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Recipes
Creamy garlic almond soup

Creamy garlic almond soup

I don’t know what you’re thinking when you read this, but I immediately thought: ai ai ai, this is probably one of the best soups ever. And that’s exactly what it is. Hands down. In the restaurant I never make enough of this soup. Guests all want a second serving. If it is up to them of course. It is so surprising. So delicious. The next day you still think about that soup. You start talking about it. You want to make it yourself. That kind of soup.

Asparagus salad with bulgur, mustard and pistachios

Asparagus salad with bulgur, mustard and pistachios

Using the so called white gold for a salad. Yes, I also had to cross a threshold. But, I’m making this salad from ‘broken’ asparagus. And unfortunately, or in this case fortunately, that sometimes happens. So in this case, we turn the negative into something great. This salad brings out everything in an asparagus that makes it so delicious.

Broad beans in Lebanese creamy lemon/garlic sauce

Broad beans in Lebanese creamy lemon/garlic sauce

From my open kitchen in the restaurant I am in contact with all the guests. I once made this dish as a starter. Bit exciting, broad beans may not be an easy vegetable. That’s what I thought. But the guests were blown away? How do you get this so delicious? Is it really just this and that? Can’t be true, right? Well it is. Try it yourself.

Asparagus soup with allspice

Asparagus soup with allspice

My mother and my former mother-in-law could make the most delicious asparagus soup, in my opinion. And for years I have been trying to make that delicious soup. Without luck. It just didn’t have what it should have. Until now. All of a sudden. Totally unexpected. Carelessly almost. This soup does not resemble that of the mothers(-in-law), but it is incredibly tasty anyway. Better? Yes, even better maybe. Party time.

Asparagus with pomegranate

Asparagus with pomegranate

Asparagus. When they are in season I can’t get enough of them. Joris is born and raised in the asparagus region of the Netherlands. We always get them from Annie in Olland. It was time to prepare them with a hint of Middle East. And that’s exactly what we did. Joris didn’t stop raving about it, he liked it so much. Mission accomplished.

Pearl couscous with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes

Pearl couscous with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes

I love pearl couscous. The structure of it, the little balls in your mouth, just hard enough, but also just soft enough. They take in the taste of what’s around them nicely. Delicious with this spinach and semi-dried tomatoes. Also delicious at room temperature the next day as a salad.

Spectacularly filled falafel as a snack

Spectacularly filled falafel as a snack

Falafel is, of course, incredibly tasty on its own, if it is made with the right recipe, and if it is made with love. Part of a mezze. In a pita bread with salad and some hummus. But when you cut them open and fill them with some delicious mixture, they almost take on a royal allure. You can fill with hummus, with muhammara, with a yoghurt/cucumber filling… the possibilities are endless.

Warm spinach yogurt soup

Warm spinach yogurt soup

Comfort food to the max. Creamy. Nutricious. A little bit spicy but not too much. Enough bite. Yogurt at its best. Soup in a slightly different way. But in a way you ‘should’ have it more often. Because it is so good.

Messabecha of lima beans à la Jigal

Messabecha of lima beans à la Jigal

Now, there’s comfort food and comfort food. This is the ultimate version of it. And just what you expect from comfort food, it takes hours and hours for it to be at its best. But then, but then… Lima beans, the dry ones, become so very soft after spending all these hours in the pan. You can hardly imagine that they can get so soft at all. It is the secret of adding olive oil in the water. Patience. Endless soft boiling water. And then dip with some spicy shatta, crispy red onion and tasty flatbread until you drop.

Tabbouleh with cranberries and walnuts

Tabbouleh with cranberries and walnuts

Tabbouleh is really one of the great classics in Lebanese cuisine. There are of course variations on the theme and this is one of them. Incredibly soft in taste, surprising with its different flavors that are incorporated. A feast for the eyes and the other senses.

Paella

Paella

Paella, the colour, the smell, the taste and the great mouthfeel. Everything comes together here. Every bite tastes slightly different. Simply delicious. And it is an eye catcher of course. As a pleasant extra.

Za’atar crackers

Za’atar crackers

Look, za’atar and I, it’s simply a love affair. Unconditional love. Until death do us part. And if you also put it on delicious crunchy home-baked crackers, you get a glimpse of paradise. According to myself that is.

