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Tag: dried mint

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Vegetable Tagine

Great healthy way to start off the new year!

Spice Mix

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt
  • 1 cup green olives, sliced
  • ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.

Turkish Style Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce

One of our best vacations was in Istanbul- the food was out of this world.. These kebabs remind me of the amazing trip…

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup milk

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for about 10 minutes and keep aside.

  • 1 pound ground pork, beef or dark meat turkey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Transfer the soaked breadcrumbs, ground meat, salt, cumin, all spice, sumac, dried mint, garlic, egg and parsley to a large food processor. Process till a smooth mixture is achieved. Take out and let the mixture marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Form into meatballs or kebabs, about ¼ cup of mixture for each kebab. Heat a frying pan with the oil and cook the kebabs on a medium heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until all sides are brown. Cook till the kebabs are cooked through- about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup full fat yogurt, whisked
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon

Mix all the ingredients including the yogurt in a bowl. Serve with the kebabs.

 

Turkish Style Lentil Soup

Yummy lentil soup for meatless Monday!!

  • 1 tablespoon butter or extra light olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • ½ cup red lentils, washed
  • 1 small potato, peeled and cut in half inch squares
  • 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Fresh lemon juice

Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, ground cumin and mint. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and add the salt and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes adding more broth if necessary. Once the potato chunks are soft, take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to blender and blend till smooth. Pour the liquid back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the consistency by either adding more broth or cooking off extra broth. Check for seasonings. Squirt some fresh lemon juice right before serving.

Chicken Cutlets with Mint with Roast Potatoes

This is a great dish to make with chicken breast. It is healthy and super delicious. I made some roasted onions as a side…

  • 3 to 4 chicken cutlets
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the oil, mint, coriander, pepper flakes and salt in a shallow container. Add the chicken cutlets and mix well. Marinate in the fridge over night or at least 3 hours. Take the chicken out at least half an hour before cooking.

  • 6 to 7 baby potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Transfer potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes or till the potatoes are cooked through but not mushy. Drain the water and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with the oil and brown the chicken cutlets on a high heat for about a minute each. Take out and transfer to oven to finish cooking. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the cutlets. Add the potatoes to the same pan and brown on medium high heat till all sides are golden brown.

  • 3 to 4 cups mixed greens
  • Your favorite dressing

Dress the greens and place the chicken cutlets and potatoes on top and serve.

Roast Chicken Breast and Potatoes with Harissa
  • 2 split chicken breast with skin on

Marinade

  • ½ cup full fat yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 5 small new potatoes, peeled and cut in half

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and marinate the chicken with most of the marinade- save 2 tablespoons for the potatoes. Marinate the chicken for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Place the chicken pieces into an oven proof tray. Sprinkle some extra salt under the skin of the chicken pieces. Poke the skin with a fork. Add the potatoes and mix the remaining marinade, mix well and roast in oven on a 325 degrees F for 40 minutes. Brown the chicken and potatoes under the broiler at the very end… it makes the skin super crispy. Take the chicken out of the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes and the roasted asparagus.

  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt

Transfer the asparagus to a cookie sheet. Add the oil and salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

Middle Eastern Style Ground Beef

I recently entertained and decided to make a Middle Eastern/Greek meal- so I started with this ground beef dish flavored with mint and garlic. I served the meal with warm pita bread with delicious feta cheese and hummus for appetizers…

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 pound grass fed ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeds and core removed, chopped
  • ½ cup tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with the oil. Add the dried mint and garam masala and sauté on medium heat for 10 seconds. Add the ground beef and increase the heat to high and sauté while separating the meat with a wooden spoon for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Saute on high heat for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt and lower the heat to medium and cook with the lid on for 8 to 10 minutes. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Garnish with parsley and mint. Serve with heated pita.

Greek Style Eggplant with Pine Nuts and Feta

This is a yummy dish for meatless Monday. It has delicious roasted eggplant flavored with mint, cinnamon, tomatoes and feta. It is a great side dish or a dip with warm pita bread!

  • 1 pound eggplant, I used small ones, sliced ½ inch thick
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt

Place the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle some salt. Broil under medium heat turning the slices once till both sides are golden brown- about 10 minutes. Take out of oven and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
  • Salt
  • ½ cup dried currants
  • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup dill, chopped
  • ½ cup feta, crumbled

Add the olive oil to a heavy saucepan and add the mint and cinnamon. Cook for 15 seconds on medium high heat and add the onion, garlic and pine nuts. Saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and currants. Saute for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the eggplant and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the parsley and dill. Once the dish is completely cooled off, add the feta and mix well. Serve room temperature.

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