Arabic foods
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 [...]
Arabic Rice
Using whole wheat noodles, brown rice and a heart-healthy oil (if you use the grapeseed oil), I created this healthy version of Arabic Rice. But don’t let the health factor distract you because it is very, very delicious!
1/4 cup grapeseed oil, butter or non-hydrogenated margarine
1/2 package whole wheat angel hair noodles, broken in half
4 cups [...]
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, [...]
Halawa – Halvah
Halawa – Halvah
Original recipe by Bruce Weinstein, modified by Wardeh Harmon
Makes about 1-1/2 pounds
Wardeh’s note: In the Middle East, both Jewish and Arabic people love this dessert. Arabic people call it Halawa and Jewish people call it Halvah. Everyone calls it healthy and yummy! The commercial varieties, however, are NOT healthy. This version is.
1/2 [...]
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 [...]
Whole Wheat Pocket (Pita) Bread — Picture Tutorial
Whole Wheat Pocket (Pita) Bread — Picture Tutorial
This recipe makes 16 7-inch loaves and uses the Bosch Universal mixer. The recipe can be halved for kneading by hand or if using another mixer.
My grandmother and my namesake, Tata Wardeh, taught my mom to make pocket bread the age-old traditional way, which ironically, was with white [...]
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! [...]
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