Chickpea parmesan crisps are the easy, healthy, and savory Mediterranean-diet snack you’ve been looking for. Roasting transforms a can of chickpeas into a high-protein, high-fiber snack and a shower of feathery grated parmesan and aromatic oregano gives them incredible flavor! Photo Credits: Ali Redmond If you’ve been here a while you know I am on a mission to find a million ways you can use the humble, protein-packed chickpea ....

A simple and authentic Middle Eastern Tahini Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs swimming in a homemade tahini sauce ! Serve it with some pita wedges, or use it to dress up your falafels , chicken skewers , fish dishes, and more! Like hummus , foul mudammas and baba ganoush , this cucumber and tomato tahini salad is another popular dish in restaurants all over the Middle East and Egypt, where I grew up....

This homemade pita bread recipe is easy to make and requires a few ingredients you may already have on hand! Mix up the very simple dough, let it rise, and experience the magic of fresh, warm, perfectly puffy homemade pita bread. Baking and skillet instructions included! Pita bread is freezer friendly. And you can even prepare the dough ahead. Be sure to read through for tips and my step-by-step tutorial....

This no-knead baguette recipe delivers 2 homemade loaves of French bread with a crisp crust and a chewy, airy crumb. A long, hands-off overnight rise results in a deep flavor, turning an everyday meal into something special. Photo Credits: Mark Beahm French baguettes are often regarded as bread perfection, with dark, crisp crusts and a soft and flavorful crumb. In fact, there’s an annual competition in Paris to crown the best in the country....

You’ll love the combination of savory, sweet, and sour flavors in this creamy eggplant caponata with onions, tomato and olives! A great make-ahead appetizer to serve over crusty bread or use next to chicken or fish! In Mediterranean cooking, there is no shortage of tasty eggplant recipes ! Some favorites around here include eggplant rollatini ; classic moussaka ; and stuffed eggplant . I’m excited to add one more tasty eggplant creation from Italy: Caponata!...

This quick avocado hummus recipe will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible! Chickpeas and ripe avocados get an extra creamy kick thanks to my favorite tahini and one secret ingredient, Greek yogurt. You can play around with flavor, but I like a combination of fresh garlic, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. A splash of lime juice brings everything together! You can stop here, or make my bonus salsa verde recipe to go along!...

If you haven’t tried fried feta yet, you are in for a special treat! Olive oil fried feta with a crispy sesame crust and a drizzle of good honey makes a decadent appetizer in about 10 minutes! I always have a block of good feta cheese in my fridge. It’s my secret ingredient to elevate a salad , to crumble over tomatoes or saucy shrimp , or even to slice up and bake with salmon and vegetables for dinner (yes, it’s a great sheet-pan situation to try soon!...

This easy rice pilaf recipe is one of my go-to sides! With fluffy basmati rice, peas, carrots, and warming Middle Eastern spices, this 30 minute recipe is a simple way to turn plain rice into something special. Photo Credits: Mark Beahm Where I’m from, Middle Eastern home cooks have a knack for playing up your basic rice and turning it into a celebration. But what is rice pilaf, exactly? It’s an easy technique for cooking rice where the grains are toasted in oil or butter before simmering with seasonings....

Kourabiedes are the quintessential Greek cookie. These tender, crescent-shaped almond cookies, scented with orange zest and orange blossom water, have a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Kourabiedes, sometimes spelled Kourabiethes, and pronounced kou-ra-bie-des are traditional Greek shortbread-style butter cookies, often shaped into crescents or rounds, and heavily dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snowballs. My recipe has undergone several transformations. I still have a small piece of paper from my mother-in-law, who wrote down her recipe more than 30 years ago....

Take it from a true daughter of the Mediterranean: you don’t need much to make a fresh, colorful, and delicious Mediterranean Salad. With a simple mix of cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, and a few herbs and spices, this easy salad is on your table in 10 minutes or less! Photo Credits: Mariam Hamdy Mediterranean salad goes by a different name where I grew up in Egypt: salata !...

Melissa Clark’s clafouti recipe is a light and custardy dessert (like a baked pancake) with juicy raspberries and a hint of lavender. Elegant clafoutis is one of the easiest desserts to make, and it’s all about the quick and light batter! Serve it for dessert or brunch ! What Is Clafoutis? Clafouti, pronounced klah-foo-TEE, is a delicate French dessert that’s made of fruit and a custardy batter. Think of it as an elegant baked pancake....

