Tabbouleh Salad

Tabbouleh salad has been a fundamental part of Middle Eastern cuisine for many years. The main ingredients are bulgur, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil, the rest ingredients are fresh or marinated vegetables, olives, raisins and spices. This salad is very flexible, fell free to add more or less of any spices of your choice.

Tabbouleh Salad

Natalija
Tabbouleh Salad can be served as a main course or side dish.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g couscous
  • 200 ml boil water
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 english cucumber or 4 small ones
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bell pepper (any color) (I used 3 mini bell peppers)
  • 1/4 bunch fresh parsley
  • 1/4 bunch Fresh mint
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Few drops tabasco sauce (optional)
  • 1 large lemon
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, bring the water and 1/4 tsp of salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover tightly with a lid and remove from heat, let steam for 5 minutes. Cool it down.
  • Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
  • Peel and cut cucumber into small cubes.
  • Peel and thinly chop onion.
  • Remove seeds from bell pepper and cut into small cubes.
  • Finely chop fresh parsley and mint.
  • Place the chopped vegetables, herbs and bulgur in a mixing bowl. Add Tabasco sauce. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Mix gently. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
  • Transfer to a serving plater or serve it as a castle (using a ring)
  • Or in a glass.
  • Or as stuffed tomatoes.
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Greek salad

This Greek salad is one of my favorite things. No matter how much I make, it seems to always disappear.

Greek salad

Natalija
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1-2 cucumbers
  • 1 bell pepper (any color)
  • 1/2 red onion
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dry oregano leaves
  • 100 g greek Kalamata olives pitted
  • 100 g feta cheese
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Cut the tomatoes in quarters.
  • Slice the cucumbers in half long ways (remove seeds if desired) and cut 1/4 inch slices, starting at one end, so that you end up with bunch of half moon shapes or the letter “C”.
  • Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into strips.
  • Peel the onion and cut into perfectly thin slices.
  • Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and olives in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper and dry oregano. Mix.
  • Top it with sliced feta cheese. Squeeze the lemon on salad and drizzle with olive oil.
  • If you like to serve your Greek Salad in individual cups, you can cut the vegetables into small cubes.
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Cucumber and feta salad

This cucumber, feta, and mint salad is not only tasty but also very refreshing. It is an ideal summer meal. This salad goes very well with pita bread.

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Cucumber and feta salad

Feta cheese is naturally salty so be mindful to avoid adding too much salt.
Course Salads
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Natalija

Ingredients

  • 1 long cucumber diced
  • 200 g feta cheese diced
  • 1/4 bunch Fresh mint chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Some freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
  • Some olive oil

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, feta, and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently. Cover and let stand in the fridge for at least a half hour.

Italian bell pepper salad

Another delicious recipe from the cookbook “Delices d’Italie” by Loukie Werle.

Salade de poivrons à l'italienne

Italian bell pepper salad

Natalija
A delicious salad, found in an Italian cookbook (Délices d'Italie by Loukie Werle).
A recipe that will please everyone, vegetarian or not. The peppers are roasted under the grill and then mixed with a tomato. An appetizer that is best eaten cold, so it can be prepared ahead of time.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Refroidir 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large bell peppers (of different colors)
  • 1-2 tomatoes
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 handful of basil leaves chiseled
  • 1 handful of mint leaves chiseled
  • 1 Tbsp capers (rinsed)
  • Salt and fresh pepper
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill.
  • Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes.
    Place peppers on a broiler rack, skin side up
  • Roast until the skin is blackened. Remove the peppers from the oven and put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
  • Chop the garlic cloves. Chop the basil and mint leaves
  • Remove the skin from the peppers and cut them into strips
  • Put all the chopped ingredients in a serving bowl. Add the capers. Season with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about one hour before serving.
    Salade de poivrons à l'italienne
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Avocado Boats With Balsamic Vinegar

You are missing out if you haven’t made this incredible snack from ripe avocados. Anybody can make it, even my 7 year old makes it when she comes home from school. This is her favorite way to eat avocado. Split it in half and fill the center stone hole with some balsamic vinegar. Enjoy this healthy, delicious snack or appetizer.

