Have Fork Will Travel: Koshari at the Ranch

October 7, 2026

Have Fork Will Travel, Part One: Koshari at the Ranch

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Well… Katelyn went to Egypt.

Cruised down the Nile on a smaller boat with about 25 people.

Saw the pyramids.

Rode a camel.

Dipped her toes in the Nile.

The actual Nile. 🐪🌊

Went on a hot air balloon ride.

Had a latte.

And here I am, looking at her spices, thinking… well, now we have to cook something. 😂

Which is how Egyptian koshari found its way onto our website-launch menu at Marcia’s ranch. We’re cooking there, bringing the spices, and adding a few more pots to the occasion. Because apparently launching a website wasn’t quite enough of an adventure. That sounds a lot like me. 😂

But truly, I love this. Katelyn has the travel stories, we have spices straight from Egypt, and now we get to bring a little of it to the table together. I want to hear about that little cruise. And the pyramids. And I do have some follow-up questions about the camel.

We can talk while I stir.

Koshari is Egypt’s national dish, and there is a whole lot of supper in this bowl. Rice, lentils, little macaroni noodles, chickpeas… then a spoonful of spiced tomato sauce and a pile of crispy onions right on top.

Yes, rice AND pasta. Everybody gets to come.

We’re using the seven-spice blend in the sauce, letting it simmer and settle in. I’m making lemon-and-garlic seven-spice chicken alongside it for anyone who wants some, too. That gets its own post in Have Fork Will Travel, Part Two: And Then There Was Chicken. Apparently one post couldn’t hold all of supper. 😂

🍴 Have Fork Will Travel — Our First Stop

And somewhere between talking about Egypt and deciding what to cook, a little idea started growing.

Have Fork Will Travel.

Yes, this is the first one. And we started at Marcia’s Rockin H Ranch, the most gorgeous place for weddings and more. Truly an amazing place to Gather Often. 🧡

Sometimes I’ll pack up and head to somebody else’s kitchen to cook the food they grew up with. Sometimes they’ll come to the Compass, bring a family recipe, and show me how it’s done.

Their grandmother’s way of making it. The dish that always shows up for holidays. A little of this, a handful of that, and “I don’t know, honey… until it looks right.”

Well, scoot over. I need to see what “right” looks like. 😂

Different kitchens. Different cultures. Family recipes and the people who keep making them. We’ll cook, ask questions, share plates, and hear the stories that come with the food.

This first stop begins with Katelyn’s travels and a recipe inspired by them. From here, I want to keep following those connections—into the kitchens and family traditions of the people who know them best.

You bring your recipe. I’ll bring my fork.

And probably a few questions. 🧡

🧺 What You’ll Gather

🍽️ Makes: approximately 6 generous main-dish servings or 8 smaller servings
⏱️ Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: about 60 minutes, with components cooking alongside one another · Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes

For the rice

● 2 tablespoons olive oil

● 1 cup uncooked medium-grain white rice

● 2 cups vegetable broth, or the liquid amount directed on your rice package

For the lentils

● 1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

● 3 cups water, plus more as needed

● 1 garlic clove, quartered

● 1 teaspoon ground cumin

● 1 bay leaf

● ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the pasta and chickpeas

● 2 cups uncooked small macaroni

● 1 can chickpeas, 15 ounces, rinsed and drained

For the tomato sauce

● 2 tablespoons olive oil

● 1 small onion, finely diced

● 2 garlic cloves, minced

● 1 can plain tomato sauce, 15 ounces

● 2 teaspoons baharat or the seven-spice blend listed below, plus up to 1 additional teaspoon to taste

● ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

● 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

● Salt and black pepper, to taste

● A splash of water, if needed to thin

For the crispy onions

● 2 large onions, thinly and evenly sliced, then patted dry

● Avocado oil or another suitable frying oil, enough for about ½ inch in your skillet

● A small pinch of salt

👩🍳 Let’s Make It

1. Get the lentils settled in.

Put the lentils, water, quartered garlic, cumin, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for 20–30 minutes, checking occasionally. Add water if needed to keep the lentils submerged. Older lentils may take longer.

