Mushroom Galette

This hearty mushroom galette is a tasty savory tart recipe bursting with flavor! This vegetarian dinner idea will wow everyone.…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This hearty mushroom galette is a tasty savory tart recipe bursting with flavor! This vegetarian dinner idea will wow everyone.

Mushroom galette

Looing for a stunning fall or winter vegetarian dinner idea? Try a savory Mushroom Galette! This free-form French tart isn’t just for dessert. Make it with a savory filling and it’s a fun vegetarian main dish, like a quiche. This one stars meaty mushrooms, layered over a fluffy smear of ricotta and Parmesan cheese and scented with garlic and fresh thyme. It’s all packed into a flaky, buttery crust and baked to perfection. The smell alone had us salivating before the first bite. Ready to bake?

Ingredients for this mushroom galette

galette is a rustic French tart: a round pie made without a pie dish using a folded pastry crust. That’s right: no pie plates or precise rolling and cutting! Simply roll out the dough, add filling and fold over the crust. Galettes are most often served as desserts, like a peach galette or blueberry galette. But they work as savory pies too, like a tomato galette or mushroom galette. Here’s what you’ll need for this mushroom galette recipe:

  • Mushrooms: a mix of cremini (baby bella) and shiitakes makes for a nuanced, complex flavor
  • Olive oil
  • Soy sauce
  • Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Garlic
  • Fresh thyme
  • Flour
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Egg
Mushroom Galette

Tips for working with galette dough

The main part of this mushroom galette that takes a bit of technique? The pastry dough! Now, this galette dough is easy to work with, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making the pastry. Here are a few tips:

  • Weigh the flour in grams (or spoon and level it). Weighing your flour on a food scale in grams provides the most accurate measurement (and it’s less messy, we find!) Or you can spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it with the back of the spoon. This is more accurate than scooping flour right out of the container, which can result in more flour per cup.
  • Add just enough water for the dough to come together. It should take around 5 to 6 tablespoons, but maybe slightly more depending on the exact flour amount.
  • Chill 1 hour. Chilling is important, so that the butter can solidify. Otherwise, the crust can melt in the oven.
  • Roll into a 12-inch circle, then add the filling. Flour your work surface first. Pick up the dough and add more flour to the surface as necessary if it’s sticking. Then add the ricotta filling and mushrooms.
  • Gently fold it up to create a 2-inch crust. Overlap the folds to make a circle around the filling: see the photos.

For the egg wash

Before baking this mushroom galette, it’s important to brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with salt. An egg wash makes a nice golden sheen on the crust. Full disclosure: we were out of eggs and had to brush on heavy cream to the crust for these photos (a substitute for an egg wash). You can tell it doesn’t have quite the sheen as the crusts in our other galette recipes! So an egg wash is the way to go.

Mushroom Galette

Serving this mushroom galette

Once you bake up your mushroom galette, don’t dig into it just yet! The cooling time is important for achieving the best texture. Here’s what to know:

Storage info

Got leftovers of this mushroom galette? Place it in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also make it 1 day in advance: bake it, then refrigerate over night. Before serving, leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes to let it come to room temperature. If desired, reheat it in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.

Mushroom Galette

More galette recipes

You can make a galette in every season with many fruits and vegetables! Here are a few more recipes to try:

This mushroom galette recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Mushroom galette

Mushroom Galette


Description

This hearty mushroom galette is a tasty savory tart recipe bursting with flavor! This vegetarian dinner idea will wow everyone.


Ingredients

For the galette dough 

  • 1 ½ cups [210 grams] all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 egg, for the egg wash
  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

For the filling

  • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to sprinkle
  • ¾ cup whole milk ricotta
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, for topping

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Slice the butter into small pieces, then use a pastry blender or fork to cut it into the flour mixture until mostly incorporated and a pebbly texture forms (with pea-sized or smaller pieces).
  2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the cool water over the flour, mixing gradually with a fork until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add the additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until all the flour is incorporated, kneading with your fingers until the dough comes together. (Resist the urge to add more water; it should come together!) Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a thick disk. Wrap it in plastic or place it in a covered container and chill the dough for 1 hour. (To make in advance, you can refrigerate the dough up to 3 days; allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before rolling. Or, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months, then defrost overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Place them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until tender.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds black pepper. 
  6. On a floured surface, roll the dough into an even 12” circle, leaving the edges rough (if needed, move the dough around and add a bit more flour underneath to keep it from sticking). Carefully transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. 
  7. Gently spread the ricotta mixture on the dough, then add the mushrooms, leaving at least 2 inches of dough around the outside edge. Fold in the outside edges of the dough over the filling to form an approximately 2-inch crust, overlapping the folds as shown in the photos. Top with fresh thyme leaves.
  8. Whisk the egg and use a pastry brush to brush it onto the crust. Then top the crust with a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt. 
  9. Bake the galette for 30 to 33 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the parchment paper to a baking rack to cool. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice into pieces and serve. It’s also great at room temperature or cold. Store leftovers for up to 3 days refrigerated; bring to room temperature or warm in the oven before serving.