Avocat au vinaigre balsamique

Avocado boats with balsamic vinegar

Natalija
Eat avocado halves with tea spoon.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 avocados
  • salt and freshly ground pepper optional
  • 6 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove pits but do not peel them. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar in each hole, and serve.
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Pan Fried Salmon

This Pan Fried Salmon has crisp skin and moist, tender flesh. It only takes salt and pepper to prepare this fresh salmon fillet.

The cooking time will vary with the fillets thickness.

Pan fried salmon

Natalija
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 9 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp butter (or olive oil)
  • 4 salmon fillets or salmon steaks
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large skillet with butter over medium-high heat.
  • Season the fish with salt and pepper.
  • Place the salmon (skin side down) in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until fish turns golden brown.
  • Carefully turn the salmon over with spatula and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  • As soon as the fish is ready, transfer it to a flat plate and serve as desired.
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Cucumber Bites With Boursin Cheese and Salmon

The freshness of the cucumber and the bite of Boursin cheese in this smoked salmon roll will hit all of your taste buds.

Cucumber Bites With Boursin Cheese And Salmon

Natalija
If you are not familiar with Boursin™ cheese or you don’t have any, don’t worry. A good substitute for Boursin is Philadelphia cream cheese or farmer cheese with some garlic and fresh herbs.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 persons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 english cucumber
  • 8 thin smoked salmon slices
  • 90 g Boursin cheese
  • some fresh dill (optional)
  • 2 pinches paprika (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Cut the cucumber into slices (1/2 cm). Cut each slice of smoked salmon in half lengthwise (smaller than your cucumber slice).
  • Spread 1tsp of Boursin™ cheese on each salmon strip and roll it up.
  • Top each cucumber slice with a salmon roll. Insert a wooden stick down the center to keep everything together. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and paprika. Serve at once or keep refrigerated until needed.
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Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps

The reason I love making Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimp so much is the simple ingredients. And because I almost always have frozen shrimp and puff pastry left in my freezer!

Mini-feuilletés à la crevette

Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps

Natalija
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 20 medium peeled shrimps
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 sheet all butter puff pastry
  • 1 egg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Season shrimp with salt, pepper and seasoning.
  • Roll out the pastry dough and cut into 1 cm wide strips.
  • Starting at the top, wind one pastry strip around one shrimp, slightly overlapping the pastry and ending just before the tail. Repeat with each shrimp.
  • Place shrimp onto the baking sheet. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, to make egg wash. Brush the shrimp pastry with egg wash.
  • Bake for about 12 min, or until golden brown. Do not overcook.
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Chickpea salad with bell pepper

Cans are usually pretty handy at home or on the go; there is no need to go to a store and they are quick to prepare. This chickpea salad is a great example of the usefulness of cans. Just open a can and mix it with other ingredients available at home.

There are multiple recipes of salads with this legume: here is one of them with bell pepper, olives and fresh cilantro.

Chickpea salad with bell pepper

Natalija
This salad can by served immediately or chilled for few hours to get all of its flavors.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g (1 can) garbanzo beans drained
  • 1 bell pepper cored and slices
  • 80 g olives (black or green), drained and sliced
  • 1 clove garlic pressed
  • 1/2 red onion cut into thin slices
  • Fresh herbs (cilantro or parsley), finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • 3-4 Tsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Combine all veggies in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with freshly pressed lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently.
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Homemade Hummus

With or without tahini, homemade hummus made from scratch only takes 5 minutes to make. No needs to cook the chickpeas, just open a can and mix with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil! This delicious healthy snack can be serve for any occasion with pita bread or garden vegetables.

Houmous fait maison

Homemade Hummus

Natalija
If you don’t like spicy food, use paprika instead of chili powder, it makes the dish look pretty, and only slightly alters flavor.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can (400 g) garbanzo beans (chickpea)
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste) optional
  • 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
  • A few pinches chili powder (or paprika)

Instructions
 

  • Drain garbanzo beans, keep half of the juice.
  • In a food processor, place the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, salt, black pepper, tahini, chili powder and 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Mix until smooth. Add 1 or 2 Tbsp of the juice from the can (or water) to give a desired texture to the hummus.
  • Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder or paprika.
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