PERSIAN COOKING - KASHKE BADEMJAN RECIPE! VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT DIP

KASHKE BADEMJAN (pronounced Cash-kay Bad-em-jan) is a traditional Persian eggplant dip that accompanies meals and is always a favorite amongst my guest. Bademjan literally translates into eggplant in Farsi while Kashka refers to a type of middle eastern dairy. Usually served a little warm or room temperature, this Persian eggplant dip or side dish should always be accompanied by toasted pita or flatbread wedges. I recently made kashke bademjan for a dinner party I had at my sister’s house in Los Angeles and as you can guess, it was a total crowd pleaser. If you are a Vegetarian, love Persian food, or are just a big fan of eggplants then I highly recommend you try this kashke bademjan recipe!

KASHEK BADEMJAN can also easily be made GLUTEN FREE if you serve it on a gluten free pita equivalent or vegan if you do not add the yogurt.

For my dinner party, I made a serving of this for about 6 people. This recipe yields enough for each person to have a really nice size dollop! 

PS Don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom if you need extra help!

INGREDIENTS:

6 Chinese Eggplants or Italian Eggplant - cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips (if you can’t find Italian or Chinese eggplant you can use regular eggplant too)
1 Cup of Vegetable Oil - divided in 4TBSP portions
4-5 cloves of Garlic minced
1.5 Large White or Sweet Onion chopped
2/3 Cup of Water
1 TSP Salt
1 TSP Pepper
1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Cup of Walnuts - chopped (I bought them already chopped at the store to avoid needing a food processor)
1 TBSP dried Mint leaves
1 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt (optional)
Pita Bread

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DIRECTIONS:

Start off by adding about 4 TBSP of oil to your skillet. Heat up the oil at medium heat and then add a single layer of eggplant. Cover and let cook for about 6 minutes. Keep an eye on the eggplant so that they don't burn. Once they are browned flip to the other side and let cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until they are brown as well. Remove cooked eggplant from skillet and onto a side dish. REPEAT until this step until all the eggplant is fried.

In the meantime get another skillet and add about 3 TBSP of oil to it. Let it heat up at medium heat for a minute and once the oil is hot add the chopped onions. Let the onion cook it they become a nice golden (caramelized) colour. This may take several minutes but stir often so they do not burn.

Once all the eggplant is finished and removed from the first skillet add the spices and the garlic to the skillet. Let the garlic cook for a minute making sure to stir it around and coat the bottom of the skillet. Also make sure that the temperature is still on medium so you do not burn the garlic. After a minute add back in the eggplant and mix together. Once mixed add in the water and cover. Let this simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the eggplant becomes soft and the water evaporates. You may notice that there is a lot of oil that has seeped out the of eggplant, you can drain a spoonful or two out.

In the other skillet the onions should start to look nice and golden. Once the onion is ready remove it from the heat and add in the dried mint. Make sure to crush the dried mint with your hands as you add it in to release/activate the mint smell. Mix in the mint with the onions. *I would remove 2-3 TBSP of this to use as a garnish later.

If you didn’t buy walnuts already chopped, add you walnuts to your food processor and chop them till they are fine but still crunchy (do not over do it otherwise they will become a paste or nut butter)

When the eggplant is nice and tender remove it from the heat and add in the onion, mint and walnuts and stir. 

If you are Vegan you are finished.

If you want to continue with the dairy stir in the Greek yogurt until it is fully blended.

Transfer the mashed eggplant to a serving bowl, add the onion garnish you set aside earlier and serve at room temperature with toasted pita or flat bread.

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Thanks for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed this Kashke Bademjan recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions or comments about this persian eggplant dip recipe, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will try and answer them as soon as I can!

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FRIED EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA MASALA - VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, SOY AND GLUTEN FREE

I have made this plant-based, Indian-inspired eggplant masala ( similar to brinjal masala) dish twice now and both times there have been no leftovers. Friends and family just can’t get enough of this curried eggplant recipe. Although frying the eggplant at the beginning does tack on quite a bit of time, once you get the hang of it this isn't that complicated of a dish. Best of all, it’s totally worth the effort in learning a new Indian eggplant recipe and is so healthy for you. If you are looking for an easy vegetarian, plant-based recipe to try, I highly recommend giving this curry eggplant dish a shot!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 4 People with No Leftovers!

