Yoghurt is one of the most important components of the modern Mediterranean diet and there is rarely a table where it isn’t featured in some form or other; as part of a main dish, as a dip mixed with chopped herbs, in a dessert or even as a drink. On Mondays, our evening meal often consists of various…
Tag: Mint
Lebanese Slaw with Mint, Oranges and Pomegranate Molasses
This gorgeous autumnal salad is one of those versatile recipes that has it all – sweet and sour flavours, texture and a fresh herby zing. It’s perfect on its own, as part of a mezze table, piled atop a bowl of creamy hummus or served as part of a sabich open sandwich (pictured above) or with a vegetarian Greek souvlaki. Ingredients 2 large carrots, unpeeled…
Lebanese Lemon-infused Labneh with Zhoug
Labneh is a beautiful soft cheese made from strained yoghurt that can be eaten with pretty much everything but is especially good alongside rich and spicy mezzes and falafel. The good news is that it’s dead easy to make. All you have to be mindful of is the quality of the yoghurt you use so don’t be tempted…
Greek Island Tzatziki with Dill and Mint
Originating from the Ottoman Empire, this is my version of the popular Greek dish, tzatziki (known as cacık in Turkey). It’s simply a bowl of great quality Greek yoghurt getting it on with little cubes of crunchy cucumber, lots of finely chopped garlic, briny sea salt, a glug of grassy Kalamata olive oil, a generous…
Sami’s Koosa Mahshi, Stuffed Peppers with Sultanas, Pine Kernels and Seven Spices
Over dinner last Monday evening, my parents and I leafed through a pile of quietly ageing scrap books full of memories of their trip to Syria over 25 years ago. Our conversation focused on tickets to dusty archeological museums; faded postcards of antiquities long gone; photographs of groups of happy children curious to discover more…
Israeli Slow Roasted Beetroot, Lemon and Mint Hummus
Beetroot is one of my all time favourite vegetables and I just can’t get enough of its earthy sweetness. Sure, it’s messy to prepare but don’t let that put you off. As you will probably know, hummus – a thick paste made from ground chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon and garlic – originally came from the Middle…
Rana’s Lebanese Chickpea and Pomegranate Molasses Stew
With temperatures rarely rising above zero at the moment there is plenty of talk about the desirability of ‘comfort food’. But, for me, this doesn’t manifest itself as plates heaving under the weight of carbs and oozy cheesy layers. In fact, despite the cold, I still crave lighter food but I want that food to…
Lucca Rigatoni with Roasted Tomatoes and Salsa Verde
This recipe is inspired by an al fresco dinner we recently enjoyed in the beautiful city of Lucca in Tuscany. We were sitting on the outside of the infamous Piazza Anfiteatro when I noticed a long snake of very young children each holding tiny posies of flowers with their very handsome teacher who was nervously whispering instructions to them….
Santorini Tomato Keftedes with Feta and Wild Oregano
At the beginning of my adult life, I spent a lot of time exploring the Greek Islands. I did pretty much all of them from Paxos and Corfu to the North to Santorini and Rhodes in the South. I was drawn to the azure sea, the oregano-covered mountains, the tiny beaches, the glamorously bearded Greek academics…
Turkish Smashed Cucumber Salad with Late Summer Berries and Herbs
Just behind our home there is a wild country path that connects the river Ouse to the historic centre of York. Hardly anyone knows about it so nature rules and has created a paradise for city foragers. Right now, we have flowering baby nettles – the old ones were cut down after the heatwave and…
