This Levantine classic isn’t freaky at all! Freekeh bulgur is unlike regular cracked wheat in that it’s harvested and roasted before the grain has had a chance to ripen. Its flavor is truly unique. Traditional versions of this soup don’t always have meat, but the pea protein compliments the freekeh’s heartiness. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
one cup freekeh bulgur
one cup pea protein (or soy protein)
one onion, diced
one tbs cumin
one tbs allspice OR kibbeh spice blend (watch how kibbeh is done)
olive oil (or water) to saute
vegetable broth or bouillon
one tbs nutritional yeast
handful spinach
cilantro & lemon, to serve
Directions:
soak pea protein in boiling water until soft
rinse freekeh in water several times
“translucify” onions in olive oil or water
add pea protein and let brown
add freekeh
add spices
toast one minute
cover with broth or water and bouillon
add nutritional yeast
cook until freekeh is soft (at least 40 mins), adding more broth/water if needed
Shake shake shake your shakshuka! This spicy, tomato-y breakfast staple will kickstart your day! We’ve replaced the traditional eggs with chickpea pancakes because doubling up on breakfast treats is always better than eating dead chickens!
You might be saying...but I can get tabbouleh ANYWHERE.EVERYBODY makes tabbouleh. To which I say, this version of the herby, citrusy, grainy salad, is my baba’s, which makes it special to me.
Ingredients:
1.fine bulgur
2. boiling water
3.3 bunches of parsley
4.1 tbs fresh mint
5. 1 bunch scallion greens
6.lemon juice (to taste)
7.lemon powder/salt (to taste)
8.pinch of cumin
9. salt
10.glug of olive oil
11. glug of red vinegar
12. 3 tbs pomegranate seeds
Directions
soak bulgur in boiling water.
finely chop parsley.
remove all stems and tough pieces.
chop mint and do the same.
finely slice the scallion.
mix herbs together.
add 1-2 tbs of the bulgur.
add lemon juice to taste (we went with one half of a super juicy guy).
add lemon powder/salt to taste (we went with two teaspoons).
one bunch dark, leafy greens (chard, collard greens, etc)
one cup black-eyed peas (and some cooking liquid)
one cup pomegranate seeds + more for garnish
one tbs chopped cilantro
one scallion, chopped (greens only)
one tbs pomegranate molasses
salt & pepper to taste
one cup spreadable almond cheese*
garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, & black pepper, to taste.
really good bread or crackers to serve
* if you can’t get almond cheese:
Ingredients:
-one cup filleted almonds
-one probiotic capsule
-lemon juice (to taste)
-salt (to taste)
Soak filleted almonds several hours (or not at all if you have a high speed blender). Blend with the inside of the capsule, lemon juice, and salt. Let sit on the counter overnight. The mix should keep in the fridge for just under a week.
Whether you leave a tray of these qurabiya out for Santa—don’t forget the almond milk—or bake up a batch for your next holiday cookie swap, these melt-in-your mouth morsels are sure to be a hit!
Ingredients:
-½ cup vegan butter*
-¼ cup walnut oil*
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
-1 tsp baking powder
-2-3 cups flour (gluten-free or all-purpose)
- pine nuts
Directions:
preheat oven to 350F (180C)
cream the butter, either using an electric mixer or by hand.
add oil and cream again.
sift in powdered sugar.
cream again.
mix salt and baking powder into two cups of flour.
slowly incorporate the flour mixture into your butter-sugar mix, beating as you add.
when the dough starts to get crumbly, start working it with your hands. Add more dough if needed. You may need up to 3 cups.
roll the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. I used a shot glass and rolled mine out fairly thin, but, you do you.
place cookies on a parchment-lined tray.
press a pine nut into the top of each.
since I prefer my cookies thin and small, I baked for eight minutes and got about 35 qurabiya out of my batch. Take your cookies out of the oven when they’re juuuuust turning colour.
after they cool, dust generously with powdered sugar.
