The level of food waste occurring during the holy Muslim month of fasting goes against the very spirit of Ramadan A couple of days ago, I attended a small communal iftar at a local mosque where I broke my 18-hour fast with some rice, salad and dates. Although there was plenty of food, the organisers […]
In spite of some climate differences, most Middle Eastern countries raise the same crops. Don’t think that it means little choice, though. The huge variety of local fresh fruit and vegetables here, and their bright flavors, astound Westerners who have forgotten how a tomato or a green bean should taste. Real superfoods (see our article […]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqjAYZox-bs[/youtube] “Vegetarian option” doesn’t have to be a dirty word when using one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s luscious Mediterranean vegetarian recipes. For a nation most culinarily associated with fish and chips or shepherd’s pie, a vegetarian food option may not be the most appealing to the English. British-born celebs such as Paul McCartney might be promoting […]
Can summer get much better than this? The good thing about the height of summer is watermelons with red, red hearts and lots of sweet juice. Green Prophet has some good ways to serve it, and here are some. Here in the Middle East they’re for sale everywhere right now. Even the little neighborhood grocery […]
Quick to make and satisfying – roasted chickpeas answer the need for a healthy snack. When we casually dump a can-full of chickpeas into a pan, we’re thinking of dinner, not how the ancient world ate the little yellow grains. But chickpeas found in Middle-Eastern archeological excavations have been proved to be eaten by folks […]
Kanafeh: sweet cheese filling under a crunchy topping. A favorite Ramadan dessert. Ramadan 2011 begins after sunset on July 31st. One of the many luscious traditional pastries served during the night meals of Ramadan month is kanafeh. Subtly flavored with lemon and rosewater, doused with syrup, it makes up for all the calories burnt off […]
Fire up your grill and cook these aromatic vegetable chunks to delicious perfection. If there’s one favorite way to cook in the Middle East, it’s the outdoor grill. There really is no way to produce that smoky flavor. We’ve gotten away from the traditional picture of a paunchy, unshaven guy in a T-shirt taking gulps […]
Abnormally dry weather a nightmare for Afghanis who rely on wheat crops for survival. Afghanistan is likely to face a significant food shortage in the coming months, following poor rains which have affected this season’s wheat crop. Wheat is the primary food staple for most families. “There have been problems with rainfall, so there will […]
Call it Bamyeh in Arabic or Bamiah in Hebrew, but okra is relished all over the Middle East. Okra is a vegetable with an inferiority complex. Its delicious flavor hides under a certain goopiness, or mucilage released in cooking, and some people don’t like it. On the other hand, you may want the beneficial mucilage. […]
Sweetly-scented rose geranium makes a delicate cream and a soothing tea. It’s growing somewhere near you. Peaches, melons, apricots, plums. All in season right now in the Middle East, all sweet and juicy. Cream infused with rose-like pelargonium graveolens makes a delicious background for any of those summer fruits. I pick a few sprigs of […]
The Middle East’s favorite vegetable, served in a creative new recipe. We’re fond of stuffed vegetables here on Green Prophet. They’re satisfying to the appetite and pleasant to look at. Like our butternut squash stuffed with quinoa, this stuffed eggplant recipe is an elegant twist on a traditional dish. Among the myriad Middle Eastern eggplant […]
What’s tasty and vegetarian today? Why, lentils. Of course. I once saw a weight-loss article that began with one word: “Lentils.” I had to smile, but must say I agree. At 230 calories (cooked) per cup, full of protein and dietary fiber, they’re a natural for weight watchers. But for anyone who likes to eat […]
In early summer, mornings are still cool and soft sunlight comes streaming into my room. I wake up feeling energized and optimistic, and ready to start the day really well. If I feel like spoiling my family or just treating myself to an excellent breakfast, I fetch a pre-cooked mushroom sauce from the fridge – […]
Holland, where religious tolerance has been known since the 16th century, proposes a step backwards to the Dark Ages. Although here on Green Prophet we advocate adding more vegetables to your diet, we acknowledge the human appetite for meat. In Holland, about 45.000 Jewish and 945.000 Moslem citizens eat only meat slaughtered according to religious […]
Middle East meets Far East in this innovative tofu dish. Arabic/Japanese fusion cooking? As for marinating tofu in za’atar, we’ve got an unusual za’atar pesto recipe that fuses the Middle Easts’ favorite herb with Italian cuisine, so why not? The recipe was adapted from the Tofu for Two blog, using a modified version of our […]