Recipes by Yael Mizrahi
20 recipes
Fire-Grilled Halloumi over Smashed Spring Pea Tahini with Scorched Asparagus
Halloumi is the undisputed king of the mezze spread, but it demands high heat and bold companions. Here, we score and blister thick slabs until they are crispy and molten, then lay them over a violently vibrant, emerald-green pea and tahini base. Scorched asparagus and a punchy preserved lemon-mint salsa cut right through the richness for the ultimate spring lunch.
High-Heat Charred Lamb Siniyah with Bubbling Lemon-Tahini & Emerald Dill Salad
This is a weeknight feast that feels like a massive celebration. We take warmly spiced ground lamb, scorch it under the broiler, and drown it in a garlic-lemon tahini sauce that bubbles into a savory, velvety crust. But the real magic happens when you bury it under a mountain of unruly, vibrant dill and ruby pomegranate arils.
Vibrant Emerald Swiss Chard Shakshuka with Amba-Tahini
Forget everything you know about the standard tomato shakshuka. We're building a wildly vibrant, herbaceous morning centerpiece that feels like a Sunday morning in Tel Aviv. Deeply caramelized leeks, tart preserved lemon, and mounds of Swiss chard are transformed into an electric green poaching broth for our eggs, finished with a shocking drizzle of tangy mango Amba-tahini and a massive shower of toasted pine nuts.
Fire-Smashed Rainbow Carrots with Velvet Feta-Tahini & Pistachio-Olive Crunch
We are giving gorgeous, earthy rainbow carrots the smashed potato treatment, taking them from humble to wildly dramatic. Flattening them increases the surface area for maximum cast-iron scorching, creating deeply caramelized, blackened edges. Laying them hot over a cold cloud of whipped feta-tahini and crowning them with a bright, briny pistachio-olive shatter turns this into the mezze centerpiece of your dreams.
Pan-Seared Halibut Chraime with Blistered Peppers & Velvet Tahini
This is my love letter to Chraime, the spicy North African fish stew I grew up eating every Friday night in Tel Aviv. Instead of just poaching the fish, we are heavily searing thick halibut fillets first to build an incredible crust, then gently braising them in a wildly aromatic saffron, caraway, and harissa tomato sauce. Served over an ocean of cooling lemon-garlic tahini and buried under a mountain of fresh herbs and toasted Aleppo almonds, it is a masterclass in temperature and texture contrast.
Fire-Scorched Eggplant & Pomegranate Fatteh
Fatteh is the ultimate layered mezze—a dish built entirely on texture and contrast. Growing up, this was a celebration dish, but I believe any Tuesday deserves this kind of drama. We are plunging whole eggplants directly into an open flame until they collapse into smoky, molten goodness, then layering them over crispy za'atar pita shards and warm chickpeas. Blanketed in a garlic-whipped tahini-yogurt and finished with a hot sizzle of Aleppo-spiced butter and a brilliant crown of ruby-red pomegranate seeds, it is a masterpiece of hot and cold, creamy and crunchy.
Smoked Freekeh & Crispy Za'atar Halloumi Grain Bowl with Blistered Spring Greens & Emerald Tahini
To me, a grain bowl shouldn't be a sad desk lunch—it should be a vibrant, multi-textured feast that celebrates the entire Mediterranean. We're layering smoky, chewy freekeh with screaming-hot blistered spring greens, deeply golden crusty halloumi, and a shatteringly crisp sumac chickpea crunch. Everything sits on a lavish swoosh of velvety emerald tahini, because if you know me, you know tahini belongs at the bottom of every single plate.
Crispy Levantine Lamb Arayes with Blistered Tomato Tahini & Sour Cherry Herb Salad
If there is a perfect street food, it is the arayes. We are taking spiced ground lamb, stuffing it raw into pita bread, and high-heat roasting it on a screaming hot pan. The lamb fat renders directly into the bread, creating an impossibly crispy, golden crust while the inside stays beautifully juicy. Served over a vibrant pink blistered tomato tahini and buried under a mountain of tart sour cherries and fresh herbs to cut the richness.
High-Heat Pomegranate Glazed Whole Cauliflower with Velvet Tahini & Jeweled Herb Shatter
Listen to me, a whole cauliflower is a blank canvas just begging for fire and attitude. By hitting it with a sticky, tart pomegranate-Aleppo glaze and roasting it at a blistering temperature, we create a caramelized, scorched masterpiece that is tender on the inside and fiercely crispy on the outside. Served over a generous swoop of velvet tahini and crowned with a crunchy, bright pomegranate-pistachio salsa, this is a mezze centerpiece that stops conversations.
Fire-Charred Spring Carrots with Emerald Dill Tahini & Spiced Pistachio Crunch
I have always believed that a carrot, when treated with the same respect as a prime cut of meat, can completely steal the show. By hitting sweet spring carrots with scorching high heat, we blister their edges and caramelize their natural sugars, creating the perfect canvas for an herbaceous, electric-green dill tahini. This mezze is generous, vibrant, and packed with an irresistible Aleppo-pistachio crunch that you will want to sprinkle on absolutely everything.
