As many of you readers of my blog and followers on social media know already, I’ve been in Turkey for several months exploring the cuisine and the sights of the southern Turquoise Coast. It’s a beautiful place with some majestic scenery and a tradition of down to earth local foods that combine the Aegean with the Mediterranean cultures, as where I am in Fethiye-Mugla is literally the place where both waters meet.
The thing is, that being here has given me an entirely new appreciation for my own Sicilian heritage. The island of Sicily is not far from here- a straight shot west basically- and has a similar, albeit dryer, climate. So it’s no surprise that the ingredients here are quite similar to those I grew up with, showing up in delicious Sicilian recipes centuries old that must have been created out of sheer availability of local and seasonal foodstuffs.
My grandmother used to make a dish called lenticchie, which is basically a soup with lentils and small pasta like ditalini. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it because the lentils always seemed to go mushy all over the pasta and I’m particular about the texture of my pasta, as well as the taste. It takes a lot for me to eat it without real tomato sauce…
Nevertheless, I grew up and reminisced about everything my grandmother made and wanted to try my hand at it all just so that I could be surrounded by the smell of her cooking again.
As such, we all develop our own tastes and techniques for recipes- at least that’s what I always do no matter the origin of the recipe. I don’t stress about making things exactly the way someone else made certain dishes; instead I go upon my own intuition and let the smell and taste of the food guide me towards what I’d be satisfied to eat.
This Aegean Lentil Pasta recipe is just that. Years of formulating my own taste preferences and an appreciation for what’s not just seasonal and local, but what’s available in my own kitchen in an effort not to waste what’s already there. In this case, it was many of the Turkish kitchen basics: onion, garlic, tomato, red pepper paste, lentils, olive oil and key spices like Turkish thyme and ground red pepper.
I think what helps me to get the texture of the lentils just how I like them is to cook them ahead and separate from any of the other ingredients. That way, I keep a watchful eye and boil them just until they get how I like them- cooked, but not mushy. Depending upon how much you’re cooking, in a typical dish that feeds 4 people, this should take about 20 minutes.
Once the lentils are cooked, strain and set aside.
In a medium to large deep pan or deep-bottom sauce pan, warm the olive oil and then add the chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic all at once.
Once the onions have gone translucent, add the thyme, salt, black pepper and ground red pepper. Also add the cooked and strained lentils.
Next comes the addition of water and the red pepper paste, which you should be able to find at Mediterranean markets or even sometimes at World Market. If you’re in a Turkish market (whether in Turkey or abroad, you can find a large jar of the Ipek brand, and it’s called in Turkish “Biber Salçası” (literally, “Pepper Sauce”). This brand also has a halal mark on it, though I am not deeply familiar with it so I can’t say more than that about it or their certification.
You need to add the water before the red pepper paste in order to thoroughly whisk or combine the paste into the liquid mixture. It gives it that nice red color and deep, earthy flavor. I’ve only ever been used to using tomato sauce or paste in this recipe before, but the red pepper really has converted me into making it with this flavor profile instead–and it makes it very Aegean, and very Turkish.
At this stage, I also add some fresh parsley– not too much, because I’ll add it at the end, too, but just some for flavor. Next, once the water comes to a boil, add the ditalini pasta. Please don’t use large noodles or anything larger than the largest size of ditalini available- it really sort of ruins the proportions of this dish and you probably won’t enjoy eating it. There’s a reason why the small ditalini pasta is used here, and it’s not just tasty, but also pleasurable.
Because the pasta has to cook, you’ll need to cover the pan at this point and let it cook for the customary 10-12 minutes it normally takes to get done. This is not the time for al dente pasta here, please. I don’t use a whole bag or box of pasta, either. I just sprinkle the amount I want- about 1/2 cup or about half the amount or less than the lentils. Once the pasta cooks, you may still have a lot of liquid in the pan. At this point, you can either 1) enjoy this dish as a soup (that’s how my grandmother served it); or 2) let most of the liquid cook out until you reach the desired consistency and serve it as a pasta.
