This is a recent pan full of loveliness that was my lunch one day last week…one of those creations you could just eat again…and again…and again…so here’s what I did…
I put some coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat and added a chopped red onion and cooked it for a few minutes, whilst I cut up two medium tomatoes; I added the tomatoes and cooked for a further few minutes; added some drained chickpeas; added a couple of tablespoons of my stock of rose harissa from the freezer; added chopped avocado that needed using up; then made a hole in the middle of it all and added eggs sprinkled with my rose harissa spice mix…
This was my quick fix when I came home hungry and ready for food and it was perfect! I ate it straight from the pan with gusto!!
Having also recently made some labneh again, I thought I’d share that too…
Labneh is basically ‘yoghurt cheese’, used often in middle eastern and Levantine cuisines. It is often offered for breakfast or as part of a mezze with olive oil drizzled over the top, mine also has chilli flakes sprinkled over it.
It is so easy to make, it’s basically just drained yoghurt. It’s nicest if you use full fat natural yoghurt to make it with, but I have also used low fat yoghurt in the past, it just makes it a lot sharper.
Determine how you can create a contraption to drain the yoghurt over (you’ll see what I did in the photos) and then scoop your yoghurt into a square of muslin and hang it over your jug/bowl..
My muslin is tied tightly to the wooden handle of a spatula that fits across the top of the jug; then put it in the fridge, preferably overnight…
This was what I took back out of the fridge the following morning.
Then scrape the lovely labneh from the muslin into a bowl and eat immediately or store in the fridge and use like any other soft cheese…
As you can see it really does firm up without becoming solid..
With the liquid that you drain from the yoghurt, you could throw it, or use it to cook vegetables in or add to recipes. I added mine to some spiced spinach dough for making flatbreads.
I like my labneh plain and unadulterated, but you can add salt before draining the yoghurt if you prefer, or play around with other flavour additions, sweet or savoury based on your taste.
This was some of that labneh on top of some of my experimental spiced spinach dough and topped with roasted tomatoes..
Love labneh and make it often. Your breakfast sure does look delicious as does everything that comes from your kitchen.
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Thank you 😀😀😀
I know you make labneh too, it’s so lovely isn’t it??
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Love it!!
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Do you make it the same way?
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I use Greek yogurt and get very little drainage and add a little lemon juice about a tsp and mine comes out in a fairly solid mass.
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Greek yoghurt is thicker to start with isn’t it?
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Yes it’s much thicker I still drain 12-36 hours because it like it to be more solid. It’s still soft when cut but holds its shape it has nothing to do with the taste it just looks nice and the labneh is a bit more solid. When I made it with regular yogurt it was more the consistency of Greek yogurt after drained and when in use Greek yogurt it’s more like soft cheese
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Cool, interesting, I’ll try it out with Greek yoghurt next time 🙂
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I like it with whole milk Greek yogurt I like Fage the best not sure what brands you have there. It reminds me that I need to make some more. Your post is inspiring
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Yay! That’s all I hope for 🙂 x
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Never made labneh myself, but love it! I would gladly wolf down that full pan of deliciousness that was your lunch!
I make lunches using fried eggs quite often, need to be more creative and sprinkle spices like you do, I end up using just salt and pepper, sometimes a little Aleppo pepper which I love too
ok, now I’m hungry. 😉
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Come! I’ll make it all for you…and more!!!! xx
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If Star Trek was feasible, I would be saying “BEAM ME UP, MR. SCOTTY” 😉
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Me too! Daily!!! X
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This post is making me hungry again…. Love making labneh. I’m quite chuffed that it seems to be more widely available to buy, but homemade is ALWAYS better. 🙂
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I agree completely!! For me, it’s also about the joy of making my own of anything 🙂
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I’ve never had either of these. I think I would like both.
Next time I make ricotta, I’m going to use that wooden spoon technique for draining.
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Cool! I hope it’s works well 🙂
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Yum, yum and yum !!
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😀😀😀
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I have never made labneh before but it looks so simple. I see Suzanne said you can use Greek yogurt. (And that egg dish is out of this world yummy-looking!)
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Thank you 🙂
Yes, Greek yoghurt works too, just make a thicker labneh x
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Both dishes are lovely. I love the colour of your lunch, really pops. I haven’t tried making labneh but it looks really interesting.
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Thank you 😀😀 the labneh tastes as good as the yoghurt you choose to make it with..
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Fair enough. No Dannon! Or kid’s yoghurt. LOL
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Ha ha! Depends what you’re trying to create I guess…?! 😉
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Cor, the amount of sugar in those things is downright scary!
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Yep! That’s why they don’t ever come into this house!!!
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Never! It is just as easy to get non crap for the kids.
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I completely agree! And to train their taste buds to enjoy proper food 🙂
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We never did the whole make them something else if they didn’t like what we were cooking. I think that is crazy!
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I hear you 🙂 🙂
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Love it Elaine!! Never made it homemade but maybe I should! 🙂
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Thank you – and yes! If only for the fun of it 😉
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Your lunch teasers are always so good Elaine! Will try labneh soon
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Thank you 😀😀😀
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Labneh is my all time favourite thing to do with yoghurt. I usually just use it for tzatziki but you’ve inspired me to get creative. I love the way you’ve served it. Looks amazing!
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Thank you so much, Liz 🙂
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Oh Elaine I really need to turn a batch of my home made yoghurt into that plain and unadulterated labneh!
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Yes! Do it!!! 😀
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Love the texture of your homemade Labneh; it looks so creamy Elaine! 🙂 xx
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Thank you 😀😀😀 xx
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Yumm Yumm Yumm!
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😘😘😘
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I love this!
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xxx
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I have never made my own labneh and reading this I wonder why! I love it with a poached egg, black olives, cucumber and Lebanese bread for breakfast! Thank you for sharing! I love your “fast food” and that you ate it straight from the pan! 🙂
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Make some, it’s even better when you’ve made your own, as you know 🙂
Yes…if it’s only me eating it anyway, why not straight from the pan??
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hi Elaine
I have been thinking about your labneh ever since I read this and you inspire me! 🙂 http://bit.ly/2dkoUWv
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Thank you xx
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Oh my gosh! It looks so good, Elaine! I like your contraption and you make it look so easy;)
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It is! And thank you xx
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This is making me hungry! I want to try this one, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you 🙂 I hope you like it
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I’ve only just made yoghurt for the first time. Have to try Labneh.
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And how is your yoghurt? Good?
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