Vegetarian Hashwa (filling) for Stuffed Vegetables

The recipe I posted earlier this week for the Iraqi Stuffed Zucchini has an alternative, vegetarian stuffing that is absolutely delicious. This version is made with chickpeas instead of meat and is just as good as the non-vegetarian version. The secret, if you have the time, is to cook the chickpeas yourself. This is for you Rebekah and Chen!

Iraqi Hashwa Chickpea and Rice Filling (Hashwa Houmous), prep time 15 minutes, total cooking time (with chickpeas) 8-10 hours.
Fills about 2 lbs. of vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas, washed and drained (be sure to check for small stones) or substitute 1 16oz. can of cooked chickpeas
  
• 1/4 onion, roughly chopped (for cooking with the chickpeas)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin (for cooking with the chickpeas)
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda (for cooking with the chickpeas)
  
• 1 onion, very finely diced
• 3 Tbsp. fresh, not dried, celery leaves, very finely diced (you may substitute 1/2 a stalk of celery very finely diced if you can't find celery with the leaves)
  
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. ground cardemom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Skip steps 1-6 if you are using canned chickpeas
   
2. Soak the chickpeas overnight (or for at least 8 h
3. ours)
4. Drain the chickpeas and place in a pot on the stove. Cover with about 1+1/2" of water and begin to bring to a boil.
5. Dice the 1/4 onion and place it in the water with the chickpeas. Add the cumin, baking soda (this will help the chickpeas soften fully) and about 1 tsp. of salt.
6. Cover and reduce heat to an extremely low simmer (if using gas, your flame should be so low that it almost extinguishes). Cook for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours.
   
7. Drain the chickpeas and rinse with cold water.
   
8. Grind the chickpeas and cooked onions in a food processor, into a very coarse paste. Do not puree -- the best consistency is dry and grainy.
9. Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Knead by hand until thoroughly blended. Don't fill the vegetables more than 2/3 full to allow for expansion of the rice.

Iraqi stuffed zucchini and turkey pot-pie

This week, in duality, I diverge from the philosophies of this blog. Not only did I cook a non-middle-eastern dish (turkey pot-pie), I chose a second dish that uses a vegetable that is not currently in-season (zucchini). During my weekly trip to my local farmer's market this morning, one farmer had a few winter zucchini he had grown in his private greenhouse. They were absolutely beautiful and calling out my name, as I was opining for summer... The pot-pie came to mind as I was thinking about my midwestern roots.

Seemingly indigenous, you will find a multitude of 'stuffed', or mahshi, recipes throughout the Middle East. The Persians love to spice things up with dried fruit while the Iraqis savor a sweet-and-sour sauce over many of their versions of stuffed vegetable dishes. Commonly stuffed vegetables are, of course, eggplant (moussaka), zucchini, peppers and onions. More exotic mahshi are stuffed lamb, chicken fallopian tube (bithwould) and guava.

This week's dish is an Iraqi stuffed zucchini with meat and rice, one of my personal favorites. Iraqis cherish this sweet/sour combination, commonly found throughout Iraqi cooking. You you can imagine this combination to have traveled from the far east down the Silk Road as a localized interpretation of yin/yang through Persia's Zoroastrian balance between good and evil. You can further imagine this revolutionary idea influencing their close neighbor to the West, Iraq. In addition, this dish uses a central spice of Iraqi cooking -- cardemom.

The turkey pot-pie is a childhood favorite of mine (I am from the midwest, after all...). This recipe from the Mayo Clinic lends a healthy twist to this dish with its top-only cornmeal crust, use of sour cream instead of heavy cream and other in-season veggies. If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, substitute potatoes, turnips or any other starchy, mildly mineral-y root vegetable (not beets). The easy filling can be made a day ahead; just mix the crust batter whilst the oven heats and the pie's ready to assemble.

Zucchini Stuffed with Meat and Rice (Mahshi Kousa)

Prep time 3o minutes, cooking time ~1 hour.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. small or medium sized zucchini; the best are the light, "Little Tree of Sarzano," zucchini which are light green with whitish stripes and shaped slightly like an eggplant.
• Hashwa meat-and-rice filling (see recipe below)
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (canola is the best as it has a higher smoke point and does not break down)
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
• 2 cloves freshly crushed garlic
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. crushed, dried mint

Instructions:

1. Wash the zucchini and slice off the stem end. With a long, narrow vegetable or apple corer (see photo below -- this is not the usual apple corer sold in the U.S.), make a hole at this end of each zucchini and scoop out the pulp, being careful not the break the skin and not the break through the other end. This is a learned, artistic step, so don't be disappointed if it takes a few of the zucchini to get the knack. The secret is digging in gently and giving a sharp, quick twist before pulling out the pulp. Dig out the majority of the pulp, leaving about 1/4" of skin and pulp throughout. The pulp can be kept for a stew or a salad.
2. Prepare the hashwa filling in a bowl. Fill each zucchini 2/3 full, to allow room for the rice to swell.
3. Saute the onions in the oil on a medium flame until translucent.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for a few minutes more.
5. Mix 1 cup of water with the juice of 1 lemon and the sugar. Add to the tomato and onions.
6. Add salt and pepper to-taste.
7. Add the zucchini, each laying its side so that the opening of each hole is partly in the liquid.
8. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, or until the zucchini are soft.
9. Crush the garlic cloves with a little salt. Mix with the mint and remaining lemon juice and sprinkle over the zucchini.
10. Continue cooking 5 minutes longer.
11. Add the mint (mint is added at the end, because prolonged cooking tends to spoil the taste).

