Persian Lamb Soup (Abgoosht)

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It’s always fun when Adrian’s aunt Fattaneh is visiting the US from Australia. We spent time with her in Santa Barbara over Christmas, cooking some of our favorite dishes, and perfecting former recipes. But because our time in Santa Barbara was limited, we needed to have a Facetime session with her to learn a new dish! 

Adrian remembered that he hadn’t tried Abgoosht, a very traditional Persian soup, since he was a child visiting his grandma in Adelaide. So we Facetimed Fattaneh last night to get the scoop on how to make it, and it turns out, she was making it too! Adrian’s dad told her a few days before that we had abgoosht on our radar, and they were all excited to make it as well.

Now, while learning live on Facetime sounds like an opportunity to perfect a recipe, it wasn’t really side-by-side cooking that I prefer. Fatteneh gave us a demonstration/lecture for about 10 minutes and then checked in with us after we had purchased the ingredients and after they had finished eating. I thought I had it all under control, BUT, there was one critical method I was missing in my recipe: making the mash! 

Besides Adrian being a little depressed that he was missing out on the mash, my accidental version turned out really good! All it needed was those fine Persian flavors, and it was still super yummy with the chunks of lamb and potato I reserved. I wouldn’t be surprised if the way I made it is how it is made in some households in Iran.

In any case, I’ve posted the traditional recipe with the mashing method below. Feel free to make “AbGoof” like I did instead, haha, by using an immersion blender to blend the beans with the soup, potatoes, tomatoes, and onion. It’s pretty good too. But I think we’ll try this one again in a couple weeks, mash included.

Persian Lamb Soup (Abgoosht)

Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 lamb shanks
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp Koher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 large onion onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 medium boiling potato, peeled, quartered
½ cup white beans
½ cup cannellini beans
½ cup red kidney beans
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 dried limes (cut hole at end, slit on side) or juice of 1-2 lemons 

Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cover lamb shanks with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Add bay leaves, onions, and garlic, and cover with water, about two inches over the lamb. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. Cover and cook for one hour.

Add potato, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried limes, adding additional water if needed to keep lamb covered. Return lid and and simmer for another hour, until the lamb is tender. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

Transfer 1/2 of the potato quarters and the lamb shanks to a plate. Let cool. Discard bay leaves and dried limes. Reserve 4 medium pieces of the meat from the bones. Pick off the rest of the meat from the bones and scrape out marrow (if desired) and place in a colander set over a large bowl. Strain the remaining contents of the pot over the bowl, and return the strained soup to the pot. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Return contents of the colander to the bowl. Mash the meat and vegetables with a wooden spoon. Ladle the soup and reserved lamb and potato quarters into four bowls. Serve with the mash on the side. 

Note: this dish is best served with a "sabzi" of radishes, tarragon, mint, white onion as well as barbari (Persian flatbread), and yogurt. 

Salmon in Galangal-Tomato Compote

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Salmon with a tangy tomato sauce anyone? Yum! This recipe will certainly change up your salmon routine for the better. 

I’m a tomato-lover, but Adrian and I somehow still have a lot of frozen whole tomatoes from our summer garden. Because they’re frozen, they’ve lost most of their texture, which means they’re perfect for sauces! I saw this recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and knew it would be a perfect match to bring back some summery deliciousness to my winter plate.

I altered the original recipe to include canned crushed tomatoes, since that’s what mine looked like after defrosting), and to make the recipe a little easier. I also substituted ground mace for mace blades because I haven’t yet seen them at the store (although I will look for them from now on). If you don't have mace, consider nutmeg, and if you don't have galangal, minced ginger should also work well.

Even if you follow the original recipe to a T, it is soooo worth the little bit of extra effort. This is seriously some mouthwatering tasty goodness. 

Salmon in Galangal-Tomato Compote

Time: 1 Hour  
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/3 cup coriander seeds
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 star anise pod
1 whole clove
1 tsp ground mace
Cayenne pepper
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp minced peeled galangal
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 large mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
10 large basil leaves, plus shredded basil, for garnish
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt
Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets

Directions
In a medium skillet, combine the coriander seeds, cardamom seeds, star anise and whole clove and toast over moderately high heat, shaking the skillet frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spices to a plate to cool. Finely grind the spices with 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and 1 tsp mace.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the ground spices and the galangal, lemon zest and brown sugar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the rice vinegar and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, water, mango and whole basil leaves and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and cayenne; keep warm.

