Recipe

You probably often read about ingredients at à la Damaris that you had not heard before. This one is most certainly one of them: molokhieh. You’ll find it in the freezer at your Morrocan or Arabic store. It is slightly similar to spinach, but softer. Very nice. And in this soup it’s a great combination with the tougher broad beans, fresh herbs and red chili pepper. I love to have it for lunch. But like all soups, you can actually have it all the time.

Cooking a dish in yogurt. In the northern part of Lebanon this is a very normal routine in the kitchen. It probably has to do with all the sheep and goats that roam there. Warm (plant based) yogurt gives such a creaminess to a dish, it’s really unbelievable. You can also cook rice in it – see recipe ‘paradise on earth’ here on the site. In any case, this dish is a delightful find. You can serve it with a mezze, but certainly also as a full (side) dish. One thing is for sure, you won’t make enough anyway. It’s that good.

We also know this sauce from the Arnabeet Mekleh, the Lebanese cauliflower dish. One of the absolute favorites in this house when having a mezze. With this cavolo nero recipe, the tahina / lemon / garlic sauce also works great. And the crunchy nigella seeds are the eye-catcher. And add some crunch and flavor. Delicious.

I found a bag with frozen artisjok bottoms in the freezer the other day. That’s often how it starts in this kitchen of mine. I find ingredients in the fridge, cupboard, kitchen, freezer… en ask myself what to make of it. This. And it is a true show stopper. The artisjok bottoms are filled with spinach, red bell pepper, feta cheese, olives and garlic of course. And for the sauce I chose a lemon sauce with capres. I love lemon, I use it whenever I can. It all came down perfectly. Serve it with some rice or nice loaf of bread to dip in the sauce.