Ottoman Express

Beet dip with Za'atar

Lately I've found my culinary tastes dwelling on a particular regional cuisine instead of drifting all over the world as it normally does. It might be easy to describe as Turkish food, but its more accurate to say Ottoman food, or, food created in areas previously encompassed by the Ottoman empire, from Southern Europe to the Middle East. (I should note that for many of this region, its not a particularly cherished historical memory. But it did make for some great culinary-cross pollination.) It means that incredibly vegan-friendly range of food that gets its taste from creatively concentrated vegetables, fresh herbs, and pungent spices. I'm talking the sweet-sharp hit of pureed eggplant, paprika and onion in Balkan Ajvar, the omnipresent fresh mint, parsley and lemon topping Turkish salads, and the smoky paprika-infused oil glistening in a Hungarian paprikash.

Living in Berlin means that all the needed ingredients for this Balkan-Middle Eastern binge is right at my fingertips, and quite inexpensive. (I defy you to find a cheaper source of Za'atar and sumac than my local grocery store.) It also means you can see the persuasive power of this magic region, as Germans here prefer doner kebab to currywurst as their beer companion, and are far too comfortable drinking salted yogurt beverages (Ayran), slurping lentil soup for breakfast, or binging on cups full of mint and bulgar on a fast food break. Which only means that when I serve something with tahini for the fourth time this week, my own German hardly raises an eyebrow.

I've got a couple recipes I want to share when I perfect them (my own versions of Persian crispy rice, Ajvar, Kibbeh, ect.) but for now, here's a few dishes that explain where my tastebuds are -somewhere on the Orient Express, it seems.

Pureed Beet Dip with Za'atar (veganized from Jerusalem)
3-4 red beets
1 garlic clove (or more to taste) 
1 small dried chili/ pinch cayenne pepper / dried chili
1 cup PLAIN soy yogurt
1 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses OR grape syrup (pekmez)
Salt and za'atar

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Rinse off beets and cut off ends. Wrap in tin foil and toss in the oven, cooking for 45 minutes or until easily fork-pierceable.
2. When beets are done and cool to the touch, remove peels with a peeler + your fingers. Roughly chop and throw in the food processor along with roughly chopped garlic, chili and yogurt. Whizz away until smooth, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Fold in syrup, olive oil, and pinches each of za'atar and salt. Taste, and add in more yogurt or spices to taste.

Serve topped with slices green onions and toasted hazelnuts (if desired) with some good toasted bread or pita.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon
I make a veganized combo of this recipe and this recipe, serving it with plenty of extra fresh mint, lemon, and pomegranate seeds. Its hard to mess up something so simple and delicious, and it can be served any time of day but it makes a great breakfast! (Especially with Coca cola for some reason, I know, its weird.)

Megadarra
There are many spellings and versions of this homey rice and lentil dish, but its worth mastering your own because its difficult to find anything else so delicious that can be made so cheaply and with such few ingredients. Be sure to check out alternative preparations, but here's my version.

1 C. Brown or Green Lentils, rinsed 
3-4 medium onions, chopped into half-circles (cut off ends of each peeled onion, slice from end to end, then, laying flat on cutting board, slice through thinly from end to end, producing thing concentric half-circles.)
Olive Oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 C. Basmati Rice, rinsed 
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch each: turmeric, allspice, sugar
2 C. water
Salt and pepper

Plain soy yogurt
Roughly chopped cucumber and mint

1. You will need three cooking vessels: one large sautee pan for caramelizing onions, one small pot for cooking the lentils, and one larger pot for the rice and lentil mixture. To start, fill the smaller pot with cold, salted water and set on to boil. Set the sautee pan on medium heat and drizzle with a good couple tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Once pot of water has reached a boil, add the lentils and reduce to simmer. Cook for 15- 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft and chewy. Drain, and set aside.
3. -in the meantime (while lentils are cooking) we need to caramelize some onions. When your sautee pan is heated to medium heat with plenty of oil, add in the chopped onions and immediately lower heat to lowest setting. Stir frequently, watching for burning, and let cook for some 20-30 minutes, adding in a bit of extra oil or water if necessary because of burning. When done, onions should be brownish tendrils starting to get crispy in places. Using slotted spoon, remove onions to a serving bowl and set aside.
4. Place larger pot from step 1 on medium heat. Add in cumin seeds and toast for circa 1 minute, or until starting to turn brown. Add in a good drizzle of olive oil, then the rice, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice and sugar. Toast rice for a minute with the spices, then add in 2 C. water, and the cooked lentils. Stir, season with salt and pepper, and bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for circa 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.