Season the salmon with salt and cayenne. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the salmon and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour the tomato compote into a strainer set over a bowl. Mound the compote in warmed soup plates, top with the salmon fillets and spoon the strained tomato broth around. Garnish with the shredded basil and serve.

Beet Rueben Sandwich

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Reuben sandwiches are so delicious that it’s almost hard to believe that you could make them vegetarian and even MORE delicious. But it’s true. The beets are meaty and mighty and pair even better with the swiss cheese than pastrami. Don’t believe me, make this recipe! It’s just oozing with deliciousness.

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwiches with Beets

Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Serves 4
Adapted from Todd Ginsburg

Ingredients
2 large beets
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely crushed
Smoked salt, for sprinkling
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8 slices of marbled rye bread
Softened unsalted butter, for brushing
3/4 cup sauerkraut, drained and warmed
4 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the beet with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Wrap the beet in foil and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until tender; let cool slightly. Peel the beet and slice crosswise 1/3 inch thick. Transfer the slices to a plate and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with the coriander and smoked salt.

In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the ketchup, relish and lemon juice. Season the Russian dressing with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a large baking sheet and brush with butter. Broil 6 inches from the heat until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer 4 slices of the bread to a work surface and spread with Russian dressing. Flip the remaining 4 slices on the baking sheet and top with the beet slices, sauerkraut and cheese. Broil 6 inches from the heat until the cheese is melted. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.

Wild Rice Bowl with Mushrooms, Bok Choy & Soft-Boiled Eggs

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How about this delicious wild rice bowl with mushrooms, bok choy, AND soft-boiled eggs? Most of you may have heard that wild rice is healthier for you than white rice, but do you know how much healthier? 

Per 1 cup (cooked) serving, wild rice has 20% less calories (170 vs 210), 75 percent more protein (7g vs 4g), and 300% more fiber (3g vs 1g). Wild rice is also richer in vitamins and minerals, offering more riboflavin, B-6, phosphorous, zinc, and magnesium (although noticeably less folate). Consider this your white rice substitute if you’re watching your calories! 

I’ve been eyeing some wild rice at the store recently, but because Adrian thought he wasn’t a huge fan, I set out to convince him that he was by infusing some of his favorite asian ingredients, including gochjang paste, kimchi, bok choy, and pickled radishes with soft-boiled eggs and mushrooms. The mission was a success! We even tried the recipe separately with quinoa and the wild rice stole the show.

I’m always looking to use nutrient dense ingredients in my cooking, and now, wild rice is finally back in the mix. Woohoo!

Wild Rice Bowl with Mushrooms, Bok Choy & Soft-Boiled Eggs

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 cups mushroom or vegetable broth
¾ cup wild rice
¼ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 bunch radishes and greens, radishes cut into ¼ inch thick rounds halved, greens reserved
½ tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp ginger, minced
3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp light soy sauce
4 large eggs
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cherry bomb or red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
2 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsp dry sherry
3 large baby bok choy, trimmed and chopped
6 green onions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
¾ cup kimchi 

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until some of the grains have burst open. Drain off any remaining liquid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.

Add water, vinegar, honey, and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place radishes in a medium bowl and pour over vinegar mixture. Set aside to cool. 

In a small bowl, add ginger, soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat 12 cups water to a low simmer, where the tiny bubbles just barely break the surface. (180F). Add eggs continue to simmer for 6 minutes. Transfer to an ice water bath with a slotted spoon and cool. Remove eggs from ice and gently remove shell, running under cold water to remove any small pieces. Cut eggs in half.

Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and peppers, and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add gochujang and sherry and stir to combine. Add bok choy and reserved radish greens and stir for 3-4 minutes, until greens have wilted. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved ginger-sesame sauce.    

Divide the wild rice between 4 bowls and top with mushrooms mixture, eggs, kimchi, and pickled radishes. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately. 

