baghali polo - favas, dill & rice

I had dill to use up and plentiful favas and came upon baghali polo recipe.  Seems there are many ways to make it.

Here's what I did, which was ok.  It would definitely be better with basmati rice; I used short-grain brown because that's what I had on hand.  I'm sure it's much better when made by someone Persian. 

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/baghali-polo-persian-dill-rice-with-fava-beans/ 

 https://food52.com/recipes/41908-rice-with-favas-and-dill-baghali-polo

https://www.aheadofthyme.com/baghali-polo-persian-dill-rice-with-fava-beans/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdT4KdsVnpk 

• 1.5 cup rice 
• 2 cups favas shelled and peeled as necessary 
• dill bunches (add dry as necessary), chopped 
• salt
• oil
• butter
• saffron  

Parboil the rice.  I did 15 minutes and probably should have done 30. 

Saute the favas and dill with oil and butter.  

Put a pinch of saffron in 1 cup hot water with more butter if desired. 

Layer 1/3 of rice on bottom, half favas & dill, alternate for rice on top.  Put three holes into the rice with handle of spoon, pour saffron water in and turn on heat.

Once steaming, turn down very low, put towel under lid, and cook about 50 minutes.   

tahini cake with chocolate

 This cake was quite good.  I adjusted it a lot and it still turned out good.  It rose a lot which surprised me.  I went short on oil because it was the end of the bottle, and a bit more tahini to finish that jar.  I used one large duck egg instead of the egg + yolk, and I used whole wheat flour and dark chocolate.  Next time I would skip the topping and just mix everything in.  Most of it got frozen; not sure it will stay good for long because I cut the sugar so much.  

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil 
• ⅔ cup/170 grams tahini, well-stirred
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ cup/177 milliliters whole milk
• ¾ cup/150 grams plus 2 tablespoons sugar (I reduced to 1/4 cup + 1 T; no need for sugar on top)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups/192 grams all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup/115 grams coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted (recipe called for some to be on top but it made it messy) 

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350. Line 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and tahini. Add the egg, egg yolk and milk and whisk until completely smooth. Whisk in sugar and the vanilla. 
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in chocolate and sesame seeds. 
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is puffed and set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
5. To serve, cut the cooled cake into 16 pieces. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw uncovered at room temperature before serving. 

 

tofu leek stirfy

 I bought leeks, I had tofu to use up, and I found this recipe.  I used two leeks and two partial yellow onions; other vegetables would be nice in it.  Made enough for three servings; first I ate it alone, but when I heat it up I'll go with high-protein pasta I think.  

Mix together:

• 4 Tbsp soy sauce (or half of that amino acids)
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, juice

Cube

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed or frozen

And add tofu to marinade for overnight or less time.  

Then save marinade but remove tofu and toss with

• 1 cup cassava flour (believe I used less, and this could be substituted for something else) 

Dry fry the tofu on a cast iron pan until browned on most side.

Slice:

• leeks and onions (recipe called for 1 leek, 1 white onion, 1 red onion; I used two leeks and two small yellow onions)

Saute alliums, and add:

• 1 tsp garlic powder (heaping)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Once the alliums are softened a bit, add the tofu in and stir, then add the marinade and cook down. 

Cook just as it is, or eat with rice or pasta or potatoes. 

 

 

corn pudding-ish

 I'm sure this recipe is great, but here's what I had on hand and it hit the spot for a corn custard.

In a large bowl, combine:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
•  1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 5+ dashes of hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup sour cream  

Add in:

• 2-3 cups corn (fresh, or thawed)

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes in an 8x8 pan (greased or with parchment paper).  

roasted bok choy

 Trying to roast more instead of fry, and this was pretty good.  From here.  It's a little fibrous so I slice it after cooking.  REally liked it with "tofu nuggets" (recipe found here). 

Ingredients

• 1 pound bok choy (Shanghai, baby)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp+ garlic powder)
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (choose tamari if GF)
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/2-1 tsp ground ginger
• Black pepper + salt (to taste)
• Garnish: chopped green onion, sesame seeds (black or white)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare bok choy: Slice bok choy in half lengthwise and place face-up on a lined baking dish or sheet pan.
3. Make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, tamari (or soy sauce), rice vinegar, maple syrup, and ground ginger.
4. Apply sauce: Brush the sauce over the bok choy, getting it into all the nooks and crannies. Season with black pepper and salt, if desired.
5. Bake: Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned and tender.
6. Remove from oven: Remove from oven.
7. Garnish: Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds (if desired).

 

popcorn

 Don't know where I pulled this recipe from, but it worked!

Heat large heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1 T olive oil and 2 popcorn kernels over medium heat.

When the two kernels pop, pull the pan off the stovetop, turn off heat, and add 1/4 cup popping corn.  Shake the pot around and let it sit for 60 seconds.

Put back on medium heat, with a lid.  Once it starts popping, tilt the lid so the popcorn doesnt' steam. Shake around from time to time, and remove from heat when popping slows.  

enjoy!  Salt and nutritional yeast, yum.  

pear energy balls

 Haven't made these pear energy balls yet, but I'm trying to clear tabs. :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick oats)
• 1/2 cup dried pears (soft, not rock-hard—check that they’re pliable)
• 1/2 cup almond butter (natural, at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup honey (real honey, not the fake stuff) [i will probably substitute date paste]
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt (seriously, don’t skip this)

---

Instructions

1. Toss your rolled oats into a food processor and pulse until they’re finely ground—think flour-like texture with a bit of texture remaining, not turned into complete dust.
2. Add the dried pears, almond butter, honey, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt right into the processor with the ground oats. Pulse everything together until it’s well combined and the mixture sticks together when you pinch it between your fingers (if it crumbles, pulse more or add a tiny bit more honey).
3. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes—the chia seeds will absorb moisture and everything holds together way better (trust me on this one).
4. Roll the mixture into small balls about 1 inch in diameter—roughly walnut-sized—and line them up on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t stress about making them perfectly round; rustic works just fine.
5. Pop the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set and firm up. This step is key—skip it and you’ll have a smushed mess when you try to pack them.
6. Once they’re firm, transfer the energy balls to an airtight container for storage. Keep them refrigerated and enjoy whenever you need a quick nutritious boost that actually tastes good!