Tonight, Mujaddara, which translates to “Nails of the Knees”. A traditional breakfast of Middle-Eastern origins intended to steel one for a long day of arduous labor. You’ll find variations of this dish in Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Palestine, and Jordan. Peasant food in every good sense of the term, filling, nutritious, and delicious. I make mine by slowly caramelizing yellow onions, steaming aged basmati rice, and boiling brown lentils separately. When all the ingredients are ready, I mix them together in a large pan and add a little olive oil, cumin, white pepper, and cinnamon. After that I heat the mixture gently until the spices give off their aromas. Let the dish sit overnight to allow all the flavors to meld. I serve mine in the traditional manner, with a spoonful of yogurt, or non-traditionally with a topping of flame-roasted chopped tomatoes.  

I also prepared a mini-mezze of rice-stuffed grape leaves and organic feta cheese topped with oregano and smoked hot paprika.