Bruschetta has lately become one of my favorite appetizers and sides to share for dinner parties or casual gatherings. It is easy, healthy, delicious, and serves beautifully as an hors d’oeuvre (or an appetizer if you want to keep it ‘cas’). I make my bruschetta with three main ingredients: sweet and juicy tomatoes, fresh and fragrant basil, and of course, garlic. I serve my bruschetta atop some freshly toasted slices of baguettes, topped with fresh mozzarella and freshly ground pepper. 

My secret ingredient is roasted garlic. I use plenty of garlic in this recipe, and I roast 3-4 cloves in the oven to impart a surprisingly sweet and rustic flavor to this dip. I simply wrap a few large, plump garlic cloves in foil and set them in the oven at 400 degrees (F) for about 10-15 minutes.  I use almost equal amounts of basil as tomatoes, and drizzle on some good balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

I can eat a whole bowl of this as a salad, guilt-free. This dish is so perfect in the summer when I can use my garden fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes and freshly picked basil. Our summer tomatoes that start as measly little stems from the farmer’s market for $3, flourish into jungle-like vines of endless, plump, juicy tomatoes that we don’t know what the heck to do with! Hence, this timely salad. Although not timely with my blog publication in the winter, this recipe is still amazing any time of the year. I promise, this appetizer is equally delicious throughout the winter, and I have been making it more often because of all the holiday and family gatherings. I finely dice the tomatoes into cubes, as I would for tabbouli, or I if using cherry tomatoes, I cut them into quarters. It is important to separate the extra juice and seeds from the tomatoes; this prevents an overly soppy bruschetta. Scooping the juicy seeds to the side and slurping later, works perfectly fine for us!

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I don’t feel the need to toast bread in oil, but instead set them onto my panini grill and press them for a a couple of minutes until golden and toasted. Any method works fine!

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

2016-12-15 07:41:10

A juicy, zesty, and deliciously savory blend of tomatoes, basil, and garlic served over crunchy baguette slices or crackers.

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Prep Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Ingredients

1. 4-5 firm, but ripe tomatoes (2 cups chopped)
2. 1.5 cup of basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
3. 5-6 cloves of garlic
4. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5. 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6. 1 tsp salt
7. freshly ground pepper, to taste
8. 1/2 tsp onion powder
9. 1/2 tsp oregano
10. optional: fresh mozzarella sliced into rounds
11. 1-2 fresh baguettes, sliced diagonally into rounds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (f).
2. Wrap 3 of the garlic cloves loosely in foil and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes.
3. Dice the tomatoes into small cubes, separating the juicy parts and seeds to the side.
4. Separate the basil leaves, and layer several basil leaves into a single stack. Roll, and slice thinly into long strips. Chop strips into smaller pieces if they are too long. Repeat until all the basil is thinly sliced.
5. Remove the roasted garlic from the oven and smash it in the bottom of a medium sized bowl.
6. Add the tomatoes. Mince the remaining fresh garlic cloves and toss them with the tomatoes in the bowl.
7. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices, and stir well. Add the basil. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes before serving.
8. On a grill pan or regular pan add olive oil, and toast the slices of baguette until golden.
9. Spoon a dollop of bruschetta onto the toasted bread, add a piece of mozzarella, and top with freshly ground pepper.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

This is not only extremely easy and fast to make, but the best recipe yet. I love a good marinara sauce because it is so basic and essential in so many recipes: spaghetti, linguine, lasagne, casserole, grilled vegetables, shrimp stir-fry, stuffed zucchini and peppers,  eggplant parmesan, and the list goes on! Every chef needs this in their repertoire and in their kitchen.

Not only is this easy and delicious, it comes from fresh, whole organic tomatoes. I was surprise at how many “from scratch” recipes for marinara included the use of canned tomatoes. I love eating clean and using fresh tomatoes to make this aromatic sauce, and nothing smells more amazing than a home with the scent of this sauce drifting throughout! YUM! I used vine-ripened tomatoes and puree them in my blender with half an onion. If you have especially delicious and juicy sweet tomatoes you can also add some chunks to the sauce to simmer as well. This will lend to a chunkier sauce of course.

