Stimulate your taste buds with delectable Lebanese food...

Lebanon, the land of the biblical cedars of the Lord, looks down from the mountains to the Mediterranean below. Here the archaic fuses with the metropolitan to form a beautiful proud, diverse and interesting land. Situated on the Eastern side of the Mediterranean between East and West, it is a cultural, culinary and commerce crossroads. Lebanese cuisine is the epitome of the Mediterranean cuisine, a cuisine that belongs to an ancient land that has been in the making pre-biblical days. It’s a reflection of its warm, welcoming and hospitable culture. If you happen to visit the country you will be welcomed very easily into someone’s home and your experience will be a memorable one. Its peoples, even through a long history of wars and political strife are life loving who like to socialize and be surrounded with culture, good food and whatever is a reflection of a good life. 

In Lebanon, very rarely are drinks served without being accompanied by food. Similar to the tapas of Spain, mezeluri of Romania, and antipasto of Italy, mezze is an array of small dishes placed before the guests creating an array of colors, flavors, textures and aromas. This style of serving food is less a part of family life than it is of entertaining and cafes. Mezze may be as simple as pickled vegetables or raw vegetables, hummus, baba ghanouj and bread, or it may become an entire meal consisting of grilled marinated seafood, skewered meats, a variety of cooked and raw salads and an arrangement of desserts.

Fresh vegetables, fruit, legumes, low-fat dairy products, fish, nuts and seeds are the foundation of Lebanese cuisine. Many staples of the Lebanese diet, including olive oil, a variety of nuts, stuffed vegetables, yogurt as well as baklava derived from Ottoman influences. Fresh ingredients are enhanced with herbs and spices instead of heavy sauces. The most common seasonings in Lebanese cuisine include mint, parsley, oregano, garlic, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Fresh fruits and vegetables are consumed in much larger portions than meats in the Lebanese diet, and flat bread or pita is eaten at nearly every meal.

You can get a variety of Lebanese dishes bursting with the flavors indigenous to Mediterranean countries. Lebanese dishes, including hummus, falafel and baba ganoosh, are made from fresh ingredients that are naturally low in fat and olive oil is used instead of the butter or cream. Lebanese cuisine can help you eat better as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

FATTAUSH

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

    2 to 4                        pita breads

    1 head                      Iceberg lettuce

    1/2                             red onion

    4                                 tomatoes

    1                                 cucumber

    1                                 cup mint leaves

    3 to 4 Tbsp.            Lemon Vinaigrette or similar salad dressing

    1/2 cup                    crumbled feta cheese

    12 to 24                   Kalamata or similar black olives

  

Preparation: 

• Toast pita breads, cool, and break into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Tear or chop lettuce into bite-size pieces, wash and dry lettuce, put leaves in a very large bowl.
• Thinly slice red onion and add to lettuce.
• Chop tomatoes and add to lettuce.
• Peel cucumber, if you like. Cut in half lengthwise. Spoon out seeds, if you like, cut into thin half-moons, and add to lettuce.
• Cut mint into ribbons, and add to lettuce.
• Add pita pieces to lettuce. Drizzle salad mixture with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette and toss thoroughly.
• Divide salad between serving plates to arrange on a large platter. Top with crumbled feta cheese and olives, if you like.

MEZZEH PLATTER

Muhammara is a spicy red pepper dip. It is east to make and can be served warm or cold. I suggest serving with toasted pita wedges or fresh veggies.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3                          red bell peppers
• 1 medium        yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup             olive oil
• 1/2 cup             breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup            walnuts, crushed
• 1 1/2 tab          chili powder, or 1 fresh Fresno chile, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place whole red peppers on greased baking sheet. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, turning approximately every 4 minutes.

In the meantime, place breadcrumbs in food processor and add 2 tablespoons of cold water. Blend to make a puree. Add more water as needed.

Remove peppers from oven and peel off skin. Cut open and remove seeds. Cut into pieces and add to breadcrumbs mixture in food processor.

In a small saute pan, saute onions until lightly browned. Add sauteed onions and olive oil to food processor and blend to a dip consistency.

Add remaining ingredients and blend, adding olive oil as needed. 

Hummus

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz                can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup               liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tsp                lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 tsp             tahini
• 2                            cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon    salt
• 2 tablespoons  olive oil

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. 

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

  

Labneh 

Ingredients

•  (600 g)      thick  yogurt
• 1 tsp            salt
• various seasoning
• a cheesecloth
• a sieve
• a bowl

Instructions :

1. Put a sieve onto a bowl and spread cheesecloth over it. Combine yogurt with salt. Put the mixture into the prepared sieve. Put it into a bowl and into the refrigerator. Let it drain for two days.
2. Remove the drained yogurt from the cloth, shape it into little balls and roll the into various herbs, spices, nuts. You can also marinate it in a mixture of olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. Or leave it as a spread, without shaping into balls.

Tabaouleh

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of fresh parsley (1 1/2 cup chopped, with stems discarded)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
• I medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup bulghur, medium grade
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Romaine lettuce or grape leaves to line serving bowl (optional)

Preparation:

Soak bulghur in cold water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until soft.

Squeeze out excess water from bulghur using hands or paper towel.

Combine all ingredients, except for salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Line serving bowl with grape leaves or romaine lettuce, and add salad.

Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper on top.

GREEK BANANAS WITH ROSE PETAL ICE CREAM

Ingredients

• 8 medium bananas
• 2 teaspoons lemon jui2/3 cup od self rising flour
• 2/3 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoon light brown sugar
• oil for deep frying

How to make it

• cut bananas into chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl
• sprinkle the lemon juice over the bananas to prevent discoloration
• sift the self rising flour, rice flour, cornstarch and cinnamon, into a mixing bowl, gradually stir in the water to make a thin batter.
• heat the oil in a wok until almost smoking then reduce the heat . slightly.
• place a piece of the banana on the end of a fork and carefully dip into the batter, draining off any excess; repeat until all are battered.
• Melt the sugar and make a thick syrup
• carefully place the banana pieces in the sugar syrup till it get coated. serve along with Rose petal ice-cream