Tunisian Vegetable Salad (Salatat Khodra al Tunis)

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped into thin slices
1/2 large yellow onion,peeled, sliced and separated into "petals"
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 medium red bell pepper, ends trimmed, sliced into strips, seeded
1medium yellow bell pepper, ends trimmed, sliced into strips, seeded
1 tsp. coriander seeds
pinch of saffron
dash of salt & pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.Add the garlic and onion and lightly fry 7-10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers to the pan and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

3. Add the coriander seeds,saffron, salt and pepper and stir. for another 10 minutes.

4.Remove vegetables from heat.Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Middle Eastern Cucumber & Mint Salad (Salata Khiar bi Na'na)

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, cut into small cubes
1 handful fresh mint leaves, thinly chopped

For the dressing:
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. orange-blossom water
dash of salt & pepper

1. To make the salad, place both the cucumber and the mint in a serving bowl..Toss till evenly
combined.
2. To make the dressing, place all dressing ingredients a blender and blend for 1 minute.
3. Add the salad dressing to the salad just before serving .Toss and serve.

Fattoush (Middle Eastern Bread Salad)

Photo courtesy of Islamic Iftar

Yield:6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Arab (pita ) bread , cut into small pieces

1 medium head of lettuce, shredded

3 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes

3 cucumbers, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 green onions, thinly sliced

handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

5 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. ground sumac

salt & pepper, to taste

1. To make the salad, place all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss till evenly

combined.

2. For the dressing, place all the ingredients together in a blender and blend for 1 minute.Adjust

seasonings if necessary.

3. Add the salad dressing to the salad, toss again just before serving.

Arab Salad (Salata Arabi)

Yield: 6 Ingredients

Ingredients:
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded into bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, peeled, finely diced
1 large cucumber, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 large tomato, cubed into bite-size pieces
6 radishes, thinly sliced, then cubed
5 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped


For the Dressing:
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove, peeled, crushed


1. In a large serving bowl, combine all the salad ingredients together and toss evenly to combine.


2. In a small bowl pour the extra-virgin olive oil and slowly add the remaining ingredients one by

by one, slowly mixing after each one.


3. Pour the salad dressing over the salad greens when ready to serve and mix well before serving.

Shanklish (Syrian Mezze Salad)

Photo courtesy of SyrianFoodie

Shanklish is an aromatic, zaatar-coated cheese from Tartous, a port Northwest of Damascus.It is traditionally made at home from either cow, sheep or goat's milk. Shanklish is usually eaten as part of a mezze dish where it is usually served crumbled in a salad of finely chopped tomatoes, onions and olive oil.

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. shanklish, crumbled

1 medium red onion, peeled, finely minced

3 tomatoes, finely diced

4-5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a medium serving bowl add all the ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

2. Chill for 1/2 hour and serve.

Tunisian Tomato,Bell Pepper & Cucumber Salad (Salata Jida)

Here's a delightful Tunisian salad that is quick to put together and is perfect with any dish. Just keep in mind that it needs to rest a minimum of 1 hour to let the flavors blend together.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, thinly diced
1/2 cucumber, thinly diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, thinly diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded, thinly diced
4 green onions,thinly sliced
handful of cilantro, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste



1. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Mix vegetables thoroughly till evenly combined.

2. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix again.

3. Place bowl in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.

4.Place in a serving bowl and serve.

Michoteta (Egyptian Cucumber and Feta Salad)

Here's a perfect little salad for when the weather's warm and you don't have much time on your hands.It can be put together in under 15 minutes.Feel free to substitute low-fat feta for the regular, it tastes just as good.

Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 red onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 large cucumber, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
dash pepper

1. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined.Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately or chill in refrigerator till ready to serve.

Iraqi Cucumber and Garlic Salad (Salata Kyhiar wa Toum)

I came across this salad in an Iraqi-Jewish cookbook and was intrigued by it because I've never seen a salad which included raw garlic cloves as an ingredient.I was skeptical at first because of the amount of garlic used but after marinating it for the allotted time, which mellows the garlicky taste and tweaking some of the ingredients, the salad has a very cooling and refreshing taste and similar to the other salads of the Middle East.

Yield:

8 Servings

Ingredients:

8 large cucumbers, peeled and diced

10 small to medium sized garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 c fresh cilantro, thinly chopped

1/2 c fresh mint, thinly chopped

juice of 3 large lemons

3 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dill

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl, mix together till evenly combined, and chill for about 1 hour.

Simple Middle Eastern Hummus Salad (Salata Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat)

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 c fresh cilantro, thinly chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

2 c canned low-sodium chickpeas (garbanzos)

1/2 medium red onion, thinly chopped

1. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, red wine vinegar,cilantro, salt and pepper until evenly combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the chickpeas and onions.Add the dressing and toss gently till evenly coated.

3.Place chickpea salad in refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.Serve chilled.

