Ethnic Recipe | DanaSlatkin.com

Persian Saffron Brown Rice Your Way

05/16/2012 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

Ever since Starbucks took personalized beverages mainstream, we have become a culture of customization. We love designing our lives from top to bottom, from our homepages to our shoes. You can even put your photo on a bikini (try it on Anymatic) and create your own energy bars. We just can’t seem to get enough of having it our way. So it’s no surprise that dinner in my house is a customized affair. And I don’t mean that everyone gets to order their own meal. But to insure that each of five appetites is satisfied, I have to deconstruct dishes down to their components. Grains, vegetables, protein and sauce each go into separate serving bowls. Then everyone can concoct a personalized feast. This fragrant brown rice … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Side Dish Recipes

Moroccan Tofu Stew with Whole Wheat Couscous (Vegan)

04/30/2012 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

May is the time of year my stove gets its last workout for a while. Once summer rolls around, I find myself preparing more salads and firing up the gill rather than the burners. But before I give the range a rest, I thought I would share with you one last stew — and it’s a goodie. If you haven’t implemented Meatless Mondays yet in your house, this is a perfect recipe with which to kick it off. With a compelling blend of Moroccan spices, sweet raisins and plenty of colorful veggies, it’s a meal in one, lovely to serve in ceramic bowls or a bright tagine. Don’t be dissuaded by all the slicing — it’s a snap with a sturdy peeler (I love this one) and a handy V-blade Slicer (OXO makes a sleek one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Vegan Recipes

Flourless Fig and Walnut Torte

03/27/2010 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

I have a love/dread relationship with the Jewish holiday that begins next week. That is because Passover, the eight-day celebration that commemorates the freedom of the Jewish people, is the Special Olympics of cooking. Handicapped by a long list of culinary prohibitions, anyone who attempts to cook for the crowds of family and friends that gather for the rituals must have the endurance and determination of an athlete. Since all leavened ingredients, including flours, grains and legumes, are prohibited, matzo meal and eggs become my powerhouse ingredients for the week. They put the fluff in my Matzah Balls, the crunch in my Zucchini-Potato Latkes, and the spring in this moist, fragrant torte. Despite the handicaps, I always look forward … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dessert Recipes

Persian Chicken Burgers

07/14/2009 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

As I confessed on this blog in April, I have been making the same breaded chicken cutlets for years. Granted, they are decidedly above average—the chicken is always Kosher and organic, the breadcrumbs are never store-bought, and they are lovingly cooked in a minimal amount of healthy grapeseed oil. But now that my children are finally becoming more adventurous eaters, it’s time to bring on something new. I first learned to make these juicy, flavorful burgers from my friend Isabelle, who has been serving them to her family for as long as mine has had to endure those chicken cutlets. Her secret — and her Persian touch — is a dash of cardamom (or cinnamon). It’s the spice that makes everyone wonder why these taste so uniquely delicious. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sandwich Recipes

Persian Cucumber Yogurt Salad

06/28/2009 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

When something is on my mind, it usually ends up in my cooking. For instance, the minute I returned from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, I tossed lemongrass and nuoc mam into just about everything I cooked. After reading an article about the bustling night market of Audrix, France, where townspeople enjoy weekly dinners en plein air, there were breakfast tartines on the table every morning and walnut oil in all my salads. Lately, Iran has been on my mind. My heart goes out to all the Iranian people who had their hopes for freedom dashed in the recent election. In solidarity, I invited some of my Persian friends over this week to show me how to make some of their favorite dishes, which they learned from their mothers and grandmothers. Happily, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Salad Recipes