fish tacos & guacamole

despite being raised in the middle east, i have a strong kinship with california. given that i was born there, spent summers there and lived there for six years, it’s no wonder i identify as a california girl – when it’s convenient, of course. and when it comes to mexican food, it is definitely convenient. ask any southern california worth their salt and they’ll agree that one of the best things about living in SoCal are the hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurants, where they serve up tacos, burritos and other delicious dishes at reasonable prices, and tasting better than anything east coast mexican restaurant could serve up.

do i sound like i miss mexican food? i’m not very good at hiding it.

tofu & sautéed veggies

tofu gets a bad rap. most people i know complain about the texture, saying that it’s so very bland. those are things that easily fixed. if made well, with the right spices, the texture no longer becomes an issue. as for its blandness? the best thing about tofu, in my opinion, is its blandness.

its adaptability, the fact that it absorbs any flavour added – well, that just makes tofu a dream to cook with. the bonus? it is extraordinarily healthy, full of iron, protein and a low calorie count (for those of you who are into that). many don’t like the texture, and i will fully admit there’s something a bit unnatural looking about the thing. the point of this whole tofu soliloquy: despite its oddities, i still get crazy cravings for tofu. considering i also want to make sure that sahtainincludes recipes for my animal loving friends out there, my latest craving couldn’t have come at a better time. this is yet another dish that’s perfect for summer – it’s light and filling, and doesn’t cause your apartment’s temperature to rise.

open-face turkey, brie & peach sandwich

ah, the sandwich. as a meal, it always sounds so simple and seem decidedly uncomplicated. and, yet! the whole purpose of this blog is for me to share with all of you recipes and stories about the foods that i love, as well as the foods i am dying to create. this? this is a sandwich that i love.

many years ago, i came across a recipe in real simple for a turkey, brie and nectarine sandwich. with the absurdly disgusting heat wave that d.c. has been having recently, i just couldn’t bear the idea of doing anything that involved turning on my stove. operating the toaster was as much as i could take (and at least that didn’t cause my apartment’s temperature to rise by a thousand degrees!). so, the sandwich was recreated. i didn’t have any nectarines, so i substituted in peach. let me say: that there is something fantastic about mixing fruit and cheese. the sweet/salty combination is incredible, and gives a slight kick to what could be a plain old turkey sandwich.

zanzibar red curry

comfort food is an essential part of my food philosophy. when i’m in need, i generally turn to persian koreshts (stews), but i’m always looking for new foods and spices to give me that soothing quality. so, when a friend brought back from africa an array of spices and curry powders, i knew that i had found a new comfort dish. there’s just something fun about the bright red powder! combined with the yellows and greens of the vegetables, the entire dish just brings a smile to your face.

according to the ever-accurate wikipedia, zanzibar was introduced to curry by the omani’s in the 1600s, when the sultanate took control of the islands. given the commercial relationship between oman and india, indian curries (which were so popular in oman) were incorporated into zanzibari cuisines. the difference, however, is in the flavours. zanzibar red curry lacks the spiciness that you would expect from a curry, but has a sweet undertone. truth be told, i have no idea if my recipe is anywhere near authentic. however, the result was delicious. don’t be daunted by the seemingly long list of ingredients – the result is well worth it.

of note: i believe this specific curry powder is difficult to find. though i haven’t attempted to make this dish with other powders, i am certain it would still work well.

 

zucchini pancakes (mücver)

turkish zucchini pancakes

when i first saw zucchini pancakes on the menu at a local turkish restaurant, i immediately kept it in mind as something to try to make at home. crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they’re the perfect side dish. so, when brainstorming a dish to make for an unemployed book club meeting (yes, policy kids are dorky), these came to mind.

mücver, as they are traditionally known, are served in almost all the turkish restaurants i’ve been to and are always delicious. given that these pancakes are usually deep fried, i was looking for a way to make it slightly healthier than they normally would be. while these definitely aren’t totally healthy, i think i’ve succeeded in making them better than they ordinarily would be. i’ve also added my own twist by using shallots instead of onion – your mileage my vary! if you’d like to make yours a little fattier, try adding in feta cheese, more flour and using more oil to fry. they’re best served with yogurt.

of note: the steps below call for you to “sweat” the zucchini. sweating vegetables (particularly ones like zucchini, eggplants, etc) is important — it really enhances their flavours, since the water content is reduced.

the food: zucchini pancakes

ingredients:

2 zucchinis, shredded

1 shallot, minced

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 egg

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

salt & pepper to taste (i put about ½ teaspoon of each)

how-to:

1: “sweat” the zucchini – mix in the ½ teaspoon of salt, and let the zucchini sit for 20-30 minutes. after sweating, drain the zucchini in a paper towel to get rid of all the leftover liquid.