Salata Naranj bi Fistuk Halibi(Orange Salad with Pistachios)

I've been wanting to try this recipe for days unfortunately the weather here has not been in my favor.It would be nice if you can use Jaffa oranges ( also known as shamouti or khalili in the Middle East) but if they are not available just use any you have on hand.This recipe is perfect as a simple, light dessert after a heavy meal and requires minimal preparation.

Yield:4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 large Jaffa oranges or other kind of orange
1 1/2 Tbsp. rose water
1/4 c shelled pistachios
2 tbsp. whole mint leaves, for garnish
1/4 c fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

1. Using a paring knife, slice of the top and bottom of the oranges, then peel.Then slice each orange into equal slices (about 1/4"thick).
2. Place the orange slices on a nice serving platter and drizzle rosewater over them.Scatter the pistachios and raspberries(if using) over the orange slices ,then garnish with the mint leaves.Serve immediately.

Salatat Halloumi wal Einab (Halloumi & Grape Salad)

Halloumi alternately spelled hallumi,haloumi,and hallum is a salty,semi-hard white cheese made with either sheep or goat's milk.Originally made by the bedouin of the Middle East , it's popularity spread to neighboring Greece and Cyprus where now Cyprus is the largest producer.Halloumi is usually eaten grilled. It is cooked in a hot pan with olive oil until the outside becomes a golden brown color and the inside is soft.

In Lebanon,it is known as kebab cheese because it is cubed and grilled on skewers and eaten as a quick street snack.It is also part of mezze where it is eaten as part of a salad or with khoubz,the Arab flatbread sprinkled with nigella seeds.The Cypriot version is flavored with dried mint.

Servings:4

Ingredients:

4c mixed salad greens with fresh herbs (romaine lettuce, raddichio, purslane,etc.)

60z. seedless red and/or black grapes,sliced in half

9oz. halloumi cheese,sliced into cubes

5 Tbsp. oil & lemon juice

1. In a mixing bowl, toss together the salad greens with the grapes.

2. Heat a non-stick pan and coat lightly with olive oil. Thinly slice the halloumi cheese and cook briefly, turning until it becomes a light golden brown.Remove from heat.

3. Put salad greens in a serving bowl. Place halloumi over salad greens.Drizzle with oil and vinegar.Serve immediately.

Salatat Jarjeer ( Arugula Salad)

Here's a simple salad that is perfect for mezze or you can add additional vegetables and make a complete meal.

Yeild:6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. arugula, rinsed and dried, torn into shreds

a handful of frisee (optional)

a handful of radicchio (optional)

1 medium red onion, sliced in rings

Dressing:

1/4 c lemon juice

1/3 c olive oil

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1.Place arugula , frisee(if using), radicchio (if using)and onions in a serving bowl and mix to combine.

2.Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or in a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid and mix together and /or shake vigorously.

3.Drizzle dressing on salad just before serving.Serve immediately.

Rose-Scented Dessert Fruit Salad

Fresh and dried fruits are part of the conclusion of a typical Middle-Eastern meal.Typical Middle-Eastern desert salads usually contain a combination of 5-6 different kinds of fresh fruits or a mix of 50-50 fresh/dried. They are commonly flavored with either a rose or orange-blossom scented infused water, a common ingredient of the Arab pantry and garnished with nuts or pomegranate seeds. Some cooks make a simple rose water syrup to coat the fruits, but I prefer not to add any additional sugar as luscious, ripe fruits don't need any further flavor enhancement.In the recipe, are some of the common fruits that make up a traditional Middle-Eastern desert fruit salad but feel free to substitute any with your favorites.

4 Servings

Ingredienys;

1/2 medium cantaloupe, peeled & cut into 1/2"cubes

2 large oranges, peeled & sectioned;sections cut in half

2 bananas, sliced diagaonally

1/2 grapefruit, peeled & cut into 1/2"cubes

seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

1 c fresh or dried pitted dates, chopped (optional)

1 c fresh or dried figs, chopped in half (optional)

juice of 1 lime

2 oz. rose water essence

6 Tbsp. unsalted pistacios, to garnish

1. Put all the peices of fruit into a large bowl.In anaother bowl, mix together the lime juice and rosewater together.Pour limejuice and rosewater mixture over fruits and turn gently until well combined.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until ready to serve.Garnish on top with pistacios.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a popular Middle-Eastern salad from Lebanon made of bulgur with fresh mint and parsley.It is usually served as a mezze dish or as a side with grilled meats or fish.The quantities of its ingredients vary from country to country but a traditional tabbouleh is usually made with copious amounts of parsley.

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c bulger

3 c water

2 c firm,ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, peeled & finely chopped

1/3 c fresh mint,finely chopped

4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 c olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

1. Soak the bulgur in water for about 30 minutes until soft & chewy.Drain and squeeze out any excess moisture.Put in a mixing bowl.


2. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, mint, parsley thoroughly.


3. Pour in the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.Mix.Adjust seasonings if necessary.


4. Serve