Okra Stew for the Patient Cook

I have never been good with patience.  Ask my family, they'll tell you.  Ask my husband, HE. WILL. TELL. YOU.  

I hate waiting on things to happen. I like quick results-FAST.

I avoid long lines.

If I buy a new outfit, I will wear it the very same day--even if it's too hot/cold to wear.

If it's your birthday next week and I already have a gift for you, chances are I will give the gift to you today.  (Ask Cristobal)

Sorry, but if you're talking I sometimes have a bad habit of finishing your sentence (or assuming I know what you're going to say).

I even read the last page of a book sometimes just to see if I'm going to like the ending--during the middle of the book. (don't do it much now)

So you see, I'm not very patient.  I'm getting better at it. Thanks to having a baby! (I must have skimmed through the baby books on the part about being patient when having a baby-didn't get the memo)

Rumi has slowed me down a bit--ok, a lot--so much so that my family has noticed it.  

It's not longer about ME and my time.  

Rumi has helped me to appreciate life as it happens.

I go with the flow--sometimes a little too much.

I meditate.

I breathe.

I learn by watching him take in life.

So when I came across FRESH okra at the grocery store yesterday, I knew I had to make one of my favorite Persian stews my mom would make for us...I vividly remember watching the pot simmer in my mom's kitchen, just waiting for her to give me the 'go' to taste test before adding more salt or lemon juice...

Standing at the produce section with Rumi in the cart, I was picking out the okra while letting Rumi play with one in his hand.  I loved his curiosity for this new thing in his hand. 

He smelled it. Looked at me for acceptance.

He chewed on it while making funny faces.

He even licked it, only to throw it back at me, as if I had given him something bad.

So I told him I will make him Okra stew, but that he would have to be patient.

In reality, I was telling myself I need to be patient.

As with any Persian stew, PATIENCE is the key ingredient--even my mom told me to be patient when I called her this morning for the recipe!

It's very simple, the hard part is waiting for it to "settle" before you eat it.

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds stew meat (beef or chicken-boneless,skinless), cubed

2 medium onions diced

1 pound fresh okra or frozen-remove the stems if using fresh

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 roma tomatoes

3 Persian dried limes, (substitute juice of 2 limes or lemons...or to taste)

1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon turmeric

S/P/oil

Persian dried limes are a key ingredient to most if not all of Persian stews.  It adds a punch of tanginess.  Treat it like you would a bay leaf--remove before serving.  If you eat it you will pucker your lips until tomorrow-although, I like it :)

Heat a dutch oven, or heavy duty pot with some canola oil on medium high heat.  Sautee onions. Add the chicken and saute with salt, pepper and turmeric. About 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover.

Meanwhile, in a skillet saute the okra in batches just until lightly browned. (make sure the okra is fully dry at this point) Turning once or twice. (skip this part if using frozen okra)

Add the sauteed okra to the pot with the simmering chicken. Gently stir.

Next add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and dried limes.  Add the tomato paste and dilute with about 2 cups water. Gently stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 hours. 

Be sure to remove the skin from the tomato 20 minutes into cooking and then use your wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes into the sauce.

After 3 hours, it should look like this. "Settled" as my mom would say.  All the flavors have combined. The okra has taken in all the flavors from the meat, limes, and tomatoes.

Serve this stew like all Persian stews along side a plate of steaming, saffron-basmati rice.

This is gluten-free and can be vegan if you omit meat.  Just use vegetable stock instead of water to give it body and extra flavor.

Hey, if I was patient enough to make this for lunch. You can make this!! Another great recipe for your Crock-Pot too--you know it's collecting dust in your closet, so give it a try :)

Blueberry and Cardamom Yogurt Cake

I'm turning into my mom!!!!

Wait, does this mean that one day <if> I have a daughter, she'll gasp and think the same thing too?!  Okay, I will quickly remind myself it's not a bad thing at all.  In fact, it's great, because my mom's cooking and her teaching are always an inspiration to me. 