 I gently sauté chopped onion, garlic, and the herbs (parsley, basil, and oregano) until fragrant, pour the tomato puree all over, and then pour in the secret ingredient that gives this that extra zing. Two tablespoons of good, potent balsamic vinegar give this sauce the kick it needs, making it perfectly zesty and balancing the sweetness of the tomatoes.  That’s all there is to this easy, fast, and hearty sauce. Contrary to what some imagine to be an all day simmer in the pot routine, the sauce only takes about 20-30 minutes to cook on medium high heat, because we do not want to break down the tomatoes too much. I often add fresh chopped mushrooms and bell peppers to the sauce in the last 5 minutes to use it as a chunky garden vegetable marinara. Sprinkle in some parmesan cheese, sliced olives, additional herbs or spices to diversify the flavors and make this sauce your own. Every kitchen needs a great marinara sauce and it’s a beautiful thing when you can whip up your own from whole tomatoes and know you are eating clean, fresh, and organic ingredients. 

 You can also easily adjust this to be a basic tomato sauce puree to use in endless recipes such as soups, stews, and casseroles! So forget about buying canned tomato sauce and start growing some tomatoes instead 🙂 I omit the herbs and balsamic vinegar and simply simmer the pureed tomatoes with onions and garlic to use this in a variety of dishes.
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The Best Marinara Sauce

2014-07-13 14:14:34

This homemade sauce is so easy and flavorful, you will love to use this recipe in all your dishes!

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 8-10 vine ripened tomatoes
2. 1 tbsp olive oil
3. 1 medium size onion, diced
4. 6 cloves of garlic, minced
5. 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (fresh)
6. 1/2 cup chopped basil (fresh), plus extra leaves for garnish
7. 1 1/2 tsp oregano (dried or fresh)
8. 1 tsp salt
9. 1/4 tsp black pepper
10. 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Puree the tomatoes with half of the onion in a blender or food processor. You may add a tablespoon of water to help liquify the tomatoes in the blender.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the remaining chopped onion and minced garlic in the olive oil until it becomes yellow. Add the parsley, basil, and oregano and heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour the pureed tomatoes over the herbs. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until it thickens.
4. Serve over warm pasta, vegetables, or chicken parmesan.
5. Store remaining sauce in airtight containers in fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 6 months.

Notes

1. Add fresh chopped vegetables such as mushrooms or bell peppers to enjoy as a chunky garden vegetable sauce.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

Here is another one of my absolute favorite Middle Eastern dishes. “Mahshy” literally means stuffed, and I love all things mashy. Stuffed vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, and stuffed cabbage are all fantastic dishes in the Middle Eastern kitchen. Parsley and mint are prevalent in most Middle Eastern recipes, as is garlic. All three of these flavorings take center stage in this recipe. This satisfying dish can serve as a main entree or a side. The stuffing can be prepared completely vegetarian with only the herbs and rice, or you can add ground beef or lamb as we typically prefer to do. But I have cooked it both ways many times, and it is very delicious and full of flavor either way!

The stuffing consists of medium grain rice (get Egyptian rice if you are shopping at an International market, or sticky sushi rice works well per the recommendation of my girl Dalia), chopped parsley, mint, dill, diced onions, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, and some spices. The spices are a medley of cinnamon, cumin,  baharat, salt and pepper. The Arabic spice baharat, is a warm, aromatic all-purpose spice and it is used often in most Middle Eastern recipes. You are not likely to find it in a regular grocery store. If you do not have access to a Middle Eastern store, you could use a combination of ground all spice and cloves as an adequate substitute. You could also make your own baharat spices with the following recipe I found on The Kitchn. If you are using ground meat in the stuffing, you will need to cook this first in a pot with minced onions, salt and pepper, and a dash of all spice.

Pictured above is the vegetarian mixture, including rice, tomatoes, parsley, dill, mint, onions, garlic, and spices. 

The eggplants and zucchinis need to get cored with a coring tool, or a butter knife works well if you use careful strokes! Peppers are wonderful because all you need to do is cut the top off. The last time we did this we used the smaller sweet peppers that come in a variety or red, orange, and yellow. I also love to use an onion as is typical in Iraq. You simply simmer a peeled onion in boiling water for a few minutes until the  layers become malleable enough to roll. When this dish cooks, the cinnamon, herbs, and vegetables scent the air beautifully; it simply smells amazing! 

