Meat Stuffed Eggplant (Garni Yarikh)

This is another Bottom of the Pot recipe. It was perfect comfort food to me on this cooler, summer day. I have been attending a virtual training about complex trauma the past several days, specifically around narcissism and how it underlies all of the destructive things we do: loving the image we have of ourselves, and hating what is really there. It is a bit, um, intense. So comfort food seems pretty nice! 

*Also nice was my walk yesterday evening in the warm wind just after sunset, passing two little girls in hijabs singing out really loudly towards the lake as they trailed behind their dad. They were singing a song from Moana, which I watched a month or two ago and loved, about the light on the sea being blinding and calling them. I found the whole scene such a delight.

I love roasted eggplant, and this recipe really takes it to a whole new level. Author Naz Deravian says that Garni Yarikh is Turkish for "split belly," referring to the eggplant. Her words about this dish are more enticing than any I could come up with: "This is the kind of dish that seduces and beckons as silky eggplant collapses into well-browned and delicately spiced meat, all simmering over a rich tomato-based sauce." I was won over by Naz (meaning to buy her cookbook) after hearing her read her mom's poetry and witnessing her emotion about it. Persians and poetry, man. Talk about seduce and beckon!

For this recipe, I also got to use all garden produce except the onion. My garlic is now officially cured, and I selected some nice big bulbs for this recipe. This year, I grew a few different varieties of eggplant, and harvested several of these thinner long ones in the last week or so, which are ideal for this recipe. I also have a handful of palm sized ones, and I was a little short, so I used one of those too. 

Incidentally, while doing my garden plot rotation of refilling the water barrels last week, I saw that someone is growing okra. I have never seen okra grow before, and I found it so stunning I had to go back and look at it again. Next year: Okra!

Split eggplant, oiled and ready to roast

Serves 4-6

• 6 Italian or baby eggplants (about 2 pounds)
• 1/2 C olive oil, divided
• 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• kosher salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 T tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley, tough stems trimmed, chopped
• 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Peel the eggplant in stripes, with the stem and cap on. Leaving 1" on the top and bottom, cut a shallow split lengthwise in the belly of the eggplant, without piercing through, stopping about 1" from the bottom. Place the eggplant in a large bowl and drizzle a little olive oil in each slit, and sprinkle generously with salt. Rub olive oil all over the rest of the eggplant, and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, until fork-tender. Set aside to cool.

While the eggplant roasts, prepare the filling. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and keep it at a simmer. In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over med-low heat. Add the garlic and cook very gently, constantly stirring until slightly softened, but taking care it doesn't take on any color, about 5 minutes. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl and set aside. Using the garlicky oil in the pan, turn the heat up to medium and add the onions. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt, turn up to med high, add the meat, and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook with the meat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the spices plus 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Give a stir and add 1/2 c water from the kettle. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook until the meat is cooked through and all the flavors come to life, about 5 minutes.Taste and make delicious. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic and parsley.

Eggplant boats

With a fork, gently push the eggplant flesh to either side, making room for the filling, and sprinkle with a little more salt. Fill each eggplant with about 2 T of the filling, depending on the eggplant size. You will have filling left over in the pan. Place the pan back on the stove over med heat, add the cherry tomatoes and 1/2 cup more water from the kettle. Give a stir, and bring to a good simmer. Taste and add more salt or spices as needed. Gently nestle the eggplant boats in the sauce, spoon a little sauce over the eggplant, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the tomatoes collapse and release their juices, and the eggplant is completely tender and everything is luscious, 35-45 minutes. Garnish with parlsey and serve.

Post simmering, eggplants all nestled in with the sauce.

Eggplant and Tomato Kookoo

I was out of town the past week, and prior to my drive north I made this dish to bring on the road. It turned out delicious - both fresh and hot from the oven, and eaten the next day. It would be a great dish for brunch, and I especially enjoyed it with some plain yogurt on top. Kookoo are Iranian style frittatas - and as Naz Deravian says, are more about the filling than the eggs. Typically one ingredient will be the star, though in this case it is two: the eggplant and the tomatoes. This is another Bottom of the Pot recipe, and I used all garden produce and herbs. I didn't have capers (I am going to try making some with milkweed pods, if they aren't too big yet), so I used some diced up pickled green tomatoes instead.

