Greek Beans, Lebanese Rice and Egyptian Basbousa.

Last night my husband and I had a romantic night out and for dinner, we had Lebanese food which I'm crazy about. Got me in the mood to cook Mediterranean food this weekend.


I made "Gigantes" which are baked lima beans in a tomato and dill sauce. If you hate lima beans, try them this way. They bake up so tender and creamy with a simple and beautiful flavor combination of dill, tomatoes, onions and olive oil. The recipe is from "The Greek Vegetarian". I also made Lebanese rice pilaf. I love the little vermicelli noodles in it. The recipe is from "Tables of Lebanon".


For dessert, Egyptian basbousa! This is a very sweet semolina cake that has been drenched with sugar/orange flower water syrup. I got the recipe here. I used vegan shortening instead of butter, omitted the eggs and replaced with a little almond milk and 1/2 a tsp of cider vinegar. And I substituted soy yogurt for the yogurt.


This dessert is amazing! It's so tender and incredibly moist from the syrup. I think I need to work on the liquid to dry ingredient ratio. My cake fell apart a little because it was so moist. But that did not stop me from enjoying the hell out of it!

A Mediterranean Sunday Lunch.

I was feeling ambitious today and made this beautiful array of foods for my lunch, including dessert. Wish I had a friend over to share it with!


I used my "Olive and The Caper" Greek cookbook to make this luscious eggplant stewed with red wine and basil. It originally called for shallots but I used onions instead. This was so flavorful and you know that anything cooked with red wine is going to be good.


I had a tiny cauliflower that I knew would be a perfect accompaniment to my stew. I roasted it in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes to get this beautiful golden charred look.


And from my trusty "Tables of Lebanon" cookbook, I made moujadara (lentils and rice with caramelized onions). I needed some protein to round out the meal so this was a good way to get both a grain and a protein.


My bowl.


And dessert was a basic lemon white cake. So soft and tender!

Easy weeknight meal.

I was craving baba ghanooj today so on the way home from work, I picked up a few eggplants and made it in about 20 minutes. I used the recipe from Tables of Lebanon which was a little lemony for my taste but still very good. It's probably my fault as I used 4 smallish eggplants (instead of 3 large) and didn't reduce the lemon which I should have figured to do. I also made a salad and grilled a couple of portobellos with garlic and olive oil.


The baba sure is pretty isn't it? I blended the heck out of it so that's why it is so smooth.


At the last minute I added chickpeas to my salad. Gotta have some protein.

New Year's Eve Nosh.

I am spending NYE in with some good food, records on the turntable, wine and champagne later when the clock strikes midnight. Happy New Year to all of you and I hope 2011 is a healthy and happy year. I didn't want to be fussy tonight and decided to keep it simple with a few nibbles. I flipped through my "Tables of Lebanon" cookbook and picked out 'Chickpeas in Olive Oil', Yogurt Sauce with mint and 'Potatoes with Cilantro' served with roasted broccoli and pita.


Potates with Cilantro or Batata Bi-Kizbara in arabic. This was a very easy recipe where you saute potato cubes in olive oil and toss with sauteed garlic and cilantro. It smells heavenly and tastes even more so.


Simple roasted broccoli that is so much more delicious than you think. Cauliflower would have been even better.


My plate. The chickpeas were simply dressed with olive oil, garlic, lemon and dried mint. For the sauce, I used Wildwood plain unsweetened soy yogurt that I mixed with a touch of Vegenaise and stirred in garlic, salt and dried mint.

Sun-dried tomato pasta and Moujadara

This was my dinner sometime last week and it was very quick and easy to throw together. I heated up some olive oil, threw in some crushed garlic, chopped pepperoncini, chopped sundried tomatoes (in oil), parsley and sauteed for a few minutes and then tossed it all with hot spaghetti.


This is the moujadara recipe from Tables of Lebanon cookbook. It's the simplest recipe of lentils cooked with rice and topped with fried onions. I ate this today for lunch with a few shots of hot sauce. It was very filling and tasty.

Lebanese Moussaka

A few nights ago I went to a local Lebanese restaurant and ordered the moussaka. It was so delicious. Velvety pillows of eggplant with chickpeas and onions in a tomatoey sauce spiced with cinnamon and allspice. I knew I had to make it at home. I used the recipe from 'Tables of Lebanon' but instead of cooking it in the oven, I let it simmer low and slow on the stove for an hour. It was perfection. I enjoyed my moussaka on the patio along with a side of hummus, bread and pickled turnips.

Easy Going Weekend.

I spent the majority of yesterday and today just seriously relaxing. No television, no phone, no computer to distract me. I only allowed music to create atmosphere while I sat on my patio outside soaking up sun and leisurely enjoying food on a tray with a good book and Nag Champa filling the air with a soothing, sweet perfume. I didn't allow myself to distract myself with thoughts like "What else could I be doing right now? Should I find something to do? Should I run errands?" I let thoughts like that float away while I enjoyed my time alone in a complete restful state in mind and body. All of this was something I really needed and to be able to enjoy delicious simple food as well was a bonus.


