lebanese sausages

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground mahleb (I substituted star anise ground coarsely in a mortar and pestle)
~2.5 T red wine
1 lb minced pork, lamb, and/or beef (any combination is fine)
2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
~2.5 T lard, bacon grease, or duck fat
~1.5 T pinenuts
sea salt
Aleppo chili or other chili flakes, to taste

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Mash up ingredients. Don’t overmix, or it’ll be crumbly. Let the flavors meld together for about 24 hours. Form into kebabs or patties, or if you want sausage crumbles, break it up in the pan. I love these fried in cast iron. You can bake them, though, or even grill them!

I substituted pork, but I think these would be great with chicken, too (maybe just add a bit more lard, since chicken can be leaner than pork.)

recipe adapted from nine.co.au

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Possibly my favorite homemade sausage, although I also adore maple breakfast sausages and spicy homemade chorizo! The clove and anise meld into something special. I don’t usually have pine nuts in the house, but I did this time, and they were absolutely incredible in this sausage. I cut the pine nuts a bit, from 2.5T to 2T,

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minted cabbage salad

1/2 lb savoy cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
1/3 c watercress leaves
1/2 c mint leaves
juice of 1 lemon
1 large clove garlic crushed w 1 t salt
3 T evoo
1 t dried mint
salt and pepper

combine and serve

bemiah (easy lebanese okra)

2 lbs of Okra
1 and ½ medium sized onions
4 large mushrooms, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes (preferably firewood)
4 cloves of freshly peeled garlic, minced
2 bell peppers
A dash of Cayenne Pepper
A dash of salt
½ to 1 cup of Coconut Oil (or other oils) for frying

Cut/discard the stems of Okra, rinse well, then let dry. Chop all the other vegetables and mince the garlic.
In a deep pot, fry the Okra in ½ cup of oil until they turn brownish, then place them on paper towels or in strainer to strain away the oil.
In the same pot, add 4-6 teaspoons of fresh oil and saute the onions and mushrooms until they turn golden/lightly caramelized. Add the bell pepper and saute for 3-4 more minutes.
Add the okra to the cooking pot, stir well, then add the diced tomatoes and chopped tomatoes, the garlic, Cayenne peppers and salt, mix well and let stew on low heat for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Serve hot or cold with a side of rice.

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from mama’s lebanese kitchen

fattoush

this is a refreshing palestinian and lebanese summer salad that is great as a condiment, or a small salad served with lunch. perfect on top of falafel, or with grilled veggies or meat.

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cut tomato, cucumber, green onion, and radish into very small pieces.

mince lettuce, parsley, and mint.

(optional: purslane, arugala, spinach, or another bitter green. sumac powder.)

combine, and dress in fresh lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.

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adapted from webgaza

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fantastic! i made this with only tomato, cucumber, and radish in a pinch, with green onions and parsley from the garden, and lemon juice over the top. we ate it with barbecued veggies and meats. it came out great. everyone loved it. recommended!

baby eggplant with bulgur salad

•2 pounds of baby eggplants (900 g.)
•12 ounces of yogurt (340 g.)
•1/2 cup of fine bulgur (#1)(115 g.)
•1 1/2 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
•1/2 cup of hot water (4 ounces or 115 g.
•3 cloves of garlic
•1 teaspoon of salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon of hot Aleppo pepper or smoked chili powder
•1/2 ounce (15 g.) of finely chopped scallions
•1/2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
•1 ounce of pine nuts (27 g.)
•10 g. of chopped flat-leaved parsley (.3 ounces)
•5 g. of chopped dill (.2 ounces)
•5 g. of chopped mint leaves (.2 ounces)
•5 g. of chopped basil (all the herbs should weigh 1 ounce)
•1 ounce (27 g.) of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
•olive oil, as needed
•pita bread, as needed

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1. Pour the yogurt on a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a large paper coffee filter. Let it drain a minimum of 4 hours.
2. When the yogurt has drained, preparations for the salad can proceed. Peel the eggplants, keeping the cap on and sprinkle with salt. Place on a colander and let them sweat for 30 minutes or longer.
3. Place the bulgur in a bowl. Dilute the pomegranate molasses in the hot water and pour over the bulgur; set it aside.
4. Cut the garlic in small pieces, removing the green root inside, and place in a mortar with a teaspoon of salt; pound the garlic and the salt until the mixture is pasty, about one minute. Set aside.
5. Wipe the eggplants dry and heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the eggplants on all sides until browned and soft. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Set on a serving plate.
6. Place the drained yogurt in a salad bowl. Add the mashed garlic, the chopped parsley, mint, dill and basil as well as the chopped scallions and dry spices.
7. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and mix well. Add the bulgur and mix the salad. If necessary, add more undrained yogurt if the salad is too stiff and needs it. Taste and adjust seasonings.
8. With a small sharp knife, make a slit alongside the length of the eggplant. Open up the eggplant gently with a spoon and fill the cavity with the bulgur and yogurt salad.
9. Melt the butter in a small skillet and fry the pine nuts gently for 3 minutes until caramel-colored. Do not let them burn. Garnish the eggplants with some of the pine nuts. Serve the eggplants at room temperature with pita.

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recipe invented by lebanese blogger Joumana at taste of beirut