Sesame Water Chestnut Salad

 Ingredients:

1 cup water chestnuts, sliced and quartered
1 cup snap peas, halved
1 cup cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green onion, chopped
a handful of cilantro, chopped
woodear mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
sesame oil
garlic powder
ginger powder
3 tablespoons agave
juice from 1 lime
black sesame seeds

Combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients. Toss them together before serving. Optionally, top with fried wonton.

Broccoli and Zatar Soup

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a pinch of cumin
a pinch of coriander
1 small yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
1 large head of broccoli
vegetable stock
salt and black pepper
a handful of fresh zatar

tahini sauce
pine nuts, toasted
parsley, chopped
zatar seasoning

Cook the onion and garlic in the oil and add the seasonings then potato and broccoli along with the stock. Simmer until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a blender with the zatar and blend until smooth. 

Ladle into bowls and drizzle with the tahini sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the garnishes over it.

BLT Pasta Salad

 Ingredients:

bow tie, bell, or shell pasta, cooked to al dente
romaine lettuce, shredded
tomato, diced
bacon, cut into small pieces
ranch dressing
barbecue sauce
black pepper

Toss salad ingredients with the dressing ingredients and serve chilled.

Sulu Kofte

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
vegetable stock
2 roma tomatoes, diced
passata
a small handful of rice
1-1/2 cup chickpeas
meatballs
salt and black pepper, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
dried mint

Cook onion in the oil. Add the paprika and stir until fragrant. Add stock, tomatoes, and rice. Bring to a simmer and add chickpeas, meatballs, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon and mint.

Peanut Chili Oil Cucumber Salad

 Ingredients:

mini persian cucumbers, cut into wedges
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon agave
garlic powder

chili sesame oil

Toss the salad ingredients in a bowl and combine dressing ingredients. Toss them together before serving and drizzle with chili sesame oil.

Pide

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red chili pepper, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
red pepper paste
tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
salt, to taste
ground "beef"
a large handful of parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
pizza dough
lemon wedges

In a skillet, cook onion, peppers, and garlic in the oil and add the pastes and seasonings. When all the liquid is evaporated, add the ground beef. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and mint.

Roll out dough into oval shapes and press the mixture into the dough. Fold over the edges and bake at 400 until golden.

Cut into slices, horizontally, and serve with lemon wedges.

Tomatillo and Poblano White Bean Stew

 Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 cup tomatillos, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon mexican seasoning
1/2 teaspoon mexican oregano
1-1/2 cup beans
zest and juice of 1 lime
cilantro
salt, to taste

Cook onion, jalapeno, and poblano pepper in some oil and transfer to a blender or food processor with the tomatillos. Pulse a few times until chunky and return to pan. Add seasonings and cook until liquid is reduced. 
Add the beans and half the cilantro and cook until beans are tender. Remove from heat and stir in lime, cilantro, and salt.
Serve with rice or tortillas.