My Favorite Meal (As of recently...)

Once I get hooked onto something... I really get hooked. See this meal. I swear I was eating that meal for months! Since I usually cook for myself, I usually have to end up eating leftovers until it's all gone, but for this combo, I find myself cooking it over and over again and never getting bored of it.

Really, it's the simplest components that could be enjoyed separately, but I just love them together. First, it starts off with a simple but incredibly tasty rice pilaf. I make it all of the time and the fact that I can just put all of the ingredients into a rice cooker and walk away is magic; pure magic. Next, comes the fattoush salad dressed in a simple greek dressing. It's all of my favorite veggies in a dressing that keeps everything fresh and light. If I want, I sauté some spinach with some olive oil and garlic, set it all on a plate and sprinkle with some French feta. And yes, French feta is completely different than Greek feta, and much more tasty - in my opinion!

The picture above is how I normally enjoy all of this stuff but honestly, these are simple recipes for you to use with your own discretion. The rice pilaf is excellent under kabobs and the fattoush is awesome on top some lettuce! Let me know how you like to use these recipes :)

Simple Fattoush Salad

Yields: 4  servings

For the salad:

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and cubed

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

3 green onions, sliced

3 tbsn. chopped fresh mint

For the dressing*:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dried mint

To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a small jar. Seal the jar, then shake vigorously until combined and slightly emulsified, set aside. Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. *The dressing makes much more than needed for the fatuous, but is excellent on almost everything, so save for future use. Use just enough dressing to coat the veggies. Set aside to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

Sometimes I like to enjoy the fattoush as a mid-day snack - I love it so!

Classic Rice Pilaf

Yields: 6 - 8 servings

1/2 cup fideo noodles

3 tbsn. unsalted butter, melted

1 cup jasmine rice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 cups water*

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the fideo noodles out on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Make sure to check after 3 minutes just in case your oven is super hot; set aside. In a rice cooker, combine the rice, toasted fideo noodles, butter, spices and water. Cook under the 'white rice' setting. After done, fluff with a fork and enjoy!

*You could use low-sodium chicken stock as an alternative!

Stuffed Peppers

I'm a baker. I'm sure you know that by the looks of my blog here, but it's something I've ascribed to myself for some time now. Over the years, I've mastered my fears and perfected everything from cupcakes, to cookies to even bread. I've never been a cook. If I was a cook, it was merely just me trying on the title of 'cook' for the moment - following step by step directions for a recipe. 

As a baker, you rely on science, exact measurements. Cooks experiment, they rely on their instincts. I've never been one good with instincts. It's always a constant battle of heart versus head for me. Past internal conversations usually involved my heart longing for this, that and this while my head disagreed and said this, that and this are not possible, will not work, will fail. Recently though, it's been gratifying just to play around and end up with something good once in a while. Sometimes things don't work out, and that's okay. 

It's times when things do work out, and work out splendidly I might add, that make you want to try and try again. These stuffed peppers are an actualization to this fact. I didn't follow a recipe, I improvised, I let my heart guide me:

Heart: I want some mushrooms in my stuffed pepper.

Head: Mushrooms are too watery for the filling!

Heart: To hell with you head! Mushrooms it is!

Mushrooms won and I won in the end. These stuffed peppers are delicious, healthy, and an incredibly satisfying meal if not, an incredibly satisfying life lesson :)

Stuffed Peppers

Yields: 6 - 7 stuffed peppers

6 - 7 bell peppers (I used green because they had a nice shape for stuffing)

1 tbsn. olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 80% lean)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 tbsn. dried parsley or 1 tbsn. fresh

1 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tbsn. Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Save the tops and dice them; set aside. If your peppers do not stand well on their own, you can slice off a small sliver on their bottoms to even the base - but be sure not to cut through to the inside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and 2/3 of the garlic and cook for 2 - 4 minutes, or until semi-translucent. Add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 - 7 minutes. Drain this mixture using a fine sieve and then place into a large bowl. 

