Name: Lebanese Mezze
Ingredients: For the Spinach Salad with Yogurt; 1/2 lb fresh spinach; 1 pint plain yogurt; 1 clove garlic, minced; Salt and pepper; For the Carrot & Orange Salad; 1 bunch carrots, washed and peeled; 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments, juice reserved; 1 handful cilantro, chopped; 1 tbsp honey; Juice of 1/2 lemon; For the Beet Salad; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 pint yogurt; Salt and pepper; Beets, boiled and peeled; 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley; For the Zucchini with Pine Nuts & Raisins; A few small to medium zucchini; 2-3 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, sliced; 1/3 cup raisins, soaked in warm water (substitute apricots if you have no raisins); 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional); Salt and pepper

Lebanese Mezze is a delicious array of dips, salads, and spreads that is a common way of eating throughout the Middle East. It may look like many parts to prepare, but each part only takes a little time. Have some nice bread, olives, couscous, or any other side.

Lebanese Mezze

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Ingredients

Scale

For the Spinach Salad with Yogurt
1/2 lb fresh spinach
1 pint plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
For the Carrot & Orange Salad
1 bunch carrots, washed and peeled
1 orange, peeled and cut into segments, juice reserved
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the Beet Salad
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pint yogurt
Salt and pepper
Beets, boiled and peeled
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
For the Zucchini with Pine Nuts & Raisins
A few small to medium zucchini
2–3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/3 cup raisins, soaked in warm water (substitute apricots if you have no raisins)
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)
Salt and pepper

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Instructions

For the spinach

Wash the spinach carefully, snipping off hard stems. Drain well. Chop the leaves and steam them in their own juices in a large covered saucepan until tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix in the yogurt and garlic and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Carrot and Orange Salad

Grate the carrots and mix with the orange segments. Mix together the orange juice from the cutting board with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp of honey. Stir in a bunch of chopped cilantro leaves.

For the Beet Salad

Mix the lemon juice with the oil. Add the yogurt and salt to taste and mix well. Dice the beets. Fold the diced beets into the yogurt mixture and stir. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley.

For the Zucchini with Pine Nuts

Cut the zucchini in quarters or sixths lengthwise. If they are too long, cut them in half. If the seeds are spongy in texture, remove them with a knife. Place in a colander over a sink or bowl, salt lightly, and leave for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Give it a good stir, reduce the heat to low, and cook very slowly for about 20-30 minutes until golden in color and sweet in smell. Be sure to stir the onions every 5 minutes so they cook evenly and do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, drain the onion, and keep the oil.
Give the zucchini a little wash to remove any excess salt and dry them with a cloth. Set the same saucepan over a high heat and return the olive oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then until tender but not mushy. Drain the raisins and add to the zucchini along with the pine nuts and sweet onion. Taste for seasoning.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2