Spicy Quickfire Chicken Enchiladas

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I’m a huge fan of Top Chef, and this year, Katsuji is on again! For those who watch the show, you know he’s an expert with Mexican Cuisine, and somehow, he pulls off amazing dishes in 20-30 minute Quickfire Challenges. 

While this delicious enchilada recipe is my own, I was inspired in a recent episode by Katsuji’s crazy blending skills. It’s like he throws everything into a blender and the judges (usually) love it. So I gave his method a go, throwing in New Mexico, pasilla, and  hipotle Chilies with Mexican chocolate, toasted spices, tomato paste, and chicken stock, and it worked wonderfully. Then I threw some of the sauce over tortillas stuffed with rotisserie chicken and baked it all in the oven for 20 minutes. Perfect.

The recipe isn’t exactly as quick as a Quickfire, but I’d say it’s still pretty quick for baked Enchiladas, right?

Spicy Quickfire Chicken Enchiladas

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 4 

Ingredients
2 oz mixed dried chilies (e.g. 3 New Mexico, 2 pasilla, and 1 chipotle pepper) 
3 cups chicken stock
1 oz Mexican chocolate
2 tbsp tomato paste
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
Olive oil, for frying
8 corn tortillas
½ rotisserie chicken, shredded
8 oz queso fresco, crumbled, divided
½ avocado
1 tbsp sour cream
Juice of ½ Lime

To Garnish
1 small white onion, sliced into rings
Radishes, cut into thin rounds, halved
Cilantro, roughly chopped to garnish
Lime wedges, (for serving)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. 
 
In a small skillet, toast chilies over medium heat, until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes per side. 

Add chicken stock to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add chilies and simmer, over medium-high heat, for 5-6 minutes, until soft. 

Add chilies to blender with chocolate, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, thyme, and oregano, sugar, and lime juice, and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add additional water by tablespoonfuls if dry. Season with salt to taste. Let cool, reserve 1 cup chili sauce, and transfer remaining sauce to a 13x9" baking dish.

In a small shallow skillet, add a thin layer of olive oil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, fry one tortilla at a time, until crisp on each side, but still pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
 
Lightly coat each tortilla in reserved chili sauce, adding about ¼ cup of chicken to the center of the tortilla. Wrap tortillas by folding over chicken and place in the baking dish, nestling in remaining enchiladas. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce and 6 oz of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and browned. 

While enchiladas cook, add 3 tbsp water to a blender with sour cream, avocado, and lime juice. Blend until smooth, and season with salt to taste. 

Serve enchiladas topped with cream, remaining queso fresco, onion slices, radishes, and cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. 

Korean Beef & Daikon Radish Soup

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It’s been a big week between traveling for Christmas and both Adrian and I battling various colds. That means I haven’t had time to meal plan and we were nearly left stranded for dinner last night. Good thing we had a simple soup in our recipe arsenal from my favorite Korean blogger, Maangchi, and we knew what we needed to eat right away! We love that this soup has very few ingredients and is really easy to make, so shopping last minute was as easy as pie. We added some extra green onions, some turnip greens from our garden, and of course, our favorite garden grown dried chilies. It’s also yummy to taste with a little bit of lime juice and Gochujang, in my humble opinion, and perfect served with a side of rice and kimchi. Yum! 

Korean Beef & Daikon Radish Soup

Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4
Adapted from Maangchi’s Beef and Radish Soup

Ingredients
14 cups water
1 lb daikon, peeled, cut into 1½ x ¼-inch pieces
1 lb beef brisket, cut into 1-inch pieces
8  garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly diagonally

To Serve
Lime juice, to taste (optional)
Gochujang, to taste, about 1 tsp per bowl (optional)
4 cups steamed rice
Kimchi

Directions
Bring water and daikon to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef, garlic, and turn the heat down to medium, and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in fish sauce, salt, and green onions and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Ladle soup into bowls and add lime and Gochujang if desired. Serve with rice and kimchi on the side.

Surf & Turf Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra)

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How do you make your favorite pancetta or bacon pasta healthier? By adding seafood and plenty of vegetables to it, of course! 