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Mint Lemonade

This mint lemonade recipe is easy and refreshing! The cooling, herbaceous notes of mint pair perfectly with the zing of…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This mint lemonade recipe is easy and refreshing! The cooling, herbaceous notes of mint pair perfectly with the zing of lemon.

Mint Lemonade

Here’s a beverage that’s ideal for summer sipping: Mint Lemonade! This recipe is ideal for when you have loads of this fresh herb on hand. The cooling, herbaceous notes of the mint are a perfect pair with the acidic pop of the lemon. What could be more refreshing? It’s simple to whip up and perfect for parties and entertaining. Or, make a big pitcher to drink off of all week! Here’s our master method.

Ingredients for mint lemonade

This mint lemonade recipe skips making a simple syrup on the stovetop, and goes right to the blender. In fact, all you need to do is blend mint and sugar, then mix it with lemon juice to form lemonade. As a note, this recipe is best in summer you’ve got fresh mint to spare. It calls for 1 cup mint leaves, which can get expensive if you’re buying store-bought out of season. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Fresh mint
  • Lemons
  • Sugar
Mint Lemonade recipe

How to make mint lemonade (basic steps)

It’s very easy to make your own homemade lemonade! The most time consuming part? Juicing the lemons! Here are the basic steps for how to make this mint lemonade (or jump to the recipe below for quantities):

  • Juice the lemons. Using a press juicer is the quickest way to juice lemons: it gets out the most juice and saves your fingers from tiring out from squeezing. The next best choice? A handheld citrus juicer.
  • Blend the mint, sugar and water. Give it a whiz in the blender.
  • Double strain it with a fine mesh strainer! This is the important part. You’ll want to strain the liquid twice to avoid floating sediment that forms from the blended mint.
  • Mix the pitcher. Then mix it in a pitcher with the lemon juice and more cold water.
  • Garnish with fresh mint! This is also important. Garnishing with another sprig of mint is important for getting the right mint aroma to each sip.
Mint lemonade

Variations on this recipe

There are other fun ways to mix up this mint lemonade recipe: like making it sparkling or spiked! Here are a few fun variations:

More lemonade recipes

Want more homemade lemonade flavors? Once you’ve whipped up mint lemonade, try these variations:

This mint lemonade recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Mint Lemonade

Mint Lemonade


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 drinks

Description

This mint lemonade recipe is easy and refreshing! The cooling, herbaceous notes of mint pair perfectly with the zing of lemon.


Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (7 to 8 large lemons)*
  • 7 cups water, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup mint leaves, loosely packed
  • Ice, for serving

Instructions

  1. Juice the lemons. Add the lemon juice to a pitcher with 6 cups cold water.
  2. In a blender, combine the sugar, mint leaves and 1 cup warm water. Blend until fully combined.
  3. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Then strain it back through the strainer into the pitcher with the lemon juice. (Double straining helps to remove sediment that would otherwise form at the top of the liquid.)
  4. Add ice to the pitcher. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint, to get the most of the mint flavor.  Serve immediately or store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Lemonade
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Mint lemonade, mint lemonade recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Barley Salad with Lemon

This barley salad is irresistibly fresh and tasty! Pair the whole grain with crunchy veggies and cover in a lemon…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This barley salad is irresistibly fresh and tasty! Pair the whole grain with crunchy veggies and cover in a lemon and olive oil dressing.

Barley Salad

Here’s a unique grain salad that you won’t be able to resist: try Barley Salad! To be fair, barley isn’t often the star in a salad; typically trendier grains like quinoa and farro rein supreme. But this whole grain is absolutely ideal: its chewy texture and nutty flavor are the perfect contrast to crunchy veggies, garlic, herbs, and lemon olive oil dressing. On first bite, we were both smitten…and a bit surprised, honestly: it’s weirdly delicious! It’s our new favorite for cookouts, picnics, and make-ahead lunches.