* If you live in a land where vegan butter is available to you, please buy it, but I don’t, so I used this recipe for vegan butter: http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/fats/vegan-butters/vegan-butter
Loukoumades. Luqmat al-qadi. Lokma. Bamyieh. Bimuelos. Zvingoi. Whatever you call them, these fried little morsels are delicious. They’re traditionally served as Hanukkah treats by Romaniote and Sephardic Jews—why not add this vegan version to your celebration?
Ingredients:
½ cup lukewarm water
1 packet active dry yeast (¼ oz or 2 ¼ tsp)
1 cup lukewarm soy milk
1 tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 + cups all-purpose flour
walnut oil, for frying
To serve: vegan honey*
crushed walnuts
Directions:
Pour water into a bowl.
Empty yeast into the same bowl.
Add soy milk.
Add sugar.
Add salt.
Add baking powder.
Mix.
Add flour slowly (begin with two cups).
The batter should be gluey; somewhere between pancake batter and bread dough.
Add more flour if you need it.
Cover and rest the batter for at least an hour. You can prepare the batter a day in advance (refrigerate it in that case), but leave it in a warm-ish place at least an hour first.
Heat walnut oil over medium heat.To create a rounder fritter, use two spoons scooping the batter up with one, then dropping it into the oil with the other.
For a more free-form fritter, use one spoon to directly drop the batter into the oil.
When the loukoumades are golden-brown and cooked through, remove from the oil and drain on a power towel.
To serve, drizzle with vegan honey and crushed walnuts
Need to feed a crowd this Christmas? Kibbeh is served during the holiday in Syria and Lebanon. And while there are fasting vegan versions in existence, my recipe is meant to replicate the texture and flavor of meat—using plants! Merry Christmas!
Ingredients:
-9 cups mushrooms (I used creminis and oyster)
-2 cups lentils, cooked-1 cup walnuts
-4 cups bulgur (prepare as directed)- salt
-4 tbs of equal parts: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper (plus a little more)
-1 onion, grated-½ tsp olive oil-1 cup roasted eggplant (2 to 3 raw eggplants should do)
-½ cup pine nuts
Directions:
Roast eggplant with a little bit of the salt and spice blend (How to roast an eggplant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbjASiVzU4&t=6s)
Toast pine nuts
.Prepare bulgur according to directions on package
Chop mushrooms
Place two cups mushrooms, one cup lentils, and walnuts into a food processor. Mince
Add mince to bulgur. Add two tablespoons spice blend and a generous helping of salt.
Mix with hands until mixture is thoroughly blended and sticky.
Saute onion in half a teaspoon of olive oil until translucent.
Add remaining mushrooms and cook down.
Add roasted eggplant. Mix.
Add remaining two tablespoons spice blend and generous helping of salt.
Add toasted pine nuts.Press half of the bulgur mixture into the bottom of a pan.
That neon, dessert-flavored, gelatinous goop that comes in a plastic cup isn’t what first comes to mind when I think of yogurt. My childhood included garlicky yogurt on pasta, with vegetables—or plain, with spoonfuls of honey. And OK, maybe I’d eat a key lime pie yoplait from time to time. In the US, the non-dairy yogurt market is growing. But here? Not so much. Let me show you how to keep your (vegan) yogurt game strong.
For the yogurt:
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 probiotic capsule
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
water
Directions:
Soak cashews overnight.Drain and rinse cashews.
Place in blender.
Add contents of probiotic capsule and vinegar.
Cover with water.Blend ‘til smooth
Let sit out overnight
Congratulations! You have yogurt. You can stop here. It should keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
Or you can now pass go and make
Garlic-herb yogurt:
Ingredients:
½ the yogurt recipe
water
squeeze of lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 tbs fresh mint & parsley
1 tsp dried dillsalt (optional)
Directions:
Thin the yogurt with water (to desired consistency).
