My Osso Buco with a Persian Twist

• Ingrediants: 
• 
  
• 6 osso buco
• salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 3/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 fresh thyme bundle
• 1-2 cups fresh green beans
• 
  
• Directions:

Season the osso buco generously with salt.

Coat a wide, flat pan generously with olive oil. Bring the pan to a high heat and add the osso buco to the pan and brown them very well on all sides.

In a food processor puree the onion, celery, fennel, and garlic to a coarse paste. When the osso buco is well browned on all sides, remove from the pan and reserve. Add the veggies to the pan with a pinch of crushed red pepper, season with salt, and brown them very well. Add the tomato paste and cook until it starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Return the osso buco to the pan. Add water so the liquid becomes even with top of the meat. Taste the liquid and season with salt if needed. Add in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. . Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, and put the whole pan in the oven.

Cook for 1 hour. Pull the pan out of the oven and check the liquid level and the seasoning. Add more liquid, if needed, add the fresh green beans, cut to bite size pieces.  Return the pan to the oven, and cook for another hour.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve with basmati rice

Cupcakes for Blake

Heat oven to 350.  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

1.5 c flour
1 c sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1 c cold water

Combine ingredients and pour into lined muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes.  Check with toothpick to ensure completely baked.

Substitutions:

Vanilla Cake: Omit cocoa. Double the vanilla. Add 1/4 more cup flour.

Spice Cake: Omit cocoa. Add 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice. Add 1/4 more cup flour.

Orange Cake. Omit cocoa & vinegar. Use orange juice for the water. Add 1/4 more cup flour.

Lemon Cake: Omit cocoa. Use lemon juice for vinegar. Add 1 tsp lemon extract. Add 1/4 more cup flour.

Zereshk Polo (Rice with barberries)

Ingredients:
3 cups basmatti rice
1 1/2 cups zereshk
2 tbsp sugar
1 good pinch of saffron (smash saffron with a pinch of sugar and add 2 tablespoons hot water to dissolve it)
2 tbsp butter or oil (I like to use butter in this recipe)

Instructions: 
Cook rice until semi-soft (el dente). 
Pick over the zereshk and remove any steams or stones you may find.  Then soak in water for about 5-10 minutes.
In a skillet melt 1 tablespoon of  butter (or warm the oil) then add zereshk. Add sugar and give it a nice stir so that the zereshk is coated with butter and sugar.  It will start to plump up.   Add saffron water and let the zereshk absorb the liquid for about one minute. Turn off heat.
Add oil to the bottom of your pan, and place one layer of rice. Sprinkle a little salt on each layer.
Then, add some zereshk, and layer rice with zereshk.  
Repeat layers until the last layer is rice - reserve a little zereshk for later to decorate the top of your rice before serving it.
Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
Serve rice in a platter and top with the reserved zereshk.

Serve with chicken.  

Sunshine Chicken

Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut in to pieces (breast, wing, thigh, leg), or 10 chicken legs
1 large onion
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp saffron
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions:
Rough chop onion and place in a baking pot (I like to use my dutch oven).  Add chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper. Add turmeric.
Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook for one hour (whole chicken) or half hour (chicken legs) or until chicken is cooked all the way through.
About 10 minutes into the cooking allowing the turmeric to coat the chicken and onions.
When chicken is done remove from the pot and keep in a place where it stays warm.
Smash saffron with a pinch of sugar.  Add 2 tablespoons hot water to allow saffron to dissolve.
Add the saffron water and lemon juice to a blender, remove the cooked onion from the pot with some of the juice from the chicken, place in a blender until the mixture is smooth.
Arrange chicken on a platter, and pour sauce over the chicken.  Let sit for 10 minutes before eating. 

Asian-ish Chicken

2 lbs  chicken, bone-in with skin

½ C. low sodium soy sauce 
1 T. hoisin sauce 
1 T. honey or sugar
2 T. chopped cilantro
2 T. chopped green onion
3 cloves minced garlic

This recipe is great on chicken --- we love to make it with wings for a party!
Put everything in a large zip lock bag, move chicken around until well coated, and marinate at least 4 hours or better if overnight.
Place just chicken in a shallow baking pan; toss the marinade, then in the oven at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Salad Oliveh (Potato Salad)

Ingredients:

6 medium gold potatoes (washed, unpeeled)
1/2 large chicken (cleaned and washed)
1 onion, peeled, but keep whole.
6 eggs
1 jar of Persian Pickles
3/4 bag frozen peas
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon turmeric
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
4 limes

Directions:

Fill large stock pot 1/2 full of water.  Add the chicken, potato, eggs, onion, turmeric and 2 tablespoons salt.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 30 minutes.

Remove eggs from pot, allow to cool.  Check potato to see if they are fully cooked.  If cooked, remove from pot as well.  Otherwise, continue to cook potato until fully cooked.  When fully cooked, remove from pot.

Peel eggs from shell.
Peel skin off potato.

Allow eggs and potato to cool.

Cook chicken for approximately 60-90 minutes.

Removed chicken from pot, allow to cool.
Discard water and onion.

Dice potato into 1/2 inch cube pieces, finely chop chicken and eggs.
Finely chop pickles.

