Notes about Recipes in this book

• Lebanese 7-spice seasoning

  • Allie80 on December 31, 2023

    I quartered this and it still made a HUGE batch. I couldn’t find ground fenugreek so tried to grind the seeds using a mortar and pestle, which was almost impossible so I wouldn’t recommend trying that!

• Arabic flatbread (Khoubz)

  • SugarFree_Vegan on July 19, 2016

    As a rule I only use wholegrains so I substituted spelt flour for the white and it turned out beautifully, we had this with Salma's delicious Buckwheat and fava bean salad on page 134.

  • MsMonsoon on April 24, 2025

    These were pretty easy. The dough is easy to roll out. I wasn’t sure how crisp the breads should get. I was going for a bit of color but may have baked them too long as some of then ended up more like pita chips.

• Muhammara

  • MsMonsoon on April 24, 2025

    I didn’t like this as much as other versions of muhammara I’ve had. It’s a little watery and not as rich tasting. Should the walnuts perhaps be toasted? Is 1/2 cup water too much? The recipe says to roast the peppers then place in a covered bowl. Usually this is so they can be peeled, but no peeling is ever mentioned!

• Freekeh, pomegranate and feta salad

  • macfadden on August 16, 2016

    This salad was well-received, good but not stunning. I found the seeds in the pomegranate arils a bit disruptive texture-wise, but they contributed good flavor. It served 4 as a main dish, and with the walnuts and cheese, it was pretty hearty.

  • EmmaJaneDay on September 25, 2017

    We loved this. Like a cheesy, pomegranatey tabouleh. Just delicious.

• Chickpea and freekeh salad

  • Yuanboa on March 28, 2026

    Followed recipe and it turned out great. I chopped up eggplant when finished. I decided to also try promegranate molasses on top and it was a great addition

• Buckwheat and fava bean salad

  • SugarFree_Vegan on July 19, 2016

    In the UK we call fava beans Broad beans - I know in the recipe it tells you to double pod them but if like me you don't mind the skins of the beans (more fibre for your diet too!) you can leave them on and save yourself some time too. The arabic flatbread is well worth making to go along with this dish - I made mine with spelt instead of white flour as I only use whole grains and it turned out great.

• Roasted butternut squash with spicy tahini dressing

  • Allie80 on December 31, 2023

    This was tasty but the dressing was much thicker that the photo so not sure if I needed more water.

• Roasted cauliflower with garlic-tahini dip

  • SugarFree_Vegan on May 12, 2018

    In the past I have always just roasted my cauliflower from raw but this recipe blanches the cauliflower first, this makes for a less chewy and more tender finished dish which I really liked. I also used some of the outer leaves in the recipe too but added them half way through the cooking after wiping them round the bowl with the oil and spice mix I had left. Make lots as it will fly off the table!

  • NinaInVirginia on July 19, 2022

    I liked this a lot. Don’t forget the water to get the right consistency. I always go heavy on the aromatics - so they were yummmy. I would also toss the cauliflower at some point during baking to get even color. So sorry - but have to admit I subbed zaatar because I had it fresh and it was excellent.

  • MsMonsoon on April 24, 2025

    This is good! I didn’t achieve as much crispness as I was hoping to but it was still good and had char marks on the florets. I didn’t have parsley so I used dill in the dip. Both the cauliflower and the dip were good cold the next day, too.

• Mushroom soup with toasted sumac pine nuts

  • Babsadon on September 27, 2017

    Very good. I sautéed some button mushrooms in sumac along with the pine nuts to add as a topping.

• Grilled asparagus with za'atar and almonds

  • EmmaJaneDay on September 25, 2017

    This is a nice, simple way to serve asparagus. We are always looking for more ideas for asparagus. Used za'atar from a local farmers market. When it's gone, I will try the one in this book. The almonds add a nice crunch.

• Green lentil tabbouleh

  • beezer on March 13, 2018

    The mixture turned out mushy and didn't hold together well while frying. Will try chilling mixture before cooking next time. The burgers were delicious.

• Zucchini quinoa with halloumi

  • Allie80 on December 31, 2023

    I didn’t have any courgette but made the rest as part of a mezze and it was very tasty. This will become a staple weeknight dish.

• Msa'aa

  • Allie80 on December 31, 2023

    Made this as part of a mezze, went down well and was tasty for leftovers too. The Lebanese seven spice that’s needed makes a HUGE batch even though I quartered it, also couldn’t get ground fenugreek so tried to grind the seeds which was pretty challenging. Might be easier to buy ready made seven spice if available.

• Lentil and bulgur wheat m'juderah

  • MsMonsoon on May 29, 2025

    This was good and pretty straightforward. I usually get mushy results when making mujadara with rice so using soaked bulgur limited at least one potential source of mushiness. Five onions is a lot (cost over $11 at Whole Foods!) when compared to other recipes but it was good. The crispy ones for the topping are cut into rings but I wasn’t sure what size and shape to cut the ones for the lentils.

• Chickpea and rice m'juderah

  • Lepa on February 15, 2017

    This was a bit bland but I like the idea of it enough to play around with it. Next time I will use white rice and add the cumin and chickpeas to the rice and water and let it all cook together.

• Spiced date oat bars

  • SugarFree_Vegan on March 08, 2018

    Very easy to make (and eat!) and they don't taste too banana-y. They freeze well too. I veganised this by using Flora Dairy Free spread and also used 2 tablespoons of Carob syrup and a little Truvia (stevia) to taste. I also left out the cinnamon and added a bit more nutmeg as I love nutmeg and find cinnamon often overpowers it in recipes. One further change - I didn't peel the apple (not sure why you would as it's grated and also you can't see it after it's baked plus it's better for you - wash it first though of course!) and grated it without coring it as it's much easier and quicker.

• Cardamom banana cake

  • Lepa on February 22, 2017

    This is a nice breakfast cake. It's not too sweet. I would add a bit more cardamom and make sure to finish with powdered sugar- it makes a huge difference here!

  • apattin on January 13, 2019

    Needs more cardamom

  • Yildiz100 on May 05, 2020

    Needs more cardamom - it is barely detectable here. Crumbles rather easily, though possibly I baked it a little too long.

  • AllieTaylor on November 03, 2023

    Added lots of extra cardamom. Excellent!