Falafel on a salad cut open

Falafel!

Ah, falafel, one of the Arabic cultures’ most ubiquitous foods. Various groups try to take ownership, and there are plenty of varieties, but all signs point to it’s origins in the Egyptian ta’miyya, which is made with fava beans, and…

Shakshuka plated

Shakshuka, Libyan-Style

Shakshuka ~ eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce ~ is kind of a universal dish across the Middle East and Northern Africa these days, with roots in Libya or Tunisia (depending on who you ask) and Morocco tries to…

Joojeh Kabob as a wrap

Joojeh Kabobs (Persian Chicken Saffron Kabobs)

These kabobs are super simple, but I know a lot of people are put off by the saffron because it’s so expensive. The thing is, it’s only expensive in the grocery store ~ you can find good quality cooking-grade Persian…

chapli kabob burger on a plate

Chapli Kabob Burgers

Chapli kabobs are a popular street food in Pakistan. Disc-shaped and fried, they make for a great walk-around food.  Pomegranate seeds are usually added for a little extra zip, but they’re not 100% required to make a tasty kabob. Somewhere…

Siga Tibs (Ethiopian Beef Stew)

Despite what restaurant menus say, Ethiopians don’t eat a ton of meat ~ mostly legumes and the like. So, this would be a special dish ~ New Years, birthdays, etc. As such, it’s part stir-fry, part stew, and even with…

Bowl of Thai beef and basil on rice

Pad Gra Prow (Thai Beef and Basil)

I like Thai food, and I like basil, but I don’t like dried coconut, so any time I find a recipe it makes Kat happy.  It also helps that we have a ridiculous amount of basil in the pots this…

Libyan green peppers stuffed with lamb, rice, and tomatoes

Lybian Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables)

So “mahshi” means “stuffed” in Arabic. You can stuff a lot of vegetables like zucchini or eggplant if you really want to. I don’t want to, so I’m sticking with green peppers. At 48, I’m allowed to make these choices….

Kofta Kebabs with roasted vegetables and naan

Kofta Kebabs

…well, mostly anyway.  To date, I haven’t been able to keep them on the sticks.  I think it’s a combination of not kneading the meat mix enough and not waiting  long enough before turning.  Fortunately this makes for nice finger-food…