DIRECTIONS:
Blanch the potatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside to steam off the excess water.

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan. When hot, add the potatoes and fry for 5-10 minutes until they’re just beginning to brown. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, chilli and coriander. Continue to fry the potatoes stirring once every minute to ensure everything gets a nice charring on each side. When the onions are soft, after about 3-4 minutes add the butter and let it sizzle for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt & pepper and serve immediately.

SERVING:
I’ve eaten this on it’s own before, with nothing more than some slices of crusty of bread – but on this occasion I served it alongside the delicious Lamb Sharwarma, some garlic sauce and a simple tomato salad.

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
1 cup fresh coriander (leaves and stalks, chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
zest and juice or two lemons
100ml olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Other:
1.5kg piece lamb shoulder

DIRECTIONS:
Mash together in a pestle and mortar the garlic and fresh coriander. Pour in the oil then mix in all the other ingredients. Stab the meat deeply with a sharp knife then pour over the marinade. Massage it into the skin and flesh then cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 200ºC.
Heat a large roasting tin on the stove top and add a little oil. Brown the meat on all sides then place the lamb on the baking sheet in the oven for 45-60 minutes until semi-firm to the touch. Remove, cover in foil and cool for 10-15 minutes before carving.

SERVING:
Arrange on a platter, pour over some of the cooking juices and sprinkle with fresh parsley or coriander. Serve alongside tasty lebanese pickles and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:
10 thin slices from a stale baguette
olive oil for frying
1 cup handful shredded cos lettuce
1/2 cup fresh mint (chopped)
1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 small cucumber (seeded and diced)
1 tablespoon pickled cornichon/gherkin
1 tablespoon green olives (pitted and chopped)
3-4 caperberries (chopped)

For the dressing:
1/2 lemon (juice of)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
pinch of sugar

DIRECTIONS:
To make the bread, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry each piece of baguette until browned and crunchy. Drain on paper towels and cool completely.
Meanwhile, combine all the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl and roughly break up half the bread into the bowl and toss lightly.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour into the salad and mix well. Roughly break the remaining bread on top of the salad and serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cauliflower (leaves removed, stalk chopped off so that the cauliflower will sit up straight)
1 cup Greek yoghurt
3 tablespoons tahini paste
1/2 lemon (juice of)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons pine nuts (fried until golden brown then drained on paper towels)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large steamer pan and cook the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes until tender, but not mushy soft. (The time will vary depending on the size of the cauliflower.)

Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and salt and beat well to combine.

When the cauliflower is cooked, let it rest for a couple of minutes then place on a serving platter and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts then drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil.

SERVING:
This will work especially well with fish and chicken dishes, but let’s face it, i’d eat it with just about anything!

INGREDIENTS:
1kg chicken thighs or breast (skin off)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon (juice of)
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
splash white wine

DIRECTIONS:
Add the garlic, mint, parsley, cumin, pine nuts, salt and pepper to a pestle and mortar and pound into a smooth paste. Add the Greek yoghurt and lemon juice and stir well. Place the chicken in a bag and then pour over the marinade. Chop the remaining lemon half into chunks and throw those in too. Seal the bag and shake well to coat all the meat. Leave for at least 1 hour, but overnight is even better.

Heat a large frying pan with a little olive until hot. Place 4 pieces of chicken at a time in the pan and leave for 5-6 minutes per side until charred around the edges and the chicken cooked. remove from the pan – add a little more oil if neccessary and cook the remaining chicken. Return all the chicken to the pan and with the heat on high add a splash of wine, the pomegranate juice and 1/2 cup water to the pan. Let this sizzle and bubble for 1 minute until thickened. Toss the chicken in the juices then remove from the heat.

SERVING:
Arrange the chicken on a platter then spoon over the juices.

INGREDIENTS:
1x400g can cooked chick peas (drained)
1 small garlic clove (crushed to a pulp)
2-3 tablespoons tahini paste (to your taste)
1/2 lemon (juice of)
1/2 cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Greek style yoghurt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the chick peas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt into a food processor – blend for about 5 minutes until smooth – scraping down the sides every minute. With the motor running, gradually pour in the olive oil and the yoghurt if using. Scrape into a bowl and smooth out. Leave for 30 minutes to develop in flavour.

SERVING:
Just before serving, to spruce things up, make a small well in the centre and drizzle in some olive oil and garnish with some tomatoes and herbs or maybe a few olives. Serve with flatbreads like pita.

INGREDIENTS:
1 red capsicum (diced)
2 tomatoes (seeded and diced)
¼ cup fresh mint (chopped)
½ cup fresh coriander (chopped)
100g shangleesh cheese (or feta)
½ teaspoon sugar
½ fresh lemon (juice of)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the capsicum, tomatoes, mint and coriander together and arrange on a large plate or platter. Whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil and pour evenly over the salad. Crumble over the cheese. Leave for 10 minutes to develop in flavour then serve.

SERVING:
Serve alongside meat, fish or other vegetarian options on a meze table.

INGREDIENTS:
500g lamb steaks
4 garlic cloves
½ red onion (chopped)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

DIRECTIONS:
Place the garlic, onion, cumin, salt and pepper in a pestle & mortar and grind into a smooth paste. Mix this paste into the lamb steaks in a large bowl or plastic bag. Cover and refrigerate until needed (take the meat out about 1 hour before you need it – it’ll cook much better when at room temperature.

When ready to cook, heat a large skillet or BBQ and cook 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness) and rest for 1-2 minutes. The meat should be slightly charred on the outside but juicy and pink inside.

SERVING:
Slice the meat and serve with various meze like, hummus, baba ganouj, fatoush salad etc…

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main)
1 large eggplant (cut into 3cm discs)
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon aniseed seeds (or fennel seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1x400g can chopped tomatoes
salt & pepper
3-4 tablespoons Greek style yoghurt
4 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

DIRECTIONS:
To make the tomato sauce:
Heat a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil over a moderate heat until just hot, then add the aniseed seeds and sizzle for 10 seconds until aromatic. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 4-5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the cumin, paprika and cinnamon and stir for 20 seconds before adding the tomatoes – fill the can half full of water then add this to the pan and stir in. Season with salt & pepper then bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until reduced and quite thick – like jam. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile,
Heat half the remaining oil over a moderate heat in a large frying pan – large enough to hold the eggplant in one layer (you may have to do it in batches). When hot, place in the eggplant and fry on one side for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and soft. Turn over, add a little more oil if needed and cook until brown on this side. Remove onto paper towels and blot to catch the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Leave to cool completely. With the pan still hot, add the pine nuts and cook for about 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Drain and cool on paper towels.

To arrange the dish:
When everything is at room temperature, arrange the eggplant in one layer on a platter. Add a spoon of tomato sauce on top, then a small dollop of yoghurt then sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts. Serve!

SERVING:
I served it as part of a bigger meze spread but it’s fine as a light lunch or supper on its own.

INGREDIENTS:
1kg chicken portions
250g natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons za’atar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
20 strands saffron (soaked for 20 mins in 4 tablespoons hot water)
1/2 lemon (juice of)
1 onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Coat the chicken in the combined yoghurt, za’atar, cumin, saffron & liquid and lemon juice and leave for 2 hours at least (overnight is best).

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until soft and golden. Tip in the chicken and all its marinade along with 300ml water. Stir well, then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt & pepper and serve immediately.

SERVING:
Serve with rice, or steamed vegetables.