Banana Honey Walnut Toasts

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Although Ramadan ended over a month ago, we are still having a difficult time breaking some of our Ramadan schedule and habits. Not only do we still stay up pretty late (midnight is the norm for me), but we also eat like mice early in the morning because it feels strange to fill up right after we’ve woken up. With all the things we have going on in our life, we certainly can’t afford to skip out on the most important meal of the day so today I’m sharing a simple breakfast idea that’s sweet, crunchy, and filling. Banana sandwiches are something we grew up eating as a treat. My father would make it for us and share stories of his picky-eating days, growing up in Beirut, where all he would eat was bread and sugar to fill up. I guess you can’t really go wrong with bread and banana! Thankfully none of us turned out that picky but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the product of my father’s resourcefulness 🙂

When I got married, I was introduced to a whole different world of foods I had never eaten. One of those things was geimar, a creamy Iraqi spread similar to clotted cream. It’s thick and rich in just the right way and it’s unsweetened which makes it the perfect base for a sandwich like this. We don’t eat it often but when my in-laws are in town we make sure to get our fill of geimar, samoon (Iraqi flatbread), and honey. When I photographed this recipe, I used sourdough toast that I had on hand but you can use any bread you like. If you desire more substance and less bread, you can cut the banana length wise and roll it up in a thin pita bread just like my dad used to do.

Ingredients
Quality artisan bread/toast
Salted butter or clotted cream
Banana
Honey
Walnuts

Note: You can use unsalted butter if you’d like but I find the saltiness works wonderfully with the sweetness of the honey and banana.

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Directions
Toast the bread of your choice and generously lather on some butter while it’s still a bit warm. Layer on banana slices and walnuts and then drizzle on some honey. Serve alongside a nice cup of piping hot tea.

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Labneh Pizza Toast

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Long before toast became a trend, my family had its own toast-y tradition. On weekend mornings that weren’t filled with scheduled activities, we would make these labneh “pizzas” using toasted pita rounds, labneh, and vegetable toppings. If you’ve never had labneh, you are truly missing out. A popular Lebanese breakfast staple, labneh is a strained yogurt that is thick and creamy with a deliciously tart taste that pairs perfectly with fresh tomato, cucumber, and mint. I always had fun making and eating these “pizzas” as a child and now I make them for my husband who really enjoys them (score!). This recipe is perfect for those family breakfast days and I guarantee you that children will love putting together their own pizzas. It even makes a wonderfully light and healthy lunch if you’re in a pinch and don’t know what to make. However you choose to make our Lebanese version of toast, we hope you’ll enjoy every bite of this creamy and crunchy, vegetarian deliciousness.

Labneh Pizza Toast

  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Pita bread
Labneh
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Olives
Scallions
Mint
Walnuts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Note: I did not include quantity because it really depends on how many you make and how loaded you prefer them. To give you an idea, I use one 16oz labneh container to make about 4-5 pizzas. 

Directions
1. Turn your broiler on low and toast the pita bread rounds until golden brown and crisp.
2. In a small bowl, whip the labneh with salt and spread evenly over the cooled pita rounds. If you don’t let the pita cool, the labneh will melt and you won’t get to enjoy that thick creamy texture characteristic of labneh.
3. Top your toast with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, olives, mint, and walnuts.
4. Drizzle with your best olive oil and enjoy every crunch.

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How do you eat your labneh? Share with us your favorite labneh pairings in the comments below. And as always….

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