Butternut Squash Bread

Fall is here! 

Leaves are turning yellow and red. The Pumpkin, apple and pomegranate season is here!

I love fall. Fall means apple pie, pumpkin pie, butternut squash soup...and much more!

 

Here is my first recipe of the season!

Fall in love with this gorgeous and yummy and fragrant butternut squash bread!

The smell in your house is great when baking this bread.

It is so yummy your kids gonna love it!

Ingredients:

- 200 grams butternut squash puree (or pumpkin puree)

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup milk

- 1 3/4 cups flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice

- 1/2 teaspoon cloves

- 1/2 cup canola oil

- 1 1/2 cup sugar 

- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl beat the eggs until fluffy. Add sugar and oil and whisk until sugar dissolves.

Add milk and butternut squash puree and stir well.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour the mixture to the pan sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top. Bake for  an hour or until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean.

Let it cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Torshi Tareh (Persian Herb Stew)

Torshi Tareh is a traditional stew dish from Northern Province of Iran.

It is usually served with Kateh (Simple and plain rice), smoked white fish and Seer Torshi (Pickled Garlic).

To make a perfect Kateh just add about two parts of water to one part cleaned and rinsed rice in a pot, add salt and oil cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

- 150 grams cilantro, chopped

- 150 grams spinach, chopped

- 75 grams green onions, chopped

- 75 grams parsley, chopped

- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 4 tablespoons rice

- 1/2 cup Verjuice or lemon juice you can change the amount base on your taste (you can find grape verjuice at any Iranian store)

- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter or oil 

- 2 eggs

- Salt & Pepper

- Turmeric

In a medium pot wash the rice and add one cup water.

Place the pot over medium heat and let the rice cook. When the rice is almost cooked add chopped vegetables and stir and let them cook together. 

Add salt and pepper and turmeric.

In a small pan add butter or oil and saute the garlic with a little bit of turmeric until soft and golden.

Transfer the garlic to the pot and stir.

Add verjuice and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

You can crack the eggs in as small bowl and beat them then add to the pot and stir put the lid on and let the egg cook or fry the eggs in the pan that you used for sauteing the garlic then add fried eggs on top of the stew for garnish. This way is more fancy and the taste of garlic combined with fried eggs makes it more yummy!

As you see I used the first method for the eggs.

Reshteh Polo (Persian Rice and Noodles Traditional Dish)

This is one of the traditional dishes that usually is served at New Year's Eve or New Year's Day (Nowruz) in Iran. It is pretty popular throughout the year too.

Some like it with sauteed raisins and dates and some serve it with shredded pistachio and almonds.

It also can be served with cooked chicken or small meatballs.

For the meatballs you just need grated onion, ground beef, salt & pepper. I'll explain more in another post.

This time I made it with cooked chicken.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups rice, rinsed
-100 grams of reshteh (toasted noodles), Reshteh may be found in Persian/Iranian grocery stores.
- Butter or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon saffron powder dissolved in 5 tablespoons of hot water
-Salt & pepper
-Water

- raisins (optional)
- I used 2 chicken legs and 2 chicken breasts

- 1 onion

- Turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon saffron

Peel the onion and cut in half. Place the chicken legs and chicken breast in a medium sauce pan add onion, salt and pepper, turmeric. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook until tender. Add saffron and 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. After the chickens cooked and cooled slightly cut them in small cubes.

Place a large pan over low heat add oil and noodles and saute the noodles for a few minutes add 1/2 cup water , some chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of saffron water. The noodles should be somewhat soft yet a little firm. Now add cubed chickens.

 

Wash the rice with warm water a few times. Soak in 4 cups of water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and set aside for an hour.

In a large non-stick pot bring 5 cups of water to a rapid boil on high heat. 

Drain the soaked rice and gently pour into the pot. Bring the water back to a boil on high heat, add the rice

and boil for about 8 minutes. Rice should be firm in the center and soft on the outside. . Then drain the rice in a colander.

Return the pot to heat, add 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of liquid saffron and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons of water. Place a round pita bread on the bottom of the pot. With a large spatula place one layer of large over the pita bread then one layer noodles and chickens. Pour 1 teaspoon saffron water over each layer and try to mix the rice carefully to absorb the saffron and turn yellow.

Cover the pot and place on medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes then lower the heat on low and cook for 45 to 50 minutes.

Lightly saute the raisins in oil or butter and set aside.

Serve on a platter and garnish with raisins or pistachio slices.

This is Tah-Dig the crunchy and crispy bottom layer of pot that we made with pita bread. Tah-Dig is usually the first thing that disappears in a lunch or dinner table! So tasty and popular!

Varaghe-Bademjan (Eggplant Omelet)

Varaghe-bademjan (Eggplant omelet) is an original food from province of Guilan in the north of Iran.

This is a simple and tasty omelet that is so popular in Guilan.

It can be served with rice or bread.