In the same saucepan, add the chopped bell peppers that you had set aside earlier, along with the mushrooms. Dry saute this over high heat to give some 'sear' to them and so that they just lose their 'crispness.' Once done, throw on top of the ground beef mixture, then add the cooked rice on top. In a small bowl, combine the egg, parsley, Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper; mix to combine, then pour into your bowl. Mix everything to combine, then stuff as much of this mixture as you can into your peppers. Place the peppers into a baking dish. Mix the water and tomato sauce together, then pour around the peppers. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy!

As a side dish to these, I decided to throw some brown rice and corn together. Seasoned it simply with some salt and pepper and it was splendid.

How to Enjoy Mujaddara:

So… there's this thing I'm obsessed with. Most of the time, obsessions are unhealthy - riddled with heartbreak, non-sensical daydreams and horrible time management. Thankfully though, this time at least, I'm obsessed with something that's quite good for me… whew!

I'd like to introduce you to mujaddara aka moujadara aka mejadra aka megadarra aka it goes on and on! This little thing has a boat load of names but really, it's not as complicated as it makes itself seem. Mujaddara (the way I like to spell it) is a simple mixture of green lentils, rice and caramelized onions and it is, by far, one of the most delicious things I've come across. If you're unfamiliar with it, I can't stress enough how much I want you, wait, no - strike that - NEED you, to try this! I even left you here with three delicious ways to eat it - so you don't even have to think at all. Just let your body do all the work and your stomach do the enjoying!

{The recipe}

Mujaddara

Yields: about 8 - 10 servings

Original recipe from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart.

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

5 3/4 cups water

2 cups dried green lentils

6 tbsn. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups long-grain white rice

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes; set aside. Combine the water and lentils in a heavy large saucepan. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the lentils are almost tender, but still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, add the rice, salt and pepper. Cover and bring the cooking liquid to a boil again over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender and the cooking liquid is absorbed (do not stir the mixture as it cooks), about 20 minutes. If some water remains unabsorbed, rem the saucepan from the heat and let it stand uncovered for 5 minutes. Fold the caramelized onions into the pilaf. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. I}

This Moroccan salmon salad is divine. It's inspired by a salad from a restaurant called Zov's in Tustin and it's the most ingenious use of mujaddara I've seen to date. Take a moment to think about it: warm, comforting rice pilaf under a bed of fresh mixed greens in a tangy but sweet vinaigrette with bites of brine-y feta, juicy tomatoes and tender, spiced salmon. Yeah... I think that about sums that up.

The essential components:

Moroccan Salmon Salad

Yields: 4 servings

Inspired by a salad from Zov's: Cafe & Bakery in Tustin, California.

For the salad:

4 salmon filets, washed and patted dry

4 tsp. Moroccan spices (recipe below)*

10 cups of mixed baby greens

2 plum tomatoes, diced

3/4 cup crumbled French feta cheese

2 cups cooked mujaddarah (recipe above)

For the balsamic vinaigrette (this will make more than needed for the salad):

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsn. Dijon mustard

2 tbsn. finely chopped shallots

2 tbsn. pure maple syrup

1 tbsn. pomegranate molasses

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

To make the vinaigrette, blend the balsamic, vinegar, rice vinegar, garlic, mustard, shallots, maple syrup, molasses, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. With the machine running, gradually pour the oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Should keep for 3 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Rub each salmon filet in 1 tsp. of Moroccan spice rub (or alternatively, you can do what I did below). Sear the filets on each side till cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes on each side; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the mixed greens, feta cheese and diced tomato. Toss with just enough dressing to coat. Lay out 4 serving plates. Top each plate with 1/2 cup of warm mujaddara. Divide the salad among the four plates, then top each with a salmon filet. Enjoy!

* If you don't want to make the Moroccan spice mix, you can just sprinkle each salmon filet with a pinch of each spice listed below, which is what I did because I was too lazy to make the spice mix. 

