Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Now I’m sure you’re all wondering why a Middle Eastern food blogger would be celebrating an Irish holiday. Yes, I am from the Middle East but my husband’s paternal grandmother was Irish and my brother’s wife is Northern Irish. That makes my daughter and nephew part Irish and the main reason I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. [Read more…]
Even though we’re nearing the beginning of spring, it’s been cold and snowy on the East Coast. Cold weather reminds me of one of my favorite dessert drinks, sahlab. If you’ve ever been to the Middle East during the colder months, you’ve probably had this delicious treat as it’s sold in restaurants, coffee shops and street vendors. When I was home visiting my family this past fall, sahlab made its first seasonal appearance. [Read more…]
I’m traveling to the Middle East next month to visit my family and to meet four newborn babies, including my perfect little nephew. He is just a week old and is already the cutest, most precious baby boy I have ever seen. My daughter is so excited and proud to be a big cousin and we are ready to finally get there to give him sweet cuddles and kisses!
During my trip home last year, I was in the kitchen a lot; helping, watching and learning. I was there for Easter and one of the things my Aunt taught me to make were Crown Date Cookies. They are special non-Paleo treats that we make during resurrection week- you can learn a little more about them here.
Even though Crown Date Cookies are not Paleo, I wanted to apply what my aunt taught me when I got home and so I brought back some packaged pitted baking dates in hopes of recreating her recipe. Unfortunately, months went by and I didn’t end up making the special Easter treats. I needed to use the dates before I traveled again, so I came up with a quick and easy Paleo/Raw Vegan recipe. [Read more…]
Musakhan (mu-Sa-khan) is the national dish of Palestine and one its people are very proud of. The Arabic word musakhan literally means reheated in English. The uniqueness of this dish is what makes it so special. Caramelized onions, chicken, sumac, a blend of spices, olive oil, toasted almonds and pine nuts on top of taboon bread soaked in the juices of the chicken and onions– the thought of it just makes my mouth water. All of these ingredients are cooked separately and then reheated together at the end, hence the name. Taboon bread (google for image) is a Middle Eastern flat bread that is baked on stones or in a cone-shaped clay oven. The bread is not Paleo friendly but I have found a way to still enjoy one of my favorite meals in a healthy way. [Read more…]
One of the most popular and delicious Middle Eastern salads is tabbouleh. Traditionally, it is made with tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. This is not your traditional recipe, this is my take on it. If you are eating a Paleo diet, then you know that bulgur is not Paleo approved. [Read more…]
When I visited my family in the Middle East last year, my mom always had two types of salad in the refrigerator. This beautiful red beet salad and another cabbage salad, that I’ll talk about in another post.
I bought a lot of beets recently for a 72 hour juice cleanse that I was doing. I ended up not juicing the third day and had a lot of beets left over. [Read more…]
Happy Middle Eastern Mother’s Day! In honor of this special day and the first day of Spring, let me introduce you to my favorite salad and salad dressing. It’s so easy to make and so refreshingly delicious. This salad is such an important part of our culture. There are so many different variations and names for this salad. Some may add parsley, mint, onions, sweet bell peppers, chili peppers, or even avocados. Middle Easterners eat a variation of this salad as much as they eat rice and bread, so that’s a lot. It is also a great side for so many delicious Middle Eastern dishes, my favorite is the Palestinian dish, maklube.This salad is great on top of this Paleo rice stuffing with plain yogurt (laban), if you can tolerate dairy. [Read more…]
There are so many recipes out there for homemade mayonnaise. Growing up, my uncle made it for the whole family and it always intrigued me. I never understood how a few ingredients could make creamy mayo. I have been making my own mayonnaise for a while now and I can’t remember the last time I bought some from the grocery store. [Read more…]