This is my 12th year celebrating a turkey-free Thanksgiving and my 7th year veganizing traditional holiday recipes from mashed potatoes to pies. Whether you are trying to eat more plant-based or hosting someone who is plant-based, it has never been easier to enjoy a vegan holiday meal. You can even order entire vegan holiday meals … Continue reading Here Come the Holidays
Torshi is a pickled vegetable side dish enjoyed in Persian culture. It is the hot sauce or chutney of Persian food. The word “torshi” is derived from the Persian word “torsh,” which means sour. Iran has hundreds of different types of torshi with variations in flavors and the vegetables and seasonings used. Making homemade torshi … Continue reading Torshi (Pickled Vegetables)
Today is my mom’s 65th Birthday! She is the creative genius behind the vegan Persian recipes on the Plant-Based Persian blog. There would be no blog without her. She is “the best cooker,” as my kids say. When my husband and I got married 14 years ago, we were poor college students so my mom … Continue reading Table for Two
Love trumps hate; let’s eat cake and celebrate. Today, I celebrate for women. Today, I celebrate for immigrants. Today, I celebrate for refugees. Today, I celebrate for children. Today, I celebrate for Black lives. Today, I celebrate for democracy. Today, I celebrate for science. Today, I celebrate for breaking barriers. Today, I celebrate for human … Continue reading Persian Baklavah Cake
It can be hard to be vegan. Not because I want to eat meat or dairy, but because it can be hard socially. It is intimidating to go against the status quo. Foremost, there is the societal pressure that we need to eat animal products. USDA dietary guidelines advise that we need meat and dairy … Continue reading How my Religion Helps me be Vegan
My 6 year-old daughter Layli loves to cook. Every Friday afternoon, we cook together. She is already planning to take over the blog and started to write recipes for us to share. 🙂 We enjoy making kale chips, cookies, lemonade, vegan Rice Krispies, and veganizing some of my own childhood recipes. These cinnamon rolls are … Continue reading Cinnamon Roll Scones
“Zereshk” are barberries in Persian. Barberries are tiny, red, tart fruit. They add a hint of sweet and sour to the recipe. They are also rich in vitamin C. You can find them at Persian or Afghan stores. Zereshk Polo is traditionally a Persian rice dish made with chicken and barberries. We have removed the … Continue reading Zereshk Polo (Persian Rice with Barberry)
Karafs is “celery” in Persian. Khoresh-e-Karafs is a celery stew that is flavorful, tangy and delicious. Even my kids like this dish! It is very similar to Khoresh-e-Ghormeh Sabzi as it is also made with cilantro and parsley. This dish, however, also has mint leaves. Like every Persian Khoresh, this dish is traditionally made with … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Karafs (Celery Stew)
This carrot cake recipe has a special place in my heart. It is the first vegan cake I ever baked. It was 8 years ago, and I had never even heard of flax seeds let alone used them as an egg replacer in baking. One of my first vegan friends (whom I met at a … Continue reading Plant-Based Carrot Cake
Baghali Polo is a traditional Persian rice dish made with fava beans. Sabzi Polo is a separate Persian rice dish made with various herbs. Both are traditionally served with a side of meat. Sabzi Polo is commonly served with fish and is a classic dish to celebrate NowRooz (Persian New Year). We have combined these … Continue reading Sabzi Baghali Polo (Persian Rice with Herbs and Fava Beans)
A challah-inspired, homemade bread perfect for a season filled with delicious stews and comfort foods. Happy Fall, y'all. Challah bread has a distinctive braid, which symbolizes the coming together of family and friends. It is a bread of celebration in Jewish tradition. I love the slightly-sweet flavor, the golden crust, and the symbolism. A perfect … Continue reading Challah-Inspired, Homemade Bread
Does 2020 have you stress eating? Do your kids ask for snacks all day, every day? Well, the answer is yes and yes to those questions in my household. Even when I put my kids in front of the tv hoping to have some time for myself, I invariably hear ten minutes later, "mommy, what … Continue reading Graze, Play, Thrive
Lentils are a legume and a nutritional powerhouse. They are an excellent source of iron and protein. Lentils were traditionally called the "poor man's meat." I like to think of it as the "more mindful meat alternative." Thankfully, my kids enjoy lentils, and we eat it often; yellow lentils, green lentils, brown lentils. This Persian … Continue reading Adas Polo (Persian Rice with Lentils)
I was recently referred to as an “animal lover.” This took me by surprise. I haven’t thought of myself as an animal lover. Not really. Sure, I love dogs. Baby animals are adorable. But I’m scared of geese; they can be aggressive. I’ve been scratched by cats one too many times. A mouse in the … Continue reading Peace Begins with Empathy
Tahdig makes everything better, even pasta. Macaroni is the Persian version of Italian pasta. The pasta is steamed similar to Persian rice to create a delicious crispy crust (tahdig) at the bottom of the pot. The tahdig can be a potato tahdig as in this recipe or made from the pasta itself. While Macaroni still … Continue reading Macaroni – A Persian-style Pasta
I recently shared my experience trying to raise vegan kids in a non-vegan world in a guest blogpost for the Green Soul Project. To read, please visit http://www.greensoulproject.com/3-main-struggles-of-raising-vegan-children/
The world feels messy, frustrating, and full of chaos and confusion, but at least egg-free baking doesn’t have to be. Have no fear, egg replacers are here. Almost every baking recipe calls for eggs. Why? Eggs provide binding, leavening, moisture, and a golden brown appearance to baked goods. But there are many reasons people omit … Continue reading Have No Fear, Egg Replacers are Here!
During difficult times, I often think of my grandfather and my grandmother. The challenges they faced. Their strength and resilience. This post is part recipe, part reflection. I had never heard of Shirini Donmarki (a Persian Danish pastry) until my mom made it for my grandma a few months ago. It was delicious, and, like … Continue reading Shirini Donmarki (for my Grandma with love)
I always ask people what is the hardest food to give up when trying to eat more plant-based. I often hear dairy products like cheese or yogurt. Persians, of course, love their kabob. For me, it was definitely hard to give up eggs. I quickly and easily gave up meat. Dairy was initially challenging, but … Continue reading KooKoo Sibzamini (Persian Potato Frittata)
In Persian cuisine, this khoresh (Persian stew) is typically prepared as two separate dishes - Khoresh-e-Bademjan (eggplant stew) and Khoresh-e-Gheymeh (split pea stew). Each is made with meat and is a tomato-based stew. Each are incredibly popular dishes. To be honest, however, I did not like Khoresh-e-Bademjan as a child. The texture of the eggplant, … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Gheymeh Bademjan (Split Pea and Eggplant Stew)