To serve, scoop a generous serving of lentil rice mixture onto plates and top with plenty of caramelized onions. Serve with a mix of cucumber, yogurt and mint. HEAVEN.

Megadarra, Mujedrah, Mejadra, ect. with cucumber yogurt

For more Ottoman Express inspiration, check out my posts from Budapest, Belgrade, and Istanbul.


Song of the Day: The Preatures- Is this how you feel?

Spargelzeit! (My way)

Not to be a bad German or anything, but I just cannot get behind the sudden enthusiasm this country whips up for white asparagus this time of year. I guess its exciting because its a local vegetable, unlike the imported mealy tomatoes and sad waxy peppers of winter, but just because its ours doesn't mean its awesome.

No, true to my American roots, I like my asparagus green and skinny. As though it has been exposed to sunlight and gone through the process of photosynthesis. Something about covering white, stalky "Spargel" with white, creamy Hollaindaise sauce just does not scream "Spring" to me.

I think a real Spring dish exploits the first greens and pumps it up with some citrus and those wintry standbys, onions and garlic. Something like this simple, weeknight Lemon-Asparagus Risotto. Or an asapargus sautee with tons of lemon and red peppers and tofu. You get the picture. And as for Spargelzeit, I'll jump on the next German food bandwagon... lets say rhubarb-zeit or mirabellen zeit.

 ****************


Asparagus-Lemon Risotto

1 Quart of your favorite vegetable broth method
1 Tbsp. Olive oil + 1 tsp. vegan margarine
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 C. Arborio Rice
1 Glass decent white wine
A fistful of Asparagus, trimmed and cut into quarters
Salt, pepper, Thyme
Juice and zest from one lemon

1.) Heat several cups of your vegetable broth (or water + bouillon) and put on the backburner.
2.) In a large pot, heat olive oil and margarine over medium heat. When sizzling, add in onions. After 1-2 minutes, add in garlic. Stir and cook for about 4 minutes or until translucent.
3.) While this business is getting underway, heat another frying pan with a drizzle of oil on medium heat. When hot, add in your asparagus and a pinch of thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired state of "done-ness". (I like them a bit undercooked and crunchy, but to each her own.) Finish off with a dash of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon and remove from heat.
4.) Once onion and garlic are ready add in your rice and stir so that it gets coated with oil and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, and then add in your glass of wine. Stir slowly, until wine has been absorbed.
5.) Now comes the "spoon and stir" portion of risotto for which it is famous. Ladle a spoonful of warm broth into your pot. Stir slowly until it has been absorbed by rice. Repeat this until mixture has significantly increased in size and rice is cooked through. (If you run out of broth, you can use water, no one will know.)
6.) At the end, when rice is fully cooked, stir in your asparagus mixture, lemon zest, and squeeze the rest of the lemon juice on in. Turn off the heat and cover and let sit for five minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve with crusty bread, baked tomatoes, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

*****

Song of the Day: David Bowie- Modern Love

Vegan Mofo: Anxiety Reducing Tamarind Coconut Curry

Oh my Gosh you guys, I went to the doctor yesterday and I was so freaked out. No idea why, but the idea of going to the doctor in a foreign country always freaks me out. What if he or she doesn't understand what you are asking for and removes a rib or something? Or what if they totally miss any problems because you don't understand the question? I once went to a doctor in Budapest complaining of a stomach ache and they gave me a sonogram. True story.

But then I remember that my German is much better now, and because everyone here is way into holistic medicine the only risk of going to a doctor is likely to be a lecture about doing yoga and taking magnesium supplements. Yes, my doctor ended up being super chill. She even wrote in my prescription that I should get a hula-hoop to reduce menstrual cramps. What American doctor (who wasn't insane) would prescribe a hula-hoop? No, they would hand you a bottle of painkillers. Oh America, how I miss you.

