![Turkish Style Green Bean & Tomato Salad (Fasulye)]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Aug 26, 2020 | Mediterranean, Recipes, Side Dishes, Summer, Turkish
One of my neighbors passed on some of their long garden green beans to me, which I relish so much- anything from home gardens, without chemicals and given with a warm heart and smile is absolutely golden.
Since real organic, super fresh foods tend to break down quickly, I processed them the same day by immediately boiling them in salted water for 20 minutes. While they were cooking, I peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes (if you only have canned chopped tomatoes, use those but drain the juices), added a healthy dose of really good olive oil, crushed up 3-4 garlic cloves, and some super fresh chopped parsley.
Divine on its own as a salad, it’s also an absolutely lovely side dish to meat or fish. With it being so super simple to make (especially in this heatwave) it also tastes nice cold, too. I’ve been making this type of salad for years, always thinking it was a “Sicilian” way of making these summer beans, but maybe it’s just a common Mediterranean style because I’ve seen a lot of Turkish recipes go pretty much the same. Either way, wherever it originated or wherever it’s most common just doesn’t matter- it’s simple, healthy and delicious. That’s what matters….
[mpprecipe-recipe:4]
![Easy Oven-Roasted Baby Potatoes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Jun 15, 2020 | American, Mediterranean, Side Dishes
I promise you this is a super easy side dish for any night of the week or any morning when you have some time to make that breakfast even just a little bit special. It doesn’t involve peeling potatoes (who has time for that!) or chopping them into super fine pieces just to make them quick-cooking.
My oven-roasted potatoes are so much easier and quicker and such a fantastic side dish to meats and fish, breakfast eggs, and more. Just get the smaller potatoes (aka: baby potatoes) which cook faster, especially when quartered, so it’s like doubly-quick.
To make, simply quarter each one, place in an oven safe pan, sprinkle sea salt and drizzle olive oil on top, bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and add dried parsley for sure- squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top and add a bit of slightly roasted minced garlic (optional). They’re yummo, I swear…
![Mushroom Risotto]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Aug 31, 2015 | Italian, Recipes, Rice & Grain Dishes, Side Dishes
If you’ve never had Risotto, now’s the time to try it. Yes, it’s most popular as an Italian style rice, but anyone can make it. Actually, I think it’s even easier to make than some of the other types of rice, the only difference being that you should spend a lot of time stirring it while it cooks.
The ingredients are simple: salt (I used Himalayan but you can use any, (especially sea salt) and pepper, fresh parsley (flat or curly), garlic, mushrooms, Saffron Road’s Artisan Roasted Chicken Broth, butter and olive oil and of course the great Italian rice, risotto.
It’s so easy to make and some people enjoy it as a meal all its own, otherwise it makes a wonderful side dish for any season. If you don’t like mushrooms you can even make it with other veggies like chopped asparagus. Want it vegetarian? Make it with Saffron Road’s Classic Culinary Vegetable Broth instead. Either way, it’s delicioso!
Bismillah & Buon Appetito!
INGREDIENTS
20 ounces button or Crimini mushrooms (2 small packages)
2 tablespoons butter (salted is fine if you pull back on the salt later in the recipe. Taste as you cook!)
3 cloves garlic, minced (be sure it is either organic or at least not bleached white on the bottom. There should be some hair/roots on the bottom of garlic to ensure it has not been bleached)
1 cup arborio rice (risotto)
1/2 cup half & half
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (if you don’t have this, just make it with filtered water)
1 teaspoon sea salt (I’m biased towards the Sicilian ones, but any good quality one is fine)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh curly parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
DIRECTIONS
Wash mushrooms thoroughly by placing in a bowl with fresh cool water. Swish the mushrooms around and rub the tops with your thumbs to remove any dirt. Lift the mushrooms out of the water as opposed to pouring the water out. Brush off any excess dirt with a towel and dry them completely so they will brown properly when cooking.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the butter over medium flame. When it froths, add the olive oil, mushrooms and garlic, cook until all of the liquid from the mushrooms evaporate completely and they begin to brown.
Add the rice and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add the half and half, broth, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring continuously. Cover with a lid to finish cooking, about an additional 5-10 minutes on low.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese upon serving.
By Yvonne | My Halal Kitchen
![Creamy Mashed Potatoes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Nov 28, 2014 | Fall, Potato Dishes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter
I can’t remember the last time we had mashed potatoes from a box. Just the thought of it brings to mind the empty feeling I get from any foods that are simply a semblance of real food. I know it’s convenient, economical and sometimes the only option for people, but perhaps if we looked to our grandparents and those before them and how not everything they made from scratch in their kitchens was difficult, messy and unworthy of our time. In fact, a recipe for mashed potatoes is one of those things that you learn how to make once or twice and you’re good for life. Never be intimidated by the process of boiling, peeling and mixing- and there definitely is no need for fancy gadgets like the one I’ve used below- a simple hand masher will do the trick just as well.
Here goes…
Maybe the most difficult part is peeling the potatoes. If that is too cumbersome, make it a rustic mashed potatoes dish and leave the peels on (just make sure you scrub the surfaces very clean before boiling). I also add a couple parsnips to the mix just because I like the added texture they give to the potatoes, but if you don’t have them or don’t want to use them, just leave them out altogether.
For 3-5 pounds of potatoes, I place peeled and quartered potatoes in a large Dutch oven of salted boiling water and cook on medium-high for about 30 minutes.
Simply stick a knife or fork into the potatoes to test their softness.
Drain immediately and let them cool a bit.
*At this point, you can even leave them in the fridge, covered, overnight and work on the next part when you’re ready. The only difference here is that you should reheat the potatoes (i.e. in the microwave) before making additions and mixing it all together.
