Alright people it’s time to get our leba leb leb on! (that’s gay for lebanese).

Oh my jeyzeus. We are almost one week away from christmas and a couple from new years. AAH! How, when, why? Anyways, we’ll leave those questions for when we’re drunk. For now, let’s make something that’ll surely delight your guests. This SUPER EASY appy is perfect for your next holiday partaaay. It’s fresh (considering that you’ll be stuffing your face with carbs for the rest of the night) and you don’t need much preparation in advance.

Basically labneh is a type of “cheese” – more like a tzatziki, made out of yogurt. The first time I tried this I was HOOKED! So don’t be shocked if you catch yourself licking the bowl. Let’s make some!

Homemade Labneh with Olives and Za’atar

Ingredients
– 1 L of full fat yogurt (anything above 3% fat is good)
– Cheesecloth
– Salt
– Pepper
– A handful of a variety of olives of your liking (I used kalamata and plain green)
– 1 lemon
– 1 small clove of garlic
– Za’atar (you can buy it at an international market or you can make your own)

Make it!

1. Grab a bowl, get a colander or strainer and put the cheesecloth over it. Pour in the yogurt and place it in the bowl so that all the liquid drains. Make sure there’s enough space at the bottom for the liquid. Let it drain at least 24 hours. If you like it thicker, then add more time.

2. Once it has reached the desired consistency, remove strained yogurt from the cloth and place on a clean bowl. Now you have plain labneh!

3. Mince the garlic, chop the olives, and add everything to the labneh. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and the zest of half of the lemon. Mix it. Top with za’atar and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Voila! You’re done.

To serve: toast some pita in the oven and brush it with olive oil. Smear some labneh and enjoy. How freaking easy is that?!

Honestly friends, this baby is a life save when it comes to last minute entertaining. Hope you stuff your faces with it!!

Photos and styling: The Artful Desperado