You can call a cake or you can call it a quick bread, whatever you prefer to call it, this oregano cheese cake is one of my go-to recipes. It is easy, quick and loaded with flavor. If all that is not enough…it freezes well which makes it a great option for a quick breakfast. Pop it in the microwave and it’ll be done before the water for your tea or coffee boils.

The combination of cheese, oregano, olives and herbs gives the cake flavor, the mixture of cheese and oregano is unbeatable. It also gives it color, the cake will be marbled with the green of the oregano, the black of the olives  and the white of the cheese. There is also texture when you bite into the bits of cheese or olives.

Cook’s notes:

You can bake this bread in a loaf pan or a 9*13 pan

If you don’t have Nabulsi cheese, replace it with any firm salty cheese

I usually freeze oregano leaves when they are in season but when I don’t have any I simply soak some dried oregano leaves in water overnight then strain them and use them

Savory oregano cheese cake

adapted from a recipe by the black iris at lakii  forum

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

1 cup yogurt

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon dried mint or 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

1 cup nabulsi cheese cut into cubes (You can use akkawi or halloumi instead)

1 cup  fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup pitted chopped olives

1/2  teaspoon dried basil 

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 cups flour

1 tablespoons baking powder

Beat the eggs with the vinegar then add the oil and beat till the color becomes pale.

Add the yogurt and mix.

Add the cheese, oregano, olives, mint, paprika and basil …mix with a spatula.

Add the flour and baking powder  mix till homogenous

Spray a pan with cooking oil and spread the batter.

Decorate with olives

Bake in the middle rack in a preheated oven at 180 C for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Put it under the broiler till the top becomes golden brown (keep an eye on it, it takes a couple of minutes)

Enjoy!