One potato, two potato, three potato...more, please. This sweet potato casserole is infused with the flavors of Iranian jewelled rice and Moroccan bastilla. Whether you serve it as a main or a side to your veggie roast, it's the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast!
Ingredients:
Roasted Veg:
-3 medium potatoes (I used russets)
-4 small carrots
- 2 large Japanese sweet potatoes
-3 small garnet sweet potatoes
-olive oil
-salt
-pinch of spice blend (of equal parts cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon (toasted and freshly ground is best)
Sauce:
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1.5 cups non-dairy milk
-2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in non-dairy milk
-pinch of saffron
-2 tsp of spice blend
-salt
1 tsp candied orange rind
2 tbs dried cranberries
¼ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
Topping:
-puff pastry (check the label to make sure it’s vegan!!!)
Thinly slice and lightly coat in olive oil and salt. Add a bit of spice blend to the carrots.
Roast in a 400F (200C) oven for 15-20 min until they’re soft, but not overcooked.
Sauce Time!
“Bloom” saffron in orange blossom water. Set aside.
Fry garlic clove in the olive oil until it’s fragrant.
Add non-dairy milk and heat through.
Add spices and salt.
Make a cornstarch slurry by dissolving it in non-dairy milk. Mix until they’re no more clumps and add to the warm milk mixture.
Let sauce thicken by bringing to a boil. Turn off heat.
Add saffron and orange blossom water.
Add candied orange rind, sultanas, and cranberries.
Assembly
I prefer to use two small casserole dishes, but you do you. Place a small bit of sauce at the bottom of the dish and arrange one vegetable in a circular pattern (or lengthwise, if you’re working rectangularly), add more sauce and repeat until you’ve reached the top.
Roll out enough puff pastry to cover your casserole and top that mother.,
Sprinkle the top with almonds
Bake for about 30 mins at 350F (180C)
Dust with powdered sugar and crushed pistachios before serving.
Cranberry sauce. The ubiquitous Thanksgiving condiment everyone buys—or makes—dutifully every year, though I’ve rarely seen anyone eat more than a gracious spoonful. Me? I love the stuff. But, I love this pomegranate-cranberry sauce even more. Pomegranate has a tartness that’s less sharp than cranberries and using the bog-monsters in their dried form allows them to give up a little more sugar
Ingredients:
2 large pomegranates (seeded)
1 cup dried cranberries
2 oranges (juice)
½ lemon (juice)
½ tsp orange zest
2 cups water
Mix the pomegranate seeds with all other ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until a quarter of the mixture remains. Enjoy!
Think pumpkins are getting a little too big for their britches? This yummy carrot pie is a great alternative and a fantastic addition to any holiday (THANKSGIVING?) table. Inspired by Turkish carrot candy and Afghan carrot pudding, my version features walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and cardamom.
======================
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups gf flour (can use all purpose if not gf)
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup coconut oil (solid, unrefined) YOU WANT COCONUT FLAVOUR
¼ cup walnut oil
cold water as needed, if needed
Filling:
3 cups carrot (1 cup shredded)
2 tbs arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)
1.5 cups coconut milk
2 tbs molasses
1 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tsp cardamom
Garnish:
powdered walnut
desiccated coconut
Instructions:
For crust:
Mix flour and salt. Add in coconut oil in small pieces. Either by hand or with food processor, work until you have small pieces. Add in walnut oil and blend/work until you have a dough. Add water if needed. Press into a pie plate and pre-bake for 15 mins at 350F (180C).
For filling:
Chop two cups of carrots into small pieces and boil until fork-tender. Puree. Shred a third cup and boil until just under fork tender. Set aside.
Dissolve your arrowroot flour/cornstarch in water. Add to your milk. Then add molasses, sugar, and spices. Add this liquid mixture to the carrot puree. Mix well and fold in carrot shreds before pouring into the pie shell.
Bake for 40-60 mins at 350F (180C) until center isn’t TOO jiggly. Cover sides of crust with aluminum foil to prevent too much browning, if necessary.