Cook peas in microwave for 2 minutes.

In large bowl, combine chicken, potato, eggs, pickle, and peas.  Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon pepper, mayo, and olive oil.  Mix well with hands.

Add the juice of the 4 limes, mix well with hands.

Refrigerate for 24 hours and taste.  Adjust mayo, oil, salt and lime to taste.

Serve with pita bread and decorate with tomato and shredded carrot.

Serves 8-10.

Macroons

1 14oz. bag of sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sugar
1 cup egg whites
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix the coconut, sugar, and egg whites in a large heavy saucepan.

2. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture appears somewhat pasty, about 12 minutes.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.

5. Spread the mixture on a clean baking sheet or in a casserole dish.

6. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 325°F

8. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.

9. Shape the mixture into balls and place them onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

10. Bake the cookies until golden, about 30 minutes.

11. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool thoroughly.

Pear Crisp

• 8-10 Large Pears (or apples, or peaches)
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• _____
• Topping Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Pecans, Very Finely Chopped (optional)
• 1 stick Butter, Melted

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core, and dice pears. Place into a bowl and stir together with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir together. Drizzle melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go until all combined (will become crumbly/lumpy).

Pour pears into a baking dish (9 x 13); top with crumb topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Salmon Pizza

Pizza Crust:

2 cups white flour (can substitute whole wheat if you want)

1 package yeast (1 tablespoon)

¾ cup warm water

3 T olive oil

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Sugar

First, dissolve the yeast in the water and sugar for 5 minutes. Mix with flour and 2 T of oil until it forms a ball (about 5 minutes) Rub other 1 T on outside of dough ball. Cover with a light cloth and let rise for 1 hour.

Kneed dough after one hour for 5 minutes. Then cover with light cloth again and let rise for additional 30-45 minutes.

Roll out onto cookie sheet or pizza pan.

Pesto:

Dried basil (about 3 tablespoons)

2 cloves fresh garlic - minced.

1/2 cup dried parmasan cheese

Mix in olive oil until it makes a paste

Add salt and pepper.

Add crushed pine nuts if you want to be fancy, but not necessary

Caramelized Onions

2 sliced onions

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Heat oil in the pan. Add onions and brown sugar. Cook until they are browned (about 15 minutes)

Salmon

1 4-5 oz salmon filet

Salt

Pepper

Cook for about 10 minutes. Undercook the salmon initially.

Put together Pizza:

Spread pesto over pizza dough. Spread evenly. Spread onions over the top. Spread evenly. Flake salmon over top of onions (evenly), and try to crumble goat cheese over the top of that. Use about 4-5 oz of goat cheese.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Quick Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound ground beef

30 oz caned diced tomatoes (you can use 30 oz fresh tomato too)

6 oz can tomato paste

2 teaspoons oregano

1 tablespoon sugar

salt - approximately 3 teaspoons (maybe a little less)

18 oz packaged noodles

Directions:

In a large fry pan (I like to use the dutch oven) add the canola oil and allow to heat over medium heat. Dice the onion, add to the pan. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Dice the garlic, add to the pan. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the meat, breaking it up in small pieces. Cook thoroughly.

Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well. Add the oregano, sugar and salt. Stir well, simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Cook the packaged noodles, when fully cooked, add them to the sauce, mix well. Cover and keep on low heat for 5 minutes.

Serve.

Baghali Polo (Fava Bean with Dill Rice - aka Green Rice)

Ingredients:

3 cups basmati long grain rice

2 cups fava beans (peeled and shelled) - you can substitute green beans or lima beans if desired.

3 cups fresh dill (finely chopped)

8 whole garlic cloves

Potato slices (option for ta-dig)

Vegetable oil

Salt

1 generous pinch of saffron

1 sugar cube

Directions:

Boil the rice in a pot of water. Add 3 tablespoons salt to the water. Boil until rice is tender, but not cooked.

Strain rice. Place 1/2 cup of the rice in a separate pot. Crush the sugar cube and saffron together until finely ground up. Add 4 tablespoons boiling hot water. Mix well, add to the 1/2 cup rice. Cook this rice on low heat for 20 minutes. This is resevered for decoration on top of the rice.

Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the bottom of the pot. It should be nicely coated. The bottom of the pot will make a ta-dig. This rice is most delicious with a potato ta-dig. If you like, slice a few potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and lay them evenly in the bottom of the pot.

Cover the potatoes with 1/3 of the rice. Add 1/3 of the dill and fava beans. Mix gently, do not stir. It does not have to be evenly spread. Add 4 of the garlic cloves, spread out.

Add another 1/3 of the rice, 1/3 of the dill and fava beans. Gently mix this portion. Add the remaining 4 cloves of garlic.

Add the remaining rice, dill and fava beans. Gently mix this top portion. Lightly salt the rice.

Add 1 cup water. Cover.

Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce head to medium and let cook additional 40 minutes. Rice should be soft and fluffy.

Plate the rice on a platter. Add the saffron rice on top for added color and decoration.

Serve the potato ta-dig on separate plate. This should be nice and crunchy.

Serve with fish, chicken, lamb or beef.

Noosha Jaan!