Anyways, I'm turning into my mom because I'm adding all things "Persian" to any recipe I come across these days--especially desserts.

As noted in one of my previous blogs about strawberry cake, I noted how I practically despised anything that involved cardamom, rosewater, whatever "Persian" that my mom added to desserts when I was a kid.

Well I'm all grown up now. And here I am, adding those pesky ingredients to a recipe I recently came across in the June 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine. It's called Raspberry Buttermilk Cake. 

I took out the buttermilk, sub'ed Strauss Organic Yogurt and added 1/4 a teaspoon of ground cardamom. Oh and I used blueberries instead of raspberries. Raspberries freak me out sometimes...they're fuzzy and the little seeds get stuck in my teeth.

It's best to use Strauss Organic Yogurt for this recipe because that tangy taste that I love about that yogurt really comes out in this cake.  Also, when you add a couple of dashes of ground cardamom to this recipe, it really pairs well with a hot cup of Persian tea (Earl Grey or Darjeeling is just fine).

Recipe for (1) 9'' round cake (I made two in the photos):

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar, divided

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg (preferably free-range)

1/2 cup of Strauss Organic Yogurt (or buttermilk)

1 cup fresh blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 400 with rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9" round cake pan.

Whisk together first 5 ingredients and set aside.

Cream butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until well combined.

Floured pan--I like to use cornmeal on the bottom of my pans.

Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar. (remember this recipe is for one cake pan, I doubled it to fill 2 pans)

*my added "touch": lick the bowl and spatula while you're waiting for the cake to bake

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm 10-15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

This is the best afternoon dessert! Thanks to my old issue of Gourmet magazine and my mom's wisdom of adding and sub'ing random Persian ingredients!  

Braised Brisket with Southwestern Spices

I have a HUGE crush on Southwestern cuisine.  I think of cowboys and campfires, lassos and horses--an open field with roaming cattle.  I like to picture a big cast iron pot on an open flame, simmering with meat along side vegetables and beans--and a hungry cowboy waiting patiently for his meal after a long day.

Typically known for food that has been influenced by our wonderful neighbor Mexico, Southwestern cuisine involves the use of chiles, spices, and braised meat.  Instead of using cuts of meat like the head, ears, or feet in these braises that's typical in Mexico, Southwestern cuisine revolves around larger cuts of meat such as beef brisket or pork butt/shoulder.  

I made this recipe of braised brisket in honor of Rumi's 1st birthday.  A true "cowboy" sort of meal for friends and family.  The spread was turned into a taco bar with home made salsas (roasted tomatillo and spicy cilantro-onion), home made pickled carrots and onions, lots of cilantro and limes and a strawberry cake topped with a #1 candle for many wishes to come true.

For 8 pounds of Brisket (about 3 cuts) you will need:

A head of celery (roughly chopped)

2 onions roughly chopped

1 pound of carrots roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper roughly chopped

1 green bell pepper roughly chopped

1 lime, sliced in half

1 serrano

2 dried pasilla peppers

1 bulb of garlic (whole, not peeled)

1 bottle of beer (preferably Modelo negra, but I had an IPA on hand) *you can substitute beef broth or just water.

1 can of tomato paste

3 chipotle peppers from a can

For the Rub:

1 1/2 tablespoon New Mexico Chili powder

1 tablespoon Paprika

1 1/2 tablespoon Cumin

2 tablespoons Salt

A few turns of fresh cracked pepper

Rub these spices all over the brisket and let it marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan (preferably the pot you will be braising in, but a pan will do if you plan on putting it in the slow cooker) and sear both sides of the brisket starting with the side with a slab of fat on it.  And don't feel obligated to remove that fat as it adds body and flavor to the braise.  

Next:
Sautee all the vegetables in small batches for 2 minutes.  During your last batch, add the tomato paste and chipotle peppers and mix it in.  Deglaze with the beer and then add the meat and vegetables in layers into your pot.

Cover with a little more water if necessary.  About mid-way in the pot. Cover and braise in the oven for at least 6 hours at 275 degrees. Or until the meat is tender and falls apart.

