This is a classic French way to cook lentils, and it’s very easy. Aromatics are sautéed and then simmered with French lentils, also known as Le Puy lentils, for 20 to 25 minutes. It is an easy side dish, redolent of a Provencal feast.
You haven’t tasted chickpeas until you’ve tried them roasted. Trust us, the delicious crunch is absolutely worth the time they spend in a hot oven. In this recipe, they’re tossed with bubbly Israeli couscous, roasted veggies, and smoked paprika for a mishmash of savory Mediterranean flavors. You likely won’t have leftovers, but if you do, they’ll taste even better the next day.
Frozen puff pastry sheets make this elegant and impressive vegetable tart fromBeirut easy to pull together. We use za’atar, a Middle Eastern herb blend, to add a perfect flavor accent for the vegetables. Poking holes in the rolled-out pastry helps it rise evenly, but leave a 1-inch border around the edges so the pastry forms a light, crisp outer crust.
Khatta chana, stewed chickpeas in a tart tamarind sauce, is a popular street food in the Punjab region of northern India. We learned to make it from Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner of Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dhalwala adds heft to the chickpea curry by spooning it over sautéed brown sugar greens, a nontraditional side dish. Our version combines chickpeas and collard greens in a delicious one-pot braise that dials down the sweetness and uses canned chickpeas for convenience. If you prefer kale, it’s a fine substitute for the collards.
Eggah often is referred to as an Egyptian omelet or frittata. It can be basic and egg-centric or dense with vegetables, herbs, or even meat. Spices often are included in the mix, as well as baking powder to give the eggs a little lift. In this vegetarian version, crushed cumin seeds provide contrast in both texture and flavor against the sweetness of the carrots and sweet potato, and ground turmeric accentuates the golden color of the egg yolks and earthiness of the vegetables. As a final flourish, we make a tangy yogurt sauce to round out the dish.
Traditional risotto is made with starchy medium-grain Italian rice. This “risotto,” modeled on a dish we had in Tel Aviv, uses pearl couscous (which actually is a pasta) and a cooking technique similar to the classic risotto method to produce “grains” with a rich, creamy consistency. The wheaty flavor of pearl couscous (sometimes called Israeli couscous) is nicely complemented by the salty, nutty notes of Parmesan cheese and the grassiness of fresh parsley.
Rice and lentils with caramelized onions is a much-loved food in the Middle East. This is our take on the version we tasted in Lebanon. The rice and lentils are simmered together in the same pot, with the lentils getting a 10-minute head start so both finish at the same time. Meanwhile, the onions are fried until crisp and deeply caramelized — almost burnt, really — to coax out a savory bittersweet flavor.
We set out to develop a recipe for a vibrantly spiced pearl barley salad with the right balance of sweetness, tang, and nuttiness. Before we could focus on building these exciting flavors, we had to find a consistent cooking method for our barley. We wanted the grains to remain distinct, rather than cohesive as in a pilaf. We turned to what we call the “pasta method,” in which we simply boil the grains until tender. With our perfectly cooked barley set aside, we turned our attention back to flavor.
The base of this bowl, hearty, nutty farro, is traditionally associated with Italy and flavor profiles of the western Mediterranean, but it takes well to a variety of ingredients. For toppings, we chose crispy seared tofu planks, which we attractively fanned on top of the grains, along with a simple sauté of mushrooms, shallot, and spinach. We partnered these easy-to-prepare toppings with a potent miso-ginger sauce, which is enhanced with a little vegan mayo for body so that it's the perfect consistency for drizzling.
The unusual combination of rosemary and ginger is delicious with the sweetness of carrots. We shred both the carrots and the onion so the vegetables soften quickly and puree easily. Use the large holes on a box grater or, for speed, the shredding disk of a food processor. If you own an immersion blender, use it to puree the soup directly in the pan.