Recipes

Brussels sprouts and Arugula Salad
December 30, 2019

Brussels sprouts and Arugula Salad

Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad: Healthy for the Holidays! When you think of salads, you probably envision dining outdoors in warm weather. Salads are most often associated with the spring and summer months when you can use ingredients right from your own garden. But even on the darkest and coldest days of winter, you can still make a delicious greens-based dish. My Brussels Sprouts with Arugula salad is living proof! Adding a wintertime salad to your repertoire of holiday foods is a great way to break up the monotony of a traditional holiday table. Serving a colorful salad during the late fall season and winter makes a table look presentable. It also gives loved ones a healthier option than calorie-laden cookies, pies, and pudding, which can easily derail a diet plan. As a dish that’s simple to prepare, it also avoids the tedium of mealtime preparation during the holidays. As a busy cook, I know that cutting down on prep time means more time to enjoy the company of guests and a warm fire. Think Green…Even in Winter Making a winter salad brings out the best of the fall harvest season. It also shows that fall colors don’t have to disappear with the leaves. Neither do summer’s healthy green colors. There are certainly many beautiful autumn and winter colors in my Brussels Sprouts with Arugula salad. You’ll also find plenty of green, which comes primarily in the form of arugula and Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts, I must say, are the star of this dish. They stand out for their beautiful […]

Recipes
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by yaldoorana
Beriany Blog
October 9, 2019

Beriany Blog

Throughout all of your cooking ventures, I am sure that you have had a plethora of chances to cook one of those dishes that have everything in it: rice, meat, vegetables, you know, the works. While these meals are quite homely and even more economical than your average restaurant meal, their roots come from far away countries and cultures. I want to introduce you to one of such dishes. Its name is Beriany, and it is a Chaldean (Northern Iraq) dish that is as easy to make as it is delicious to eat. Think of a take-out favorite, chicken fried rice, on steroids. Origins Beriany has its origins in the Mediterranean, where several countries share a similar culinary traditions. They cook rice in spices and load up their pots with plenty of local ingredients. It is a way to maximize the use of food, especially locally sourced foods, and it is a way to feed an entire family with basic nutrients such as starches, protein, grains, fruits, and fats. From Persia, with love The actual creation of the authentic Beriany dish has been attributed to many people and countries. What we can tell for sure is that the name of the dish derives from a Persian word “Birian”, which stands for the phrase that is tantamount to “fried before cooking”. It also comes from another Persian word, “Birinj” which means “rice.” The countries of Iraq and India are the most commonly associated with the creation of the first recipe. The legend says that Northern Iraq came up with it first, […]

Blog, Recipes
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by yaldoorana
Change the Beat of Your Meal with Roasted Beet Salad
August 29, 2019

Change the Beat of Your Meal with Roasted Beet Salad

My girlfriends and I love food! Period. Well, I ended that sentence with an exclamation point, but you get my drift! So we take turns on a weekly basis going to one another’s houses to cook and drink wine and just enjoy each other’s company. Especially because we threw wine into the mix of our girls’ nights, it became delightfully challenging to try to figure out a salad that would pair best with our meal, salad, and dessert. We wanted the taste of the wine we chose to drink that night to compliment everything that was on our dinner menu. Remember this story for later because I will reference it again once we get to the wine pairings for today’s delicious dish featured in this blog post. Below are just a couple of pics from our girls nights paired with some wine. I think you can guess which ones are the before wine and after wine.. Haha! here. Now if you’re trying to kick your wine habit, keep these recommendations on wine pairings with beets in your back pocket for when you want to enjoy a glass again soon. And if you don’t drink wine at all, that’s perfectly ok too! Maybe for those who don’t drink wine, seasoned beet eaters can comment below what virgin drink they believe pairs best with beets. Since I recommended any citrus fruits as possible additions to the roasted beet salad, maybe a cup of your favorite orange juice or lemonade would definitely satisfy you and round out your meal! Thank you for taking […]

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by yaldoorana
Superfood Kale Offers Something for Everyone
July 29, 2019

