Khoresht bademjun

Here is one of my favorite Iranian dishes. I usually make it in the slowcooker but would occasionlly make it on the stove too.

cubes of red meat (lamb, beef or pork) cover with water about half inch more then meat, bring to boil and leave to cook on low- med heat. Once meat came to a boil, add fried onions and about two table spoons of tomatoe paste and cook till meat is tender. When meat is ready - put a layer of fried eggplants (rounds of chabby eggplants or skinny ones sliced lenthwise, I do not peel them) on top and cook till eggplants are done. In slowcooker that's about 1hr, on stove 15min-30min. Serve with white rice.

I sometimes add: chopped tomatoes, cubes of zuchini, beans.

Here is the googled recipe: http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Khoresh%20bademjan%20(braised%20lamb%20and%20eggplant)

It is cheap meal as I buy eggplants at discount, then fry, portion them and put in the freezer. I do same with fried onions, fresh tomatoes and zichinies.

Eggplant side dish

-Two medium eggplants
-Med onion
-two med tomatoes
-two cloves of garlic

chop all ingredients and put on frying pan with a bit of oil and about cup of water, med heat stir often. Add more water if necessary, some salt and pepper too. When lookes cooked (about 20 min or so) mash with potato masher and let cook a bit more.

Very good hot, warm or cold. Sometimes I add red bell pepper too. Change amount of veggies to your taste, e.g. sometimes I feel like more garlic so I put more.

here is the site I just discovered: http://www.say7.info/

pictures look interesting

pork

here is an easy one, plov.
can make it with any kind of meat, I happen to have pork today.
Cut meat into 1/2 inch cupes, brown it in the pot with some diced onions and shreded carrots. Add a bit of water and cook on low till meat is soft, about 20 min. Add rice, mix and cook on low till rice is done.

easy and cheap. good with yogurt or pickles.

Iranian dish, modified.
Fry some ground beef with onions, add carrots and lima beans or green beans, fry till cooked.

In the pot cook rice, when it is almost done - drain, add the cooked beef and stirr. Cover and cook a bit longer.
Serve with plain yougurt, yam.

Mature chicken

I bought this cheap old skiny chicken (fowl, whatever that is), has lots of bones and ton of flavour. 3 birds for about $8!

Cut two birds in pieces, broil on low till nice and brown, transfer in slowcooker, add can of mushroom soup and some water. Cook for a long long time.

I served it with bow pasta, yaammmm. On second day Payam said not to cook this chicken again as he did not like it..... go figure, after all the compliments the first day....

Roast lamb

Chanks of lamb rub with tomatoe paste (with added salt, bit of water, pepper, basil, rosmary), put onions on the bottom of the baking dish add some water (about 1inch), add chopped tomatoes if desired. Bake on about 350 for couple of hours. Serve with rice or potatoes.

Cheap as we buy lamb once a year, this year it was about $2.50 per lb.