Lentils and rice. Rice and lentils. It’s simple, it’s meatless, it’s packed with protein and it’s DELICIOUS. Ingredients: 1 cup brown lentils 2 cups of medium gain rice (calrose rice) 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 heaping teaspoon cumin 1 pinch turmeric 3 cups water Optional Fried Onions: 1 cup vegetable oil 1 onion, finely sliced 1 tablespoon flour Step 1: Thoroughly rinse and soak the rice in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. Step 2: While rice is soaking, finely chop up 1 onion and peel ga ..read more

I love love loveeeee bechamel pasta bakes …in all forms and variations. Whether it’s the Egyptian Ma’carona Bechamel or the Greek Pastitsio or a traditional Italian Lasagna …I’m all for it! The very first time I enjoyed this dish, I was visiting my Aunt Fedaa’ in Jerusalem and since then it’s been in rotation as one of our favorite weeknight meals.  Here’s my favorite way to make a Bechamel Pasta bake. It’s been a favorite among family members and it’s always a go-to dish for dinner parties.  Ingredients:  Meat Sauce: 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 clov ..read more

Falafel is best when it’s crispy on the outside and green on the inside. Here’s how I make my favorite Falafel recipe. If you’d like to enjoy your falafel in the morning, you’ve got to prep the night before. This is a fairly large recipe because the point is you make a big batch once and freeze what you don’t use for later use. Here we goooo!  Ingredients1 cup dried split fava beans (here’s an example of what they look like) 3 cups dried chickpeas  (4 cups chickpeas if you don’t have the fava beans on hand) 2 bunches flat leaf parsley 1 bunch cilantro 1 large onion, roughly chopped 7 ..read more

For so many years, my family would enjoy this savory “Turkish Pizza” known as Pide at a local restaurant. And when Wild Garden Foods came out with their Turkish Taouk seasoning, I decided to get a little creative. Ingredients 1 packet, Wild Garden Turkish Taouk Marinade 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast, finely cubed 1 bell pepper, finally chopped 1 red chili, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1-2 ripe tomatoes, diced 1/2 teaspoon thyme salt, to taste pepper, to taste Aleppo Pepper (optional) 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Dough: 4 cups flour 1 1/2 – 2 cups warm water 2 1/4 teasp ..read more

Growing up, my siblings and I called these the “Mercedes Benz” Fatayer because the shape of them look like the inside of the famous logo. They’ve always been a favorite for my siblings and I and I believe they forever will be. Ingredients: 4 Cups Flour 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast 1 tablespoon milk powder (Nido) 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 1/2 -2 Cups Water 1/4 cup Oil (Extra virgin olive oil and/or vegetable oil) 4-5 bunches organic spinach 2 teaspoons salt 4+ sprigs of green onion (some of us like it more onion-y than others) 1/2 teaspoon of cumin 2 teaspoons sumac 2-3 teaspoons extra vir ..read more

I sat down to write down this recipe and all I could think about is the Go Remy tabbouleh song from the early 2000’s — “Tabbouleh, Tabbouleh, Tabbouleh….makes me shake shake shake my booty”   Everyone makes tabbouleh a little different — here’s how my cousin Nora taught me how to make it and this is my favorite version of it!  Ingredients 1/2 cup Bulgur Wheat (#1 size or the smallest size bulgur) 1 cup lemon juice 1 tsp pomegranate molasses 4 bunches parsley* 1 small bunch fresh mint 1-2 tomatoes 1 Persian cucumber 1/4 red onion 1/2 lemon 1-2 sprigs green onion Salt, to taste 1 ..read more

Whether it be Eid or Easter, Arabs all over the world welcome the holidays with these delightful date-stuffed semolina cookies known as Maa’moul or Ka’ak Bl Ajweh. In my family, it isn’t Eid without us dedicating a day to baking these cookies together. We surround the kitchen table and each one of us has a role — mom and khalto mix the maa’moul dough and my sister, cousins, and I create an assembly line where we put together these delightful cookies. One of us rolls out the dates, the other stuffs the dough, and the rest of us put our maa’moul tongs to work to pinch out designs. It’s not unusu ..read more

Ka’ak Al-Quds. Stop anyone who has stepped foot in the old city of Jerusalem and ask them where or what they should eat. Of course, Ka’ak will be on the list.  As you walk through the old city, you’ll see carts with stacks upon stacks of beautiful golden ka’ak. The smell and sight alone will make you stop, but of course, the men at the stands call out “Fresh Ka’ak! Fresh Ka’ak” and reel you in to buy one, or two, or a whole bag!  It’s been maybe a decade since I’ve visited Al-Quds. But I have continued to crave Ka’ak. For that reason, I have to bake it right here at home.  ..read more

You’re probably checking out this recipe because you’ve got some over-ripe bananas or you know that you’re going to have some in a few days   Ingredients: 3 extra-ripe bananas (the more brown they are the better) 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt (if you don’t have vanilla yogurt, substitute plain greek yogurt) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) 2 large eggs (room temperature) 2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon if using plain greek yogurt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 1/2-3/4 cup cr ..read more