Eggplant caprese salad

Eggplants are one of my most favorite vegetables, there is so much that can be done with them, from grilling to frying, in stews or used in different salad. This is a nice change from eggplant parmesan, especially for summer time when everything and anything can be grilled and hardly any oil… Enjoy

6 servings



Eggplant caprese salad



2 lb skinned and sliced eggplant (fat eggplants)
2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese
1 lb tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cub fresh lemon or lime juice
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 bunch fresh julienned basil
Balsamic vinegar with pomegranate for drizzle

Slice the eggplants ½ inch thick and grill on high , do not move them, making sure grill marks are on both sides.  Chop the tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella to desired sizes, not too small and not too large. Mix the two in a separate bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and set aside.
Plate the eggplant once cooled and using your hand add the cheese and tomatoes on top of the eggplant, then add the julienned basil, and finally drizzle with the balsamic vinegar of your own choice & enjoy…

COPYRIGHT 2010
SARA MOTAMEDI

We just moved and I had to leave behind my beautiful herb and small vegetable garden, however, with the help of the kids, we started a new one and picked fresh tomatoes for our last minute arugula salad! tomatoes are my second sons least favorite, but these are so sweet, he eats them up, and they complement the arugula real well along with the sweetness of the figs…

FRESH ARUGULA SALAD

with
FIG BALSAMIC VINEGAR

4 servings

4 cups baby arugula
2 cups chopped romaine hearts
3 Persian cucumbers sliced
2 cups fresh colorful tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp coarse sea salt
¼ tsp fresh grind black pepper
3 tbs fig balsamic vinegar



Add all the ingredients except the arugula in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss gently until well coated. Right before serving into individual platters add the arugula, the fig balsamic vinegar, making sure the arugula is coated, serve and enjoy. If you don’t have fig balsamic, just add 1 ½ tbs honey to the balsamic and toss gently.



SARA MOTAMEDI
COPYRIGHT 2010

I will continue the use of fresh ingredients, local produce, eliminating any cans from my pantry and my cooking…

Get the kids in the kitchen, start every recipe from scratch, involve them in the kitchen; have them help with adding the different spices and ingredients, make the time and spend it with kids and family in the kitchen, that will motivate us all to eat well and live a healthier life.
The key to this soothing and delicious healthy soup is using dry beans and letting them cook slowly to perfection…

Four Bean Soup
6-8 servings

½ cup dry black bean

½ cup dry large red kidney bean

½ cup dry garbanzo beans

½ cup dry white cannelloni bean = white kidney bean

15 cups of water

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

1 large onion chopped
5 large cloves of chopped garlic

¼ Cup canola oil


Wash the beans, making sure there are no rocks or dirt, add to a medium size pot with 15 cups of water. Making sure the pot has room to cook for close to 3 hours on medium heat with the lid. ( You may soak the beans overnight, it will reduce the gas about 20%. )

Pour the canola oil to a frying pan, add the chopped onions and cook till lightly golden, then add the chopped garlic to the pan and get them to cook together for another few minutes or till the garlic is golden. Be sure not to burn the garlic, it will cook quickly. Once the garlic is golden along with the chopped onions, add them to the pot and gently stir. This will add the most amazing flavor to the soup.
Serve it up with a dollop of yogurt or lite sour cream, some fresh shaved parmesan cheese; also for a different twist, I add fresh diced jalapenos peppers… yummy


COPYRIGHT 2010
SARA MOTAMEDI

Grilled Nicoise Salad


5 servings



Five 6 to 4-ounce sushi quality tuna steak

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp chopped capers

1 tsp herb de provonce

Salt

Pepper



In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, capers and herb de provonce. Set ¼ cup of the marinade aside. Pour the remaining marinade over the tuna steaks to coat. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.

Place the steaks on a hot grill or a grill pan, and cook each side for about 3to5 minutes per side over high heat, turning once, and don’t overcook. Make thin slices, taste make adjustments with salt and pepper, serve over fresh green bean salad with fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives and hard boiled eggs. Drizzle with the remaining dressing / marinade and enjoy.

