Which countries are part of the Middle East varies depending on who you ask. From a food perspective, the flavours of Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine (the Levant), Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, The UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar (the countries of the Arabian Gulf), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (North Africa) all have a lot in common. The influences crosses borders to neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Xinjjiang in China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Sudan, Somalia, Zanzibar and Greece too; as well as the Middle Eastern/Arabic influence on Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines.
Prawn Kebabs Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I like to leave the shells on when I’m grilling prawn kebabs as they protect the flesh and keep it juicy and tender. They’re a bit messy to eat this way so ensure you have large serviettes, finger bowls, plus bowls for the […]
Eggplant Fatteh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Fatteh comes from the Arabic verb to ‘break up’ or ‘crumble’, which is what’s done to the stale flatbread in this eggplant fatteh recipe. Fatteh is one of those ingenious peasant dishes created to ensure nothing goes to waste and it’s a great […]
Tabbouleh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Along with hummus, tabbouleh (tabouli) is perhaps the best-known Lebanese dish outside the Middle East. It was certainly part of my introduction to Lebanese food and I remember my sister’s mother-in-law – Teta as everyone called her – making it in huge metal bowls […]
Salmon Tails with Yoghurt Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! These salmon tails with yoghurt sauce are as easy and delicious as dinner gets. Salmon tail is a tasty and great value alternative to thicker pieces of fillet and, like all fish, is best cooked with the skin on – […]
Batata Harra (Spicy Fried Potatoes) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Spicy batata harra is one of the most delicious potato dishes I’ve ever tasted; it’s popular as part of a meze and is great as a side dish with any meat, poultry or seafood. Traditionally the potato is deep-fried first […]
Fattoush Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Whenever I have stale Lebanese bread I generally turn it into pita crisps, then use some of them to make fattoush, one of the easiest and most delicious salads. There are as many variations on fattoush as there are Lebanese cooks. Some recipes include […]
Ful Medames Like Ful Medames? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Ful medames (فول مدمس) is a creamy Middle Eastern fava bean dip. Served with some fresh warm flatbread, yoghurt or labne, mint, cucumber and olives it’s one of my favourite breakfast dishes, and it’s a great addition to a mezze table too. Ful […]
Lebanese Cauliflower Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I love the deep-fried cauliflower – arnabeet mekleh (or mekle) – often seen as part of a Lebanese mezze, but it can be a touch too oily. So I usually roast my Lebanese cauliflower in the oven instead. Roasting gives the same great […]
Tomato Sauce Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes A good tomato sauce is a basic in every Mediterranean cuisine. Use it to poach Lebanese stuffed zucchini, dress a simple pasta or gnocchi, layer into eggplant Parmigiana or lasagne – or add a pinch of hot smoked paprika […]
Labneh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! This popular Lebanese dip is sometimes referred to as a cheese, but it’s really just strained yoghurt (sometimes called hung yoghurt). It takes a day or so to make, but next-to-no hands-on time. Apart from yoghurt and salt, all you need is some muslin […]