The traditional Vargahe is just fried eggplants and eggs.

 

Sometimes I like to add diced tomatoes, mushrooms and green pepper to the omelet and add cheese on top.

It is so delicious.

Ingredients:

- 1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced 

- 2 eggs

- Salt & Pepper

- Oil for frying

Optional:

- 1/4 cup diced green pepper

- 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms

- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Put the sliced eggplants in a colander and sprinkle salt over the eggplants. Let them sit for at least half an hour until a brownish juice comes out. It helps the eggplants absorb less oil when frying.

Place a medium skillet over medium heat add oil.

With paper towel dry the eggplants and fry both sides.

Arrange the eggplants in the pan.

In a small bowl beat the eggs add salt and pepper.

Pour the egg over the eggplants and put the lid on. let it cook until the egg is firm and cooked.

If you want to add vegetables, after the eggplants are fried add mushrooms, tomatoes and green pepper on top add beaten eggs and then add the grated cheese.

Cover and cook until everything is soft and egg is firm.

Zucchini Boats Filled with Cherry Tomatoes and Cheese

 

It was the first time I made these zucchini boats. I just loved it! It is beautiful, tasty and nutritious!

My older daughter liked it too but, the little one wasn't so anxious until I offered her some rice and she finished all her meal!

This zucchini boats are going in my weekly meal schedule definitely! 

 

Adopted from foodgirlUk

Ingredients:

- 3 large zucchinis

-  2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

- 2 tablespoons herbed bread crumbs (Italian bread crumbs are the best)

- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved

- fresh chopped basil

- Italian seasoning 

- Olive oil

- Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice vertically each zucchini in half, then using a melon baller, scoop out the insides of the zucchinis until you’ve created about a 1/4 inch trough.

Brush the inside and out of each half with a little olive oil, then place 4 cherry tomato halves inside each zucchini boat, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and mozzarella cheese top with the breadcrumbs, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bake for roughly 25 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

Top with fresh chopped basil.

Raspberry Chocolate Brownies

I love Brownies and I love raspberries. I love the combination of raspberries and chocolate.When at first I saw this recipe on goodfood.com I knew it is gonna be awesome! Chocolate and raspberry go well with each other and the taste is wonderful. You should just close your eyes and bite this beautiful, flavorful brownie!

Ingredients:

- 250 grams unsalted butter , chopped

- 200 grams milk chocolate, chopped

- 4 eggs

- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

 - 1 1/3 cups plain flour

- 1/2 cup cocoa powder

- 200 grams raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Grease and line base and sides of a 19x29 cm slice pan.

Place butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Using an electric mixer beat eggs until pale and fluffy. 

Gradually add brown sugar beat constantly until well combined.

Sift together flour and cocoa.

Add all ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Scatter over the raspberries and bake 20 to 25 minutes until firm.

 

cool in the pan and cut into pieces. 

Kookoo-e-Nokhod Sabz (Green Pea Fritters)

Having two kids is always a challenge for parents, especially when it comes to eating.

I have 2 picky eaters and it is really hard to feed them vegetables.

I always try to throw some kind of vegetable in every meal that I am making and make a new, healthy, yummy meal with the left overs.

Yesterday I made pasta with meat sauce and I grated some zucchini, carrots and chopped some mushrooms and green pepper in the sauce.

From the left overs I made this amazing green pea fritters.

So beautiful and tasty.

In Persian we call it Kookoo-e-Nokhod Sabz (Green pea kookoo) Kookoo is similar to fritter. You can

pour the whole amount of batter in a large hot skillet and fry one side then slice them and fry the other side or form patties from the batter and fry both sides in the oil. 

Ingredients for the meat sauce:

- 1 onion, chopped

- 150 grams ground beef

- Salt & pepper

- Turmeric, Paprika

- 1 teaspoon each oregano and basil

- 1 small zucchini , grated

- 1 small carrot , grated

- 1/3 cup chopped green pepper

-  1/3 cup chopped mushrooms

- 1 tablespoon tomato paste

- Olive oil

* The actual recipe for the Kookoo is called for the meat sauce without vegetables. Adding vegetables is optional. As I said I used meat sauce leftovers from pasta.

In a saucepan add olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onions with turmeric and salt until light and golden brown. Add beef and brown the beef. Add pepper, paprika, turmeric, oregano and basil. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and salt. Add grated zucchini and carrots. Add green pepper and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 10 more minutes. Until all ingredients are cooked and well incorporated.

Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Ingredients for the fritters:

- 1 cup green peas

- 1 1/2 cups meat sauce

- 2 eggs

- Salt & pepper

- 1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Transfer the meat sauce to a large bowl add green peas, salt & pepper, eggs and bread crumbs.

Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and when the oil is hot pour the batter in the skillet and let it cook for 10 minutes. Then slice the fritter and fry the other side for 10 minutes.

Serve with salad, rice or bread.