All posts tagged: SUMMER

Khoresh-e Albaloo – Meatballs in Sour Cherry Sauce خورش آلبالو

Cherries ring in the summer for me, whether sweet or sour, as the season begins in June/July. Did you ever hang the most beautiful double or even triple red cherries over your ears right and left, and it made you feel beautiful? This childhood memory is anchored deep in my memory. Tart cherries are a mouthwatering combination in savory stews, and so is my recipe of today, Khoresh-e Albaloo – Lamb meatballs in sour cherry sauce خورش آلبالو. In this dish, tart cherries stand in the spotlight and complete the taste of the lamb meatballs. The preparation is simple, super quick, and will blow you away. Watch my Video on Instagram

Soup-e Esfenadj – Spinach Soup for Tirgan

Tirgan Mobarak! Happy Tirgan! Like all our Persian festivals, at Tirgan, there is a lot of dancing, singing, and reciting poems. It’s tradition to splash water on each other (Ab Pashi) on this day. We also eat certain foods, such as my Soup-e Esfenadj – Spinach Soup for Tirgan. The recipe is super simple! The soup includes fresh baby spinach, potatoes, onions, and oriental spices. It’s vegetarian, as I made it with vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock. Add a blob of Greek yogurt, fresh mint, and a few drops of good olive oil to garnish. This creamy, healthy, and delicious soup is on your table in no time.

Bastani Sonati – Persian Saffron Ice Cream

The temperatures have risen, and I am in the mood for a cooling ice cream. The golden Yellow Bastani Sonati – Persian Saffron Ice Cream is one of the most popular ice creams in Iran. Whether young or old, men or women, everyone loves Bastani Sonati – Persian Saffron Ice Cream. Bastani means ice cream, and Sonati is traditional, so translated, it means traditional Persian ice cream. Nothing is better in the heat than having the aromatic saffron ice cream melt in your mouth. In Bastani are little frozen pieces of cream and pistachio slivers hidden. As a child, and even today, I still get excited when I discover a tasty bite of delicious frozen cream or a slivered pistachio in the ice cream. HOMEMADE BASTANI SONATI Throughout Tehran, we have a lot of ice cream stores that sell Bastani, but many Persians also prepare it at home, as there is nothing better than fresh homemade Bastani. Last summer, I made saffron ice cream without eggs; today I have a recipe with eggs. In my …

Kabab Koobideh – Grilled Minced Meat Kabab کباک کوبیده

Kabab Koobideh – Grilled Minced Meat Kabab کباک کوبیده is the ultimate favorite dish of all Persians and our National dish. It is no wonder why it is on the menu of every Persian restaurant, both in Iran and all over the world. Kabab translates to grilled, and Koobideh originates from the Persian word koobidan, which means to beat. Nowadays, the meat is passed through a meat grinder and used as minced meat for Kabab Koobideh. Traditionally, the meat was placed on a flat stone and smashed with a wooden mallet. According to the legend, ancient Persian soldiers used to grill the meat on their swords before going to battle. The challenge with Kabab Koobideh is that it does not fall off the wide, flat skewer (Seekh) while grilling over hot charcoals.

Borani Esfenadj – Persian Spinach Yogurt Dip

Do you want to spice up your yogurt and set the scene? If so, I have the perfect recipe for you. You only need a few ingredients: sautéed baby spinach, Greek yogurt, sautéed caramelized onions, and spice it up with turmeric and cinnamon for a mouthwatering flavor. Borani Esfenadj – Persian Spinach Yogurt Dip is quickly prepared, delicious, and healthy. Spinach adds a lovely green color to your yogurt, and turmeric turns it all yellow. I love to use Greek yogurt as it is creamy and has many health benefits. The key to this recipe is the fried caramelized onions since they add sweetness and a special kick to this yogurt. Watch my Video on Instagram

Kisir – Turkish Bulgur Salad

Kisir – Turkish Bulgur Salad is one of my favorite salads from Turkish cuisine. Bulgur salad is delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare. It’s a savory vegan salad with a nutty flavor due to the bulgur. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions add a fresh touch. The dressing of pomegranate molasses, parsley, mint, lemon, and olive oil adds a lovely juicy touch. Paprika paste, pul biber, salt and pepper add spice. My favorite way to eat Kisir is in lettuce. Take a tablespoon of Kisir and place it in the middle of a lettuce leave and roll it up to form a wrap. It is an explosion of flavor on your palate. Try it out for sure!

Valak Polo ba Mahi – Wild Garlic Rice with Marinated Salmon

Finally, it’s wild garlic time, and you can only find it on the market a few weeks of the year, so I prepared several Persian recipes with wild garlic. I made Valak Polo today, a traditional Persian Rice Dish with Wild Garlic, Sumac, and Saffron. We serve Chicken or meatballs with this dish in Iran. I prefer to fish with Valak Polo, so I made it with salmon in a lemony marinade. The marinade is to die for and consists of rose petals, ground dried lime, bay leaves, sumac, cinnamon, grated zest of a lemon, lemon juice, and lemon pepper tossed in olive oil. Salmon tastes best when you marinate it for about 2 hours. If you like wild garlic, you might also like my creamy One Pot Past with green asparagus and wild garlic, as I also show you the place near my home where wild garlic grows. Watch Video on Instagram (Wild Garlic Rice Preparation) Watch Video on Instagram (Marinated Salmon Preparation)

Puff Pastry Carrots with Turkish Carrot & Garlic Yoghurt Filling

With a ready-made puff pastry from the fridge, these golden crispy puff pastry carrots are quick and easy to prepare. You only need Cream Horn molds to shape them into perfect puff pastry carrots*. A spicy, creamy, and crunchy filling of a Turkish carrot-yogurt salad (Yoğurtlu Havuç salatası) gives the delicious finger food that special something. A stalk of dill provides great taste and replaces the carrot greens. A true eye-catcher on your buffet or Easter brunch and also truly tasty. Not only the vegetarians at the table will be delighted by the Puff Pastry Carrots with Turkish Carrot Garlic Yogurt Filling. A real feast for the palate!

Salt Baked Sea bream

*Ad book review The Breton Cookbook*. We are about to celebrate the Persian New Year Norooz, and for this special day we prepare fish and herb rice. I’m quite experimental in my kitchen, and every year I prepare the fish a little differently, see here, here and here. This year I decided to choose one of my favorite methods of preparing fish. I got inspiration from the Breton cookbook* with Commissioner Dupin’s favorite dishes by Jean-Luc Bannalac. I serve it with Mamie Fouesnant’s Shallot Cream Sauce. Salt Baked Sea bream and the Breton Cookbook are must-haves for Foodies and fish lovers. Cooking the whole fish in a salt crust inside an oven, the Dorade gets tender, juicy, flavorful and even low in calories. A healthy way of preparation, easy, with little effort and simply delicious. My husband and our youngest sit at the dining table and wait to see the salt crust cracking, and the tasty secret unveiled. Try this recipe, and you will be thrilled. Bon appetit!

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken is a simple, aromatic and traditonal persian dish, and a must have on a festive table. Zereshk Polo ba Morgh is a dish of tender chicken drumsticks braised in saffron and served with fragrant saffron rice and caramelized sweet and sour barberries. In Farsi Zereshk means barberries, polo rice, and morgh is simply chicken. Some Persians add tomato paste to the chicken drumsticks, but I personally prefer the pure flavor of saffron and bay leaves. This recipe can also be cooked with chicken breast or even a whole chicken.

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