Anyways, despite kind of being in love with my new German doctor, I was still a little shaky from the morning of predicting horribles. And what better thing to eat to calm you down than a big, spicy curry? For some reason curries always calm me down- the spicier the better. Maybe curry powder has a secret calming effect. Or its just the appeal of standing in the kitchen chopping vegetables for big aromatic stew- definitely takes your mind off you problems.

Either way, for me curries are the ultimate soulful comfort food- plus a good excuse to get rid of any veggies remaining in your fridge. Its not really an authentic recipe (I mean, obviously), but lemme give you the equation for how I do it. Its hard to screw up, it gets the job done, and coconut milk is pretty forgiving if you need to add in more curry or spice.

Tamarind Coconut Curry
 1 onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1" ginger root, peeled and chopped
[Lots of veggies]
1.5 T curry powder
Cayenne pepper
1 T Tamarind paste (if ya got it)
1 14 oz can Coconut Milk (light is fine)

Tomato/ Tomato paste
Agave nectar (optional)

1.) While a pot or wok is heating up to medium with a few tablespoons of oil, chop up an onion, 3-4 cloves garlic, and  ginger. When oil is hot, throw them in.
2.) While they are cooking, chop up whatever veggies are lying around, eg., carrots, leeks, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, bok choi, mushrooms, ect.
3.) Throw those in to the pot, and saute a few more minutes. Next, sprinkle over everything 1 and 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, plus 1 tablespoon tamarind paste and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
4.) Finally, add in a 14 oz. can of coconut milk, plus a squirt of agave nectar (to counteract the sour tamarind.) Throw in some chopped tomato if you have some, or a squirt of tomato paste.
5.) Cook for 15-20 minutes and taste to adjust seasonings.

Serve with rice, cashews, chopped herbs, ect.

Song of the Day: Ben Folds Five- Do it anyway

Vegan Mofo: Mushroom Tibs

One thing about vegans is that we tend to have serious cookbook lust. Vegan cookbooks are portals into another world of not being outcasts because of our aversion to animal products, and we cling to them for dear life, hoping they will provide the perfect thing to serve to our in-laws or boss to trick them into thinking we are "normal." *(Which we will be in 20 years, when the entire world is vegan and artisan vegan cheese is in every corner market.)

Here in my household, my husband is a pretty good sport about not getting his desired ham and schnitzel dinners on the reg, but I still love finding a recipe that knocks socks off, vegan or not.

And I just found one yesterday, courtesy of (who else?) Isa Chandra Moskowitz, grand doyenne of Vegan cuisine. I've been reading her new cookbook, "Appetite for Reduction," more as recreational reading than instructional, but I decided to cook one of my bookmarked recipes yesterday, Mushroom Tibs.

An incredibly simple and pantry-friendly side, this is essentially mushrooms coated in a bit of tomato paste and tons of warm and sexy spices that will make your kitchen smell great. Served with some turmeric rice with raisins, and de-frosted green beans with tons of fresh lemon, I had an amazing, almost restaurant quality meal which thrilled us both for almost no cash.

Next time I will make twice as much! And there will be a next time, trust me.

Song of the Day: Aluna George- Your Drums, Your Love

Vegan Mofo: Vegan Pad Thai, in a way

Pad Thai is supposedly the national dish of Thailand, but those of us who grew up in Northern Virginia know: this is the dish of our people, too. Nova has an overflow of excellent Thai restaurants, and every Friday night without fail, government bureaucrats return home to their Lake Barcroft mini-mansions from a week of thanklessly pushing papers and sitting in traffic in our nation's capitol, to turn to their spouse and sigh: "Lets just order Thai."

This prevalence among the cosmopolitan upper-class has leaked into every nook of NOVA society, to the extent that my Art Teacher in high school would let us leave mid-class to go get takeout, as long as we brought back a shrimp Pad Thai for her, too. As kids, we went our for Thai before Prom and Homecoming, we went after victorious swim meets, we went our for Thai when we didn't have dates on Friday night. And now, when I come home to the US the first thing we do when we get off the plane is swing by Rabieng's to pick up a takeout order.