I chose the latter for a couple of reasons. First, it’s too hot to drink soup right now; and second, I just really loved the way this turned out once most of the liquids evaporated- it was super easy to eat with a spoon. On top, just add a drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley and if you have a good fresh Parmesan or dried goat cheese, go for it. I didn’t have any cheese, but it’s the one thing I know for sure was missing. Otherwise, it’s a completely vegan meal.
If you don’t know me by now, one thing you should know is that I love all things Mediterranean. The food, the sunshine, the lifestyle…the FOOD. The food itself exudes sunshine, the sea and the rich volcanic soil of some of my favorite places like Southern Italy. That’s where some of the best tomatoes in the world grow, and for the best basil, you need a constant supply of sunny, dry weather.
Since we lack a lot of that in the Chicago winter, and it’s been really getting to me, I decided to force a little sunshine into my life by making these Mediterranean subs with Deli Halal meats, since they are a wonderful source of healthy, halal protein (read more about their high quality and wholesome way of making their products here).
To make these subs, which are perfect for leisure weekend lunches or weekday school or work lunches also, you only need a few essential, but delicious and fresh ingredients. Most of these are things you could grab on your next trip to the grocery store and a couple of things you might already have in your pantry. Just be sure to find out where the Deli Halal is before you shop because their meats are what really make these sandwiches exceptionally meaty and delicious- and something I haven’t had in over a decade because I’ve never really found a deli meat I could say I would eat on a regular basis due to its great flavor, authenticity and commitment to being as wholesome as possible.
To start out, I use all of the beef varieties of Deli Halal meats. They do offer a delicious, nitrite-free chicken breast but I didn’t include it in this recipe. Instead, I used their Beef Pastrami, Beef Salami, Corned Beef and Roast Beef (which tastes like a homemade roast beef that has just been sliced). And, of course, some deliciously fresh rustic Italian bread, which I sliced in half on the horizontal so that I could add my spreads and toppings easily.
What are those delicious toppings? You can variate when necessary or if there is something you don’t like or don’t have instead, but here’s what I did that just tasted amazing and fresh and very Mediterranean:
Rustic Italian bread- make sure it’s the real stuff and that it’s not so dense that you can’t really cut your teeth into it when you’re eating the sandwich!
Pesto (make or buy your own. If you make your own, be sure you start off with the freshest pine nuts. If you have preserved your basil like I did here, making the pesto from that should be just fine).
Good quality mayonnaise. Again, you can make your own or buy the kind with olive oil or an artisan variety. I particularly love the Lithuanian brands, which are easily found in the Polish aisle of many international grocers in major cities like Chicago. It’s just light and creamy and made with very few ingredients.
Good quality bufala mozzarella cheese. If you don’t have this, sprinkles of grated Parmesan work well, too. If you have neither, try something like a thinly-sliced yogurt cheese.
Fresh basil leaves. There really isn’t any substitute.
Fresh tomatoes, preferably Roma or on-the-vine tomatoes. Again, no real substitute for these.
(Optional) Fresh oregano in olive oil with a tad of sea salt. This is like an added dressing which you don’t really need because the sandwich will already have the pesto which is in olive oil, but it’s just an added touch I really like.
Once the bread is cut, spread one side with pesto and one side with mayonnaise.
On one side, layer with basil leaves, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella or other cheese and the optional oregano oil.
On the other side, layer with the stack of meats: Salami, Corned Beef, Pastrami and Roast Beef. Close them up and either eat them up (as is or warm for a bit in the oven/toaster oven) OR cut the bread into generous portions where the entire loaf can feed a small crowd.
I add toothpicks to each portion to keep it all in place.
Nice and meaty, full of flavors that are fresh and pungent and packed with healthy ingredients you can feel good about eating and serving.
