You Say Salt, I Say Sea Salt

You might have noticed that in my recipes I use sea salt.  I have gotten into the habbit of using sea salt in the past few years.  The major difference that I have noticed in my cooking between salt and sea salt is that regular salt is saltier.  Below is what I gathered from my search on the interent:

1. Table salt is sourced from mines or the sea and is arrived at after removing impurities by an industrial process.  Sea salt on the other hand is obtained by evaporating sea water.
2. Sea salt has a higher mineral content than table salt and is therefore considered to be a healthier alternative.
3. Table salt is the more widely used variety.
4. Sea salt has natural minerals in it while table salt may be fortified with iodine and other chemicals additives like sodium silicoaluminate, calcium phosphate, or magnesium carbonate which help prevent clumping.
5. Sea salt is growing in popularity as a health alternative to table salt, though it is more expensive.
6. Sea salt is supposed to taste better than table salt.
7. Table salt is regarded as dead salt while sea salt is regarded as a living one.

I'm not saying this information is correct or not.  It is completely up to you to decide which one you would like to use!  But consider that table salt is saltier than sea salt, so adjust your measurements if you are using table salt.  The only thing that I could find online as far as measurements is the following:

1 tablespoon coarse or kosher salt = 2 teaspoons table salt

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Rain, Rain, Bowl of Soup

One of my all time favorite things to eat is soup!  I love making soup; I love eating soup.  You just can't go wrong with making soup.  Put all the ingredients in one pot and let them be for an hour or so, then season to taste.  Anyone can make soup and in my opinion there's no right or wrong in soup-making.  On a day like this (cold, cloudy and rainy), a bowl of soup is all I want. 

The recipe that I'm about to share is yet another family recipe - courtesy of my aunt.  This recipe is definitely our family's favorite (except my children since they don't know any better!) and we always requested that she make it because it is SO good.  It's not hard to make; however, it does involve some washing and chopping of fresh herbs.  So, if you like herbs, especially cilantro, this one is for you!  Let's just call it cilantro soup...

Cilantro soup

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion chopped

3 bunches of fresh cilantro - washed and chopped with the stems

1 bunch of fresh parsley - washed and chopped with the stems

1 bunch of scallions – washed and chopped both white and green parts

2 bunches of fresh spinach – washed and chopped (or 1 box of frozen chopped spinach)

¾ cup lentils cleaned and washed

¾ cup white rice cleaned and washed

¼ teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoon sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

14 cups of water

3-4 lime - freshly juiced (about 1/2-3/4 cup)

Plain yogurt

In a large pot, over medium-low heat, sauté the onion in oil until it is soft and translucent.  Add rice and lentils and sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes.  Add turmeric and mix well.  Add 14 cups of water, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil with the lid on, then cook over low heat until both rice and lentils are soft (about 45 min to an hour).

Wash and chop all the fresh herbs and the scallions and add to the pot.  If you are using frozen spinach, add that to the pot before the other herbs.  Put the lid back on and let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 20-30 minutes.  Add lime juice and serve hot with plain yogurt.

Cilantro Soup with Plain Yogurt

The rice and lentils act as thickening agents here, therefore no exact measurements (little less, little more...).  Freshly squeezed lime juice is key here which is a great compliment to the cilantro.  My family and I like the sour taste of this soup  but you can adjust the amount of lime juice for your taste.  Another thing I've tried in the past is to substitute water with chicken or beef broth.  Today, we had none of those in our pantry!

This soup is so refreshing and it tastes fantastic.  Once you learn how to make it, you'd want to make it over and over again.

Happy Monday!

*Note added on Thursday, May 26th: I was too lazy and too hot to warm this soup up for lunch today (it is 80 degrees and humid in NYC), so I had a bowl straight out of the fridge and I must say it was SO GOOD and refreshing!  I was completely surprised.  So I thought I'd share that with you.  Who knew?  One recipe - 2 ways...  Now we have a Persian Gazpacho!  Cheers everyone.

