As the name implies, this is a traditional breakfast eaten in Israel - and it's one of my favorite meals. Sweet breakfasts are just not my thing. I want to wake up in the morning to cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese and olives. If that's not your thing, it's just as great for lunch or dinner (in fact, that's how Josh and I usually eat it at home).
Full disclosure: This is not my picture; it's way prettier than any Israeli Breakfast I've ever made. But I'm at work (ahem) and don't have access to my pictures).
Ingredients
Hard boiled egg
A serving of Labneh (Lebanese yoghurt), sprinkled with za'atar (or substitute cottage cheese, with or without the za'atar).
Small cucumber
Tomato
Some onion (or not)
Olives
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Chop and combine.
Total Time: 5 minutes
To Serve
Put it on a plate and go. It's not pretty, but it's delicious.
Tip: Josh likes to add other vegetables (red or green peppers, snap peas, etc...). I'll admit, it's good that way, but it's not the way I remember it growing up. My dad used to add smoked fish to the mix. I think I'd take Josh's version instead.
Without a doubt, the 5 spices I'd take on a desert island are:
- Fresh ginger
- Garlic
- Cilantro/coriander
- Cumin
- Cinnamon
To celebrate these 5 ingredients all in one dish, I love making this rub for salmon (or any similarly-hefty fish), adapted from one of my heroes of cooking, Kim O'Donnel. (As I usually do, I upped the garlic a bit, substituted dried chilies for the cayenne/paprika and made some other small changes, including adding fresh cilantro. I've also included substitutions, because, really, there's no need to be exact!):
Ingredients
1 medium-sized salmon fillet (enough for two servings)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 to 2 -inch piece fresh peeled ginger root, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (can omit, in a pinch)
1 dried chili, or more, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lime (can substitute lemon)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Method
Place the salmon in a nonreactive dish (ceramic, glass, enamel) and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (Side note: this can also be done on the grill - I just did it last weekend for my extended family, to great success!).
With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and ginger until pulverized (yes, you can do this in a food processor, but it's not as fun!). Add the rest of the rub ingredients and stir/mash until combined. Scoop out the rub and spread it over the fish (since I use skin-on fillets, I just do the one side. If you're using steaks or skinless fillets, rub both sides) and let marinate for 5 - 30 minutes (or more, in the fridge).
Heat a heavy skillet with an oven-resistant handle over high heat. Add enough olive oil to cover the surface and then add fish, rub-side down. Reduce heat to medium and allow the fish to sear, about three minutes. With a spatula, turn the fish onto the other side and place skillet in the oven to finish cooking. Check for desired doneness after five minutes.
Total Time: 20 minutes + marinating time
Yield: Makes 2 servings.
To Serve
I usually serve this over brown rice, with just a touch of soy sauce or lime juice (or both!) and the leftover skillet scrapings, with a side of green beans, or any other quick, easy vegetable.
Tip: I usually let the fish marinate while I make the brown rice in my steamer - 5 minutes before the rice is done, I begin the fish and stick some green beans in the steamer's top compartment - it all comes together at the last minute with very little cleanup!