Fattoush Salad

Fattoush is a staple salad in Middle Eastern cuisine, it's fresh and citrusy and one of my favorites. You can make fattoush  many different ways but the thing that is consistent and makes it unique is the sumac and the baked pita bread pieces! 

*This recipe serves about 20 people, and is for entertaining purposes. If you wish to make less be sure to adjust measurements. 

Ingredients:

Salad:  

 4 Heads of Romaine Lettuce 

6 Small Persian Cucumbers 

2 Tomatoes

6 Green Onions 

2 Pita Pockets (Baked Pieces) 

Dressing: 

2 Lemons

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dried Sumac 

1 Tablespoon Dried Mint 

1 teaspoons Sugar 

Salt 

Pepper 

How To Make It: 

1. Wash all the salad ingredients, and chop them into small pieces: 

For the cucumbers, slice in half and then half again and chop to get small triangle pieces shown below. 

For the tomatoes, chop into pieces similar in size to the cucumbers

For the green onion, trim the top and bottom dry parts, slice in half and then chop into small pieces. 

For the lettuce, also half the romaine leafs and chop into smaller almost shred - like pieces. 

2. Add the dressing and mix 

 3. Pita bread pieces: using scissors or a knife cut into small pieces and toast in oven (350-400 degrees) or until toasted. Alternatively you can coat the pieces in olive oil to give them more flavor. 

4. Add the pita pieces last and just before serving and don't mix them in too much, or else they will get soggy.

5. Enjoy! 

Some other common goodies you can add to this are purslane leaves (betla in arabic),  radishes, green peppers, fresh mint leaves, and parsley. 

Sautéed Balsamic Portobellos and Asparagus

These mushrooms and asparagus can be made in under 20 minutes and are a great side dish to almost anything. The recipe is very simple and the outcome is delicious and healthy! 

Health benefits:

Asparagus:

-high in fiber, vitamins A, C, E, & K, and chromium 

-contains glutathione (detoxifying compound) and is an antioxidant this helps fight different types of cancers 

-high in folate which can help prevent cognitive impairment 

-is a natural diuretic which will increase urination and help rid the body of excess salts 

Portobello Mushrooms: 

- good source of protein, fiber, potassium, phosphorous, and vitamins B & D 

-low in calories, fat, carbs, and sodium 

         

         

         

 Ingredients: 

-green asparagus spears 

-portobello mushrooms 

-olive oil 

-balsamic vinegar 

-3 or 4 garlic cloves 

-about 10 chives 

-half a lemon 

-no salt seasoning 

-salt and pepper 

                                     

How To Make It: 

1. Wash the mushrooms and asparagus and snap off the bottom of the asparagus. Chop up the garlic cloves and set aside. 

2. Heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan 

3. Add the asparagus when pan gets hot, after a couple minutes add the garlic cloves stir around. 

4. Next add the mushrooms ( I split the pan in half to make plating easier and so the mushrooms don't break) 

5. Add the salt, pepper, and seasoning 

6. Finally once the veggies are cooked add the balsamic and half the chives and let it simmer for 2 minutes. DO NOT over cook the veggies, they will get wilted and lose a lot of their nutrients !

7. Plate the veggies and finish with the juice of half a lemon and garnish with the rest of the chives. Enjoy as a side dish to steak and chicken or with brown rice.