BEST Lebanese Recipes | The Mediterranean Dish

Mahalabia (Rose Water Milk Pudding)

Mai Kakish — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Muhalabia is a traditional Arabic milk pudding similar to Italian panna cotta but finished with crunchy pistachios and a touch of aromatic rose water. Serve this elegant gluten-free dessert recipe for a holiday brunch or a refreshing after-dinner treat.

Photo Credits: Mariam Hamdy

Muhalabia is a milk pudding enjoyed throughout many Arab, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. The creamy milk pudding can be spelled in a number of different ways—you’ll often see it written as “Muhallabi, Malabi, or Mehalabeya,” with Greece and Turkey boasting their own versions.

It’s especially popular in the summer months when the light and cooling dessert is a welcomed break from the region’s sweltering heat. It has a smooth and decadent texture with a delicate, slightly sweet flavor.

Muhalabia is served cold, so it’s convenient for dinner parties, especially after a summery meal of Cucumber Tomato Salad, Grilled Harissa Chicken, and Taboon (Palestinian Flatbread).

Like Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding) and Dark Chocolate and Olive Oil Mousse, you can make it in advance and keep it in your fridge so you don’t need to do any last-minute preparations—you can just enjoy your time socializing by the grill.

In this milk pudding recipe, a simple sprinkling of pistachios and rose petals is traditional. It’s the same topping you’ll see on so many desserts, from Rice Pudding to Baklava. But I love the addition of macerated fresh strawberries here. It gives this light dessert another layer of texture and bright, fresh summer flavors.

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Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Zesty Garlic Marinade

Suzy Karadsheh — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:26:05 +0000

Grill the juiciest, tastiest chicken kabobs! The secret is in the sauce! I make a punchy chicken kabob marinade loaded with Mediterranean spices, lemon juice, and 15 cloves of garlic! It infuses this chicken kabob recipe with so much bold flavor your family will ask for second helpings!

During the hot summer months, my go-to meals often involve grilled kabobs (or kebabs) with simple sides like mustardy potato salad or sweet-meets-salty watermelon salad. (When temps are high, the less oven time the better, right?)

Depending on the mood, my grill is loaded with marinated and skewered salmon, steak, or lamb and fresh veggies. I cook them hot and fast, just until they’re tender and charred. When I want something light and nutritious, I go for these easy chicken kabobs. They pack bold flavor perfect for an extra hot day when you’re craving a super healthy dinner that’s far from boring.

I like to marinate the chicken a few hours ahead to let the marinade do its magic. I chop up my salad or whip up a hummus or a side of tahini sauce so all that is left to do is to throw the chicken kabobs on the grill!

Garlicky Chicken Kabob Marinade

The secret to these juicy, flavor-packed chicken kebabs is in the marinade, made with fresh garlic, a few bold Mediterranean spices, citrus, and good olive oil. Here is what you need to make the best chicken kabob marinade:

Citrus: Lemon or lime juice adds a bright, zesty flavor to balance the earthy spices.
Extra virgin olive oil: EVOO helps to transfer flavors into the chicken. I use about 1/4 cup of peppery, full-flavor Spanish Hojiblanca.
Garlic: You’ll need 15 cloves of minced garlic. Yes, you read that right! You don’t want to skimp on garlicky flavor here: 15 cloves is just right for this bold Mediterranean marinade. See my tips and tricks for how to mince garlic the easy way, or use about 5 tablespoons of store bought minced garlic.
Seasonings: A mixture of warming and aromatic Mediterranean spices flavor the chicken. Spanish paprika (smoked or sweet are both delicious), ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, and dried thyme add a deep, savory flavor. Salt and pepper enhance the flavor.

How Long to Marinate Chicken Kabobs?

If you have the time, I recommend you let the chicken marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge. This will allow the chicken to soak up as much flavor as possible, and help tenderize the chicken.

If you’re short on time, though, leave the chicken in the marinade for about 30 minutes or so while you heat up your grill or work on the fixings. Or, if you’d like to get ahead, you can marinate the chicken overnight—just be sure to add the citrus juice in the final 30 minutes before grilling. After 4 hours, the acidity in the juice will begin to toughen the meat.

Chicken Kabob Ingredients and Extras

When it comes to making kabobs really anything goes. Think of your favorite vegetables or what you need to use up in your fridge to layer between the chicken pieces. If you need some inspiration check out my grilled vegetable kabob recipe. Once you have chicken soaking in the marinade it’s just about chopping up a few extras.