The Secret Is Out... Shhhh

Are you ready?  I'm about to share a family recipe with you!!!  If you like sweets and/or rice pudding, then keep reading...  It took me a while to get this recipe from my grandmother.  Not that she didn't want to share the recipe, NO!  It was just one of those recipes that "there was no recipe!"  Thanks to my younger aunt, who watched my grandmother make this recipe several times so she could finally jot down some measurements to keep for herself and also to pass on to me.  I have since made the recipe many times and have perfected the timing for it.  It is just how I remember when my grandmother used to make it.

Today is a perfect day to make this recipe.  It's windy and raining outside.  My older kid is in preschool and my younger one is napping.  This recipe is very easy to make; however, it needs some TLC while making it.  You can't just leave it on the stove - you have to watch it constantly and stir occasionally.  But it will be so worth your time.

I must also warn you... this recipe is not light and not at all figure friendly.  It is loaded with carbs and sugar, but oh so tasty.  But you only live once and I believe that one should satisfy his/her cravings in moderation.  This recipe is a Persian version of a rice pudding; therefore, I call it "Saffron Rice Pudding."  In Iran, it's called Shole Zard.  I've tried to half this recipe, but I am so worried it won't turn out as great.  The portion is large enough for a party, but the good thing is that it keeps well in the fridge and you can store for up to 5 days.  The bad thing about storing in the fridge (if you are like me) - of course - being that every couple of hours you may want to attack the bowls with a spoon to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Saffron Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (not basmati & not brown)

2 cups sugar

7 cups water

½ teaspoon crushed cardamom soaked in 2 tablespoon hot water (about 3 cardamoms)

¼ teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoon hot water

1 tablespoon rose water

Garnish:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts

Soak the crushed cardamoms in 2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside.  Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoon of hot water as well and set aside..  Meanwhile, wash the rice in a large pot, changing the water several times and drain.  Combine water and rice and bring to a boil.  Then let it simmer on a low-medium heat for about 20 minutes until the rice becomes soft (skim off the foam as it rises on top).  Add sugar and continue simmering on low-medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, sieve through the cardamom and only add the cardamom water.  Add rose water and saffron water as well.  Continue simmering on a low heat for 20 minutes – while stirring occasionally - until the mixture becomes thicker but has not lost all the liquid.

Pour the pudding in bowls and sprinkle the ground cinnamon and chopped pistachio nuts on top.  Chill in refrigerator and serve cold.

Saffron Rice Pudding

I hope you will enjoy this dessert as much as we do in my family. 

Beets Please!

Every country has its own unique take of serving street food.  So much can be learned about a country’s food culture from their street food.  Growing up in Iran, I remember loving the street food whether it was a healthy version or a junk food.  One of the most popular street foods is warm boiled beets cooked in huge vats – an absolute favorite.  Some people actually prefer to buy boiled beets from the street vendors, then bring it home and dress it for their parties. 

Boiled Beets Sold on Streets of Iran

I remember how my mother used to make these delicious salads or condiments using beets.  One in particular was dressed in vinegar, olive oil with salt and pepper.  Another was to mix the boiled/cooked beet with plain yogurt, salt and pepper.  Since my husband is a huge fan of beets, I try to prepare a beet salad as often as I can. 

Boiling beets can be a messy job, but I’ve learned to prepare it so that my kitchen won’t end up with purple polka dots all over!  Wash the beets really well (with a soft brush if you can or a clean sponge).  Put them in a pot with some water; let them simmer with the lid on for a couple of hours until you can easily stick your fork in it (you really need to be careful so that the entire water won't evaporate - you might end up with a burnt pot and a very bad smell).  Then let them cool for about 15-20 minutes.  Put your kitchen gloves on, grab a paper towel and gently rub on the surface of the beet trying to take the peel off.  Once you do this, there will be no mess what so ever.  Then you can slice, dice or cut it however you want.  I usually marinate the beets in extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.  Then put them in a container with a lid on and refrigerate for at least a few hours up to five days.  You can serve them over your salad or just with toasted walnuts and Labne (or goat cheese) for an appetizer.