Ingredients for barley salad

This barley salad is a Mediterranean-style salad featuring crunchy veggies, herbs, feta cheese, lemon and olive oil. It’s quick and simple to put together, with the formula: make the grain, chop the veggies, and add the dressing. You’ll need about 30 minutes and these ingredients to put it together:

  • Pearl barley: see below for more about types of barley
  • Garlic
  • Shallot
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Bell pepper
  • Fresh herbs: we used parsley and basil
  • Feta cheese crumbles
  • Lemon juice and lemon zest
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Types of barley

There are two types of barley you can use for this barley salad: hulled and pearl. The difference is similar to white rice vs brown rice: like brown rice, hulled barley has less of the grain removed. We like using pearl here because it cooks faster, but some people prefer the nutritional profile of hulled. However, the nutritional differences between the two aren’t very significant! Pearl barley is still a great source of protein and fiber.

  • Hulled barley has just the outer husk of the grain removed, so it has more fiber than the pearl variety. It’s darker in color and takes about 1 hour to cook.
  • Pearled or pearl barley is the more common form that has the outer husk and bran layers removed. It takes less time to cook, about 30 minutes. It’s still very nutritious.

How to make barley salad: a few tips

This barley salad is quick and easy to mix up! There are just a few things to know:

  • Spread the cooked barley onto a baking sheet to cool. Spreading out the grains in a single layer makes them cool faster. To speed up the process, you can pop the sheet in the freezer for a few minutes to get the grains to come to room temperature.
  • You can also cook the barley in advance. Simply refrigerate 1 to 2 days until you’re ready to make the salad.
  • Use fresh herbs like parsley, basil or other. The easiest is to use all parsley: but you can also use a mix! We used parsley and basil. Other good options are dill or mint.

Storage info

This barley salad keeps well, so it’s perfect for make-ahead lunches or picnics! Store it refrigerated for up to 5 days. The flavor is best right away but tastes great after refrigeration; you may need to revive the flavors with a pinch or two of salt.

More grain salad recipes

Love a good grain salad? Here are a few more ways to make a tasty salad with whole grains:

This barley salad recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Barley Salad

Barley Salad with Lemon


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 side dish servings

Description

This barley salad is irresistibly fresh and tasty! Pair the whole grain with crunchy veggies and cover in a lemon and olive oil dressing.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
  • 1 bell pepper, diced (or 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or mix of herbs (we used parsley and basil)
  • ½ cup feta cheese crumbles (omit for vegan and add more salt to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the barley in a saucepan or pot with 3 cups water and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes (or 45 to 1 hour if using hulled barley; you can add more water if the pan becomes dry).
  2. Drain any excess water. Place the barley in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to cool for a few minutes (pop it in the freezer for 2 minutes to speed up the process and get the grains to room temperature).
  3. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and slice the shallot. Slice the cherry tomatoes in quarters. Dice the bell pepper. Chop the dill and mint.
  4. When the barley is done resting, place it in a large bowl with the chopped vegetables and herbs. Add the feta cheese crumbles, lemon juice and zest, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix gently to combine.
  5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days (flavor is best right away but tastes great after refrigeration; you may need to revive the flavors with a pinch or two of salt).
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Barley salad

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Simple Cucumber Feta Salad

There’s nothing better than the tangy, salty kick of this cucumber feta salad! It’s perfect for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

There’s nothing better than the tangy, salty kick of this cucumber feta salad! It’s perfect for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more.

Cucumber Feta Salad

There’s nothing better than the cooling crunch of cucumber salad: and this one takes it up a notch with the punch of salty cheese. Try this Cucumber Feta Salad! It’s simple and no-frills with a punch of tangy vinegar and a salty burst of feta in every bite. Thinly sliced shallots add a note of savory onions, and it’s seasoned liberally with salt and pepper. It’s the best crunchy pairing for just about any meal: it’s great for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more!

