(working recipe) Garlicy green bean and mushroom salad

I had this when I was in Las Vegas and I couldn't stop eating it. So, I'm trying to replicate it to some extent. This recipe will probably be edited in the future as I keep tweaking it.

Ingredients:

Fresh green beans (I used a "bag" of thin trimmed green beans, which might be about 3 cups or so. I'd love to have found some "haricots verts" super small ones, but it was a no go this time)

small carton of small button mushrooms

1/2 to 1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

4 large cloves garlic, pressed

olive oil

pepper

few pinches of salt

onion powder and garlic powder (optional)

1/2 cup to 1 cup of broth of your choice (I recommend vegetable or chicken)

Instructions:

Saute garlic and mushrooms in olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add green beans and sautee a few more. Add broth and spices and and cover well.

Let veggies steam until the green beans are cooked but not "soft." You want them to be more al dente than mushy.

Remove from heat and drain extra liquid. Cool in fridge until cold (or use ice cubes and then strain out the water). Add bell pepper slivers and mix well. adjust spices and add a tiny bit more olive oil if you wish. Serve

thoughts- I might add some dijon mustard next time. not sure yet

Ash-e Reshteh

Ash-e Reshteh

2 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, pelled and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup dried red kidney beans, washed and soaked in
cold water 2 hours and drained
1/4 cup dried navy beans
1/4 cup dried chickpeas
10-12 cups water
1 cup lentils (I assume brown)
4 cups homemade beef bone broth
1/2 pound persian noodles (reshteh) or linguine noodles,
broken in half
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup coarsley chopped fresh chives or scallions
1 cup chopped fresh dill
2 cups coarsley chopped fresh parsley
6 pounds (10 cups) fresh spinach, washed and chopped,
OR 3 pounds frozen spinach, chopped
1 fresh beet, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup liquid whey (kashk-- I have a recipe if u want),
or sour cream, or 1/4 cup wine vinegar

Qeymeh (optional-- I have a recipe)

Garnish (nana dagh)
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp dried mint flakes, crushed


1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot, and saute the onions and garlic
over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add kidney
beans, navy beans, and chickpeas; saute for a few minutes.
Pour in 10 cups of water and bring to the boil, skim the froth as
it forms, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes over
medium heat.

2. Add lentils and beef bone broth. Cook 55 minutes longer.

3. Add noodles and flour and cook about 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally (Leila's note--one way I add flour to soup without
making lumps is to combine it with some oil and make a ball--
it dissolves in the heat)

4. Add chopped chives or scallions, dill, parsley, spinach, and
the beet. Continue cooking, stirring from time to time for 30 minutes
or until beans are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add
more water if the ash is too thick.

5. Stir in the whey (or sour cream or vinegar), saving a dollop
for the garnish, and mix well with a wooden spoon.

6. Prepare the Qeymeh without the potatoes (I will post recipe)

7. To prepare the garnish (nana dagh), brown the onion and
garlic in oil in a non stick frying pan. Remove from heat; add
the turmeric and the crushed mint flakes and mix well.

8. Pour the soup into a tureen. Garnish with mint mixture
and the dollop of whey.

Bissara

Bissara
Morocco


1 c large size dry fava beans, soaked overnight and drained
3 cloves garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
8 c water
5 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 c chopped parsley

Place the fava beans (fooel beans), garlic, salt, 4 tbsp of olive oil, and water
in a pot; then cook over medium heat until the beans are tender. (personal
note-- I dont recommend adding salt to cooking beans because I find they tend
to toughen up the beans)

Place the beans in food processor and process until smooth, then return to the
pot. Add the lemon juice and cumin, and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Spoon into a serving platter. Pour the remaining olive oil evenly over the top;
then sprinkle with the paprika and chili powder. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Lubia-Pokhteh

Lubia-Pokhteh
(Mashalah musho)
Red Kidney Bean Dip (Iran)


1 cup dried kidney beans or 1 12 oz can cooked beans*
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
juice of 2 limes
2 tsp angelica powder (gol-par)

1. Place beans in a large saucepan; add 4 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt; bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour or more until tender. Add more water as needed.
3. Fry the onions in a skillet in 4 tbsp oil over medium heat until golden brown. Add tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
4. Combine with kidney beans
5. Add 2 tbsp oil, lime juice, and angelica powder. and mix well.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste; transfer to a salad bowl and serve as an appetiser, warm or cold, with lavash bread.

*note-- if using canned beans, fry the onions, mix them with the tomato paste and add the beans. Simmer 15 minutes, and add rest of ingredients. If using dried beans, soak them overnight in 3 cups cold water and 1/2 tsp salt and then drain.

Louvia Mavromatika Me Lahana

(Black eyed Peas with Silverbeet)
This recipe is from Cyprus

Ingredients

2 cups black eyed peas
6 cups water
1 kg (2 lb) silverbeet (Swiss Chard)
salt
2 cloves garlic,
/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
lemon wedges for serving

1. Wash the dried beans well, place in a pan and cover with the 6 cups water. Bring to the boil, boil uncovered for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Cover pan and leave for 2 hours or until plump.
2. Return to heat and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours or until just tender
3. Wash silverbeet in severeal changes of water. Cut off stems and trim them. Cut stems in 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces and add to beans with salt to taste. Cover and cokk for futher 10 minutes.
4. Shred silverbeet leaves coarsley and add to beans. Cover and cook for further 15 minutes or until beans and silverbeet are tender. Drain well and turn into a deep bowl.
5. Crush garlic with a little salt if used. Blend into olive oil with lemon juice and pour over hot vegetables. Toss well and serve with lemon wedges so that flavor may be adjusted to individual taste. Serve hot or warm.

Mid Eastern Beans and Rice

Ingredients

(this is for the smallest possible batch. I usually double or triple this recipe)

1 can of drained black eyed peas (Iraqi version), or 1 cup cooked green fava beans (Iranian version)
1 cup of basmati rice

butter

salt

dill weed (I use dried)

Instructions

1. put a large pot of salted water on the boil
2. add the rice (you can wash it first or soak it if you want to reduce the cooking time)
3. cook the rice for 8-9 minutes (less if washed) or until it is al dente-- not completely cooked. Drain
4. put some butter (I always use enough to clog my arteries) in the bottom of the pot and melt it--
5. add the drained rice, the drained black eyed peas/fava beans, salt to your taste, and several spoonfulls of dill weed-- you choose how much you'd like-- but at least 1 tbs per batch-- I always use quite a bit more than that.
6. use your spatula to make the rice mixture look like Devil's Tower (dont forget to hum the melody for Close Encounters lol lol ) and poke a few holes down through the mixture with the handle of your spatula to facilitate steaming.
7. I put a few more pats of butter on top and more salt if needed
8. put a paper towel or thin dish towel over the top of the pan, and then put the lid of the pot over the top-- if the rag is long, tie it on top of the lid.
9. Steam on LOW heat for 15-25 minutes or until u can't stand it anymoreHow to eat it-- some people like this with a Roast chicken, but I always go the vegitarian way by just taking home made pickles (torshi) and plain yoghurt to mix in. Serve with a nice salad with a lemon vinagrette too