Marinated Boiled Beets with Toasted Walnuts & Goat Cheese

Note: I use sherry vinegar since it has more acidity and I really like the flavor.  I find that it’s a nice compliment to the sweet beets and balances the flavors.  You can definitely substitute with red or white wine vinegar.  I don’t recommend balsamic since it’s sweeter and stronger in taste.

[Beets are called "Laboo = لبو" in Farsi.]
[Labne is strained yogurt or yogurt cheese.]

Happy Saturday eve everyone :)

Oh The Things You Can Make With The Head of a Cauliflower!

Apologies for having been absent... I don't know where the time goes sometimes!  I remember how my lovely mother used to say that she needs 48 hours in a day rather than 24!  I'm just starting to understand what she really meant - I too wish for 48-hour days now.

To be honest with you, not much cooking has been happening this week.  You must ask, "Then what in the world kept you so busy?"  Since the weather was nice all week, we ended up being outside for the most part.  It's amazing how much of your time can be consumed by a 21-month old and a 4-year old.  Also, the weekend was eventful and we BBQ'd with some friends over.  There was so much leftover that I still have some pesto left in my fridge.  Today, that will change…

We all know cauliflower is not a very popular vegetable and there are not many recipes that are dedicated to this ignored veggie.  I must admit that I never loved it myself but - trust me - give this beauty a chance and it will become your spring/summer must-ingredient!

One recipe is to have cauliflower as a salad.  This recipe is not exactly a Persian recipe as I know, but many Persians whom I know have made different variation of this.  The following recipe is what I have been making for the past few years and it’s been a hit among both Persians and non-Persians.

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower washed and cut in small florets
1-14 oz can of Hearts of Palm drained well and sliced ¼ inch thick circles
2 endives washed and sliced
½ bunch of cilantro washed and chopped
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of either white or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

(I have only eye-balled these measurements!  The amount of the vinegar and salt depends on your taste – the longer this salad sits, the more it absorbs the flavors.)

In a salad bowl combine all the ingredients, except the cilantro.  Add the cilantro at the very last minute on top of the salad so that it won’t lose its shape and become wilty.

Another great recipe for cauliflower is to mix it with yogurt and whatever fresh herbs you can get your hands on!  I am telling you this is one recipe you will keep making in summer time.  It is great as a snack with chips; it can be a great light lunch; it can also be a perfect appetizer/side dish/dip for your summer BBQs. You can even treat it as a cold summer soup!

Herbed Yogurt with Cauliflower

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups of cauliflower florets
1-32 oz tub of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

¼ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  My suggestion is to start with your favorite herbs with one tablespoon at a time.  You can always add more as you go!  The herbs that I mentioned are the ones that I either have in my garden or fridge; however, you can modify to your own taste.

Herbed Yogurt with Cauliflower

Hope these two recipes make up for my lack of blogging this past week.... Have a fabulous day! 

Soul Kitchen

If one can/does believe in another life, I think I might have been a Mexican at some point!  I just love Mexican food and can't get enough of it.  I find it very tasty, festive and happy.  Today of course is the perfect excuse to have some - happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.

The kitchen however is closed today!  I took the day off to recharge.  You didn't think I was a super mom, did you?  Well, one can try...  Thankfully, I have a sitter twice a week to help keep my sanity.  Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but I just need to get away sometimes in order to be a good mommy.  On sitter days, I either run errands, organize, clean, cook or just get out of the house all together.  When I do get out however, I might end up in one of my favorite neighborhoods and just walk around.  I feel so recharged and happy. 

Don't worry though, we are still having home-made Mexican food.  I had some leftover braised short ribs in the freezer that I pulled out.  I tend to make this dish a lot and usually have it in a form of taco.  It is so easy to make and absolutely delicious.  I must however stay true to my blog and not post it!  I promise though to have a Persian version soon.  I did however make a Persian coleslaw which will go nicely with our tacos.  It is so easy and light.  I even bought myself a "SkinnyGirl Margarita" to see what the fuss is all about! 

