vegetarian-friendly

baked entrees, lentils, vegetarian-friendly

Lentil Loaf

A friend of ours had us over for dinner one night and served us an amazing lentil loaf – it was cooked in a pie pan, and had a nice solid consistency. He claimed it was a British wartime recipe, a meatloaf substitute in a time of scarcity. I kept bugging him for the recipe, […]

appetizer, grains, Middle Eastern, salad, vegetarian-friendly

Couscous Salad

This is a great dish to bring bright colors and fresh (non-mayonnaisey) flavors to a potluck. I used “maftoul” (giant couscous), but you could any grain that suits your fancy and stays toothsome when cooked: barley, wheat berries, bulghur, brown rice, wild rice, etc… 1.5 c. maftoul couscous3 c. chicken broth1 red bell pepper, diced1 […]

Indian, leftovers, rice, spicy, vegetarian-friendly

Indian Fried Rice

What to do when you have some leftover long grain rice and you want some spice? Fried rice, Indian style. You can make it vegetarian, or add some meat or shrimp (leftovers work great). You could also mix in some peas or cooked lentils at the end. 3-4 c. leftover long-grain rice1 jalapeno, sliced2 tsp. […]

African, soup, vegetarian-friendly

Harira

This is an essential element in Moroccan cuisine, especially during the festive month of Ramadan, when it is used to break the daily fast, following dates and perhaps milk. This is a hearty tomato-based soup with considerable versatility, depending on the ingredients that you have on hand and the flavors that you prefer. Ingredients: – […]

sides, spinach, vegetarian-friendly

Spinach with Chickpeas

This is another recipe from Chef Ramzi’s cookbook. Very easy to make, good on rice or with pita bread. Had a bit of protein from the chickpeas, which makes it a nice satisfying side dish (or main dish for skinny vegetarians.) Ingredients2 10oz packets of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, or 2 pounds fresh […]