you can make Labneh ( creamy yogurt cheese ) from plain yogurt by using cheese cloth to drain the extra water out of it .just pour the yogurt in the cheesecloth , Bring up the sides and tie them together then place it in colander with a bowl underneath ( keep it in the fridge) and let it drain for a day or until desired spreadable consistency is reached .

Prep time 10 min cook time 15 min   Level easy

Ingredients

• One Macaroni box or any kinds of pasta , I prefer the regular pasta.
• 1 cup of Labneh
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 tbsp of vegetable shortening
• Dry mint for garnish (optional)
• 2 litters of water
• Salt as desire

Direction

1. In a large pot boil water add some salt to it then the pasta , cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Drain the pasta ,in another bowl mix Labneh with garlic and a little bit of salt then add the pasta and mix well.
3. In a pan heat the shortening then pour on top of the pasta mix well and garnish with the dry mint.

Note you can use plain yogurt if Labneh is not available . Yield 4 serving

Prep time 40 cook time 1:15 hour   Level Medium

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lb (fillets are best) salmon fish or any fish that you have in your fridge
• 3 cups of basmati rice
• 3 medium chopped onions
• 2 Tbsp cumin
• salt as desire
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp of vegetable shortening

Direction

1. In a large pan heat the oil and fry the fish. Sprinkle some salt and cumin, cook well on both sides remove fish from the pan onto a plate.
2. Add water in a medium size pot and bring to boil.
3. Using the same oil fry the onion. Stir until onion turns dark brown then transfer it to the boiling water, let it boil for another 20 minutes on medium to low. meanwhile start soaking the rice in warm water .
4. Remove the onion broth from heat. Strain the onion broth from the onion using strainer that placed in or on top of another pot, Make sure that you do not burn yourself. Use 5 cups of the broth, bring it back to the pot add salt cumin then rice let it cook on low for about 45 minutes .
5. When it is ready place it in the serving plate, place the fish on top of the rice .
6. Heat the pan use the shortening and when it gets really hot add the pine nut stir for a few second or until it turns light brown now pour the shorting and the nuts on top the fish now enjoy this delicious dish.

Tip if you have more of the fish /onion broth left use it to drink with this meal simply just add little salt and lemon juice really great with this dish I always make sure to have at least 2 cups more than I need for this recipe.

Yield 2 serving

Prep time 45  cook time 1 hour  Level easy

Ingredients

• 2 cups of lentil
• 1 lb frozen chopped spinach
• 2 cups chopped cilantro
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 lemon (about 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice)
• 1 and 1/2 up of flour
• 1/3 cup burgle (crushed wheat)
• 1/3 cup of water
• salt as desire

Direction

1. In a large pot pour about 3 liters of water and bring to boil, meanwhile clean the lentil from any little rocks rinse then add to the water .
2. After boiling the lentil for 20 minutes add the chopped spinach
3. In a frying pan use the olive oil to fry the onion, garlic, and cilantro about 10 to 15 min then add it to the pot of lentil and spinach.
4. Rinse the burgle and drain well. Mix it with the flour, little of salt and the 1/3 cup of water, kneed it until it  forms into a dough. Let it sit for about 15 min, in the meantime squeeze the lemons and add it to the soup .
5. Now take the dough and create small balls about 1/2 inch and add them to the soup.
6. Reduce the temperature to medium high and let cook for about 30 minutes. You know the soup is ready when you try one of the burgle balls and the wheat is not crunchy. It should be solid and slightly chewy.

Yield 5 to 6 serving

Prep time 35min  cook time 0 min  Level easy
Ingredients

• 2 parsley bunch
• 2 medium tomato
• 1 cucumber
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp mint
• 1 cup of burgle ( crushed wheat)
• 2 squeezed lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt as desire

Direction

1. Wash the paresly very well and finely chop them . do not use food processor it will make soggy .
2. Dice the tomato, cucumber, and onion . Meanwhile wash the burgle  and drain very well from water.
3. Mix the Burgle with the lemon juice and 1/3 tsp of salt and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
4. In a bowl add the parsley ,tomato,cucumber,onion and the burgle lemon mix with the 1/2 cup of olive oil and of course salt mix well and it is ready.