Serves 4-8

• 2 large long eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds) 
• 1/4 c plus 1 T olive oil
• salt
• 6 large eggs
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• Leaves from 1 stem tarragon, minced (plus more leaves for garnish)
• 1 T capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
• Black pepper
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 4 med tomatoes (about 1 lb 6 oz), sliced into 1/4" rounds
• Fresh herbs to garnish: mint, basil, cilantro, tarragon
• Yogurt for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl toss eggplant with 1.4 c olive oil and 3/4 tsp salt. Divide eggplant slices on two baking sheets and lay out in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside. Lower oven heat to 400 degrees.

While the eggplant roasts, add the eggs, garlic, tarragon, capers, 2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to the same bowl you used for the eggplant. Beat well to combine and set aside.

Heat a 10 or 12" cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and remaining Tablespoon of olive oil. As soon as the butter sizzles place one layer of tomatoes in the pan. It's okay if they overlap slightly. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt and layer with eggplant slices. Repeat with another layer of tomatoes (sprinkled with salt) and one more layer of eggplant. Pour the egg batter over the whole thing and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, until the kookoo has set and the edges are slightly browned.

Set aside to cool slightly. Garnish with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand, and slice into wedges or squares. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Bonus vacation picture: Moose! All week I ate thimbleberries like this moose ate river grass - steady, ongoing, and with pauses to breathe. :)

Braised Lamb Shanks

After watching the Persian episode of Taste the Nation some weeks ago, I was inspired to buy Naz Deravian's cookbook Bottom of the Pot. This weekend I made several recipes out of it for some Eid feasting on Saturday. They were all delicious, though the star of the show was the lamb shanks. They were actually similar to the roasted goat leg I've made before, in less time and requiring less oven space and a more reasonable sized cooking vessel. So they may usurp goat leg for future holiday feasting.

I was especially excited that these recipes all make use of a variety of herbs that are plentiful in my garden right now. The full menu for the day also included a tomato-cucumber salad, quinoa with fava beans and feta, a beet yogurt dip (which was amazing), and pan friend sumac cauliflower, which I will likely post after I harvest some sumac later this summer. Not only was the lamb tender - falling off the bone when you pulled at it with your fork, with a subtle orange and lime flavor that melted in your mouth, but the broth at the end was spectacular - and collagen-rich and good for you to boot. We drank the broth in small bowls after eating, which my friend reported is traditional back home in Ethiopia, and which I recommend. I made this recipe as is, except I had rose wine instead of white, and no saffron or orange blossom water.

Parlsey, Cilantro, Basil, Mint and Dill

Braised Lamb Shanks, serves 4-6

3 1/2 pounds lamb shanks (3-4 shanks), fat trimmed

1 tsp ground turmeric

salt and black pepper

3 T olive oil

3 T white wine

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 T tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp Advieh spice blend (recipe below)

Zest and juice of 1 large lime

Zest and juice of 1 large orange

1/4 tsp saffron, steeped in 2 T hot water and 1 1/4 tsp orange blossom water

Fresh green herbs (I used parsley & mint)

Directions:

1. Place the lamb in a large bowl. Season well with the turmeric and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, or at least 2. Bring back to room temp 30 minutes before cooking.

2. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over med-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, brown the shanks on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. You might have to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot. The shanks will release from the pot once ready, be patient, don't force it. Set the shanks aside on a baking sheet (or back in the bowl, as I did).

3. Add the wine, scraping up any stuck-on bits and pieces, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and sprinkle with salt and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Advieh, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Take care not to burn the tomato paste. Add both the orange and lime zest and juice, saffron-orange blossom water, 2 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Give a quick stir and place the shanks back in the pot. Pour in 1 c of water, bring up to a gentle boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the shanks are tender, 2-3 hours. (Alternatively you could also transfer the pot to a 350 degree oven and cook for 2-3 hours).

4. Once in awhile check to make sure there is enough juice, if not add a little more water. Remove the shanks and place them on a serving platter. With a spoon, skim any fat off the sauce (or not?!) - taste the sauce and add more salt/pepper or a squeeze of lime if necessary. Pour the sauce over the shanks, garnish with herbs, and serve.

Advieh spice blend

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground dried rose petals (I skipped these)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Mix together and store in a spice jar. Use in stews, soups, or on meat. It smells delicious.

Chicken Hearts and Livers (Del va Jegar)

Del va Jegar is a Persian dish of Chicken hearts and livers. I came across it in my "Great Liver Recipe Search" across different cultural cuisines. I have never had chicken heart before, but they sell it at the Seward Co-op, so I felt inspired to give it a try. The little hearts are a a nice chewy texture that contrasts really nicely with the creaminess of the liver. I thought it turned out great - the flavor combo was like no other I have had before. It uses fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, saffron, garlic, and some cumin. Minimal spicing. There is not a specific recipe on the internet that I could find, but I did watch this lovely video of chef KShar. I recommend reading the comments, especially his responses: KShar seems to radiate love and joyfulness, which I find very enjoyable.

