I don’t know about you, but this year already feels incredibly busy and moving at a fast pace and with school and work back in full swing, I can understand why I was flooded with requests for the recipe for these seed bars when I shared them on an IG story.
I asked whether my followers there were keen on some easy snack ideas for back to work and school. 99% of you said yes (apologies to the 1%, but here we are)!
It got me thinking about all the things I make throughout the year to stock the fridge with things my two boys (and my husband and I) like to grab as quick snacks! For me, it’s about making life a little easier PLUS we are definitely an ingredient house – there is nothing really to snack on unless you make it. It’s totally how I grew up and of course didn’t LOVE that as a kid, but now I am my parents !!
Anyway, this is part one! Blueberry and banana muffins, the seed bars I previously mentioned which happen to also be gluten and nut free. They are SO good!!
Plus a very low-fuss, high reward recipe for the Levantine lahm bi ajeen or lahmacun – the most delicious flatbread spread with a mixture of mince, spices and topped with tomatoes, cucumber and tarator (tahini sauce). It is my absolute go-to middle of the week quick fix! I use store bought Lebanese flatbread and they are incredibly satisfying!
Enjoy part one, more next week!
And thank you for subscribing – just a reminder that if you’re a paid subscriber, you have access to all of the recipes I post each fortnight!
I love writing recipes for you all here in addition to my books! On that, GOOD COOKING EVERY DAY just went to reprint, which is a huge lovely thing! So happy to see how it has been received!
Julia x
Lahm bi ajeen / Lahmacun
Makes 4
4 Lebanese flatbread
1 tbsp pine nuts
Meat mixture
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
Large handful of parsley and coriander
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 large ripe tomato, coarsely grated
1 tsp sumac, plus extra to serve
1 tsp baharat
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
350 g lamb mince
250 g beef mince
Salt and pepper
Tarator (Tahini sauce):
2 tbsp tahini (I use
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of a lemon, plus extra to serve
Iced water, as needed
Natural yoghurt, to serve
Cucumber, tomato, mint and coriander, to serve
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Preheat oven to 220C (fan forced)
In a food processor, blitz the onion and garlic until very fine. Add the coriander and parsley and continue to blitz. Now add the tomato paste, tomatoes, spices and blitz. Add the mince and pulse until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread 1/4 of the mince onto a pita almost to the edges. Top with some pine nuts, transfer to a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through and crispy around the edges. Repeat with the remaining meat and pita.
For the tahini sauce whisk the tahini in a bowl with the garlic and lemon and then continue to whisk, adding in enough iced water until you have a thick sauce. Season to taste.
Top the meat with some yoghurt, tahini sauce, cucumber, tomato and herbs. Serve with lemon wedges, an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sumac
Blueberry banana muffins
Makes approximately 16 muffins
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