A Feast Of Persian Food

 One of the most luxurious of all Middle Eastern cuisines is Persian. Iran has been known as a gourmet's paradise for millennia. It has rich meat dishes and lush rice and veggie ones. The desserts are lush in flavor studded with fruit and dripping with honey. It has always been the way to eat.

Persian cuisine has been established for 2500 (!!!) years. The indigenous from the Sassanid and Achaemenid Dynasties  cooked stews that had pomegranates ,mint and cinnamon in them for color and flavor. The Islamic Conquest in the Seventh Century brought in more Arabic foods but eliminated pork, Mongols and Turks brought in noodles and rice while the two hundred year Safavid Era brought in saffron and nuts to be cooked with rice.  Modern day Americans gave the Iranians tomatoes. One of the most famous dishes that is a must make or must order in any Persian restaurant is tahdig. This is a giant rice cake with the highlight being the crispy , crunchy top. The rice is cooked in a special pan and the dish is flipped upside while serving. The word itself means bottom of the pot. It's basmati rice cooked with fragrant saffron and layered with butter and yogurt. It's a good side dish, being served with kebobs, roast chickens or stews. It could be eaten on its; own too,

Kebobs are big in Persian cuisine. They could be lamb , beef ro chicken, with lamb being the most popular. Chicken figures big in the cuisine and there is zereshk polo ba morgh, chicken with rice and barberries a cranberry like berry. The barberries are cooked with saffron ,sugar and oil and served on top of the meat. There is also morghe  zafarani, saffron chicken ,chicken with a rich saffron sauce. Beef turns up in both kebobs and stews. There is ghormeh subzi an herb stew that also has fresh herbs and dried lime in it.Parsley, fenugreek , scallions and cilantro are Fred, similar to opinions and then stew meat, kidney beans are added. The side is rice to absorb the gravy . Althought they also have stuffed grape leaves the Iranians are also known for their version of stuffed peppers. This is ground meat or plant based meat mixed with tomatoes , cilantro and parsley  along with cumin for flavor. Eggplant is a beloved veggie too. Khorem badenjam combines the silky veggie with beef in a tangy tomato sauce. These meals end in delicious desserts from a syrupy baklava to an ice cream redolent with rosewater and saffron. Hot teas are served with this t finish the meal.

Persian cuisine is a rich history based cuisine. It is colorful and flavorful. It represents this people perfectly.

Not Your Typical Steak and Potatoes

 What do vegans do when they crave a classic like steak and potatoes? They go plant  based. There's a new Beyond Meat to enjoy in a variety of ways.

I used to be a steak eater.I still enjoy it out once in a great while yet being in a vegan household has limits. There;s no way I can have beef - however I can get around it. 

This is steak bits which are tinier than they look in the package. That was a surprise because I thought the pieces would be the size of steak tips. 

This is them uncooked,I cooked them at 400 degress Farenheit for five minutes. It wasn't;t enough so I added another three minutes to get them crispy.

The cooked ones look somewhat darker and there was a nice crispiness to them. What goes with steak but potatoes.

The Little Potato Company has a excellent serving of baby spuds that come with their own seasoning. This was just popped in the microwave with the seasonings and a good amount of COuntry Crock Plant based butter.

Together they provided a tasty steak and potatoes meal . I would use the steak bits differently next time, possibly with a mushroom gravy on thick slabs of warmed sourdough. It was still good with just a salt and pepper seasoning.

Yes ,vegans can have their steak and eat it too. Beyond Steak makes it possible. You can create all sorts of dishes with this plant based steak.