A couple of quick and easy Arabic dishes here.

They can be delicious as starters (known as 'Mezze' in Arabic), or they are great as dips when you have a few friends around for a drink and need some tasty nibbles.Use fresh warm Turkish or Arabic style bread,or strips of carrot and cucumber to dip.

Labnah (Yoghurt dip)

1 large tub plain yoghurt.

2 tbsp dried mint.

1 garlic clove, crushed.

lemon juice.

Mix all the ingredients together, adjusting the lemon juice to taste. Serve in a shallow dish, placing an olive on top for garnish.

Baba Ghannouj  (pronounced Baba Ganoosh)

1 medium sized Eggplant.

lemon juice.

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley.

2 garlic cloves, crushed.

Salt to taste.

1 tbsp Olive Oil.

Place the Eggplant in centre shelf of hot oven and cook til soft, turning often. Peel off the skin and remove the stem and end. Chop the flesh, or put in blender and puree, but not too fine, leave some small lumps.

Add the salt to the crushed garlic and add this to the eggplant mixture.

Beat well and add the lemon juice.

Beat in the olive oil and almost all the parsley.

Place in a shallow dish, garnish with a little more parsley and serve.

Some people add chopped tomato to this dish.