Meera Sodha's Lebanese Tomato and Bean and Stew

Well homegrown tasty tomatoes keep on coming and some of you may have seem my link to some of my homemade tomato recipes, but I have also been seeking inspiration elsewhere and it came recently whilst browsing The Guardian's New Vegan food and drink section.  

The recipe for Lebanese Green Beans and Vermicelli Rice comes from Meera Sodha. It not only gave me the opportunity to use my homegrown tomatoes which are plentiful, but also green beans and runner beans that are coming by the bucket load.  

I did tweak the recipe just a little as I did not have vermicelli to hand, so used small star shaped pasta that I use in soups in place of the vermicelli for the rice.  I also kept some tomatoes back and added them in towards the end mostly for aesthetic reasons, and would you not agree it look darn delicious?! and it really was - really, really flavourful.  I served it with a generous dollop of labneh doused in za'atar.

I f I have tempted you, then please check out the full recipe by Meera Sodha's Lebanese Green Beans and Vermicelli Rice from her new cookbook East  which may go on my Birthday or Christmas wish list (not that I need more cookbooks), otherwise I'd be more than happy to borrow it from the library.

Syrian Mezze from One Home To Another

Although I no longer work with asylum seekers and refugees in my day job anymore, I quietly when opportunity presents continue to do some volunteer work.  I like that I am still able to tap into skills, knowledge and experience from my previous roles to support individuals who may benefit from them.  I don't boast about it, because I am selfishly doing it for myself.  I want to remain true to myself and to keep myself rooted to the real world.  Its easy to lose sight of reality when your working in a middle class environment where people ponder their first world problems and millennials talk about selfies and social media presence.  Its not my world and I don't actually fit in, so I look for other opportunities to engage with people who keep me grounded.

I have on some occasions had the honour to cook some vegetarian meals that happen to be accidentally vegan for asylum seekers and refugees.  I am pleased share food over smiles. I don't like taking photographs of people there, after all they are people.  However, I do notice that some people are so desperate to take photographs asylum seekers and refugees at event and do not ask for permission, they are showing disrespect.  Some of theses human beings have escaped war, torture, exploitation and much more and do not want their face plastered every where on social media for numerous reasons.  I understand their reservations, but some people continue to see asylum seekers and refugees as a photo opportunity for their website or publication. This kind of charitable work disheartens me. 

Anyway, a little while back we made a mezze of Syrian foods.  Here are just a couple which included Mutabal Shwandar is Beetroot Dip; and Muhammara which is Red Pepper and Walnut Dip.  We also made Kibbeh; Zahra wa Kamoon which is Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin; and Aubergine Maqluba - Upside Down Rice Cake. There was bread and lots of fresh salads. 

I feel at present I can afford and contribute some of the ingredients and share my skills of cooking.  This may not always be the case going forward - but while I can, I am happy to play a small part and eat at their table and listen to their refugee food stories (not those fake food stories that are really adverts promoting a supermarket). 

Etsis Turlu - Rich Summer Vegetable Stew

I've been cooking quite a lot of Middle Eastern recipes recently.  It started with the  Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as Ash-e Jo or Ash-e-Jow  early this year when we had freakish snow and with the unusual hot weather continuing, now I have Etsis Turlu.   

According to the cookbook author this Etsis Turlu comes from Turkey.

With the rain over the weekend, it was the perfect excuse to make a stew more suited for autumnal days and colder evenings, but i have lots of summer vegetables including courgettes, marrows and green beans coming from the garden that I wanted  to make the most of it, even if it is the height of summer.

This stew will last us good three days of the working week and we intend to eat it with couscous, bulgar wheat, rice or crusty bread.  

I am sharing this  Etsis Turlu Stew with Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen. 

Ghorme Sabzi - Iranian Herb Stew with Kidney Beans

A little while back, I was lucky to stumble upon a vegetable market with reasonable priced vegetables and 2 proper bunches of herbs for £1.50.  I mixed it up with dill, coriander, parsley and mint.

After making the Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as Ash-e Jo or Ash-e-Jow . I was looking forward to making and eating this Ghorme Sabzi - Iranian Herb Stew with Kidney Beans.  I have been intrigued by it for a long time, but never got round to making it at home until now.

