Lebanese Cooking Made Easy

  • Category: Food
  • July 6, 2017

Author Lara Ariss was in Dubai recently to launch her cookbook “Levantine Harvest” which breaks the myth that cooking healthy Arabic food at home is time-consuming and difficult. She explains…

Passion for Lebanese Food

Lara has always had an engrained appreciation for fresh local Lebanese harvests, having been raised by a father who maintains orchids in South Lebanon. She adds, “We have always had an abundance for fresh produce at hand in our family home in Beirut, that has grown into an ambition to create beautiful meals with skill, finesse, and heart.”

The Health Factor 

According to Lara, Levantine food is healthy because of the fresh seasonal fresh harvest found in almost every meal, and there is a balance of the food groups that abound in the Levantine cuisine. She adds, “I think there are two ingredients that anyone who cooks Levantine Cuisine uses a lot, and I definitely do – lemon and garlic. These two ingredients are so simple, readily available everywhere, and just give the dish an extraordinary kick.”

The Recipes 

Extensive research led Lara to decide on Levantine cuisine as the topic of her first cookbook, elaborating, “The choice was rather obvious given my Lebanese roots and my appreciation for fresh fruits and harvest, and the balanced food that abound in the Levantine cuisine. My extensive study of Levantine recipes led me to realize that recipes are written in complex steps and language that need an update that speaks to the modern lifestyle. “A lot of the recipes found in the book are recipes I grew up eating in my family home that I modernized either through simplifying the method in the recipe, or making slight changes to the ingredients list or both,” she says.

Ingredients

In order to cook a healthy Levantine inspired meal, Lara lists the following ingredients that are a must have: garlic, lemon, tahini, fresh coriander, and pomegranate molasses.

Favorite Recipes

For Lara, there is something special about each recipe she has included in the book. “The shrimp, coriander and tomato stew is rather special because the combination of ingredients in the recipe seems unusual, but it’s an extremely hearty dish with the distinctive flavor of anise – it was a daring choice because anise is usually associated with confectionery,” she tells.

Zucchini Dip Two Ways 

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Zucchini dip can be made using two methods. Traditionally, when zucchini are cored and stuffed – see Stuffed Vine Leaves with Stuffed Zucchini on p.122 – the pulp is reserved and used to make a wonderful mezze. Another method is inspired by the dip for Smoky Aubergine and Tahini Bruschetta (see p.60), using whole zucchini so the dip comes with a smoky kick that accentuates the other flavors in the dish.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes (for the traditional dip) to 1 hour (for the smoky dip)

Serves: 4 to 6

For the traditional dip  

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • Pulp of 1kg zucchini
  • 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
  • 1 tsp mint
  • 15g pine nuts
  • 1 tsp barberries
  • Salt, to taste

 

For the smoky dip

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1kg zucchini
  • 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
  • 1 tsp mint
  • 15g pine nuts
  • 1 tsp barberries
  • Salt, to taste

 

To serve

Arabic bread

For the traditional dip  

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini pulp and sauté until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Stir in the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and mint, and mix until well blended.

For the smoky dip  

Set the oven to broil and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Toss the zucchini in the vegetable oil in a medium bowl and place on the baking tray. Broil for 50 minutes, turning once or twice, until the zucchini are charcoal in color. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle.

Skin the zucchini by hand. Place them in a colander over a bowl for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow any excess water to drain. Place the zucchini in a medium bowl and add the olive oil, garlic, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and mint. Mix until well blended.