Lebanese cuisine contains a healthy mix of ingredients such as flat breads, whole grains, herbs, roasted vegetables, olive oil, yogurt, sesame seed paste, chickpeas and lamb. Lebanese like to serve mezze, which is a variety of small dishes that make up an entire meal. Serve some delicious and healthy Lebanese mezze for your next dinner.
Baba Ghanoush and Pita
Baba ghanoush is a roasted eggplant dip that is served as part of a mezze dinner. Served with pita, this dip is a healthy addition to your Lebanese dinner.
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 thick rounds
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup sesame seed paste or tahini
1 lemon, juiced without seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 plum tomato
1/4 fresh parsley
1/4 olive oil
1 package of pita
Roast eggplant and garlic in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40 minutes. After roasting, place the eggplant, garlic and the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Serve with pita the the following Lebanese dinner ideas.
Tabouleh
Tabouleh is a fresh and healthy part of a mezze dinner. This dish is very easy to make and pairs perfectly with the Baba ghanoush and pita.
1 cup bulgar wheat
3 cups flat leaf Italian parsley, washed and patted dry
1 cup chopped mint
1 cup green onions
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Cover the bulgar wheat in water in a bowl and let soak overnight. Drain out all the water and set aside. Place the parsley, mint and green onions in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a bowl, mix the bulgar wheat, herb mixture, tomatoes, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve room temperature with the baba ghanoush and pita.
Hummus
Hummus is a creamy and rich dip that serves perfectly with the baba ghanoush and tabouleh for a Lebanese dinner.
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. tahini
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tsp. olive oil
Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until creamy smooth and serve with tabouleh and baba ganoush.
Tags: bulgar wheat, eggplant garlic, green onions, Lebanese dinner, lemon juiced, mezze dinner
