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Recipes
Magnifique Lebanese Platter
Packed with protein, and bursting with flavor thanks to the garlic-bonanza in the hummus and the maple-mustard marinade on the sweet potatoes, this feast will easily please even the carnivororous-naysayers.
In Recipes
Hummus. Parsley. Quinoa.
A trifecta of tastiness.
(And health, for that matter.)
Add in some oven roasted sweet potato jojos, and, well… you’re in carby-fuel heaven.
As many of you know, I recently had the pleasure of cooking for nearly 30 people in the south of France at an organic WWOOFing farm, through our partnership with Global Potential for the program for young entrepreneurs, Press Start. And the superstar of the week was, without a doubt, this Lebanese platter.
Packed with protein (chick peas? quinoa? Oui!), and bursting with flavor thanks to the garlic-bonanza in the hummus and the maple-mustard marinade on the sweet potatoes, this plant-based feast will easily please even the carnivorous-naysayers.
(Please keep in mind that these recipes are just jumping off points for you to express your culinary creativity. Follow them as much or as little as you want… remember always to trust your taste buds more than anything you read on the internet!)
Garlicky Hummus
Garlicky! Zingy! This hummus is so delicious you make just want to start spooning bites straight away... or if you're more patient, put this bad boy on sandwiches, toast, and... of course, on this magnifique Lebanese platter.
Prep time
4min
Cook time
10min
Total time
14min
Ingredients
- 1.5-ish cans garbanzo beans/chick peas, 15 oz. (Save about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the cans for later.)
- 4 Tablespoons tahini
- 1 large garlic clove (or more… if you’re like Chloe and me. ? )
- Juice of 2 small lemons or more, per your taste for tartness, and for making it blend more smoothly
- 1 tsp. cumin
- A big pinch pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 cup of the chick pea water, give or take… depending on how thick or thin you want it
- A few dashes of cayenne pepper (+ some for garnishing!)
- Finely chopped parsley for a garnish? Yes.
Instructions
Rinse your chick peas (saving a bit of the water, set aside,) and then pop them into a food processor or fantastic blender. Next, add everything except the chick pea water, and blend that yumminess. Then gradually add the chick pea water. Taste. Season some more. Taste again. Add a bit more cayenne… you know it’s good for you. ?
It may be chunky, or it may be smooth! And to this I say… awesome. An element of surprise is one of the joys of home cooking.
Notes & Tips
Recipe inspired by the lovely Simple Veganista.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
This protein-packed and nutty swing on a mediterranean classic will have you and your lucky friends/family eating with you asking for seconds pronto! Parsley and quinoa are so so healthifying, they are a match made in heaven.
Prep time
20min
Cook time
15min
Total time
35min
Ingredients
- Cooked quinoa coming from 1 cup dry quinoa before cooking (170 g)
- 1/2 cup spring onion (50 g)
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (or tiny ones left whole for a delish pop!)
- 3/4 cup of finely chopped parsley (or more or less… depending on how much you dig parsley. I do indeed dig, so I tend to add more. Up to you.)
- Juice of a lemon or two
- Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Cayenne? I would. But it’s up to you.
Instructions
Make your quinoa first! Make your quinoa the night before even. You want it cold, or at least room temp., so make sure you do this first first first. (Actually, one of my quick meal secrets is to keep a tub of cooked quinoa in the fridge. That way when you’re hungry and in a rush, you just throw it in a salad or heat it up and top with avocado or… really.. whatever you’ve got. But I digress…)
And just cook your quinoa according to the package. Easy peasy.
Next, assemble the salad! Throw everything together. And squeeze a bunch of lemon and go to town with pepper and salt. (Okay, be reasonable with the salt, guys… even if it is pink himalayan.) And that’s it. Really. It’s that easy.
Notes & Tips
This recipe was inspired by SimpleVeganBlog.
Maple Mustard Sweet Potato Jo Jos
This basic but insanely delicious recipe for sweet potatoes could change your life. It did mine.
Prep time
10min
Cook time
20min
Total time
30min
Ingredients
- As many sweet potatoes as you want. Think 1/2 a sweet potato per person, I’d say.
- A yummy dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- A tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil
- Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to about 425 F. (218.333 celsius… who understands this celsius business?! Just kidding… I’ll get there. Just give me 5 more years of learning to speak celsius.)
Brush clean your sweet potatoes, and chop them into equal-ish bite size thick fries.
Throw them in a large bowl with a bit of olive oil, a scoop of mustard, a pour of maple syrup, and a generous amount of pepper, and a decent amount of salt. Mix the whole lot with your (CLEAN) hands and then toss them in the oven on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes (depending on how thick you cut them), flip them, and then bake for another 10-15 minutes. They should be well roasted — they’re best that way.
Notes & Tips
This amazingly simple and life-changing recipe was unknowingly shared with me by my delightful Aussie friend, Hayley. We were chatting, she was making brunch… and I was watching. Heee! Thanks, Hayls!
To finish off your Lebanese platter of yum, just add some fresh carrot slices, and toast up some whole wheat pita triangles. *Sigh* Yes. Life is that good.
Yalla,
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