Perfect for a party, perfect for lunches. That’s what good food is all about, right? #SpreadtheHalal
Meaty Mediterranean Subs
Makes 4-6 portions of ‘sandwiches’
INGREDIENTS
1 large loaf rustic Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise
4-6 tablespoons pesto
4-6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6-8 fresh basil leaves
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
3-4 slices each Deli Halal meats: Beef Salami, Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Beef Pastrami
Once the bread is cut, spread one side with pesto and one side with mayonnaise.
On one side, layer with basil leaves, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella or other cheese and the optional oregano oil.
On the other side, layer with the stack of meats: Salami, Corned Beef, Pastrami and Roast Beef. Close them up and either eat them up (as is or warm for a bit in the oven/toaster oven) OR cut the bread into generous portions where the entire loaf can feed a small crowd.
Serve as-is or after warming in an oven. Add toothpicks to each portion to keep it all in place.
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Deli Halal will also be participating in the upcoming I Heart Halal Festival in Chicago from April 13-15 at Navy Pier. Be sure to come out and visit so you can talk to them directly!
Winter days are quite the challenge here in Chicago, so I’m always trying to find ways to warm up with food. I haven’t had a cold salad in months, as I just really believe in eating as many hot meals as possible, and I never have cold drinks in the winter. Even the sandwiches I make are on toasted bread with melted cheese- am I the only one who does this in the winter months?
That said I’m always experimenting with my favorite type of meal: soups. And my favorite type of soups are the Italian-inspired ones because I love anything with lots of tomatoes and lots of garlic. Now add some greens and a really rich broth and we’re in business…
That’s why I’ve made this Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup. It’s “Tuscan” because the kale is of the Tuscan seed variety, and it’s one I feel I can digest better than the other varieties, for some reason. It’s a long, thin variety and the stems aren’t so thick that I feel like I need to chop them like crazy before throwing them into the soup.
If you make pasta dishes often, you probably have most of the ingredients necessary to make this; and if you know how important a good broth is, you can make your own or use the convenient, halal option of Saffron Road’s Classic Culinary Vegetable Broth. In Chicago, I find my stash at Jewel grocery stores in their organic foods section. They can also sometimes be found in The Fresh Market stores, Whole Foods Markets and I’ve also seen their simmer sauces in World Market! That’s some amazing presence in the retail food world.
I like to start my soup with, of course, chopped onion and garlic (because that gives everything the base of flavor most dishes need), but also some of the very best tomato sauce or crushed/diced tomatoes you can find.
The broth will add a lot of flavor and color, too. You can use chicken broth if you like, but it will obviously change the flavor. Saffron Road carries two types of halal broths that might interest you, which you can see more about here.
Add the chickpeas and kale.
Once the soup is done, I like to keep it in mason jars in the fridge or freezer. Last time I made so much that I had to freeze some and when I defrosted it, it was absolutely perfect.
I simply simmer it in a pan and serve.
You can, however, add some type of pasta noodle to this soup, but I don’t recommend doing this if you think you may end up freezing it, as the noodles end up broken and makes the soup starchy and frankly, look a bit messy. We do eat with our eyes first, after all…
If you want to add noodles, I suggest small ones like ditalini or pennette (small penne) because there is already a lot going on in the soup and those smaller noodles are a similar size to the chickpeas so they just go together nicely in your mouth. That’s important, too.
I love, love, love this soup for lunch. In fact, I’ve been having it for days. I especially love it with freshly grated Pecorino cheese on top, after it’s warmed up and just before eating.
Because it’s pretty filling, you may or may not want to have a sandwich with it. If I make it with pasta, I don’t eat any bread with it because of the carbs, but maybe you want a piece of rustic bread to sop up all the tasty liquids at the bottom of your bowl. Who knows, just make it, warm yourself up and treat yourself to a wholesome, delicious bowl of goodness, day or night. Once you make it yourself, I believe you will really taste the difference between making your own and going out for a soup and sandwich. You tell me, once you’ve tried this recipe for yourself!
*This post was sponsored by Saffron Road. All opinions and recipe creations and photos and opinions are of my own design.