Next, either place the potatoes in a large bowl or in your stand mixer (you can do this in parts if you have a large amount here like I did. Add salt and pepper generously but if you’re also going to top with gravy, you may want to hold back a little on the salt.
Next add the sour cream. I use whole milk sour cream, just my preference as any other type makes the potatoes watery, in my opinion.
And the whole milk (for the same reason). I always warm up the milk because I don’t like cold milk in warm potatoes. Also add softened butter, unsalted so you can control the amount of salt overall.
Use the paddle attachment for the stand mixer if you’re using that appliance.
With the stand mixer, you should be able to reach a desired consistency within 30 seconds on medium-high. Always be careful not to over mix, as the potatoes will become gluey.
Top with fresh or dried herbs and/or your favorite recipe for gravy.
Now you can tweak, enjoy, and make it over and over again!
![Cranberry Sauce with Apples & Pears]()
by Yvonne | Nov 27, 2013 | Side Dishes
The first winter break home from college was the first time I ever made Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I had never attempted it before and I actually didn’t even know I was going to be the one cooking until a few days before. My mom bought all the ingredients and gave me the Williams-Sonoma handbook of Thanksgiving cooking. It was a small sort of pocket book but it guided me through the whole dinner, easily. The pictures were great so I figured if I followed everything in the book and figured if the food looked that good in the booklet then that would be my standard, too.
The one recipe I was a bit taken aback by was the cranberry sauce. I have never liked it- okay, maybe I tried it like once when someone bought it from a can and put it on a plate. Seriously, who on earth is that appealing to? Besides, I think it was an after thought in our family- one side Sicilian and the other Puerto Rican- umm…cranberry sauce is not typically anywhere in the repertoire of my ancestors.
Back to the recipe, using fresh cranberries. Wow, did that look amazing. So, I gave it a try. Much to everyone’s amazement (including mine) the sauce was absolutely fabulous- and everyone ate it. It was all gone. Done. And they raved about it. They still talk about it today.
Oddly enough, I’ve never posted it on this site. I’m not sure why, but I suppose it’s because I haven’t ever taken the photos until now.
I hope you enjoy the photos and the process of making this recipe. It’s so so good that I hope you make it all throughout the Fall season when cranberries are good and fresh. Make it as a side dish to turkey, chicken, goose, duck, lamb, beef, fish. It is just so complimentary to savory meats. I’m surprised still to this day how much I love it.
And one more thing- you can freeze fresh cranberries. They defrost easily. So, if you have an odd craving for this dish in the spring or summer, make yourself happy and make it then, too.
Here goes.
Start with just a few ingredients- fresh cranberries (or frozen, which thaw pretty quickly. You can even use frozen in this recipe, just add to the cooking time a few more minutes. Pear, apple, orange, lemon, sugar, cinnamon, water- and a pinch of salt (not shown).
Chop the pear and apple. I used about 1/2 of each one, but you could add a little more if you like. Any type of apple is fine.
Pour the cranberries into a heavy bottom saucepan. No heat yet.
Add the pear and apple on top.
I like this order. Seems to cook better.
Add the sugar. Please use organic :)
Now you’ll zest the orange and orange or tangerine (that’s what I had on hand). I like to zest the entire fruit- it adds so much ‘tang’ to the dish.
Add fresh cinnamon sticks like this bark shown here, or ground cinnamon if you have that. Add a pinch of salt, too.
Add water, too.
Put the flame on medium-high for now.
Once it begins to boil, you’ll turn the heat down. After about 10-12 minutes, it should look like this:
After about 20-25 minutes, it should look like this:
Remember to remove the cinnamon bark/stick, if you’re using those.
The texture should be like this on a spoon. If yours is not, just cook it a little longer. But watch it, don’t walk away and do other things. Once it’s to the texture you want, turn the heat off immediately.
You can refrigerate it once it cools and serve it cold or warm. I prefer it warm because I serve it with other cooked foods that are hot or warm.
Just be sure to serve it with your best servingware. It makes it look so nice and fancy and elegant that way. Besides, you just made something that is a bit fancy and elegant and isn’t from a can.
Give yourself lots of credit for that!
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![Cholay: Indian Spiced Chickpea Curry]()
by Yvonne | Jun 12, 2013 | Gluten-Free, Ramadan, Side Dishes, South Asian, Vegetarian
Spicy Indian dishes are a real treat to me. It’s food I crave, but don’t always make for myself. I don’t even seek out too many Indian restaurants (although I would love to). Instead, I learned most of what I know about Indian food from friends- in their kitchens, snooping around pots of curry, pans of biryani and asking a lot of questions about what goes into every dish, what the spices are called in English and Urdu, and where I can find all of that interesting stuff that is still considered quite exotic to most of us who didn’t grow up on the cuisine.
One of my favorite dishes has to be cholay (pronounced “cho-lay”). I’ve had it so many times, especially during Ramadan for Iftar (meal that breaks the fast).
This recipe is my version, to my family’s taste. Of course the addition of more spice and more heat is always welcome to those who desire it. It’s also available in my cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking, which can be purchased here.
Cholay
Cholay is a dish that will almost always be present on the Iftar tables of South Asian Muslims during Ramadan. It’s flavorful and filling and often serves as the precursor to the main dish at Iftar, or the meal that breaks the fast. Substitute garam masala for the dried spices in the ingredient list.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive or grape seed oil
3/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1-2 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped and drained of any water or juices
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and stem removed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (or more for added heat)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 bay leaves
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Freshly chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat oil in a medium-size, deep bottom sauce pan.
Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes and garlic. Dice the jalapeño then add the dried spices.
Cook down for 1-2 minutes then add the chickpeas. Taste for spice and adjust, if necessary.
Reduce heat to low-medium and cook, uncovered for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top just before serving.
