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(@laura-f)
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Hi all - I got a few questions about the Fessenjan (Iranian chicken), and I have a lot of tools in my kit for all kinds of healthy cooking. I focus on local, seasonal, veggie stuff with no gluten or soy. I am an omnivore and do eat meat, so any recipe I post that contains meat you can assume that the meat I personally use is locally sourced, free range, organic, humane, etc., but I leave it up to you all how your source your meats, and I don't judge because I know how expensive it is to "eat clean". I only eat meat a few times a week, not every day, and try to think of it as an "enhancement", not the foundation of a recipe. Where I can, I'll offer alternatives to meat that will hold up in the given recipe.

Stand by. First TWO recipes coming right up! Mangia!

 


   
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(@laura-f)
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FESSENJAN - "a delight from Iran"

2-3 lbs. boneless chicken breast or thighs or combo of both
1 lb. walnuts or pecans or combo of both
24 oz. pomegranate juice
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. brown sugar
salt & pepper
grapeseed oil

1. Rub meat with some oil, salt and pepper. You can either grill on barbecue (low-med flame) or bake (350F for about 40 minutes), til cooked through but not dry.
2. Grind the nuts in a blender - coffee grounds consistency.
3. Put the juices in a small saucepan, bring to low boil to reduce a little bit.
4. In a small pot or large saucepan, put 2-3 tbsp oil, add the ground up nuts, stir and let them get toasty (about 5-7 minutes).
5. Cut the chicken meat into chunks or strips.
6. Add juice, sugar to nut mixture, add chicken pieces.
7. Simmer about 30 minutes, uncovered, to reduce the sauce a bit more. Add salt & pepper to taste, adjust sugar too.

--Makes 4-6 servings
--Serve over basmati rice. I like to make the rice with turmeric, chopped fresh cilantro, and butter. You can serve with a salad or any vegetable you like.

Ideas for vegans: I'd try potatoes and carrots or cauliflower, perhaps oven roasted. Tofu would work if it's super firm (although I am firmly anti-tofu).


   
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(@laura-f)
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STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Ingredients:
2 small-medium butternut squashes
1 cup quinoa
2 1/2 cups veg broth or water
4 cups raw spinach, washed/drained/chopped
1 small - medium onion, peeled & chopped
E.V. olive oil
1-2 oz. dried wild mushrooms, chopped
salt & pepper
butter (optional)
white wine or sherry
either: 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) OR 1/4 cup craisins

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Cut butternuts in half length-wise, scoop out seeds, brush or spray with olive oil, sprinkle salt & pepper
3. Place butternuts on parchment covered cookie sheet face up, BAKE for 45-55 minutes.
MEANWHILE
4. Put broth, quinoa, dried mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter, salt & pepper in medium saucepan, bring to boil on medium heat, stir, cover, low flame, simmer for 15 minutes/til quinoa coils pop open
MEANWHILE
5. Couple of tablespoons of olive oil in hot sauté pan on medium to high flame, add onions, sauté, throw in some wine, add salt, pepper, spinach. Cook til well wilted but still green. Drain.
6. Remove butternuts from oven - should be fork tender. Lower oven temp to 375F.
7. Gently, use a small knife to cut out squash "meat", leaving about 1/2" border. Cube and toss into spinach, add quinoa and pomegranate arils to that pan and stir gently.
8. Spoon mixture into butternut shells (you may have extra - just freeze it to use as a side later), should be mounded on top.
9. Drizzle or spray with EVOO.
10. Bake 10-20 minutes.
Serve warm, 4 servings, serve with a side salad and/or crusty bread or gluten-free biscuits.


   
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(@rosieheart)
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@laura-f

Fessenjan sounds a lot like a dish my husband's Armenian grandmother used to make so I'm excited to try it!  However, I'm a little confused about one step.  Do you marinate the chicken in the sauce before you bake/BBQ it, or just pour the sauce on top after the chicken is cooked?   Thanks!

 

Edit - re-read and it looks like you just put the sauce over the chicken.  Just want to confirm I understand correctly, because this sounds like it would also be a nice marinade!


   
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(@laura-f)
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@rosieheart

You're going to put the cut-up chicken into the sauce to simmer for a bit. (Step 6) This will make the chicken moist and flavorful.


   
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(@deetoo)
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@laura-f, thanks for the recipes.  For the Fessenjan, I saw one recipe that included chickpeas with the chicken.  I also like your idea of using oven-roasted cauliflower.


   
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(@unk-p)
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Here is Vegetarian Spicy Green Papaya Salad.  It was given to my by a friend who is an excellent  vegetarian chef, but this is my favorite thing she makes.