I did all the cooking early in the morning so it was ready for me to load up on a tray and take outside. I made Zalouk (Moroccan eggplant relish) and Tabbouleh (Lebanese parsley and bulgur salad) to enjoy with whole wheat pita and a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. I used Olive Trees and Honey cookbook and Tables of Lebanon cookbook to make these recipes.


Couldn't forget dessert! I got these because Trader Joe's ran out of the Trail mix cookies that I love so much. These were great too and even had coconut in them.


Buster ate a bit too, do you see evidence of tabbouleh on the floor? He found a spot under the shade of my caftan to get comfy.


A while later I was craving peanut butter so I made a sesame Ezekiel toast with crunchy pb and date syrup.

Lunch on the Patio.

This was a valentine's gift to myself: a relaxing, leisurely lunch on the patio with the sun blazing overhead and me shaded underneath an umbrella reading a good book. I can't ask for anything better to do on this gorgeous Sunday. We're lucky to get this kind of weather here while snow storms ravage the majority of the country. I will enjoy it while we have it. So, on to my lunch. I had a platter of dips (hummus and baba ganouj) with pita bread and cucumbers, a Lebanese eggplant and chickpea stew, sweet little clementines and a beer and tomato juice. Yes you heard that right! I used to love Clamato y cerveza when I was omni and the only way I can kind of duplicate that is to use tomato juice instead of Clamato. Tastes great and works for me!


The two dips in the front are hummus and baba ganouj that was leftover from my lunch yesterday at Gaby's Mediterranean cafe. I also had a big thing of hummus that I made last week so I added some of that to my plate as well. Drizzled with olive oil and flanked by cucumbers, this was heaven.


The star of the meal. Mnazalet Al-Batinjan or Eggplant and Chickpea stew from "Tables of Lebanon" cookbook. Easiest recipe ever. It's beautifully fragrant with cumin and mint leaves. The eggplant is so tender, it melts in your mouth. I love this dish.


Scoop some on bread and eat!


Dessert was the chocolate beer waffles from Vegan Brunch cookbook. Yummy! I served them with blueberry/maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Hummus, Black Olive Tapenade, Black Pepper Cheeze

To continue yesterday's delicious Mediterranean theme, I made a few things to enjoy today. The rain had gone, leaving a bright, breezy and sunny day in it's wake. I was not going to waste a weekend by staying indoors and not enjoy the beauty. I brought my book and a tray of delicious snacks to the patio.


My tray of deliciousness. I made hummus and I always use the same recipe everytime which is from the "Tables of Lebanon" cookbook. It's creamy, lemony and garlicky and just perfect. I also made black olive tapenade, black pepper cheeze and mint iced tea. And of course with all these dips and spreads, I had pita bread and fresh baguette slices.


Black olive tapenade. Recipe from "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen". It's made with olives, garlic, dijon, capers, herbes de provence and olive oil. So good. I can see this being used to toss with hot pasta.


Black pepper cheeze from "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen", made with cashews, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and crushed red pepper.


Mmm, can you imagine?

VeganMoFo: Lebanese Eggplant Stew with Pearl Couscous

A beautiful and simple dish from Tables of Lebanon cookbook. It has only a few ingredients: olive oil, garlic, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, spinach, water and cumin. I added spinach to it instead of the zucchini that it originally called for. You'd never guess these few ingredients would yield such a tasty stew. I served it on top of pearl couscous (aka Israeli couscous) and it was delicious! I think it would be wonderful on rice as well as regular semolina couscous.

Tortilla Casserole and Baklava

Tortilla casserole. Black beans, potatoes, zucchini, red bell peppers, onions layered between flour tortilla pieces and doused with homemade enchilada sauce and "cheezy" sauce.


Baklava mmm...recipe from Tables of Lebanon cookbook. So freaking good. It'll send you on a sugar high so watch out!

I Made Baklava! And a Sandwich! And Kabob!

I love baklava. I never thought I'd be able to make it myself. It just seem so complicated, all the layers of gooey, juicy, walnut-ty sweetness. I used a recipe from a cookbook called "Tables of Lebanon" and just went for it. I had to switch out the butter for Earth Balance margarine which was no big deal. I sprinkled the top with chopped almonds as I did not have pistachios. It came out pretty.


One of these delicious pieces goes a long way. It's ridiculously sweet! I may have to share these with friends.


Bonus sandwich. My lunch today.


Bonus broiled tofu and veg (squash, onion, green pepper) kabob. My dinner. I seasoned the tofu and veggies with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a kabob seasoning blend (granulated onion, garlic, sumac, parsley, salt, pepper, tumeric and other spices). I served them with hummus and bulgur relish with lots of chopped tomato and onion.

VeganMoFo: Mini Meze

It's been so hot the past couple days I've been feeling reluctant to cook. I just want to chill out with an iced tea and nosh on little nibbles. A meze is a small snack or appetizer assortment that can be consumed as a starter course or as an entire meal. Tonight's supper will consist of a mini meze spread with three delightful dips/spreads that go well with pita and crackers. Also we'll be enjoying something new that is here to stay: garlicky edamame.

