121 eastren recipes

Middle Eastern rice pilaf with cashews, raisins, dried apricots, and warm spices like cardamom and turmeric. A fragrant side dish with caramelized onions and a sweet-savory balance.

Quinoa tabbouleh swaps traditional bulgur for protein-rich quinoa, tossed with cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, mint, cilantro, pine nuts and a bright lemon-olive oil dressing. A gluten-free Middle Eastern-style salad.

Salata tahina, a creamy Middle Eastern tahini sauce with crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and parsley. Serve as a mazza dip, salad dressing, or drizzle for grilled meats.

Taskebab, a Middle Eastern beef and eggplant stew baked in tomato sauce with basil and oregano. Fried beef and eggplant slow-simmered until the sauce permeates every bite.

Eggplant relish with baked eggplant, hard-boiled egg, green pepper, and onion ground together with vinegar and garlic. A cold Eastern European-style spread for bread and crackers.

Romanian fried noodle pudding (kugel) with golden sauteed onions and eggs, pan-fried until crispy on both sides. A savory, skillet-browned noodle cake from Eastern European tradition.

Saffron-laced pastina salad with pine nuts, currants, fresh mint, and orange blossom water. A fragrant Middle Eastern-inspired room temperature pasta side dish with turmeric and cumin.

Nut kolachky filling is a traditional Eastern European walnut filling for kolachky cookies and pastries. Ground walnuts, egg whites, sugar, and melted butter mixed into a thick paste.

Crispy phyllo triangles stuffed with spiced lamb, raisins, pine nuts, and warm cinnamon-cumin-allspice. A Middle Eastern-inspired appetizer that bakes lighter than fried, perfect for parties.

Classic tabbouleh salad with bulgur wheat, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, mint, parsley, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. A no-cook Middle Eastern grain salad that improves as it chills.

Radishes in cream: a 10-minute peppery radish salad in a tangy sour cream, yogurt, and horseradish dressing. Served in crisp lettuce cups. A classic Eastern European spring side.

Middle Eastern semolina cake soaked in citrus syrup and topped with toasted almonds. This yogurt-based dessert bakes up golden with a tender, moist crumb that pairs beautifully with tea.

Eastern European meat patties with slow-braised veal, mushrooms, and dill wrapped in a buttery sour cream dough and baked golden. A hand-held pastry stuffed with ground meat filling.

Greek revani cake: a sweet semolina-and-orange syrup cake studded with almonds, soaked in lemon-scented sugar syrup. A classic Eastern Mediterranean dessert cut into diamonds and served with cream.

Timen Ajami spiced meat skillet with ground beef or lamb, allspice, Madras curry powder, rosewater, dried currants, and chopped almonds. A fragrant Middle Eastern one-pan dish ready in 45 minutes.

Sweet and sour stuffed cabbage rolls filled with ground beef and cracked wheat, microwaved in a tangy brown sugar, tomato sauce, and lemon juice glaze. A faster take on the Eastern European classic.