My passion for soup intensifies every time I come up with a new way to blend different veggies. Since I’m usually always stirring in some kind of dairy into my soups- whether it’s milk, heavy cream or creme fraiche, this recipe is one I’m especially happy to show you because there is a secret ingredient in it that removes any need for dairy- perfect for vegans or those who are lactose-intolerant. Would you believe that the secret ingredient – cauliflower – is what makes it so creamy and milky? Without telling anyone there isn’t any cream in the dish, you might easily fool even your foodiest of foodie friends. Seriously. But there is another secret ingredient that is my go-to whenever I’m making soup and need a quick and convenient broth to add flavor and depth to all of my soups: the Saffron Roadhalalbroths, whether it’s the vegetable, chicken or lamb broths. So you can start this dish with riced cauliflower OR fresh or frozen cauliflower florets. These are sautéed with chopped zucchini, some onion and garlic, too. Once the broth is added, the liquid should come to a boil. It should cook for about 20 minutes to soften all of the ingredients, then removed from heat and pureed with an immersion blender, one of my favorite kitchen gadgets to use when making my soups. I then add in some fresh or dried herbs- always the fresh variety if and when you have those: parsley, dill, basil, cilantro- any or all of them. I like to serve this soup nice and thick with a drizzle of olive oil on top, but you could add more liquid- more broth or some water added to the broth. On the side, I love to serve this soup with Saffron Road’s Sea Salt Lentil Crackers, which are totally wheat free and a true gift to those who are avoiding wheat in their diets. For that, I’m so thankful. Great halal products like Saffron Road’s broth and lentil crackers (which are also gluten free) that pay attention to the special diet needs so many people have today.If you haven’t tried these products yet, check out my Instagram account on 11/30/17 where I’ll be giving away a week’s worth of Saffron Road coupons to one randomly-selected winner so there is no excuse not to give these fabulous products a try with your family.
Nothing says Spring in the culinary world like fresh green produce, although not all of it from this recipe has been grown right in our backyards here in the Midwest. I just love to make a lot of soups when the weather is on the cusp of cold, wet and rainy and just a little bit warm during pockets of the day when the sun peeks through the clouds and then retreats, as if to say, “I’m not ready to go full time just yet”.
In this quick and simple soup, I utilize what’s nice and fresh at the store like leeks, zucchini and celery.
And the freshest of greenery that comes straight from my windowsill: basil and parsley.
The herbs plus the garlic gets pounded down in a mortar and pestle to really crush up the garlic and release all of its flavor, rubbing it agains those herbs so they can all become one united flavor mixture.
They will be added at the end of the soup, much like a pistou, or pesto, trailing olive oil along with it.
First and foremost, the leeks must be cleaned. You can buy the pre-cut and washed ones, which I have done in the recent past- yet, I still brought them home and rinsed them once they’re cut. They often contain a lot of dirt and sandy debris, so you really can’t skip this step- unless the packaging specifies that it’s been done already. I’m just in the habit of it, I guess, and felt that because they were trimmed nicely that I’d already won an extra 10-15 minutes. I know it’s not rational, but it is therapeutic in some odd way…
Next, it all gets sautéed in olive oil until they veggies have softened and come down in size quite a bit. Notice that I’m not using any onions here because the leeks already sort of serve that purpose in that they are of the same family flavor profile, so need to double up on those.
Salt and pepper of course will come in just as soon as the broth is added.
*NOTE ABOUT THE BROTH IN THIS RECIPE: It seems as though the Saffron Road halal chicken broth and other broths are not available, so you can replace it with an organic vegetarian broth like this one for this recipe.
You all know that Saffron Road’s Artisan Roasted Chicken Broth, is my go-to choice due to their incredibly hight quality of standards when sourcing ingredients and in the way they’re made (they also have another chicken broth called Traditional Chicken Broth, Lamb Broth– the only one I’ve seen on the market shelves- and Vegetable Broth), all giving any soup that depth of flavor you can only really get with the best stocks and broths.
Just remember to salt the soup after the addition of the broth because there is sodium in the broth and you’ll want to adjust yours accordingly after tasting.
