I was just looking at the last time I posted and frankly felt very embarrassed. Well, there are a couple of reasons that are quite legitimate. I was away at least a couple of times and in between my dear hubby turned 40 which I had planned a party for him - it was a big deal after all (of course, I wouldn't know that personally, but have heard). Also, I'll be honest that writing a food blog - especially your creation/revision - is not easy, people. You need to be inspired to begin with, which I find very hard when I'm constantly running around with two kids who don't eat that well. Also, I hate to have the food that I make get wasted, so I make sure that I have a very good game plan for this and also the food is season-appropriate! Yes, a lot of thought goes into my blog.
At this point, I'm not sure how many people are following my blog since you can now subscribe to get the new blogs sent straight to your inbox. Wish there was a way to know though! I actually saw a few family members over the weekend while we were celebrating my cousin's wedding in Santa Barbara. I was told that they "had subscribed for the blog, but had not yet received any" and whether it was working?! How humiliating, huh? Well, I informed them that there was no glitch, but simply my lack of writing. Yikes!
I must say fall is my favorite season. I have always loved the weather this time of year; however, the weather in NYC has been quite weird recently. It started off with lots of rain, then we had the infamous "October Snow Storm" and now it's beautiful, mild and sunny. The sunny and mild is usually what I love about fall which will probably last another couple of weeks - if we are lucky. I usually make a lot of soups and stews this time of year; also, when I start putting on the pounds as I get ready for winter hibernation. These soups and stews are usually very healthy, but it's what I consume with the soups as well as what I reward myself afterwards that adds the pounds: bread and chocolate respectively.
On that note, let's get cooking and blogging with no glitch...
There are dishes in Iran that are called Aash (آش), which are soups but thicker. Depending on the ingredients, Aash can be considered a full meal (but not according to my hubby - he considers them starters). There is a particular one called Aash Reshteh (آش رشته) that's quite popular. If Iranians could officially name it one of their national dishes, they probably would.
Today we are making Aash, but my way - the easy way!
Easy Aash
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked red kidney beans
1 cup uncooked white beans
1 cup uncooked garbanzo beans
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion diced
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ teaspoon white pepper powder
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
10 cups of water or stock
1-10 oz pack of frozen chopped spinach
Pinch of saffron powder
Wash the red, white and garbanzo beans in cold water thoroughly, then soak them in a medium bowl overnight. This helps the beans become hydrated and cook faster.
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil and add the diced onion. Sauté the onion until it’s soft and glossy. Drain the beans, making sure all the liquid is out, then add to the pot and mix with the onion. Mix well until they are coated. Add the turmeric powder and pepper and mix well for 2-3 minutes. Add water (or the stock), put the lid on and bring to boil. Wash and rinse the lentils and add to the mixture. Then let it simmer on low heat until all the beans and lentils become soft. Add salt, lemon juice and the frozen spinach. Simmer for another 30-45 minutes.
Easy Aash & Yogurt
Hope you enjoy this easy, delicious yet comforting dish.
نوش جان !
