Zov's Vegetable Tagine With Couscous Recipe

Zov's Vegetable Tagine With Couscous
Serving Size: 12

Ingredients
1 bundle trimmed asparagus
1/2 pound haricots verts (small French green beans)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion. peeled, and roughly chopped
5 celery stalks. trimmed, and cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2" chunks
2 large carrots -- peeled, and thinly sliced
4 large carrots -- peeled, and cut on the diagonal into 1" chunks
2 large leeks, white and light green part -- halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
12 large mushrooms -- quartered
6 garlic cloves -- minced or chopped
4 ripe tomatoes -- diced
2 yellow bell peppers -- cored, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
1 green bell pepper -- cored, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
5 Japanese eggplants -- trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2" chunks
7 medium red new potatoes -- quartered
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons minced fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 boxes couscous - (12 oz ea)
1/2 cup hot water almost simmering, but not boiling

Cooking Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil
Add asparagus and cook until just barely tender.
Drain and refresh with cold water.
Drain again; set aside.

Bring pot of water to a boil
add haricots verts and boil until cooked tender-crisp.
Drain and refresh with cold water.
Drain again; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or pot, add oil.
Heat on high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
Add onion, celery, 2 thinly sliced carrots, and leeks.
Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and celery is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add mushrooms and garlic; cook 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes, bell peppers, 4 carrots, eggplant and potatoes.
Add tomato paste, 1 cup water, salt and pepper.
Stir to combine.
Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are very tender and sauce thickens, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Should have a stew-like consistency.
Stir in parsley and basil.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Place couscous in a large bowl.
Pour 1/2 cup water over top.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss.

Presentation:
Place couscous on large serving platter.
Top with vegetable tagine mixture.
Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving, so that the couscous can absorb some of the liquid.
If you have excess juices, serve them in a sauce boat on the side.
Garnish with reserved asparagus and haricots verts.

Zov's Spicy Marinated Salmon With Charmoula Sauce Recipe

Zov's Spicy Marinated Salmon With Charmoula Sauce Recipe

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:
4 skinless salmon fillets - (6 oz ea)
Zov's Warm Spice Mixture (see recipe)
3 diced, ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 large peeled & finely diced red onion
Salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions:
Rinse salmon in cold water and pat dry.
Rub with generous amount of Zov's Warm Spice Mixture on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and cilantro; set aside.
Heat nonstick grill pan on high heat until very hot.
Sear salmon, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
If salmon needs additional cooking, place in a 350degree oven until just cooked through.
No oil is necessary when sauteing in a nonstick frying pan because of the natural oils in the salmon, but if you don't use a nonstick pan, saute salmon in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
In a medium skillet, make Charmoula Sauce by heating 1 tablespoon ofolive
oil on medium-high heat.
Add garlic and onion and cook, shaking handle of skillet to toss ingredients, until onion softens, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in tomato mixture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Presentation: Place salmon on serving platter.

Top with the Charmoula Sauce and serve.

Zov's Warm Spice Mixture Recipe

Zov's Warm Spice Mixture Recipe

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Cooking Directions:
Measure equal amounts of each of the dry spices into a container.
Stir to combine.

Spoon out 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend per salmon fillet, chicken
breast or lamb chop, being careful not to contaminate leftover spice blend
by touching it with raw fish or meat.
Leftover spice blends can be used to season soups, fish, chicken and lamb.

Zov's Olive Salad With Tahini

Zov's Olive Salad With Tahini Recipie

Ingredients
Salad
4 cups halved and pitted green olives
2 halved, seeded, and chopped large tomatoes
1 cup coarsely-chopped toasted walnuts
1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 bunch chopped green onions
4 minced garlic cloves
1 finely minced jalapeo
1 juiced lemon

Tahini Dressing
1 cup tahini
1/2 coarsely chopped bunch parsley
1 chopped garlic clove
1/2 cup lemon juice
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
To make the dressing: Combine the tahini, parsley and garlic in a food processor
Process until the parsley is almost pureed.
With the motor running, add the lemon juice and enough water ( 1/2 cup or more) to
bring the mixture to the consistency of creamy salad dressing.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the tahini dressing to the salad (you may not need all of it).
Toss well.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve as an appetizer with pita bread.
The salad is best right after it's dressed, although you may assemble the salad components and the dressing ahead of time.

You can halve this recipe.

This recipe makes about 7 cups.

Zov's Marinated Olive Salad Recipie

Zov's Marinated Olive Salad Recipie

Ingredients:
3 cups cracked green Greek olives
1 serrano chili -- seeds and veins removed, minced
1 bunch cilantro -- chopped
1 large ripe tomato -- diced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne and 1/16 teaspoon dried red chili flakes)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Toasted pita chips
Lemon slices cut in half -- for garnish

Cooking Directions:
Cut each piece of pita bread into 12 triangles to make pita chips.
Bake on a baking sheet in a single layer in a 350 degree oven until crisp.
Or fry in olive oil until crisp and drain thoroughly on paper towels.
Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.
Garnish with lemon slices and accompany with pita chips.

Makes 14 servings

Zov's Armenian Rice Pudding Recipie

Zov's Armenian Rice Pudding Recipie

Ingredients:
2 cups short-grain rice, such as
Cal Rose or Arborio rice
4 cups water
9 1/2 cups milk
3 cups cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 vanilla beans -- cut in half
lengthwise and seeds scraped from pod (use both pod and seeds)
Fresh berries such as blueberries,
blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, for garnish - (optional)
3/4 cup shelled pistachios -- for garnish, (optional)

Cooking Directions:
In a large pot, soak rice in water for 1/2 hour.
Simmer, uncovered, until water is absorbed.
Allow rice to sit off heat until the consistency of thick paste.
Add milk, cream, sugar and vanilla; stir to combine.
Cook on medium heat until the consistency of creme anglaise (medium-thick custard sauce).
Cover with plastic wrap while still warm to prevent a skin from forming on top.
Refrigerate overnight.
Presentation: Zov likes to serve this pudding in a large glass bowl garnished with fresh berries and pistachios.

This recipe yields 12 servings.

Nutritional data per serving: Calories, 534;
protein, 10 grams;
carbohydrates, 64 grams;
fat, 18 grams;
cholesterol, 108 milligrams;
sodium, 118 milligrams.