Lebanese Taverna

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Sauteed Shrimp

We went to Lebanese Taverna the other day.  While we usually like to make our own food, sometimes we get lazy.
We've been to Lebanese Taverna on numerous occasions before, and we always get the same dishes.  (Yes, we were even lazy about blogging too ... heh heh.)

Fresh Pita Bread

We started with some pita bread, freshly baked from the oven.  Yes, it was piping hot and slightly salty.  A very good way to begin the meal.  I never try the dipping sauce, so I can't comment on it.
We had sautéed shrimp (above) for appetizer.  It was very delicious!  The shrimp was really fresh and the marinade/spices added a nice tangy touch.  Very well executed.

Braised Lamb Shank

The braised lamb shank was really succulent and fragrant.  It was buried in a mound of tomato sauce, which added a nice flavor to the meat.  I particularly loved the vegetables, especially the mushroom (unfortunately there was only one).  I don't know what they did to the grilled vegetables, but they were very fresh and sweet.  The meat was tender and flavorful too.  I am not a fan of grains usually, but the bulgar pilaf was said to be very good.

Grilled Whole Mediterranean Sea Bass

Ahhh ... Mediterranean Sea Bass ... or was it branzino?  We love branzino around here and this execution was near perfect.  Really light and simply prepared with a touch of salt.  The meat was very flaky, flavorful, and silky.  The grilled vegetables were of course very fresh and sweet.  There was also freshly fried pita chips.  I didn't try the dipping sauce so I can't comment on it.
And finally ... because we loved the sautéed shrimp so much, we just had to get another order!

Sauteed Shrimp x 2

So flavorful and succulent!  We left very satisfied.  It is a very nice neighborhood restaurant and it has never failed us.

Lebanese Taverna
Multiple Locations
Arlington | Washington, D.C. | Bethesda | Baltimore | Tysons Galleria | Pentagon Row

Buttermilk Biscuits

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Who doesn't like biscuits?  They are slightly salty and tinged with the tanginess of buttermilk.  I do think that buttermilk is the key that imparts the special flavor to these flaky biscuits.
They are so versatile.  You can pair them with really about anything.  We like to slice them in half and slather berry jam (or even better, fruit butter) on them, or pair them with a poached egg and smoked salmon or ham.  They make a decadent weekend breakfast or an easy afternoon snack for anytime of the day.

Somebody could not wait ....

These were really very simple to make.  Just a few ingredients that we usually have on hand plus buttermilk.  Bake for a short while in the oven and voila!  They are ready to be spread with jams or stuffed with eggs and ham.  Or simply paired as a side with a nice salad or soup.

Recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
4 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsps sugar
3/4 cups vegan butter, chilled*
1 cup buttermilk (use full fat)

*Of course, you can use real butter.  But we (or I) don't like the taste of butter around here.
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Rub the chilled butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened.  Use 1/3 cup dough for each biscuit, place them on a greased baking sheet and spread them apart.  Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.  Cool slightly, keep warm.
Enjoy!

Lovely Lovely Biscuits!

Braised Spiced Lamb

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Braised Lamb

We like lamb around here.  We like them stewed and tender, or rather in this version, braised and tender.  Although the weather has been hot, for some reason we felt like having lamb.  Perhaps because it just has that very special taste that distinguishes it from all other kinds of meats, and make it more palatable.  Anyway, we weren't sure.  But on one hot summer evening lamb it was.

We wanted to experiment with different spices besides the usual rosemary and thyme.  Hence we decided on some more exotic ingredients such as cumin and coriander, which we don't use all that often (especially coriander; sometimes the cumin finds itself into chili spices).  The result was delicious!  The lamb was tender and had a very nice flavor.  The spices were not overwhelming either, though, look at all those spices in there!  We paired the lamb with some leftover potato wedges, and the combined mix of flavors worked extremely well and left us completely satisfied.

Recipe
Braised Spiced Lamb
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP ground coriander
2 TSPS dried thyme
2 TSPS dried rosemary
2 TBSP curry powder
1/2 TSP coarse salt
1 CUP + 1 TBSP olive oil
4 1/2 pound of lamb stew chunks
6 cups chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Mix 1 cup of oil with the spices and rub the mixture all over the lamb chunks.  Place the lamb chunks in a baking dish and cover overnight.

Add 1 TBSP oil to a dutch oven and brown the lamb, about 10 minutes.  Add stock and garlic, bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Check to see if the lamb is falling off the bone tender before serving.

Enjoy!

Campfire Oatmeal Cookies

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Magic Oatmeal Cookies

Never underestimate the power of a good cookie.  Chewy, gooey, and studded with chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried fruits!  They are a staple around here, simply because we usually have all the ingredients on hand anyway, and if we do not feel like eating those ingredients individually, we incorporate them in cookies.

Neither one of us is a big fan of oatmeal, but we do manage to eat it in our cookies!  So this is a perfectly acceptable and "healthy" *cough cough* way to fulfill our daily quota of whole grains, no?

