Vegetarian Meals

“Zenkoul” is a traditional Lebanese recipe mainly known in West Bekaa, prepared during Lent and on Good Friday. The method of preparation varies from one village to another: some add sumac instead of pomegranate molasses, others use vinegar instead of lemon juice; dried mint is sometimes sprinkled at the end.

Zenkoul is a similar recipe to Kebbit el Rahib (Monk’s Kebbeh) and Mansoufeh all prepared with the simple basic ingredients bulgur and flour but vary with their sauce.

All in all, Zenkoul is a nutritious and delicious dish.

Total Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

1 cup Bulgur, brown fine bulgur

1/2 cup Flour

1 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. Salt

3/4 cup Water

For the sauce

1/2 cup Chickpea, soaked overnight

1/4 cup Rice

2 medium Onions, finely chopped

6 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 cups Water

2 Fresh Lemon Juice, or, 1 tbsp. Pomegranate Molasses

Olive Oil

The small dough balls that are called “zenkoul”

Dough

Mix flour, bulgur, pepper, salt, and water and knead to form the dough

Take small pieces of dough and make small balls of zenkoul with the palm of your hands, leave aside

The sauce is simple and delicious

In a large cooking pot, put the soaked chickpeas with 2 cups of water, let it boil, then transfer to low heat until the chickpeas become soft.

In a pan, fry the onion until soft, add the minced garlic.

When the water of the chickpeas starts decreasing, add the 2 remaining cups of water, the fried onion, garlic, and the zenkoul.

Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes until the “zenkoul” is cooked and the sauce is thick.

Add the lemon juice, or, the pomegranate molasses.

Serve hot.

Fava Beans are fresh from the pod they are bright green and very pretty. They’re special, they have a mild, creamy flavor that compliments many spring dishes. They have a short season. Most forms of fava beans need to be peeled before eating!

INGREDIENTS

2 kgs Fava Beans

1 cup Tahini Paste

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

2 Garlic Cloves, pressed

1/2 tsp. Salt

½ cup Water, depending on desired consistency

METHOD

Open the fava bean pod and remove the beans, usually the pod carries around 4 or 5 beans.

Fill a pot with some water to cover the beans and boil for around one minute, then remove and transfer to a bowl of iced water.

Fava beans should be ready now to peel. Once the shells are removed, steam or boil those beans for a short time just to cook for more tenderness.

Drain and prepare the tahini sauce

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed garlic and salt. Add the tahini and gradually add the lemon juice. Use a whisk or fork to combine mixture until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Taste to adjust either with more lemon juice or with water to reach the desired consistency. The tahini sauce will turn into a creamy, smooth, and light-colored sauce.

Add the peeled fava beans to the tahini sauce. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried mint. Serve with pita bread.

Traditional Lebanese vegan dish is known as Hindbeh.

Sautéed Dandelion are nutritious and delicious wild food, extremely easy to cook and, it is also economical. It is a very tasty, and simple dish. Cultivated dandelion greens grow wild on grasslands, they are long and slender, with a pleasantly bitter flavor...

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of Hindbeh, Dandelion leaves, approx. 500grams

1 large Onion, chopped

8 cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 cup chopped Coriander

1/2 tsp. Salt, or more to taste

Olive Oil for frying

Caramelized Onions and Pine Nuts for the topping

4 large Onions, sliced

1/4 cup Pine Nuts

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 fresh squeezed Lemon, more lemons quartered to squeeze separately

PREPARATION

Wash the dandelion leaves very well to help wash away bitterness, then chop the leaves, the stems are eatable, I only trim about an inch off the bottom and discard. Now soak in some salted water for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse again and add to a pot of boiling water with a tablespoon of salt and boil uncovered on medium heat for another 15 minutes, making sure you push them down, so they blanch evenly.

Alternatively, you can also steam the dandelion; this tends to keep more nutrients in it however it may yield a slightly bitter taste.

While they are cooking, prepare a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Test the tenderness of the dandelion by rubbing a stem or two between your fingers. If they are slightly squishy, then they are cooked. Immediately remove the dandelion from the heat, drain, and transfer to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking process and set the color.

Once done, drain the cooled dandelion in a colander and squeeze as much excess water as possible with your hands, then spread them on a cutting board. Sprinkle salt and mix well.

Meanwhile, add the onions and crushed garlic to a frying pan, fry with olive oil. When onions and garlic become soft and caramelized reduce the heat to low, and add the chopped coriander, fry for one more minute then add the cooked dandelion to the frying pan, pulling apart the small clumps with a fork, mix well, and cook for 5 more minutes.

Caramelized Onions and Pine nuts

In a separate frying pan, and on medium-high heat, add olive oil, when it is warm enough add the sliced onions and sauté stirring occasionally until caramelized to a golden-brown color, the main thing is to brown without burning. You want them to be sweet and silky. While some crispy and burnt edges are desired, any excessively blackened bits will taste bitter.

In another frying pan and over low heat, fry the pine nuts with the remaining olive oil, beware pine nuts brown very fast

Pour the fried dandelions into your serving plate, add lemon juice to taste, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and garnish with the caramelized onions, and fried pine nuts.

Serve cold with Lebanese pita bread and enjoy.

Leftovers can last a few days in the fridge if covered well