For flavor (and to hit the spot!), this Surf and Turf Spaghetti has just a touch of pancetta, but delivers a nutritional punch with an amazing amount of garlic, plenty of fennel and cherry tomatoes, and for an omega-3 boost, shrimp and octopus. Just check out my nutritional analysis below the recipe. 

Each serving comes with a reasonable 550 calories and almost half of your vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Not bad, right? Pasta doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure after all! 

Adrian decided that we’d call this one Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra because he’s cute like that. Somehow he still remembers Italian from studying abroad in Florence over a decade ago. I wish I had that memory, but at least I can rely on his when we're overseas!

Surf & Turf Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Mare e Terra)

Time: 40 Minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
¾ lb spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 oz pancetta, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
10-12 dried birdseye chili peppers, briefly toasted, roughly chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 medium fennel bulbs, cored, cut into thin wedges
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups (16 oz) chicken broth
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped, divided
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
2 (4 oz) cans octopus in olive oil
1 ¼ cups Parmesan Reggiano, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garlic-infused olive oil, to finish (optional)

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot. 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until lightly browned. Transfer pancetta to paper towels and set aside. 

To the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chilies, and fennel seeds, scraping up any browned pancetta bits, and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add fennel wedges and sauté until soft, 6 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, and cook gently for 4 more minutes. Then stir in broth, shrimp, 2 tbsp parsley, and juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half. 

Add reserved spaghetti to the fennel mixture and stir in octopus and its oil, cooking until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the pancetta, half the parmesan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on plates or in shallow bowls garnished with remaining parsley, parmesan, lemon zest, and drizzled lemon juice and garlic-infused olive oil. 

Nutrition Analysis Per Serving: 550 Calories, 17g fat (5g saturated), 60g carbs, 7g fiber, 55g protein, 45% vitamin A, 50% vitamin C, 40% calcium, 40% iron

West African Chicken & Peanut Stew: Chicken Mafé

I was speaking with a new friend I made from France recently and we exchanged what he and his family were both cooking up for dinner. He told me he was having mafé, a stew made of lamb and peanut butter, but the dish didn’t register in my foodie brain. What?! A West African staple? A national dish of Senegal? How could I not know this?

As it turns out, I made a similar stew several years ago thanks to Carla Hall of Top Chef and The Chew fame. She called it Groundnut Stew and made it with chicken instead. It was SCRUMPTIOUS, but much more of a challenge to make, and actually a little bit different with adzuki beans and a pureed consistency. 

So have I heard of mafé? Sort of, but I didn’t realize how many variations there were of this dish, with different proteins and vegetables, like cassava, okra, turnips, squash, or even eggplant in place of the potatoes and yams. And in cooking this dish, I realize that with ten years of cooking under my belt, often international cuisine, it’s so amazing to still be able to cook different things and to know that there are different dishes I’ve never even heard of have never even fully recognized. I’m SO looking forward to the next 10 years of my cooking journey and can’t wait to keep sharing it with you! 

Below is my recipe for mafé with chicken. I was really tempted to make it with lamb, but I just had lamb the other day, and wanted to take it easy on the red meat for the rest of the week. Lamb mafé is definitely on the menu down the road! 

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West African Chicken & Peanut Stew: Chicken Mafé 

Time: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes (+ Overnight Marinade)
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 lb boneless chicken thighs
1 lb skin-on chicken drumsticks
4 tbsp garlic, finely chopped, divided
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 Scotch bonnet chili, or habanero pepper, finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 birdseye chili peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
4 tablespoons fish sauce
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
¼ cup lemon juice
2.5 cups cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 small cabbage)
1.5 cups carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 5 small carrots)
1 medium yam or sweet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large boiling potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
Steamed rice or couscous, to serve

To Garnish
1 Vine ripe tomato, chopped
3 birdseye chilies, finely chopped
2 limes, cut into 8 wedges

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, add chicken thighs and drumsticks. Season with salt and pepper and rub with 2 tbsp of garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet or habenero chili (using gloves!). Marinate overnight.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, 2 tbsp garlic, and birdseye chilies. Season with kosher salt to taste, and cook, stirring until onion is soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add thyme, tomato paste, and fish sauce, and simmer, stirring to combine, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, and the chicken thighs and drumsticks. Bring back to a simmer and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Slowly stir in peanut butter, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Once the sauce has reduced some and the chicken has cooked through, add add lemon juice, cabbage and carrots, and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add yams and potatoes, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, until the oil begins to separate and the sauce has reduced.