My point is: I love this dish. So when my boyfriend Husband S offered to go pick up the ingredients, I was thrilled. Until it came time to actually make the dinner and I realized he forgot something rather important. The noodles. He forgot the Pad!

So I wondered... can you make it with rice? It turns out, you can! Kind of! So this is my very tweaked take on the classic dish- minus noodles, fish sauce, and shrimp. Its vegan, and more of a Thai-style fried rice I guess, but its still absolutely delish.

*****
Pad Thai Style Fried Rice

1 c. rice

3 Tbsp. Tamarind Paste
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
Chile Sauce or Chile Flakes, to taste

Peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
The white part of one leek, sliced (OR half a head napa cabbage, sliced into thin strips)
4-5 green onions, sliced
2 handfuls Mung Bean Sprouts
1 package firm Tofu, pressed and sliced into small rectangles
Any other veggies you want to use up (e.g., sliced mushrooms, strips of peppers, broccoli, ect.)

2 Limes, sliced
Plenty of roasted peanuts for garnish

1.) Cook the rice. When its finished, remove to a bowl and drizzle with peanut oil, tossing a bit to coat. Set aside. (You want it as cool as possible so this would be great to do in advance~ or use leftover rice.)

2.) Next, in a small saucepan, combine tamarind paste, soy sauce, agave nectar, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer then lower heat and add chili flakes or sauce to taste. (Note: I used really thick tamarind that doesn't break down entirely, requiring me to add the mixture over a sieve. There are various types of tamarind paste out there so this may or may not be necessary.)

3.) In a wok heat the peanut oil to medium (but not to smoking.) Add tofu and fry for about five minutes or until lightly browned. Add in garlic, leeks and onions and cook a bit longer. Then add the rest of your veggies and sprouts and cook a little longer. Finally, add in your cooled rice and the tamarind mixture, tossing to coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until rice is fried  and sauce is evenly distributed.

4.) Serve with limes for squeezing and topped with roasted peanuts.
*****

Song of the Day: Anita Ward- Ring My Bell

Vegan Mofo: Jambalaya

Jambalaya! I feel like there was a dorky commercial in the nineties advertising some instant Jambalaya-flavored rice mix, where a couple danced around the kitchen while a brass band plays, instantly transporting themselves from their hum-drum lives to the spicy streets of New Orleans.

Well, that commercial may have been stupid, but it got one thing right: something about the food of New Orleans makes people feel festive! Its interesting, because so much of said food is like, rice, gravy, and boiled crustaceans, but somehow the people there know how to transform humble beginnings into rarefied gourmet delicacies. Jambalaya is no different- you can't help but feel a little bit special when you make it. Just please don't make me cringe by dancing around your kitchen shouting, "Jamba-LAYA!"

Note: I don't pretend to be an expert on Authentic Cajun cooking (and certainly, vegan food tends to not be very "authentic").  This recipe is loosely inspired by several in the Southern Foodways Alliance Cookbook but they also have widely different ways of preparing it, including one version where the dish is baked. Of course, if you have alternative suggestions please feel free to chime in in the comments.

Vegan Jambalaya 
1- 2 Servings Vegan chorizo, (or other sausage) sliced (A cups worth is great)
1 medium onion, diced
1 Green pepper, diced
3 stalks (or so) celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 cups rice
3 and 3/4 cups veggie broth (or water + bouillon, or faux-chiken broth)
1 tbs. Creole/ Cajun seasoning
2 Bay leaves
Sprig thyme
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes (with green chiles is good)
Liquid Smoke
Paprika
Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Oil

1.) In a large pot, saute your sliced soy-sausages in oil. If they are chorizo flavored, you're good to go, but if they are plain, then soup them up generously with the following: paprika garlic powder, liquid smoke. After they are good and browned, remove them with a slotted spoon to a separate dish, and keep the flavored oil.
2.)  Add in the onions, celery, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Then add in garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened, seasoning with salt and pepper.
3.) Add in water or veggie broth, tomatoes, Bay leaves, thyme and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, then add in rice. Stir to combine, lower heat to a simmer, and cover until rice has absorbed most of liquid and is soft (you might need to add in more liquid if its too dry). Stir sausage back in and a dash of liquid smoke. Season to taste with Tabasco sauce and serve, alone or as part of a Cajun dinner.