2: mix in the shallots, carrots, salt, pepper. add the egg and flour, and mix well.

3: shape the mixture into thin patties – ¼ of an inch thick is ideal. any thicker and the vegetables won’t cook, leaving your pancakes undercooked.

4: pan fry the pancakes, about 3 minutes on each side, until crispy. serve!

(makes about 10 pancakes; prep time – including sweating – 40 min; cooking time: 3-5 min)

turkey kebabs & slow-roasted summer vegetables

the story

when i think about home-made kebabs, my mind immediately goes to my aunt’s version. combined with her stewed tomatoes; this has since become one of those tastes that immediately takes me back to a very specific time in my life. so, when faced with the challenge of what to do with the bits and bobs of meat and vegetables in my fridge, i decided it was time to give the dish my own twist. given the unusually cooler temperatures of the day, this adaptation of a childhood dish seemed perfect for a summer dinner.

kebabs (farsi: كباب ) are a persian staple; the etymology is thought to come from aramaic, literally meaning, “to roast meat.” though many other middle eastern cultures have adapted it for their own, persian kebab is still my favourite and (in my ethnocentric opinion), the best. the western world sees them as the meat that you grill on sticks, but, really, kebabs are so much more. the meat can be cooked in any number of ways: grill? roast? stew? the choice is yours. they can be served up as a sandwich, with rice or by itself. the versatility is what makes the dish so easily adaptable to your own tastes. for example: traditional kebabs are made of lamb, but this recipe uses ground turkey.

caution: i adore garlic, so these recipes use plenty of it. if, however, for some reason you are not a garlic fan (those exist?), you can decrease the garlic used.

the food: turkey kebabs

ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey meat

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon chopped onion

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon sumac (note: this is a middle eastern spice that can be difficult to find. if this is the case, up the cumin to ½ teaspoon and eliminate sumac all together)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

how-to:

1: mix the garlic, onion and spices in with the meat.

2: shape the meat into logs, then flatten the logs so they’re about ½ an inch thick and about 3 inches long.

3: in a medium-sized frying pan, cook the kebabs until they are no longer pink on the inside. make sure to flip the kebabs halfway through cooking to ensure they are even on both sides!

4: serve (with the roasted vegetables)!

(makes 6-7 kebabs; prep time: 10 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes)

the food: summer vegetables

ingredients

1-2 large tomatoes, chopped into large chunks

½ zucchini, chopped into fourths

½ squash, chopped into fourths

3 large cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

a couple fresh basil leaves

how-to:

1: preheat the oven: set it at 250F.

2: chop your vegetables. i prefer to chop them into medium-sized chunks. cut them too small, and they’ll just end up shriveled in the oven.

3: mix the crushed garlic in with the vegetables, then add in the oregano and salt. drizzle them with the olive oil and mix all the vegetables together – you really want the flavours to seep in! add the basil leafs and the leftover (whole!) garlic cloves to the mixture.

(optional: since i truly love the garlic flavour, i sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder on the mixture, to help enhance the garlic taste.)

4: spread the vegetables on a baking tray, relatively close together. since the vegetables already have olive oil on them, grease the tray with a smidge of olive oil or pam – just enough so that the vegetables don’t stick.

5: bake the vegetables for 2 hours. (make sure you set a timer!)

6: serve with the turkey kebabs and enjoy!

(prep time: 10-15 minutes; cooking time: 2 hours)

and then there was food

i adore food.

those who know me would claim that i am a bit of a picky eater. i will admit it: i certainly am. the list of things i don’t like is short but firm: olives, pickles, stinky cheeses, among others. but despite that small, nagging fact, i still love food. i enjoy preparing food, serving food to others, and the mix of flavours and tastes that comes with new recipes.

while i search for that perfect job (you know, the dream) post-graduate school, i plan to indulge my food and cooking love into a blog that provies easy, healthy and (most importantly!) delicious recipes.

sahtain!