PERSIAN EGG ‘PIE’ WITH SPINACH AND TINY MEATBALLS – NARGESI
The name Nargesi comes from the Farsi word for the narcissus plant or daffodil, a springtime flower that symbolizes renewal, wrote Abadi. Before serving, some sprinkle this frittata-like dish with crushed Persian dried limes for a slight tangy flavor.Serves 6 to 8For meatballs:
1 large (225-gr.) onion, pureed in food processor (to make about 1 cup) and drained
450 gr. ground turkey (preferably dark meat) or beef
For pie:
2 Tbsp. grape seed, safflower, or vegetable oil
1½ cups coarsely chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 tsp. kosher (coarse) salt
¹⁄8 tsp. ground white or freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. turmeric
2 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves or ¹⁄3 cup tarragon leaves
½ cup finely chopped dill leaves
110 gr. coarsely chopped baby spinach leaves (about 7 loose cups)
2 cups coarsely chopped leeks (light green and white parts only), rinsed in cold water and drained
¾ cup hot water
6 large eggs, lightly beatenFor meatballs: Mix puréed onions with ground meat in a medium bowl.For pie: Heat oil in large 5- or 6-liter pot (23-25 cm. wide, but no wider) over high heat for 1 minute. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, turmeric and cumin and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.Reduce heat to medium-low. Wet your hands lightly with cold water. Taking only 1½ teaspoons of meat mixture, form it into a small, smooth meatball the size of a large cherry. (Meat will be soft and wet; be gentle.) Drop meatball into pot; continue until all of meat mixture has been used. Cover pot and steam until meatballs are solid and cooked through, about 20 minutes. (Once they are solid, you can stir gently to prevent sticking.)Drop in parsley, coriander, dill, spinach and leeks and cover. Steam until herbs and spinach have softened, 10 minutes.Pour the hot water over top and mix gently so as not to break meatballs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (Eggs will cook too quickly if added to very hot mixture.)Rewarm cooled mixture over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in beaten eggs, while gently mixing to distribute evenly. Partially cover and steam over lowest heat, until eggs have solidified but are still soft and slightly wet in center, 35 to 40 minutes.Score pie, scoop out large pieces, and arrange in layers on a serving platter. Serve warm.SLOW STEWED BEEF WITH GARLIC, ONIONS AND TURMERIC – LAHMEH SOFRITO Sofrito is a beef stew with a rich, fragrant sauce, with potatoes or fava beans sometimes added. Abadi learned to make this sofrito from a Sephardi Jew of Egyptian descent.Serves 6 (makes about 6 cups)
4 Tbsp. vegetable or safflower oil
1.4 kg. lean boneless beef chuck (shoulder) stew pieces, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2.5-cm. chunks
4 cups coarsely chopped onions
5 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 to 1½ tsp. coarse or kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. turmeric
1 cup water
1½ cup coarsely chopped coriander or parsley leaves, or mixture of both, plus more for serving
900 gr. baking potatoes, washed and peeled (optional)Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat for one full minute. Add meat chunks and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Pour meat and its juices into a large bowl.Add remaining oil to the pot and heat over medium- high heat for 1 minute. Add onions and cook, over medium-high heat, stirring often, until soft and transparent but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and turmeric and mix well.Return meat and its juices to pot. Pour in the water, add the chopped herbs and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 1½ hours.Uncover, stir and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes until meat is soft enough to easily cut with a fork and sauce has reduced to a thick gravy.If adding potatoes, cut each potato in slices about 7.5 cm. long and 1.25 cm. thick. Scatter potato pieces over top of stew, cover and cook without stirring for 30 to 45 minutes until fork tender. Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander.LIBYAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUDDING – HELWAT AL YAKTIN This Passover pudding flavored with ginger, cinnamon and vanilla, wrote Abadi, is like a lighter version of American pumpkin pie, and can be served topped with whipped cream.Serves 8 (½-cup servings)
2 Tbsp. safflower or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing pan
1.1 kg. fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5-cm. cubes
½ cup almond milk or other nondairy milk
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. ground ginger
¹⁄8 tsp. cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
¹⁄8 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pure vanilla extractPreheat oven to 175°. Grease a 20-cm. square or round baking pan (preferably not metal) generously with oil and set aside.Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium- low and mix in squash cubes. Cover and cook until very soft and slightly browned, about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning.While squash is cooking, whisk milk with egg yolks, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl.Reserve 8 small squash cubes for garnish. Pour remaining squash into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Scrape puree into bowl of milk mixture and gently mix to combine.Scrape mixture into prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly with spatula. Place pan on middle rack of oven and bake for 1 hour until center is slightly firm and edges are pulling away from the pan. (Mixture will still be a bit soft to the touch but not liquid, and overall top color will turn deep orange-brown.) Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.Serve cold, sprinkled with cinnamon.