Fire-Blistered Mackerel & Scorched Fennel Salad with Preserved Lemon Tahini
Mackerel is the unsung hero of the Mediterranean sea—rich, oily, and begging for intense heat and unapologetic acid. In this composed dinner salad, we’re scorching thick wedges of fennel until they’re sweet and blackened, then blasting the fish until the skin aggressively blisters. The whole thing is layered over a sharp preserved lemon tahini and buried under an avalanche of fresh herbs, green olives, and tart pomegranate seeds.
Fire-Torn Smoked Eggplant over Velvet Beet-Tahini with Candied Aleppo Pine Nuts
If there's one thing you need to know about my kitchen, it's that eggplant is a religion, and fire is its temple. This isn't your standard mashed baba ganoush—we're fire-roasting the eggplant until it collapses, tearing it into rustic, smoky ribbons, and laying it over a shockingly pink, velvety beet-tahini. It is sweet, smoky, incredibly vibrant, and the absolute star of any mezze spread.
High-Heat Charred Sumac Chicken Mezze Platter with Blistered Tomatoes & Ruby Herb Crunch
For me, a weeknight dinner shouldn't mean sacrificing the joy of a full mezze spread. We are taking humble boneless, skinless chicken thighs and blasting them with high heat to create a deeply charred, sumac-crusted exterior while keeping the inside meltingly tender. Served over a silky pool of lemon tahini, surrounded by blistered tomatoes that burst in the savory chicken fat, and crowned with a vibrant pomegranate-pistachio salad—this is how you build a plate that hits every single note.
Fire-Forged Harissa Lamb Skewers with Smoked Onion Tahini
If you want to capture the true soul of a Tel Aviv grill house, you need fire, a touch of smoke, and high-contrast toppings. Here, we are aggressively charring sweet peppers for a bright pomegranate relish, blending burnt onions right into our tahini, and pressing harissa-spiked ground lamb onto flat metal swords. It is loud, unapologetically messy, and an absolute feast.
Fire-Scorched Smashed Cauliflower with Golden Tahini & Date-Walnut Crunch
I am completely obsessed with transforming humble vegetables into absolute showstoppers. For this dinner centerpiece, we boil massive cauliflower florets until just tender, smash them flat, and blast them in a scorching hot oven until the edges are lacy and impossibly crispy. Layered over a vibrant pool of golden turmeric tahini and crowned with a sweet-and-sour date and walnut crunch salad, this dish relies on high-heat roasting to create a beautiful mess of textures and bold flavors.
Urfa-Spiced Halibut with High-Heat Blistered Grapes & Charred Scallions
Pan-seared, spice-crusted halibut sits on a generous swoop of garlicky lemon tahini, but the real magic is what goes on top. We are throwing sweet red grapes and whole scallions into a screaming-hot cast iron until they blister, burst, and char, releasing their jammy juices to mingle with toasted pistachios and fresh herbs. It is sweet, savory, smoky, and an absolute masterclass in texture and temperature contrast.
Golden Turmeric & Swiss Chard Skillet Braise with Sumac Fried Eggs
Everyone thinks of shakshuka for a Levantine breakfast, but braising greens until they melt is my ultimate morning move. Here, we treat Swiss chard two ways—sautéing the crunchy stems with turmeric and garlic, then silkily braising the leaves in broth and lemon. Topped with sumac-dusted fried eggs, crispy cumin chickpeas, and a generous river of tahini, this skillet is bright, deeply savory, and begging to be scooped up with crusty bread.
Burnt Eggplant & Charred Olive Crush with Crispy Sumac Pita
This isn't a polite, smooth puree—it's a bold, chunky crush of deeply smoky eggplant and blistered Castelvetrano olives. Spiked with the bright zing of preserved lemon, drizzled with silky tahini, and buried under a tidal wave of fresh herbs, it is the ultimate scoopable mezze snack.
Smashed Emerald Fava Bean Mezze with Jalapeño-Mint Emulsion & Crispy Caper Crunch
Listen to me: you do not need sesame paste to create a velvety, life-changing mezze dip. By slowly emulsifying sweet spring fava beans with ice water and caper-infused olive oil, we create a luxurious, cloud-like mash that will anchor your weekend lunch.
Sizzling Pistachio-Mint Lamb Kofta Skewers with Smashed Cucumber Mezze Salad
Lunch should never be an afterthought, and in my kitchen, a vibrant mezze spread is the ultimate midday celebration. We're mixing rich ground lamb with toasted pine nuts and fresh herbs, grilling them until beautifully charred, and laying them over a thick swoosh of silky lemon tahini. Paired with a jewel-toned, intensely crunchy smashed cucumber and pomegranate salad, this is a plate of high-contrast, bold Mediterranean joy.