This potato salad makes a delicious accompaniment to grilled steaks and sausages. It is also my favourite side to schnitzel or Frikadellen (German hamburger) My mother-in-law’s potato salad is incredibly tasty! It is tangy and sweet with a creamy and crunchy texture. The main ingredients are tender potatoes mixed with cooked onions, apple vinegar and…
VEGETARTIAN
MINT PESTO
Fresh Spearmint is available in Lebanon all year round. We use it extensively in salads and mix it with meat and vegetarian kibbeh. A handful of mint leaves adds a delicate sweet and minty flavour to any dish, or to any labneh or shawarma sandwich. Like all mint varieties spearmint grows abundantly and spreads aggressively…
LEBANESE CREAMY FREEKEH PILAF
If you haven’t had freekeh yet, it is about time you did! The star grain among foodies in the western world for quite some time now, freekeh, also known as Farikah or Freek has been in our Middle Eastern pantries for ages, literally! Its firm grain, and its nutty, smoky flavour make it very versatile….
ADAS BI HAMED (LEMONY LENTIL SOUP)
This is one of the first recipes I created in my “cooking career”. I was relying on my taste buds, as I was not able to reach my mother for help all the time. It must have been around 1990 when calling Lebanon meant dialling a number hundred times until you got through. A nearly…
CRISPY CHEESE ROLLS
These cheese rolls are known in Arabic as Rakakat bi jebneh. They are usually made with Greek Phyllo dough and filled with a mixture of cheeses and parsley. Living in Germany I got also introduced to the Turkish Yufka dough that comes in triangle shape. The slightly thicker dough makes it more suitable for the…
AUTHENTIC TABBOULEH
The queen among all salads, tabbouleh is a vitamin bomb, an expression I learned in Germany when talking about super healthy food. Parsley is an excellent source of folic acid and vitamins A, C and K! Key ingredients: Parsley An authentic tabbouleh is prepared with lots of parsley and little bulgur, and not the other…
SALTET EL RAHEB (LEBANESE AUBERGINE SALAD)
Saltet el Raheb, or Monk’s Salad, is probably named as such to reflect monks’ and hermits’ frugal lives in the Lebanese mountains. The Lebanese mountains have been home for numerous monasteries for centuries. Just imagine this scenery: Amid a breathtaking mountainous landscape and deep valleys, monks are carefully chargrilling their home-grown aubergines over an open…
HINDBEH BI ZEIT (DANDELION WITH CARAMELISED ONIONS)
It is time for super foods in this time of the year! Days are getting colder and wetter despite the spectacular colors of Indian summers, and hearty soups move to the top of your food list. So, you think! How about some leafy greens like dandelion and wild chicory for a change? Dandelion (yellow-flowered) and…
MTABBAL BATINJAN (BABA GHANNOUJ)
What is a nice spread of mezze without mtabbal batinjan? Also known as baba ghannouj it is next best favourite after hommos bi tahini in every Arabic restaurant around the world. Everybody loves it! I can’t resist the sight of this beautiful dish topped with pomegranate seeds without digging in immediately, mostly by scooping it…
TAJEN ARNABEET (CAULIFLOWER IN TAHINI SAUCE)
Deep fried, crispy cauliflower florets are staple food in Middle Eastern cuisine. In Lebanon they are the one to go dish on meatless days. Served with a squeeze of lemon, and dipped in a creamy, garlicky tahini sauce, they never disappoint. Meatless days bring along full platters of golden, crunchy French fries, adding glory to…