It should look like this when it is ready to be cut into shredded pieces.
Using tongs, gently place the meat on a clean sheet pan.  Toss all the other veggies (or snack on them as I did).
SAVE THE LIQUID!!!
On medium high heat, reduce the liquid by half and add a little honey to it (optional).  The honey adds a touch of sweetness to the spicy sauce.  

On a clean cutting board, remove the fat on the under side and cut the meat into small shredded cubes.  Pour most of the reserved juices that have been reduced on top.

And here it is: braised brisket with Southwestern spices.
Eat it as taco meat, burrito meat, "sloppy joe", layered into nachos, served with rice and beans or jalapeno corn bread. Just remember to eat it like a COWBOY :)

Southern Fried Chicken Marinated in Persian Spices

I have played around with this recipe on several occasions--especially when I'm feeling homesick.  I always miss my mom's delicious cooking.  She's never made us fried chicken, but  growing up in the South we would eat it on occasion.
When I think of fried chicken, it takes me back to the first few weeks of getting situated in Jonesboro, AR.  On the weekends my dad would drive us around and show us our new city (pop. 45k at the time) to call home.  We were surrounded by tall oak trees and miles of greenery.  Like a breath of fresh air from the dry, hot summer days of Tucson.  It was a new beginning to what we left behind.
To help us get situated, my parents would take us to different restaurants on the weekends.  Buffet restaurants were popular at the time and as a nine year old I loved them for the dessert section with hotel pans of peach cobbler, strawberry cobbler, cookies, and a self-serve yogurt machine.
The buffet had an array of fried foods as well: okra, catfish, frog legs, corn on the cob, collard greens--but the winner for me was always fried chicken.  These are some of the foods of the south. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but I was slowly learning the culture and traditions of the South by frequenting these restaurants.
Living in the South for 14 years I've learned that the techniques of Southern cooking are a little similar to the techniques of Persian cooking.  In the south, meat is marinated in buttermilk to tenderize, seal in juices and add flavor to it.  In Iran, meat is marinated in yogurt for the same purpose--although this technique is used for grilling rather than frying.  In the South, every household has their own spice mixture they call "secret" and in Persian households they have theirs "advieh" in which it too is a family secret.
This fried chicken recipe is my recipe.  It takes me back to living in Jonesboro--not always wanting to be there, but learning the importance of culture and acceptance of others through the foods people eat.  This is fried chicken, with my Persian "advieh" (spice mixture), that represents me.

The recipe as follows:

Spice blend clockwise: 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic powder, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 powder cumin, 1/2 tsp. angelica powder, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. paprika, kosher salt to taste.

Rub all over chicken (I used 6 pieces of legs and thighs each-bone in). Add fresh cracked pepper and marinate in equal parts buttermilk and yogurt.

Chill overnight or at least 3 hours.

Dredge in flour mix with cornmeal (3:1 ratio) with a few shakes of cajun seasoning.  Dust off extra and pan fry in canola oil until golden on both sides but not cooked through.

Bake off in the oven at 350 until cooked and juices run clear.  Baking it cuts out the time it is frying in the oil.  The crust is still crispy, and the chicken is juicy.

As we say in the South, "Y'all come back for more"

and in Iran

"Nousheh Jan"

I will never forget my Persian heritage, Southern upbringings, and living in the Southwest through the foods I eat and create.

Hope this inspires you to cherish where you come from and appreciate where you are today.

recipe to a name.

Photo by Cristobal

 It's been almost a year since Rumi came into our lives.  I actually started writing this blog for him to read when he gets older.  Since I usually relate my memories to the foods I eat, this blog works for me.  I can express my thoughts and memories through recipes I've had the honor to try; and hopefully, Rumi will come to appreciate my reasoning behind blogging for him.  