Ingredients in cucumber feta salad

There are loads of ways to make a cucumber salad. In fact, most often we make this Cucumber Salad with Vinegar, where thin slices of cucumber and onion are marinated in a vinegar dressing for an hour before serving. This cucumber feta salad is even easier: simply mix the cucumbers with olive oil, vinegar, feta and a few herbs and you can eat immediately. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • English cucumbers
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Feta cheese
  • Fresh herbs: chives, dill or other
  • Salt and pepper
Cucumber Feta Salad

Why to use English cucumber here

The best type of cucumber to use in this cucumber feta salad? English cucumber, aka Persian cucumber. It’s got a much better flavor and texture that works well in this salad. Here’s why we prefer it here:

  • English cucumbers are long and straight, with a thin skin with ridges. The seeds are very small and the flavor is sweeter than a standard cucumber. The flesh has a bright green color, which looks lovely in salads! The best part: because of the thin skin and small seeds, it doesn’t need to be peeled or seeded before eating. You can find English cucumbers next to the standard cucumber in the produce section: it’s sold with a plastic covering to protect the delicate skin.
  • Standard slicing cucumbers are shorter, with thick, dark green skin and very large seeds. The thick skin and seeds can be bitter, so they’re often removed when cooking. You can use it here, but you’ll need to peel and seed it first. But we highly recommend seeking out the English variety.
Cucumber Feta Salad

Herbs to add

This cucumber feta salad is best with a handful of fresh herbs. There are a few great options that work best here:

  • Fresh chives work well
  • Fresh dill pairs well with cucumbers
  • Fresh basil adds a peppery kick
  • Fresh oregano also works

What to avoid? Woody, strong herbs like rosemary, sage, and even thyme don’t pair well with cucumber: they have a darker, moodier flavor than you’d want in this fresh salad.

More cucumber salad recipes

There are so many ways to build a cucumber salad! We hope you love this one. If you’re looking for more ways to use cucumber, here are a few more ideas:

This cucumber feta salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Cucumber Feta Salad

Simple Cucumber Feta Salad


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Description

There’s nothing better than the tangy, salty kick of this cucumber feta salad! It’s perfect for lunches, picnics, summer barbecues and more.


Ingredients

  • 2 English cucumbers
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (like chives or dill)
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice the cucumbers into half circles. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, feta cheese, chopped herbs, and several grinds of black pepper. 
  2. Eat immediately or allow to stand for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Stores up to 3 days refrigerated; it accumulates liquid during storage so serve with a slotted spoon. 
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Salad
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Cucumber feta salad

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

spanakopita

I finally conquered my fear of making spanakopita, the Greek savory spinach and feta pie, and yes, this means I’m going to tell you all about it. It took me so long because, however pathetically, I find filo/phyllo, the thin dough used t…

I finally conquered my fear of making spanakopita, the Greek savory spinach and feta pie, and yes, this means I’m going to tell you all about it. It took me so long because, however pathetically, I find filo/phyllo, the thin dough used to produce the flaky layers in many Middle Eastern and Balkan pastries, stressful: the tissue-like sheets can dry into crumbles in what feels like seconds. Having to brush each layer with butter or oil before using it is challenging in a small kitchen, and a lot of work in any size. Over the years, I’ve auditioned many spanakopitaish pies that allowed me to hedge a bit on the phyllo — triangles (only one sheet at a time made it less scary), spirals (ditto with one sheet; this recipe is in Smitten Kitchen Every Day), galettes (using a pie-like dough), and even “skillets” where I just messily crumbled some phyllo on top. All were good. None were this. This is exact spanakopita I crave, more doable than I thought possible.

spanakopita-15

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Labneh Balls

I don’t want to brag, but back in the day, I was a real DIY trailblazer. Before bread machines, before instant pressure cookers, before the rise of the Cuisinart, before whatever came (and in some cases, came and went…like the motorized ice cream cone), I had a yogurt maker. It was a marvel of sleek pop design, made by Salton. Yogurt started booming in America…

I don’t want to brag, but back in the day, I was a real DIY trailblazer. Before bread machines, before instant pressure cookers, before the rise of the Cuisinart, before whatever came (and in some cases, came and went…like the motorized ice cream cone), I had a yogurt maker. It was a marvel of sleek pop design, made by Salton. Yogurt started booming in America thanks to a clever ad campaign by Dannon, and the machine meant that anyone could DIY their own yogurt with this boat-shaped contraption, which seemed like a miracle to me.

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Cucumber & Feta Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

This simple and summery cucumber salad features a bold herb vinaigrette, briny feta cheese, spicy red onions, and pretty edible flowers to top it all off. In case you’re sick of pickles but your garden keeps churning out the cukes like there’s no tomorrow… this quick and easy lettuce-less salad is a great way to […]

The post Cucumber & Feta Salad with Herb Vinaigrette first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This simple and summery cucumber salad features a bold herb vinaigrette, briny feta cheese, spicy red onions, and pretty edible flowers to top it all off.