They should be tender but still holding their shape. Drain any excess water, remove the bay leaf, and season with salt.

2. Give the rice a little attention.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook according to your rice package, usually about 15–20 minutes for medium-grain white rice. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing.

3. Let the sauce simmer.

Warm the sauce’s olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons of spice blend, optional pepper flakes, and vinegar. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick.

Give it a taste. A little more spice? A pinch of salt? Add what it needs, stir, and taste again.

4. Fry those onions.

Heat about ½ inch of oil in a deep, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the dry onion slices in batches so they have room to cook. Turn and stir as needed until deep golden brown, approximately 8–15 minutes per batch, depending on thickness and heat.

Lift them out before they become dark brown; they continue to darken after leaving the oil. Drain on a paper-towel-lined tray in a loose layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Leave uncovered so they stay crisp.

5. Finish the pasta and chickpeas.

Cook the macaroni in salted water according to the package, stopping at al dente. Drain.

Warm the chickpeas in a small saucepan with a splash of water, then drain. Aim to finish these close to serving time.

6. Build your bowl.

Spoon rice, lentils, and macaroni into each bowl. Add warm chickpeas, a generous spoonful of tomato sauce, and plenty of crispy onions.

Taste before adding any extra seven-spice blend; the sauce may have you covered. Then get yourself a fork. You’ve washed enough pots to earn it.

📝 Recipe Card Notes

● Spice note: Seven-spice blends vary. Use the seven-spice blend, starting with 2 teaspoons in the sauce. Taste before adding more spice or salt. Save the separate potato seasoning for another day.

Make your own:

Makes ¼ cup | Prep: 5 minutes
Use ground spices for all seven ingredients.

1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg

🧂Let’s Make It

Measure everything into a small, completely dry bowl.
Stir thoroughly, breaking up any little clumps.
Transfer to an airtight spice jar. Label and date it.

That’s it. Seven spices. One jar. Considerably fewer dishes than the koshari. 😂

● Protein portion: Lentils and chickpeas already contribute plant protein. For an optional meat addition, serve 3–4 ounces of our Egyptian-Inspired Seven-Spice Chicken alongside each bowl. (Recipe coming to you here, on Friday).

● Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free pasta and verify the broth and spice blend are gluten-free.

● Make ahead: Prepare the sauce, rice, and lentils up to a day ahead. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Reheat to 165°F, adding a splash of water where needed. Fry the onions near serving time for the best crunch.

● Leftovers: Refrigerate cooked components for 3–4 days, counting from their original cooking day. Store toppings separately when possible.

● Serving a crowd: Set out the components for a build-your-own bowl. Add the onions last so they keep their crunch.

🧡 From My Kitchen Table

A trip down the Nile for Katelyn. A new beginning for the Compass. And Marcia’s ranch giving us a place to bring it all together over a bowl of supper.

I think that’s one of my favorite things about sharing food. Somebody brings a recipe, somebody brings a story, and before long we’re pulling up another chair.

That’s what I want for this little corner of mine.

Good food. Room for you. And time to hear all about it.

First stop, Marcia’s. After that… well, whose kitchen are we cooking in next?

Have fork. Will travel. Will happily accept seconds. 🧡

🧭 Compass Heading: There’s Room at the Table

🧭 Our Bearing: Practice hospitality. Make room to learn from one another.

🧭 Compass Thought: When somebody welcomes us into their kitchen, we get to learn more than a recipe. We get to listen—to the family memories, the traditions, the little things they want to pass along.

That’s the heart I want to bring to Have Fork, Will Travel. A willing pair of hands, a curious mind, and enough room in the conversation for someone else’s story. As Marcia welcomes us to the ranch, I’m grateful for the people who keep opening their doors and sharing what they have.

📖 Compass Verse

¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, ¹¹not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;¹²rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, ¹³contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Romans 12:10-13, NASB

🙏 Compass Prayer

Lord, thank You for open doors, shared meals, and the people who make us feel at home. Bless this beginning and the kitchens we have yet to visit. Help us listen with humility, honor the stories entrusted to us, and notice where someone needs care. Let our welcome be sincere and our hands willing to serve. In Jesus’ name.

Amen