Egyptian spinach-tomato rice dish
It’s actually incomprehensible how spinach, tomato and rice can be so delicious. If I still had small children, I knew I would give them so much of these fresh vegetables. It is a very soft dish. And very tasteful though. Really complete, super complete. In every way.
Palestinian spinach
You take a bite, every small muscle in your face immediately gets into a happy position. Totally surprised that this way of preparing spinach is very tasty. Lemon-fresh, but still very creamy. Deliciously creamy. Incredibly creamy. And yet fresh. Just make it some day.
Bulgur chicory salad with kalamata olives and pistachio
This salad will keep you going after lunch. Deliciously spicy because of the fresh thyme and rosemary. Crunchy because of the chicory and roasted pistachios. And the kalamata olives give off the delicious olive taste. The bulgur is nutritious and light at the same time. It sucks up the delicious flavours in this salad beautifully. After that, it’s up to you.
Spicy Turmeric Cayenne Fenugreek Garlic Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is a new discovery of mine. I love it. It’s grown around here and I buy it from locals. And this Dutch vegetable can certainly be prepared in an Arabic way. The proof is in the pudding and in this recipe. Deliciously spicy. And kohlrabi itself is also really great. And light. And nutritious.
Moroccan spicy heartwarming white beans
Heartwarming, I say this for a reason. On a chilly evening or perhaps just on a hot day, this is a heartwarming dish. The herbs make it a smashing dish. The combination of Ras el Hanout, Turmeric and Cumin…. and those in combination with the moisture of the tomatoes is incredibly tasty. And the taste continues to surprise you until the last spoonful. And it stays with you for a while.
Roumania à la Nazeera
Nazeera was at our home in Beyrouth almost every day. She took care of us, in many ways. She was Palestinian. And brought in the Palestinian kitchen. Roumania is one of those dishes. A delicious way of preparing lentils. A way you’ve never tried before, right? But once you’ve made it, you keep making it.
Moroccan spinach soup
Spinach soup. Savoury because of the spinach, sweet because of the dried apricots, a spicy edge because of the harissa, nice herbs with the coriander and the flat-leaf parsley. A fatal combination. You keep on eating. And the chickpeas make sure you have some delicious to chew on. That’s nice as well.
Red hot chili cauliflower
The smell of cooked cauliflower is synonymous with musty, boring, not tasty, old-fashioned … And I can go on like this for a while. This cauliflower dish will get rid of this image in a wink. Radically. It’s exciting. It’s delicious. It’s different. It’s hearty. Cauliflower deserves that.
Tunisian spinach
If I continue like this I could make a recipe book just with all my Arabic spinach dishes. In the category ‘Arabic’ and ‘spinach’ this is a hit, again. And completely different from the other spinach recipes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t deserve a place here either. It’s spicy, it soft, it can stand on its own two feet. But most of all, it’s really, really good.
My Lebanese ‘kaak’ with za’atar
Yes, these are the breads I am always raving about. The loaves of my childhood, but now home baked. In many different places on the site I elaborate on my true obsession for these loaves. And after several weeks of trial and error I am now very satisfied with the result. I did make my à la Damaris version with za’atar on the outside and some extra sesame. It’s Delicious with a capital D. It’s Smelling with a capital S. It’s just a feast. And that for someone who actually does not like bread at all …
Passata di pomodoro à la Giancarlo
The excuse to just hang out in the kitchen for a few hours. Usually on Sunday afternoons, by the way. Making tomato sauce for later this year. Slow cooking to the max. Sterilizing bottles. The promise that that delicious sauce will be in the pantry waiting for you. For that day where you do not know what to prepare. Or exactly know what you want to make. And you decide that this is the perfect occasion to open up this bottle or jar. Yes, that sounds like the perfect day.
It’s according to the recipe from the kitchen of our Italian friend Giancarlo from Napoli. It doesn’t get any more authentic. Nor classic. Typical à la Damaris.
Spicy sweet bulgur with grilled green asparagus
Sweet and spicy at the same time, it’s a classic combination. A fatal attractive tasty combination. Because of the sweetness, the sharpness is actually even tastier, even more addictive. Dried figs, date syrup, cinnamon, cumin… together with the red peppers and the soothing effect of the bulgur are simply delicious. And i haven’t even mentioned the green asparagus that are lying there so beautifully on the bulgur. Eye-catching and together with the bulgur they are also mouth-watering.
Stuffed tomatoes with raisins and pine nuts
We eat this together with one or more other vegetable dishes. The tomato itself is deliciously soft, but the rice is really the winner here. It has a great taste itself, but is also great together with another vegetable dish. The rice is so delicious that it deserves this special ‘packaging’. And… in the pan, most of the time there is some rice left that does not fit in the tomatoes… always a pleasant surprise the next day…
Cauliflower soup with cumin and pine nuts
It can be so cold and windy outside sometimes, and then soup is your best consolation once you’re back at home. All cold and wet. Soft, warm. You can eat it without thinking. Your mind takes you back to half an hour ago when you were still outside. You’re coming back to life. The energy is coming back. And in the meantime, you’re just enjoying the delicious flavors you’re tasting.
