This has been a hectic week, and to top it off, I decided to run a 5K this morning.  Now, a 5K may not have sounded like a big deal back when I was training for a marathon, but it has now been a year and half of sitting on couch, and I have not ran once.  Without training, I thought I could pull off today’s Donor Dash, but boy was I wrong!  Not only am I physically drained, I feel like I am in a brain fog which is probably not conducive to cooking.  While I did have something more elaborate planned today,  I decided to instead make my father-in-law’s Armenian Labneh.  It is protein rich, which is what my body probably wants after my run, and above all, it is easy, which is exactly what I need right now.

I didn’t even know what Armenia was before I met my husband (back in pre-Kim Kardashian days).  My father-in-law is Armenian, and he has introduced me to the culture, food, and its location on the map.  It has never been a place that I have wanted to travel to, that is, until I read the Lost With Purpose blog about backpacking Armenia.  The country is rich in history, and is full of beautiful landscapes.  Their food alone would be worth the trip.  While I cannot compete with the cultural food my father-in-law has shown me, I can at least make a little bit of it here at home.

Labneh is a Middle-Eastern yogurt cheese.  Traditionally, it is strained in order to remove the whey, which makes the texture more thick and gives it a more sour taste.  Labneh can be used as a dip, like I am making, or it often is covered with herbs and dried into balls. It is widely used in the Middle-East, with different variations through the region.

Armenian Labneh

• 1 container of Labneh (more grocery stores are now stocking Labneh, but unfortunately it hasn’t hit my grocery store yet.  I had to head to my nearest Halal market in order to find it).
• Paprika
• Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• Dried Mint
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Start by spreading the Labneh around the plate in an even layer.  Depending on the size of your plate and the amount of people you are feeding, use as much Labneh as it takes to get a thick, even layer.

Generously season the top of the Labneh with paprika and dried mint.  If you like a little spice in your food, lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper as well.  Season with salt.

In the middle of the plate, drizzle a small amount of olive oil (1-2 teaspoons).  Serve with pita bread or lavash (unleavened flatbread).

My father-in-law has yelled at me many times for eating this incorrectly.  Start by folding your piece of pita into a triangle, then scoop up the exterior ring, working your way slowly into the middle.