Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

½ cup high quality olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T orange juice

zest of 1 whole lemon

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tsp maple syrup

3 T nutritional yeast

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sea salt

few pinches of black pepper

optional: fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary and/or parsley

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and coat desired salad greens. Spicy greens such as arugula, water cress and mustard greens pair well with this tangy dressing.

(serves 4-6)

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock or meat based broth

1 tsp each; cumin, coriander, cardamom

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

   Yogurt Sauce:

½ cup plain, full fat yogurt

2 T olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pinch saffron dissolved in 1 T warm stock or water

2 T honey

1 T balsamic vinegar

zest & juice of 1 meyer lemon

1 tsp sea salt

few pinches black pepper

 

1 cup each; fresh parsley & cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 T fresh oregano, minced

¼ cup capers

½ cup currants, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes & drained

½ cup pine nuts, toasted & salted

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

1.    To cook quinoa, bring stock/broth to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Add the dried spices, salt and pepper, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

2.    To make yogurt sauce, combine all the ingredients in a food processor (or whisk by hand) and blend thoroughly. Taste for flavor, adding more honey or olive oil if needed.

3.    Add the fresh herbs, capers and currants to the bowl of quinoa. Add the yogurt sauce, and fold carefully as to not flatten the quinoa. Taste for flavor and garnish with pine nuts if desired. Serve warm or cold. *makes a great stuffing for dolmas or collard wraps!

 

Kale Chips

(makes 3 cups)

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 bunches dino kale (can substitute laccinato kale or collard greens)

¼ cup high quality olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

2 T nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Remove the kale stems and rip leaves into 2” pieces.

3. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients and massage into kale for a minute.

4. Lay kale chips onto baking sheet in an even layer and bake for about 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. (longer baking time means extra crispy chips- just be careful as they can burn quickly!)

Serve warm and with fresh grated parmesan if desired

Excerpt from Persians Find their Place: How Iranians in the East Bay hold their heritage.

By Maggie Fazeli Fard

Nowhere in the East Bay is the Iranian-American “melt” more apparent than at 1808 5th St. in Berkeley, the home of Golestan Kids.

Golestan, named after the Farsi word for “garden,” is a full-immersion Iranian language and culture program, offering full-day pre-school and after-school classes based on Waldorf and Montessori teaching methods. While Farsi language classes have been offered in the East Bay at locations like Nima Farsi School in Albany and the Andeesheh School at Oakland’s Islamic Cultural Center, Golestan is the first school to offer a daily program of not just language instruction but also science, math, nature, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, and even yoga—all in Farsi.

Launched in 2005 as a playgroup for Iranian-American children and their parents, Golestan is the brainchild of those parents, including founder and executive director Yalda Modabber, whose sons Manu and Kian currently attend the school.

“Manu and Kian only speak Farsi to each other; they even fight in Farsi,” she says. This is a challenge for her husband, an American who doesn’t know Farsi, and Modabber often finds herself playing the part of translator. But it’s a small price to pay, she says. “If it weren’t for Golestan, my boys wouldn’t know Farsi. I’m sure of it.”

Like her own children, most of the students at Golestan are of mixed heritage, says Modabber. “Except for one, who has no Iranian in him at all. Both his parents are American, but they really just loved the program.”

“Being Iranian means something different to everyone,” says Modabber, who left Iran with her family in 1979, when she was 9 years old. “There is the poetry, the music, the language. But there is also a warmth and generosity of our culture. There is a fear that when our kids enter American schools, they will lose that. We want to teach them to love their Iranian heritage.”

For full story, please click here.

I am passionate-borderline obsessed- with food. My philosophy: if you can make it, why buy it? I jump fences to pick lemons, I make my own apple cider vinegar, I own nine aprons, and I’ve been known to swoon over the vibrant leaves of my garden’s purple potatoes. I’m stubborn in my ways of healthy eating and I (used to) think white rice is akin to a bowl of sugar. However, in the past several months, I’ve learned not only how to tame my convictions, but that above all else, food is celebratory.

To read full article on Iranian.com, please click here.

Rice, vegetable & Egg Fritters with cheddar polenta and Kale/Chard Chips.

 Natalia checks on the polenta as the fritters cook on the stovetop (above).

Meanwhile, she’s turning left over scraps into vegetable stock…. (below)

“oh humans, in life be kind to each other…”

A cappella performance by Nikki Han
Starring: Golestan Kids
Directed and produced by Ellie Han