2lbs Eggplant (Italian)
Olive oil
Sea Salt
1 large White Onion (halved and diced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1.5 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 Cups Tomato (diced)
1 15oz can of Chickpeas (drained and washed)

- Optional Base -

Basmati Rice

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DIRECTIONS:

Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch pucks and salt on both sides.

Lightly cover a frying pan in olive oil and fry the eggplant pucks (medium heat) until they are soft and until both sides are browned. The eggplant will suck up the oil like no other and it will be tempting to add more olive oil but as the eggplant softens it will also release a bit of the oil back into the pan so don't overdo it. This step will take the longest time so you can prepare everything else as you do this. Once the eggplant is fried remove it from the frying pan and place it on a baking sheet.

Next, add some oil to the pan and fry up the onions.

When they become soft and golden (about 10 minutes) add the garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Next, add in your spices and mix it all up for a minute or two. CAN YOU SMELL THE GOODNESS??

Finally add the tomato, the chickpeas, and about 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat up a little to medium-hot, partly cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

If you are going to make basmati rice, start making it now so that both will be ready at the same time.

After 15 minutes I usually add a pinch more of garam masala, paprika, and cayenne (if you like it spicy) and mix it in.

After another five minutes, I add in the eggplant that we previously fried up and let that continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes. The eggplant should breakdown and really thicken up the dish.

Remove from heat and serve on a bed of basmati rice!

Enjoy!

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If you like this curry eggplant masala recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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BANANA OATMEAL MORNING GLORY MUFFINS - VEGITARIAN AND DAIRY FREE

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I wouldn’t say breakfast is my favorite meal. Most people skip breakfast and I tend to be guilty of this too. Give me my coffee in the morning and perhaps a banana around 10:30AM and I’ll hold out till lunch. Studies have shown that skipping breakfast actually leads to overeating at lunch or worse choosing the wrong things to eat. When you are hungry you make the wrong choices just to get something quickly and those things tend to be full of calories and sugars that don’t give you the nutrition you need and only leave your body wanting more. So what can you do? BE PREPARED! I made these breakfast muffins as an “on the run” meal (cause Beyonce and Jay-Z ain’t the only ones). Full of fiber, protein, potassium and a little bit of sugar to give you the energy and fullness you need to get through till lunch.  I made mine with almond milk to avoid dairy but you can do as you wish. Happy eating my friend!

You may be wondering why I used a circular tray in theabove photo and it is because I lost my muffin tray recently during my move so I had to use this circular tray instead - it worked great.

INGREDIENTS

3 Ripe Bananas mashed
1 Cup Almond Milk (or equivalent)
2 Eggs
3 Cups of Oats
1 TBSP Baking Powder
2 TBSP Cane Sugar
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
1/2 TSP of Cinnamon (optional)
Chocolate chips (optional)

MATERIALS

Baking muffin tray
Baking muffin tray paper cups

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees on Bake.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Line your muffin tray with muffin paper cups

Scoop out the ingredient mixture into each cup evenly and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. You should smell the muffins, if not let them stay a little longer or test with a toothpick to see if they are done. If they are ready there should be nothing on the toothpick when you stick in into a muffin and pull it out.

Allow to cool before eating.

Did you find this recipe easy? What do you think of preparing this on Sunday night for the week - a realistic task? I would love to know what you think of this recipe! Please let me know any comments you have down below and I will be happy to hear from you and answer any questions you have.

