Rita's Interview With Local NBC Affiliate

Rita was interviewed this morning by King 5 News, the local NBC affiliate, about the situation in Syria and her up-coming mission to Jordan to help the refugees. She will be traveling with a group of doctors including surgeons, spinal care specialists, cardiac specialists, mental health specialists, and others who will be there to assess the long term needs of the refugees, particularly the children.

You can watch the interview here:

http://www.king5.com/video/featured-videos/Lending-aid-to-Syrian-refugees-188058821.html

You can donate to help the refugees and read more about the aid that Rita has been organizing for them at the Salaam Cultural Museum website.

Iran's Nomads Tour Map

Check out the stops we will make on the Iran Nomads Tour in May!


View Iran's Nomads (May 11-25, 2013) in a larger map

Day 12: Eech - Armenian Side Dish

Eech - Armenian Side Dish

1 onion chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can water
2-3 lemons squeezed and seeds removed
a pinch of salt, pepper and paprika
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
parsley and scallions
1 cup bulghur (medium)  - cracked wheat

Sauté the onions and the peppers until the onions become lite yellow add the sauce and water with the lemons, bring to a boil add the spices and then 1 cup bulghur (medium).  Let sit until the water is all absorbed.  Add parsley and scallions on top and serve warm or cold with pita bread.

Day 11: Georgian Shishkebab

The following recipe if for Georgian Beef Shishkebob. Enjoy!

“Shashlyk”

1/2 cup dry red wine, pomegranate juice, or sparkling water*
3 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 small onion, grated
8 to 10 black peppercorns, crushed
Salt, to taste
2 1/2 pounds boneless lean sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 small onions, cut into wedges
3 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil

GARNISHES
Radicchio or red kale leaves
2 tomatoes
2 lemons, cut into wedges
8 scallions (green onions), trimmed
1 long zucchini, cut into six 1-inch-thick slices

1. In a large glass bowl, combine the wine, garlic, grated onion, peppercorns, and salt, then add the meat and toss to coat well. Refrigerate, covered, for 6 to 8 hours, turning the meat occasionally. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

2. Prepare hot coals for grilling until coated with white ash, or preheat the broiler.

3. Toss the onion and pepper wedges in a bowl with the oil.

4. Remove the meat from the marinade and string it on long metal skewers, alternating meat cubes with onion and pepper wedges and pushing everything closely together.

5. Grill or broil the skewers 4 inches away from the heat, turning frequently and sprinkling with the marinade every 3 minutes, 9 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, 12 to 13 minutes for medium.

6. To serve in a traditional way, line two serving platters with radicchio leaves or red kale. Cut into the tomatoes as though you are cutting them into quarters, but leave intact at the stem ends. Place one in the middle of each platter. Scatter lemon wedges and scallions on the platters. Stick the sharp end of each skewer into a zucchini slice. Place three skewers on each platter and bring the open ends together to form a tripod. Wrap the ends with a linen napkin to hold them together. Serve at once.

Serves 6

* Note: Although it is traditional to marinate the beef in wine or vinegar, the truly experienced Georgian cooks suggest that they actually toughen, rather than tenderize, good beef. They recommend using sparkling water instead.

Arava Border Crossing has Re-opened

We have received word the the Arava border crossing between Jordan and Israel has been re-opened.

Day 10: Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Here is an easy, refreshing salad that you can do the night before and then just add the tomatoes before serving.

4 cucumbers ( diced)

2 bunches of green onions - chopped

3 green peppers - chopped

6 stalks celery - chopped

1 bunch parsley - chopped fine

6 tomatoes quartered

Equal parts of lemon and olive oil

Mix all the vegetables together with the lemon and oil - cover and refrigerate.  Right before serving quarter the tomatoes and mix in, then serve.

Fabulous next to any meat or rice dishes.

Day 9: Stuffed Peppers, Tomatoes & Eggplant

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter

For the Shells:
6 small black skinned eggplants (about 12 cm long and 4 cm in diameter)
6 medium green bell peppers
6 large firm tomatoes
salt
ground black pepper
For the Stuffing:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter
1 1/2 pounds (700 g) ground beef or lamb
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium green pepper (pointed or bell), finely chopped
chopped tomato pulp* (see the recipe)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup cooked and split chickpeas (1/4 cup dried, boiled in slightly salted water and drained), optional
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the shells.
Eggplants: There are two ways to prepare the eggplant shells. Choose one you like better.
Method 1: This is the easier method and takes less time than the second. Cut off the stalk end of the eggplants. Make a lengthways slit in each taking care not to cut right through. Fill a pan with water and bring to a boil. Gently drop the eggplants into the boiling water, and simmer for about 2 minutes, using a slotted spoon to keep them submerged. Remove and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the seeds from the eggplants with a spoon or by rubbing the eggplants gently between the palms of your hands to let the seeds fall out. Set aside.

Method 2: My favorite method, although requires more time and effort to prepare. Here instead of blanching the eggplants fry them before stuffing. Using a vegetable peeler or knife, remove about 3-4 lengthwise strips of skin from the eggplant to create a striped effect. Make a lengthways slit in each eggplant taking care not to cut too deep through. Soak the eggplants in a large bowl full of cold water with 2 tablespoons salt for 20 minutes to remove any bitterness. Drain, and gently pat dry. Fry the eggplants in 4 tablespoons oil or butter (add more if necessary) on all sides for about 10 minutes, or until evenly brown. Remove, drain on a paper-towel lined plate.

2. Make the stuffing. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ground meat and cook until the released liquid has evaporated and the meat has nicely browned. Add the onions and cook for 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped pepper and tomato pulp and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Add the fresh herbs, and if using, cooked and split chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

3. Sprinkle inside of the shells with some salt and black pepper and fill them with the stuffing. Cover the top of the peppers and tomatoes with their lids. Place the vegetables side by side in a deep frying pan. Pour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter over the top. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender (but not mushy!) and the liquid has reduced to the syrupy consistency.

Be sure to check out AZ Cookbook blog (where I found this recipe) for more Azeri dishes.