Hello,
Colour me Happy it's Monday!
If you're back for another look then Thank you for taking the time...
If you're viewing for the first time...then could you maybe stuff me into your favourites list
keep me in a folder with some of the fancy bloggers,
I promise I'll be good and I will try to improve with time...
like a fine wine!!
I am still on the learning curve of all that comes with starting a new blog!
For anyone having a bit of a lurk through here,
just checking me out ;) heheee
I thought I might share a little bit more about
for any 'relationship' to last
it needs to begin with truthfulness and honesty,
there needs to be a bit of
'raw and real, patience and trust...and importantly a touch of humour and spark'
so I guess I need to start telling my lurking audience a little more about
who this
all the what/why/how/where and when that goes with my story!
Ramble Alarm!
You might want to pour yourself a drink at this point :)
I am married to a beautiful 'Persian' man
well he's actually an Aussie citizen,
but he was from Iran - or as they always called it - Persia!
I was just 15 when I met the love of my life!
I fell in love with him the night I met him!
He was a refugee from the ancient land of Persia (Iran),
a young man who had fled across the mountains at the tender age of 14,
and escaped to the unknown cities of Pakistan.
He arrived in Australia at the ripe old age of 16!
However during those 2 years alone in Pakistan,
(awaiting his permission to migrate to Australia)
in a strange country with other young displaced refugees,
he had clung to his faith, a faith for which he would have been persecuted,
had he remained in his homeland with his family!
When my love arrived in this country,
he had just $10 US dollars, and a small bag packed with a few clothes and possessions,
he knew only a few a words of English - but he had something far greater than anything money could afford
he had his faith and Belief!
he had completed his high school certificate and had been accepted into a University here in Melbourne;
upon moving halfway across this new land to accept this opportunity,
he undertook two jobs to pay his way through University and afford the rent and costs of daily living.
His hard work and determination saw him not only afford the necessities,
but also save for the long desired wants of a young man;
and so he saved for something he had always wanted...
the sort with big speakers, a twin CD player, twin tape decks and a record player! It was the late 80's - no iPods at that stage kids!
The very day he purchased this long awaited and hard saved item
was the 21st of March 1990.
It was also the night he and I were to meet for the first time
It was the Naw Ruz or Iranian 'New Year' celebration
and we both happened to be attending a dinner to mark the occasion.
I was just 15 - and had no choice but to attend as my parents insisted I come along!
He, begrudgingly attended that dinner, at the behest of his slightly older 'wiser' flatmate and their friends, when really all he had wanted to do was sit at home, and listen to the amazing and crisp sounds of his new speakers!
Anyways, my mother had told me to go off and be sociable, be polite... and talk to the people arriving at the hall where this dinner was being held,
at first I spoke with a few familiar family friends...
then I spotted a table with a young man sitting in a corner and looking rather lost and lonely, not alone - as he had his handsome friends with him,
but he was not sitting like them! He looked somewhat sad and he was clearly not in a celebratory mood!
So I sat down in the empty seat near him and introduced myself - (which was totally in contrast to the shy girl I remember myself as!)
And so from that moment on - began the rest of our life together!
2 years later at the tender age of 17; Yes 17! I married my love,
(And that'll one day be a whole other post/story!)
and together we have built a beautiful life and we have 3 gorgeous children!
You may have read in the blurb of this blog
something about me loving
Vintage, Frenchy, pretty things,
good food and good friends,
Well over the last 22 years
since I first met my love,
I have developed a taste for delicious Persian food!
Furthermore - my guy can Cook too!
Long ago, I left the bad taste food I was raised on
and learned to cook a few of the traditional meals,
that are familiar to all Persians!
When I first started trying to cook 'Persian' cuisine,
there was no Google, hardly any cookbooks translated into English,
and I had to ring relatives on long overseas distance calls...
which used to cost a fortune!
I eventually found a few books - but with No Pictures though,
and read up on the history of some of the most well known dishes of his homeland!
So in the early days, whenever I dabbled in cooking 'Traditional Persian Food', it was often a bit of a muddle!
However technology - has opened up a world of wonders for us,
I can now click onto websites and actually watch how others prepare and cook those once mystifying meals!
So on Thursday I made a soup called
Ash e Reshteh
This is like a comfort food for many Persians!
It's a soup which thickens up once the noodles are added -
and always tastes better the next day!!
With the weather turning cold and grey in Melbourne
I thought it might be time to have a go at this one
even though I have made soups that are along the lines of this one
I had never actually made This soup
and whenever there is a family gathering with Mr VintageNobility's family
often someone brings this soup -
and they all sit and gobble up and enjoy!
So it was high time I did this
and did it to perfection!
Well he's impressed - not just being nice - but I have impressed him at how accurately I have managed to create this old favourite!!
I confess I used the Internet to get everything right!
No dash of this or that, handful or whatever feels or sounds about right...
Nope I actually followed the recipe (well- as best I could) and got things right!!
