Middle Eastern Foods (Gluten-Free)
My Tata’s Chicken Soup
While dicing local onions and red potatoes on Sunday evening, and speaking with my mom on the phone, I found out that my Tata Wardeh often added turmeric to her chicken soups, for color and for health. Tata Wardeh is/was my grandmother for whom I was named; she passed away after living a long and [...]
Mulukhiyyah (Arabic Comfrey and Lamb Stew over Rice)
recipe from “Sahtein: Middle East Cookbook”
4 cups of dried mulukhiyyah (comfrey)
2 pounds lamb meat (boneless preferred)
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
6 cups water or lamb broth
salt and lemon juice to taste
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons of butter
prepared, cooked brown rice
Brown the garlic with pine nuts in the butter. Add the meat; brown [...]
Fasooli (White Beans and Rice)
This is one of my favorite growing up dishes. The flavor is excellent; it is warming and filling. I still don’t think I make it as well as my Mom does, but I try! The photo above is of the Great Northern beans I quick-soaked this morning (see How to Cook Dry Beans). The [...]
Mediterranean Cucumber-Tomato-Mint Salad
I dream of having a garden someday soon with an abundance of Mediterranean cucumbers and ripe red tomatoes. In the meantime, I have to make a couple of each of them from the grocery store, when in season, stretch out to last the week. There have been nice organic cukes (not Mediterranean, though) and tomatoes [...]
Cucumber-Yogurt Salad
CUCUMBER-YOGURT SALAD – KHYAR BI LABAN
Recipe from the cookbook “Sahtein”
2 large cucumbers
2 cloves of garlic
1 quart of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried mint
sea salt to taste
Peel and chop cucumbers to medium/fine size pieces. Mash garlic. Add to yogurt. Salt to taste. Add the cucumbers to the yogurt. Mix. Garnish with dried mint.
Tahini Sauce (for Falafel Sandwiches)
TAHINI SAUCE (for Falafel sandwiches)
Recipe by Martha Bisharat, Wardeh’s mom
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup filtered water (or more if needed)
handful of parsley, chopped
Cream tahini and lemon juice together. The lemon will thicken the tahini. Add water to thin the sauce until it has a creamy, spoonable consistency. A handful of chopped [...]
Falafel
FALAFEL
Recipe by Martha Bisharat, Wardeh’s mom
My mom submitted this recipe to a newspaper’s cooking contest back in 1984 and she won first prize — $50. I have upped the seasonings a bit, but other than that, this is the same great recipe.
4 cups dry garbanzo beans
3 large onions
6 to 8 cloves garlic
2 bunches parsley, [...]
Raw Goat Milk Hard Cheese — Picture Tutorial
Raw Goat Milk Hard Cheese — Picture Tutorial
Recipe by Wardeh Harmon and her mom, Martha Bisharat
This is the traditional Middle Eastern goat cheese. It is salty and yummy. It is best tasting when made from fresh goat’s milk. I’m not going to lie to you, though — not everyone likes this cheese. It is [...]
Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas) — with Pictures
Stuffed grape leaves are one of my all-time favorite foods. When we had them growing up, it was a family affair. Whoever was home loved to get in on the rolling. My mom would lead us in making a huge pot of them. We would eat off them for days, if they lasted that long! [...]
Loubieh — Arabic Green Bean Stew
We picked up our grass-fed lamb last week. I used the stew meat right away to make an Arabic dish for Friday's dinner. The dish is called Loubieh — which means "green bean stew" and is served over rice. Our dinner was fantastic. The lamb's flavor is excellent and it is so tender.
Loubieh — Arabic [...]
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