In my very first blog entry I stated that I will "get back" to the reason why I named our boy Rumi.  Everybody has a reason as to why they name their child.  Mine has a lot of history behind it and a lot of meaning...
When I went back to Iran as an adult at the age of 20, I absorbed more culture and understanding than I had when I was 7.  I came to appreciate family life and what it means to have a sense of belonging.  Because when you grow up in the States coming from immigrant parents you don't belong--especially growing up in the South.  You try to find every way to fit in.  
I know everyone can relate to this, but it's just a little harder for the child that has the "parent's from another country." I remember asking my parents why they named me Mahfam.  I HATED my name and thought I deserved an explanation.  
My mom (in farsi) told me, "well, Mahfam dear, I named you Mahfam because you are Mah-fam. It means the color of the light of the moon.  I named you Mahfam because like the moon you are unique...I named you what I believe you are--that's what mom's do"
My mom's answer was only satisfying until I had to go to school.  At school, I wished my name could be  a little easier to pronounce.  At school, I dreaded roll call.  At school, I stuttered my name when someone asked me. At school, I was made fun of for having my name.  Only my sisters could relate to my pain at the time...


I was introduced to the poems of Rumi when I was 16 by my friend Alma. Alma was an exchange student from Bosnia and we just clicked.  Alma soon joined my group of friends and on weekends we all hung out at our local coffeehouse/bookstore.  (The only thing, besides partying or cruising the streets, to do on the weekends in Jonesboro, AR).  Since I wasn't allowed to go to the parties and there's only so much cruising you can do on 1 main street, the bookstore was our haven.
We would go through the aisles and read through books, flip through magazines, and drink coffee until closing.  On one such night, we were reading different books on poetry and just talking about our lives when she picked up Rumi from the shelf and said, "oh, I love this poet; I'm sure you know of him since he's a Persian poet." I did not.  I grew up with Hafez and Omar Khayyam in the home, but not Rumi.  
I started skimming through the pages and I immediately fell in love.  I read through the whole book, The Essential Rumi, by Coleman Barks translation in a week. And I kept the book with me, always opening it at random pages and reading a few poems.  Sometimes I'd base my whole day on a few lines from Rumi.  I related to his teachings and I held the book dear to me.  He taught me about friendship, love, war, misfortune, deceit.  From 16 onwards, I kept his teachings near.  I sometimes looked for advice in his poems.
I never thought I would name my child after him.  That is, until I my trip to Iran at the age of 20.  My dear aunt Sima was talking about what motherhood is all about, what it means to name your child, the sacrifices a mother makes when she decides to have a baby (whether naturally hers or adopted), and how important it is to honor one's mother. 
At 20 I didn't care too much about what she was teaching me, but I did absorb and I did learn.  She told me that it is in the mother's heart to name her baby.  The mother has already formed a bond with her baby before it is born and therefore, it is her gift to name her child.  
Eight years later, I had remembered what my aunt had taught me.  I gave my baby his name the day he was born.  I gave him a name of a poet that became my friend at the age of 16.  I gave him a name of a poet that went on to college with me. I gave him the name of a poet that directed me to the love of my life. I gave him the name of a poet that spoke words of love on our wedding invitations. 
I named him Rumi.  
I named him Rumi not because I want him to go through school only to be tormented by his name, but because I believe he will stand strong behind his name.  
I named him Rumi not because I compare him to the wonderful poet, but because the wonderful poet helped me fit into a world for dreamers and believers.
I named him Rumi not because I want to be the cool, hip mom, but because he was in me all along.

Photo by me.

Photo by Gema.

Photo by Gema

Photo by my mom#2, Gema.

Minted Meatballs with a Spicy Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Mmmm, meatballs.  I love them.  I think every country/region has it's own variation.
In fact, if I was to host an international food festival I would have all the participants only make meatballs.  Meatballs representing their country's herbs, spices, and meat (or lack of).
You can really learn a lot from someone by tasting their meatball.  Oh yeah, I have to keep this PG ;) hehe

So the meatballs I made today would definitely represent the spices and herbs my mom would use in all of her recipes.  We eat yogurt with everything, and it's only natural for me to use yogurt as the dipping sauce for these meatballs.