Let the soup come to a boil, then quickly reduce the heat. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to combine all of the ingredients. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can allow the soup to cool a bit then use a blender instead to combine. Bring soup back to the heat and keep on a simmer. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil into the garlic-parsley paste you made in the mortar & pestle, combine it all and then add to the top of the soup in individual bowls. Serve and enjoy it!
I had no idea what a hit these pita rolls would be. They seemed so easy to make and with such a familiar taste to them, I didn’t even think they would be very interesting to other people. When I instagrammed making these several months ago, so many people were intrigued and wanted the recipe. I totally understand why now- they’re so so easy to make and don’t take too many ingredients to put them together. For people who don’t like tabbouleh or hummus (if they exist), you don’t even really have to put them in the rolls, but they definitely taste better with the two, in my opinion.
Here’s how it goes:
Start with the best quality ingredients you can find, as with all recipes.
The same goes for olive oil and vinegar (i.e. date vinegar or apple cider vinegar). Don’t skimp on the good stuff if you can afford it. There truly is no replacement for real olive oil and the flavor you get with a dark vinegar like date vinegar is unique so if you choose to de-glaze this dish with another type of vinegar (i.e white), it will vary a bit.
You may have questions on the vinegar issue as it relates to halal, I know. So, please visit the vinegar page for what I understand and go by with regards to how I select it. I know
Get a good quality tabbouleh or make it yourself, of course! Here’s a link to my Tabbouleh recipe if you decide to spend a lot of time chopping. It’s quite therapeutic, really.
If you absolutely can’t find the boneless cubes, you can also just get their boneless skinless breast tenders and cut them up, which takes all about 2 minutes for a pound of meat.
Start with a large saute pan and add salt if you’re using a non-stick or a non-cast iron pan. This helps prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan during cooking, which often happens with skinless meats. Add just enough for the recipe to avoid over-salting.
You’re welcome.
Add the oil to pan now gently heat.
When the oil is hot (not burning), add the chicken, freshly ground pepper and any additional salt you think. Cook over medium high heat.
.
Let the chicken brown on one side then flip.
Flip again until they’re really nicely browned on all sides. You may need to stay right in front of the pan to do this, in order to avoid burning or pulling apart of any meat.
Now add the vinegar.
All at once. It will start to steam and evaporate just as soon as it hits the pan. Stay right in front of the pan to deglaze the oil and any scraps at the bottom of the pan with your spoon or spatula.
Keep doing this until all of the vinegar is ‘gone’- it’s really attaching itself to the meat.
It should look this beautiful by then, the deep dark color is due to the vinegar. Don’t worry if there’s a little oil left in the pan. That’s actually good because if you’re not eating this right away, you can store the chicken with this oil and re-heat in it so that it doesn’t dry out.
It’ll also give it a bit of a nice sheen.
This is not a greasy sandwich, but that extra oil is kind of nice if you want to add in the pita roll. We love it like that.
Those bite-size pieces are just wonderful, but you can always cut larger pieces if you prefer.
Here’s a video where I show how the same technique is done, although these chicken pieces are uncut (using boneless chicken tenders):
Now get out the hummus. This is a pre-made one, I know. That’s what makes it extra quick when you need things to be fast.
Take a heaping spoonful and spread it across the underside of one whole pita bread laid flat on a plate.
Now do one more heaping spoonful. It makes the sandwich more moist.
Next is the tabbouleh. Another ready-made version. I said I needed it done fast. But truth be told, I have at times made one thing homemade and store-bought the other. Whatever works for you.
Then, add as much chicken as you’ll like per sandwich. I like to divide the final mixture of chicken into fours so that I know I’ll have four evenly-made sandwiches.
Wanna roll? Or eat it open face? Well, you could do either one, really.
Let’s say we roll this time. Take one side of the bread and fold it completely over the ingredients lengthwise.
And, roll again.
Cut them in half, if you like, or just because you want to take photos. Everyone’s doing that these days….