COPYRIGHT 2010
SARA MOTAMEDI

I used to spend hours with my mom in the kitchen to prepare a different version of this simplified and healthy pancake.  Now i've come to change the ingredients and find that the kids enjoy helping and the preperation as much as cooking the pancakes with me.  I have them help with the peeling and grating, using their hands for mixing, and rolling the mini balls into the flourd surface.  Once again, get the kids in the kitchen have them help with the measurements and spices and the entire cooking process.  They will love the experience, and the memory will last them a lifetime.

chicken, carrots, and potato pancakes

2 1b ground chicken breast
1 tsp Cumin
1 1b potatoes
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1b carrots
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 red onion
1 tbs Salt &1 tbs Pepper
1 egg
1 tbs Olive oil
 ½ cup Flour
2 tbs Bread crumbs
Canola oil

Makes about 20 pancakes


Place the potatoes and carrots into a large pan and fill with room temperature water and bring to a boil with 1 tbs of salt. Once the carrots are cooked through and you can insert a fork into them remove them from the pan, and continue boiling the potatoes, insert a fork into the potatoes to check for doneness, remove and set them aside to cool along with the carrots. Best to use smaller potatoes than larger ones, this will expedite the cooking process.


Once the potatoes and carrots are cool go ahead and peel the skin off, in a large mixing bowl grate the potatoes and carrots and set aside. Cut the onion into large pieces and place in a small food processor or grinder add 1 tbs of olive oil and grind until nice and smooth. Add the ground chicken breast to the grated potatoes and carrots, pour the onion over the chicken mixture, add the spices and salt and pepper, beat the egg gently and pour over the mixture and mix well with your hand. Add bread crumbs and mix some more. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.


Coat the bottom of the frying pan with ¼ inch of good canola oil, and heat the pan.
Meanwhile, put some flour over a wooden board or a clean work surface and using a large table spoon, scoop out the mixture and place on the floured surface rolling the mixture into a small ball over the flour and lightly coating the entire surface. With your fingers gently flatten the small ball into a small pancake about a ½ inch thick and place into the hot pan to cook. No need to overcook the pancakes, just a few minutes on each side, depending on the size of the pan and the thickness of the pancakes, they should have a nice golden color on both sides.

Serve them with nice hot bread, a platter of cut tomatoes and basil leaves, or some fresh crunchy romaine lettuce, and some firm and crispy pickles, with mayo and or musterd.

sara motamedi
copyright 2009

So here's an amazingly simple recipe for the best moist brownies ever...
Once again, get the kids involved, have them help with the mixing,
the melting of the chocolate and butter, and the anticipation
and excitement of waiting for the final result :)



super moist brownies

1 ¼ cup cake flour
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, or 12 tbs cut into 1 inch pieces
2 ¼ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tbs good vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°, cut about 18 inch length foil fit into 13 x 9” baking dish, cut 14 inch parchment paper and insert over the foil inside the baking dish. Spray the paper with nonstick cooking or baking spray.

Combine flour salt and baking powder in a poll; set aside.
Add hot water to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, once the water starts to simmer, and chocolate few ounces at a time with a few pieces of butter to a glass bowl placed over the hot water. Melt all the chocolate and butter in the heat proof bowl over the saucepan stirring constantly, until smooth. When chocolate is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add the eggs one at a time then add vanilla, add the flower mixture in three steps folding with a rubber spatula or whisking gently until batter is completely smooth.

Pour batter into the baking dish using the rubber spatula, smooth the surface and place in the oven. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about two hours. Cut brownies into 2-3 inch squares and serve with confection sugar and a sprig of mint on top, or some vanilla ice cream, or just enjoy it all on it’s own.

sara motamedi

copyright 2009

Persimmons & Pomegranate salad

3 fuyu persimmons
3 Persian cucumbers
2 small tomatoes
1 cup pomegranate
½ cup blue cheese or feta cheese finely crumbled
1 tsp dry mint/ fresh mint finely chopped or cilantro
¾ tbs kosher salt
½ tbs fresh ground pepper
2 tbs lime juice
1 ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil

Chop the persimmons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Add olive oil, lime juice, mint, salt and pepper and mix. Add the cheese, and the pomegranate and gently toss.

Feel free to add grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon fillet and enjoy.
This is a serving for 4.

sara motamedi

copyright 2009