This week I bring you another wonderful guest post from another of my lovely blog pals….introducing: Suzanne from A Pug in the Kitchen. As the name suggests, Suzanne shares her home and her kitchen with her much loved pug, Nando; she is a great cook, sharing and creating wonderful recipes, her love of food stemming from her family and upbringing, and she is always extremely supportive of her fellow bloggers and their recipes. I hope you enjoy Suzanne’s recipe this week, I’ve got to say, it looks good to me..
So, Suzanne, what would you feed me?
When Elaine asked me to do a guest post for her incredible series “What would you feed me….? I immediately said yes of course I would love to, and then I got nervous. I am sure all of you know Elaine and her wonderful blog “Foodbod”, she is the Queen of sauces, dips, tremendously tasty vegetable dishes and a master at using Tahini. Elaine is Vegetarian, GF, free of processed sugar and foods, she is a healthful eater and cook. I wanted to make a dish that fits her food criteria and one that she would enjoy!
I LOVE Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine and I know that Elaine does too. I decided to make one of my favorite Persian stews. Khoresht e Bademjan or eggplant stew and serve with basmati rice prepared the Persian way, in other words it’s par boiled, then steamed and the rice at the bottom of the pan forms a crisp crust called tahdig, usually the Khoresht contains meat but in this case I am using just eggplant along with some roasted potato and chick pea’s so this is not exactly the Persian way but will have the same flavor profile. I am serving the stew with basmatic rice and no Persian meal would be complete without some yogurt so I mixed some plain yogurt with cucumber and mint.
Elaine my love, I do hope you enjoy, I made this just for you!! The stew would be delicious with Elaine’s harissa added.
Khoresht e Bademjan (Vegetarian)
Serves 6 comfortably
2 medium eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds then quartered
2 potatoes (I like Yukon gold) skin on, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 cup garbanzo beans (I used canned)
6 oz can tomato paste
1 smallish onion peeled and chopped
pinch of turmeric (approx 1/4 tsp)
4-4 1/2 cups water
2 dried limes (poke several holes in them with the end of your knife or something sharp)
Heat oven to 375 degree’s. Toss the eggplant with some olive oil and place on parchment lined baking sheet, sprinle with a little sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven approximately 25-30 minutes until it’s nicely browned and cooked through. Remove from oven. Now on the same baking sheet add the potatoes and roast 30-35 minutes until they are golden brown. Set both aside. NOTE:Traditionally you would fry the eggplant but I prefer to oven roast it uses less oil.
In medium saucepan heat some olive oil and fry the onion until soft and translucent and lightly browned add the turmeric and stir cooking for about a minute. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring frequently until it caramelizes. Add the water and the dried limes and cook for approximately 45-50 minutes on medium heat, it should thicken. Add the garbanzo beans and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, now add the eggplant and potato’s and cook for 15 minutes on med/low heat. Before serving remove the limes.
dried limes
Rice (The Persian Way)
3 cups Basmati rice (white or brown) Increase cookng time if using brown basmati
1 tablespoon salt to soak rice then more for cooking
2 tablespoons Butter divided
Generous pinch saffron
1/4 cup Water
enough vegetable oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pot
Put rice in bowl and rinse until water drains pretty clear. Add more water to cover rice add a tbs of salt and let rice sit for an hour.
In large saucepan or dutch oven with lid(I use non stick) fill with water, add some salt and bring to a rolling boil. In small bowl combine 1/4 cup water and saffron let rest.
When water is boiling drain the rice and add to the pot. Stir to separate rice and let cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes you are par cooking the rice, test a grain it should be hard in the middle. Remove from heat and drain into collander and rinse with cold water.
In your pot that you cooked the rice in wipe to dry and just coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil and 1 tbs butter, when butter has melted and its hot add the rice, drizzle saffron water and 1 tbs of butter. Cover pot with paper towel and place lid on. Turn heat to high and let steam build in the pot it takes approximately 10 minutes, reduce heat to medium or medium/high (depending on your stove) and let cook for 45 minutes. Pay close attention you will smell the nuttiness of the tahdig forming but if you notice a burnt smell turn heat down immediately.
Put a few inches of cold water in your sink, When rice is done take to sink and sit the pot in the cold water for ten-seconds this will help the rice to release. Place serving dish on top of the pot and invert. The rice should come out in one piece looks almost like a cake.
Yogurt, mint cucumber
Yogurt, Cucumber, Mint
1 17 oz container yogurt (I like whole milk greek yogurt)
2 kirby or 1 regular cucumber peeled and chopped
1-2 tsp dried mint
season with salt and pepper if you like)
A squeeze of lemon
Mix the yogurt, cucumber and mint, lemon juice together, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Suzanne, thank you so much for this fabulous meal, I love every bit of it – the aubergine stew, the crust on the rice…all gorgoeus 🙂 xx
Lucky you, Elaine, to have the wonderful Suzanne cook for you! I am jealous! And what a marvellous meal she has dished up – I can’t wait to give this a try (I’ll probably have to make a pasta-and-no-sauce side dish, for the kids …)
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Ha ha! I know what you mean 🙂
Isn’t it a lovely dish? I’ll be making it too!