I think we may find one day that there are more pictures of sandwiches and said pita rolls than there are of children in our families.
Once the onions have gone translucent, add the thyme, salt, black pepper and ground red pepper. Also add the cooked and strained lentils. 
Next comes the addition of water and the red pepper paste, which you should be able to find at Mediterranean markets or even sometimes at World Market. If you’re in a Turkish market (whether in Turkey or abroad, you can find a large jar of the Ipek brand, and it’s called in Turkish “Biber Salçası” (literally, “Pepper Sauce”). This brand also has a halal mark on it, though I am not deeply familiar with it so I can’t say more than that about it or their certification. 
At this stage, I also add some fresh parsley– not too much, because I’ll add it at the end, too, but just some for flavor. 
Next, once the water comes to a boil, add the ditalini pasta. Please don’t use large noodles or anything larger than the largest size of ditalini available- it really sort of ruins the proportions of this dish and you probably won’t enjoy eating it. There’s a reason why the small ditalini pasta is used here, and it’s not just tasty, but also pleasurable. 
Once the pasta cooks, you may still have a lot of liquid in the pan. At this point, you can either 1) enjoy this dish as a soup (that’s how my grandmother served it); or 2) let most of the liquid cook out until you reach the desired consistency and serve it as a pasta. 
On one side, layer with basil leaves, sliced tomatoes, mozzarella or other cheese and the optional oregano oil.
On the other side, layer with the stack of meats: Salami, Corned Beef, Pastrami and Roast Beef. Close them up and either eat them up (as is or warm for a bit in the oven/toaster oven) OR cut the bread into generous portions where the entire loaf can feed a small crowd. 
I add toothpicks to each portion to keep it all in place.
Nice and meaty, full of flavors that are fresh and pungent and packed with healthy ingredients you can feel good about eating and serving. 
Perfect for a party, perfect for lunches. That’s what good food is all about, right? #SpreadtheHalal
Meaty Mediterranean Subs
Add the chickpeas and kale.
You can, however, add some type of pasta noodle to this soup, but I don’t recommend doing this if you think you may end up freezing it, as the noodles end up broken and makes the soup starchy and frankly, look a bit messy. We do eat with our eyes first, after all…
I love, love, love this soup for lunch. In fact, I’ve been having it for days. I especially love it with freshly grated Pecorino cheese on top, after it’s warmed up and just before eating. 
Because it’s pretty filling, you may or may not want to have a sandwich with it. If I make it with pasta, I don’t eat any bread with it because of the carbs, but maybe you want a piece of rustic bread to sop up all the tasty liquids at the bottom of your bowl. Who knows, just make it, warm yourself up and treat yourself to a wholesome, delicious bowl of goodness, day or night. Once you make it yourself, I believe you will really taste the difference between making your own and going out for a soup and sandwich. You tell me, once you’ve tried this recipe for yourself!
Would you believe that the secret ingredient – cauliflower – is what makes it so creamy and milky? Without telling anyone there isn’t any cream in the dish, you might easily fool even your foodiest of foodie friends. Seriously. 
But there is another secret ingredient that is my go-to whenever I’m making soup and need a quick and convenient broth to add flavor and depth to all of my soups: the
So you can start this dish with riced cauliflower OR fresh or frozen cauliflower florets. These are sautéed with chopped zucchini, some onion and garlic, too. Once the broth is added, the liquid should come to a boil. 
It should cook for about 20 minutes to soften all of the ingredients, then removed from heat and pureed with an 
I then add in some fresh or dried herbs- always the fresh variety if and when you have those: parsley, dill, basil, cilantro- any or all of them. 
I like to serve this soup nice and thick with a drizzle of 
For that, I’m so thankful. Great halal products like 
If you haven’t tried these products yet, check out 
In this quick and simple soup, I utilize what’s nice and fresh at the store like leeks, zucchini and celery. 
You all know that 
Just remember to salt the soup after the addition of the broth because there is sodium in the broth and you’ll want to adjust yours accordingly after tasting. 
