Vegetarian Meals

 

 

Foul is a very popular savory breakfast dish in Lebanon. Along with the Fava beans are Chickpeas.

This dish is commonly served hot and can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner. It is highly nutritious and perfect comfort food when the temperatures are low.

Fava beans are rich in protein and a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper.

Chickpeas are a great source of protein, folate, manganese and copper, s well as a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, phosphorus, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin B6.

To increase the body’s ability to absorb iron from the pulses it is good to combine them with vitamin C rich foods. Therefore, we add lemon juice to the “Foul moudammas with chickpeas” before serving.

My Lebanese family recipe for “Foul moudammas with chickpeas” combines two types of pulses: fava beans and chickpeas.

Pulses are highly nutritious foods and a very important part of the Mediterranean diet.

A simple yet delicious legume dish!!

 

COOKING THE BEANS

2 cups of Fava Beans

2 cups Chickpeas

2 liters of Water, for each cooking pot

INGREDIENTS

2 Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice, to your taste

5 Garlic cloves, mashed

Sea Salt

5 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

SIDE DISHES

1 small bunch of Fresh mint

Radish

Olives

Tomatoes, sliced

White small Onions, quartered

PREPARATION

If you are using dried chickpeas and fava beans, in one large bowl soak the dried chickpeas in warm water for 10 hours and in a different large bowl soak the dried fava beans in cold water for 10 hours. Ideally leave them soaked overnight.

In the morning rinse them well and drain. You will need 2 cooking pots to cook separately the chickpeas and the fava beans. For the chickpeas bring water to a boil in a cooking pot and when the water is boiling add the drained chickpeas and leave them cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours until tender.

For the fava beans, add the drained fava beans in a cooking pot, cover with water and add one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Cook over low medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour until tender.

You may have to add extra water while the chickpeas and fava beans are cooking. Once they are cooked, add 1 teaspoon of sea salt (or salt to taste), stir and remove from the heat.

Once they are both cooked, mix them together,( use a fork to mash the beans adding some of the reserved water they were cooked in, as all the vitamins also exists in the soup of the chickpeas and fava beans), then  add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, the garlic, salt, and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Serve and garnish with fresh mint

Serve with side dishes and pita bread.

 

 

This is a traditional Lebanese “mountain’s dish”, it is delicious and healthy
Fasoulia is a variety of red beans or white beans.
Pick beans that are new, and haven’t been stocked for a very long time

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of White Beans (Fasoulia)
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
8 Garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 to 2 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp. Salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. 7 Spices
1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Sugar
4 cups Water
Half bunch of Parsley washed and chopped

METHOD
Soak the beans overnight in freshwater so that they soften and cook faster.
On the next day, rinse them and add to a cooking pot with around 3 cups of water, boil for 5 minutes then drain the beans and discard their water. Add the beans back to the pot with 5 cups of water and bring to boil again, then lower heat to minimum and let simmer for around one hour.
Well cooked beans get smashed easily between your fingertips
In a deep cooking pot, fry the onions and garlic until golden brown then add salt, 7 spices, cinnamon, sugar, tomato paste and sauté for another 1 minute
Pour 4 cups of water over the fry and bring to a boil then add the beans, cover the pot, and let boil gently on a low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until the beans soften enough. If the water reduces, feel free to add some more. The level of water should be always 2 to 3 cm above the grains. When the water reduces and the beans are tender enough, but not mushy, add the chopped parsley and keep cooking for another 2 minutes.

Serve with pita bread

Note: If you add cold water instead of warm water to the pot, the beans may wrinkle

 

This is a quick and easy dinner that is super tasty and loaded with fiber

4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, mashed
1 cup Bulgur
1 cup cooked Chickpea
2 cups Tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cumin powder
1 tsp> Cinnamon powder

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and fry till golden brown.

Add the tomatoes and garlic to the onions and mix; add the spices and cover the pot and cook slowly for few minutes until the tomatoes become tender.

Add the bulgur and the chickpeas. Stir well to mix. Add water to cover the bulgur by 1 inch. Bring to boil then cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.  Uncover the pot and let the liquid reduce. Taste seasoning. The bulgur should be soft. Garnish with shredded parsley.

Serve hot with yogurt and a side dish of green beans salad