Monday, October 26, 2009

Lebanese Food, Mezze Recipes

Meze are small dishes common throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Check out these dishes in our collection of Lebanese Food, mezze recipes!

1. Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a Levantine vegetarian salad made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Tabbouleh is traditionally served as part of a mezze in the Arab world.

Lettuce Leafs filled with tabbouleh in a serving dish

Get the Recipe: Tabbouleh

2. Fattoush

Fattoush is a classic Lebanese dish made from toasted or fried pieces of Arabic flat bread combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes. . It is often eaten by itself as a starter or light lunch.

Fattoush salad in a bowl

Get the Recipe: Fattoush

3. Hummus

A widely popular dip, hummus is not only delicious, it’s super healthy.  This hummus is made using homemade tahini paste, which is easy to make, cheaper than store-bought, and tastes so much better!


Get the Recipe: Hummus

4. Baba Ghanouj – Roasted Eggplants With Garlic and Tahini

Baba Ghanouj is made by mashing roasted eggplants with Tahini paste, some garlic, and a bit of white vinegar to help lighten the color. It is served as a cold appetizer dip along with pita bread and some salted Lebanese pickles such as cucumbers, chili peppers and turnips.

Baba Ghanouj in a serving dish garnished with pickles, tomatoes, parsley

Get the Recipe: Baba Ghanouj – Roasted Eggplants With Garlic and Tahini

5. Kibbeh Nayyeh

Kibbe Nayyeh stands for “raw Kibbe”, Kibbe being the patties made from ground meat, burghul (cracked weat) and spices.

Learn How to Make Raw Kibbe Nayyeh Like a Pro. This recipe is an Authentic and Traditional Version of the Lebanese Kibbe Nayyeh (spicy raw ground meat).

Kibbeh Nayyeh in a serving tray and a spoon garnished with mint leaves

Get the Recipe: Kibbeh Nayyeh

6. Sambousik

This recipe is for the Lebanese version of a meat pie, but these fragrant pastries don’t require tomato sauce. You can freeze uncooked sambousik wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one month. Stand frozen at room temperature for 10 minutes before frying.

Sambousik, parsley in a serving dish and dipping sauce bowl

Get the Recipe: Sambousik

7. Warak Enab (Stuffed grape Leaves)

Stuffed Grape Leaves is an amazingly creative, tasty and healthy Middle Eastern dish.  It is made of rolled grape leaves with rice and vegetable stuffing slowly boiled in lemony water. Stuffed Grape Leaves can be served alone as a full meal, or it can also be served as a “Mezza” appetizer along with other dishes. It goes well with a side of plain yogurt.


Get the Recipe: Warak Enab (Stuffed grape Leaves)

8. Balila

Balila, also known as Cumin Chickpeas, consists of boiled chickpeas mixed with garlic, salt, cumin and olive oil. It is usually served as a hot Mezze dish.

Balila in a serving dish garnished with cherry tomatoes and parsley


Get the Recipe: Balila

9. Labneh

Lebanese call it “Labneh” or “Labne,” other folks from the Middle East call it “Labna” or “Lebni” and in the US it’s known sometimes as Kefir Cheese. Whatever the name is, Labneh is one of our favorite dips ever!! It is a simple dip made by filtering plain yogurt overnight and reducing its whey content. You can prepare it easily at home by placing yogurt in a filter overnight while keeping it in the fridge. To save time we tend to buy it from Middle-Eastern grocery stores and our favorite brand is “Arz” by Karoun Dairies, because of its beautiful authentic taste, and because they use milk not treated with hormones or antibiotics.

This recipe is for preparing a very refreshing and tasty Labneh dip.

Lebanese Labneh in a serving dish garnished with cucumber, olives, radish, tomatoes and parsley

Get the Recipe: Labneh

10.  ZA’ATAR MAN’OUCHE

Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix of wild thyme, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds, tops chewy flatbread in this iconic Lebanese snack.

ZA’ATAR MAN’OUCHE olives, mint leaves and tomato slices

Get the Recipe: ZA’ATAR MAN’OUCHE

11. Falafel

Falafel is a very delicious Middle-Eastern gourmet appetizer that has become popular in the West over the past several years. It’s made from a deep fried paste of chick peas, fava beans, and a mix of onions and different herbs and spices.

Falafel

Get the Recipe: Falafel

12. Pita Bread

Pita bread is a staple in Middle Eastern food. It can be used for dipping, or to make delicious sandwiches in the pocket. In the Middle East, pita is made in brick ovens, where very high heat can be achieved. It is very hard to duplicate in a home kitchen, but this recipe, combined with high heat comes very close.


Ge the Recipe: Pita Bread

1 comment:

  1. Absolutely Love these recipes. Thank you so much. There is NOTHING more delicious than Lebanese cuisine. :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! Enjoy Middle Eastern and Lebanese Recipes! :)