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. 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