Suzy Eats

Looking for a healthy alternative to the traditional Western salad??? This is one of my all time favorite salads and YES I had it in Jerusalem 🙂 Unlike many western salads, traditional Mediterranean salad does not have lettuce. But, if you absolutely love lettuce, you can definitely add it to this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloved, minced
• 2 radishes, diced
• 1 lemon freshly squeezed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

How to:

1. Chop all of the vegetables and add them to the bowl.

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Pita bread is one of the most common breads eaten across the Mediterranean region.  It is a round, pocket bread that is created by steam, which puffs up the dough. Once the bread cools, a pocket is created. Pita bread is a type of flatbread that has been around since ancient times. It is used to help scoop up various dips such as hummus or baba ghannoush. It is also used in sandwiches such as falafel or shawirma. I decided to bake whole wheat pitas today as I wanted a healthier alternative to the usual pita bread. Whole wheat pitas have a nuttier flavor and offer more vitamins  🙂 Below is the recipe.

Makes: 9-12 pitas

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of dry yeast or 1 package of dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• olive oil

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Today I am eating Tabouli for lunch. I made it this morning and wanted to share the recipe. Tabouli is very healthy since it contains some of the foods we should try and eat every week to stay “heart healthy”. The main ingredients are olive oil, tomatoes and lemon 🙂 mmmmmm

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cracked bulgar wheat
• 2 cups water
• 6 small ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion (red or yellow), finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper



How to:
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Have you ever watched the movie Wedding Crashers??? Numerous times throughout the movie John calls Jeremy “Baba Ghannoush” 🙂 …. There was no rhyme or reason for it, but he did it. Well what is this dish??  It is fresh, smoked, baked eggplant dip 🙂 Yummy!!  Baba ghannoush is a traditional breakfast dish in parts of the Middle East.  It is also used as a starter or appetizer or a side dish or salad. 

There are many variations of this dish. In Arabic it is known as baba ghanoush. In Turkish, it is called pathcan salatasi. There is an Israeli version that is made with mayonnaise and in the Bulgarian culture it is called kyopolou.  Indian culture has a similar dish that is called Baingan Bartha, and in Romania it is called salata de vinete. In Greek, it is called melitzanosalata. 

For a garnish, you can select what you like best. Some options are kalamata olives, cumin, chili powder, sumac, parsley, and/or pomegranate  concentrate. It is also usually topped with drizzled olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• Cold Water, 3-5 cups
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garnish: your choice

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Falafel is a fried ball or patty of spiced garbanzo beans. It is one of the most popular dishes across the Mediterranean region. It is also a very common vegan dish. Once you try falafel from scratch, it will be very difficult to eat it from the box 🙂 TRUST ME. There is no substitute for falafel from scratch.

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of dried garbanzo beans
• 1 cup fresh parsley (must be fresh)
• 8 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (added 15 minutes before frying)
• 3 teaspoons corn starch (added 15 minutes before frying)
• 8 ounces of water
• vegetable oil for frying

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