The Mediterranean Vegan

Zeytinyagli Mantarli Kuskonmaz is a Turkish salad consisting of asparagus and mushrooms. In this recipe, I added some leftover wild rice that I had. This works as a hot dish or a cold summer salad. Enjoy! Serves 2-3 What you need: 3 tbsp olive oil 10-12 mushrooms, sliced 1 bundle of asparagus, chopped 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 tsp lemon zest or lemon juice 2 cups cooked rice (optional) In a large pan, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, asparagus, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and sauté for 10 minutes. If you are using rice, add the cooked rice and mix for another 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

The blog has been lacking color lately, so I wanted to make something solely based on vegetables. I came across this traditional Moroccan dish called c hakchouka, which is a fancy name for spicy tomatoes and bell peppers. It also exists in Tunisia, where they put fried eggs on top. This is usually served as a salad or a side with pita bread. Serves 3-4 What you need: 4 green bell peppers 5 ripe tomatoes, diced 4 tbsp olive oil 5 cloves garlic 1/2- 1 red chili pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp parsley Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the skin is lightly charred. Remove from oven and remove the skin (optional). Dice the roasted bell peppers and set aside. In a medium pan on medium heat, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in the olive oil until the garlic becomes golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for 15 minutes. Then add the diced bell peppers and lemon juice and sauté ...

This Moroccan salad can be served hot or cold and is usually paired as a dip with crisp breads. You can add lemon for a tangy flavor or red chili peppers for a spicy salad. Serves 2-3 What you need: 1 large eggplant (aubergine), chopped 3-4 ripe tomatoes, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1.5 tsp salt 4 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup water 3 tbsp fresh parsley 3 tbsp fresh cilantro In a large pan, bring the olive oil to medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. Remove cover and with a masher or strong fork, mash the zaalouk. Cook for another 10 minutes on medium heat. Serve with bread.

I tried this salad a few nights ago at the Casa Palestina here in Barcelona for a friend's birthday. It's incredibly easy to make and delicious! It is eaten in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria and was created to make use of stale pita bread by frying it and combining it with seasonal vegetables. Serves 3-4 What you need: for the fattoush 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2 onion, diced 1/2 red pepper, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 10 black olives, sliced 2 cups lettuce or spinach 1 tsp mint 2 tbsp parsley 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tbsp lemon juice 2 pita breads for the hummus 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans 1.5 tbsp tahini 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 cup water 1.5 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt For the salad, you can choose to fry or toast the pita bread (I recommend frying). Cut or tear the pita bread into pieces and fry in olive oil for around 1-2 minutes or until crispy. Strain the pita pieces in a colander or on a paper towel to remove excess...