Mezze Platter

Directions Print

Falafel

Servings: 6

1. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. In a food processor, place bell pepper, onion, cilantro, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, coriander, bread, and baking powder. Process until a puree forms, add the garbanzo beans and process until beans have a rough sand consistency. Be careful not to over process the beans. Stop a few times during the process to scrape the side of the food processor and push down the mixture.
2. Place the falafel mixture in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. This will help the starch in the beans develop and keep the falafel balls together during the frying. Form the mixture into disks of about ½ inch thick and 1 ½ inch in diameter. Fry the falafel balls in 350°F oil. Don’t be afraid to cook the falafel until it becomes dark brown, it will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Israeli salad

Prep: 10 min | Servings: 6

1. Core the tomatoes, cut in ¼ inch dice and leave in a colander to drain.
2. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half. Using a spoon, scrape off the soft seeds in the middle, cut in ¼ inch dice. Dice the red onion.
3. Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.
4. In a bowl, toss together tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. Pour the oil mixture and za’atar, toss to coat the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the feta cheese adds to the salt content of the salad.
5. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the salad and gently mix the salad until the feta is evenly spread.

Muhammara

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 4 min | Servings 6

1. Process cashews and crackers in a food processor until roughly chopped, add the rest of the ingredients, and keep processing until a coarse puree forms. Adjust seasoning with salt and keep refrigerated.

Whipped Feta Dip

Prep: 15 min | Servings: 6

1. Place the feta cheese in a bowl and cover with ice water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes and drain in a fine mesh strainer.
2. While the cheese is draining, combine lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Place the feta in a food processor, add heavy cream and lemon mixture. Process until a coarse texture forms and while the processor is running, drizzle the olive oil. Keep processing until a mostly smooth texture forms, add oregano and pulse a couple of times to combine. Serve, drizzled with olive oil and fresh vegetables on the side.

Sous Vide Beet Salad

Servings: 6

1. Roast the garlic and chop the red onion, walnuts, dill and the arugula.
2. Cut the beet in ½ inch and dice. In a bowl, whisk roasted garlic, vinegar, and sugar. Add the beets to the bowl, toss to cover the beets in the pickling liquid, and let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
   Remove the beets from the pickling liquid, add walnuts, red onion, dill, arugula, and olive oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and some pickling liquid if needed. Serve.

Potatoes with Green Tahini Sauce

Prep: 25 min | Cook: 2 min | Servings: 6

1. Cover the potatoes in cold salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, place in a pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature. In a food processor, combine cilantro, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Process until smooth, adding water (about 2 tablespoons) to reach the desired consistency.
2. Cut the potatoes in half, toss in a bowl with the tahini sauce, adjust seasoning with salt and serve drizzled with olive oil.

Fattoush

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 2 min | Servings: 6

1. Cut the tomatoes into large ½ inch cubes. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop the seeds with a spoon, discard the seed and slice the cucumber in thin slices.
2. Chop the arugula, cilantro, mint, parsley, and green onions. Reserve.
3. Butterfly each pita into two rounds. Brush the craggy side of the pita halves in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 350°F oven until the pitas are crisp and the sides begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool and break into large chips.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, and salt, until the salt has fully dissolved. Add the olive oil to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add tomatoes, cucumber, arugula, cilantro, mint, parsley, and scallions, toss together with the pita chips until the dressing evenly coats the salad and serve.

Baba Ganush

Prep: 30 min | Cook 15 min | Servings 6

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the eggplant in half. Score the cut side with a knife and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let the eggplants rest for half an hour, wipe off the accumulated water and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the eggplants, cut side up, on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until deep golden on top and soft inside, about 30 minutes.
2. Let the eggplants cool for 10 minutes and scoop the flesh of the eggplants, place it in a food processor together with the rest of the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic. Process until smooth and season with extra salt if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil.