Orzo Pasta

To start off boil a pot of water, make sure to season with salt and olive oil. Place one bag of orzo pasta and boil until cooked, strain and set aside in a strainer.

For the sauce you want to finely chop onions, tomatoes, yellow and red bell peppers, garlic and parsley. For the seasonings of the sauce you want to include salt +pepper, cumin, paprika and tumeric. In another saucepan you want to use olive oil to cover the bottom of the saucepan and saute all of the vegetables and seasonings together until completely cooked.

In a food processor, combine choice of olives and capers and add this raw mixture straight into a bowl with the orzo pasta. After the orzo pasta and sauce is mixed in add some more olive oil and salt + pepper according to taste. Once it is ready to serve be sure to include some finely chopped raw parsley to the orzo pasta.





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Everyone loves a good Pasta!

To start off boil your pasta of choice, I used linguini. Make sure to season your water with oil and plenty of salt, you could even include some garlic cloves for a little extra garlic flavor. For the sauce I first sauteed some garlic and onions in some olive oil. Next you want to add in some fresh chopped tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Lastly add in your ground beef. Be sure to season your beef with an Italian seasoning that includes all of the dried basil, oregano and other spices. I next added salt+ pepper. Once your meat sauce is ready top off with some fresh chopped basil.



A great side to this dish is some garlic bread. For the bread I used some sliced bread, any kind will do. In a blender mix in some garlic, dried oregano, salt + pepper and lots of olive oil. Once completely processed brush on your mixture onto the bread slices and place them in the oven on low heat for about seven minutes or until ready.



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Picnic for two...

Using the leftover chicken I made from the previous blog posting I created mini sandwiches. I first toasted my mini baguettes and lightly spread mayonnaise on both sides of the bread, added some lettuce and included the cut up oven roasted chicken I had that was sitting in my refrigerator. You can include any of your favorite sandwich toppings and substitute mustard or ketchup for mayonnaise. For the salad portion of my picnic I included a cabbage slaw, which consists of lemon juice, salt + pepper, green and purple cabbage and cilantro. For the other salad I just included some romaine lettuce, tomatoes, salt + pepper and placed a half a lime in the container. It is easier to use disposable containers so you don't have to worry about transporting empty containers. To finish off the meal I included a drink and fruit. Hope you find these helpful hints a fun way to incorporate different dishes to your picnic of choice.



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Bring on the Chicken

Easy as 1,23. Visit your local grocery store and ask you butcher to break down one whole chicken. After washing your chicken pieces place your pieces on an oiled baking tray. For the seasoning combine cumin, paprika, tumeric,salt + pepper, half a teaspoon of honey, lime juice from one lime, oil, and cayenne pepper. Make sure to mix all spices well enough until the honey mixes with the entire mixture. Using a brush, brush your mixture onto the chicken pieces. Cook in the oven for one hour on 350 degrees or until fully cooked. You want to rub your chicken for the second time with the same mixture about 20 minutes before serving so its nice and not dried out.



The Perfect side dish to accompany this chicken is roast potatoes. Just follow the easy steps, wash and cut your potatoes of choice and throw them into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle some paprika, tumeric, cumin, salt +pepper, oil, garlic pepper and a little bit of cayenne pepper. You can place your potatoes in the same baking sheet as your chicken or you can cook them separately. If you cook them separately cook potatoes for about 40 minutes on 350 degrees. The exact time for cooking your potatoes will depend on how large your potatoes are cut.



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Dessert Lovers!

For all you sweet tooth fanatics, Le Provence in Brentwood is the perfect cute little cafe to stop by and enjoy their wide selection of desserts. Known for their Parisian Macaroons that come in a wide selection of colors and flavors, Le Provence also carries other delicious desserts as well as a full menu. If you just want to grab a little snack I would highly recommend their four cheese mac 'n' cheese.