You can find this and many more wonderful 'Persian' recipes here
However I'll give you the recipe run-down here too!
Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced thinly length wise
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/3 cup red beans
1/2 cup lentils
2 tsp turmeric
3 cups fresh parsley (packed – equivalent to 1 1/2 bunch)
2 cups fresh corriander (packed – equivalent to 1 bunch)
2 cups fresh mint (packed – equivalent to 1 bunch)
20 springs of fresh chives or scallions ( green portion of scallions
only)
700gms baby spinach
60 gms reshteh - Persian Noodle (or you can use thin Flat linguine pasta)
(I added lots more noodles - as my husband prefers more noodles!!)
1 tbsp plain flour
Garnish
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp dried mint
kashk, whey ( sour cream or greek yoghurt can be substituted for kashk)
It's a good idea to crank up the radio and chop up all those herbs before you start,
but do make sure you rinse and wash them very well - no one want's sandy grit in their soup!
Personally, I also find it better to chop them all fine by hand - because my food processor never quite gets all the stalks and leaves evenly chopped,
so I figure it's easier to do it myself and just rhythmically chop away until they're done!!
Start by chopping up your
Garlic and Onions - nice and fine!
Set them aside and get to work on the herbs.
Rinse all the herbs REALLY well...
no-one likes sandy grit in their soup!
Once they're clean
chop them all up finely and toss them into a big bowl!
Now if you didn't soak your beans, lentils and chickpeas over night - then crack open a can of each - like I did - and then scoop out the required amount - I ate the leftovers with my lunch!! I am sure that if you did soak them fresh - the soup would taste EVEN better...but I thought the soup was just fine with my canned legumes!!
So measure out your tumeric add a splash of olive oil if you wish - I did,
to help stop the onions from sticking to the base of my pot.
Toss in the onions and garlic and flick them around.
Crack in a bit of salt and pepper to your taste!
(You can always season more as you go along)
Once the onions and garlic have softened down to that translucent stage,
throw in your beans, lentils and chickpeas.
Saute for a few more minutes - then add 8 cups of water to the pot!
If, like me you used canned legumes, then really, you could add in the spinach and herbs now and just let the whole thing simmer for an hour or so!
Otherwise they suggest you let the beans and chickpeas cook down for an hour before adding in the herbs and lentils!
It was at about this time that I transferred my soup into the slow-cooker, stuck the lid on, switched it to Low and popped on up to the shops!
I came back to the delightful fragrance of the soup wafting about the house!!
Now if you don't have the 'Persian' Noodles - no drama - then just use a flat linguine pasta
(or flat egg noodle) break it up and add it into the soup
(I added quite a bit more - as I know my kids love anything with noodles!)
As this is a thick and hearty soup, grab a small bowl, place 1 tablespoon of plain flour in the bowl and add about 3 tablespoons of the soup liquid into the bowl - mix it up with the flour to form a paste and add this back into the soup pot,
while the noodles/pasta softens down.
Meantime fry up your red onions in some vegetable oil until they're nice and golden,
once they start to golden up (caramelize) add in the dried mint and crisp up the onions!
These are used to garnish the soup!
By about now - you're no doubt hungry and ready to eat!
So dab on a tiny bit of the kashk (or if you prefer...yoghurt or sour cream)
add a spoonful of the crispy onion/mint mix
and there you have it!
Asheh Reshteh - Persian Noodle Soup!
*This soup tastes even better the next day!*
Now with regards to the Kashk - this is not for the faint-hearted it's basically a whey paste! I'd personally prefer the soup as is - or maybe with a spoonful of greek yoghurt - but if you have managed to find it- and you want to give it go - then just add a few dobs of kashk and stir it into the soup really well!
**You can also add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice just before serving - I often add a bit to my soups - because I like a bit of acidity...but it's up to you if you like to do this!!
Since trying to type up this post (started on Friday)
I have had a lovely weekend!
It was Mother's Day yesterday
and I was spoiled and pampered by the kids and Mr VintageNobility,
but...
On Saturday my lovely mother and father-in-law were in town
(they live in another state and had travelled to Melbourne for a concert)
and popped in for a big brunch with us...
so MIL got to have a sample of the leftover soup!
I passed!!
Heheee -no really, she was delighted with the result
- but furthermore -
my father-in-law
who is fed and nurtured by my mother-in-law's deeeelicious cooking/food on a daily basis
declared (in Farsi/Persian)
that the soup - my soup - was Beeeeautiful!!
Complete with the usual hand waving and smiles and lots of motioning for
another bowl!
So there you have it folks,
an Aussie chic,
cooking up some hearty
Persian Noodle Soup!!
Do you want another delicious dish to try?
I have a few more to show you
Keep an eye out for what's cooking day to day on my
As always...come on by and say "Hey"
or checkout some of the pretty things that inspire and delight me on
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xxxx Love & Light xxxx
Always
Rowena
VintageNobility
