This week is one of my favourites to put together — it travels across cultures and generations without feeling like too much work. A trending Lebanese dish that’s all anyone is talking about right now, a soup straight from grandma’s kitchen that almost nobody makes anymore, Afghanistan’s national dish made achievable on a weeknight, a crowd-pleasing schnitzel burger the whole family will love, and one of the simplest, most nostalgic things I know how to put on a table.
Every single recipe is linked below. Let’s make it a good week.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Lamb Meatballs in Yogurt Sauce
If you love shish barak but never quite get around to making the dough from scratch — this one is for you. Spiced lamb meatballs are coated in a simple flour crust, poached until tender, then simmered in a silky garlic yogurt sauce finished with golden ghee and fresh coriander. It has been trending on social media lately, and it is easy to see why. All the flavour of that beloved dish, in a fraction of the time. Serve it over vermicelli rice and scatter with toasted pine nuts if you have them.
👉 Get the Lamb Meatballs in Yogurt Sauce recipe
Meal 2: Beef Spaghetti Tomato Soup
This is tayta’s recipe — and you almost never see it anymore. Thick bucatini broken into pieces, spiced beef in a deep terracotta tomato broth, bharat and cumin doing all the work in the background. Our grandmothers made this without measuring, just by feel and memory, and somehow it was always perfect. It is the kind of dinner that fills the house with the best smell and has everyone at the table before you’ve even called them. Make a big pot — it tastes even better the next day.
👉 Get the Beef Spaghetti Tomato Soup recipe
Meal 3: Kabuli Palaw Rice
Afghanistan’s national dish — and once you make it, you’ll understand why it holds that title. Tender spiced meat, fragrant basmati rice, sweet sautéed carrot matchsticks, plump raisins and a crown of golden toasted almonds. It looks and feels ceremonial, but the steps are completely manageable. The key is parboiling the rice first so every grain stays fluffy and separate. This is the kind of dish that commands the centre of the table — and it delivers every time.
👉 Get the Kabuli Palaw Rice recipe
Meal 4: Chicken Schnitzel Burgers
Every week needs one of these — the dinner that makes everyone happy without any negotiation. Golden, crunchy chicken schnitzels tucked into a soft roll with lettuce, tomato, gherkins and whatever sauce you love. The schnitzels freeze beautifully too, so make a double batch while you’re at it and thank yourself later on a night when dinner needs to happen fast. My tip: add a smear of hummus to the roll. A reader tried it and reported back that it was a revelation. I believe them.
👉 Get the Chicken Schnitzel Burgers recipe
Dessert (or breakfast, or any time): Dibbes bel Tahini
Two ingredients, one plate, zero cooking — and yet this is one of the most loved things I’ve ever shared. Carob molasses poured onto a wide plate, tahini slowly layered over the top, swirled together with a toothpick and scattered with toasted sesame seeds. Our grandmothers made this without thinking twice. Serve it with fresh Lebanese bread and watch it disappear in minutes. If you’ve never tried it, this week is your week.
👉 Get the Dibbes bel Tahini (Carob Tahini Dip) recipe
A week that spans grandma’s kitchen, a viral favourite, and one truly special rice dish.
I hope it makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious. Tell me which one you’re starting with! 🤍