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Ahi Tuna Steaks

Ahi Tuna is a great substitute for chicken, depending on how you cook it, its very similar in taste and texture. To marinate the tuna steaks in a small bowl I mixed in the following ingredients: oil of your choice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cajun seasoning, salt + pepper, paprika, tumeric, cumin and some cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you want your dish to be. Mixing all the ingredients in a bowl I spread the mixture on both sides of the tuna. Next step is to drizzle some sesame oil on your frying pan. You want the temperature of your stove on medium high in order to sear the outside of your steaks. Lower the heat of your burner to low and leave on the stove to cook the steaks well done. Be sure to flip your tuna steaks so it cooks evenly through. This could be a meal on its own accompanied by a side dish such as steamed garlic asparagus or mashed potatoes, however I used them for a tuna taco dish.




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Ravioli Time!

So I had the bright idea to make Ravioli the other night and yes I managed to make it from scratch! Using a food processor I combined the pesto mixture, pine nuts, ricotta cheese, olive oil, salt + pepper, 4 garlic cloves and mushrooms of your choice. Once blended using a teaspoon scoop into the middle of a single layer of Wonton paper and seal with another Wonton paper. The way I sealed my Ravioli is by folding over the two layers and pressing the edges with water instead of egg wash, but you can use either one. Once all of the Raviolis are ready place them into a boiling pot of water. You want to place some oil and salt into your water the same way you do with rice or pasta. Carefully place a few Raviolis in the water at a time, making sure none of them are touching and after a few minutes take them out.

For the pesto mixture, combine olive oil, salt + pepper, spinach, garlic and pine nuts.

For the Ravioli sauce I combined some of the fillings used in the Raviolis and added in some fresh sliced spinach, mushroom and ricotta cheese. Once ready just drizzle the sauce on the Ravioli, a little bit goes a long way so there's no need to drench your pasta in sauce.

I accompanied this main dish with a side of sauteed spinach. To make the spinach all you have to do is place some olive oil on your frying pan, add some salt +pepper and sauté until your spinach breaks down into a little handful. Some people like to add fresh lemon juice to their spinach, if you choose to do so make sure you do it right before consumption or your spinach will turn brown.





A salad is the best way to complete this dish!

Using the ingredients of your choice, I used some butter lettuce, tomatoes and onions. For the salad dressing I combined a tablespoon of mayonnaise, two lemons, olive oil and salt+pepper. It might not sound delicious, but trust me its amazing. You want to mix the ingredients until the mayonnaise has become a liquid form.





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Yogurt Dip for Dummies!

Easiest Crowd pleaser you will ever create.

Yogurt
Mint
Salt
Pepper
olive oil
Lemon Juice


Combine your yogurt of choice with salt, pepper, tablespoon of olive oil and half a lemon. The most important ingredient is the mint leaves, they must be cut up very fine. You want to chop it up so fine that its minced. If you can't cut well then use a food processor. Serve with pita bread or chips.




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A Persian Masterpiece

So every Friday night my Grandmother cooks as if she is expecting a bunch of people to arrive, but no its just the usual handful of family members. She works all day from the morning until sunset to perfect her delicious Persian dishes. Its never a simple rice or stew dish. She really goes all out, different rices, different stews, chicken, salads and a bunch of other amazing dishes. You would think at a certain point in her life she would take a break and not continue to engage in such backbreaking activities, but this is what she lives for. Every Friday night she puts on a show with her perfected Persian dishes. I would like to take the opportunity to thank her for all of her hard work. If it wasn't for my Persian background I would probably not have such an interest in perfecting these dishes. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for a in depth explanation on how these dishes are created, mastered and what it takes to complete these amazing foods. One thing you should know about Persian cooking, it is a long process to follow, but the results are well worth it.