I modified the recipe to be paleo, which really meant using coconut flour in lieu of bread crumbs. I also estimated the amounts of ingredients I used (he does not give amounts) - but since I have never had this dish before, I have no way to know if my amounts are correct or not. Someday maybe I will get to have this dish and compare! It seems that many Iranian people traditionally make this with lamb liver and heart, which might be another interesting experiment.

Del va Jegar

You can't see the tomato slices, but they are under there!

1/2 lb. chicken hearts, cut in half
1/2 lb. chicken livers, cut in half
coconut flour (2-3 T)
1/4 c. fat
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (opt)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, chopped
pinch cumin
pinch saffron
1-2 tomatoes, cut in thick slices
Garnish: julienne green onion and cilantro
(or parsley in my case because it was in the garden!)

1. Put 2 T fat in a medium sized skillet or cast iron pan. Fry garlic on medium heat. After a few minutes, add red pepper flakes and onion. Saute several minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and saute another few minutes. Mixture should be fragrant and soft looking. Add hearts and continue cooking on medium, stirring occasionally.

Floured livers (left) and hearts (right)

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 T fat in a large cast iron skillet. While it is heating, roll or toss liver pieces in coconut flour to coat. Ideally this will be a light dusting. When fat is hot, lay liver peices on a single layer across the pan and turn the heat to medium/medium-high. You want to be careful not to overcook the liver, and you also want a nice browned sear. This will be about 3-4 minutes on each side. They will still be pink in the middle, and I always think, "they can't be done yet!" but they are. You want them creamy and soft, and the less you handle them the better.

3. Add spices to the heart mix: salt and pepper, cumin, and saffron and continue to stir.

4. When liver is done, remove it from the skillet and set on a warm plate. Keep the skillet heat on, and now layer the slices of tomato in the skillet to brown in the remaining coconut-flour-y fat. Sprinkle a bit more coconut flour on top, and flip them after a minute. The tomatoes should get a nice sear.

5. To serve: lay tomato slices on each plate. Cover with heart mixture (it should pile up a bit). Cover that with pieces of liver. Sprinkle with julienned green onion and cilantro and serve!

Ground Lamb, Venison, or Beef Kebab (Kubideh)

I bought My Charming Companion some birthday kebab skewers - they are Persian style skewers that are 1" thick and VERY long, which assists in better cooking in the wood stove. The wide skewers are really useful to make Kubideh - or ground meat kebabs. I've never had them before, but the recipe in A Taste of Persia was enticing, and the photos are beautiful. It's almost like sausage - because really, it is spiced meat, but the spicing is so different, and the meat is much more lean, so it also isn't like sausage at all. I found that the kubideh mostly reminded me of gyro's - I think because of the texture, but also some similar spicing. *Note: you can also make this as meatballs and just saute them in a skillet. Super easy and delicious, without the fire!

I tried the kubideh with both venison and lamb. They were both delicious, but I found that the venison stuck much better to the skewer. You kind of need the wide skewer so that the meat has something to stick to - and even so, the lamb was falling off! I did a little research, and I think that using a food processor to make the mixture as paste-like as possible will really help (versus twice grinding it, then kneading it by hand for 15 minutes). I cannot wait for summer to have this dish with tomatoes (also roasted on the grill). I also think a mix of beef or venison with lamb would be excellent.

For meat:
1 large onion, peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 pounds lean beef, venison, lamb
2 t salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t baking soda

For basting:
2 T melted butter
1/2 t fresh lime juice
1/4 t salt

*Before you start preparing the food, get your fire started/charcoal going so that everything is burned down to nice coals to cook on.
1. Puree onion and garlic in a food processor. In a large bowl, mix meat with onion puree. Add other spices, lime juice, and baking soda (this is to help tenderize the meat).
2. Working in 2-3 batches, put the meat mix in the food processor and process until a thick paste. Once all the meat has been processed, cover the paste and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature.(If you are making meatballs, skip this step and just combine all the ingredients and shape into balls, then brown on medium-high heat on all sides.)
3. With damp hands, divide the meat paste into 12 equal sized lumps. Form each lump into a sausage shape about 5" long and mold it firmly around a flat skewer. (I watched a youtube video with a fancy technique to sort of scallop the meat on the skewer. Watch at 7:20 for that demo - he is using larger pieces of meat and is clearly quite skilled at this.)
4. For basting, combine the butter, lime juice, and salt in a small saucepan. Keep warm over very low heat.
5. When the coals are glowing, arrange the skewers 3" above the coals. You do not want the ground meat to touch the grill (though if you have a grill, this would prevent you from losing any meat should it come off the skewer). Let the kebabs cook a few seconds, just until they change color; then turn the skewers gently to color the other side of the meat. This keeps the meat from falling apart. Then turn gently one more to brown each side.