Moroccan Spices

Yields: 3/4 cup

Original recipe from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart.

3 tbsn. paprika

2 tbsn. dried thyme

2 tbsn. ground cumin

1 tbsn. ground nutmeg

1 tbsn. ground black pepper

1 tbsn. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground allspice

Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Transfer to a jar and seal with a lid. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. II}

When I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it immediately. Then I had this thought that popped into my head, it literally was one of those 'lightbulb' moments where you realize something so great your ego, not your head, seems to glow. I decided instead of stuffing the mushrooms with rice, such as in the recipe, I'd stuff it with mujaddara! Why not? Since it already is lovely with feta, I'd knew the combination would work and be even more lovely... and can I say, it was quite lovely. The perfect appetizer or it would make a great lunch on top of some baby greens.

Mujaddara & Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

Yields: 4 servings, as a side

Adapted from here.

12 large cremini mushrooms

olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1 cup mujaddara (recipe above)

3 tbsn. feta

1 garlic clove

2 tbsn. parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to broil. Place the mujaddara, feta, garlic, parsley in a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Remove all the stems from the mushrooms, discard and save and add to another meal some other day. Place the mushrooms, stem side down on  baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Place the mushrooms, stem side down in the oven about 4" from the top for 2 - 3 minutes. When they are done, flip them over, fill with the rice mixture and broil until the filling is hot, about 2 minutes. 

{How to eat Mujaddara Pt. III}

This recipe was inspired by one of my new favorite blogs, Cooking After Five. I stumbled upon it the other day, and I'm in love! The recipes, the photos, everything was right up my alley! Anyways I've been looking for new ways to eat my mujaddara and I had never seen it the way Nicole from Cooking After Five eats it here. Since I already had some herbed lebni in my fridge, I decided to play around with that and this is what I came up with. It's tangy, comforting and delicious, especially with the crunch from the slivered almonds. I simply love slivered almonds... add them to anything, and it will instantly be more delicious. Promise.

Mujaddara with Herb-Lebni Sauce

mujaddara (recipe above)

herbed lebni

1 lemon, juiced

slivered almonds, toasted

To make the herb-lebni sauce, add the lemon juice to the lebni sauce to thin it out. Add some water to thin it out some more, to the consistency of a hollandaise sauce. Serve drizzled on top of the mujaddarah with some toasted, slivered almonds. 

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Vietnamese Com Ga is probably one of the simplest, homeliest meals of our culture. Simple as it is, it's still one of my favorite meals.

I love how simple everything is, yet there's so much flavor, and the chicken really shines through. That's why it's super important to use free-range chicken in this recipe, because since the chicken is your main ingredient, you really want to use the best quality available. What makes the meal spectacular though, I feel, is the ginger fish sauce! It's sweet, tangy, salty and sooo delicious. Actually almost any kind of fish sauce makes me happy! The mint, cucumbers and marinated onions add great freshness to the dish as well.

The soup is optional but if you've never had fresh chicken stock before, please try this! With the leftover stock, you simply add some fish sauce to season it, then some fresh "Gai Xanh." I'm not sure what the English name of this is but it's similar to bok choy, so you can also substitute that. The broth is just so rich with flavor, it's incredible. I love this meal especially because though it's super healthy, you feel so satisfied after eating it.

Com Ga/ Vietnamese Chicken with Mint Rice

Yields: 4 servings

1 small, whole, free-range chicken

2 cups rice

4 cups chicken stock (reserved from cooking the chicken)

1 cup mint leaves, julienned

1/2 large white onion, sliced

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 persian cucumbers, washed and sliced

nuoc mam gung, for serving (recipe below)

For the soup:

gai xanh or vietnamese bok choy (regular bok choy is fine too), roughly chopped

fish sauce, to taste

black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, place the chicken (whole) inside. Fill the pot with enough water to almost cover the chicken. Heat over medium-high heat until the water is boiling, then reduce heat to medium to allow the water to simmer and the chicken to cook, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest and the water to cool down. Once cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the stock, but DO NOT discard the water. Cut the chicken into small pieces, for easier eating.