Dust sides of pie with walnuts and coconut. Let cool and refrigerate before serving.
Whether you call it borek, burek, sambusa, or even pasty, this potato pastry is sure to remind you of home. Filled with creamy potatoes, hearty mung beans, and just a little bit of spice, it’s the ultimate comfort food! My recipe is a mashup (pun intended): it uses traditional Turkish borek shapes and the UAE’s famous spice blend, bzar. Enjoy!
Want to bring something different to your 4th of July BBQ? Try my vegan kofte! These Middle Eastern “meatballs”, made with beets, lentils, and quinoa,are a crowd pleaser, popular with vegans and meat-eaters alike! Bonus- They’re super allergen friendly!
The first ma’amoul I had were from the Middle Eastern grocery store in the ‘burb where I grew up. Shout out to Aladdin! (what a name!). While these cookies are eaten all year round, their popularity increases during holiday celebrations in all three Abrahamic religions. That may be one thing I like so much about them-- they represent a diversity-- and unity that does exist here.
They go by different names throughout the region: ma’amoul in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine, kömbe in parts of Turkey, and kahk in Egypt. Christians often eat them during Easter, Muslims during Ramadan and Eids, and Jews during Purim, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah. Ma’amoul can be filled with all sorts of nuts and dried fruit. The dough can be made with semolina and/or white flour. Often these cookies are scented with rose or orange blossom water and pressed in intricate molds.
Don’t worry if you can’t find a mold. I just used a piece of an old espresso machine, but a cookie cutter, a glass, or your hands will do! I know how hard eating with special diets can be during the holidays, so I’ve made these vegan and gluten free.
P.S. these may be low in sugar, but they’re certainly high fat, so if that’s something you care about, proceed with caution.
A note on substitutions:
I like the taste and texture of polenta, but if you’d like a smoother cookie, feel free to swap out for more gf flour.
Orange blossom water would be awesome in this recipe. Try it in place of, or in addition to, rose water.
I’ve not tried vegan butter with these cookies, but you could probably use that in place of coconut oil.
Vanilla powder; coconut sugar: I prefer these to extract and other sweeteners.
Ingredients:
For the cookie:
Gluten-free flour mix (2 ½ cups)
Polenta or cornmeal (1 cup)
Yeast (1 teaspoon)
Mahleb (1 teaspoon)
Nutmeg (¼ teaspoon )
Vanilla powder (½ teaspoon)
Salt (¼ teaspoon)
Coconut sugar (3 tablespoons)
----------------------
Coconut oil (⅔ cup)
Olive oil (¼ cup )
Aquafaba (2 tablespoons), or one flax or chia egg
Rose water (¼ cup)
----------------------
Walnut and/or pistachio pieces to top, chopped.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add in coconut oil and mix with your hands until you have pea-size clumps throughout.
Add olive oil. Mix.
Add aquafaba. Mix.
Add rose water. Mix.
Mix or knead the dough a bit. Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate 12 hours/overnight.
For the fillings*
* These recipes make enough to fill a whole batch, so if you want to make both, halve the recipes.
Apricot-Pistachio Filling:
Dried apricot (1 cup)
Pistachio (½ cup)
Rose water (¼ cup)
Cardamom (¾ teaspoon)
Vanilla powder (½ teaspoon)
Coconut sugar (2 tablespoons)
Mix all ingredients in food processor until you get a fine paste.
Date-Walnut Filling:
Walnuts (1 cup)
Medjool dates (6, pitted and smooshed)
Date syrup (1 tablespoon)
Rose water (¼ cup)
Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
Vanilla (½ teaspoon)
Mix all ingredients in food processor until you get a fine paste.
To make the ma’amoul:
Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take a 1 ½ tablespoon-sized ball of dough and begin to flatten it.
Pinch the sides upwards, creating a bowl for your filling.
Place a smaller ball of filling inside you cookie bowl and cover it with the dough.
