Pickled Mini Eggplants with Celery and Herbs

Finding these beautiful mini eggplants at the market, my first thought was to prepare my dish of mini eggplants stuffed with lamb (click HERE for the recipe). However, on second thought, I decided to go with a lighter direction, and use them to make quick pickles with fresh herbs.

Beef Kebabs with Zhoug and Harissa Raw Onion Relish

Zhoug is an aromatic Yemenite hot pepper and cilantro paste, which is known all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean. It is mostly used as a condiment, but it is also added to soups and other dishes. In the dish here, I’ve decided to use it to flavor a raw onion relish, along with sweet Harrisa, a spiced North African hot peppers paste, which was served with broiled beef kebabs.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Fresh Herbs and Potatoes

Chicken thighs are my favorite part for roasting; once roasted, the meat is flavorful and juicy, while the skin turns crispy and tasty.

Chicken Thighs with Green Peas and Herbed Rice

I always liked the combination of peas and mint, and I make THIS green peas and mint soup often. So I thought that the same combination could work with chicken and rice as well.

Lamb Stew with Onions and Mini Peppers

The weather is cooling down and the time for heavier dishes is almost here. However, it’s still not the time for very heavy dishes, so here is an easy to assemble solution.

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Salsa Verde

This fresh and tasty dish is quick and easy to prepare, making it perfect for a hot summer day lunch.

Corn and Shrimps Cakes

With wonderful abundance of fresh corn from the farm stand, I can’t help but buy and cook it often. On top of enjoying the corn on its own, I also end up incorporating it in assorted dishes.

Green Falafel (Chickpeas and Herbs Fritters)

These little chickpea fritters are known around the Middle East, Turkey, Greece and other countries, as a tasty street food. Every country has its own version, but aside from Egypt, where the dish is made with Fava beans, all others use chickpeas as the base for the dish.
The recipe here follows the Israeli version, which was introduced by Yemenite Jews. To this, other flavors were added with time, such as the spicy Moroccan Harissa (red hot peppers paste) and other seasonings.

Eggplant Salad Two Ways

In Mediterranean and North African cuisines, there are many versions for eggplant salads that start with roasted eggplant that is further cooked with additional vegetables and flavorings, and served at room temperature.
In the recipe here I “mixed and matched” my own version.

Baked/Steamed Chilean Sea Bass with Cilantro, Lime and Jalapenos

Chilean Seabbass is actually a commercial name for the Patagonian Toothfish, which is a type of Cod. The fish has a wonderful firm, yet smooth texture. A short cooking will turn the opaque flesh into a beautiful deep white color fillet and enhance its natural sweetness.