Mansaf, the meal of celebrations. My personal Mansaf recipe, a mix of meat and cauliflower cooked in yogurt and plated over stone baked bread. I still remember that my mother would begin preparing very early in the morning when she was going to make Mansaf. My mother always prepared Mansaf when we were going to have a guest visiting…
Spiced chicken topped with sautéed onions. Plate this over stone baked bread and you have a marvelous, authentic Palestinian meal! Once upon a time, my father came home from work carrying 15 chickens and asked my mother to make Musakhan for the next day. My mother surprisingly asked him why he needed all of these chickens for her to make…
A delicious stuffing wrapped with a zesty kick! My eldest daughter’s favorite meal since she was 5 years old is stuffed grape leaves, both vegetarian and with meat. Every time I make this meal, I am reminded by beautiful memories from my daughter’s childhood. When my eldest daughter was very young, my parents, my husband, my daughter, and I used…
A deliciously spicy tomato and egg dish to start off your morning! I can never forget the first time I had Bayd wa Bandoura! I was around 11 years old and I was visiting my grandparents in Palestine. My dearest uncle wanted to make me a special breakfast dish. He called it, “Shakshuka”. The name made me laugh. As a young child,…
A simple and filling breakfast or side dish for any potato lover! I was raised in the Middle East. Overseas, we used to eat together as a family three times during the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If one of my family members missed breakfast, then he/she would not miss lunch or dinner. Family time was very important, and it’s…
Tangy bell peppers with a savory stuffing makes the perfect meal for any holiday. I love bell peppers because of their tangy taste and crunchy texture. I believe that the colors of bell peppers reflect the lovely nature around us. To me, red represents love, orange represents enthusiasm, green represents growth, and yellow represents happiness. I always make sure to…
Cooling and savory dip or side for any meal! Quick and easy, 6-ingredient recipe. Whenever I buy fresh Persian cucumber I love to make the Persian cucumber with yogurt and dry mint salad. Drizzle with olive oil and eat it with pita bread. My daughter likes to have it with tortilla chips. My other daughter likes to add it to…