Our spread:

Hummus: A creamy Middle Eastern dip made of chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice that is drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sumac. (Recipe from Tables of Lebanon cookbook)

Bazargan: A tart and fruity Syrian bulgur relish which contains bulgur, walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate syrup. (Recipe from: Olive Trees and Honey cookbook)

Za'atar: A Middle Eastern spice mixture of thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, salt and sumac which is mixed with olive oil for dipping. My favorite Lebanese restaurant provides this at every table with chopped onions and tomato so I copied them. You can find prepared za'atar spice mix at a middle eastern grocery or ethnic market.

Garlicky Edamame (recipe at the end of this post)

Pita Bread and Sesame Crackers
Iced tea, Beer, Water


A little mountain of bazargan surrounded by creamy hummus and za'atar in olive oil.




Garlicky Edamame. Wow, this is really good. I got the idea for this from a PPK'er who made a breaded garlic parmesan edamame but unfortunately used non-vegan parmesan. I wanted to try something similar and came up with this. I used 'Parmezano Sprinkles' (which is always available in my fridge!) which gave them a beautiful nutty bite.

Garlicky Edamame

2-3 TB olive oil
2 cups steamed edamame
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 TB Parmezano Sprinkles (you can get this recipe from The Ultimate Uncheese cookbook...or you can email me!)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add edamame and stir fry for a minute or so to coat them with the oil. Add the garlic and toss a few times. Turn off heat and sprinkle with Parmezano Sprinkles, salt and pepper. That's it! They are so garlicky and salty and addicting! Be careful!

VeganMoFo: Moujadara Lunch & Dinner

I love lentils. I love rice. Put them together, you get lentils & rice or moujadara which is a healthy and favorite dish which occurs in many variations throughout the Middle East. This particular recipe is from a vegetarian Lebanese cookbook, 'From the Tables of Lebanon'. I've made this once before with split red lentils and it was a disaster so I tried again with brown lentils and it came out much better. I fiddled around with the proportions of water because I made less than what the recipe called for which is why it looks a little mushy. (Will do better next time!) I was also supposed to use fried red onions on top but I only had yellow onions. It didn't matter much as it was very yummy and went perfectly well with the mediterranean salad from yesterday. This was my lunch and will be my dinner again tonight.

I love ethnic foods.

I am a big fan of cuisine from different cultures. It's kind of like armchair travel in a way. You get to taste the exciting flavors of specific countries and for me anyway, it's like being transported to that place. Well, sort of. I'd rather get on a plane and actually travel to these countries but this will have to be my best option for now.

Let's start with indian food. I've never been to India but man do I love their food! I am a curry-holic. It must have something to do with my Thai background (we Thais like our curries too!). I think I make curry more often than anything else. It's one of the easiest things to cook too. Just throw a bunch of garlic, onions, veggies, spices, water and tomatoes in a pot, let it simmer and throw on some rice for a spicy delicious dinner. My favorite indian curry is Aloo Chana Masala which is basically a potato and chickpea curry.

This curry is perfection. I add peas to mine for some color. Recipe can be found here. It has step by step instruction which you will find delightful.


I also crave Pav Bhaji at least once a month. This is a spicy mashed vegetable curry served with buttered rolls. I used this recipe and substituted Earth Balance margarine for the butter. It is soooo good.


Ah, Morocco! How I would do anything to travel there! I might be idealizing but it seems like such an exotic, colorful desert paradise. The food always looks amazing too. I recently purchased a vegetarian cookbook called Olive Trees & Honey where I found a recipe for this vegetable stew which has sweet potatoes, squash, chickpeas and carrots topped with an onion-cinnamon concoction. It was gorgeous on top of couscous.


Lebanese food is really simple and fresh. It is considered one of the healthiest of cuisines. It relies on an assortment of fresh vegetables and salads, lemon juice and copious amounts of olive oil and garlic. I am a huge fan of this type of cooking. This eggplant stew recipe which is from the Tables of Lebanon cookbook is a delicious and healthy meal served on top of rice. (Sorry about the dark photo.)


And from the same cookbook, hummus along side za'atar spice in olive oil and pita bread for dipping.


When you think of japanese food, do you think of sushi first? I do. I never ate sushi before going vegan because I hated seaweed and seafood. I went online to do some research and I found a way to make vegan sushi without using nori (the seaweed wrapper around sushi rolls). Spring roll wrappers make a perfect roll. When I make sushi, I usually use both nori (for my husband) and spring roll wrappers for mine. Check it out.




I'll end this post with some thai food. I grew up eating lots of it and unfortunately most of it was meat based. Here in Los Angeles, you will find a plethora of vegan Thai restaurants that serve delicious and tantalizing thai favorites like Pad Thai, Pad See You and Tom Yum Kai using mock meats and fresh vegetables. It's actually quite good! I go every now and then if I don't feel like cooking my own. When I do cook thai food, it's usually curry. Here is a karee curry with coconut milk, tofu and vegetables served on top of rice with a side of purple slaw. Mmm. mmm. mmm.

Feel free to comment if you want any of these recipes. I'd be happy to share them with you via email.