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Tabouli is such a fresh, light way to start a meal…I love the tang of the lemon, the slight crunch of the parsley, soft bulgur and sweet, ripe tomato…it’s a combination of flavors and textures that is just perfect.  With summer just around the corner, this is a perfect salad for almost any meal…yes, it’s traditionally Middle Eastern, but really?  I think it goes well with any meal…grilled steaks or chicken or kebabs particularly spring to mind.  Parsley supposedly has the highest content of vitamin C of all the fruits and vegetables, including citrus, (per ounce/gram) so it’s a great source of vitamin C as well.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup bulgur, soaked 15 minutes to soften
2 cups chopped parsley (2 cups *after* chopping)
2-3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Once the bulgur has softened, toss all ingredients together in a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, to allow flavors to meld.
Adjust seasonings (I like to adjust after refrigerating, because the bulgur tends to absorb some of the flavor.
(btw, this time I could only get the larger sized bulgur, but smaller cut is preferable)
Serve chilled, traditionally garnished with lettuce, but this time I used a ramekin to mold the salad and drizzled evoo instead.

Tags: light, middle eastern, recipes, salads, tomatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
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This salad is a recipe that I’ve tried to recreate from an Iranian restaurant we go to very frequently here in Las Palmas; Tehran on Bernardo de la Torre…side note…the next time we go, I’m going to bring my camera and shoot some pics of the beautiful, delicious food they serve, so watch for that!   Anyway, I’m rambling here, I suppose I should get to the food! lol

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, diced
2-3 ripe tomatoes, diced (or a bunch of quartered cherry tomatoes, like I’ve done here)
1/2 red onion, minced
1 smaller bunch mint, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Toss together all ingredients and refrigerate 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Serve garnished with a sprig of mint.

Tags: cucumbers, gluten free, light, middle eastern, recipes, salads, side dish, tomatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
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Oh. My. God. Elly posted her grandmother’s recipe for Pastitsio yesterday…I MUST advise all of you to go to your food store, buy the ingredients and make this dish as soon as you possibly can.  Delicious, creamy sauce with a crunchy crumb and cheese topping, delicious, fIavorful saucy beef nestled among cheesy pasta……I think I might have a foodie crush on her now…..Look at this:

Now GO!  SCOOT!

Tags: beef, middle eastern, pasta, recipes by nikki
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Here in Las Palmas, we have this great little Lebanese restaurant, called “Monte Líbano” that Alvaro and I just love to go to…One of our favorite things to order is the shawarma, which I’ve tried to recreate here…..but I think it still needs some work.  The restaurant’s version is sweeter…I don’t know if it’s the amount of onions, or if it’s something else that is added, but consider this one a work in progress.  The pics turned out purty though, so I’ll post anyway. lol  (update: Alvaro said it was great the way it was…I still say that it needs more onion and less lemon I have since made this a few more times…adding a bit of allspice and cinnamon gives it the sweetness I was looking for.) The hummus and lebne are regular features at our house…any sort of Middle Eastern cuisine is generally welcome at our table.  So here you have it; Chicken Shawarma, Hummus and Mixed Lebne. The hummus is both vegetarian and vegan, the lebne is vegetarian. (**warning: photo overload post***)

The Chicken Shawarma:

Ingredients:

1 pound (400 grams) chicken, sliced into very thin strips
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 small lemon (about1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons minced red onion
salt and pepper to taste
sumac to taste
allspice to taste
cinnamon to taste
Shredded lettuce, minced red onion and diced tomato (for salad bed for chicken)
flatbread of choice for wrapping (in this instance I just used flour tortillas, but naan or pitas work great too–for Gluten Free, either omit the flatbread, or choose a Gluten free substitute)
***Note…for gluten free, be sure that your spices are certified as gluten free…many spice companies add wheat based fillers to their spices.

Preparation:

Whisk together garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, curry, onion, and seasonings in a bowl.
Add chicken and toss to coat with marinade.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
If you want, add some oil for sauteeing,  but it’s not really necessary if your pan is nonstick.
Sautee quickly, tossing and stirring until nicely browned and cooked through.
Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce, red onion and diced tomato, or rolled up in flatbread with hummus and the aforementioned salad ingredients.

The Hummus (Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan):

Ingredients: 

1 jar garbanzo beans (16 oz, 800 grams), mostly drained
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Using a food processor, mince garlic first, then add garbanzos and process until semi-smooth.
Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and continue to process until creamy.
*If mixture still seems a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to help it along.

The Mixed Lebne (Gluten Free, Vegetarian):

Ingredients:

10 oz (225 grams) plain yogurt (this time I used fat free, and it worked just fine), drained overnight, over a sieve lined with paper towels or a tea towl placed atop a bowl to collect the liquid.
1/3 cup finely chopped cucumber, also drained well
5-10 mint leaves, minced
garlic powder to taste
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Tags: appetizers, chicken, dips, gluten free, middle eastern, poultry, recipes, sandwiches, sauces, side dish, vegetarian by nikki
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Spanakopita.  Spinach, feta, dill……all that yummy goodness in a little package.  Generally, I like to make spanakopita in a big pan with removable sides, but for parties, individual spanakopitas are more convenient and prettier.  Spinach pie is one of those things that you can make ahead and just reheat in the oven to crisp it up.  I’ve even frozen, thawed and reheated them in the oven and they’re still really good.  The process is a little involved, but well worth it.  Phyllo pastry can be a little daunting at first, but it really is no big deal if it rips a little when you’re working with it.  A little butter and a pastry brush will fix any tears, and they won’t be noticable after baking.  It’s important to keep the pastry between a slightly damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out while working with it. These can easily be made gluten free as well….just substitute the phyllo pastry for rice paper sheets found at the Asian grocer (make sure the only ingredients listed are rice flour and water).

Ingredients:

2 pounds (800 grams) frozen spinach
2  eggs 
1 large onion, chopped 
1 lemon, juice of 
2 tablespoons dill 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
salt and pepper 
1/4 cup butter or margarine 
8 ounces (200 grams) feta cheese 
1 package phyllo pastry, cut lengthwise in half (for gluten free spanakopita rolls, use rice paper wraps found in your Asian grocery…make sure the only ingredients listed are rice flour and water)
1/4  cup softened, nearly melted butter, for brushing pastry

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375°F (190C). 
Squeeze spinach completely dry.
Sautee onions and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender, then add spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
Sautee 1-2 more minutes.
In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture, eggs, dill, lemon juice and crumbled feta.
Season with salt and pepper. 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place phyllo between a damp (but not wet) tea towel. 
Brush one sheet with butter, then repeat with a second sheet.
Place about 1-2 tablespoons of spinach mixture at one corner, and begin folding up (as you would a flag).
Seal edge and brush top with butter.
Repeat with remaining pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes…just until golden.
Serve hot.
This recipe makes enough for about 20 packets.

Tags: appetizers, gluten free, middle eastern, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
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1 pound fresh pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 beef double boullion cube (Knorr)
3 tablespoons curry, or more to taste
water to cover vegetables
salt and pepper to taste
cream and chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Add garlic and lightly brown, then add onion and celery and sautee until just tender.
Add in remaining vegetables and give it a good stir.
Add seasonings and water–just enough to cover the vegetables…you want a nice thick soup after pureeing.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
Simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Puree soup with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor (in the latter case, it’s best to allow the soup to cool a bit to avoid burning yourself).
Garnish with cream and cilantro and serve hot or cold.

Tags: gluten free, middle eastern, pumpkin, recipes, restaurants, soups, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
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