PERSIAN COOKING - BASMATI RICE WITH TADIG! VEGITARIAN, GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE

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If you have been to a Persian restaurant before you have probably had Persian basmati rice but have you had Tadig? Tadig is a crispy/cracker like layer of rice that can be found at the bottom of the pot and is something that my siblings and I fight over at dinner. Often Persian restaurants don't serve Tadig because in order to yield larger amounts of rice quickly they steam the rice which cooks it evenly and therefor doesn't produce Tadig. Cooking the rice in the traditional matter allows this crispy layer to form at the bottom which you later top the rice with before you serve. Once you get really good at making Tadig you can take it one step further and add in potato slices for extra flavor and decoration.  

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 TBSP Salt
3-4 Cups Basmati Rice (enough for 9-12 servings)
1/2 Cup of Butter
A pinch of Saffron
1-2 TBSP Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. You only need enough water to cover the amount of rice you are cooking plus another two to three cups.

While you are waiting for the pot of water to boil wash the rice in warm water, drain and repeat until the water becomes clear.

When the water in the pot starts to boil add in the salt and let boil for a minute then add in the rice and let the water continue to boil on high for 5 minutes.

While the rice is boiling melt butter in a small pot using the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. Grind the Saffron into a powder using a mortar and pestle and add it to the melted butter. Once the butter is melted add the saffron to it and mix together.

After the five minutes are done add warm water to the pot over the sink so the water overflows and all the starch sitting on the top of the water overflows out and over the rim.

After the starch is gone drain the rice into a colander (strainer). Place the pot back on the stove and add about 1 TBSP of olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pot. Add the rice back into the pot and mold the rice into a pyramid formation. Make four holes/tunnelsin the top of the pyramid that go all the way to the bottom of the pot using a chip stick or a knife and pour the melted butter and saffron down those holes. You can also save some butter and saffron and remove the top of the pyramid, dress the flat area with some butter and saffron and then replace the removed rice back on top.

Cook the rice for an additional 8 minutes on medium heat. Make sure the lid is tightly on so that the rice can steam. Check periodically to make sure there is no burning smell otherwise your stove may be too hot and you may be burning your tadig and the whole rice will taste burnt later - if this is the case turn down the heat.

After the 8 minutes are complete turn the temperature down even more to the lowest heat on your stove and let the rice continue to cook for 35 minutes.

After the 35 minute are complete the dish is ready to be plated. First empty the pot of the rice and then scrape and dig along the harden rice cracker bottom to release the tadig. Place the tadig on top of the rice with the browned side facing up.


The first time I tried this I did not succeed. I think I added a little to much oil to the bottom of the pot because I tend to "free pour" so do not worry it does take practice!!!

Have you done this before? Share your experience! I'd love to hear about your kitchen adventures.
 

Recipe Credit goes to Nurse Amanda

CAULIFLOWER BUFFALO WINGS - VEGAN, VEGITARIAN, SPICY ! GLUTEN FREE AND SOY FREE

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I found this recipe one night while surfing the net and thought I'd give it a go. I can't say that I'm vegan (even though you have probably noticed most of my recipe post are vegan) but I do like eating health. I give myself a cheat day once a week and usually those meals involve meat and dairy, sometimes at the same time. One thing that is for sure is that I have a deep love for spicy chicken wings and this might just be the healthier version I have been looking for...

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cauliflower, break bite-size pieces (half is good for one person)
1/2 cup Quinoa flour (original recipe called for garbanzo bean flour)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon melted butter (or butter substitute for my vegan friends)
2/3 cup hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Next combine flour, water, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together until smooth. This is your batter!

Toss the cauliflower into the batter until they are completely coated and place the battered cauliflower on a greased, nonstick baking sheet. When the oven is ready bake for 8 minutes, toss and then bake for another 8 minutes.

While that is baking you can combine the melted butter and hot sauce into a bowl and mix it together. When the battered cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and gently toss it in the hot sauce mixture. Place fully coated cauliflower back on the baking sheet, if there is any left over hot sauce in the bowl I like to drizzle it over the baking sheet. Put the baking sheet back in the over and cook for 25 minutes until it becomes crispy.

The original recipe is by Lizzie Fuhr and can be seen on www.popsugar.com

So what do you think? Game to try? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or if there is any other recipes you guys want me to try! I'm open to ideas :)