Lebanese Bulgur

It is easy and fabulous as a side dish for a wide variety of meat or vegetarian meals.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, heated
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and basil, cooking 2 more minutes.

Stir the bulgur into the tomato mixture, making sure that the bulgur is well coated.

Stir in the hot broth, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 5 minutes.

Add the honey, tomato paste, salt, pepper and cayenne to the bulgur mixture.

Continue to cook, covered until the bulgur is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the parsley over the top.

Serve

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Lebanese Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

The combination of lemon and chicken is classically enjoyed by many a culture and continent and is an ideal choice for a light meal.

Ingredients

• 2 (4 lb) broiler-fryer chickens, in pieces
• 1/2-3/4 cup salad oil
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) for marinade.

Marinade chicken at least an hour (up to overnight).

Place chicken in baking dish.

Bake 1 hr at 350, then broil 15 min or until golden brown.

Serve

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Lebanese Chicken

If you have not tried couscous, here is your chance! A staple of northern Africa, couscous is a wonderful, versatile pasta that goes well when paired with vegetables or meats, but can also be eaten alone with butter.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp butter or 1 tbsp margarine
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup couscous

Directions:

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Cook chicken, onion and garlic in the butter in a large skillet for about 6 minutes or until chicken is browned, turning once.

Add orange zest, orange juice and salt to skillet.

Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle cinnamon and all spice onto chicken.

Drizzle with honey.

Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions.

Top couscous with chicken and sauce before serving.

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Lebanese Green Bean Salad

This is a delicious vegetarian dish of Green Beans Salad! Healthy, tasty and refreshing. This salad can be used as a side dish or serve with pita bread for a vegetarian lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt, to taste

Directions:

Cut beans into or leave whole.

Steam beans for about 5 minutes, or until tender.

Drain well.

Place beans in a large bowl with all remaining ingredients and toss well to combine.

Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

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Lebanese Lentil Soup

Easy, economical and supremely satisfying, this soup of lentils (also known as Esau due to its biblical roots) is a cold-weather staple in my house. It’s equally delicious without the spinach, and you could substitute fresh cilantro for the mint.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
• 12 cloves garlic
• Olive oil
• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 2 large onions, chopped fine
• 1 lb lentils, washed and drained
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 12 cups water
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 6 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Place cilantro in a food processor with garlic, 3 Tbsps olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Process until mixture forms a paste.

Set aside.

Sauté onions in 1/4 cup of olive oil until light brown.

Add lentils and mix.

Cook on medium heat for a few minutes.

Add cinnamon and water.

Turn heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn heat to medium, add remaining salt, spinach, potatoes and cilantro paste.

Cook on low heat until lentils are creamy.

Add lemon juice and continue cooking, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

This soup can be served cold, warm or hot.

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Lebanese Marinated Chicken

This recipe is all about the marinade. Cook the chicken as you desire – grill, broil, quick fry … it’s up to you.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 -6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Cut chicken into 1-in cubes and place in a shallow nonreactive container.

Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken.

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Thread chicken on skewers & grill or broil as desired.

Serve

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Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

This is an easy, fantastic and flavorful way to enjoy the benefits of protein. Mdardara or lentils with rice is a vegetarian Lebanese dish, but it’s not just plain rice and lentils.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3 tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 1 cucumber, peeled, cut into rounds
• plain yogurt
• chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes.

Add broth and lentils; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Stir in rice; return to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to plates; top with blackened onions.

Place tomatoes and cucumber alongside.

Top pilaf with dollop of yogurt.

Sprinkle with mint.

Serve

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Lebanese Veggie Feta Salad

Want a warming salad with the lot? Look no further than this Middle Eastern style dish.

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 1 sliced onion
• Lettuce, cut
• 1 sliced green peppers or 1 sliced red bell pepper
• 7 ounces feta cheese
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 5 ounces black olives
• 2 tbsp capers (optional)
• Oregano, and/or basil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

First wash all the vegetables very well.

Slice the tomatoes in thin quarters.

Peel and slice thinly the cucumbers.

Add the cucumbers, lettuce, oregano, black olives, onion, green or red pepper, and the caper (optional).

Dress the salad with the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and mix well.

Add the feta cheese broken into small pieces.

Serve

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Mujadrah (Lentils and Rice)

Mujadra is tasty, quick, and easy to make. It can be served as the main course. It can also be served as a side dish. It’s delicious either way! Mujadra is meatless, so it would make a great family dinner for Fridays in Lent. But, it’s so delicious that it can be eaten any day.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 -5 small onions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 -4 cups water or 3 -4 cups low or no sodium stock
• Lemon juice
• Garlic (powder or finely chopped)
• Cumin
• Pepper
• Cayenne
• Salt

Directions:

Sauté lentils briefly.

Cover with 3 cups water/stock.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes while sautéing onions till transparent or a little brown.

Add rice to onions and sauté for a moment.

Transfer onions and rice to lentils and add water to cover.

Add lemon juice, spices to taste, stir.

Bring to simmer, cover, let cook approximately 40–45 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add more lemon juice, spices if desired.

Serve

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Pita Bread

Pita is a round pocket bread widely consumed in Middle Eastern cuisine. The “pocket” in the pita bread is created by steam witch puffs up the dough and it is used to scoop sauces and dips such as hummus and to wrap kebabs, köfte or falafel.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 -2 tsp sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp oil

Directions:

Mix yeast, water and sugar.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, dried milk and salt.

Pour in the oil and yeast/water mixture and stir well.

You might need to add more flour or water, depending on the absorbency of the flour.

Knead dough briefly, divide into 18 egg sized balls.

Place on a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15-30 minutes.

Roll one ball out and cook in a skillet until large “bubbles” form.

Flip pita over and cook the other side for a few more minutes.

Flatten it out with a spatula.

Keep bread warm (wrap in a towel or place in a ziploc bag) while cooking the rest of the bread.

These freeze well.

Serve

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Shish Taouk (Lebanese Chicken Skewers)

Shish taouk is chicken kebabs. This basic recipe includes the marinade and cooking instructions just for the chicken. You can add vegetables to the skewer if desired. Suggestions are onions, green peppers, and mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp sumaq
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Cut chicken breasts into pieces for skewers.

Mix remaining ingredients together to make a marinade.

Add chicken to marinade, mix well and refrigerate in a non-reactive container from 2-8 hours.

Thread chicken on skewers and grill or cook under a broiler.

Serve with favorite sauce

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Spiced Sweet Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Hummus

This is considered very nutritious, the hummus is a Mediterranean dip. The red pepper, feta cheese and garlic along with hot pepper sauce, really give it a kick. The hummus can be served with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp tahini
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

In an electric blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, Feta, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt.

Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy.

Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor or blender in between pulses.

Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Sprinkle the hummus with the chopped parsley before serving.

Serve

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Spinach-Garlic-Edamame Hummus

This would be perfect for St Patrick’s Day….it’s completely green, with all the spinach and edamame.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup boiled edamame, shells removed
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (1 small package)
• 1 (12 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Combine all in food processor.

Add olive oil (water, or the “juice” of the garbanzo beans, if you wish) – either of these reduces fat to desired consistency.

Serve with favorite dipping snacks

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