Mid-Eastern (38)
Baba Ganoush is a traditional Mid-Eastern made with Roasted Eggplant. This flavorful sauce can provide a a dip for Pita Bread, as a Marinara replacement, or as a topping for Roasted Chicken. This recipe calls for Tahini, a paste made from roasted Sesame Seeds.
This recipe integrates a Persian dish called "Chelow" (pronounced \che-lau\), a soft fluffy Basmati Rice, with another Persian dish called "Tahdeeg" or "Tahdig" (pronounced \ta-deeg\), a crispy crunchy Basmati Rice, to make a soft and crunchy mix. It accentuates the nutty savor that makes Basmati so good. This is the perfect side dish for Shawarma.
Turkish Flatbread is a flavorful pita. It can be filled with hummus, fresh tomatoes and feta cheese, or shawarma.
Shawarma is a mid-eastern meat based dish that has become a favorite in our home. Shawarma is traditionally made from large cuts of marinated beef, chicken, or lamb. The meat is slow roasted on a vertical rotisserie and then the outer layers are shaved off and served as they finish cooking.
If you don't have a vertical spit handy, this recipe will allow you to prepare shawarma in your own home.
Chicken Souvlaki is a flavorful meal. Oftentimes served with a Pita, Basmati Rice, and Tzatziki. This recipe follows the the Keystone Approach diet. As a result, the Yogurt-based Tzatziki has been replaced with an Avocado-based sauce.
This is possibly the easiest bread you will ever make. This flatbread is a nice and easy addition to Shawarma.
This easy to make semi-flat bread recipe is ready to go in only 15 or 20 minutes. It will add a rustic dimension to any meal.
Green Harissa Potatoes are a great side dish to accompany shawarma or any mid-eastern dish. The addition of Greek Yogurt will provide a creamy texture and will further reduce the "already mild" heat level of the Green Harissa. Par-boiling the potatoes will cut the overall cooking time in half, while the final bake will ensure a nice golden brown texture.
This simple recipe provides a tangy yogurt that is great for tzatziki or to eat plain. You can use any fat content, from Skim to Whole Milk. I prefer a lower fat yogurt, with Skim Milk. This recipe yields about 4 Cups of Greek Yogurt.
Green Harissa paste is much milder than the traditional Tunisian red cousin. Green Harissa is similar to Chimichurri, but with a little added heat. This versatile flavorful paste can be used to flavor white meat and fish, or as a flavor enhancer for vegetables.
Harissa is a traditional Middle-eastern marinade that works well with Beef or Chicken. Cut the meat into thin slices and marinate for a few hours to several days.
Harissa is a traditional pepper paste, originating from North Africa. While the heat level of Harissa can vary, based on the type (and the amount) of chiles that are used. For best results, you can use ancho chiles, or for a little more heat, guajillos chiles. Even more heat can be added by using chipotle peppers. Ancho chiles are dried/smoked poblano peppers. Guajillo peppers are dried/smoked mirasol peppers. Chipotle chiles are dried/smoked jalapeno peppers. Additional smokiness can be added with the inclusion of smoked paprika. Similarly, you can add more complex overtones with the inclusion of orange juice and a small handful of dried cranberries.
Gyro (pronounced /yee-ro/) is a traditional Mediterranean dish made with a Beef/Lamb mixture. Due to the high cost of lamb, pork can be used as a good substitute. The meat is traditionally put on a large vertical rotisserie and cooked over a flame. This recipe provides a simple process to re-create tasty Gyro meat without the expensive and time consuming equipment. For a Keto version of this recipe, just leave out the Pita Bread.
This syrup can be made with any type of berries. I prefer to use frozen berries, but you can also use fresh berries. Use this syrup as a Grenadine replacement, drizzle it over your favorite desert, or use as a Pancake Syrup replacement. This recipe will yield about 14 to 16 ounces of Raspberry Syrup.
Lavash is a traditional Armenian Cracker or Flatbread that has become popular throughout the Mid-East. The earliest Lavash recipes were more cracker then bread, but many regional Lavash variations do include yeast. This Lavash recipe stays true to the original Armenian tradition, providing a tasty cracker that is easy to make. In order to reach the desired consistency, bake for 10 minutes with a pot of boiling water in the oven, then remove the water and bake again to get the ideal browned and crisp texture.
Lavash is a traditional Armenian Cracker or Flatbread that has become popular throughout the Mid-East. The earliest Lavash recipes were more cracker then bread, but many regional Lavash variations do include yeast. This Lavash Flatbread includes yeast, providing a flatbread that is great as a wrap or as a rustic pizza dough.
This is a great dip to eat with vegetables or with a pita. Similar to Baba Ghanoush, however, Mama Ghanoush replaces the Eggplant and Tahini with tomatoes and Grilled Zucchini for a fuller and more hearty dip.
Menemen (Turkish Eggs) is a made with tomatoes and scrambled eggs. The pan roasted tomatoes from the bottom of the pan provide a beautiful presentation and the smokey flavor of the Aleppo peppers, paired with the Jalapeño pepper, provides the perfect amount of heat. This quick and easy dish provides a single serving. To make multiple servings, just wipe out the inside of the pan with a paper towel and start again.