I know the green bobbing on the top looks like green olives, but its actually dried limes.  I showcased it early on in the month In My Kitchen blog post if your interested in seeing what it looks like in dried form.  Its the first time I have used dried limes in cooking which was interesting, they certainly do impart an interesting soured flavour that I don't think would have been captured by lime zest or even lime juice. 

I am sharing this Iranian  Ghorme Sabzi - Iranian Herb Stew with Kidney Beans with #EatYourGreens Vegetarian and Vegan Blog challenge hosted by me this month and the event is also co-hosted by The VegHog.  Please do join in.  For those of you who have not participated before, please Follow this link on how to join in .  I am also sharing this green bowl with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.; and as this Stew contains a whole tin of kidney beans with My Legume Love Affair #118 hosted by Vidhya's Vegetarian Kitchen.  The challenge was initiated by  Susan and hosted by Lisa's Kitchen. 

Ras el Hanout Cashew Nuts

The April weather continues to tease us.  Yesterday, the sun was shining and I actually walked about without my raincoat.  Then we woke up today and its spitting rain.  Its late afternoon and its still raining.  So today, we play catch up with laundry and house work related stuff. 

Whilst going through some of the kitchen cupboards, I came across a packet of ras al hanout;  purchased it for  Moroccan Tagine with Spiced Seed Confetti,, but I find that I rarely use it as I often have all the spices at home to make from scratch, but as a person who dislikes waste.  I decided to use  the ras al hanout to coat some cashew nuts. 

This recipe is inspired by the Rosemary Cashew Nuts I made earlier in the year.  Once made and cooled down, I tipped them carefully into a recycled jar from Douwe Egberts Coffee (my instant coffee of choice).  Every time I go into the kitchen to make a cuppa, I find my mitts reaching into the jar and munching some.  

Iranian Pearl Barley Soup - Ash-e Jo Jow

The snow flakes had been drifting past our window on and off yesterday, so it was no surprise to wake up to a blanket of snow outside.  I guess its another day to stay indoors and be lazy, thank goodness for weekends; and even more thankful for having my own shelter to call  'home' and stay warm.

Yesterday, I had a proper lazy Saturday.  I mean really lazy, I watched an American film and a National Geographic documentary called LA92 about the 1992 Los Angeles protests and riots.  Today, will probably be the same with some cooking in between and a little ironing in readiness for the coming working week tomorrow.

Now onto food.  We finished of eating the last of this Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as Ash-e Jo or Ash-e-Jow .  It looks deceptively plain, but it has so much depth and flavour mostly from the fresh herbs.  As well as barley and chickpeas which are visible, there are lots of greens in it such as spinach, dill and coriander and a homegrown leek which came from my own allotment garden plot.  We both loved  this Iranian Pearl Barley Soup that I will definitely make it again.

I am sharing this Iranian Pearl Barley Soup - Ash-e Jo ; Jow with The Veg Hog  who is kindly hosting #EatYourGreens Vegetarian and Vegan Blog challenge this month.  Please do join in.  For those of you who have not participated before, please Follow this link on how to join in ; and with Soups, Salads and Sammies hosted by Kahakai Kitchen.

Harissa Butternut Squash Stew with Broccoli and Chickpeas

I don't know if he was just very hungry or being honest, but D complimented on how delicious this Harissa Butternut Squash Stew was, not once but twice with a Thank you Lady.  

I thought it was going to one of those stews that would benefit from overnight rest in the fridge, but we had it within an hour of making it and it was most enjoyable.  The harissa and the smoked paprika offset against each other wonderfully.

Be careful with the cooking of the vegetables, especially the broccoli towards the end, you do not want it really soft, but still with bite, otherwise it would be more bordering on soup than stew, which is not a bad thing, but sometimes you want texture not bambino  food.

