Soon to be Back – Better than Ever!

My dear readers – First off, Happy New Year!  I just wanted explain my long hiatus.  We are currently in the process of moving our family to the United Arab Emirates from Washington DC, which, I have discovered, is no small feat! I am also working on a new food writing project with a dear friend of mine and our new site should be up and running soon.  I promise the new site will not disappoint, and you will find all of the recipes below and more.  In the meantime, I will try to post some little snippets here and there!

Guest Blogging with SeriouslySoupy!

I had the opportunity earlier this week to be a guest blogger for Serena’s website, SeriouslySoupy.  I was asked to feature my harira soup, since so many of her readers were looking for a lamb soup.  The post, and the recipe, were a huge hit.  I hope you all get a chance to check out the post here.  How fun!

New Potato and Golden Beet Salad

Oh, beets, how I love you. If you are in tune with the culinary world, you would know that beets are the new thing.  They are all over restaurant menus, and people are gobbling them up at exorbitant prices.  On our last vacation in Chicago, I must have had at least 3 beet salads -all perfect in their own way.  This is an easy simple recipe that is a new take on traditional potato salad – combining beets and potatoes, along with typical flavors of the middle east. Although this may not be a roasted beet salad drizzled with some fancy vinaigrette and topped with toasted hazelnuts, it is simple, nutritious, and pretty darn good.

New Potato and Golden Beet Salad
Prep/Cook Time: 35 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour

3 beets – yellow, red or a combination
3 potatoes
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced/shaved
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tsp olive oil
salt
black pepper

(1) Remove the greens from the beets. In a small pot, boil the beets (as a whole) for approximately 20- 30 minutes – until fork tender.  In a separate pot, boil the potatoes for approximately 20 – 30 minutes, until fork tender.  You could presumably put these in the same pot, but the red beets will stain the potatoes red.  The yellow beets don’t change the color of the water as much.
(2) Rinse the cooked beets and potatoes with water, and peel.
(3) Cut the potatoes and beets into very thin slices.
(4) In a large bowl, toss with the parsley, red onion, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Use salt and pepper to taste.
(5) Chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator.  The flavors intensify the longer it stays in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Coconut Beef Stew (Massaman Beef)

Not the best picture - but believe me, it's goooood food.

At my favorite Thai restaurant in Alexandria, VA, I always order the beef massaman curry.  It is a stew of tender beef, with hints of coconut and spice, slowly simmered with cubes of potatoes. I had absolutely no idea how to make it, so I turned to my trusty pressure cooker and went to my spice cabinet.  This stew was amazing, and the beef was perfectly tender.  We enjoyed this served over a bed of basmati rice. 

Coconut Beef Stew (Massaman Beef)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook TIme: 30 minutes

1 lb stew beef
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp harissa (or other hot sauce, like Siracha)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 potato, diced
14 oz can of coconut milk
2 cups beef broth
olive oil

(1) In a large bowl, marinate the beef with the coriander, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and harissa (or your favorite hot sauce). Set aside. You can prepare this the night before for the flavors to intensify.
(2) In a pressure cooker, on high heat, lightly saute the red onion in 1 -2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the beef and lightly brown.
(3) Add the potato, coconut milk, and beef broth. Mix well.
(4) Cover the pressure cooker, and let the pressure build for approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and let cook for another 30 minutes.
(5) Release the pressure according to the instructions on your pressure cooker. Remove the cover. The stew should have a thick consistency. If it does not, then mix 1 tbsp of corn starch with cold water. Add to the stew, and it should thicken within 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spicy Lamb Soup (Harira)

For Ramadan, it is traditional to start your meal with a warm soup.  In Morocco, harira is a popular lamb soup that is tedious to make, but oh-so delicious.  I simplified the recipe quite a bit without substituting any of the flavor.  Also, having a pressure cooker is key – especially in Ramadan, when you don’t have the energy to stand over a hot stove for several hours.  Dont be intimidated by the list of ingredients.  This is very simple to make, and all in one pot!

Spicy Lamb Soup (Harira)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes (with a pressure cooker)

1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
1 1/4 lb boneless, trimmed leg of lamb – diced into small cubes
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 clove of garlic
pinch of thyme
olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1 cup brown lentils (rinse well)
1/4 cup of tomato paste (approx. 3 tbsp)
1 can of chickpeas
1/4 parsley
1/2 lemon

(1) Combine lamb with salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, thyme, curry, and garlic.  Add a dash of olive oil to moisten the mixture.  Mix well.  Let the lamb marinate while you prepare the other ingredients. You can also prepare this the night before.
(2) In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Saute the onion and celery.  Add the lamb, and brown on all sides.
(3) Add the lentils, tomato paste, and tomatoes.  Mix well.  Cover the mixture with approximately 2 to 3 cups of water.  Add another pinch of salt, and curry (or chili flakes if you like heat).
(4) Cover the pressure cooker, and let the pressure build for approximately 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 25 minutes.
(5) Release the pressure according to the instructions for your pressure cooker. 
(6) Add the can of chickpeas, parsley, and the juice of 1/2 lemon (can add more to taste). Serve and enjoy!