Persian Tadiq - aka almost burnt rice

A close friend of our family is from Iran and he and his family are the most gracious generous people we know. He always cooks these yummy meals when he comes to visit from his main home in Canada and has been making us tadiq since I was a young girl. There were many things he cooked but this is what we all remember and would drool over. My sister recently found a recipe for it and I had to give it a whirl. Here is my modification of it. My only problem was the crust stuck to the bottom of the pot, so maybe more oil next time? We shall see - it still tasted awesome!

• 2 cups dry basmati rice (has to be basmati)
• a smidge of turmeric
• frozen vegetables (whatever you like i used a stirfry mix)
• ground crumbles (or ground beef for you carnivores)
• 2 T butter
• 4 T oil
• 2 T salt

1. Cook ground crumbles and frozen vegetables in a pan and set it aside
2. Bring water in pot to a boil
3. Add salt to water
4. Put rice into bowl and pour water in until the water overflows to rinse the rice. keep rinsing until water runs clear
5. Add rice to boiling water
6. Boil for 5 minutes
7. Put pot into sink and let cold water in it to flow out the starchy foamy water
8. Pour rice into colander
9. Put rice into a bowl and mix in meat and veggies
10. Put pot back onto stove on medium heat
11. Cover bottom of pot with oil - make sure it is sufficient to allow easy removal
12. Melt butter and add turmeric in small bowl
13. Add rice to pot
14. Poke four holes in rice mound and pour butter mixture into it
15. Place a clean dish towel over the pot (careful so it doesnt touch burner) and cover tightly with pot cover
16. Cook for 8 minutes on medium
17. Turn stove as low as it will go and cook for 35 more minutes
18. When it is done scoop out all the top rice
19. Put plate over pot and flip over pot tapping top to make the crust slide out onto plate unbroken
20. Place crust over rice and serve

 

Curried Beef Thai Crockpot Bowl

So, my sweet boys love their meat. But their mommy/wifey is a vegetarian. To be honest I have been trying to get off the veggies this past year, but I have really struggled with that. The most I can force myself on is Tilapia and only if my husband blackens it and I eat it really fast without thinking. I cook meat for my family on occasion but they are sadly getting most of their protein from beans, tofu, and eating out. What I will often do is cook a version of something for me without me and one for them with meat, but honestly I am not doing this enough. So I figured that tonight (when I am drinking my meals) would be a good time to try something new and fun for them. So here goes...

• 1/2 bag egg noodles
• 1 lb ground round 
• 1/2 bag frozen japanese vegetables
• 1/2 vidalia onion sliced
• foo curry sauce

and then for the sauce

• 1T Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2t tumeric
• 1t Raw Agave Nectar
• 1t lemon juice
• 2T peanut butter
• 1T panang curry
• 1/2t coriander
• 1t curry
• 2C water

1. Pour noodles in crockpot
2. Pour 2C water over them
3. Place onions over noodles
4. Place Vegetables over onions
5. Place Meat over veggies
6. Make Sauce
1. put everything except for the water into a small bowl and blend until homogeneous
2. slowly mix in the water until it is a saucey/soupy consistency
7. Pour sauce over all in crockpot
8. Pour 2C more of water over mixture allowing sauce to creep down
9. Set on HIGH for 3-5 hours or until hot