Iranian Style Quorn 'Chicken' Stew with Aubergines and Courgettes

The past few weeks or so, I have made a few Persian inspired dishes inspired mostly by Iranian  food bloggers, rather than from the spate of mainstream Middle Eastern cookbooks published recently in the UK.  It started as a means to find inspirational ways of using my spices such as Advieh, Baharat, Sumac, Za'atar and ingredients such as Maftoul and Freekeh, but like any curious cook I have been lured and enticed by other recipes.  

When I saw an Iranian style Koresh tweeted by The Persian Fusion,  I just knew I had to make a vegetarian variation of it.  Something about it had me salivating.  

Koresht/Khoresht/Ghalyeh are stews or curries in Persian cooking.  They should not be compared to South Asian curries popular in the Western world.  Persian stews and curries are  quite mild.  

I substituted the chicken breasts with Quorn 'chicken' fillets and adjusted the spices to taste and the tomato sauce accordingly.  It was important to make the tomato sauce thicker to carry the texture of  Quorn fillets which can be quite dry and tough to penetrate with flavours.  In fact, I think its better to make this dish a day in advance, as the Quorn fillets became succulent by absorbing  and taking on some of the flavours from the sauce and natural ochre colour from the turmeric. Disclaimer*: I have been using Quorn products well before starting this blog, therefore this is not sponsored #Quornivore blog post, I have not been given this product free or paid by Quorn in any way.  

As recommended we ate this vegetarian Iranian stew with rice.  I liked how both the courgettes and aubergines - both rather bland vegetable in my opinion melted wonderfully in the dish, giving the dish more substance and texture.  I would be more than happy to make this again.  

Thank you Persian Fusion.

Maqluba - Middle Eastern Upside Down Savoury Rice Cake

All week,  except for Friday much to do with the EU Referendum I have been trying to raise some awareness of Refugee Week through Cooking A Dish from Another Country .  Refugee Week  in the United Kingdom is an event that promotes positive encounters between asylum seekers and refugees and members of the receiving communities, as well as raising awareness. The theme for Refugee Week  2016 was Welcome.  

Today I will share another Middle Eastern dish called Maqluba. .

Over the years, I've seen various versions of Maqlub.   Maqluba is a Palestinian dish popular throughout the Middle East.  Once the dish is cooked, the cooking pot is turned  upside down and removed to reveal  the edible crown beneath.  

I have no doubt that Maqluba takes centre stage on the table at Middle Eastern family feasts, especially now when many Muslims across the world are taking part in the holy time in the Islamic calendar of Ramadan and this may be part of the Iftar meal - breaking of the fast.  I do however wonder how the Syrian asylum seekers  in the Calais Jungle in France are coping at this trying and testing time.  There is an initiative called The Refugee Community Kitchen which has seen a group of compassionate people band together to help the refugees living in the camps of Europe.  The Refugee Community Kitchen have come together to create a kitchen to feed people to sustain them and their children.  I hope we can all play a small part here and donate a little.

Maqluba is often made with meat, but I have adapted a meat version from Libyan Food and Kitchen of Palestine. into a version, suitable not just for vegetarians but also vegans.  This one is made with aubergines and cauliflower.

I have to admit, I was expecting it to collapse on removing the pot, but it remained perfectly intact. I was really pleased to even slice it perfectly too.  Feel free to sprinkle with toasted pine-nuts, almonds or herbs.  
Other posts related to Refugee Week
Eritrean Zigni and Berbere
Middle Eastern Kibbeh
Somalian Fava Beans 
Syrian Cauliflower Zahra Mnazalet
Zimbabwean Butternut Squash

Middle Eastern Sweet Potato Kibbeh

The theme for Refugee Week  for 2016 is Welcome.  Refugee Week is a collective acknowledgement across the world to raise awareness  of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers across the world.   As my blog is a vegetarian food blog my Simple Act was to Cook A Dish from Another Country and try and raise some awareness that way among some of my readers.

Kibbeh is a popular dish from the Middle East, especially in Aleppo in Syria.  It is made from bulgar wheat, meat, onions, spices and then deep fried.   It often comes in torpedo shape croquettes which I have yet to master and many variations.  In Aleppo, Syria there are many varieties including those made with vegetables.  Some of you may remember me mentioning a Middle Eastern cookbook I found at my local library a little while back called Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa (2000) by Habeeb Salloum which shared a a number of Kibber recipes, including one made with Pumpkin.  