In the meantime, put the rice in a large bowl with a few cups of water. Gently swirl your fingers in the bowl to allow the starch to separate from the grains. Once the water becomes white, drain and repeat this process twice more. With each time, the water will get less cloudy. The idea is not to get rid of all the starch, just enough so that the rice will not be too sticky or too dry when cooked. Put the rice in a sieve and drain until the rice is fairly dry. In a rice cooker, combine the rice with 4 cups of chicken stock and cook according to your machine's setting (alternatively, you can also cook this on the stovetop). Right before serving, stir in the mint. You do not want to do this ahead of time because the mint will turn brown.

With the remaining broth, you can either save it for future use or make soup. To make the soup, re-heat the remaining broth over medium heat until just boiling. Add fish sauce, to taste. Add the gai xanh/ Vietnamese bok choy until just wilted. Turn off the heat. Enjoy sprinkled with some black pepper, alongside your Com Ga.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, vinegar and black pepper. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to soften and marinate the onions. To serve, place some rice on a plate. Top with some marinated onions, cucumbers, pieces of chicken and a drizzle of the nuoc mam guon. Enjoy!

Gai Xanh/ Vietnamese Boy Choy:

The ginger-fish sauce concoction & the marinated onions:

Nuoc Mam Gung/ Vietnamese Ginger Fish Sauce

2 - 3 limes, juiced

2 tbsn. fish sauce

2 tbsn. sugar, to taste

2-inch piece of ginger, finely minced

1 red chili, finely diced (optional)

Combine everything until well mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cháo/ Vietnamese Rice Porridge

Cháo is the Vietnamese version of rice porridge, if you're unfamiliar, you might recognize it as congee or jook. Some people think rice porridge is boring, but I happen to think it's comforting. It's warm, creamy and delicious. Oh, and the best part? It's e-a-s-y, which probably is the most comforting thing about it.

Usually, I eat mine with some shredded chicken, maybe some shredded pork and some fried Chinese cruton-like things. I recently saw someone eat it with a poached egg and in my head, an alarm went off, and I knew I had to try it immediately. I love all things egg and this just sounded too good to ignore!

This porridge is as simple as can be. Simply simmer some rice and chicken stock together and it's all done. This is best with homemade chicken stock, but canned or even simply water will do! Let me just say, the poached egg is a fantabulous addition! It adds this extra layer of unbelievable creaminess, mmmm creamy yolk all up in my porridge. Yum yum yum!

Cháo or Vietnamese Rice Porridge

Yields: 1 servings

For the porridge:

1 cup cooked jasmine rice

2 cups chicken stock, homemade is best!

1" piece of ginger

fish sauce, to taste

To serve:

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

black pepper, to taste

1 large egg, poached (instructions below)

lemon wedges

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and ginger to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice and lower the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer until the rice is soft and the liquid has thickened. Once thickened to your preference, remove the ginger. Taste the porridge, if it is already salted enough from the broth, skip the fish sauce, if it is not, add the fish sauce to your taste. To serve, divide among two bowls. Top each with a poached egg, then garnish with black pepper, green onions and cilantro. Drizzle with the lemon wedge and enjoy!

1. Bring a sauce pot filled with water to just under a boil.

2. If your water has already started to boil, lower the heat until the water is no longer boiling.

3. Crack an egg into a small bowl.

4. Add 1 tbsn. of white vinegar to the water.

5. Slowly drop the egg into the water.

6. Use a spoon to push back the egg whites onto the egg, so that it can form together.

7. Turn off the heat.

8. Cover the pot.

9. Let sit for 4 minutes, then remove the egg with a slotted spoon.