This pollo guisado- or chicken stew- is a Puerto Rican classic. Chicken stewed in a flavorful base of sofrito, onions, garlic, tomato and vegetables of choice until falling off the bone into a richly savory sauce. Simple to make and endlessly customizable, this stew is a family favorite.
Om ali- Egypt’s sweet and creamy bread pudding is studded with nuts, coconut, and raisins if you wish, then topped with whipped cream and broiled to a golden perfection and served hot.
Egyptian goulash- a traditional meat pie made with a savory ground meat and onion filling laced with warm spices and nestled between layers of crispy, buttery phyllo dough.
This rich and comforting bamya stew consists of okra cooked with tender pieces of lamb, in a luscious tomato sauce laced with garlic and cilantro.
Basturma with eggs- a super savory Egyptian breakfast classic that comes together in ten minutes with only three ingredients.
Molokhia Egyptian style- minced jute mallow greens cooked in an aromatic broth. This highly nutritious green soup is often served alongside a protein and rice to make a delicious and comforting meal.
Mahshi kromb- juicy, herbaceous Egyptian cabbage rolls. Tender cabbage leaves, stuffed with parsley, cilantro and dill-laced tomato rice, each roll an umami bomb that will keep you going back for more.
This smoky, tangy baba ghanouj hits all the right notes with fire-roasted eggplants, silky smooth tahini, and a hint of tart and sweet pomegranate molasses.
These apricot habanero chicken wings are fruity, fiery, sticky and delicious. A traditional Middle Eastern apricot paste called qamar al-din forms their sweet and fragrant base. Laced with fruity, hot habaneros and a few spices, these wings are the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.
This spicy, herbaceous green shatta is one of the condiments I like to always have in my fridge. It’s hot, but it’s also flavourful, fresh and complex.
As a topping, it goes well on pretty much everything- sandwiches, beans, and especially grilled meats and fish. As an ingredient, you can toss it into salad dressings, stews, marinades or any other dish that needs some herbs and spice.
This hawawshi is a quick and delicious Egyptian meal of pita bread stuffed with seasoned meat and onions, then baked to crispy perfection.
Literally meaning ‘green noodles’ in Spanish, tallarines verdes is an herbaceous, creamy and delicious Peruvian pasta dish. Made with two parts spinach to one part basil, along with the addition of queso fresco and evaporated milk that make it silky and smooth, its the highly nutritious pasta dish you need to add to your rotation!
These tostones de pana (breadfruit) are crispy on the outside, with a light and fluffy interior, and mildly sweet and nutty flavor. They make the perfect snack or side dish. A few weeks back, my family took a trip to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, where my husband’s family is from. It was the Read more
Macarona bechamel is the quintessential Egyptian comfort food. Penne or rigatoni is bathed in silky bechamel sauce and layered with spiced meat and tomato sauce, then topped with a thick layer of more creamy bechamel sauce. It’s then baked to bubbly and crusty perfection.
Warak enab- juicy, tangy, herby, packages of goodness, these meat and rice stuffed grape leaves are a show stopping family favourite.
Labneh flan- the lightest, smoothest flan you’ll ever try. The magic ingredient is labneh, a thick and creamy Middle Eastern yogurt, that lends a heavenly airiness to this classic dessert.
Arroz con pollo, chicken and rice cooked together with a fragrant sofrito base, tomato sauce, garlic, warm spices, and briny olives and capers. The perfect, quick one-pot family meal.
This sofrito is a fragrant blend of Caribbean herbs and peppers, and onions and garlic that forms the most flavorful base for all your Puerto Rican dishes and more.
Fasolia- green beans, stewed with your favorite meat in a rich tomato sauce. Served over Egyptian rice, it’s the perfect cozy family meal.
Egyptian rice with vermicelli noodles, known as roz bil shareya, is a staple dish that pairs well with various meals. Typically made from short or medium grain rice, the dish involves toasting vermicelli and rice in oil before adding water. The cooking method relies on visual water measurement for optimal texture.
Fresh and bright tabbouleh the way my Teta always made for me- with fresh flat leaf parsley, fragrant fresh mint, scallions, tomatoes, fine bulgur wheat, and minced cucumber for an added bite that many tabbouleh recipes miss.
I had picked up some beautiful baby eggplants at a South Asian market in Queens over the weekend. I really wanted to make maqdous, Levantine baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts, garlic and pomegranate arrils preserved in olive oil. But man I was feeling lazy. The kids haven’t been letting me sleep. My dishwasher is broken Read more
Tres leches cake, laced with fragrant rose and cardamom and topped with ashta, a lightly-sweetened floral-scented clotted cream.
Egyptian salata baladi is fresh, crunchy and has a wonderful acidic bite. It pairs perfectly with pretty much any Middle Eastern meal.
Kofta is one of those comforting dishes that I grew up eating and just love to eat and make for my family. It can take a lot of forms. A popular way to make kofta at home in the Levant is kofta bil saniyah – kofta baked in a tray with potatoes and tomatoes. Another Read more
Hummus as its meant to be. Smooth, creamy, warm, tahina-y, lemony, actually made of chickpeas. Topped with spiced lamb and it’s drippings and scooped up with warm pita: heaven.
Mahshi! Vegetables stuffed with an herbaceous meat and rice mixture then simmered in tomato sauce in this classic Middle Eastern dish.
Tostones- these twice-fried green plantains are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The perfect starchy side or snack paired with dips, guacamole, or ceviche!
Here’s my version of fattet betinjan- eggplant with ground beef or lamb, cooked in a tangy tomato and pomegranate sauce, served on a bed of crispy pita and topped with garlic tahini yogurt.
Musakhan- this dish of bread layered with olive oil, savory onions, tangy sumac, and juicy chicken, often eaten communally, is an ode to the bold flavors and spirit of Palestine.
I. Love. This. Flan. This recipe is one of the first that I developed and posted to Instgram this past July. The recipe was a great success. Like the name says, this flan is tart and sweet, but when I think back on the post, bittersweet is more like it. You see, the week I Read more
Çılbır – This Turkish dish of poached eggs served over herby, creamy labneh and drizzled with spiced butter is an easy yet show-stopping breakfast dish you need to try. Guys this stuff is goooood. It’s become one of my favorite ‘fancy’ egg dishes, because its really simple but turns out kinda stunning, and most importantly, Read more
