Textual Chef Textual Chef

Shanklish

A traditional Middle Eastern seasoned cheese appetizer coated in za'atar and served with diced tomatoes and olive oil.

20 minEasyServes 4240 cal/serving

Middle EasternAppetizerNo-CookVegetarianMediterraneanLow CarbKetoHigh ProteinHalal-friendlyKosher-styleGluten-FreeNut-FreeEgg-FreeSoy-FreeShellfish-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup za'atar blend
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 roma tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a bowl, combine 2 cups crumbled feta cheese, 1 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes until smooth dough forms.

  2. 2

    Roll the mixture into compact equal-sized balls.

  3. 3

    Coat each ball thoroughly in 1/4 cup za'atar blend until completely covered.

  4. 4

    To serve, crumble cheese balls into a dish and toss with 2 diced roma tomato, 1/2 cup finely diced red onion, and drizzled 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

What is Shanklish?

A traditional Middle Eastern seasoned cheese appetizer coated in za'atar and served with diced tomatoes and olive oil. This reference files it under Middle Eastern appetizer: made without cooking, rated easy and about 20 minutes start to finish.

What can I use instead of za'atar in Shanklish?

The entry for Shanklish calls for 1/4 cup za'atar blend. In its place: Combine dried thyme or oregano with toasted sesame seeds and a little lemon zest, which stands in for the sumac.

Can I make Shanklish less spicy?

Yes. The heat in Shanklish comes from 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. For a milder plate, halve the pepper flakes; nothing else in the method changes.

Can I make Shanklish dairy-free?

Not cleanly. Here the dairy (2 cups feta cheese, crumbled) is the backbone of the dish, and plant-based substitutes change both its texture and its flavor. If you need strictly dairy-free, start from the dairy-free appetizer collection instead.

Is Shanklish low-carb?

A serving of Shanklish carries 4 g of carbohydrate, 1 g of it fiber. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 20 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 4 percent.

How much protein is in Shanklish?

One serving (the recipe makes 4) has 12 g of protein in about 240 calories, alongside 4 g carbohydrate and 20 g fat, plus 1 g fiber and 620 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list. More like it: the high-protein appetizer collection.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Middle Eastern entries

All Middle Eastern recipes · All Appetizer recipes · All Feta Cheese recipes