Skin Friendly Middle Eastern Mezze

I posted a photo of my homemade Lebanese mezze platter the other day on Instagram stories and let me tell you... my DM's exploded with so many messages asking for the recipe.

So, before you scroll down for each recipe, I want to let you know that these dishes are all vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free and utterly delicious! Whether you're wanting to try something new, looking for a spark of inspiration to try out new dishes, or looking to impress your dinner guests with this fun tapas style mezze, then this is for you! You also may just learn a thing or two in the process.

Tabbouleh

Reportedly invented in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria, tabbouleh is now a popular salad around the world. It usually consists of finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, and cracked bulgur (I use quinoa), all dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients

1 large bunch of parsley

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon

4 TBSP olive oil

1 sweet onion

100g quinoa

Pinch of salt

1. 1. Bring your quinoa to boil on a high heat. Turn it down and simmer until it is tender - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Top Tip: Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process so your quinoa doesn't become soggy. Place in a bowl once drained and fluff with a fork.

2. Chop up your parsley finely. You will start to smell the gorgeous aroma it gives off. Parsley releases a natural oil which is known as an effective antimicrobial agent!

3. Chop up your cherry tomatoes any way you wish followed by finely cutting your onion to very small pieces (this will allow more flavour to burst through).

4. Go ahead and add your quinoa to your parsley. Add the tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon and salt and mix it all together for a minute. If I'm not eating the salad straight away, I'll cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge to allow the flavours to accumlate even more.

5. Enjoy!

Houmous

Houmous is packed full of essential nutrients like zinc, selenium and calcium as well as being a great source of healthy fats from the olive oil and tahini.

This recipe is full of goodness

• High in protein

• Good source of fibre

• Packed with vitamins & minerals

With their high protein content, pulses such as kidney beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas and lentils are a great addition to a meat-free diet, which is why they are a favourite ingredient for many vegetarian and vegan dishes. Packed with fibre, they can also help promote good digestion, and are a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc and magnesium.

1 tin of chickpeas in water (I personally prefer organic)

1/2 cup ice cold water (or more) judge when its blending

4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 whole lemon squeezed

Generous pinch of sea salt

2 roasted garlic cloves

1/2 cup tahini

1. Roast your 2 cloves of garlic until very soft.

2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse in a colander under cold water.

3. Place all the ingredients in your food processor/blender, except the olive oil.

4. Switch the processor on and pulse the ingredients together, drizzling the oil through the top of your food processor as you go. Stop when you have a creamy consistency.

5. Add more lemon juice or salt to taste.

6. Serve with wholemeal pitta or as a dip with a selection of raw vegetables for a healthy snack.

Pink Houmous

Aesthetically pleasing to look at and even more delicious when you taste it. You want to follow the exact same recipe from above but add 1 pre cooked beetroot to your food processor/blender. Add ice water as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with chopped walnuts for a crunch!

Beetroot Salad With Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

4 pre cooked beetroots (preferably organic for extra sweetness)

1/2 cup cold water

1 small garlic clove

1/2 cup tahini

1 lemon

Sea salt

1. Chop up your beetroot in to dice and set aside.

2. Pour 1/2 cup of cold water in to your 1/2 cup of tahini and stir (it might start to feel and look lumpy/broken, keep adding a few tbsp of water unitl you reach a smooth (not runny) texture.

3. Squeeze whole lemon, grate the garlic clove and add a pinch of sea salt to the dressing and stir.

4. You should have a smooth consistency to now drizzle over your beetroot.

Grated Tomato Salsa

When life gives you tomatoes... make a salsa!

When it's tomato season there's nothing better, or easier, than using this simple method of freshly grating tomatoes.

This is a traditional condiment used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and is delicious served along side your mezze platter.

Ingredients

5 large tomatos

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

Sea salt

1. Slice a thin round off the bottom of each tomato. Starting at cut end, grate tomatoes on the largest holes of a grater over a medium bowl until all that’s left is the flattened tomato skin and stem; discard. Season grated flesh with several generous pinches of salt.

2. Heat oil in a pan (preferably stainless steel) over medium. Cook garlic, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

3. Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Don't forget to tag me in your creations over on Instagram @hhskin_