Superfood Kale Offers Something for Everyone

Summer is all about growth and revival. The long winter months give way to rainy spring days, and finally summer arrives to shine sun on us all. So it’s understandable that the season is associated with health and wellness more than any other. While we should always take care of ourselves in the best way possible, holiday feasts and cold weather definitely don’t provide the same type of opportunities to get in shape and eat right as the warm, summer months do. When we think about this time of year, we think of bright colors, cold drinks and the beautiful outdoors. Our food choices for this season often reflect those things, too. Everyone knows fruit is a favorite on hot days, especially blended into a refreshing smoothie and salads are staples for lunches and dinners. Looking for an extra ingredient that will boost the health-factor of your snacks and meals, while complementing those seasonal flavors? Try Kale. You may be familiar with the fiber-packed leafy green due to its rise to fame in the wellness world the past couple of years, and rightfully so. The vitamin nutrient vegetable has such a diverse taste, that it can be paired with almost any type of meal. It makes a great side dish for main meals that feature meats like chicken, fish or pork. It’s incredible in salad, paired with other leafy greens or as the star of the show and yes, you guessed it, smoothies blended up with this veggie make the perfect on the go breakfast or midday snack. This veggie […]

Recipes
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by yaldoorana
Turmeric Barley with Caramelized Onions
July 11, 2019

Turmeric Barley with Caramelized Onions

The sweet smell of caramelized onions and the enticing sizzle of beef instantly draw my husband and kids into the kitchen. One of my favorite family dinners is turmeric barley with caramelized onions, sirloin steak, and spinach. This bright and aromatic dish is surprisingly healthy; the grains and vegetables contain important vitamins and so much fiber. As a bonus, it’s simple to make and looks amazing on a plate. This one always gets the kids eating their vegetables. This dish only uses two pans and is quite easy to cook. You’ll need about an hour of prep and cook time, but most of the work is just stirring and enjoying the delicious smells in the kitchen. This is the perfect kind of thing to work on while the kids tell you about their day at school; they can even help you prep the vegetables and add the spinach as the last step. You can also whip up a fun dessert while everything is simmering, although that does kind of defeat the purpose of a healthy family dinner. That Spicy Golden Color: This dish simply wouldn’t be the same without the warm, golden color and delicious flavor of turmeric. This spice is used as a base for nearly every stage of the cooking process. Don’t skimp on it when you’re boiling the grain; it’s responsible for the hearty taste and that beautiful shade of yellow. Sprinkle a dash on the steak while it’s frying for additional flavor. Even if you think you haven’t tried this spice before, you’ll definitely recognize the […]

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by yaldoorana
Vegetarian Dolma
June 8, 2019

Vegetarian Dolma

Vegetarian Dolma – Stuffed Grape Leaves Dolma is a refreshing finger food that is really perfect for parties or as an appetizer prior to a meal. These are lovely small packages of edible leaves rolled around a filling of items such as grains, vegetables, fruits (tomatoes), nuts, herbs, spices, and sometimes ground meat. Most notably, the young leaves of grapevines are stuffed with a lemony mixture of rice, onion, and minced lamb or beef. This is a common and authentic preparation in the Middle East and Greece. Brined grape leaves can be found in specialty stores sealed in glass jars. This is a vegetarian recipe, but you can always add chicken, shrimp or beef if you like.The stuffed packets are slow cooked or braised in a simmering liquid that is often infused with fresh lemon and a hefty drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The result is a perfect 2 or 3 bite roll of the best of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. I prefer a vegetarian adaptation of this dish. It is so juicy, especially on a humid summer evening when guests are stopping by. Dolma can be prepared ahead of time and are best eaten cold or at room temperature. They transport easily if you are going to a picnic. They can also sit on a table for a couple of hours without spoiling. Dolma stuffed with minced meat can be served warm with a lemon sauce as part of a main meal. Variations and Tips My recipe includes vegetables and fruits, such as onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. […]

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by yaldoorana
Tilapia
April 4, 2019

