Tuesday, December 21, 2010

ZA'ATAR SWIRLS

About za’atar:
Discover the taste and be inspired! Za’atar has a fresh herby taste with a zing. Za’atar, is Arabic for wild thyme and is common to Middle Eastern cooking. Usually it is combined with thyme, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. The thyme gives it an elegant perfume and the sumac a slight lemony edge, while the toasted sesame seeds provides that oh so wanted crunch. The flavors work together beautifully. Za’atar is served with bread and olive oil. Dip the bread in the oil and then the herb mix; or make a paste of the oil and za'atar, brush it over bread or pita and grill for a few minutes. You can also enjoy za’atar sprinkled on ripe tomatoes or dusted over thick labaneh (a thickened yogurt: just sprinkle yogurt with a pinch of salt and drain it in a cheese cloth overnight in the refrigerator).

I often wake up earlier on weekends, so I can bake za'atar swirl for breakfast. They are such a wonderful treat for all the family after a hard and hectic work week. Sometimes I add some variations to the swirls with adding some feta cheese to za'atar or just make some ham&cheese swirls, too. YUM!!!



Za'atar Swirls on FoodistaZa'atar Swirls