In case you’re sick of pickles but your garden keeps churning out the cukes like there’s no tomorrow… this quick and easy lettuce-less salad is a great way to use up at least a few of them.

Cucumber salad garnished with edible flowers, in bowl with purple linen and red onions in background.

I may or may not have harbored a slight fixation with edible flowers this past spring, which lead me to fill my patio container garden with edible blooms in addition to my typical herbs. I meandered up and down the aisles of the nursery, phone in hand, googling various flora and fauna to see if they were in fact edible. While they didn’t have the chamomile flowers I was so hoping to find, I did end up with marigolds, borage (which I’ve grown and used before), and these gorgeous purple and white dianthus.

Needless to say, I was looking for an excuse to use some of my home-grown flowers in a recipe before the blooms withered in the summer heat, and this recipe is the result. Does it matter where the inspiration came from if the outcome is this delicious? I say not.

While I love that the purple and white of the dianthus matches the colors of the salad, I think marigold petals, with their peppery bite, would work equally well in this dish, as would arugula or radish flowers, or even herb flowers like chives or oregano (while I typically try to keep my herbs from flowering, when they do bolt I always try to put the flowers to good use).

Overhead, bowl with wooden spoon and cucumber feta salad with edible flower garnish

Regardless of its origins, this recipe is perfect in its simplicity. While the recipe itself isn’t all that different from our always-popular tomato cucumber salad, we made the dressing a little bit different by adding an assortment of fresh herbs in addition to the olive oil and red wine vinegar.

(more…)

Spiced Kefta

Persian food, like many of the foods from a region that’s often broadly referred to as the Middle East, takes cues from a variety of influences and cultures as people traverse borders and bring their delicious foods with them. Which is why the food in America is so diverse; people have gifted us with foods from their homelands, such as tacos, sushi, pizza, beer, and…

Persian food, like many of the foods from a region that’s often broadly referred to as the Middle East, takes cues from a variety of influences and cultures as people traverse borders and bring their delicious foods with them. Which is why the food in America is so diverse; people have gifted us with foods from their homelands, such as tacos, sushi, pizza, beer, and bagels. Similarly, France has been blessed to have beans for cassoulet, chocolat chaud (hot chocolate), and croissants.

As a cook, I like dipping into various cuisines and cultures and lately, I’ve been working on Tahdig, a Persian rice dish that’s cooked on the stovetop until the bottom gets crusty, which can take an hour or longer, and requires some patience. Once done, you take a leap of faith and turn it out onto a plate so the crispy part (the tahdig) forms a golden, crackly crown on top of a bed of fragrant, saffron-infused rice…if you do it right.

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Tzatziki Sauce

Today, we are talking about Tzatziki! If you aren’t sure how to pronounce tzatziki, let me help you out, all of those Zs are a little tricky.  Tzatziki is pronounced tuh-zee-kee. It comes from a Persian word that means “herb mixture.&#…

Today, we are talking about Tzatziki! If you aren’t sure how to pronounce tzatziki, let me help you out, all of those Zs are a little tricky.  Tzatziki is pronounced tuh-zee-kee. It comes from a Persian word that means “herb mixture.” Tzatziki is a dip (sauce) that originated in the Middle East. It has a…

The post Tzatziki Sauce appeared first on Two Peas & Their Pod.

Buttermilk Fattoush

One of my very favorite salads is Fattoush. There are various versions of the salad, whose name comes from fatta, which refers to the crumbled or torn pieces of flatbread in the salad. But I’ve never had Fattoush with buttermilk dressing, so was intrigued when I saw a recipe for it in Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, a book which eloquently…

One of my very favorite salads is Fattoush. There are various versions of the salad, whose name comes from fatta, which refers to the crumbled or torn pieces of flatbread in the salad. But I’ve never had Fattoush with buttermilk dressing, so was intrigued when I saw a recipe for it in Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley, a book which eloquently presents and reflects on Palestinean cuisine, its history, its people, and its culture. As soon as I got the book, the first thing I said to myself was, “This is one of the best books of the year.” It’s a great book.

A few years back, Sami told me that he was going to do a cookbook that updated the dishes and recipes of his homeland, making them relevant to today, just as he and Yotam Ottolenghi did for the diaspora of Middle Eastern foods in their previous books. Sami admits that this is a non-traditional Fattoush, one that his mother made, but likes it so much that he wanted to share it.

Continue Reading Buttermilk Fattoush...