Persian Coleslaw

1 small white cabbage shredded (about 8 cups)

1 cup red radish – julienned (cut into long thin strips)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Dressing
¾ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup pumpkin seed - toasted

Put all the dry ingredients in a salad bowl and mix well.

Coleslaw

In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad and mix well.  Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.

 Persian Coleslaw

Cheers everyone!

Pantry Inventory

When I first moved to this country, my mother had packed me all sorts of spices, dried herbs and so forth from home in case I decided to make some involved Persian food.  Thanks for the other cultures' influences, now you can find just about anything here whether at specialty organic stores, chain supermarkets or even farmers' markets around the country.  Of course, some countries might claim they have the best of a certain spice.  That being said, I'll go on a limb here and say that Persian saffron is truly amazing.  For the most part, Persian saffron is of a high grade, meaning the strands (or commonly known as stigma) are thinner and the coloring power is very high. 

Saffron Flower

Those three red strands are called stigma and that is what we use in our cooking.  Saffron is the most expensive herb sold (by weight) around the world and you can see why!  When you purchase saffron, it looks like this:

Saffron Strands

Of course, we Iranians/Persians take a further step by turning this into a powder form - and store it in a dark, cool and dry place - before using.  I have been told that you get more aroma and color out of it that way.  And if that's not enough, we also try to dissolve the powder in hot water for certain dishes.  The best way to turn the saffron into a powder is using a spice or coffee grinder that you will ONLY use for this purpose (and perhaps other spices).  You just need to make sure that you clean the inside of the grinder very well to get all that pricey powder out.  Also, you may not want your spices to adopt other spice aromas.

I hope by now, you know how important saffron is in Persian cooking.  So you may want to stock up on this ingredient.  Other ingredients which are commonly used in Persian cooking (I promise, I won't make long stories about each one) are the following:
- Turmeric
- Cardamom
- Sumac
- Dried mint
- Dried Dill
- and All FRESH HERBS - which don't go in your pantry (mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, chive, etc.)
- Pomegranate Molasses
- Rose Water

Once again, I decided to make something not so involved and light.  The recipe that I'm about to share with you, is so tasty and happens to be one of my favorites.  If you like eggplants, get ready and start cooking.  The original recipe requires peeling, slicing and sautéing which can take so much time.  I don't have time to babysit the eggplants on the frying pan - I already have 2 toddlers!  If you are like me, you will soon realize that oven is your best friend, time and life saver.  Although I call this "dip", it can easily be a meal with a wrap or a pita bread.

Oven-Roasted Eggplant Dip


 Ingredients:
3 medium eggplants (about 3 lbs)
1 large onion peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil + tablespoon
1 teaspoon sea salt + 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of saffron powder
2 tablespoon of sour cream


For Garnish:
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon sour cream


Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with foil.  Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise, then place them skin side down on the sheet pan.  In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper.  Mix well and then apply over the eggplants with a brush.  Place them in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until they are soft and slightly golden.  Let cool for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile in a medium pot, combine the onion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Sauté the onion on a low heat until it's caramelized.  You may want to save a spoonful of the sautéed onion for the garnish later.  Add the turmeric and mix well.  This might make the mixture a little starchy - you may add a teaspoon of water and mix together.  This will be a base for your dip.


Spoon out the eggplant meat, separating it from its skin and add to the pot.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, lemon juice and saffron and mix well.  With the lid on, simmer on a very low heat for about an hour.  Pour the dip in a bowl then add 2 tablespoon of sour cream.


For garnish, in a very small sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the mint.  Sauté the mint no more than 2 minutes (until it starts looking shiny, but not darker).  Immediately, add on top the dip with the leftover caramelized onion and the teaspoon of sour cream.

Oven roasted Eggplant Dip

Note: The traditional dish is called Kashk Bademjan.  Bademjan is eggplant.  Kashk however is a thick whitish liquid similar to sour cream used in traditional Persian/Iranian cooking.  It is available in a liquid or in a dried form which needs to be soaked and softened before it can be used in cooking.  For the purpose of my blog, I replaced Kashk with sour cream since it is much easier to find.  That is after all what I am trying to do - make Persian cooking less intimidating and more accessible!