Kibbeh is the national dish of many countries in the Middle East where refugees have fled from such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria respectively.  In 2011, an estimated 9 million Syrians were forced to flee their homes because of the outbreak of the Civil War.  This is perhaps the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

The first time I heard of kibbeh was from a Scottish mature student at the University.   It was in her home on the Southside of Glasgow when she cooked for me that I was  introduced to kibbeh and tabbouleh, tabbouli.  She told me she was of Armenian diaspora. She said her family had come into the UK after the Second World War.  I was completely fascinated as I knew nothing about the Armenian people.  We do forget how many people around us have refugee heritage and ancestry, even the UKIP leader Nigel Farage's ancestors were refugees from Huguenot background fleeing to England from France to escape religious persecution (The Guardian, May 10 2013).  Some of us are able to assimilate and change our names because of our skin colour.  Some of us who have been in this country for decades, born and bred will always be seen as immigrants; 'the Other' because of our skin colour.  

Anyway, it was only after graduating from University that I  attempted to make Kibbeh  from scratch , I have to admit I was not happy with the final dish, it was gritty.  Hence, I am glad to be given the excuse through Refugee Week to make it again. It was much lovelier this time. Its very much like a falafel that you stuff it in a pitta bread and munch.  Enjoy!  I am sharing this recipe with Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice; and Utterly Scrummy for the No Waste Food Challenge run by Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary. 

World Refugee Day : Syrian Cauliflower Zahra Mnazalet

I do feel my calling is to work in a big community kitchen with people from diverse, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.  I even dream one day if I win the lottery big time to start a community canteen where people from all backgrounds can come together, share and eat food and mostly talk with each other to break down preconceived ideas and challenge misinformation disseminated often by cheap paper tabloids.  I would not want it to be one of those places, where people come along, a bit like so-called 'Diversity days' 'eat the food from different countries, dance to the music, have their hands painted in henna', then go back to their homes continuing to still carry those prejudices.  I've seen that way to many times and always avoid it as tokenism.  Anyway, today (and the rest of this week) is not about me.  This week I give my blog space freely over to Refugee Week in the hope that it will raise some awareness of refugees and asylum seekers across the world for what its worth.

Today it is the 20th June and today is World Refugee Day.  World Refugee Day marks a collective acknowledgement across the world to raise awareness  of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers across the world.  

When I started this blog I lived in Scotland and through some of my work in the voluntary sector I was involved with the Scottish Refugee Council.  It was in the 1990s and many vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees from Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and  Eritrea were homed in the Red Road flats in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland.  Previous to that my only experience of refugees was through books and history lessons.  And the only real life encounter I had up until then with a refugee was when I was a child in Wales.  I learned of 'the boat people' - Vietnamese people who came to Wales in the  1970s.  If you are a regular reader, you will know that dotted throughout my blog are thoughts on how 'we are all foreigners somewhere'.  

In 2011, an estimated 9 million Syrians were forced to flee their homes because of the outbreak of the Civil War.  This is the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. The rest ...we all know.  

The theme for Refugee Week for 2016  is Welcome. On a daily basis I engage and interact with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, some are from an asylum seeker and refugee background, some are not - but the one thing we all have in common is that we are all human beings looking to better our lives.  But for the purpose of my blog my Simple Act is to Cook A Dish from Another Country and try and raise some awareness that way among some colleagues and some of my readers.

In Syria Zahra means cauliflower, it is also the same word for flowers.  Kano - The Syrian Foodie writes, and the word Mnazalet is a generic word for vegetable dishes.  

I have adapted the meat version which is made with minced lamb with reconstituted soy mince, but you can omit it all together if you wish.  For those of you who like mild flavours, then this one is for you.  I liked it, for me the fresh coriander elevated the dish.  You will find the recipe below if you wish to recreate it at home. 

On another note about Syria, I went to an exhibition called from Syria With Love. 

This is a UK based initiative.  The exhibition shared artwork created by Syrian children living in refugee camps in Lebanon.  Here are some pictures I took on that day.