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 Anybody can stuff some veggies with this flavorful filling, and you’d be halfway there at achieving deliciousness. But the secret is in the sauce. I have had this dish prepared before and it tasted either too dry from baking in the oven or too bland. The sauce I use to cook this in perfects the flavor and texture and must not be omitted! It is simply wonderful: very lemony and cooks the veggies and stuffing juicy and zesty and full of flavor. As most of my cooking is a delicate fusion of many Middle Eastern countries, this dish originates from my mother’s Egyptian cooking, but is infused with some delicious Lebanese flavor that I picked up from one of my best friends, Melanie. Melanie’s stepmother, Tunt Soad, who is an excellent chef from Lebanon would often have this dish prepared when we would come over after school and I always looked forward to it! When I wasn’t at her house I would beg her to bring some to school for lunch, and I still craved more. I finally asked Tunt Soad for the recipe and have been cooking my stuffed veggies the same way ever since! The sauce consists of marinara sauce, fresh squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, dry mint, baharat, cinnamon,  salt, and pepper.

 You can either stack the stuffed veggies in a pot and cook over the stove, or lay them in a baking dish and bake in the oven. As long as you cover the veggies with this sauce it will come out nice and juicy and flavorful. Enjoy! Or as they say in Lebanon “Sahtein” (good health) or “Bil hana wil shifa” (with joy and with health) as they say in Egypyt. After all isn’t that what food should be for: health, nutrition, and well-being?

Stuffed Zucchini

2014-03-26 06:13:49

Serves 4

A delicious mediterranean dish of zucchini and eggplants stuffed with a flavorful medley of herbs, spices, and rice.

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Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

55 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

55 min

Ingredients

1. about 10 short and wide zucchinis
2. about 10 short and wide eggplants
3. 1 large onion
4. 2 large bell peppers

For the stuffing

1. 1 c medium grain rice (Egyptian rice or sushi rice)
2. 1 tsp baharat or all spice
3. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
4. 1/4 tsp cumin
5. 1 tsp salt
6. pinch of pepper
7. 1 tbsp minced garlic
8. 1 medium onion, minced
9. 1-2 tomatoes diced
10. 1/4 c chopped parsley
11. 1/4 c chopped dill
12. 1 tbsp chopped mint
13. Optional: 1 lb ground beef, browned and cooked with 1 onion, salt and pepper, and baharat

For the sauce

1. 1/2 c marinara sauce, such as Prego
2. 1/2 c water
3. 1/2 c lemon juice
4. 1 tsp dry mint
5. 1 tsp minced garlic
6. 1/2 tsp baharat or all spice
7. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8. 1 tsp salt
9. pinch of pepper

To cook

1. 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Peel and score the large onion to slice it open halfway. This will allow you to peel away the soft layers later. Simmer in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes until the onion layers are malleable enough to stuff with filling and roll. Do not over cook it so that it is too soft as it will cook more later in the pot. Set aside to cool.
2. Wash the zucchinis, peppers, and eggplants and cut off the tops. Core out the center of the eggplants and zucchinis and reuse the inner flesh for another recipe such as baba ghanough or zucchini bread.
3. Combine all ingredients for the stuffing.
4. Fill each vegetable halfway with the stuffing, as it will increase in size as it cooks. For the onions, peel off a layer of the onion, fill with a teaspoon of stuffing, and roll tightly.
5. Neatly place each vegetable into a pot, standing upright to prevent the stuffing from spilling out as it cooks. If you will bake in a baking dish, laying the vegetables down will be fine as they will not be disturbed by boiling liquid.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Pour over all the vegetables and pour olive oil on the very top of the pot. Simmer on medium high heat, and turn the heat down to low once it boils. Cover halfway with a lid and remove from heat once the rice in the center is tender (about 20-25 minutes). If baking in the oven, bake at 350 degrees, for 35 minutes.

Notes

1. It is important that the rice in the vegetables is covered with cooking sauce in order for it to cook well. Potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables may be used in this recipe as well but using zucchini and eggplant is the traditional way to prepare this dish.
2. You may also substitute the rice for quinoa or bulgur to make this dish a little healthier and contain less carbs!

By Noha ElSharkawy

Adapted from Mom and Tunt Soad

Adapted from Mom and Tunt Soad

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/