Zucchini Stew (Khorest-e- Kadoo)

You need:

8-19 zucchini

1 pound (450 grams) cubed beef (beef stew meat)

1 can tiny diced tomatoes

1 large onion chopped

1 tablespoon salt

1 tea spoon black pepper

1 tea spoon pf cinnamon powder

1 tea spoon of turmeric powder

2 table spoon of lemon or lime juice

4 tablespoon of corn oil or olive oil

How to make it

With a knife scratch the skin of the zucchini and remove the skin (Do not peel)

Cut the zucchinis in half length-wise

Put the oil in the pan, heat up and saute' the zucchinis until browned

Take the zucchinis out and dry on a piece of a paper towel

In a pot saute the onions in oil, add the meat, stir and saute again

Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon powder

Add the can of diced tomatoes, stir and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes 

Add 1/2 cup of water and cook the meat for 15-18 minutes until soft (Pressure cooker time 8-10 minutes)

Add the lemon/lime juice and adjust the spices/salt

Lay the zucchinis in a bake-ware Pyrex dish

Pure the cooked stew meat/sauce on the top of the zucchinis

Cover with foil and leave in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 275 degree

Serve on the top of plain basmati rice or eat with bread 

Enjoy!

 

Lentil and Red Cabbage Soup (Soup Addas Va Kalam)

You need:

8 to 10 Oz. lentils (or a cup and half)

1 cup chopped green or red cabbage

1 can of tiny diced tomatoes

2 tablespoon of tomato paste

2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 bunch of flat leave parsley

1 carrot stick shredded

2 medium potatoes finely diced

1 onion and one bell pepper diced

1 tablespoon of salt 

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of paprika (optional)

1 fresh lime squeezed

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or red wine

How to make it

in a pot cook lentils in 4 cups of water adding salt/pepper/turmeric/paprika

when lentils are tender but not mashed add the potatoes/bell pepper/carrots and the cabbage

Add the can of tomatoes and the tomato paste

leave on medium heat for 15 minutes 

 stir the soup occasionally so it would not stick to the bottom of the pot

Add the parsley

Add olive oil, vinegar or wine and juice of the lime

leave on low heat for another 15 minutes

Serve in a bowl with bread on the side

(you may add hot sauce, heavy cream or sour cream as garnish)

enjoy!

   

Persian Lunch Box!

Mortadella (Italian style ham & Bloglines but made by the Christian Iranians in California!)

Sliced thick

Sliced Pickles

Sliced Tomatoes

Good crusty bread for a sandwich 

or

Flat Taftoon bread (Pita) for little bite size delights

You may have a garnish of chopped onions/parsley and or Mayonnaise/mustard

 Enjoy!

Persian zucchini Meatballs (Koofteh Kadoo)

You Need:

2 Pounds of lean ground beef

3 zucchinis

1 can of tiny diced tomatoes

1 medium size onion chopped

1 tablespoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (or nutmeg)

2 cloves of garlic graded or finely chopped

1 tablespoon of dried savory leaves

2 tablespoon of olive oil

How to make it

Grade the zucchinis and saute in the olive oil until golden and soft. Set aside and let it cool down to room temtrature. drain access water before adding to the oil

In a bowl put the ground beef and add salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic and the chopped onions

Add the zucchini to the mixture and mix well by hand

Make small balls as big as a ping-pong ball

Preheat the oven on 350f and put the meatball there and bake for 12-15 minutes until firm and browned

In a pot or deep pan pour in the can of tomatoes adding the savory leaves with a cup of water and cook on medium low heat for 5-10 minutes until tomatoes get consistency and loose the water in them

Take the meatballs out and after draining the access oil, place one by one in the tomato sauce that you made in the pan or pot

Let the meatballs cook in the sauce for 8-10 minutes(add water if the sauce is too thick)

Serve with plain rice or pasta

 or

 have it as a meatball soup with crusty/toasted bread

 Enjoy!

 

Persian Nuts

The art of packing!

  

A friend brought me a gift from Iran

Quick Persian Chicken Stew (Khorak-e Morgh)

You need:

2 Lbs. skinless chicken (breast, thigh and legs) or skinless/boneless chicken breast

2 large potatoes skinned and cut in small peices

1 can of tinny cut tomatoes

1 large onion Julian cut

2 cloves of garlic tinny cut

1 tablespoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of cinnomon

1 tablespoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 can of sliced mushrooms (optional)

How to make it:

In a pan or a pot saute' the onions in oil until they are soft and a bit browned

Add chicken

Stir on high heat

Add salt, pepper and turmeric, cinnamon. Mix well

Add tomatoes from the can

Stir for 3 or 4 minutes

Add one cup of water then cover the pan or pot and let the chicken cook (about 10-15 minutes)

Add the potatoes and mix

Let it cook on low heat until the potatoes are done and soft but not mashed

(Option: Add the can of mushroom while adding the can of tomatoes)

Eat with bread as a stew or serve with rice

Enjoy!

Lime-Cilantro Chicken Steak-kabob (Joojeh Geshneez Kabob)

You need:

6- 8 pieces of flat chicken meat (Steak style) that can be breast or dark meat

one lime 

2 tablespoon olive oil

3-4 branches of fresh cilantro chopped

1 teaspoon of salt

Pinch of crushed black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

How to make it:

Marinate the chicken meat in olive oil, lime juice and chopped cilantro

Add salt and pepper

Leave for 1 or 2 hours 

Grill on open fire or broil in oven (preheated on 400f) for 12-15 minutes

Serve with rice or veggies

 Enjoy! 

Fava-Dill Rice (Baghali-Polo)

You need:

4 cups of aged basmati rice

1 package of frozen fava beans (peeled and split. Usually found in Iranian or oriental stores)

1 cup of fresh dill-weed chopped (or 4 tablespoon of dried dill-weed)

2 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon of Persian saffron grinned and melted in 2 tablespoon of hot water 

2 tablespoon of corn oil or olive oil

How to make it:

Bring water to boil with the salt added

Add the rice (wash the rice before putting it in the boiling water)

Let the rice cook for about 8 minutes

Add the frozen fava and dill-weed

Cook another 4 minutes

Drain the water while trying not to loose any of the dill-weed from the draining process (use a fine colander)

Add oil in the bottom of the pot (or an electric server pot)

Pour the rice mixture into the pot

Add 3-4 spoon of the rice mixture into the melted saffron (this is for the garnish)

Sprinkle the rice mixture with the cinnamon powder

Add the saffron rice and spread lightly on the top

Cover the pot and have the heat on high for 1 minutes

Reduce the heat to low and let the rice steam for 15-20 minuts

Serve with you favorite meat (stewed lamb shank, pot-roast beef, baked chicken) 

or if you don't feel like meat, top it off with one or 2 fried eggs

Enjoy!

   

Persian Plain White Rice (Polo)

Summer Grill Party!