Recipe
Campfire Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup of vegan butter, like Earth Balance*
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 eggs
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped roughly
1 1/4 cups dried fruit of your choosing (raisins, apricots, cherries, dates, etc., will do, or you can even mix and match)

*I don't like the taste of butter, but if you don't mind, feel free to use just butter.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Mix the vegan butter and sugars well, until even.  Add vanilla and egg.  Mix flour, salt, and baking soda well.  Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried fruits.  Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.  Form large balls (like ice cream scoop sized) and drop them onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool and then transfer to a rack.
Enjoy!

Just so you can see the inside gooey-ness

Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate Chunks, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, and Fudge

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See that fudge?

If you have been reading this blog, you will note that I have quite a lot of entries for ice cream.  This is because it is summer, and we relish something chilling and refreshing when we feel as though we were living inside an oven on hyper-drive.  Though of course we never like to repeat the same flavors, since it is fun to experiment a little.  I say a little because we can never branch out from our favorite ingredients.  Delectable peanut butter, chocolate morsels, cocoa powder, chocolate covered nuts, and fudge ....  We love them all in our ice cream.

This time however we were a tiny bit greedy.  I say just a tiny bit because we wanted fudge, chocolate morsels, and chocolate peanut butter cups all swirled into chocolate ice cream.  And paired with just a tiny sprinkling of chocolate chunks.  Yes, that is a lot of chocolate I know, and I can just say that the overabundance of chocolate was much appreciated.

Recipe
Chocolate Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate Chunks, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, and Fudge
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
3 cups cream
3 tsps vanilla extract
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
8 oz. fudge
1/2 cup chocolate covered peanuts
1/2 cup peanut butter cups

Mix cocoa powder, sugars, milk and cream in a large bowl until sugars have fully dissolved.  Add in vanilla extract.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it refrigerate overnight.

Transfer to the ice cream maker bowl and let it churn for about 30 minutes.  About 5 minutes before the end of churning, slowly fold in the chocolate chunks, fudge, peanuts, and peanut butter cups.

Freeze and enjoy!

Steamed Chicken

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Salt Chicken

Steamed Chicken marinated in salt and white wine.  This is such an easy dish that it has become a life saver whenever we are in the mood for more substantial savory snacks.  Or, it can easily serve as a main meal if paired with bread and/or vegetables.  It really consists of salt, white wine, some garlic cloves, and that's all.  Nothing fancy, just spartan simplicity of a good kind.  In fact, it has become such a staple around here that we make batches of it and eat it quite often.

It is quite light and refreshing.  Hence perfect for a hot summer day.  The dog days of summer seem to be upon us again, as the temperatures have been reaching into the upper 90's recently.  It is quite unfortunate, since we have had some much welcomed respites.  Well, one can't possibly make ice cream all the time to relieve oneself of the heat, or can one?  Sometimes one just needs to add a hint of protein to not ruin one's summer meals, no?

Recipe
Steamed Chicken
8 chicken drumsticks
1 TBSP fine sea salt
1 cup dry white wine
3 cloves of garlic, already chopped and sautéed

Marinate the chicken drumsticks in the salt, wine, and garlic mixture for at least one day.  Steam the chicken for about 25 minutes.
See, I told you it was easy!  Enjoy!

Three Bean Chili

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Three Bean Chili

You might wonder why we are eating chili in the heat of the summer?  Why, you ask, when it has been hovering around the mid-90's?  Well, we had one day of perfectly pleasant weather, and we had a sudden craving for chili.  That delectably simple dish to make, full of beans and beef, the ubiquitous absorber of all kinds of vegetables and meats.
We like our chili with a bit of everything, with an assortment of beans, accented by the sweetness of corn.  We like it with beef, turkey, or chicken.  We have never tried lamb or buffalo, but that doesn't mean that one day you won't see those featured here.
We paired the chili simply, with a nice Black Russian Bread Roll, which we procured rather than made.  Being a bit lazy this summer, one self-made dish per meal is fine with us.

Recipe
Three Bean Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 TBSP oil
3 TBSP + 2 TSP chili powder
1 onion, chopped
2 TSP ground cumin
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (We like Cento)
3 cups beef stock
1/2 TSP dried oregano
1 15.5 oz can navy beans, rinsed and dried
1 15.5 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and dried
1 15.5 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and dried
1 15.5 oz can of corn

Heat the oil in a pot and add the onions until the onions are translucent.  Add the cumin and cook for about 1 minute.  Brown the beef in the pot.  Stir in tomatoes, stock, and chili powder.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add the beans and corn and simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes.

Now it's time to sit back and lounge around while sipping on a nice bowl of hearty chili.  Perfect for a movie evening, or for retreating to a comfy corner to read while noshing.  Enjoy!

Chicken with Peppers, Olives, and Capers

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Chicken with Peppers, Olives, and Capers

Ahhh olives and capers.  Two of our favorite combinations.  We had a package of chicken drumsticks that has been sitting in the freezer for a while now, and we were debating how to cook them.  The weather has been unforgiving again, and the heat has not made meaty dishes too enticing.  Unless paired with vegetables, of course.