Tomato chili relish

Tomato chili relish

Dips, sauces, spreads … I love them. With vegetables, on a cracker, just like that… this is one of them. Delicious, surprising also because of the dried mint in it. You don’t expect that. If you don’t know it’s in there…

Spinach tartlet with caramelized onion and walnuts

Spinach tartlet with caramelized onion and walnuts

I can never eat enough spinach. In every variation, this is my all-time favorite vegetable. In this pie, spinach doesn’t attract all the attention, but more than enough to please me. The caramelized onion and walnuts make it a festive little dish. It’s a winner. Delicious as an appetizer, snack or side dish.

Classic Lebanese Toum (garlic dip)

Classic Lebanese Toum (garlic dip)

If you love garlic, and have a little bit of patience, this is totally your recipe. You can serve this as a dip, or use it with vegetables, for example. It is a very classic Lebanese dip/sauce that is often standard on the table. Just for the sake of it. Simply because it cannot be missed.

Lentils with sweet slowly cooked tomatoes

Lentils with sweet slowly cooked tomatoes

Sometimes you think that lentils can no longer surprise you. That you now know them from all sides. And believe me, I like lentils so much that I put them on the table very often. This is a new variant. And one that we had two days in a row, we liked it that much.

Airy, crispy Lebanese bulgur bread with za’atar

Airy, crispy Lebanese bulgur bread with za’atar

I’m not a bread eater. I don’t really like bread. With the exception of a warm crispy ‘kaak’ and this bulgur bread. This is really exactly what I’m looking for in a loaf of bread. My eyes widened, my head nodded approvingly, I was in my own delicious world full of taste sensation for a few minutes before I realised again that I was sitting at the table with others. That kind of bread.

Lebanese pie with cauliflower and eggplant

Lebanese pie with cauliflower and eggplant

It’s always a bit difficult when it comes to pies. As long as the dough is good. Exactly soft enough. Just crunchy enough. Evenly. And the filling also matches the amount of dough. In that regard, these pies simply score a 10. In every way really. Just super successful as a dish. Or it can also be served as a snack.

Labaneya: Arabic spinach soup with turmeric, sesame and rice

Labaneya: Arabic spinach soup with turmeric, sesame and rice

When you think of a hearty soup, you think of a heavy hearty soup. This is a meal soup, but one of the lighter kind. Nice for lunch, nutritious and very tasty. A bit spicy, really something different. And since spinach is one of my absolute ‘favourites’, I’m always happy when you can put this vegetable on the table in a different way. Right?

Quince pie with a touch of Middle East in it

Quince pie with a touch of Middle East in it

When you have been given kilos and kilos of quinces from your customer Xandra, you start experimenting. Quinces are ‘tough cookies’ in the sense that they are rock solid and you have to soften them to get them tasty and to use them. It works great in this recipe. And don’t forget, 100 percent plant-based, right?

Golden bulgur with enchanting carrot and pomegranate

Golden bulgur with enchanting carrot and pomegranate

Carrot nog so tasteful? Well, then you haven’t made this dish yet. The carrot is so flavorful thanks to fennel seeds. The bulgur turns gold because of the turmeric. Pickled cucumber gives it an unparalleled freshness. And the pomegranate seeds provide the indispensable bite. Together they form a golden combination. Well, the picture speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Chutney with quince: nice and sweet and spicy

Chutney with quince: nice and sweet and spicy

Chutney, I always bought it ready-made. Too hard to really make it tasty, I thought. But, this is not true at all. It takes some patience, using the right proportions. But then, the result is magnificent. From a jar, but your own jar. And of course so much tastier. And well worth the effort.

Pasta with braised radicchio and pine nuts

Pasta with braised radicchio and pine nuts

Radicchio is not so common while it is such a delicious vegetable. Raw but certainly also smothered like in this pasta. Nicely ‘lit up’ with lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. And made ‘earthy’ again with the pine nuts. A feast. A nice quick lunch dish or just nice for the evening meal… All is fine.

Pesto of palm cabbage (and much more of course)

Pesto of palm cabbage (and much more of course)

Well well well, one can use pesto for just about everything, right? For me, it’s the same as with hummus. A daily companion. On toast. In salads. Mixed in some vegetables. Or just a spoon of it, just like that. Because it’s so good. I made this variant with palm cabbage after I was inspired by Penny. And then of course it got me going à la Damaris style.

Exciting and unctuous orzo with kale, tomato and more…

Exciting and unctuous orzo with kale, tomato and more…

Somehow orzo always gives such a comfort food feeling. And especially if you can make a one-pan dish like this that has everything in it. The sensation of comfort food. An alternation of savory with a little sweet because of the cinnamon stick. Boost of health through the kale. And a bit of spiciness through the harissa. I said it already… it has everything in it.