So, do you fancy taking up this challenge….?
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Challenge? Absolutely!!!
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Yay!!!!
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Just drop me an email when you have the time and we can discuss choice of weapons etc. Gingerandbread@mail.com. I couldn’t find an email address for you on your blog … (that doesn’t bode well for a duel, does it?!)
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It’s at the bottom of my intro page, maybe I should make it more visible?!
I’ll email you the guidelines for the series and see what you think xx
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Email sent xx
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Ginger, thank you I was so pleased to present this to Elaine.
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Two of my most favorite people in one post sharing a beautiful, healthy, and delicious dinner! Love this. ❤️
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Yay! Love you xxxx
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Two of my favorite people here also! Prudy and Elaine thank you!!
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xxx
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Reblogged this on apuginthekitchen and commented:
I was thrilled and honored that Elaine asked me to do a guest post on her incredible blog. Here is the post.
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Thank you so much for taking part and sharing your lovely meal xxx love to you and Nando xx
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It was my pleasure thank you so much!
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What a beautiful meal Nancy prepared for you Elaine! I don’t know why she was nervous, I wouldn’t have expected anything less with her culinary skills. I am very intrigued with the way she prepared the Persian rice.
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I know, it looks great doesn’t it??!
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You are too kind Julie, thank you so much. The Persian rice was a revelation to me. It’s wonderful.
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I remember when I was first served Persian rice, when I was a teenager living in the Middle East – it was pure joy!!!!
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Elaine it’s nice to meet you via Suzanne. What a lovely meal. Hugs to you both.
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Hello Teagan, thank you so much for visiting 🙂
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Hi Teagan, it was so much fun cooking for Elaine. So happy you came to visit.
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Bravo, Bravo, Bravo my friend Suzanne! Wonderful meal for Ms. Elaine! Woo Hoo from sunny Florida.
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So nice to see my best Bud from Florida, thanks Cheryl.
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Very nice meal you did for Ms. Elaine! Great job Suzanne!!! Hugs to Nando.
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I love Persian rice, just the best!! This whole meal looks wonderful!
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Angie thank you so much, isn’t Persian rice the best.
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I’m actually going to DC area this weekend just so I can eat at Shamshiry. They make the BEST Persian rice in the world!! Azita knows of this place 🙂
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I wonder if I ate there I used to live in D.C have fun!
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Wow! Fabulous meal Suzanne. Looks absolutely delicious!
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Thank you so much, it was fun to make and delicious,
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Beautiful meal right here, love all the ingredients that went into making the meal so wholesome.
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This is fabulous…. never tried or tasted dried lime, sounds interesting – great post….
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Thank you so much Chitra, the dried limes are wonderful to flavor stews. It’s a very distinct flavor that I love, Thanks again.
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And luckily I have a big jar full of them 😉
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Wow
What a complete platter. I would have enjoyed that plate to my core!
Great work Suzanne and lucky you, Elaine! ❤️❤️
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Very lucky!!!! 😍😍
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Yup, gotta try this one for sure, girls.
Hugs to both of you,
Tracey
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😀 xx
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Looks so delicious and I love Persian rice. Elaine, you are very lucky. Fantastic job, Suzanne! 🙂
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Me too!!!! xxx
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Such a beautiful meal Suzanne! Could you feed this to me too??? 😉
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Another delicious recipe!! I like the Persian rice will definitely give it a go. 😊😊
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Love meals like this, never had rice quite like this though, will have to try…..
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I hope you like it 🙂
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Amazing! I’m coming directly from Suzanne’s… I wanted to read the recipe! Lucky you for such a nice recipe!
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I know!!!!
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Gorgeous, all of it! And to think I just tossed a lime like that – he had wandered off and become separated from the herd, I guess and I just found him, too late! I have never had this rice but have read about it – so nice to see the photos! I’m sorry, Elaine, that you can’t taste it – sorry I can’t either!
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I know, right?! It’s like some kind of torture…however, I will be making it! 😉
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What an amazing recipe it is! Healthy and full of flavor- I love that combination of yogurt, mint and cucumber!!
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Khoresh’e bademjan a la Suzanne! Very creative that you added the chickpeas for the protein. Of course you are right about the rice to be present, and masto’khiyar/yogurt-cucumber-mint make it into a complete meal. Brilliant! Elaine is one of the quality person I know on this blog-sphere and so are you, dear Suzanne. I have a special respect for both of you in my heart. xx
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Thank you for your lovely words, Fae xxxxxx
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Fun to see you hopping around Suzanne– spreading your great cooking ideas– this looks so exotic and delicious!!
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