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Mushroom & Potato Soup

Start off the soup by boiling hot water, add in mushroom stock ( yes there is such a thing) according to the serving size you are using the directions will be on the container. Add in chopped white button mushrooms or any mushroom of your choice. Make sure you chop them up into tiny cubes. Add in a half a onion and five finely chopped garlic cloves. Add in your desired amount of potatoes as well as finely chopped up parsley ( I used about a half a bushel). Lastly add in a tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper.
Once all of the ingredients are in the pot, boil on the stove for about 30 minutes or until the soup has thickened up. The results speak for themselves. Not only is this soup vegetarian, it is also very healthy and delicious.




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Mexican Restaurant in Santa Monica

So I came across this mexican restaurant one day while shopping at LF main street and it looked very inviting. Best service, healthiest, cleanest mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at. I was expecting heavy, oily food, but to my surprise it was so light and healthy. I recommend this restaurant. The owner was so inviting and even gave me some information about salsa recipes. For all you vegetarians, they have a large selection of vegetarian and even vegan dishes.

LULA's In Santa Monica







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The Best Spicy Tuna Rice Cakes In LA

So when I think of spicy tuna on rice cakes I think of the abundance of sushi restaurants we have in Los Angeles, but out of all of the restaurants we have I think that one place tops it all off. Yen sushi makes the best crispy rice cakes ever. Don't you hate when the crispy rice cakes come to your table and it is all soggy and falls apart? Well at Yen they make the rice cakes so crispy that by the time it comes to your table nothing is falling apart. In the actual tuna mixture there are a blend of different things such as sesame seeds. Topped off with a slice of jalapeno, mayo, saracha and than the entire dish is sitting on home made eel sauce. SO YUMMY I recommend everyone to try it out. A very causal restaurant, not really fancy or anything, but the rice cakes are to die for.







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Party Time!

Here are some pictures from a gathering I had at my house. I wanted to share some great appetizer ideas with you. The following foods are all vegetarian, however meats could be added to these foods if desired.

Olive Tapenade that goes great with either pita chips or toast.
It is a very easy treat to create, using a blender process the following ingredients:
capers, olives of your choice, olive oil, garlic cloves, salt & pepper!



Caprese platter & cheese platter

For the Cheese platter, gather up your favorite cheeses with your favorite crackers and arrange them on a simple platter. Using whatever herbs you choose to use, arrange them in a platter in a manner that is pleasing to the eye. Everyone loves cheese so you really can't go wrong with your choice of selection.

For the Caprese platter, arrange your tomatoes in the center, as well as fresh basil leaves. On the outskirts of your tomato and basil arrange slices of mozzarella cheese and drizzle the entire platter with freshly ground pepper and your finest olive oil.




Here we have a selection of salads. They are all different. We have a bean salad which includes onions, black beans, parsley, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. A middle eastern Tabouli salad using parsley, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper.





Here was the final look!



Hope you enjoyed these fun ideas, I will elaborate more on these recipes later on in individual postings!

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Middle Eastern Appetizer

I would like to use my first recipe posting as a simple appetizer that anyone can create. It is so easy, yet so filling and so flavorful. It only consists of one ingredient and a few spices. I always make this appetizer whenever I know I will be having guest over since it pretty much can accompany any type of meal. In order to make this yummy Middle Eastern side dish you will need to purchase Israeli Couscous of your choice as well as the following:

-Tumeric
-Paprika
-Cayenne pepper
-Cumin
-Salt
-Pepper
-Oil
-instant tomatoe soup mix or tomatoe sauce






To start making this side dish you will need to boil the Couscous in a pot, you will want to fill up the pot with water the same way you do with rice. You do not want to fill it up too much since you will need to cook the couscous until the water is gone. You will need to add a little bit of salt as well as oil in the water. Once all of the water is gone, which usually takes about 15 minutes, add in a very small amount of the instant tomato soup mix depending on how much tomato flavor you want your couscous to have or about a half a tablespoon of tomato sauce. Add in the following spices according to your taste, but I only recommend using small amounts of each: tumeric, cumin, paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want your dish to be. Use salt and pepper according to taste. So now your dish is ready and you can enjoy the wonderful creation you have just made.




I really hope you enjoyed making your first dish!

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