Here are my most popular Lebanese recipes of 2021, the recipes you–and there are LOTS of you!–visited most. Let’s get inspired by these for the New Year ahead!

20: Mixed Nut Hushweh Rice Pilaf

She made everything special, and her rice is indeed that. Studded with mushrooms and pine nuts, this rice belongs at the weeknight table, the holiday table, and even on its own.

 

19: Toum Garlic Sauce

Flavor, flavor, flavor. Toum is worth learning and keeping in your fridge at all times. Use it thick as a spread or thin it out with lemon juice, water, tahini, yogurt or all of them! A staple, essential.

 

18: Ma’moul

Molded Lebanese cookies filled with sugared nuts or dates, ma’moul is fun to make, beautiful to behold, and delicious. My new recipe this year was from my Sitto’s recipe box, including orange juice in the dough! I couldn’t be more thrilled to say that you are appreciating my a perfect, heirloom-quality ma’moul molds, custom made for us at MaureenAboodMarket.com here.

 

17: Ka’ik Glazed Sweet Bread

This traditional yeasted “cookie”  is more like a sweet bread, scented with anise and mahleb and molded to give it a gorgeous shape. I love sharing fresh, perfect mahleb (which is not easy to find!) and heirloom-quality ka’ik molds at MaureenAboodMarket.com.

 

16: Homemade yogurt, or Laban

One of the most essential recipes to know and to make often. Homemade yogurt like this has more complexity of flavor than anything you can buy, and it’s so economical. Plus you just feel good making your own. Yes, that’s Mom’s hand in the pot. She taught me everything so well.

 

15. Amaro Cocktail

Oh Peggy! There my sister goes with her love affair with Amaro. She’s very happy about this one being a favorite. It’s hers too.

 

14. Cauliflower Shawarma

Roasted Cauliflower Shawarma. All of that wonderful carameliized Shawarma flavor and completely vegan. Make it!

 

13. Smooth Hummus

What makes my hummus so smooth? Chickpeas without their skins. What makes it taste SO good? Again the peeled chickpeas, and also: Great tahini, like this, and great olive oil, like this.

 

12. Sfouf Cake

There are various styles of sfouf, some light and tender, some more dense, as this one is. A simple yellow cake, made so with turmeric, for snacking, tea time, coffee dunk.

 

11. Chicken Shawarma

Well if this shawarma isn’t just mouthwatering, healthy good food!  Marinated chicken thigh meat is skewered  (or broiled) then sauteed with olive oil for added flavor and moisture. Drizzled with garlicky sauce and served over rice or rolled up in a pita. Put that on repeat; we sure do. Get the fabulous Shawarma Spice here.

 

10. Mujadara

This classic Lebanese lentil pilaf is one of your very favorites, and mine too. That it’s perfectly healthy with the perfect protein formed by the lentil + bulgur or rice combo is just a side note to the mouthwatering flavor and versatility this dish brings to the weeknight table (every week here!). Try mujadara over an arugula salad, topped with a fried egg, dolloped with labneh, rolled in a pita…see, mujadara belongs on our tables!

 

9. Lebanese Baklawa

Homemade, crisp, buttery baklawa is within reach! We all LOVE my Aunt Rita’s method, which simplifies baklawa exponentially. What makes our baklawa different from Greek baklava? The syrup. Lebanese style is flavored with flower water syrup, Greek with honey and sometimes spices like cinnamon.

 

8. How to Identify and Store Grapeleaves

This is a necessary guide to being sure the leaves you’ve found out there are the right ones. And then what to do with them. Think spring!

 

7. Kibbeh Nayeh

The national dish of Lebanon. Kibbeh Nayeh is spiced, ultra-lean lamb or beef mixed with bulgur and onion, served raw. You adore kibbeh every which way: raw, fried, as a popper with sauce, poached in laban (yogurt) sauce, baked simply or in a big pan.

 

6. Sfeha

Little fatbreads of soft, chewy dough baked with highly seasoned ground beef or lamb. You need some right now and so do I!

 

5. Malfouf Salad, Lebanese Slaw

I could not believe I’d never had this cabbage salad when it first came to my attention a few years ago. The dressing includes  pomegranate molasses, dried mint, sumac, all of which you can find at MaureenAboodMarket.com. Now malfouf salad is a staple here, especially good alongside mujadara or any summer cookout.

 

4. Za’atar Flatbread, Man’oushe

Chewy thin crusted flatbread topped with lush olive oil and za’atar, the Lebanese spice blend of wild thyme, sumac, and sesaame. Addictive. This bread is eaten most typically for breakfast in Lebanon, with trimmings of fresh mint, olives, labneh, cucumbers, yum. You love za’atar bread and I love you for it!

 

3. Knafeh

Specially-made shredded phyllo forms a fabulous crust around melting cheese,  all drizzled with orange blossom syrup. People go absolutely insane for melty, cheesy knafeh. Make some and find out why! Get excellent pure orange blossom water here.

 

2. Spinach Fatayar

The dough for this fatayar, spinach or meat, is always the same, just different fillings. The spinach here is lemony with onions, such a favorite.

 

1. How to cook potatoes for potato salad

I know, how strange! The number one page besides the “all recipes” page on my site is this one. The potato salad in mind for this popular method is Lebanese Potato Salad, lemony and minty and often on our table.