Serve stew over steamed rice or couscous. Garnish with birdseye chilies, tomatoes, and a wedge of lime. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Gomen Besiga: Ethiopian Collard Greens with Lamb

With a dinner party planned and about eight pounds of Portuguese kale waiting to be harvested from my garden, I couldn’t wait to make Gomen Besiga. Our variety of kale is very similar to the collard greens in this dish, but the leaves are much larger and have less ribs, which make them much so much easier to clean and process. Yay!

So what is Gomen Besiga? It’s an Ethiopian dish that hits the soul-food spot with its spicy braised greens and lamb instead of ham hock. The dish is wonderful served on its own over injera or even better with a few side dishes. If you don't know where to get some of these ingredients, check out my previous blog post on how to acquire them. 

We served our Gomen Besiga to our happy guests with Doro Wot (a spicy chicken stew), Kik Alicha (yellow split peas), and a side salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, serrano peppers, danish white cheese, and Italian dressing. We ate every bite on our plates  because it was so delicious! Somehow we saved room for dessert and had a little honey wine and baklava. How perfect is that for a dinner party?

So if you’re wanting to throw a party yourself, but say you desire less meat, consider other recipes from my blog as well. All can be made vegan without altering the amazing good flavor, including mesir wot (the vegetarian version of doro wot) and gomen (the vegetarian version of gomen besiga). 

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Gomen Besiga: Ethiopian Collard Greens with Lamb

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
2 lbs collard greens or kale, rinsed and chopped
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
¼ cup niter Kibbeh
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb boneless leg of lamb, cubed into ½ inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 to 6 serrano peppers (less for mild), chopped
4 medium scallions, chopped
¼ tsp berbere
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp fenugreek or methi leaves

Injera, to serve

Directions
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, add collard greens and wilt over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In another large skillet or Dutch oven, heat niter kibbeh over medium-high heat. Add onions and nigella seeds and sauté until onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add lamb, season with salt and pepper, and stir until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add reserved collard greens, bell peppers, serranos, scallions, berbere, turmeric, and fenugreek and stir. Then add 1.5 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover partially with a lid, stirring occasionally for about 40-45 minutes, until water is fully absorbed and greens are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over injera! 

Koshary: Egyptian Rice, Pasta, and Lentils with a Tomato Garlic Sauce

I love to travel through food because I can’t possibly travel around the world as much as I want to. So after watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation’s episode in Cairo, it’s only natural that I wanted to make an Egyptian staple: Koshary!

This stuff is full of carbo-loading deliciousness and it’s also vegan! But if you want extra protein, it tastes wonderful with a fried egg. I definitely plan to eat this a few nights in a row before my next marathon run!

Koshary: Egyptian Rice, Pasta, and Lentils with Tomato Garlic Sauce

Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
4 tbsp vinegar, divided
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup basmati rice, washed to remove excess starch
2 oz spaghetti
1 cup macaroni
1 cup brown (or green) lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cups canola oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Directions
Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp vinegar, coriander, cayenne, cumin, and ginger to a large bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

Prepare your rice in a rice cooker, or alternatively, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add basmati rice and stir. When water returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to chickpea mixture, stirring to combine. 

While rice cooks, combine lentils and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan with 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer stirring occasionally, until lentils are al dente and almost tender, about 18 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowl with rice and chickpea mixture. Stir to combine.

Bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and macaroni, and boil for 9-10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, add flour and season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat onion slices in flour and set aside on another plate. 

In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion slices and fry in batches until brown and crisp, being careful not to overcrowd skillet. Remove from skillet with tongs and blot on paper towels. Set onions aside and reserve 2 tbsp oil.

Heat reserved oil in another medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add minced onion and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add tomato sauce and vinegar and simmer until sauce reduces, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide pasta between bowls. Top with rice, lentil, and chickpea mixture. Ladle over tomato sauce and garnish with fried onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and maybe even a little extra vinegar if you’re into that! Oh, and maybe a little chili garlic sauce or sriracha :)