I’ve had a recent obsession with Mediterranean/Lebanese/Israeli/Levantine cuisines lately. I cannot be stopped. My favorite restaurant? Zankou Chicken. (Trying Ta’eem next!)  My favorite cookbook? Modern Flavors of Arabia. My favorite lunch? This fattoush salad.

Fattoush salad (for those of you who aren’t familiar) is a bread salad made with greens and vegetables and fried pita bread. This version is so flavorful – and colorful – from sweet tomatoes, persian cucumbers, fresh lemon juice and bright herbs. I took a shortcut by buying pre-fried pita chips, but you could also use baked ones from the store. Just don’t skip the pita chips – they truly make this salad!

Serve the salad alongside some chicken shawarma or a slab of feta and fresh olives for a true feast.

I had always been a bit apprehensive of roasting my own peppers so I continued to pay a ton for them at the store.

Then I had three peppers that needed to be used and I decided to just try roasting my own. Its easy to do right in the broiler! Heat the broiler on high, place peppers on a pan and essentially let them burn, turning to burn all sides. (Everyone can burn food, right?) Once you let the peppers cool you can easily the remove peel and seeds.

That’s it!

This relish can be used for just about anything. Try it with grilled steak or fish. Put it on pizza. Eat it with slices of bread and some melted cheese. Try it with eggs or just plain on its own.

Whatever you do with it, it’s sure to make any food look good and add delicious roasted pepper flavor to every bite.