Chicken & Plum Stew

Actually Chicken and Prune Stew is more accurate for the name, since we use dried plums and not fresh ones. My grandma makes this stew with very ripe plums, apples and carrots, everything fresh, I love it. But for this stew I am eliminating apple and carrot since I think the rich taste of plums/prunes deserves a stew of its own. This stew should be served with rice, like most of Persian stews. For cooking rice please check the direction on one of my previous recipes like here.
















Chicken & Plum Stew:

Preparation & Cooking Time: 45 - 50 minutes
4 Servings
Ingredients:

6 to 8 Chicken Thighs: about 1 Lb. I use skinless and boneless chicken thighs (washed: I almost wash everything). Since I love chicken breast and not thighs I always put 1 or 2 pieces of chicken breast for myself and deduct the same number from the thighs. The chicken breast is drier and less fatty than the thighs and so for this stew I think thighs work better.

½ cup Prunes: about 10 average size dried plums. Cut each prune in half. No need to wash them.
1 Onion: (average size) diced
2 tbsp Canola Oil
1 ½ tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Tomato Paste: (Optional: when I use tomato paste I do not use sugar)
1½ cup Water: Usually chicken produces enough juice while cooking: but I add some more water after all the juice is out.

Spices:
1tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Persian Saffron: If you cannot have Persian Saffron, you have no choice but to use the average quality Spanish saffron.
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1- Heat the pot and add the canola oil. Add diced onions and fry them until their color changes to semi golden (about 3 minutes). Add turmeric powder to the pot, stir and let the turmeric fries with the onions for about 1 minute.

2- Add your rinsed chicken thighs to the pot. Stir and close the lid. The chicken’s color changes after about 5 minutes. Now add the water and pepper. Bring the water to boil and then let the pot stay on medium heat. If you are using tomato paste you should add it at this stage. Then let the chickens cook for another 10 minutes.

3- Add the prunes, saffron and Sugar and let the chicken cook completely. At the end add some salt. I found Prunes and Sugar complete each other’s taste. They also give a very rich color to the meat.

4- Your stew is ready in 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with rice.

نوش جان

(Noushe Jan)
Bon Appetit!

Photo Trailer for Peanut Butter Brownies

I noticed that I did not have any exclusive post in my Tameshk In Kitchen for our New Year, Norooz. So I decided to give you just a photo of these Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Brownies: designed by Little e, baked by Ada, delivered by my husband and eaten by me; well not all of them but I assure you that I contributed a good share in eating them. Although I am not a fan of peanut butter, I like the taste of these brownies. As soon as I get the recipe from Ada, I will post it here. For now please enjoy this photo-trailer. (like movie trailer ;D)

Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Brownies

More Than A Spice Dictionary:

Have you ever had any difficulties in finding spices' names in another language?

Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages is a superb website, introduced to me by our friend, Kia. Gernot Katzer’s Spice Page is more than a spice dictionary and offers answers to many of your questions about spices, like their origins, usage and botanical information.

To find out about most of spices that you know the names in other languages, for instance in Farsi: click on indices, click on Multilingual and then choose your language’s script, for instance Arabic script. You can find the name of your spice in Farsi and find more information on it in English. There are six lingual categories offered in that part.

“Be my guest take a look at it and you will go back there whenever you have spice questions” Says Kia.

Alpinia calcarata ripe fruits

A Simple Banana Cake

A Miracle Banana Cake:

Baking a cake is the hardest thing that can happen in my kitchen and for me every single time I bake a cake and it tastes good is a miracle. This Banana cake was the first cake I have baked. And it is a miracle that has never stopped from happening. It is easy to make for its ingredients are easy to find in every kitchen. Among my friends Dario loves this cake and I know another friend is waiting to examine this recipe.





Baking Time: 50 - 60 minutes
350° F and 5x9 in loaf pan






Ingredients:
3 Ripe Bananas: Tip: I have made this recipe with two or even one bananas. It still comes out perfect. So go with as much ripe banana you have ready at your kitchen.
1 ½ cups Flour
1cup White Sugar
¼ cup Canola Oil: you can use the same amount of butter instead of canola oil
1 tsp Vanilla Powder or Vanilla Sugar Powder
1tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg


Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 350° F. Use an aluminum foil to cover your loaf pan and spray your pan with canola oil nonstick spray or just grease it with a small amount of canola oil.

2- Mash the ripe bananas: I use a fork to smash the bananas. It is really easy; just put the bananas in a big plate crush them with the back of the fork.

3- Mix the bananas with the flour, baking soda and baking powder and oil. Then add the egg, vanilla and sugar. Mix well and pour into your baking dish.

4- Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. See if it is baked through. Check with a narrow stick or a toothpick.