Yield 4 to 6 serving

You have your Lebanon and its dilemma. I have my Lebanon and its beauty. Your Lebanon is an arena for men from the West and men from the East.

My Lebanon is a flock of birds fluttering in the early morning as shepherds lead their sheep into the meadow and rising in the evening as farmers return from their fields and vineyards.

You have your Lebanon and its people. I have my Lebanon and its people.

Yours are those whose souls were born in the hospitals of the West; they are as ship without rudder or sail upon a raging sea…. They are strong and eloquent among themselves but weak and dumb among Europeans.

They are brave, the liberators and the reformers, but only in their own area. But they are cowards, always led backwards by the Europeans. They are those who croak like frogs boasting that they have rid themselves of their ancient, tyrannical enemy, but the truth of the matter is that this tyrannical enemy still hides within their own souls. They are the slaves for whom time had exchanged rusty chains for shiny ones so that they thought themselves free. These are the children of your Lebanon. Is there anyone among them who represents the strength of the towering rocks of Lebanon, the purity of its water or the fragrance of its air? Who among them vouchsafes to say, “When I die I leave my country little better than when I was born”?

Who among them dare to say, “My life was a drop of blood in the veins of Lebanon, a tear in her eyes or a smile upon her lips”?

Those are the children of your Lebanon. They are, in your estimation, great; but insignificant in my estimation.

Let me tell you who are the children of my Lebanon.

They are farmers who would turn the fallow field into garden and grove.

They are the shepherds who lead their flocks through the valleys to be fattened for your table meat and your woolens.

They are the vine-pressers who press the grape to wine and boil it to syrup.

They are the parents who tend the nurseries, the mothers who spin the silken yarn.

They are the husbands who harvest the wheat and the wives who gather the sheaves.

They are the builders, the potters, the weavers and the bell-casters.

They are the poets who pour their souls in new cups.

They are those who migrate with nothing but courage in their hearts and strength in their arms but who return with wealth in their hands and a wreath of glory upon their heads.

They are the victorious wherever they go and loved and respected wherever they settle.

They are the ones born in huts but who died in palaces of learning.

These are the children of Lebanon; they are the lamps that cannot be snuffed by the wind and the salt which remains unspoiled through the ages.

They are the ones who are steadily moving toward perfection, beauty, and truth.

What will remain of your Lebanon after a century? Tell me! Except bragging, lying and stupidity? Do you expect the ages to keep in its memory the traces of deceit and cheating and hypocrisy? Do you think the atmosphere will preserve in its pockets the shadows of death and the stench of graves?

Do you believe life will accept a patched garment for a dress? Verily, I say to you that an olive plant in the hills of Lebanon will outlast all of your deeds and your works; that the wooden plow pulled by the oxen in the crannies of Lebanon is nobler than your dreams and aspirations.

I say to you, while the conscience of time listened to me, that the songs of a maiden collecting herbs in the valleys of Lebanon will outlast all the uttering of the most exalted prattler among you. I say to you that you are achieving nothing. If you knew that you are accomplishing nothing, I would feel sorry for you, but you know it not.

You have your Lebanon and I have my Lebanon.

