full meal dinner board like no other perfect for date night at home. super delicious and full of levantine flavors. with full explanation how to build it up and free grocery list in article.
Servings 4people
Prep Time 1 hourhr
Cook Time 30 minutesmins
Ingredients
for the chicken marinate:
1chicken whole chicken breastboneless
1garlic clove minced.
½tspcumin powder
1tbsppomegranate molasses
1tbspred grape vinegar
Salt and pepper
2tbspzaatar herb mixture
2tbspneutral cooking oil
For the beef steak marinade:
1beef flank steak
spice mix: 1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper
1garlic head cut in half
3tbspolive oil
Creamy fetta dip:
200gfetta cheese
100garisheh cheeseLebanese ricotta
60glabnehor plain yogurt
1tbsplemon juice
1tbspdry mint
For the topping:
1tbspfresh mintchopped
1tbsppistachiochopped
1tbsplemon juice
¼tspcoarse salt
6tbspolive oil
Nutty Kabsa hummus:
1cupcooked chickpeas drained
4tbsptahini
2tbspalmond butter
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼cupolive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4tbspWarm water watermaybe more
For topping:
1onion sliced
1carrot grated
2 tomatodiced
2tbspKabsa spice mixsee notes
1tbspcurry powder
1tspturmeric powder
1tbsptomato paste
4tbspraisin
4tbsppine nutsor cashew or almonds or pistachio
Extra olive oil and toasted nuts for garnish
My signature guacamole:
2big ripe avocado
1red tomato cut diced
1capsicumany color you want or mix of many colors, diced
1red oniondiced
1tspwhole grain mustardor normal yellow mustard
1tspDijon mustard
2tbsplemon juiceor more to taste
1tbsplime juiceoptional
¼tspwhite pepper
¼tspnutmeg
½tspcumin powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
4tbspfresh parsleychopped
4tbspfresh corianderchopped
1leavegeranium عطرةchopped (optional)
Lebanese Caesar salad and dressing:
2cupschopped romaine lettuce.
2cupschopped kale.
1cupsesame kaak cut into cubes
Dressing:
2tbsptahini
About 2 tbsp warm water
1garlic cloveminced
1lemonjuiced and zest
½tbspDijon mustard
¼cupgrated parmigiano cheese and some extra shaved slices for garnish
1tspblack pepper
3tbspvirgin olive oil
Instructions
For the chicken:
Remove chicken 30 minutes before you want to grill to set to room temperature.
In a small ball mix the minced garlic,cumin, molasse, vinegar, zaatar herb mixture.
Pour over the chicken and rub it well with the marinate , cover and set aside for 30 minutes to marinate and get to room temperature before grilling.
for the meat :
after we do the chicken, time to do the same with the steak, remove the steak 30 minutes to one hour before grilling to set to room temperature.
Mix your spices. brush your steak from all sides with some oil and rub it from al the sides with the spice mix. Set aside while we prepare other stuff.
For the creamy fetta dip:
In food processor, combine the dip ingredients: fetta, arisheh (ricotta), labneh (yoghurt), lemon juice and dry mint. Blend until a creamy smooth mixture is formed. Taste for salt and adjust . I usually don’t add any extra salt because the fetta is already salty.
To make the topping of the dip: because it is a small quantity I use my hand blender but you can also do it with a traditional mortar by hand. Add the mint, lemon juice, pistachio and salt and pulse until they everything is blended and have a paste consistency . while you are blending pour the oil gradually until you have a pesto consistency. You might need more or less oil that mentioned.
Keep the dip in the fridge and the topping in room temperature. When ready to serve, transfer the fetta dip into your serving bowl and spoon the pesto over it with some extra olive oil if you want and sprinkle some pistachio for garnish.
Nutty kabsa hummus:
in your food processor, add the drained chickpeas, tahini, almond butter, and lemon juice and zest.
Blend the mixture until smooth , scraping down the sides occasionally when necessary. With the machine running stream in the olive oil until smooth and creamy.
If the hummus is too thick for your liking, you can thin it with water. Add 1 tbsp at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and season as desired for salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge until it is time to serve.
For the topping:
In a skillet on medium heat, add the oil and the kabsa spices with the curry and turmeric cook for a minutes until the spices flavors are infused . add the onions and cook for a minute than add the carrots and ginger and mix it through and cook for 2 minutes. Ad the tomato paste and mix. Add the diced tomato and mix all together,lower the heat and let it simmer for a good 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until everything is tender and cooked through. Add the nuts and raisin and mix it through. Let the raisin and the nuts cook with the sauce for two minutes than turn off the heat and set aside to cool down before serving.