Tilapia

Healthy, Flavorful Cooking with Tilapia Since spring is springing up all around, and since Lent is in full swing, it’s not a bad time to consider both healthy eating and what it means to “give up” something. The sacrifice of meat for Lent doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice flavor, nutrition, or feeding your family a delicious meal. Children in particular are usually reluctant to try seafood and spring is as good a time as any to get them introduced to what is arguably one of the healthiest groups of protein available. It certainly was how my grandmother got me hooked! This is also a good time to learn how to cook fish if you don’t already know how. Though seafood can be daunting – whether it’s because you are afraid it’s too difficult, too expensive, or too “fishy” – there IS a solution. Tilapia is soft, white, flavorful, and doesn’t have an overpoweringly “fishy” flavor, making it perfect for both beginners at preparing seafood and experts alike. Because tilapia is a flaky whitefish, it’s often used as a stand-in for walleye, cod, and other cold water whitefish that is typically more expensive or more difficult to cook. Imagine sitting around the dinner table on a Lenten Friday evening, and you serve your family a healthy, flavorful dish and everyone raves at how incredible it tastes. You might think that’s a fantasy, but consider spring and how Lent leads into Easter. It’s a time of renewal, of growth, and if that means a foray into cooking tilapia for the first time, then […]

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by yaldoorana
Shrimp and Citrus Rice: Delectable Combination
March 19, 2019

Shrimp and Citrus Rice: Delectable Combination

It can be a challenge to give up meat for lent, at least if you love meat like I do. The flavor, the texture, and the different ways to cook meat are all something that I miss. But that is part of the sacrifice. I just love the way that a savory piece of beef tantalizes my tongue or how chicken alfredo pasta tastes incredible after a long day of work. The warm flavors of meat and the satisfaction from filling up on a good steak or chicken thigh is always something I look forward. If you have given up meat during this time like I have, what would be something you’d feel like eating? I know that I have looked for many alternatives that will satisfy me like meat does and I think I found the perfectly fresh and delectable combination that can hold me off until I can eat my favorite meat again. I am currently loving how tasty shrimp with citrus rice can be. While I have always been a big fan of lentil soup during lent-especially when it’s made to perfection-I stumbled across this recipe of shrimp with citrus rice and just fell in love. What makes my mouth water over this dynamic recipe? The combination of rice with shrimp is already a good one, and one reason why paella is famous all over the world. While citrus rice is nothing like the rice in paella, the idea of combining this seafood with what is one of my favorite kinds of starches makes for a delectable […]

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by yaldoorana
Chicken Cream Chop / Friend Chicken Blog
February 27, 2019

Chicken Cream Chop / Friend Chicken Blog

Family is a word without a definition. Now, before you pounce on me saying that it isn’t true, let me explain. Though there is technically a definition for family, if living in the 21st century has taught us anything, it’s that the word is certainly more complicated than its definition. For me, family is much more like a feeling. By this, I mean that there are many different families in my life that might not feel equally important, but certainly are important. Take my husband and kids for example: seeing my husband play soccer with my 4 kids on a brisk fall weekend morning will always make me feel warm inside. There’s something about this feeling that makes me feel like I’m home. This can also be felt at the holidays, when our entire group is gathered around a Christmas tree. I get the same feeling when I see my husband come home after a long day of work—it is not a specification of a group, but rather the feeling that brings them all together. The funny thing is, I also experience this feeling when I’m with friends. Being able to join my friends every other week for a game of poker feels similar to when I’m able to spend time with my husband and our kids. You see, after we’ve all put the kids to sleep, then we’re able to get together for a rousing game of poker, gossiping about what has been going on in our lives lately and giving us an opportunity to let off some steam. […]

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by yaldoorana
Traditional Lentil Soup
February 12, 2019

Traditional Lentil Soup

My own history with lentil soup began when I was probably around four. My first recollections of seeing it included how different it looked from chicken soup and noodles. Though I was an inquisitive child, this was not what soup looked like in my little world up until now. Upon first glance, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to test out something I overheard an adult say about curiosity killing cats. Ever since then I’d been careful about being too curious about anything, wondering whether or not maybe it applied to little people like me too, but too frightened to even ask. Anyway, the rich and comforting aroma must have overcome my visual skepticism and concern for my life because I did try it with no fuss at all. I liked it so much that I also remember asking my mother why she didn’t make it more often. She explained to me that although it is fine to have in any time of year, lentil soup is a special soup consumed as part of the diet during bautha lent, the three day fast of Ninevah, and a part of our Chaldean Catholic Church history. Little did I know that my questions about lentil soup would give my wise mother the chance to segue into what became lots of future lessons about bautha lent, the history of eating lentil soup and our Chaldean heritage over many years of the rest of my childhood. Ba’utha is a three day celebration observed by the Chaldean Catholic Church exactly three weeks before the start […]

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by yaldoorana

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