Green papaya salad isn't too hard to make but you have to use organic papayas because it's a big GMO item. Here you go:

1-Green papaya - peel it and cut it into chunks you can use your hand shredder to shred. It doesn't shred well in a food processor so I do it the old fashioned way. then take 3 firm tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and make tomato strips
2. sprinkle very lightly with salt and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it and pat it dry
3 There is a ground red chili paste which is just pure red chilies that can be found at most Asian markets and may even be at the supermarket. I take a big blob of that and an equal amount of minced garlic, then squeeze a whole lot of lime juice onto it
4. cut up a quarter bunch of mint and quarter a bunch of cilantro very, very fine and mix that in.
5. take honey roasted peanuts and smash them so they are fine, but not powder
6. mix some of them into the papaya mix and sprinkle the balance on top

there you go!

  p.s.- the traditional version has things like fish sauce (gak!), and shrimp paste, which i would only use to seal the envelope on a letter to a mermaid.  But that's just me.


   
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(@laura-f)
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@unk-p

Thanks for this - fish sauce and fish pastes make me sick.


   
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(@triciact)
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I make this recipe a lot because it's easy breezy, tasty and healthy (I work till 6pm most nights so need to find easy recipes) hope some of you like it!

BAKED OLIVE OIL AND SPICY SHRIMP RECIPE

2 lbs large peeled & deveined raw shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (or more if you like)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup of white wine
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes (or less/more to taste)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 pint of fresh cherry tomatoes - cut in half
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 large handfulls (approx 2 cups) of baby spinach
6 stalks of asparagus (chopped in 2 inch pieces)
1/2 cup of cooked Orecchiette pasta (cooked very al dente) or Gluten Free small shells or elbows (keep separate until the end)
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients into an oven safe sauce pan (with a lid) and bake for 14 minutes.  Take out of oven and place on stove for just 1-2 mins on medium and add the cooked pasta (cook the pasta 1 min "under" so you can add the pasta on the stove for 2 mins to combine).  Serve.

   
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(@triciact)
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Another Wintertime family favorite:

ESCAROLE & BEAN, (With CHICKEN SAUSAGE/Optional) SOUP

NOTE: My soup contains spicy chicken sausage (can just leave that out or substitute with grilled spicy marinated tofu or Beyond Brand plant based spicy chicken sausage) and chicken stock but you can make this with vegetable stock:

1 Large pot
2-3 tablespoons of Extra virgin Olive oil
2 cartons of stock
6 to 8 peeled and chopped cloves of garlic
3-4 scallions chopped (save the green to add toward the end of cooking)
1 cup shredded carrots
2 bags of pre-washed and cut escarole (or two small heads of washed escarole chopped)
two cups of baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
2-3 bay leaves
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1-2 teaspoons Mrs. dash or McCormick garlic or onion no salt spice mixture
2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 cans of white beans
the RIND from an aged parmesan cheese small wedge (and some of it finely grated for when you serve it later)
3 tablespoons white wine or white dry vermouth

Directions: Saute the chicken on medium (or tofu if using) and then add the garlic, the whites of the scallions, the carrots. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of wine to deglaze. Then start adding the escarole and stir/saute it while you keep adding till both bags are in the big pot. Then add the two cartons of stock and all the seasonings. Add the baby spinach and stir. Turn up the heat to high. Add the rind of the parmesan cheese and the beans and stir. when the soup starts to boil, turn down to low and partially cover so it simmers for 45 mins.

When ready to serve, fish out the bay leaves and discard. Also fish out the parmesan rind (you can cut the hard rind off and enjoy any remaining of the cheese though :-)
Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top of the soup and, optionally, with garlic bread - enjoy!


   
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(@deetoo)
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Greek Baked Chicken Wings

For the Marinade:

¾ C. Olive Oil (I think you could get by using less oil)
2-3 large lemons, zested and juiced (about ½ C. lemon juice)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1-1/2 T. dried oregano
1 T. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, if you want spicy wings)

For the wings:
3 lb. chicken wings (whole or buffalo)
Crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
Sliced lemons, for garnish
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

 

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice and zest, and the remaining marinade ingredients (only add cayenne if you want spicy wings)

Add wings to marinade and toss to coat evenly.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight (preferable).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread wings on large baking sheet and bake in heated oven for 45-50* minutes.    (Original recipe says to broil wings briefly to turn skin brown, but I haven’t found that is necessary.)