This is what I will strive for mine to look like!

6. Grill the meat for 3-5 minutes on each side, and brush it with basting mixture just before removing it from the grill (or in my case, just after taking it out of the wood stove). The total cooking time should be 6-10 minutes, and the meat should be seared on the outside, but pink on the inside. If it gets overcooked, it will become a bit rubbery, like a sausage. That is not the effect you  are going for!
7. Slide the meat off the skewers onto a plate with a fork. Sprinkle with lime juice to taste. Traditionally this is served with grilled tomatoes, saffron rice and lavash bread, but I ate it with a tahini sauce (tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, and salt). Any grilled veggies would be great.

Butternut Squash Khoresh

Khoresh # 2! This is another recipe from A Taste of Persia. I used venison in this one too, and it tasted great. This recipe is a little on the sweet side - something I am less used to in meat dishes, and it is also a bit more broth-y than other stews. The broth was delicious though.

I am posting the original recipe below, however I changed the recipe some: I used way less prunes (maybe 5 of them) and 1/2 c. of apple cider in place of sugar; I used 2 c. chicken broth in lieu of water; and I added an extra 1/2 lb of meat. I found it plenty sweet and will maybe forgo the apple cider all together next time. The prunes break down, and I found that even the handful of them (chopped up) gave a really nice hint of dried plum flavor without the extra fructose. 

Butternut Squash Khoresh
5 T ghee, butter or coconut oil
2 small onions peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken or meat (lamb, venison, beef) cut into thin strips
1 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 c pitted prunes
2 lbs butternut squash
4 T sugar
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 t saffron threads dissolved in 1 T hot water (opt)

1. In a medium pot, heat 3 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the meat and stir-fry 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally until browned. Add salt, cinnamon, prunes, pepper, and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, peel the squash and cut into 2-inch cubes. In a large skillet, heat 2 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the squash and stir-fry for 10 minutes, until all sides are golden brown.
3. Add sugar, lime juice, saffron water, and butternut squash cubes to the meat. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes over low heat.
4. Taste the khoresh and adjust the seasoning for salt and lime juice. Serve!

Green Bean and Tomato Khoresh

I've been reading (and photo gazing) The Taste of Persia - a cookbook that is subtitled as an introduction to Persian cooking. I pulled it out originally to look at the kebab recipes, but got sidetracked by some of the khoresh dishes. Khoresh is basically a stew - though more delicate than a beef and potato kind of thing - with lots of butter or ghee, and often spiced with cinnamon or fruit, saffron and lime. The one I tried first is this green bean and tomato recipe, largely due to recently finding a bag of garden green beans from two years ago in my freezer. I also had a bunch of garden tomatoes that I stuck in the freezer last summer, so I used those in lieu of tomato puree. The flavor turned out really nice - sort of citrus-y and warm, and sweet from the tomatoes.

The recipe is for one pound of meat, but if you are not going to eat this with rice, I would add in extra to bulk it out a bit more. I used venison, and let the meat stew a bit longer to tenderize the meat and bring out more flavor. (If you use chicken, go for just the 30 minute simmer so the chicken does not overcook and get tough.) Because I was simmering it longer, I also kept the green beans out until the last 20 minutes - just so they wouldn't get too soft. I wished I had made a double batch for more leftovers because it made a great meal to bring to work.

Green Bean and Tomato Khoresh
5 T butter or ghee
1 lb fresh/frozen green beans, cut into 2" pieces
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken leg or meat (beef, venison, lamb) cut into thin strips
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t turmeric
1 T tomato paste
3 1/2 c fresh/canned pureed tomatoes
2 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t ground saffron threads, dissolved in 2 T hot water (opt)

1. In large skillet heat 2 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the green beans and stir fry 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In medium pot, heat 3 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the onion and stir fry 5 minutes until translucent. Add teh garlic and chicken/meat and stir fry 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric and stir fry another minute.
3. Add green beans, tomatoes/puree and paste, lime juice, and saffron water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Taste the khoresh and adjust seasonings for salt and lime juice. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.