My mother is one of the best cooks I know. Her and my father owned a restaurant for over 30 years and I watch them both provide the best quality ingredients for all that came. Thank you momma for instilling in me a gift that would blossom into a passion and part of my career. The dedication you showed me for providing a healthy balance of food has nourished me in more ways than one. I realized early on that your teaching of the mediterranean diet would be the staple to what science has called one of the best lifestyle heart health diets in the world. You made everything from scratch, bread and cheeses, yogurts, salad dressings, pomegranate, fig and walnut and quince jams, home sesame seed and almond and walnut cookies, tabouli, grape molasses, olive tapenades and spicy garlic spread. Recipes you learned from your own mother that were passed along from the generations before her. I thank you for your roots, your passion and Your knowledge of quality and care that went into everything you made. Your love like so many mothers was expressed through the time and the effort you put into your food. I am forever grateful for what you taught me and how you showed me to always be grateful for what we had and to nourish myself and my family in the best possible way. Your dedication even today is beyond measure. I love you.
As many of you may know, Lebanese cuisine can be very time consuming, but I wanted to share 3 simple recipes that are on the less complex side of things.
Fattoush is a simple lebanese salad, but what makes it is the crispy pita and homeone salad dressing ( which i use often for other salads )
Lebanese Fattoush Salad
As with any fresh salad, fattoush is the sum of its parts. So here are just a few tips:
- Start with selecting the best produce you find, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, freshly-picked herbs, etc.
- Don’t use store-bought pita chips (there is certainly a place for those, but not in fattoush salad). Take the time to toast, bake, air fry or fry your pita at home, making sure you season them well. They store well and you can make them ahead of time.
- Please try not to skip sumac. It is a special spice from ground sumac berries, and its tart flavour is very hard to replicate. It is full of vitamin C and you can add it to any fresh summer salad.
- Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. Its peppery, fruity taste is essential here. Remember, olive oils that are simply labeled “pure” have usually been heat-treated and refined by mechanical means and, consequently, lack character and flavour. Look for high quality, organic, cold pressed filtered virgin olive oil
- Lastly, remember, this is a “basic” fattoush recipe. If you like, try your own variation by adding in-season vegetables like colourful heirloom tomatoes or even green peppers. Add more herbs or crushed garlic. And if it’s available to you, jazz up the vinaigrette with 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 large vine-ripe tomato diced
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers quartered
- ½ large green pepper chopped
- 5 radishes diced
- 2 green onions chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves pressed or grated
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Fried Pita Bread
- 1 large double ply pita bread cut into triangles
- 3 tablespoons olive oil – be sure not to overheat
- Freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Kosher salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
It’s a good idea to small dice all the ingredients so that every bite of fattoush is complete with all the textures and flavours of the salads.
- Make the Dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, sumac, pomegranate molasses, dried mint, salt and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking continuously until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Fry the Pita Bread: In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. You can choose to bake or air fryer in the same way. Add the pita bread and season with kosher salt and freshly cracker peppers. Cook, stirring frequently until the pieces of the bread are crispy and golden in colour, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside and let cool. ( these can be made days in advance and store in an airtight container once it has cooled, if you store when still warm they will become those their crispness)
- Place the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, radishes, green onions and parsley in a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.
- Add the fried pita bread to the salad immediately before serving and gently toss again.
NOTES
Storage: If the salad has not been tossed, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If it has been tossed, it’s best to enjoy it within 24 hours since it will be soggy after that. The dressing will keep well for up to 1 month in the fridge.
