cilantro pesto

1 bunch fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (to make vegan leave out cheese...can put in more nuts)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
optional: chile

In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss. Can also add a small (mild) chile)

*also works very well as a spread with pita, bolani, or chips

*also can reduce amount of olive oil and substitute in more walnuts.

red rocks steaks

4 to 6 tenderloin steaks (or same number of portobello mushrooms for veggie meal)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 shallots, diced fine
4 Tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons RED ROCKS (dry leaves, unsteeped, powdered).
*If don't have red rocks tea...used ground up rooibos tea with almonds and increase the proportion of vanilla by a smidge.

Rapidly brown the steaks on a hot skillet, with the olive oil and shallots, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer for five minutes. Mix together the honey, cinnamon, white wine, vanilla, orange juice and ground tealeaves, and add to the steaks in the skillet. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the steaks and cut into diagonal strips. Baste each strip with the sauce.

eleni's pumpkin soup

* 1 tablespoon margarine/butter
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 16 oz can of pumpkin puree
* 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
* 3 cups soy milk
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of cloves and cinnamon (just a pinch)
* 1/2 tsp brown sugar
* salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, cook the onion in the margarine for 3-5 minutes, until onion turns clear. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Cook over medium heat for another 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings of vegetarian pumpkin soup.
Tastes delicious with whole wheat bread...

Baked Onions

2 large yellow or white onions, peeled
2 TBSP Tomato Juice
1 1/2 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika

Cut onions in half crosswise and place, cut side up, in a baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan on low until butter is melted; stir well. Pour over center of each onion half and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

some onion poetry...woot!

...so did the earth
make you,
onion
clear as a planet
and destined
to shine,
constant constellation,
round rose of water,
upon
the table
of the poor.

You make us cry without hurting us.
I have praised everything that exists,
but to me, onion, you are
more beautiful than a bird
of dazzling feathers,
heavenly globe, platinum goblet,
unmoving dance
of the snowy anemone

and the fragrance of the earth lives
in your crystalline nature.
-Neruda's Ode to the Onion

Sabzi Polow...Green Rice

Sabzi Polow: Green Rice (rice with herbs)

Ingredients:

* 3 cups basmati rice (dry)
* 1 large or two small bunches of dill (washed and chopped)
* 1 bunch parsley (washed and chopped)
* 1 bunch cilantro (washed and chopped)
* 5 cloves garlic (diced)
* 2½ tsp turmeric
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Cooking Method:

1. Mix chopped herbs with garlic. Add turmeric, salt and pepper. Combine well.
2. Boil rice in pot of salted water to create ½ cooked rice.
3. Add herb and spice mixture to ½ cooked rice and stir so that ingredients are evenly combined.
4. Put oil in the bottom of large pot. Add rice mixture and drizzle a bit more oil over top.
5. Cover top of pot lid with clean dish towel and steam 1 hour.
6. Scrape thick crust (tah dig) from bottom of pot and place on top of rice when serving.
7. Serve with fried white fish if cooking for non vegetarians.

Arancini

These beautiful "little oranges" work as a meal or appetizer, depending on how many you cram down. You basically make a risotto, add whatever fixings you want, make little rice balls with your hands, bread them, and fry them.

The recipe (makes 8 big or 12-ish small balls):

3.5 c vegetable broth -- this should be homemade:
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 leeks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of thyme
(all of these ingredients are suggestions -- be adventuresome, or use your own recipe)

Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, saute. Add everything else. Cook until softened but not browned. Add 2.5 qt water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer ~1.5 h. Strain and discard solids, increase heat, and reduce volume by half. Can use immediately or store refrigerated for ~3 days. Makes about 4 c.

Back to the arancini...

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1.5 c arborio rice
6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into small cubes
6 shallots, finely chopped
Handful mixed fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc)
Finely grated zest of one orange
0.5 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Eggs, fresh bread crumbs, and olive oil

Put broth in saucepan. Heat until nearly boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Melt butter in a separate saucepan. Add rice and stir until grains are coated and glistening. Add all the hot broth to the rice one ladle at a time and stir until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be tender but slightly firm.

