Rethinking the Basics

**ImEmile** · 01-30-2007, 03:06 AM

Gladly! I would have posted it the other day but didn't have the cookbook with me and had already been on WAYYYY too long. LOL

Yakhnit koosa mah batata (Zucchini-Potato Stew)

1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb 1 t. salt (or to taste)
3 T. oil 1/4 t. pepper
1 med. onion (diced) 1/4 t. cinnamon
3 zucchini 6 inches long 4 T. tomato paste
(sliced into 1/2 inch slices) water
4 large potatos (in 1 inch cubes)

Brown meat in oil and add onion. Saute until onion is limp. Add zucchini and potatoes. Stir 1 minute.

Add seasonings, tomato paste, and enough water to just cover the mixture. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, app. 30 min. (I did it a bit longer-DH likes very soft potatoes).

Serve with Rice Pilaf.

VARIATION: Use 7 large potatoes and omit zucchini for Potato Stew.

Rice Pilaf

1/2 c. vermicelli (cut into 1-2 inch pieces)
1/4 c. butter (unsalted)
1 1/2 c. rice (soaked in hot water for 1 hour-I don't bother)
1 1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. water (I use about 3 1/2 since I use brown rice

Brown vermicelli noodles in the butter in saucepan (they should be very brown). Add drained rice, stirring over med. heat for 1 minute. Stir in salt and water. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer; cover and cook for 20-25 min or until rice is tender.

Serve with any stew dishes and/or fresh yogurt.

(If you take cooked rice, plain or pilaf, and mix it with plain yogurt and salt/pepper, you have a really tasty lunch or light supper.)

**Leahmom** · 01-30-2007, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by ImEmile

Gladly! I would have posted it the other day but didn't have the cookbook with me and had already been on WAYYYY too long. LOL

Yakhnit koosa mah batata (Zucchini-Potato Stew)

1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb 1 t. salt (or to taste)
3 T. oil 1/4 t. pepper
1 med. onion (diced) 1/4 t. cinnamon
3 zucchini 6 inches long 4 T. tomato paste
(sliced into 1/2 inch slices) water
4 large potatos (in 1 inch cubes)

Brown meat in oil and add onion. Saute until onion is limp. Add zucchini and potatoes. Stir 1 minute.

Add seasonings, tomato paste, and enough water to just cover the mixture. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, app. 30 min. (I did it a bit longer-DH likes very soft potatoes).

Serve with Rice Pilaf.

VARIATION: Use 7 large potatoes and omit zucchini for Potato Stew.

Rice Pilaf

1/2 c. vermicelli (cut into 1-2 inch pieces)
1/4 c. butter (unsalted)
1 1/2 c. rice (soaked in hot water for 1 hour-I don't bother)
1 1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. water (I use about 3 1/2 since I use brown rice

Brown vermicelli noodles in the butter in saucepan (they should be very brown). Add drained rice, stirring over med. heat for 1 minute. Stir in salt and water. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer; cover and cook for 20-25 min or until rice is tender.

(If you take cooked rice, plain or pilaf, and mix it with plain yogurt and salt/pepper, you have a really tasty lunch or light supper.)

Ohh thank you ,, this was indescribable & CHEAP!

Excellent. The kids also loved the Pilaf.
Serve with any stew dishes and/or fresh yogurt.

**ImEmile** · 01-31-2007, 01:01 AM

Glad you liked it! :You sure work fast. You must have had that stuff on hand. LOL Here's another one we had last night. I like spinach in quiches, pizza, fresh in salads, but not just plain cooked spinach. This was wonderful. Doesn't taste like you're eating spinach at all.

Spinach Soup

1 lb. stew meat (beef or lamb) 2 t. salt (or to taste)
1/4 c. butter or margarine 1/4 t. pepper
1 large onion (coursely chopped) 1/4 t. cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 lbs. spinach (finely chopped)
10 c. water 1/4. parsley (finely chopped-
1/2 c. rice optional)

Brown meat in butter until browned. Add onions and garlic and saute until onion is transparent. Add water and cook until comes to a boil. Cover and cook on med. until meat is tender.
Add rice and cook for 20 min., then add seasonings and spinach. Bring to boil again and cook for another 10 min. (I let it go longer while fixing salad dressing and it was fine.) If you add parsley, do it now. Stir and serve.

All three kids ate it. The oldest doesn't care for spinach usually except in salad. He's 9. The almost-3 year-old twins loved it! They also eat salad...we use romaine, spinach, mint, parsley (big-leaf kind), radishes, cucumbers, peppers, onion (reg. or green) tomatoes, occasionally feta cheese, Lebanese black olives. Yum! If we're using the olives and feta I make a vinaigrette. If not, then I like to make a Catalina for a change. That's what we had with the soup last night.

Tonight we're having Fasoolia.

1/2 lb. stew meat water
3 T. oil 1 1/2 t. salt
1 clove garlic, crushed 1/4 t. pepper
1 med. onion, diced 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 lb. kidney, lima or navy beans (soaked overnight) 1/4 c. tomato paste

Saute meat in oil in sauce pan until brown. Add garlic and onions and saute til onions are limp. Drain beans and add to meat mixture. Stir 1 min. then add water even with bean level. Add salt, pepper, and cinnamon and bring to boil. Then cover and cook until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Serve with rice pilaf.

**Cricketlegs** · 01-31-2007, 01:19 PM

Never underestimatethe power of ground turkey. $1.09 a pound in lb chubs.

Use it in spaghetti, meatloaf,or anywhere ground beef is called for. Use alone or mix it in with ground beef.

**Lylac** · 01-31-2007, 05:02 PM

This is one of the neatest threads! Thank you.

Leahmom, you are a genius I must say. I love reading your posts.

And a big thanks to the other ladies who are posting the ethnic recipes - I love reading/learning/experimenting with ethnic recipes! Might anyone have any greek recipes?

As someone else mentioned long ago on this thread, there seems to be a lot of nice people here. Being part of a paid frugal community before, let's just say I experienced a lot of negativity/backstabbing there. I am glad that everyone here is so nice.