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Roasted Cabbage & Chickpea Salad

I absolutely love salads and I love to get creative with them even more. This is a very simple and straightforward salad that’s perfect for a lunch or even a side at the dinner table. Roasting cabbage and chickpeas completely changes the flavor and texture profile giving it what I think is an elevated taste. Also searing lemon slices for the dressing gives a slight bump to what would already be an incredibly tasty dressing.

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Warak Einab (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

This is the another crowd favorite and a really unique dish to the middle east. We have two types of stuffed grape leaves, the appetizer version which is usually vegetarian and served cold and the main version which is stuffed with rice and meat and served hot. This is the recipe for the main dish version. I will definitely share the appetizer version soon. I see this made with big lamb chops but in my family we always did tomatoes and potatoes so that’s how I’ll be sharing it here. This dish is a true labor of love and I hope you can find the time to try this out at least once.

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Ara’a

This is another dish I’ve only ever had at home. It’s extremely uncommon even within the Arab community. It’s basically a stew made up of squash and tender pieces of stew meat in a tomato sauce. It’s very straightforward and easy to make and very unique!

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Maqloubeh

Maqloubeh is my all time favorite dish. It directly translates to “upside down” because you construct the dish in a pot upside down then flip the pot once everything cooks. It’s the first dish I was always most excited for because the amazing flavor but mostly because of the anticipation of the big reveal after the flip. It’s a delicacy made for special occasions so consider yourself lucky if you get your hands on some.

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Stuffed Onions

These stuffed onions are dish I’ve only had a handful of times but those few times I had them I was delighted. They are so beautifully presented, taste absolutely incredible, and really is not that difficult to make. It’s amazing what a little bit of effort towards a meal can do. If you’re a fan of stuffed vegetables but are deterred by the amount of work it takes, these onions are the perfect place to start.

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Turkish Pasta

Right now this dish is taking the internet by storm thanks to Anna Paul sharing her mothers recipe. It looks absolutely amazing. It’s a beautifully vibrant plate with so many textures and notes of flavor that all come together so perfectly. Being Palestinian, we have a very similar dish called “Macarona bil Leban” which translates to “Macaroni in Yogurt” so naturally I was very intrigued by this dish. After making it once, this is now in my common rotation because it’s very simple to make and beyond delicious.

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Fattet Betenjan

This is one of the most classic Levantine style dishes. Fatteh means crushed or crumbs and Betenjan is the Arabic word for eggplant. There are several types of fatteh like with chickpeas, chicken, etc. and this is my favorite version of it. It’s a nice way to introduce eggplant without having an overwhelming eggplant flavor. It’s very simple to make and enjoyed by many.

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Maghshi

This is my top favorite winter time dish. Yet another dish I’ve only ever had at home and I’m here to share with you all. Basically we take the arabic classic Kusa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini/Squash) and serve with a garlic heavy yogurt sauce. It’s really a dish that’s hard to describe through words. The aroma is one of a kind and warms you right up.

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Cheese Crescents

Small bite sized pastries are like my favorite thing ever. And they’re also my biggest enemy. I find it really hard to practice any sort of discipline because they’re so good and I always end up eating just enough to almost regret how many I had. So naturally I’m going to share one of my favorite pastries - these cheese filled crescents. The dough here is soft and airy like a cloud and the different fillings in this are absolutely to die for. It does take a bit of work to put this together so if you have help it could be great bonding time. These are great for dinner party appetizers or to store in the freezer and heat up every once in a while.

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Taratour Tahini

This is a very simple tahini sauce that goes incredibly well with any fish. Whether you pan fry, bake, poach, or deep fry, this sauce is the perfect pairing. In this recipe I’ll share exactly how I make it and the fish I am pairing it with but remember it goes well with ANY fish so don’t marry the two together here.

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Sahlab

This is THE winter dessert. It’s warm, comforting, cozy, and so satisfying. It’s a very simple mix of milk and rose water, thickened slightly and garnished with crushed pistachios and rose petals. It’s thickened with cornstarch and mastic (a resin that comes from the mastic tree across the mediterranean) which actually gives a very subtle depth of flavor. It doesn’t take much time to make but requires your constant attention.

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Cauliflower Shakriyeh

This is by no means a traditional Shakriyeh but this yogurt sauce is to die for so I got a bit creative and put this together. I love the flavor of fried cauliflower and I wanted something warm for this winter season. I have to say this blew me away. Easily one of my favorite dishes now and I can’t wait to make it again.

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Chicken Kabsa

This, in my opinion, is the BEST way to have chicken and rice. It’s a melting pot of flavors. Granted it does need quite a few spices and herbs but the end product is really something special. The sides that come along with it are phenomenal and it’s something that will impress your family or guests you have over. This is traditionally a Gulf Arab dish from countries like Saudi, Kuwait, & Yemen. My recipe here is not traditional by any means but it captures the essence and flavors of Kabsa. Give it a shot and I promise you’re world will be changed forever.

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Yakhni Batata

This is a dish I have only ever seen at home. I don’t know if it’s something only my family does or if others make a variation of it but I do know it’s beyond delicious. This one specifically really wins my heart over. The aroma and flavor of this supercedes anything else for me. Give it a try!

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Vermicelli Kufta Soup

This is my favorite soup. It’s beyond delicious, incredibly easy to make, and loved by everyone of all ages. I would always call it kufta noodle soup which is essentially what this is. Small kufta meatballs, vermicelli noodles, and a savory tomato broth. Top it with some fresh parsley and lots of lemon juice and you have yourself a warm and comfy soup.

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Molokhia

Molokhia is one of my favorite dishes ever. It translates to “Jute Leaf Stew” in English and I always describe this to those who don’t know as a cross between spinach and okra. It’s a leaf just like spinach but when it cooks, it has a texture very similar to okra but not quite the same. Several Arab countries have their own version of this and even within families, there are different approaches on how to make it. The one thing in common though is that this dish needs something spicy with it and lots of lemon.

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Cardamom Rose Coffee Cake

I absolutely love coffee cake. I can still remember the first time my parents brought home a coffee cake and it was love at first bite. The fluffy texture, the cinnamon ribbon inside, and the perfect streusel topping all comes together so perfectly. I wanted to play around with this idea and create something with flavors from the middle east and so the cardamom rose coffee cake was born. It’s everything you love about coffee cake but with added flavors. Give this a shot I promise you’ll love every bite.

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Lentil Soup

This is probably the most healthy and filling soup I’ve ever had. It’s completely vegan, very simple to make, and warms you right up. I honestly have the leftovers for breakfast sometimes because it’s so tasty and warm. Lentils are also super underrated in my opinion. I don’t see many places in the US use lentils and if they do its like a substitute for rice or something. But when you look outside to other cultures, they have mastered the use of lentils. So here is just one way to include lentils in your diet.

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Chicken Bastilla

This is the North African version of a chicken pot pie and it’s way better in my opinion. Chicken Bastilla is a sweet and savory dish consisting of shredded chicken, eggs, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. I know that combination sounds strange but trust me when I tell you it is to die for. It’s all wrapped up in crispy filo dough and fills your home with a warm comforting aroma.

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Lasagna

Homemade lasagna is one of my favorite dishes to have on a chilly fall or winter evening. It’s something people of all ages enjoy because of it’s simple ingredients and nostalgic feel. To me, every bite is a throw back to simpler happy times with friends and family. So I urge you to try putting this dish together for your next dinner party. I will admit it is very time consuming especially if you’re going to make pasta from scratch as well so using store bought noodles is a great way to cut down on time and effort.

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