At this point, add mozzarella, shallots, mixed herbs, orange zest, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. You can also add pretty much anything else -- I've used fresh peas or zucchini, I've heard of adding diced ham. Mix everything well, remove from heat, and let cool. Shape the rice into balls, dip them in beaten egg, and roll them in bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil, add the balls to the oil, and fry until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels.

Santorini Fava

* 2 cups yellow split peas, pickled over and rinsed
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 4-6 garlic cloves
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 3-4 tablespoons dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled, plus more for garnish
* fresh ground black pepper

Optional Toppings:
* 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2-3 tablespoons pitted and chopped kalamata olives
* 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
* 1 medium tomato, cored, peeled, seeded, diced and drained
* 2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced (white plus most of the green parts)
* 3 sprigs arugula, coarsely chopped
* 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
* extra-virgin olive oil

Place the split peas in a large pot, add water to cover by 4 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, skimming often, for 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and simmer for 40 minutes more, stirring occasionally and adding a little warm water as needed to keep the peas covered as they cook. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the peas are soft and almost dry.

Puree the peas with a stick (immersion) blender, or transfer to a food processor and puree. Let the puree cool completely; it will thicken considerably.

In a large mortar, grind the garlic with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt into a smooth paste. Add 2 cups or so of the puree and continue grinding to incorporate the garlic. Or use a blender or a small food processor.

In a large bowl, combine the garlic mixture, the remaining pea puree, the oil, 3 tablespoons each vinegar and wine, the oregano and pepper to taste, stirring vigorously to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

If the skordalia seems too thick, add a little vinegar, wine or water to thin. Spread on a large plate, sprinkle with oregano, garnish with toppings of your choice and serve.

mesir wat...ethiopian red lentils

* Onions, chopped -- 2
* Garlic, crushed -- 2 cloves
* Ginger, peeled and minced -- 2 teaspoons
* Oil, butter or niter kibbeh -- 1/4 cup
* Paprika -- 2 tablespoons
* Turmeric -- 1 teaspoon
* Cayenne pepper -- 1/2 to 2 teaspoons
* Red lentils, rinsed -- 1 pound
* Water or stock -- 4 cups
* Salt and pepper -- to taste

1. Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a little water if necessary.
2. Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium flame. Add turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir rapidly to color the oil and cook spices through, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the onion puree and sauté until the excess moisture evaporates and the onion loses its raw aroma, about 5-10 minutes. Do not burn.
4. Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until lentils are cooked through and fall apart, about 30-40 minutes. Add water if necessary to keep the lentils from drying out.
5. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve.


Niter Kibbeh (recipe):
* Unsalted butter -- 1 pound
* Onion, chopped -- 1/2
* Garlic, crushed -- 2-3 cloves
* Gingerroot, cut into 1/4-inch slices -- 2-3 pieces
* Cardamom pods --3-4
* Cinnamon stick -- 1
* Whole cloves -- 3-4
* Fenugreek seeds -- 1 teaspoon
* Turmeric -- 1/2 teaspoon

1. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on the lowest possible heat for about 1 hour.
2. Pour the clear golden liquid off the top leaving all the solids in the bottom of the pan. Strain through cheesecloth if necessary. Discard solids.
3. Store in the refrigerator or freezer and use as needed.

Dolmathakia

• 50-60 fresh or packaged grape leaves, blanched
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup of long grain rice
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 3-4 cups of water

If the grape leaves have already been blanched, simply rinse and set in a colander to drain. If they are fresh, wash well and soak in hot salted water for 5 minutes, then drain.

Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium heat, and sauté the onion until soft. Add rice, half the lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of water, increase heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and turn off heat.

Allow the filling to sit for 5-10 minutes.

Place one teaspoon of filling at the stem end of a grape leaf and roll. Continue until filling has been used. (If any of the leaves are very small, use two for each roll.)

Line the bottom of a pot with unused or broken grape leaves and place the rolls, seam side down, in the pot in layers. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil and the 3-4 cups of water (enough to reach the top of the rolls). Place a plate on top of the rolls to hold them securely while cooking and bring to a full boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until only the sauce remains.

Add the remaining lemon juice and shake the pot gently.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.