This is a traditional stew made typically with Burghul and Pole Beans. My mom always served it with tangy homemade yogurt and pomegranate molasses drizzled on top. I used Buckwheat instead today – one because I was curious how it would work in that dish, and two because I didn’t have any burghul. In any case it worked out great. …
A Fava Bean Breakfast
This time I remembered to soak the beans before going to bed. I’ve been craving this breakfast for a long time and I always think of it at breakfast time! Small fava beans with an olive oil, garlic and lemon dressing or Foul Mdammas is a traditional breakfast dish. It’s usually served with fresh mint, parsley, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers or …
Freekeh Ratatouille
I feel like Remy in Ratatouille every time I make this dish. My mouth watered at the scene where Ego took his first bite. And when, during a recent visit to a Vaidya, I was told to focus on dishes that have plenty of cooked, seasonal veggies, I was excited at the variety of delightful meals I can prepare. …
Spiced Rice Pudding
A popular dessert reserved only for the occasion of a birth of a child, and Christmas. Well, I don’t to play by the rules, so I make it whenever because it’s very tasty, and because I love any excuse to have more nuts, and because my daughter loves it too (she’s now 18 months). Inevitably anyone that walks in and …
Herb Roasted Chicken, Garlic Sauce and a Sandwich
I always get so excited for Spring. Around mid Winter, I start channeling a rural farmer and dreams of planting fruit trees like pomegranates and mulberries take me all around my backyard and back to the sofa. Every year around this time, I buy seeds and set out to planting them and then the city slicker that I am, I …
Tabbouleh Salad
Anytime you look into my fridge and not find at least three bunches of cleaned and arranged parsley, there’s something wrong. This is probably the one item, well that and tomatoes and lemons, that I can’t live without. There are so many things to do with parsley – mix it with ground meat to make kafta, chop it for a …
Spiced Pompano with Green Salsa
It’s been a bit hectic since we came back from Easter break with my family. We were able to really enjoy the Spring in full swing in Virginia, colors of all shades of pink, white, yellow, purple and this green. Amazing. The kids enjoyed their playtime with cousins whom they don’t really see as often as we would all like. …
Roasted Eggplant stuffed with Kale and Buckwheat in a Spicy Tomato Sauce
The mystery is solved !! It’s a Hyacinth, a bunch of beautifully blossoming purple ones. I am so proud of myself. I had no idea I can garden (I am using that term very loosely). I’ve never been able to grow anything, even a mint bush died on me last year, but you know, this Spring, something special is in …
Roasted Beets, Watercress and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
Have you ever had times when you’re drawn to a particular vegetable or fruit. It’s an odd feeling, but I occasionally get immense cravings for a particular item; like for instance last Spring, I couldn’t have enough peaches. Well, for the last couple of months, I never leave a market without beets. I use them in juicing, with carrots and …
Forbidden Rice Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
This is one of my favorite salads, inspired by one that I occasionally eat at Whole Foods Fairfax when visiting family. And while theirs is Asian inspired, mine relies on the sweetness of the pineapples and peppers with a hint of sherry vinegar and some agave nectar. It’s simple, flavorful and filling. And more importantly, when I have an upcoming …