Use your mold, press, hands, whatever, to shape the ma’amoul as desired.
Hummus is delicious! Watch as I teach my grandma (and you!) how to make a delicious, velvety-smooth garlic-lemon hummus. Bonus: I’ve included recipes for three optional toppings: toasted pine nuts, eggplant pastirma, and duqqa. Bonus bonus: this recipe is specially designed to be super easy to digest! <3 <3 <3
When I was younger, I couldn’t understand everyone’s love of hummus. To me, it was unappealing- a thick, sour paste that emerged from a can or tub, cold. It wasn’t until university when I lived down the street from the Hummus Place (RIP), an Israeli-owned restaurant, that I got it. They served their hummus warm, full of tahini, with optional toppings.
Does that mean hummus is an Israeli dish in origin? Most evidence points to no (and I’ll get to that in a second), but what that experience showed me is that something got lost in hummus’ translation to “American.” Even in Turkey, the best hummus is found in areas that border Arab countries (or in Arab-owned restaurants).
Like most Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, most of us like to claim this one as our own. Some food for thought. The word hummus means chickpea in Arabic. The exact name of the dish in Arabic is hummus bin tahini (chickpeas with tahini). I have found the argument that Plato and Socrates mentioned hummus in their writings. Even though hummus has a strong association with Greek food in the US, I’ve read enough travel anecdotes about not being able to find the dip in the country itself to be suspicious of any claims (also it seems the Greek word for hummus is...hummus).
The most widely accepted theory seems to be that hummus originated in Egypt, as it is referenced as early as the 13th century, but that recipe did not contain more than beans or tahini. Chickpeas have been eaten in the Middle East for 10,000 years and tahini for 4,500. Garlic was available to them, but lemons didn’t arrive for a little bit. Basically, we know two things:
This dish is OLD.
It’s delicious.
I think you’re probably ready for a recipe now…
Hummus is incredibly easy to make. The topping options I’ve given are also incredibly simple. The caveat? This takes time to make. A lot of that time is sitting around waiting for things to soak, marinate, or cook, but it’s still time. It will be hard to go back to store bought hummus after this, though, and you won’t mind the pre-planning.
A note: I love legumes. They don't love me (And now everyone I know-and don’t know-knows it!). This hummus is specially designed to be as easy to digest as possible.
The seasonings in this recipe are more of a guide. If you like your hummus more garlicky, add more. More lemony? No problem! You can even add some lemon zest! Thinner, thicker? That's up to you, baby.
Ingredients:
Chickpeas (garbanzos), 1 cup, dry*
Reserved cooking water, 1/3-1/2 cup*
Tahini, 1/4 cup
Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons
Lemons, 1-2
Garlic, 3-5 cloves
Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more to taste)
Turmeric root (optional)
* I recommend cooking your own chickpeas. I truly do. But, if you absolutely can't, you need about three cups canned. Warm them, and their water, on the stove, before making hummus.
* Save whatever cooking water you don't use. Aquafaba is vegan gold!
1. Rinse your chickpeas and soak them for 24 hours. This shortens cooking time and helps with digestion. Change out the water at least once.
2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas.
3. I add a piece of (peeled) fresh turmeric root to 'peas while they cook. It's optional and you could also add turmeric powder. Again, this is to aid digestion.
4. Cover the 'peas with water and cook 'til mushy. This will give your hummus the smooth consistency you desire AND, surprise, surprise aids digestion.
5. Drain your chickpeas, but reserve the water.
6. Here's the fun part: removing the skin off all those golden suckers. I try to work quickly so that my 'peas and cooking liquid are still warm by the time I get to hummus assembly. It may seem tedious, but this step will give your hummus that silky smooth texture you're craving (and help you avoid tummy cramps).
7. Now, the order in which you do things next depends on the size of your food processor. If you have a big one, you can toss in:
the 'peas,
turmeric (if you used fresh root),
1/3 cup of the cooking water,
the tahini, one tablespoon of olive oil,
juice of one lemon,
three cloves of garlic,
and salt.
