Obviously the original version of musakhan is a big leg of chicken with pinenuts and sumac served on a flatbread but this recipe gestures towards it and is both really easy to whip up (especially if you have some frozen or ready made naan). Usually it’s not served with a yogurt sauce but I think most things in life would be better with a yogurt sauce. You could easily add some fresh olives, tomatoes, or finishing olive oil instead and those would all be nice additions too.
Continue readingCategory: vegetarian
Recipe: Aash e Jow
There’s an entire category in Persian food of thick stews/thick soups, آش [Aash] and since that’s one of my SOs favorite types of food I have been trying to find ones that we both like and it just so happens this very simple barley stew is a winner with us. This soup is filling on its own without bread or other side dishes and it has soft comforting flavors that aren’t too challenging for people not used to Persian flavors.
Continue readingRecipe: Masa Harina Waffles
If you’re looking for a savory twist on waffles this is a great and super easy to achieve it. I served these with some salsa and a runny fried egg and they were a super not too difficult weekend breakfast meal. The masa harina gives the waffles a chewy but not too dense texture. These would probably be good with a runny queso as well.
Continue readingRecipe: Oven Baked Chana Pulao
I love a good pulao. It’s basically a mixed rice dish with whatever you want in it and this one takes pulao to even higher heights with it’s set it and forget method in the oven and frozen vegetables. This is my favorite type of meal because the only thing you really have to do is chop an onion which I know is a big ask for some people but for me personally, is a 30 second task. This dish is super flavorful, very filling on its own and can easily can scaled up for a crowd plus it’s vegan! Feel free to add whatever types of vegetables you like or have on hand and play around with the spices.
Continue readingRecipe: Kalasouna
This is an extremely pleasant cheese pie that is made even better with addition in chopped onions. In the future I would definitely whip the feta for an even and soft texture. I have never actually eaten one of these before and saw pictures online of both square and round versions, I eventually opted for the round but you should follow your heart. This is a great snack or light lunch if paired with a soup or salad that’s not too much work and can be made ahead of time.
read moreRecipe: Enfrijoladas
For my first attempt I didn’t quite get the sauce as smooth as I wanted it but it still came out really delicious. This isn’t authentic at all, and I can’t get many of the leaves, seasonings, chilies, and exact cheeses here in Estonia but I like to think it’s got the spirit of enfrijoladas. In an ideal world you would soak beans from scratch and cook them in a big pot yourself but I often can’t get dried black beans here either, just the cooked one. I might try a different bean or different fillings in the future but it’s always good to get a baseline for your food first I think.
Continue readingRecipe: Carrot-Chickpea Schnitzel
I was actually inspired to make this because they have a very similar item at our supermarket and I kind of fell in love with it. Who doesn’t like a good cutlet? Especially one that has a nice crispy outside and a soft, spiced inside. This is pretty easy to make and you and freeze these cutlets before coating for a pretty quick future meal. I almost always have chickpeas and carrots on hand which makes this a good candidate for a pantry meal. You can make this vegan by coating it with a mixture of cornflour and flour + water or you can simply use egg and flour for the coating and it will be vegetarian. Both are great!
Continue readingRecipe: Vegetable Kadai
Technically I did not make these in a kadai which is a rounded bottom pot that is about halfway between a wok and a skillet with high sides but if you have a wok or a kadai it would be even better. This is a really great recipe that makes really delicious, unctuous vegetables in a thick creamy gravy. It’s great over rice or with most types of roti, naan, or other forms of bread. I topped mine with yogurt but feel free to use cream or coconut cream if you’re feeling luscious.
Continue readingRecipe: Sformato
This recipe contains celeriac and arugula but a regular sformato is basically half way between a spinach quiche and a spinach souffle so feel free to replace the celeriac with other root vegetables you like and the arugula with spinach or other greens to taste the idea is easy enough. This froze really well and like many egg dishes is very stable in the fridge for a few days and perfect for a make ahead breakfast or dinner if you want to really impress someone.
Continue readingRecipe: Cream of Barley Soup
I accidentally made this soup with bulgur wheat instead of barley once but it’s also similarly delicious. This soup is one of those hearty, thick soul satisfying things that sticks to your ribs and is perfect on a chill fall or cold winter afternoon. I cooked it down so that it was incredibly thick but you can stop it well before this point if you like a looser soup.
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