This week is all about big flavour and easy nights — slow-roasted short ribs with a bold overnight marinade, a cheat’s shish-barak made with shop-bought tortellini for the nights you need dinner without the fuss, buttery string beans that always disappear first at the table, and an oven-baked beef kebab tray that comes together with no skewers and no grill. And for dessert — Asawer el Sit, delicate pistachio-filled pastry rings soaked in rose-scented syrup.
A week of comfort, shortcuts and one very elegant little sweet. Every recipe is linked below — let’s have a great one.
This Week’s Meal Plan
Meal 1: Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs
I’ve made beef short ribs before on the blog — my Beef Short Rib Buns are a firm favourite in this house, piled onto soft buns with a creamy slaw. But this recipe takes the same cut in a completely different direction. Instead of a quick braise, these get a proper overnight marinade — a bold mix of smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin and chargrilled capsicum — so the flavour has time to really work its way into the meat before it even sees the oven. It’s an easy one to prep and then walk away from — a few minutes blending the marinade, a quick sear the next day, and the oven does the rest.
👉 Get the Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs recipe
Meal 2: Easy Shish Barak with Tortellini
This one is for anyone who has ever looked at a traditional Lebanese recipe and thought, not tonight. Maybe you’ve just stepped into the kitchen for the first time and want a dish that works. Maybe you’re a mum juggling work, school runs and a hungry family, and dinner simply needs to happen. Either way, this one is for you. I’ve swapped the homemade dough and hand-folded dumplings for frozen tortellini, and the result is still a comforting, homemade bowl of yogurt stew that tastes like home — the heart of the dish, that silky cooked yogurt sauce, hasn’t changed at all.
👉 Get the Easy Shish Barak with Tortellini recipe
Meal 3: Buttery String Beans & Walnuts
I’ve had this recipe forever, and it’s one of those dishes you genuinely can’t go wrong with. My buttery string beans are simple, delicious, and always the first thing to disappear when I put them out for guests. What makes the dressing so good is the walnuts and capers — that’s really where all the flavour comes from. The walnuts bring a bit of crunch and richness, the capers add a salty, briny hit, and the parsley keeps everything fresh, all tossed through beans finished in butter.
👉 Get the Buttery String Beans & Walnuts recipe
Meal 4: Oven-Baked Beef Kebab Tray
There’s something deeply comforting about a tray of sizzling beef kebabs straight out of the oven. The aroma of roasted capsicum, garlic and spices fills the kitchen, and before you know it, everyone’s gathered around the table. This one looks impressive but comes together with ease — no skewers, no grill, just simple ingredients baked to perfection. I learned early on that baked kebabs can be just as juicy as the grilled ones we grew up eating — the secret lies in the balance of flavours and a well-prepared vegetable mix that blends right into the meat.
👉 Get the Oven-Baked Beef Kebab Tray recipe
Dessert: Asawer el Sit Pistachio Rings
If you’ve never tried Asawer el Sit, these pistachio-filled pastry rings are a must. The name translates to “the lady’s bracelets,” and they’re every bit as elegant as they sound — delicate, crisp, golden, and soaked in rose-scented syrup. A beautiful sweet that’s often made for celebrations or when guests are coming over. I love how Arabic baklawa-style sweets are so versatile — you’d think they’d all taste the same, layers of filo, syrup, nuts, but somehow each one has its own unique texture and flavour.
👉 Get the Asawer el Sit Pistachio Rings recipe
A week of bold flavour, easy shortcuts and one very elegant sweet.
I hope this makes your week in the kitchen feel a little easier — and a lot more delicious!
