In my quest to combine Pacific Northwest foods with Persian foods, I decided to jump into making one of the foods that has always intimidated me – baklava. Not just any baklava, but I wanted to experiment with using hazelnuts and walnuts. Not only that, but I decided to bring my love for orange juice-based…
Persian Rice with Cabbage and Lentils (Kalam Polo ba Adas)
Cabbage, lentils and tomato lie at the heart of vegetarian comfort food. And I do love cabbage. It gets a bad rap, but it is so versatile. Cabbage can be stir fried, braised, stuffed, pickled, or, as I even like to munch on it, eaten raw. And lentils, I hated lentils as a child. They…
Sumac and Honey Hazelnuts
I found a great place to buy hazelnuts on my way to Salem. I buy nuts in the shell; I find shelling the nuts to be a very “Zen” activity. I typically do about 2 cups of nut meats at a time; that way not too many have been opened, so they stay fresh. I…
Qormeh Sabzi – even healthier!
The first Persian dish I fell in love with was Qormeh Sabzi – a vibrant green stew of herbs with kidney beans and served with or without meat. I have posted both beef and chicken versions before. But now that I am in Portland, we have access to local fresh greens all winter. The kale…
Persian Shrimp with Rice
One of the main differences between the Persian Moslem diet and a Kosher diet is that Moslems eat shrimp. So, here is a recipe for a simple shrimp and rice dish – Persian-style. My son is a shrimp fiend, it is a toss up between salmon and shrimp as to which is his favorite protein. …
Chicken Stew with Apples and Dried Apricots (Khoresh-e Morgh ba Seeb o Zardaloo)
Monday was the festival Tu b’Shvat or New Year for the Trees. It is a Jewish tradition to eat tree fruits on Tu b’Shvat, particularly grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, but other tree fruits are eaten as well. What tree fruit says Pacific Northwest if not apples? I had read that apple stew was a…
Steelhead Trout with Pomegranate Salsa
I have truly fallen in love with steelhead trout. It was hard to top my love affair with salmon, but this quintessential Pacific Northwest Fish has won me over. But, never fear, this dish will work just as well with salmon, if that is your preference. This dish was inspired by Baked Salmon with Walnuts…
Sabzi Polo ba Mahi (Persian Herbed Rice and Fish) – Pacific Northwest Style
Sabzi Polo ba Mahi (Herbed Rice and Fish) is a traditional Persian New Year dish and a favorite in our house. While living in Delaware, I typically made the dish using tilapia. Now that we are living in Oregon, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, it is time to adapt the dish to our…
Kuku Gol Kalam- Roasted Cauliflower Frittata
Most Persian omelets, or kukus, are cooked stovetop, flipping them over to cook on both sides. I recently saw a recipe where it was baked in the oven. Although I like the look of the kukus cooked on both sides, I find it an annoying thing to do. So I was quite happy to try…
Tah Chin (Persian Rice with Chicken, Saffron & Yogurt) – revisited
I have refined my Tah Chin over the years, now using a Persian rice cooker. The recipe below is still the one I base off of, but always am fiddling at the edges. The moment before unfolding is still always stressful… But now this is what I unmold… I have found that a key step…