Blend. Taste it and adjust if necessary.
If you have a small processor, like I did, you'll need to add things step by step, which is fine, too!
8. That’s it! One whole day later...you’re done! You can serve your hummus like this...
or try one (or all) of the toppings below:
Toasted pine nuts:
Popular in the West Bank, Palestine.
Please take a moment to Google the politicization of pine trees in Palestine. The recipe can wait.
Instructions:
Toast pine nuts in a skillet (dry or not) until golden and sprinkle over hummus. Drizzle with olive oil.
Eggplant Pastirma:
Pastirma (or basturma) is a cured meat, which is popular throughout the Middle East into Eastern Europe. It’s believed to either have been invented in Armenia or by Central Asian nomadic Turks. Pastirma is a variation on the Turkish word bastrima, which means to press, as pressing the meat is an important part of the original recipe. Think of my version of a spin on eggplant bacon.
Pastirma is a popular hummus topping in Turkey. It’s often fried in butter or olive oil and poured on top.
Ingredients:
Eggplant, 1 large
Wet:
Date syrup, 1 tablespoon
Soy Sauce (or Tamari), 1 tablespoon
Liquid Smoke, 1 teaspoon
Garlic, 2 cloves
Dry:
Onion powder, ½ teaspoon
Garlic powder, ½ teaspoon
Allspice, ½ teaspoon
Smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon (I used aji amarillo; cayenne would do nicely)
Fenugreek, 1 teaspoon
Cumin seed, 1 teaspoon
Black pepper, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste)
Salt, ¼ teaspoon (or more, to taste)
1. Slice your eggplant into bacon-size strips
2. Mix your liquids, either in a bowl or plastic zip-top bag.
3. Mix your spices.
4. Add all ingredients to zip-top bag, roll tightly
5. Place zip-top bag inside another zip-top bag and close with two rubber bands.
6. Refrigerate 12 hours.
7. Place flat on parchment paper.
8. Set oven to 350 ° F (180 °C) and bake for 30 min
9. Lower heat to 300 °F (150 °C ) and check every 30 until desired crispiness. My Latest batch baked for 1.5 hours total.
10. Let cool. Eat as is or...
11. To serve on hummus, break into pieces and fry up with olive oil and sprinkle onto hummus. Drizzle with more olive oil, if you desire.
Duqqa
An Egyptian nut and spice blend.
I'm not sure that duqqa is ever traditionally served with hummus. But it makes a pretty delicious topping, so I'm taking my liberties…
The name duqqa comes from the Egyptian Arabic word “to crush/pound,” which you know, sans food processor...The nuts and seeds in this recipe vary recipe to recipe, person to person, or availability. Feel free to play around! Peanuts and mint are a popular choice in Egypt. Chickpeas could be a nice addition as well. Play around, see what you like.
Ingredients:
Almond, ¼ cup
Hazelnut, ½ cup
Pistachio, ¼ cup
Sesame, ¼ cup
Black sesame, 1 tbs
Cumin seed, ¼ cup
Coriander seed, ⅓ cup
Anise, 1 teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon (or more, to taste)
Black pepper, 1 teaspoon
Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon
Za’atar (or Thyme), 1 teaspoon
1. Toast almonds and hazelnuts in the oven 350 (180) for 5-10 min. Let cool.
2. Toast sesame and pistachio in a skillet until sesame are golden. Let cool.
3. Take your whole spices and toast them in the skillet until fragrant. Let cool.
4. Coarsely chop hazelnut and almond in a food processor.
5. Add sesame, pistachio, and whole spices, and chop until fine.
6. Transfer to a bowl and add the other spices.
7. Duqqa is delicious mixed with olive oil and served with bread, a nice crust for veggies, tofu, seitan. I can eat it by the spoonful. Store it in the fridge or in an airtight container.
8. As a hummus topping, I've sprinkled a generous helping and drizzled with olive oil.
