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/

Shorba means soup in Arabic. Ads means lentils, so shorbat ads translates literally into soup of lentils.

This popular soup is a Ramadan staple and will be found at Iftar (the daily meal of breaking the fast during Ramadan) tables quite frequently in the Arab world. It is a beautiful, creamy, yellow soup that is both hearty and healthy. It is naturally vegetarian and vegan, has virtually no fat, is gluten free, and is full of heart healthy fiber and vegetables. So almost every diet will love incorporating this dish.

The velvety texture might surprise you because there is no fat, milk, or cream added. The orange lentils, along with the aromatic root vegetables of carrot, onion, and garlic are what scent and flavor this delicious soup. I’ve already discussed what a fantastic legume lentils are for your diet in my recipe for lentil  pilaf, and you can read more health benefits here. This creamy lentil soup is often found in many Middle Eastern restaurants nowadays, and while the flavors can vary, this is surely going to be the best recipe.

This recipe comes straight from my Egyptian grandmother’s kitchen (Teta), God rest her soul. While turmeric is used in many modern recipes today, it is actually not a part of this authentic recipe. I presume it is used to boost the yellow color, and it certainly does not hurt to add it. I use it because I love the nutritional benefits of fresh turmeric root, but beware it will dye your fingers and spoons yellow 😀 Chopped tomatoes are added to the recipe to boost the flavor and the secret ingredient I incorporate is chicken or vegetable stock. Water is perfectly fine, but I find the broth gives an extra depth of flavor. I don’t use any Maggie cubes or other MSG catch all seasoning with who-knows-what in it, so I definitely prefer the flavors added by the tomato, broth, turmeric, and root vegetables. 

The delicious base of this soup’s fantastic flavor starts by simply sautéing the vegetables in some olive oil over medium heat, just until fragrant. Pour in the broth or water, the lentils, and spices and you’re pretty much done. I used to shred the carrots and turmeric, but I realized this isn’t neccesary because I blend the entire soup into a velvety smooth texture at the end of the simmer anyway. So a rough chop of all the vegetables is perfectly okay!

Prepare the lentils by picking them over for dirt particles, and wash thoroughly then drain.

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 This soup quickly simmers until the lentils break down into a creamy consistency, which takes all but 20 minutes. The orange shelled lentils cook soft very quickly,  unlike the brown shelled lentils. So be sure to use the correct lentils.

I then puree the entire mixture once it is cooked soft, into a thick and velvety consistency. The soup thickens significantly when sitting so be sure to stir in some extra water over low heat before serving if this happens. Like many grandmothers love to do, my Teta went the extra mile and added another step to make this soup REALLY lip smacking good. In another pot, she would brown some delicious tiny vermicelli noodles (sha3reya in Arabic) in butter, then pour the pureed soup over it and simmer until the noodles are cooked. This tastes really great and adds a nice texture.  However, I typically omit this step because I am trying to keep the soup healthy and paleo- and mostly because I don’t want to wash another pot! But I will usually do this for guests because it makes the soup extra special 😀

I serve with pita chips on the side, which is optional.

Fresh squeezed lemon juice is a must, if you ask me!

Enjoy! Bil Hana wil Shifaa (Arabic for with health and healing)

Creamy Lentil Soup- Shorbat Ads

2014-07-02 03:27:27

Serves 4

A creamy lentil soup full of flavor and healthy vegetables is hearty and filling!