For the meatballs:
1 pound of organic ground beef (85/15 or leaner)
1/2 an onion, grated
1 egg
1 Tbsp fresh, minced parsley
1 Tbsp dried mint
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
S/P to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together and form into meatballs by rolling the meat in your hand.
-oh boy, it's hard to describe making meatballs without making you blush-
After you've formed your meatballs and placed them on a tray, refrigerate for about half an hour.

I yielded about 30 meatballs for a pound of beef, but you can get up to 60 or 70 if you make them smaller.

While your meat is chillin...
Make the yogurt sauce:

About 2 cups of yogurt
1/2 English cucumber, diced small
1/4 onion, diced small
2 tbsp. dried mint
1 tbsp. dried dill
couple pinches of cayenne for heat
couple drops of extra virgin olive oil
squeeze of a lime
salt to taste

Mix it all together and refrigerate until ready to use.

To cook off the meatballs, heat a non-stick skillet with just a teaspoon of oil (literally, b/c you don't need all the oil as the meat has it's own fat it releases during the cooking process).  

Once the skillet is hot enough place as much of the meatballs you can in the pan without over crowding. You may have to cook off in batches.  Give all sides a good sear and cook until done.

Place it on a plate and serve with the yogurt sauce.  

Enjoy it in a wrap with mixed greens, on a bed of basmati rice, or simply on its own.

Meatballs are a great way to kick off the summer with healthy eating.  Their healthy if you cook them without frying.  Using yogurt as a dipping sauce instead of ranch or sour cream really cuts out the extra calories.  And, visually you feel like you're eating more when in fact 3-5 meatballs (as pictured) is less meat than a hamburger. Just think, most of us can eat an 8 oz burger in one sitting...that's a lot of meat.

Light Dinner for 2: Spanish inspired Gambas with Shirazi Rice Salad

Spanish inspired Gambas with Shirazi Rice Salad.

Since being a stay at home mom, I've come to appreciate my time with Rumi.  It gives me the opportunity to not only give him my unconditional love, but I get to teach him about the world around him.  Every milestone, every giggle, and every meltdown I'm there with him along the way.  Teaching him and showing him his world is priceless!!
Being a stay at home mom also means we solely rely on my husbands income.  So we budget like any family does relying on one income. And, since a big part of our budget goes towards groceries, I have to do my very best in utilizing what I have in the pantry, fridge and freezer without having to make an unnecessary trip to the grocer.
I was inspired to make this dish based on left over rice (that I would normally toss in the trash), vegetables I had in the fridge, and shrimp I purchase in bulk and keep in the freezer.

Shirazi salad is a popular Persian salad from the city of Shiraz (my mom's home city).  It is a a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions tossed with mint and lemon vinaigrette.  It's the perfect summer salad!!

This recipe is my version as I've added basmati rice and Spanish inspired shrimp for a light dinner for 2.

For Shrimp:
10 medium sized shrimp, shelled, deveined, butterflied
a teaspoon of the following spices:
garlic powder, Spanish smoked paprika, chile pepper, salt/pepper
Zest of half lemon
Juice of half a lemon

Marinate for 10 minutes.  You'll notice the shrimp turning pink as the lemon juice partially cooks the shrimp.  At this point, in a small sauce pan heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil and saute your shrimp until it's done.  You'll know shrimp is done once it turns pink.  Remove from heat and set aside.
Make your warm dressing:
In the same sauce pan with the pan juices from the shrimp heat the pan on medium high heat until the sauce reduces to about 3 tablespoons.  Set aside.

For the salad:
1/2 cup left over rice
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
half a cucumber, medium diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp. dried dill or 3 tbsp. fresh

Lemon vinaigrette:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
s/p

To assemble:
Toss the salad with the vinaigrette.  Pour a heaping pile of the salad onto a plate, place 5 shrimp on top and pour 1/2 of the warm dressing on the shrimp and along the border of the salad.

This salad is light, yet filling. Perfect after workout dinner!