This week is full of borrowed magic — my mum’s seared chicken stew, a Turkish lahmacun recipe passed to me by a Turkish chef and made my own, a hearty okra and lamb stew, and a pasta that came together over the counter of a cheese shop. And for dessert — a blackberry and white chocolate cheesecake that’s usually a summer favourite, but honestly, a cheesecake never really needs a season.
A week of comfort, borrowed stories and one very good slice of cheesecake. Every recipe is linked below — let’s have a great one.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Dele3 Wu Ruz — Lebanese Chicken Stew
Dele3 Wu Ruz is one of those dishes that doesn’t need much dressing up — it’s my mum’s Lebanese chicken stew, exactly the kind of comfort food that ends up on the table on a quiet weeknight. The chicken is seared first, which is really the heart of this dish, then simmered slowly with cinnamon and bay leaves until the broth turns deep and fragrant. Leaving the onion in the broth is how my mum makes it — most people cut it into quarters and take it out before serving, but in our house it stays in and gets eaten with the soup.
👉 Get the Dele3 Wu Ruz — Lebanese Chicken Stew recipe
Meal 2: Turkish Lahmacun
This recipe came to me from a Turkish chef living here in Australia, and I’ve been making my own version of it ever since. He shared his dough and filling with me years ago, and over time I’ve tweaked it here and there until it felt like mine — the biggest change being the filling itself, which I process until completely blended for something smoother and a little runnier than his. That’s the beauty of a good recipe, isn’t it? It gets passed from hand to hand, and each person leaves a little of themselves in it. What makes this lahmacun so satisfying is how thin and crisp the base gets, baking in just a few minutes once your oven and stone are properly hot — much like my mana’eesh dough, which relies on the same hot-stone method.
👉 Get the Turkish Lahmacun recipe
Meal 3: Bamyeh — Okra Lamb Stew
A hearty, wholesome stew that packs a real punch of flavour — tender lamb and okra simmered together until deeply comforting. Okra brings more to the table than just flavour too; it’s a fantastic source of fibre, vitamin C and folate, low in calories and high in antioxidants. A dish that’s as good for you as it is satisfying to eat.
👉 Get the Bamyeh Okra Lamb Stew recipe
Meal 4: Pesto Stracciatella Pasta
This one came to me the way the best recipes always seem to — over the counter of a cheese shop, from a lovely Italian lady who couldn’t believe I’d never cooked with stracciatella before. I’d tasted it in salads, but she stopped me and said I needed to try it warm, tossed through pasta, with plenty of black pepper. She was right. That’s the whole story behind this pasta, and it’s stayed exactly as simple as she described it to me — boiled pasta, generous pesto, and stracciatella melted on top at the table. Rustic, easy and ridiculously good.
👉 Get the Pesto Stracciatella Pasta recipe
Dessert: Blackberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Creamy, ultra-smooth, and paired with a chocolate biscuit base — this is one of those desserts that works for absolutely any gathering. It’s usually my go-to for warmer months, but honestly, a good cheesecake doesn’t really need permission to show up in winter too. Best of all, you can make it and freeze it ahead of time, so it’s ready whenever you need a stress-free dessert for a dinner party or family lunch.
👉 Get the Blackberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe
A week of borrowed stories, real comfort and one very good cheesecake.
I hope this makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious 🤍
