Zatar toast

Zatar is a popular herb mixture used in the Middle East. Different countries prepare it slightly differently. It is typically a mixture of dried oregano, thyme and savory with salt, sesame and other spices. Some varieties contain sumac and caraway. I buy mine from Kuwait, but I am sure any local Middle Eastern grocery store will carry Zatar.

I mix the Zatar mixture with some olive oil and spread it over our favorite bakery bread with some mozarella and black olives, then bake it for 10mins at 350F just till the cheese has melted. It makes for a great snack or hors d'oeuvre. This preparation is even more tasty made on home made pizza dough, thats how its served in Arab deli shops. They made them fresh every morning, I remember waiting in line on the weekends to get the first warm bake, was delicious.

Zatar is high in anti-oxidants, just watch the amount of oil you are using and get the mozarella from part-skim to keep the calories low.