Chicken: I use lean, boneless skinless chicken breast. Boneless skinless thighs would also be juicy and delicious. Simply adjust the cooking time as they typically take a few minutes longer to cook.
Yellow onion: Yellow onion imparts its sweet, punchy flavor to chicken as it soaks.
Grilling vegetables: I love earthy green and red bell pepper and sweet red onion, but any quick-cooking seasonal vegetable works well. Zucchini, white button or baby bella mushrooms, grape tomatoes, or steamed Brussels sprouts would also be delicious.
Fixings: I love warm pita bread, creamy tahini sauce, and a few fresh things like sliced tomatoes, parsley, and lettuce. Whipped toum or tzatziki and dips like baba ganoush and hummus would also be welcome additions.

How to Make Chicken Kabobs

This chicken kebab recipe is super easy, just make sure you do two important steps: First, if you’re using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour to prevent sticking. Second, give yourself at least 30 minutes to let the marinade do the work for you. It’s a good time to get your fixings, like tahini sauce and pita bread, ready!

Make the spice blend: In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Season the chicken: Cut 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch cubes.Set in a large bowl and pour the spice mix on top. Use your hands to generously coat the chicken with the spices.
Marinate the chicken: In a small bowl, whisk together 15 minced garlic cloves and the juice of 3 lemons (or 6 limes). Add 1 sliced yellow onion to the bowl with the chicken, then pour the lemon juice mixture over top. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss the chicken to ensure it’s well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours for the best results, but even 30 minutes will give you great flavor. This is a great time to get your fixings ready and your bamboo skewers soaking.
Get ready: Slice a red onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Optionally, make the tahini sauce and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Skewer!: A few minutes before grilling, thread the chicken, bell peppers, and red onion onto the skewers (discard the yellow onion, it was just to flavor the chicken). Lightly oil and heat a gas grill or griddle to medium-high heat.
Grill: Grill the chicken kabobs, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should register 165°F), 10-12 minutes.
Serve: Serve the chicken kabobs immediately, optionally with warm pita, tahini sauce, and other bright sides like chopped parsley, sliced tomatoes, and crisp lettuce

Tips and Tricks for the Juiciest Grilled Chicken Kabobs

Chicken breast is a lean meat, so a common pitfall is that they become dry if they’re overcooked. Here are a few tips to help you get the best, juiciest grilled chicken kabobs:

Cut the chicken to the proper size. Typically 1 1/2-inch pieces work best for chicken breast. If you go for larger cubes, they will take longer to cook and may give you burnt exteriors and a raw center.
Be consistent. Try to cut the chicken pieces so they’re all about the same size. This ensures even cooking, rather than drying out the small pieces while you wait for the big pieces to cook.
Marinate! Especially if you’re using chicken breast, giving it a bit of time in the tasty chicken kabob marinade infuses it with flavor while working to tenderize it. Ideally the chicken bathes for 2-4 hours, but even if you have just 30 minutes it will make a big difference.
Allow a bit of room on the skewer. Don’t thread the meat and vegetables too tightly on the skewer. Give a little bit of room between the chicken and vegetables so the heat can move about freely to cook everything more evenly.

Allow the meat to come to room temperature before grilling. Allowing the chicken to sit for 30 minutes will ensure an even temperature throughout. An icy cold center usually forces you to overcook and dry out the outside of meat, making it much tougher.

What to Serve with Chicken Kabobs

These Mediterranean grilled chicken kabobs have your protein and veggies covered, so you can keep the sides simple! At my house, warm pita and tahini sauce are essential with kebabs, but here are some salad and side options you can serve along.

A side salad makes for a complete, healthy, and nutritious dinner. Traditional Mediterranean salads like tabouli, fattoush, or cucumber tomato salad are all classics that go perfectly with kebabs.

Or, for a classic BBQ with a Mediterranean twist, serve with a starch like mustard potato salad, pearl cous cous, or orzo salad. Fluffy grains are also ideal for soaking up all the juices. Serve over a bed of basmati rice or Middle Eastern rice pilaf, or barley.

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Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Zesty Garlic Marinade

Juicy, tender, flavor-packed chicken kabobs! Chicken pieces, marinated Mediterranean-style with warm spices, garlic, citrus and extra virgin olive oil, then skewered along with colorful veggies and grilled to perfection. If you can, allow the chicken to sit in the marinade (refrigerated) for 2 to 4 hours. But if you're short on time, even 30 minutes will work wonders! You can also cook these chicken skewers in the oven (see "Notes" for instructions).

