Lebanese Lunch

Often times I hear folks (who are great cooks) complaining about how they can't ever figure out what to make at lunchtime. There are SO many easy and delicious ethnic food options for lunch! One of my favorites is Lebanese food. I shared some chicken shawarma with my husband once and have been hooked ever since!

Shawarma is a very common sandwich served across the Middle East, Europe, the Caucasus, and North Africa. It consists of chicken, lamb, goat, turkey or beef that has been grilled on a spit and wrapped in a pita with vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, pickled turnips and a creamy tahini and garlic sauce.

For lunch today, I am making chicken shawarma sandwiches just like the ones I ate at the Lebanese restaurant. This particular shawarma was made with chicken grilled on a kebab (which is much easier than setting up a shawarma rotisserie in my kitchen!). In Lebanese cooking they use an amazing 7 spice blend, which is equal parts of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fenugreek and ground dry ginger. It is beyond delicious, and is the secret weapon in my surprisingly easy chicken shawarma. For dessert, I am making my newest obsession-- baklawa (which is the Lebanese version of baklava). It is so quick and easy-- you won't believe it! Phillo dough is rolled and shaped into rings and then baked, and then the crispy flaky rings are drizzled in a simple syrup and topped with crushed pistachios. They are addicting, and will become your go- to dessert!

I hope you enjoy these recipes and this fabulous lunch-- it sure beats the average ham and cheese sandwich! As they say in Lebanon, "bil-hana wa ash-shifa!"

Photo credit: Sommer Clary for Global Kitchen, 2010

Recipes