfying, comfort food. Garnished with fresh tomatoes, cucumber and onions there is a crispy, fresh contrast to the grains and legumes, then topped with tangy yogurt and a dash of sumac, you are convinced that any rich man should be so lucky as to be served the “Poor Mans” dinner!
Find the recipe here!
Tunisian Couscous
The national dish of Tunisia (and all of North Africa - where couscous was born) is a satisfying dinner of the tiny pasta topped with a stew of vegetables and meat. In fact the name couscous invokes the complete dish in the North African mind. This two pot meal is simple and easy and keeps family and friends coming back for more. Eaten at least once a week and often two or more times, it is the number one staple dish of Tunisia - whether rich or poor, from the north or south. Typical stew ingredients with the addition of peppers and chickpeas, are simmered in a spicy tomato sauce (use caution when adding the Harissa) and garnished with parsley. The meat varies from chicken to beef to fish. Enjoy couscous as it was created to be enjoyed!
Find the recipe here!
Tunisian Salad
The perfect complement to a meal of spicy couscous, this salad is simple and composed of sweet, crunchy and salty elements that cool the palate. Finely diced tomatoes combined with chopped onion and sweet bell peppers form the base of the salad as they are mixed, dressed and then laid on a bed of Romaine, then garnished with olives, boiled egg wedges and topped with tuna fish (which ought to be called Tunis fish as it is a local favorite.) A lemon and oil dressing, seasoned with the spice blend Tabil, garlic, salt and pepper are all that the dressing requires. Something about this salad insists on a baquette accompaniment and you will be happy to oblige. A novel salad to Westerners it is always a hit! (There is also a version with grilled vegetables called Salade Mechouia which is a favorite!)
Find the recipe here!
Almond Filo Snake
An ingenious dessert made from filo pastry, butter and almonds - that’s it! Easy to make, unlike baklawa, the most common filo dessert, it is fun to role the lengths of pastry filled with almond paste into the coil shapes. All that remains to be done, is to dust the finishe dproduct with powderes sugar and sliced almonds. A truly unique dessert and a crunch-lovers dream!
Find the recipe here!
Pistachio Butter chicken balls
A discovery made at a Lebanese restaurant in Amman, these chicken ball appetizers now appear on most restaurant menus in the city. Through several attempts, we were able to duplicate this delicious appetizer at home consisting of a crunchy breadcrumb coating and a lightly seasoned ground chicken mixture with the hidden signature surprise in the center - pistachio butter that makes each bite melt in your mouth. Truly, a remarkable eating experience and one that is not difficult to make!
Find the recipe here!
