Herby chop salad with stems and pumpkin seeds

SERIES •• THE MIDDLE EAST FEAST // ENTRY 1

Travel inspires me. When creativity is a central part of your job, it can be hard to drum up original and inspired ideas on demand. But when I travel, I break the mundanity. I come across new ideas with speed and ease by osmosis- by simply surrounding myself with new people, perspectives, rituals, flavors. The exciting melting pot of newness provides me with a never ending source of ideas- new dishes that I dream up (literally and metaphorically), new projects to begin, new conversations to have.

My husband and I just returned from a 10 day stint in Israel. I’ve been there dozens of time and even lived there after high school. But this trip was different. I packed my bags and boarded the many planes that got me there with an explicit intention- to take in each experience with an open heart and open eyes, and allow myself to get inspired. In many ways this trip wasn’t very different from trips past. We visited friend and family. We went to the dead sea. We went on hikes. But this time I was awake, present in each moment and aware of the potential for each and every experience to become of point of supply for ideas.

Most importantly, I’ve become inspired by the food. Food in Israel is complicated. In some cases, it’s a single unifier among communities in contention, a centerpiece around conversations between persons divided. More commonly though, it’s axiomatic of the Conflict at large- a symbol of cultural appropriation, friction, historical dispute, and discord. But politics aside, food in the middle east is like a tapestry, each thread coming together towards a greater whole, each ingredient coming together to create culinary brilliance. One of the most exciting dishes that I had on my trip was a Dukkah spiced hummus – a plate that celebrates the culinary traditions of Arab Israelites and Palestinians and their Egyptian neighbors.

Like food in Israel, I strive to create recipes here that embrace the AND, the fusion of culinary heritages, unlikely flavor combinations, and complimentary textures.

Herby Salad:: This is the first entry of The Middle East Feast series. I will be posting 4 recipes that each have been influenced by my trip in Israel, featuring endemic ingredients that celebrate the Place, and stories that celebrate the Spirit. I had this salad at my cousins wedding in Ashdod and was found so much beauty in the simplicity of flavors and ingredients. Every flavor was identifiable, and each ingredient existed in harmony with the rest. Herbs are an important part of Middle Eastern cuisine, and so in a way this salad is like Israel in a bowl. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of parsley chopped, include stems
• 1 cup of mint chopped, include stems
• 1 cup of scallions copped
• ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup of sesame oil
• ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbs of maple syrup
• 1 tsp of salt

DIRECTIONS

Chop the herbs. Place in bowl with pumpkin seeds. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour of salad. Betavon.

Quinoa with Herby Avocado and Tahini Cream and summer vegetables

BOWL SO HARD

Sometime I just want to put things in a bowl and call it a meal. And sometimes that's good enough. Here's an easy, affordable and seriously delicious lunch that you can whip up in a flash. PS - I'm falling in love with video production! Get ready for many more videos on here in the future. Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 large cucumber, large chunks
• 1/4 cup of dill
• 1/4 cup of mint
• 1 avocado
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of feta

DIRECTIONS

Place quinoa and water on stove top, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins. Meanwhile, place avocado, lemon, dill, mint, tahini, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse on high and slowly add olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. 

When quinoa is ready, assemble with chunky tomatoes and cucumbers, avocado cream, feta and extra herbs on top. 

Lavash Bread with yogurt and herbs

LAVISH LAVASH

Inspiration can be elicited in the most unexpected places. I took a recent trip to Pittsburgh with my husband, and was completely enchanted by the ivy that consumed red brick buildings, the rolling green hills in the distance, and the vestiges of an industrial bustling city.

We ate lunch near University of Pittsburgh at a little take out shop called Conflict Kitchen, a concept restaurant that serves cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict. To my delight, they were serving Iranian food. Our meal was full of flavor, spice and brightness. Aside from the food though, I was impressed by their ability to initiate conversation and engage the public around the issues at stake for the Iranian people. With our dishes we were served an informative pamphlet discussing challenges that Iranians both here in the US and abroad are facing, and interviews with Iranians on subjects ranging from culture to politics. As is to be expected, the thoughts and opinions that come through the interviews are informed by personal perspective and history. But the diversity of the perspectives also reflected a nuanced range of thought within each country which brilliantly instigates questioning, conversation, and debate among their customer base. 

I love the idea that food can be a common ground to bring people together and engage them around a critical issue. This dish is inspired by the meal that we had at Conflict Kitchen. It's called Noon-o Paneer-o Sabzi, and it is incredibly delicious. PS- my little brother kept on calling this dish "lavish", and I completely agree. It's wildly luxurious ;)

LAVASH BREAD INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp yeast

LAVASH TOPPINGS

• 1 cup of yogurt
• 1/2 cup of feta
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of parsley
• 1/4 cup of mint
• 1/4 cup of dill
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped

PICKLED ONIONS

• 1/2 red onion
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tsp of salt
• 3 tbs apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Mix the flour, salt and yeast together in a large bowl. Whisk the water and oil together, then add to the flour mixture. Mix with a standing or hand mixer for 5 mins until the mixture is wet and shaggy. Form into a ball. Add to an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, cut onion into slices. Boil water, apple cider vinegar and salt and take off the heat. Put onions and brine into a mason jar and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Mix the yogurt, feta and chopped garlic together, set aside. 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the oven. When the dough has doubled in size, take a piece of the dough, the size of your hand and place on well floured countertop. Roll the dough out until it's thin enough to see your hand through. Place the rolled out dough on parchment paper, and place on pizza stone. Cook for no longer than 2.5 mins.

Once all of the lavash has been cooked, spread yogurt on top, followed by walnuts, herbs and pickled onions.