Notes about Recipes in this book

• Za'atar roasted tomatoes

  • PinchOfSalt on July 15, 2016

    Spectacular. I made this outside of tomato season, using packaged "Campari" tomatoes from Costco. Not having any za'atar on hand, I substituted dried thyme. Not quick, due to a long roasting time, but very simple and utterly delicious.

• Whipped hummus with minced lamb and sumac

  • wcassity on July 08, 2017

    Great.

  • kristin_608wve on January 21, 2026

    Hummus is PERFECT!

• Mahogany eggplant with labneh and pomegranate

  • lkgrover on October 01, 2024

    Delicious eggplant side dish. I substituted Greek yogurt for labneh cheese. Recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper; the pomegranate molasses makes it difficult to clean.

• Warm potato salad with lemon and mint

  • vinochic on July 12, 2015

    Simple and very good!

• Crunchy fennel salad

  • PinchOfSalt on July 15, 2016

    I made this using Greek yogurt instead of labneh, and two small fennel bulbs from my veggie CSA instead of one regular-sized one. The lemon that I used was very juicy, so the water was not needed. In fact, while the salad was quite tasty, perhaps a little less lemon juice would have been better. The richness of the pine nuts and the sweetness of the tomatoes balanced the tartness of the dressing very nicely. The contrast between the crunch of the fennel and the soft tomatoes and gentle toothsomeness of the pine nuts was also pleasing. Do not be tempted to omit either the tomatoes or the pine nuts.

• Cabbage rolls in tomato broth

  • Livia on March 24, 2021

    Used freekah and added some bacon and a few raisins and turned out really good

• Stuffed koosa in tomato broth

  • swegener on June 14, 2015

    My local markets carry a small grey/green squash that is the perfect size/shape for this--they call it Mexican squash.

• Eggplant with lamb, tomato, and pine nuts

  • PinchOfSalt on August 12, 2015

    Made this recipe substituting tomato puree for tomato sauce. Stuffed one huge eggplant instead of building a casserole. Wonderful flavor from only a few, simple ingredients. The use of cinnamon was a revelation. Reading the recipe, the mozzarella cheese seemed out of place but it did definitely add to the finished product. I baked this in a covered baker; there was no need for the added water.

  • Avocet on August 27, 2015

    Extremely good. Made this for three people using two eggplants and half a pound of leftover roasted leg of lamb (medium rare). Cut the lamb into small cubes and gave it a quick whirl in the food processor and added it to the cooked and cooled onions so it wouldn't overcook. Used my own tomato sauce (tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaf and white wine) instead of canned. Didn't need to add extra water as I didn't let the sauce become too concentrated.

  • lkgrover on April 21, 2025

    Excellent casserole. I used ground lamb and canned tomato sauce. Added 1 cup water; next time I would reduce this to 1/2 cup.

• Fragrant chicken soup with vermicelli

  • Livia on October 22, 2025

    The method of making the broth and keeping the chicken from over cooking was spot on and will use this again. This is a lovely variation in the classic chicken soup. Regret holding back and using just one cinnamon stick.

• Zucchini, parsley, and mint omelets (Ijjeh)

  • Trishnotjustnyt on May 15, 2023

    Add 1 tsp tumeric Also very good with dill

• Olive oil fried eggs with za'atar

  • lkgrover on October 13, 2022

    Good eggs, easy preparation. Za'atar adds an interesting, subtle flavor to the eggs.

• Garlicky lentil soup with Swiss chard and lemon

  • PinchOfSalt on July 01, 2016

    Delicious! Beware though, this dish is not for people who want mild flavors or who do not like garlic. This dish comes together quickly once you have all the ingredients prepped. I would have given it five stars if the recipe had been more definite about the amount of noodles that might be added, should one decide to do that.

  • Livia on October 06, 2025

    Recipe says it makes 10 portions, but failed to say as a starter! It has barely filled a 2 litre box. Apart from that the soup is delicious. I make a different lentil soup every week and this is one of the best. Will make again

• Cinnamon stick tea

  • wester on October 07, 2018

    Finally, I found a way to make pure cinnamon tea. It's quite easy too, once you know how to. Breaking the sticks is important, if you don't do it the tea stays weak. I use a meat mallet if the sticks are too hard to break by hand. Even better if you also add one clove per cup.

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