All posts tagged: After Work cooking

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Feta, Pistachio Pesto and Pomegranate Seeds

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Feta, Pistachio Pesto and Pomegranate Seeds

Autumn has been mild so far in Germany, but now it’s here and it s time to heat the oven again. Pumpkin is one of the healthy autumn favorites! But it doesn’t always have to be the Hokkaido pumpkin, so why not try the butternut squash? When the aroma of Hasselback butternut squash with feta, pistachio pesto, and pomegranate seeds spreads throughout the kitchen, an autumn feel-good feeling is sure in very quickly. Doesn’t it look colorful on the plate? I love the colors. It is also proven that the more colorful it looks on your plate, the healthier your food is. My recipe is really easy peasy, quick to prepare, low carb, vegetarian and perfect as an after-work dinner.

Koofteh Rizeh – Lamb Meatballs with Mint in Tomato Sauce کوفته ریزه

Koofteh Rizeh – Lamb Meatballs with Mint in Tomato Sauce کوفته ریزه

Koofteh Rizeh – Lamb meatballs with mint in Tomato Sauce کوفته ریزه is also called Gheymeh Rizeh (قیمه ریزه), Kale Ghondjishki (کله گنجشکی) or Ghermez Rizeh (قرمز ریزه ). It is a traditional and popular dish from the marvelous city of Isfahan. These simple meatballs are prepared without any use of breadcrumbs, bread, or egg, and instead, chickpea flour is used. The meatballs are mixed with minced lamb, onions, turmeric, dried, and finely grated mint. Then the meatballs simmer in a spicy sauce made with tomato paste, onions, turmeric, and dried mint. Persian Sangak or Taftoon bread is commonly served with meatballs to soak up the tomato sauce. Serve with a bit of torshi (pickled vegetables) and everybody is satisfied. A filling dish that can be prepared quickly.

Khoresht-e Albaloo - One-Pan Chicken with Sour Cherries خورشت آلبالو

Khoresht-e Albaloo – One-Pan Chicken with Sour Cherries خورشت آلبالو

When it comes to sour cherries, you probably think of fruitcakes, pies, desserts or jams. But sour cherries can be used in many different ways and also fit in savory main dishes, as in my today’s recipe Khoresht-e Albaloo – One-Pan Chicken with Sour Cherries خورشت آلبالو . The spicy flavor of the chicken harmonizes perfectly with the sour-sweet flavor of the sour cherries and is seasoned with just a few ingredients, such as saffron and lemon juice. This dish is a traditional Persian dish, which is also very popular with meatballs besides chicken. Do you also want a palate explosion, then be sure to try this dish!

Bread Salad with Fresh Herbs

Bread salad with fresh herbs

What the Italian his Panzanella, is to me my bread salad with fresh herbs. The taste of crusty toasted Arabic bread and freshly chopped herbs, such as mint, flat-leaf parsley, basil, and tarragon, is incredibly crunchy and refreshing. Fruity pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and tangy feta tickle your palate. A slightly tart dressing of pomegranate pulp, olive oil, golpar, sumac, salt, and pepper tops this salad off. The bread salad tastes fresh, and savory, and is also filling and super healthy. Love serving it on hot summer days as a cooling and light meal. It’s also great as a mazeh (mezze) or as a side dish with rice and meat dishes. If you’re looking for a delicious and quick summer recipe, my Bread Salad with Fresh Herbs is the perfect choice for you.

Vegan Juweled Rice Salad

Vegan Jeweled Rice Salad

Are you looking for a tasty side dish for a special occasion? How about a bright and fragrant Vegan jeweled rice salad? This rice salad is based on the warm Persian jeweled rice. It’s the perfect summer dish that can easily be prepared in advance. It’s just perfect for a picnic as well as for a special feast or party. The colorful bright jewels in the salad are made of emerald (pistachios), ruby (barberries and pomegranate seeds), gold (saffron rice and carrots), and pearls (almonds). Fragrant saffron and warm spices like turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon add that special touch to my rice salad and will impress your guests. My Jeweled Rice Salad is a feast for the senses and transports you directly to the orient.