Egyptian spinach
Syrian, Moroccan, Algerian, Spinach pilav…. the Egyptian variant was still missing on the website. And that needed to be mended. Because this variant will keep you eating until the bowl is empty. The well-fried garlic, the ground coriander, it’s just a completely different taste sensation. And one to really put on the table. And chickpeas, yes that’s obviously a classic ingredient of the Middle East and almost always exactly right, making a difference. And certainly here, too.
Spinach with tomatoes and almonds
Spinach, if you are familiar with my recipes, you know how much I love this vegetable. Always looking for new variations with this great vegetable. Here the tomatoes make it a little sweet, the almonds nice and crunchy. The Arabic cuisine is perhaps the reason I love spinach so much. Because they know how to prepare it in so many ways.
Home made pickled lemons
DIY, that’s me. Very much so. And then a long wait to turn something into somehting incredibely tasteful. I love it. Especially when it comes to cooking and delicious flavors. Pickled lemons, you buy them everywhere these days. But it’s great to make your own, right? Your own jar of pickled lemons. Who wouldn’t want that? Exactly. Well, I’ve waited six weeks and they’re not just nice. They are obviously not comparable to those from a jar, those from the supermarket. So much better. And it’s also incredibly easy to make. So….
Pasta with soft celery tomato sauce
This is one of those pasta sauces that takes me back to when all the kids were still living at home. To a day where you looked in the fridge and thought … what kind of pasta sauce will I make today… there are some onions, garlic, a bunch of celery, tomatoes… let’s put it together let it all simmer wonderfully. Stir occasionally. Look out at the birds flying by. Stir again. Answer a question from one of the kids. Stir again. Let’s take make that phone call. And stir again. And then we can yell, guys, diner is ready. And the happy faces when they see what’s being served. Such a sauce is this…
The green, greener, greenest salad
There are green salads and greenest salads. This is the greenest salad. Delicious hearty-tasting little Mediterranean cucumbers, dill, spring-onions and if I would have had avocado in the house, I would have added it as well. And the dressing, entirely in style. Green, too. In the blender 30 leaves mint, garlic, lime juice and some vegan mayo. And finally some roasted green pumpkin seeds… I can’t make it greener for you. Nor any better.
Next level fennel gratin
Next level fennel gratin. Which makes it a serious main course. Not just a simple vegetable dish, no one that stands. Stands out. Herbs, (vegan) cheesy, handsome and with a deep taste.
Tomato pilav
Unctuous is the word that comes to mind when I think of this pilav. Slightly sweet, delicious tomato aroma, light, sparkling and above all very soft. Yes, unctuous indeed. Everything is wonderfully soft and harmonious.
Spinach and black eyed peas with Szechuan pepper
Since the pregnancy of my oldest child, my son, I have had a very special relationship with spinach. And it’s been going on for about 29 years now. And still going strong happily together. We know how to surprise each other over and over again. Also this time. Here the Szechuan pepper works perfectly together with the balsamic vinegar. On top of my ‘super man’ spinach, of course.
Courgette ‘puree’ with tomatoes
Deliciously soft. Creamy almost. Full of flavour. Clashing colors. But flavours that complement each other wonderfully. And the fried garlic takes you into higher spirits.
Harissa potatoes with a tahini/soy sauce
Baked potatoes deliciously smeared all around with harissa, homemade or from a tube. And then drizzle with tahini/soy sauce, chives and sesame seeds. Potatoes prepared in one of the most delicious ways. The picture speaks for itself, right?
Algerian spinach
Spinach with cayenne pepper, cumin and tomato paste. And garlic, of course. Fry the spinach well, allow moisture to evaporate. And keep stirring. Algerians came up with this delicious combination. These flavors work fantastically together. And then the finishing touch with the green olives is beautiful.
Brussels sprouts with red grapes and sherry
This is really a very creative way to serve Brussels sprouts. The combination of the sweet grapes, the delicious taste of sherry, the Brussels sprouts themselves and the crunchy water chestnuts. Cleaning Brussels sprouts is always a chore, but with a little help you’ll be done quite quickly. And otherwise it’s a meditative 15 minutes. And the result is not to be missed.
Beetroot with a spicy touch to it
Beetroot is great. That’s non negotiable. Beets get even better if you lend them a hand. And as far as I’m concerned, the best way to do that is to add some spice to it in combination with a delicious creaminess. And you won’t be surprised. That’s exactly what this dish is.
Hummus royale with roasted garlic and mushrooms
Hummus in its purest form is a home coming sensation. Is nice every day. It’s a routine. But sometimes you want hummus to be a bit more festive. Which surprises you, which makes you even happier than usual. This is such a hummus. Really a royal version.
Fried romaine lettuce with lemon, ouzo, barley and croutons
Ouzo in the dressing. Yes, really, that’s the secret ingredient here. This salad is actually perfectly balanced. The fresh lemon, the barley that brings you back to earth, the croûtons that wake you up and the ouzo that surprises you. Fried lettuce, we ate it for the first time in a restaurant in Scheveningen. It was so good that I made often make it myself ever since. And look for delicious varieties. And this is one of those.
Brussels sprouts in white wine and a velvet onion sauce
I can never eat Brussels sprouts often enough. So delicious, so versatile, so healthy. You just taste it. Here you bake them in leeks, and a splash of white wine. And then you serve them with a delicious onion sauce. A little mashed potatoes if you like. And you have a very different picture of those poor Brussels sprouts that aren’t as popular as I would love them to be.