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.

A Yemeni Soupy Stew with Z'hug, Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Banana Bread

This is my first posting in what will hopefully be a long series of weekly discussions about cooking and the return to the home kitchen by so many Americans. For years I have cooked at home for myself and my family and benefitted both spiritually and healthfully from it. I cook using only whole, in-season ingredients (no packaged crap), cook as much of our food as possible (yes, even down to the bread) and cook at the beginning of the week on Sundays so that we don't have to cook daily and can spend more time enjoying the little time we have during the week together.

I don't think I need to talk about the importance of using whole, organic (as much as possible) ingredients here. If you would like to see a discussion on this topic, please let me know.

The slant of recipes you'll see posted here will be mostly ancient middle-eastern recipes. The recipes have been handed down through generations and are well balanced. As you may or may not know, the middle-eastern/mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world. The use of vegetables against meats, sauces and other ingredients is absolutely wonderful.

I began my journey into middle-eastern cooking about 6 years ago and have become quite well versed on the cooking methods, ingredients, recipes and style of cooking. Quite well for a midwestern boy that grew up on meat and potatoes, slathered in gravy...

We begin this blog with a Yemeni Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew, Z'hug (a spicy condiment), Honey Whole Wheat Bread and Banana Bread. For this week's menu, start off cooking the bread followed by the stew and Banana Bread, for best timing. Total cooking time for me was about 3 hours total.

Suggested Timing: Throw together the bread dough earlier in the AM. When you start cooking the soup, take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to start rising. During the last 40 minutes of cooking the stew, start cooking the bread. The banana bread can be done at the end for a yummy dessert.

Enjoy!

Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 2 lb loaf (about 15 minutes working time, 3 hours total)

The secret to my breads is having a bread machine handy (go to your local thrift/Goodwill/Salvation Army store, you'll find one for usually no more than $10-15). I started my dough around 10AM today in my bread machine. Once the dough cycle completed, I transferred the dough to the refrigerator while I went grocery shopping. Allowing the dough to cool and rise in the fridge gives it that wonderful 'chewey' texture like breads you find in France or your local authentic French Bakery.

Using bread flour here is important since the gluten content of the flour is higher will lead to better results.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cups Water
• 2 cups White Bread Flour
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 3 tsp. Active, dry Yeast

Instructions:
As stated earlier, start with your bread machine. Add the water and yeast to begin, allow the yeast to dissolve for about 5 minutes. Add the honey, flours, salt (never add the salt to the water/yeast since salt added directly will kill the yeast) and butter. Set the bread machine to the dough cycle and let it complete.

Once the cycle completes, transfer the dough to a greased non-plastic bowl (I don't believe in plastic due to chemical leeching -- you'll see that I recommend this often). Cover with a plate and set in the fridge to cool. The dough will rise -- don't worry, this is what it is meant to do.

After at least 2 hours (up to 12 hours), remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into your favoriate shape and place it on a floured baking pan. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size (at least one hour).

After about 30 minutes, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Once the dough has risen, make a few slits (no deeper than skin deep) in the dough. This allows the bread to expand without cracking. Throw about 1/8 cup of water into your oven and place the bread in the oven to bake. Humidity in the oven will allow the bread to rise further and give you a really delicious crust. After about 10 minutes, thrown another 1/8 cup of water to fortify the humidity.

The bread is done once the crust is golden, which should be about 30-40 minutes.

Yemeni Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew (about 20 minutes of prep, 2 hours cooking time)
8-10 servings

This amazingly tasty dish comes from the land of Yemen, which is well known for its complex and rich stews. It's accompanyment, Z'hug, is a Yemeni hot sauce and completes the flavors of this dish. The ingredients are all in season now, which is exactly what your body needs at this time of the year. Enjoy!
Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 1/2 pound beef stew meat
• 2 pieces of marrow bone
• 8 garlic cloves
• 2 large onions very roughly chopped
• 1 large tomato, almost quartered, but not ut all the way through
• 1/2 cup chopped freh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup snipped dill, plus some for garnish
• 1 larger cornish game hen (or a small whole chicken) cut into 8 pieces with the skin removed. This may be difficult for the cornish game hen, if so just cook the hen whole and peel the meat off the bones when instructed to do so below.
• 2 large carrots, peeled and left whole
• 4 celery stalks, each cut in half
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 small (or one large) zucchini, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 3 potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon hawayij (see recipe below), or to taste
• Salt and freshlyground pepper to taste (about 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Add the water and marrow bones to a large pot with the meat and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add the garlic, onions, dill, parsley and tomato. Add the chicken, bring to a boil and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, cumin and curry powder; simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and marrow bones; simmer for another 20 minutes. Go ahead and prepare the hawayij at this point, if you don't have this already prepared.

Once the chicken has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Remove the carrots and celery and set aside to cool. Add the chicken back with the zucchini, potatoes and hawayij. Season to taste with salt and pepper, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Prep the z'hug at this time.

Top with lemon juice and cilantro; serve immediately with z'hug (recipe below).

Hawayij (5 minutes)

This spice blend keeps for a long time in a well-sealed container and is a common ingredient in Yemeni, Tunesian and Saudi recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon caraway seed
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seed
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Note: Ground spices may be substituted for the spices listed.

Instructions:

1. Combine the peppercorns, caraway seeds, and cardamom seeds in a dry skillet and toast over high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
2. Put the toasted seeds in a mortar or spice mill and pound or grind them to a powder. Alternatively, wrap in a clean dish towel, place the package on a hard surface (such as the garage floor or sidewalk) and pound with a hammer. All the spices should be pounded to a powder form.
3. Add the saffron threads and pound or grind again. Transfer the spices to a mixing bowl.
4. Add the turmeric and mix well.

Store in a glass or plastic container with a lid. (An empty spice jar works well.)

Z'hug (a Yemeni hot pepper condiment, 10 minutes)

This amazingly spicy and complex puree is best taken in small doses (less than 1/4 tsp to start!). It hails from the land of Yemen, well known for its infatuation with spiciness -- figuratively and literally!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Serrano or Jalapeno peppers
• 1 head of fresh garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (plus more to cover)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves (stems removed)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems removed)
• 1 freshly ground cardamom pod (or 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until pureed; place into a small glass jar, tamp down the top of the z'hug to make it flat and add olive oil to cover for preservation. Refrigerate.

JoAnn's Banana Bread:

Straight from the hands of my mom, to savoring it in our mouths! This is best served with a strong, Assam Bergamout Tea. Not necessarily Middle-Eastern, but definitly out-of-this-worldly!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted, softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 black, mushed bananas
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the eggs and banana.

Add the baking powder, soda and salt, mix and begin adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Blend until smooth.

Add to a greased bread baking pan and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.