Sibzamini Tokhm-e Morgh - Baked Potato and Egg سیب زمینی و تخم مرغ

Sibzamini Tokhm-e Morgh – Baked Potato and Egg سیب زمینی و تخم مرغ

Sibzamini Tokhm-e Morgh – Baked potato and Egg Wrap سیب زمینی و تخم مرغ is typical street food from Urmia of northern Iran. It is also popular in Azerbaijan (Iran) and Tabriz, where it is called Yeralma Yumurta (یرالما یومورتا), which means wrapped with potato and egg. This wrap is found on any corner of the streets in Iran, as the ingredients are simple and very common. It is an all-time favorite for its taste and popularity. A feature of this dish is that the potatoes and sometimes the bread (Sangak) are prepared on small river stones. It can also be prepared with Lavash or Barbari Bread. In Iran, we call Street Food Ghazay-e Khiabani غذای خیابانی.

Kabab-e Sabzidjat - vegan kebabs کباب سبزیجات

Kabab-e Sabzidjat – vegan kebabs کباب سبزیجات

Fortunately, the temperatures have dropped a bit and you can fire up the grill again. Is there anything better than a BBQ with family or friends? Meanwhile many people eat vegetarian or vegan, therefore you should also prepare something with vegetables. If you are looking for the perfect recipe for delicious, colorful veggie skewers for your next BBQ party, then I’ ve got a perfect recipe for you – Kabab-e Sabzidjat – Vegan Kebab کباب سبزیجات. We love these vegan skewers as they’re not only tasty and colorful, but are also healthy. More yet, the preparation is as easy as pie. Give a try with hummus or harissa hummus, it matches perfectly.

Samosa Bandari - سمبوسه بندری

Samosa Bandari – سمبوسه بندری

Samosa Bandari – سمبوسه بندری is very popular street food from Abadan, a city in southern Iran. We call it Sambooseh Bandari or Sambooseh Irani. Since it is a very popular snack or fast food for in-between meals, you can buy it, along with Sosis Bandari, Falafal, and Burgers everywhere in Persia. The great thing about Tehran is that you can get really good food in small and unimpressive snack bars. In my youth, we liked to go to a fast food restaurant either before or after the cinema and have crunchy samosas with a spicy sauce. My samosa version is vegan and is filled with potatoes, herbs, and spices. Recooking is highly recommended!

Kabab-e Zardak -glazed meatballs in Grape syrup کباب زردک

Kabab-e Zardak – Glazed Meatballs in Grape Syrup کباب زردک

Salam and Hi, today I’m going to show you a great dish from Isfahan, one of the most beautiful cities in Persia. Kabab-e Zardak -Glazed Meatballs in Grape Syrup کباب زردک is one of the many delicious dishes from Isfahan. It is also called Shami Esfahan or Kabab-e Mooshti, which means shaped in hand. Zardak the yellow carrots that are delicious vegetables hiding in the minced meat. Zardak tastes less sweet and is perfect as an ingredient in my meatballs, of course you can also use normal carrots for this recipe. I’m addicted to these juicy and sweet and sour meatballs. They soak up the mouthwatering sauce made from my homemade sugar free grape syrup and red wine vinegar, giving them a perfect flavor of sweet, sour, and spicy. They are easy to prepare and fingerlicking delicious.

Traditional Persian Lavash Bread

Traditional Persian Lavash Bread

Today is World Bread Day and I have a quick ,and easy recipe for you to make traditional Persian Lavash bread. Persian cuisine is simply impossible to imagine without Nan-e Lavash, it is also popular in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kurdistan, and Turkey. In Turkey, it is commonly used as a dough roll for Dürüm kebabs. Great bread doesn’t require a lot of ingredients! Nan-e Lavash is traditionally a very thin flat unleavened bread, similar to a tortilla or wrap, and is prepared with only 3 ingredients: Flour, salt, and water. Nan means bread in Farsi and is mentioned first of all types of bread. Traditionally, no yeast or other raising ingredients are allowed in the dough. This keeps the dough thin and when baked in a pan, it starts bubbling. When the bread is baked with yeast, we call it Nan-e Taftoon. Do you feel like baking your bread now? Well then get into the kitchen and in about 30 minutes you will not only have delicious Lavash bread, but you will also have the …