Feb 13
I had been wanting to make Oven Baked Salmon with a cream sauce for a long time. I finally got around to it and thought this would be something nice to make for two…or you could bake an entire Salmon to feed at least 4 people.
Oven Baked Salmon
Ingredients (2 people):
approximately 1 lb salmon
1/2 cup whip cream — less or more depending on the amount of cream you want to use
1/2 cup milk (preferably fat free milk)– if you use less cream you can add more milk
1 teaspoon flour
1/2 teaspoon starch
1 teaspoon garlic –finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
garlic powder
red pepper (optional)
dry parsley flakes (optional)
steam vegetables –you can buy a ready bag or fresh vegetables of your choice to steam
Directions:
Steam the vegetables (or boil in water) and while they are steaming prepare the fish. Place the salmon on a baking sheet after covering the sheet baking sheet with foil. Add salt, pepper, parsley flakes, and, garlic powder to the Salmon. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and once the oven is ready place the Salmon into the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Note: after the vegetables are ready you can add some salt and pepper to the vegetables to add some flavor.
For the Sauce:
Heat the butter (on medium low heat) in a pot and then add the flour and stir the contents around until the flour is mixed in well with the butter. Add the milk, cream, starch and mix all the ingredients. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper then stir all the contents. If you want the sauce to be thicker leave it on the stove top a bit longer and constantly stir the sauce.
Once everything is ready you can serve the Salmon with a bit of the cream sauce on top. Note: the sauce can be a bit creamy and does get thick fast, so don’t leave it on the stove top for too long if you don’t want it to thicken too much.
Tagged with: Flour • Garlic • Milk • Salmon • Starch • Whip Cream
Feb 03
Soup-e Jo (Barley Soup) is different than Aash-e Jo and is far creamier in taste and has no beans or sabzi. The soup is creamy and has whip cream … not exactly a healthy choice, but I think its okay to bend the rules once in awhile and eat something rich and tasty 
Soup e Jo
Ingredients (6-8 servings):
1/2 cup Pearled Barley
5 - 6 cups meat broth (no fat) or water — use meat broth for more flavor… I used water and it was still full of flavor
3 tablespoons grated carrot
200 grams whip cream
2 cups milk
80 - 100 grams butter
4 -5 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
Directions:
It may be best to soak the barley for 1 to 2 hours prior to cooking the soup. This will speed up the cooking process.
In a medium to large pot pour in the meat broth or water and place on stove top (medium heat). Add the barley to the water and allow it to cook for approximately 20 - 30 minutes (cover the pot while the barley is cooking). Add the grated carrot then prepare the white sauce (as described below) to add to the soup.
White sauce (makes approximately 2 cups):
In a small pot pour in the flour and while stirring gradually pour the milk into the pot. Once the flour is completely dissolved in the milk place it on the stove (on medium heat) and stir constantly. Once the mixture begins to thicken add some salt, pepper, and the butter. Note: I used only 80 grams of butter, but you can choose to use a little less or a little more. Once it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and pour in 100 grams of whip cream and stir.
Now once the white sauce is ready you want to add the sauce to the soup and stir the contents together. You want to let the soup cook on medium-low heat until it thickens a bit and is ready. Add some salt and pepper to the soup as needed/desired. I recommend letter the soup cook for 2-3 hours on medium-low heat.
Once the soup is ready you can add the additional 100 grams of whip cream after removing from the stove top. Note: I only added part of the whip cream… and the soup was still rich and creamy.
You can also add a bit of cilantro or parsley to the soup at the very end :D.
Tagged with: Barley • Carrot • Cilantro • Cream • Flour • Milk
Jan 24
I recently bought some tiny shrimp and wanted to make Shrimp Rice (AKA Meigoo Polo). I took a combination of what Persian recipes there are for Meigoo Polo and made some adjustments. Many people make the dish with Kateh (a specific style rice where you don’t drain out the water…). I am sure in the future I will try variations of this dish, but for the time being here is what I cooked up 
Meigoo Polo
Ingredients (4 - 6 servings):
Approximately .5 lbs small shrimp
4 cups rice
2 1/2 tablespoons butter — you may melt more butter later to add to the dish, or add more at this time if you don’t want the rice to be dry
1/2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 to 1 cup heated water
1/2 teaspoon curry
garlic powder (optional)
salt/pepper
parsley (optional)
eggs (optional)
Directions:
Rinse the rice a few times until the water is clear. Then soak the rice in water (add salt to the water as well).
In a pot boil the shrimp for approximately 10 minutes. Once the shrimp is cooked drain out the water and set aside until the sauce is ready. In a sauce pan heat the butter and then add the flour and stir until an even mixture is formed (mixture is smooth). Mix the tomato paste with the heated water and then add the mixture to the sauce pan and mix well with the flour and butter mixture (again make sure mixture is smooth). Add curry, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you want add a bit of chopped fresh parsley, or dry parsley flakes to the sauce. Once all the ingredients are mixed into the sauce add the shrimp to the sauce and set on medium low heat.
Once the sauce is prepared and cooking, heat up water in a large pot to prepare the rice. When the water comes to a boil add in the rice you were soaking. Once the rice is ready pour the contents in a strainer to drain out the water. Add 1 tablespoon water to the pot and then add some oil and place it back on the stove top (still close to high heat). When the oil is heated pour in the rice and cover for it to steam (dam bekeshe). After about 5 minutes turn down the temperature of the stove top (close to low). Wait another 5 minutes then lift the lid off of the pot and pour in the shrimp sauce mixture and mix in with the rice a bit then place the lid back on the pot and allow to cook on low heat for an additional 30 minutes.
You can choose to add the shrimp sauce mixture at the beginning when you add the rice into the pot and allow it to prepare all at once. I wanted to make sure I get Tah-dig (crispy rice crust), so I chose to let the rice crust set first then add the sauce. Either way its your choice 
If you want to add something more to the dish you can boil 3 to 4 eggs (hard boiled eggs) and then cut them up and add to the rice when you serve it.
Tagged with: curry • Eggs • Flour • Rice • Shrimp • Tomato Paste