If you get the chance, visit Savouring Syria - A project that tells the stories of Syrians and Syria through food.  Also if you have time, please watch Queens Of Syria.  

In 2013, 50 Syrian women came together in Jordan to create and perform their own version of The Trojan War, a take on the Greek tragedy about the plight of women in the war.  It is Arabic with English subtitles and is directed by Yasmin Fedda. Here is a review by The Guardian.

My Big Fat Persian Kuku

Happy Valentines dear readers.  

I've made Persian Kuku many times before, for those of you unfamiliar with it - click on this link to learn more.   Kuku's are a Persian omelette and what I present to you is not exactly one - though it did start of originally as a Kuku .  I should have made it in a wide frying pan, but I wanted to get all fancy for Valentines day and made it in a silicone heart shaped mould.  

This Persian Kuku puffed up like a aerated blow up bed, then settled down quite calmly.  Once it was unmoulded, the top was a blanket of beetroot red.  

It looked fabulous and sliced wonderfully.  I have to say it tasted pretty marvellous too.  D loved it as it contained two of his favourite vegetables - beetroot and cauliflower.  I'd almost describe it as a cross between Spanish Tortilla and Frittata, but its neither - so I call it a big fat Persian Kuku.  or affectionately Chubby Kuku.

Persian Style Upside Beetroot Rice Cake

I've been wanting to make a Beetroot version of Tahdig ever since I managed to find some rosy coloured barberries. Tahdig is a Iranian - Iraqi - Persian Upside Down Rice cake.  I have made traditional Tahdig once before in a pot with crusty golden almost burnt topping, but that was well before I started this blog.  

It is for this reason, I was confident I could adapt a Tahdig recipe with the addition of Beetroot.   I was pleased by the way the savoury Persian style Upside Down Beetroot  Rice cake turned out, baked in a silicon heart-shaped mould (because of Valentines week), BUT - yes there is a but, I was disappointed in the way it tasted. 

My tinkered version of this Persian style Upside Down Beetroot Cakes was just about edible, it needs work.  My version dyes the rice with beetroot instead of saffron and is filled with spiced roasted aubergines and puy lentils.  The whole recipe needs a little tweaking, Nothing major, but the savoury beetroot rice was just a little over-cooked and more closer in texture to Beetroot Rice Pudding, plus the spicing was not quite right.  

Some of you may think well what is the point of sharing a flop of a recipe on your blog?  Well mine is not a lifestyle blog, designed for a particular audience or purpose - its a real food blog and I think its important to share not just our successful recipes, but also our fails. This is a fail, even though I could have deceived you all and told you otherwise, as aesthetically it looks blooming marvellous, but what is the point - I would be fibbing to myself.  

I will be giving this Perisan Style Upside Beetroot Rice Cake a go again in the future, come back if your interested.   Adapted from this and this recipe. 

Maftoul with Roasted Harissa Rainbow Carrots

I've had a proper lazy weekend and most of all I have had a long sleep in, no dreading the alarm going off and waking up to go into work in the dark and come back home in the dark.

The weekend has also allowed me to d some slow cooking and make the most of the little light there was outside for photographs, but the reality is its been a dark weekend with lingering dark clouds, drippy rain and blustery winds.  Today's hearty  lunch was Lemon-Coriander Maftoul with Roasted Harissa Rainbow Carrots.  

I  picked up two bunches of rainbow carrots from a local greengrocers. 

I wanted to make more of a feast of them, than just chop, grate or spiralize them for a coleslaw, so I roasted them whole in a harissa sauce and served it with Zaytoun Palestenian Maftoul.  Maftoul is made from sun-dried bulgar wheat and hand rolled into tiny chewy balls.  The magic of maftoul is that it absorbs flavours wonderfully so I coated it in lemony coriander goodness. 

Persian Style Cauliflower Stew with Advieh

I've not heard of Advieh until quite recently.  Its a Persian  Spice Blend.  

 I don't claim this to be authentic in any way, but it introduced me to the the flavours of advieh. Although it looks like garam masala, its not spicy at all - imparting a slight sweetness, I guess from the cinnamon.  