Iraqi Hashwa Meat and Rice Filling, prep time 5 minutes

Fills about 2 lbs. of vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, very finely diced
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground lamb or beef (I prefer beef)
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped (optional)
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. ground cardemom
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients together in a bowl and knead by hand until thoroughly blended. Don't fill the vegetables more than 2/3 full to allow for expansion of the rice.

Turkey Pot-Pie, prep time 15 minutes, cooking time 1+ hour.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 2 stems celery, diced
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/3 lb. fresh white mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cups frozen artichoke hearts (sub. potatoes or any other white root-veggie)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dry mustart
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless turkey breast, diced
• 1 cup shelled edamame or English peas
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp. each fresh dill and basil
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream (I use whole instead of low-fat, but that's just me)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup plain almond or soy milk
• 1 Tbsp. honey (dark, preferably)

Instructions:

1. Saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent.
2. Quarter the artichokes or other root vegetable, lengthwise. Set the prepared veggies aside.
3. In a large, heavy, ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over low heat. Add the mustard and 1/4 cup of the flour and cook, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the stock, continuing to whisk to avoid lumps. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
5. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetables are softened (@ five minutes).
6. Add the turkey, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, edamame, tomato, dill and basil. Cover and simmer until the turkey is opaque throughout (@ ten minutes).
7. Whisk in the sour cream and season with 1 tsp. of the salt and the pepper. Spoon the mixture into a 9x13" baking dish and set aside (at this point, you can refrigerate this until ready to add the crust).
8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit (220 C)
9. In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, the remaining 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
10. In another bowl, whisk together the soy or almond milk, the 2 Tbsp. olive oil and the honey. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
11. Pour the batter over the turkey mixture. Bake, uncovered until lightly browned (@ 40 minutes). Let stand for 10 minutes more and serve.

(Almond) Cookies and (Almond) Milk

I love cookies and milk. I have also developed lactose intolerance (and believe cow's milk, in general may be unhealthy for you), so satiating this sweet-tooth of mine can be rather difficult (and unpleasant). A few weeks ago I discovered this wonderful recipe for almond milk, which was a relief since I am still unable to figure out the attraction to manufactured versions of this beverage (and soy milk, for that matter).

I remember the frugality of my grandmother (she was a child of the depression) who always seemed to always find a use for every last drop of whatever she was cooking. Whether it was taking the bits of pie crust that remain after cutting back the crust from the pan, sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on them and baking them for an extra treat, or boiling her own chicken to make broth at the same time she was making chicken & dumplings.

We have a modern (and trendy) name for these ancient ideals, 'slow-food'. In our kitchen we strive to stay as true to slow-food ideals as possible by not using manufactured goods. At the same time we try to be as mindful and resourceful as possible by finding uses for things we are all accustomed to throwing away.

The beautiful thing about the almond milk recipe is that you're left with ground almonds, which can be used to make Viennese almond cookies (Kupferlin). The Kupferlin recipe is basic, but extremely tasty, especially when imbibed with freshly made almond milk...enjoy!


Almond Milk (prep time 10 minutes, waiting time overnight)
About 1 1/2 litres
Start this recipe before you go to bed.

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 8 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. honey (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. cardemom (optional)
• Few drops of orange blossom or rose water (optional)

1. Grind the almonds to a very fine powder; the powder will begin to clump...stop grinding at this point.
2. Add the almonds to a large pot and add 4 cups of water. Stir the almond/water mixture until all clumps have been dissolved.
3. Allow almond/water mixture to sit and macerate overnight.
4. The next morning, add the remaining 4 cups of water, honey and other ingredients, if desired.
5. Pour the milk through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth (cheesecloth works best). As you're pouring, be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the almond meal.
6. Set the almond meal aside in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use for the Kupferlin.
7. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Viennese Almond Cookies - Kupferlin (total time, 40 minues)
Makes 20-25 cookies.

• 1 cup chilled butter, cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the almonds. Combine the flour and salt and stir into the butter mixture.
3. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of dough. Roll it between your palms to make an flat-oval shape (like a French madeliene cookie). Repeat, placing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are barely golden, 10-12 minutes.
4. Immediately transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer, for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving. Immediately before serving, dust with powdered sugar.