Course Entree

Cuisine Mediterranean, Mediterranean Diet Friendly

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Marinating Time 2

Total Time 35

Servings skewers

Calories 147.8kcal

Author Suzy Karadsheh

Equipment

12 skewers, wooden, bamboo, or metal

Ingredients

For the Chicken Kabobs

2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
Salt
Pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes (1 1/2-inch or so in thickness)
15 garlic cloves, minced
3 lemons, juiced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

For the Tahini

1 tahini sauce recipe

Instructions

Make the spice blend: In a small bowl, combine the paprika, thyme, nutmeg, cardamom, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Set the chicken in a large bowl and pour the spice mix on top. Use your hands to generously coat the chicken with the spices.
Marinate: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and citrus juice. Add the yellow onion to the bowl with the chicken, then pour the lemon juice mixture over top. Add a generous drizzle (about 1/4 cup) of extra virgin olive oil. Toss the chicken to ensure it's well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to4 hourIf you’re short on time, allow the chicken to sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before grilling.
Get ready: While the chicken sits in the marinade, make the tahini sauce according to this recipe and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. A few minutes before grilling, thread the chicken, bell peppers, and red onion onto skewers (discard the yellow onion, it was just to flavor the chicken). Lightly oil and heat a gas grill or griddle to medium-high heat.
Grill: Lightly oil and heat a gas grill or griddle to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken kabobs, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should register 165°F), 10-12 minutes.
Serve: Place a kabob on a warm pita, and drizzle with tahini sauce.

Video

Notes

If you’re using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour to prevent sticking.
To make these in the oven: Preheat your oven broiler on high. Coat a sheet pan with a little oil. Arrange the skewers in a single layer on the sheet pan. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip the skewers and broil on the other side for 5 more minutes.
Leftovers? You can refrigerate leftover chicken kabobs in tight-lid containers for 3 days.
If you’d like to marinate these skewers overnight, hold off on the citrus. Add the lemon juice 30 minutes before grilling to prevent toughening the meat.
Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.

Nutrition

*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015. It has been recently updated with new media and information for reader’s benefit.

The post Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Zesty Garlic Marinade appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.

Maamoul (Date Filled Cookies)

Maureen Abood — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 19:11:49 +0000

Maamoul (Ma’amoul) are delicate date-filled butter cookies with a decorative pattern on the outside made by using a maamoul mold, a fork, or pinching the dough. Maamoul is on the dessert table throughout the Middle East for holidays and celebrations of all kinds.

Photo Credits: Caitlin Bensel

Molded, cut-out, and shaped shortbread cookies are a tradition in so many cultures for holidays and gatherings. My own Lebanese tradition of maamoul, molded filled butter cookies, is one that we look forward to as much for the making as the eating.

Maamoul’s shortbread exterior wraps around a filling, traditionally nuts or date paste. The filled dough gets its hallmark look from mallet-shaped molds that are made in a variety of shapes and designs—the shapes are used to distinguish one filled ma’amoul type from another. For this maamoul recipe I used date paste.

Maamoul-making is one of those projects that invites creativity and also: a healthy dose of stress release! My Aunt Hilda, the maamoul maven of our family, showed me how fun it is to press the soft dough into the domed maamoul mold, fill, seal the dough closed and then turn the mold over with a healthy whack on the counter to release the cookie.

With every whack, she looked up with a sly smile to see if I was as excited as she was about all the racket we were making! Make these beautiful date-filled cookies and add them to your list of favorite sweet treats right alongside Italian Pizzicati, Egyptian Ghorayebah, and Turkish Delights.

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Arabic Tea with Fresh Mint

Suzy Karadsheh — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000

I’m sharing my family’s recipe for Arabic tea. This comforting and simple steeped mint tea recipe uses only four ingredients including: water, black loose-leaf tea, fresh mint, and sugar or honey. Learn how to make and serve Arabic tea as they do in Egypt and parts of the Middle East.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Bensel for The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2022)

Throughout the Middle East and parts of the Mediterranean, hot tea is a comfort, a social drink, and a means of getting to know one another.

In that part of the world, including Egypt where I grew up, Shai or Arabic tea is an integral part of hospitality. Stop by someone’s home or office, even for a few minutes, they’ll offer you a seat and a warm cup of mint tea. Most business deals, conversations, family gatherings, heck, even marriage proposals happen around a pot of tea — often served with a little dessert like a piece of baklava, cake, cookies or even something like a biscotti or chocolate tahini date bars.

Arabic tea with fresh mint, known as shai bil na’ana’a, is my favorite drink to share with friends (I wrote all about the heart-binding ritual that is tea between friends in my debut cookbook.)

This simple mint tea is easy to make at home with a few ingredients: boiling water, black loose-leaf tea, fresh mint, and sugar or honey to your liking.

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