I am looking forward to checking out some of my Middle Eastern Cookbooks for recipes that make the most of advieh,  but this dish was fine and welcomed on a day like today when the rain has not stopped, its been a continuous drizzle making you feel like a soggy sock.  Tucking into this Persian Stew made me a little radiant. 

I served it with pickled chillies and couscous instead of rice for a change. 

Za'atar Crusty Crunchy Creamy Butter Beans

I know I am hitting you with them, but here is another bookmarked recipe. I saw these Giant Crusty Creamy White Beans on Maple Spices blog a few years back, 2009 to be more precise and at the time I did not have Heidi Swanson's book 'Super Natural Cooking'.   At that time I used to write and comment under my pseudonym Mangocheeks, but have since revealed my real name.  Anyway, Debbie's blog was one of the first vegan blogs that I raved about  on my blog and still continue to this day. If your not familiar with Maple Spice, then please do go by and check it out.

Well it may have taken me almost 6 years to make, but I have finally got round to making these Crusty Crunchy Creamy White Beans (thanks to soaking way too much butter beans for the Turmeric Butter Beans with dill and garlic recipe) and it was worth doing.  The butter beans were crusty and crunchy on the outside, soft like mashed potato on the inside.  I couldn't help picking hem out of the pan warm.  

I know I have coated them with Zaatar here, but it could have easily have been Smoked Paprika; Sumac or even (smoked) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  

I followed the first part of the recipe in the cookbook (recipe can be found here). but stopped when it came to stirring in the garlic, onions and chard.  This is where I took it off the heat and scattered over some Za'atar herb blend.  Adapted from Heidi Swanson Super Natural Cooking.  I am sharing this with Tinned Tomatoes for Bookmarked Recipes. 

Turmeric Butter Beans with Dill, Garlic and Eggs

I have a number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Middle Eastern cookbooks on my burgeoning bookshelf.  The most cherished and celebrated perhaps are those by: Nada Saleh, Arto der Haroutunian, Claudia Roden, Greg and Lucy Malouf amongst a handful of others.

Anyway, the one Middle Eastern recipe that  I've had bookmarked is not from a cook book, but a blog called Bottom of the Pot.  In fact I have had this Persian recipe for Spring Fava Bean (Broad Beans), Dill and Egg Stew  known as Baghali Ghatogh bookmarked for over two year ago.  I was greedily reminded of it when I was at the library and was flicking through Sabrina Gayour cookbook Persiana.  My version is visually probably more closer to Sabrina's as I was cautious with the dill, but the recipe I followed and adapted a little was definitely from Bottom of the Pot.  Dill is not a herb I use much in my cooking and was nervous about overpowering the dish with a herb that I am not overly fussed about.  

One of the reasons this recipe was on the back burner was that I was waiting for the broad beans season. Well fortunately for me, I  had picked up some broad beans from a rural market, but it was not enough for this recipe, so I  decided to substituted it with some dried butter beans, which I soaked overnight and then cooked. 

Veggiestans Black-Eyed Bean and Lemon Hot Pot

It's become a bit of a tradition in my home to have black eyed peas in the first week of the New Year, not that D knows it - I just make the black eyed pea dish and he eats it.  Black eyed Peas are reputed to bring you good fortune, don't know how true that is, but we can hope.

This was a welcome dish as I woke up with a sore throat and a chest infection of some sorts.  I've been drinking herbal fruit teas enhanced with echiniacea.  I have no desire to go to the doctors, but may have to if it doesn't clear by next week, anyway, back to this Black-Eyed Bean and Lemon Hot Pot

The recipe for this Black Eyed Bean and Lemon Hot Pot comes from a vegetarian cookbook, gifted to me a couple of months back by my husband for my Birthday.  It it Veggiestan: A Vegetable Lover's Tour of the Middle East by Sally Butcher, I was also gifted Salmagundi (and am awaiting the appearance of Snackistan on my table one-day) also by Sally Butcher. Sally Butcher also runs Persopolis: A Taste of Persia in Peckham a little corner shop, that has a little cafeteria attached to it.