Melitzanosalata is a simple, rustic Greek eggplant dip made with roasted, perfectly smoky eggplant with garlic, parsley, red onions, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil . It’s the perfect appetizer with pita or your favorite bread; or serve it next to grilled meats or even fish . Be sure to check out my tips for best results! When I shared my baba ganoush recipe earlier, a reader reached out via Instagram asking if I had one for melitzanosalata, an equally delicious eggplant dip from Greece....

Not your average grilled cheese sandwich, these are so much more! Pita Grilled Cheese stuffed with Mediterranean favorites including melty mozzarella, feta, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and a little basil pesto. Add your favorite salad or tomato basil soup for a complete meal! Grilled cheese with a Mediterranean twist! The grilled cheese sandwich is an American classic everyone loves! And I won’t blame you if the first thing you picture when you hear grilled cheese is heavily buttered toast and melty American cheese, maybe served next to a bowl of tomato soup ....

Ash-e Shooli is a hearty, gluten-free, and vegetarian beet soup from Central Iran packed with potatoes, lentils, herbs, and finished with a topping of minty caramelized onions. Photo credits: Ali Redmond Why You’ll Love this Beet Soup Recipe Earthy beets, lentils, and lots of herbs make this nourishing soup perfect for cooler weather. It’s vegetarian and gluten-free. The flavors deepen overnight, making it ideal for cook-once, eat-all-week lunches or dinners....

Persian love cake is a moist and light cake flavored with citrus, cardamom, cinnamon, and rosewater. Finished with a tart lemon glaze and a final sprinkle of rose petals and crushed pistachios, this fragrant sweet treat comes with a touch of romance. Photo Credits: Bella Karragiannidis The exact origin story of Persian Love Cake is unknown. One theory, suggests it’s a well traveled adaptation of the Portuguese Love Cake, Bolo di Amor, which in the 16th century was transformed by Sri Lankans into a semolina cake often served at Christmastime....

Here is how you make the best pesto pasta, perfectly coated in sauce for maximum flavor and tossed with juicy, quick roasted tomatoes and fresh baby mozzarella. Photo Credits: Suzy Karadsheh You can make pesto pasta by simply tossing cooked pasta with pesto, and perhaps a splash of cooking water. But when you want to add a little extra oomph, try this pesto pasta recipe! The garlic roasted tomatoes burst with deliciously sweet and savory flavor, and the fresh mozzarella gives it a restaurant-level flair....

This roasted root vegetables recipe is an easy, colorful side dish. Golden potatoes and multicolored vegetables go caramel-sweet in the heat of the oven, while a whole head of roasted garlic adds sweetness and preserved lemon brightens everything up. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Roasted root veggies deliver all kinds of comfort. All you really need is a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a hot oven to coax out their natural sweetness....

This healthy, vegetarian sweet potato stew will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible! Loaded with chunks of melt-in-your mouth sweet potatoes, tender carrots, tomatoes, and wilted baby spinach. It gets a little Eastern Mediterranean flare with a few warm spices like cumin and turmeric . The best way to serve this hearty vegan stew is over quick-cooked couscous or with a piece of crusty whole wheat bread....

Embrace the flavors of the Mediterranean with our best grilled fish recipes, and grilled shellfish recipes too! From salmon and swordfish to grilled shrimp recipes, scallops, and more, we have you covered with 10 healthy, simple, and flavorful dinners to make the most of these fleeting warm summer nights. Image ofGrilled Shrimp Foil Packetsby Ali Redmond With summer in full swing, I’m taking full advantage of my grill, using it to make all kinds of recipes, from grilled watermelon to grilled corn and skirt steak ....

Carajillo is a coffee drink typically made with rum or brandy. Many people throughout Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean enjoy it with their own twist. Once you try it, you’ll make this coffee cocktail on repeat! You could almost consider coffee a universally appreciated, if not loved, beverage. Millions of people throughout the world drink it every day. But how people enjoy coffee is expressed in endless distinct variations including one of my favorites coffee cocktails — carajillo....