One-pan Middle Eastern breakfast
My cousin Diane is married to Avi, a Jerusalemite who’s well known in our family as the meat expert. He is a great cook. Last month, we were in Israel for a month, and when we stayed with them for…
Collard Greens With Paprika Oil
It’s much easier to stick a tray of chicken and potatoes into the oven or throw a bunch of vegetables and beans into pot than to prepare a bunch of mezzes. But a table covered with small and colorful plates…
Toast with avocado
Recently I discovered that not only I can cook I can also draw. It’s so fun and relaxing. I wish I had more time for my new hobby. Anyway, it was very flattering and exciting to discover that other people beside my…
Middle Eastern Pizza
My mother makes the best pizza. She is not even Italian. Her pizza has Middle Eastern flavors. Instead of using tomato sauce she uses fresh sliced tomatoes (the beefy kind, such as Roma). After she covers the dough with tomatoes and mozzarella, she…
Bruschetta
It’s strange to cook for one when you used to cook for two, four, or more. This week I am home alone. Hallelujah! My husband is in New York and the boys are in school. I was content eating my…
Authentic Hummus
I always forget how much I love hummus and how easy it is to make until I make it. Here in Los Angeles, unlike in Israel, there are not a lot of hummusiyot, restaurants that sell only hummus. In Tel…
Easy & Quick Kale Shakshuka
I’m allergic to the word “superfood.” So I’m not going to tell you kale is one. My grandmother, who lived to 96, didn’t even know it existed. Neither did the rest of my family, who never spent more than two…
Simple Rice Bowl with Kale, Jalapeño & Radish
I don’t understand people who don’t like rice, Ricists. I can live on rice, rice bowls. When I don’t know feel creative or not sure what to make, rice bowls are the solution. I start rinsing basmati rice and letting…
Potato Frittata With Sweet Potato
El-machamer is the Jewish Moroccan (Sephardic) version of Tortilla Española. My mother usually makes it often during Passover. The sweet potato and spinach are my addition.
Simple Moroccan-Style Carrot Salad
This is one of many cooked vegetable dishes, known as ‘salads’ or ‘salatim,’ which my mother prepares every Friday for the Shabbat dinner. It’s actually the second-favorite dish after matbucha in our household. The term ‘salad’ might seem confusing for…
Black Bean Soup & Green Rice
First of all, thank you for supporting me and my humble blog! I love getting your feedback, so please continue to do so. Feel free to request recipes and ideas for easy simple dishes. Second, can you believe that the first…
White Bean & Tomato Soup
All the women in my family make this soup and we all make it slightly different. For example my grandmother used to make this soup with a beef shank, which makes it more like a stew; My aunts Shuli and Sara add to…
Roasted Cauliflower with Smoked Paprika
It’s one of those dishes that never makes it to the dining table. As soon as it comes out of the oven, the boys start to nibble on it. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet, smokey and addictive.