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of red lentils (they are actually orange, but called red)
2. 3 cups of broth (or water)
3. 4 cups of water, plus more to thin later
4. 1 tsp cumin
5. 1/2- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
6. pinch of pepper
7. 1 tsp minced turmeric root, or 1/2 tsp powder (optional)
8. 2 large carrots, diced
9. 1 tomato, diced
10. 1 yellow onion, diced
11. 4 cloves of garlic, diced
12. 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

1. First sort the lentils for any stones, grains, or sand. Wash thoroughly and drain.
2. In a large pot, over high heat, add the olive oil and onions with carrots and toss lightly until yellow and fragrant. Only sautee until soft; do not brown it.
3. Add the garlic, turmeric, and tomatoes and stir for another minute.
4. Immediately add the lentils, broth, water, and spices. Stir well.
5. Once the soup begins to boil, reduce to medium-low heat. Allow it to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, covered.
6. Once the lentils are softened and cooked, puree with a blender, and remove from heat. If the soup looks too thick to you, you can add more water over low heat and stir until homogenous.
7. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, a cilantro garnish, and optionally pita chips.

Notes

1. Soup will thicken when it sits or when refrigerated. Simply add some water when reheating, and stir.
2. By Noha ElSharkawy
3. www.SugarandGarlic.com

By Noha ElSharkawy

Adapted from Teta and Mom

Adapted from Teta and Mom

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

This delicious linguine pasta dish features spinach, pea shoots, onion, and garlic, with some hearty portabella mushrooms and sweet red bell peppers. 

Pasta is such an essential go-to dish to create a flavorful and easy meal with a variety of vegetables and fresh ingredients. I love me a good farm-to- table meal; and these fresh chopped veggies from the farmer’s market are the perfect companions to pasta linguine. Even better, this a fast and easy quick meal, and even the busiest of us can whip up this gourmet dinner in no time!

Pasta has been getting the cold shoulder a lot lately with the ever increasing popularity of gluten free and low carb diets. Even I personally have been limiting my carbs lately and trying to eat a lot more whole and raw foods, but there will ALWAYS be a place for pasta in my life. The key is to utilize it as a vehicle for the fabulous fresh vegetables and sauces you create. My kids love to eat pasta, and I love to give it to them loaded with nutritious vegetables and ingredients.

Pasta is also an excellent dish when you need a carb loaded meal to give a boost of energy such as at the end of a long Ramadan day of fasting!

I love this recipe because it is fast, fresh, and easy. No sooner than you finish reading this post, you can whip up this quick gourmet meal.

I simply use inspiration from the fresh produce available. At the farmer’s market I picked up some pea shoots for the first time (at the suggestion of my friend), fresh spinach leaves, portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers and tomatoes.  I made a quick marinara sauce with all the tomatoes I got, then used the remainder of the vegetables to make a delicious rainbow of textures and flavor. I always start by sautéing some onions or garlic, in some olive oil or in this case both. Then add in the mushrooms and peppers until they start to become tender, and add the leafy spinach and pea shoots at the end so that they do not get too soft and release water. I toss this fabulous mixture with the pasta and drizzle my delicious homemade marinara over it, and we have a gorgeous and colorful meal in no time!

Garnish with fresh basil or parsley. Bon a petit! 

Garden Vegetable Linguine

2014-07-14 07:42:30

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Prep Time

8 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

13 min

Prep Time

8 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

13 min

Ingredients

1. 6-8 portabella mushrooms (2 cups sliced)
2. 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
3. 1/2 cup pea shoots, parsley, or scallions (optional)
4. 1 red bell pepper, diced
5. 1/2 cup marinara sauce or sliced tomatoes
6. 1/2 onion, sliced
7. 4 cloves garlic, sliced
8. 2 tbsp olive oil
9. 1 lb linguine pasta
10. salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp salt)

Instructions

1. Boil the linguine pasta in water with olive oil until al dente (about 8 minutes), and drain.
2. While the pasta boils, slice the mushrooms, pepper, onion, and garlic. The spinach only need a rough chop; it will decrease in size considerably over the heat.
3. Sautee the onion and garlic slices in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and red pepper and toss for about 1 minute. If using fresh tomato slices instead of marinara, add the tomato slices. Add the spinach and pea shoots and toss gently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove from heat and immediately toss in the linguine pasta. If using the marinara sauce, toss in the sauce at this point. Serve hot.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/