Khobz is a Moroccan White Bread that is best eaten the same day it is baked. In order to ensure that you have "freshly baked bread", the dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. This easy bread recipe is great for making sandwiches or eating with Shawarma.
Aleppo Peppers are originally from the Mid-East, named after a city in Syria. Aleppo is also known regionally as the Halaby pepper, pul biber, or Turkish red pepper flakes. Most Aleppo available in the U.S. is imported from Turkey or grown in the United States.The Aleppo Pepper is typically smoked and dried and then ground into flakes. It is similar to Hot Paprika, but with a slightly higher heat level.
This pasta-free dish is full of flavor without all the carbs or gluten of a traditional lasagna. This dish is somewhat similar to the Middle-Eastern dish Moussaka, but without the béchamel. While this dish has a fairly long time-to-table, the flavor is worth the effort.
This is the way that Feta Cheese was meant to be eaten. This sweet, salty, nutty flavor goes great with Lavash Crackers and matches well with any Mediterranean food as an appetizer.
This is a simple recipe that is easy to prepare but will impress everyone with a great flavor.
Pair this dish with a nice salad.
I initially discovered Pitot at a Jewish Vegetarian restaurant in Lower Manhattan. It is the perfect companion for Shakshouka, Hummus, or as a wrap for a tasty Gyro.. After a bit of trial and error, I have reverse engineered the recipe so that you can create these in your own kitchen.
This is an easy side dish to add some green to your meal. The Pomegranate and Lemon Juice will turn Brussels Sprouts into a tasty side dish that will equally accent a Steak or a plate of Shawarma.
Pomegranate Molasses is a traditional Middle-Eastern cooking and finishing sauce for lamb and other meats. Most recipes add sugar (and then lemon juice, to offset the super sweetness) in order to thicken the molasses more easily. This recipe is the traditional method for Pomegranate Molasses, containing only a single ingredient: Pomegranate Juice. A few drops of Pomegranate Molasses can be added to Ginger Ale to make a sweet-sour Shirley Temple or it can be drizzled over vanilla ice cream for a fruity treat.
This is an easy Pork recipe, designed for the Sous Vide. You can prepare beforehand and freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag up to 6 months. Just drop the bag in your Sous Vide pot and walk away. Your main course will be ready to eat a few hours later.
This Turkish Pita Bread is a simple recipe, with a "time to table" of only about 1 hour. Pita is a great addition to Shawarma, just make sure that you have plenty of Tzatziki.
Okra has a bad reputation as a slimy, strange tasting vegetable. However, this roasted Okra is a crispy side dish that is easy to make and tastes so good that you will want to add it to every meal.
Shakshouka (sometimes called Saksouka) is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines. It is also a common breakfast and dinner food in Israel and often eaten with bread to soak up the sauces. The word "Shakshouka" comes from Arabic and means "to mix or shake"
Shakshouka (sometimes called Saksouka) is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines. It is also a common breakfast and dinner food in Israel and often eaten with bread to soak up the sauces. This recipe is specialized to make in a slow cooker.
This marinade provides a full flavor for Shawarma meat, steak, chicken, or turkey. The flavors in this marinade will permeate about 1/4 inch every 12 hours. However, due to inclusion of lemon juice and vinegar, do not marinate for more than 24 hours or the meat will take on a mealy texture or dissolve completely.
Soutzoukakia (pronounced /soot-zoo-KA-key-ah/) are Greek meatballs, that are traditionally oven-baked in a tomato sauce. Soutzoukakia is similar to a Turkish dish called Kofte. This recipe is prepared on the stovetop and includes a loosely defined Arabic spice mix called Ras El Hanout. If you do not have this mix on hand, you can make your own mix. Serve with Tzatziki over a bed of basmati rice or with roasted potatoes. Poblano or jalapeno peppers will add heat to the dish. For a Keto version of this recipe, serve with a medley of Keto-friendly roasted vegetables.
Ekmek, meaning "bread" in Turkish, is a traditional Turkish Flatbread. Ekmek is typically made into round flat loaves and eaten as an accompaniment to any meal.
This soft and fluffy "Milk Bread" is a wonderful compliment to Shawarma or with a bowl of Chili. The finished bread has a soft, spongey texture that holds its shape and bounces back when squeezed.
Turkish Pide is a boat-shaped Turkish bread that can be served plain or stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, and/or herbs. Pide is a versatile dish that can be a snack, an appetizer, or a main course.
Tzatziki (pronounced /zat-ziki/) is a traditional Greek Yogurt Sauce. Cacik (pronounced /jah-'jik/) is the same sauce, but from Turkey. Tzatziki can be used with meat dishes or as a dip for Crudites.
Feta Cheese is a staple of Mediterranean food. Mixing Feta Cheese with Greek Yogurt results in a tangy, creamy texture for a flavorful dipping sauce, or a tasty topping to any Mediterranean dish. Use this dip as a healthy and fresh Mediterranean replacement for 7 Layer Nacho dip.