This dish was delicious!  The chicken was tender, and the olives and anchovies added a nice robustness/richness to the tomato sauce.  Every flavor combined well into a harmonious whole.  It is a dish for both summer and winter, with a nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce at the end.  Needless to say this chicken did not last us long, oh about 2 days?

Recipe
Braised Chicken with Peppers, Olives, and Capers
adapted from Williams & Sonoma
8 chicken drum sticks
salt + pepper to taste
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBS minced fresh rosemary (we used about 1 1/2 TSPS of dried rosemary)
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 1/2 cup of chopped pancetta (we used ham)
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
1/2 TSP red pepper flakes
1 14 1/2 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 TBSP capers, rinsed

Pat chicken dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Add the rosemary and chicken.  Brown the chicken, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate.

Add the bell peppers, onion, pancetta (ham), and red pepper flakes to the pot.  Season with salt and black pepper and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, wine, olives, and capers and bring to a boil.  Return the chicken to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Uncover and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes more.  Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.

Enjoy!

Nectarine Crumble Cake

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Nectarine Crumble Cake

Summer is the season of stone fruits.  Apricots, nectarines, peaches, cherries.  They are abundant and sweetly ripe.  We were overly greedy and bought too many nectarines.  Well, we're left with cake as a solution, even though I don't much like cakes.  The key to this cake was the buttermilk.  Be sure to use whole milk buttermilk, for it lent a richness of flavor that low fat or regular milk could not add.  I also added the crumble topping because I thought it would add a "crunch" and I used some cornmeal flour to make this cake a bit "cornbread-y."

Cake Resting

The result was a moist cake, full of nectarine flavor.  The cornmeal added a rustic texture that was appreciated by all.  It was not overly sweet, but just right, so that you could eat this for breakfast and still feel as though you were eating fruit rather than cake.

See the nectarine wedges in there?  They really lent a nice flavor to the cake.  Of course, the color and texture of the cake were accented by cornmeal flour.

Recipe
Nectarine Crumble Cake

For the Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole cornmeal
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar plus more for sprinkling
3 nectarines sliced about half an inch thick
2 nectarines chopped
1/4 cups oil
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tsps vanilla
2 TBSPS good fruity wine

For the Topping
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make the topping by combining all ingredients in a bowl.
To make the cake
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and sugar.  Mix well.
Combine vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk.  Whisk well.
Mix the flour mixture and the wet mixture.
Slather the chopped nectarines with wine and sugar.  Fold the nectarines in with the batter.
Pour batter into a 9 inch cake pan.  Lay the sliced nectarines on top of the batter.  Bake for about 1 h 18 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!

Stuffed Rainbow Trout

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Trout Stuffed with Lemon, Herbs, and Peppers

Rainbow trout.  Such a versatile fish.  You can pan fry it, roast it, grill it, and it will taste refreshing and delicious.  Not too fishy, not quite yet "melt in your mouth" like the Chilean Sea Bass, but still wonderful all the same.  It's an everyday fish really.

I like stuffing mine full of lemons, herbs, and red bell pepper strips.  Of course, you can't leave out the garlic.  In reality you could stuff whatever you wish inside, and the fish will turn out wonderful.  We really are more of a fish/seafood household than a meat household.

Recipe
Stuffed Rainbow Trout with Herbs, Lemon, and Red Bell Pepper
2 rainbow trouts
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
1 lemon, sliced thinly
salt + pepper to taste
a splash of good white wine
1 TBSP of thyme
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Dry the trout with paper towel.  Drizzle and rub the surface with olive oil.  In the cavity of the trout, place lemon slices and sprinkle with garlic.  Rub with thyme, salt, and pepper.  Stuff red bell pepper strips and parsley.  Splash with wine.  Bake for 25 minutes or until trout is cooked through.
Enjoy!  Look at how "bursting" the cavity is!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups and Chocolate Morsels & Cookies

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Cookies & Ice Cream

Oh ice cream again.  Summer provides the perfect excuse to eat ice cream, to sample as many varieties as you possibly can stomach.  What can be better than to feel that refreshing cold on a blazing summer day?  Add some cookies to the mix for a more "substantial" treat.

These are chocolate chip cookies; of course, you can use any kind of cookies you like.  I always use chocolate chip cookies since they are quite standard, and pair well with any ice cream flavor.  These are vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups & chocolate morsels.  Of course, you can substitute with any kind of ice cream you wish.  I merely wished to experiment, although my samplings never venture far from anything having to do with peanut butter or chocolate, since I enjoy them both.  And, I am also a firm believer in aggregation, especially when it comes to tasty treats!

Recipe
Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Cups and Chocolate Morsels
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups turbinado sugar
3 cups heavy cream
3 TBSP vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter cups
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Mix in the cream and vanilla extract.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn for about 10 minutes.  Slowly add in the chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.  Churn for another 10 - 25 minutes.  Freeze and enjoy!