90 eastern recipes

Vegetarian quinoa and bean soup with shiitake mushrooms, sauerkraut, sesame oil, and tamari. An earthy, umami-rich vegan soup with Eastern European and Asian flavors.

Eastern European sauerkraut soup with bacon, ham, frankfurters, grated potatoes, paprika, caraway seeds, and tomato paste in beef stock. A tangy, hearty one-pot meal.

Nancy's ice cream kolacky: a three-ingredient Eastern European-style cookie where vanilla ice cream replaces liquid and eggs, creating a tender pastry dough filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar. A Christmas cookie-tray favorite.

Czech cabbage soup roasts beef bones and short ribs with vegetables, then simmers with cabbage, tomatoes, sauerkraut, and lemon juice for sweet-sour Eastern European comfort. Hearty winter meal.

Grilled polenta cake with orange blossom yogurt, fresh strawberries, and pistachios. A sophisticated Middle Eastern-inspired dessert built from pantry staples and summer fruit.

Lithuanian strawberry torte layers three light butter cake rounds with whipped cream, currant jelly, strawberry preserves, and pecans. Eastern European holiday celebration cake.

Kasha stuffed tomatoes filled with toasted buckwheat groats, mushrooms, celery, pine nuts, and fresh herbs. A hearty Eastern European-inspired vegetarian side, perfect for late summer harvest meals.

Basbousa bil loz (Egyptian almond basbousa) cooks toasted semolina and almonds with butter, then thickens with lemon-scented sugar syrup. A stovetop Middle Eastern dessert.

Middle Eastern fried pastries filled with spiced almond-cinnamon filling and dipped in sugar syrup. Crispy finger-shaped cookies that freeze beautifully.

Curry your turkey in a hurry with this simple and easy recipe that brings a bit of Eastern world into your kitchen.

Kobeba samakeyah are Lebanese fish-filled bulgur croquettes seasoned with cumin and cilantro, deep-fried golden, and served with homemade tahini sauce. A Middle Eastern classic.

Aunt Eloise's borscht simmers ruby beets, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes and sorrel into a tangy Eastern European soup served hot or cold with a swirl of sour cream.

Curry-spiced soup blending dried apricots with fresh cucumber and orange zest for a refreshing hot or cold starter with Middle Eastern flair.

Savory crepes fill thin egg pancakes with sautéed mushrooms and cottage cheese, then bake until warmed through. Eastern European brunch or light dinner classic.

Halva gateau is a Middle Eastern layer cake with semolina-almond sponge, coffee syrup soak, and halva buttercream. Pistachio-topped elegance perfumed with cinnamon.

Layered lamb and Italian sausage meatloaf baked in a Bundt pan with bulgur wheat, pine nuts, pistachios, and Middle Eastern spices like allspice, cinnamon, and mint. A showstopping ring-shaped meatloaf.