To serve, transfer the hummus to your serving bowl and top it with the kabsa veggies and sprinkle some extra toasted nuts and drizzle of olive oil to garnish.
For the signature avocado dip:
In the food processor or in a mortar by hand, add the ripe avocado with mustard, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lime juice, white pepper, nutmeg, cumin and salt and black pepper and pulse until you have a smooth creamy mixture.
In a small strainer, chop the tomato, capsicum, onion and let it drain a little bit. Add to a deep mixture bowl, pour the avocado mixture over it, add the chopped parsley, coriander and geranium and mix with a spatula or spoon until everything is coated with the avocado mixture , taste for extra salt, pepper or lemon and adjust to your liking.
Set in the fridge until time to serve. To serve transfer your avocado to your serving bowl and garnish the top with some of the chopped veggies and herb and some lemon or lime slices.
For the Lebanese Caesar salad:
First start with the sauce, you can mix in a bowl or with a hand blender for a smooth creamy dressing.
Combine the tahini, garlic, lemon, Dijon mustard, and cheese and blend until smooth and creamy add the water if the mixture is too thick like hummus and pulse till smooth. While you are blending stream in the olive oil until you have a smooth creamy dressing. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Set the dressing aside.
Add your kale to a mixing bowl drizzle just two tbsp of the dressing over the kale and massage it well until all the kale leaves are coated with the dressing , add the lettuce and set asdie without mixing, to mix just before serving.
For the croutons I am using the kaak, so I just cut my sesame kaak into smaller cubes bites toss in some garlic and oil and bake in 180 C° preheated oven until golden and crispy.
To serve add the dressing to the lettuce and massaged kale and toss well until everything is coated with the sauce. Add to the dinner board and garnish with the kaak croutons and some shaved parmegiano cheese.
For cooking the chicken and meat:
After the chicken and steak have been sitting in room temperature for more than 30 minutes.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat . add oil to the pan, add chicken and cook for 10 minutes turning mid time . Season with some extra salt and black pepper each side before flipping to the other, you will know that your chicken is perfectly cooked when the inside temperature of the chicken reach 70 C° and if you poke the liquid the comes out of the chicken will be clear.
Transfer the chicken to a plate a loosely cover with some aluminium foil to rest while cooking the meat. don’t cut before the chicken rest at least 5 minutes.
For the steak, heats the cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat and get as hot as the you can. You might wanna open the window and turn the oven fan on if you are cooking it indoor, we need it realy hot. Cook for 8 minutes, flipping every minute this for a medium-rare, cooked steak, you need to cook it longer if you like your meat more well done. You will know that your steak is ready when the internal temperature reach 55 C ° (for medium rare). Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and rest for 5 minutes (or more) covered loosely with aluminum foil before cutting and serving.
Finally, for plating and serving:
Now finally to assemble your board. Pour your dips into the serving bowls and garnish.
Mix your salad , cut your meat and chicken after resting.
Put your condiments in small serving bowls and start arranging your board as you like
I put my salad on the board and arrange my chicken and steak strips.
Add the dips bowl and add the pitta breads and the bowl with the condiments (chutney, caramelized onion , olives spread) than I fill the negative spaces with some pickles, grilled olives, fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes and garnish with some extra edible flowers for a pop of color.
Notes
Leftovers: for any leftovers from the board , you can store the dips in closed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days you can enjoy as breakfast spreads with toasted bread slices and some omelet for extra protein boost. For the meat and chicken, you can also store in close container in the fridge for up to 5 days and enjoy with some salad for a meal. For the mixed salad it will be good to enjoy for 24 hours because of the lettuce. If you are using only kale though t can still be good for 48 hours.
Kabsa spices: for the kabsa spice mix and buy it ready mix from grocery store but you can quickly mix it at home if you don’t find it . just mix together 1 tsp of each: turmeric powder, coriander powder, black pepper, ginger powder, cardamon powder and fennel powder.
For the zaatar herb mix: if you live in Arabic or middle eastern country there Is no way you don’t have some zaatar in your pantry, it is the one we do manakich with but if you don’t mix together: 3 tbsp sumac, 1 tsp cumin,2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 3 tbsp dry zaatar (wild thyme), 1 tsp salt.