By Jibran Khalil Jibran

Prep time 30 min  Bake time 1 hour  Level easy

Ingredients

• 6 cups of flour
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp of Mahlab (optional)
• 2 tbsp of yeast
• 2 cups of water
• 3/4 cup of milk
• zaatar ( thyme , sumac , sesame seeds, salt) mixed with olive oil until it become like paste

Direction

1. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, Mahlab and yeast) then add water and milk.
2. Kneed the dough very well leave it slightly sticky. If it is too sticky add about 1 tbsp of flour at a time and kneed .
3. Cover and let it rest after 1 hour the dough should double the size now pushit down and kneed again for a little bit.
4. Now divide the dough into 8  small round dough and dust them with flour ( you can cover with a plastic bag and let it rest for another 30 minutes but if you are in a hurry you can skip this step).
5. Bring out the rolling pin and on a clean dry surface sprinkle flour and start rolling the dough one by one into a round mini pizza size. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin just sprinkle more flour over it.
6. Place 2 pieces of the dough side by side in a  baking tray  and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven at 400 degree.
7. Spread the Zaatar/olive oil paste on top of the dough (you can put as much as you want, I like extra Zaatar on it) then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, check the bottom of it if it is golden brown that means it is ready .

Tip: It is great with tea.

Zaatar or thyme mix

• 1 cup dried thyme
• 1 cup toasted sesame seeds
  
• 2 tbsp of sumac 
• 1 tsp of salt

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon of milk
• 2 tbsp  of plain yogurt (yes, you need at least one tbsp of existing yogurt  )
• Couple thick blankets.

Direction

1. In a medium sauce pan boil the milk  , and on the side beat the 2 tbsp of yogurt for about 1 minute and leave it out of the fridge so it is not too cold when you add to the milk .
2. Then let the milk cool down to 115 F  or you can test the temperature by dipping your finger in the milk and  if you can handle the temperature for at least 5 seconds, this means it is ready ( The temperature of the milk plays a big factor of making the yogurt).
3. Move the hot milk to a container
4. Add the 1 tbs of yogurt to the milk and stir slowly until the yogurt mixed through the milk (for about 8 seconds ).
5. Cover then wrap the container with a couple blankets to keep the temperature from dropping too fast and make sure that you place it in non traffic area for overnight the longer you let it sit the thicker it will get I prefer to let it sit for about 15 hours .be careful If it gets moving or shaking it interrupts the process.

Note you can make Labneh ( creamy yogurt cheese ) from plain yogurt by using cheese cloth to drain the extra water out of it .just pour the yogurt in the cheesecloth , Bring up the sides and tie them together then place it in colander with a bowl underneath ( keep it in the fridge) and let it drain for a day or until desired spreadable consistency is reached .

Always save at least 2 tbsp of yogurt to use as starter for the next time you want to make some.

Prep time 1 hour  cook time 38min  Level medium

Ingredients

• 12 - 16 pieces of small or medium zucchini
• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups of short grain rice soaked for 30 minutes in warm water
• 2 tbsp of shortening or vegetable oil divided into 2
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 large onion chopped small
• 1 tbsp of 7 spices or all spices
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• salt

Direction

1. Wash the zucchini and cut the top part that is not eatable then take the long curved knife and from the center top of the zucchini push the knife in carefully (do not go all the way down ) now turn the knife around and take it out, the center of the zucchini is out now keep turning the knife around the inside until you have a decent whole in the middle .repeat with rest of the zucchini.
2. In a bowl mix meat with rice add salt and the 7 spices or all spices , in a pan use half of the oil to fry the pine nut then add it to the meat rice mix .
3. Stuff the zucchini with the meat mix half way (do not fill all the way or the rice will expend and break the zucchini).
4. In a pot add 2 litter of water and tomato paste bring to boil meanwhile  in pan add the rest of the oil and fry the onion until stat getting tender then add to the tomato sauce add salt as desired.
5. now drop in the stuffed zucchini, cook for 30 to 35 minutes on medium low.
6. take one out and try to cut it with the spoon or fork and if it goes through it easily that is mean it is ready, remove the zucchini from the tomato sauce in a deep dish.
7. I like to cook the tomato sauce for another 15 minutes until it is thickened, serve the stuffed zucchini with the tomato sauce on the side.

Tip you can use a potato peeler and in the same time choose the smallest zucchini you can find just because the potato peeler is not long enough like the one that I use.

yield 3 to 4 serving