Garnish wings with feta cheese, lemon slices, and generous sprinkle of fresh parsley.  You can also dip in Greek Tzatziki sauce, if you’d like. 

I like to serve this with lemon potatoes, which I roast alongside the wings, and a Greek salad. 

Note:  Since I like my wings very lemony and moist, I often increase the wet ingredients and spices.  In addition, I will often use jarred chopped garlic, instead of fresh. 

 *     If you use wings that are halved (buffalo), the wings may take less time to bake.


   
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(@laura-f)
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@triciact

I love some escarole! Can't find it here in SoCal, oddly, so I have begun lobbying my local farmers at the markets and one of them said he's actually considering it!


   
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(@triciact)
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@laura-f

Sometimes it is hard to find here too but I noticed the IGA or specialty stores carry it. I also tend to find it in Italian neighborhood markets. You could use kale as a substitute too. :)


   
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(@laura-f)
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@triciact

Our weekly farmers market is actually on a street in our Little Italy (!). The Italian markets don't have it, nor does Whole Foods, nor do other west coast based health food store chains. I can't even find a non-organic version. The farmer I spoke with is Mexican-American, and I told him about how in Italian tradition we use a lot of escarole, and that it's not as bitter as kale or chard when cooked. He said a few others have asked about it as well, and that with the next planting season nigh, he was giving it serious consideration. So fingers crossed!

I might print out your recipe above and bring it to him...


   
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(@rosieheart)
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@laura-f

There's a stand in the La Mesa Farmer's Market (On Fridays from 3 to 7) that *sometimes* has escarole so if you're in the area, check it out.  The guy that I'm thinking of also sells organic meats, just so you'll know who to look for.  

It's easy to grow during the cooler season though, so I always try to add some to my salad planter.  Walter Anderson Nursery usually has escarole plants during the early fall or they can order it for you if they're out.


   
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(@laura-f)
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@Rosieheart

Thanks for the info. By any chance is it Sage Mountain Farm?

And I don't plant plants - I have a few fruiting trees, but despite how much I love to cook I despise gardening. Not that I'm bad at it, I just hate it. Between getting older and having musculoskeletal issues, and very severe outdoor allergies, it just makes me unwell. I keep my gardening activities to a minimum and hire help to keep the garden in reasonable shape. When we moved here, I lobbied for a condo, I didn't even want a house with a garden. I lost that battle, but I really lost the war when we went to close on this house. We thought the property was way smaller than it is - thought it ended right behind our garage, however we're responsible for a whole chunk of canyon, so we thought the lot was only about 50 feet deep, turns out it's 100 feet deep (but only 35 feet across with zero property lines, LOL). This is what happens when for sale inventory is so low. I enjoy the wildlife, and our view, but I'm hoping to move to a condo in a few years, I have no time, patience, or will to maintain outdoor space anymore.


   
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(@polarberry)
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This is a a super-simple breakfast that I make when I don't want heavy food.  If you have a Ninja-type blender with the individual cup, put one cup yogurt (some brand with very low sugar, like Siggi's skyr), add milk (I use macadamia milk) and fruit if desired.  Blend and drink.

If you add fruit, just add a touch more milk so it blends easily.  

I like this homemade yogurt smoothie because most smoothie bases are too sweet.  This morning I had a spiced pear from Siggi's seasonal flavor.  You can add the yogurt frozen as well; makes it colder.


   
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(@laura-f)
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Posted by: @polarberry

This is a a super-simple breakfast that I make when I don't want heavy food.  If you have a Ninja-type blender with the individual cup, put one cup yogurt (some brand with very low sugar, like Siggi's skyr), add milk (I use macadamia milk) and fruit if desired.  Blend and drink.

If you add fruit, just add a touch more milk so it blends easily.  

I like this homemade yogurt smoothie because most smoothie bases are too sweet.  This morning I had a spiced pear from Siggi's seasonal flavor.  You can add the yogurt frozen as well; makes it colder.

You can also use frozen fruit, like berries or mango, to make it colder too! I make these all the time, I add some probiotics and a squirt of flax oil.

 


   
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(@polarberry)
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That's the beauty of it; you can use anything you want!  Sometimes I go with an apple or pineapple juice base even though it adds more sugar. Pineapple juice with mango, cucumber, kale and kiwi is so good together!  I need to remember to add wheat germ.  I have it in the closet and keep forgetting to use it.


   
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(@deetoo)
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@triciact, re the Baked Spicy Shrimp recipe:  what do you think would be a good substitute for the asparagus?  Maybe green beans?  My husband can't eat asparagus.  


   
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