I learned about something called the #Cookforiran project, and it warmed my heart.
Layla Yarjani started it to tell people about what’s happening in Iran.
She thinks cooking can help people understand and want to help.
What’s great is that she’s putting recipes on Instagram, so it’s easy to take part in. Just make this delicious salad and hastag #cookforIran on Instagram.
Yarjani is using food as a way to humanize the women and people in Iran. If we can glimpse into the culture through food, maybe we can be more open to supporting the people of Iran.
This salad is one of the recipes, and its the most delicious, addicting thing I’ve made in a while.
It was the first time I used dried mint, but I love the special flavor it gives. If you can’t get dried mint, using fresh will do.
If you love all things Mediterranean food and Mediterranean Diet like me, you will love this salad.
One of the best things is that it holds really well in the fridge. It can be a quick snack or a meal with some hummus and pita.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Salad Shirazi
Ingredients (for 4):
5 large Persian cucumbers. Skin on. Small diced
2 extra large or 3 medium Roma tomatoes small diced
1/2 small red onion small diced
4-4.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 med lime (if not juicy, use a lime and a half)
1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (according to taste)
3/4 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon dried mint
few springs of fresh mint chopped
Directions:
Combine ingredients in order listed above. Adjust salt & pepper to taste.
I follow my mom’s recipe for Mexican rice because it’s the best. But, the recipe makes portions for a family of five or six.
Now I have to make it for two, so I halved the recipe.
I also made it vegan, omitting the chicken broth and replacing it with water instead.
The results were perfect and just as delicious.
Half recipe Mexican Rice (vegan)
Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)
¾ cup rice (I use Mahatma)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp. Oil
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp. Salt
1 tomato, halved
¼ onion, chopped
Directions:
1. In a small pot with lid, heat oil. Then add garlic clove and rice. Toast for about 5 minutes moving the rice frequently.
2. Meanwhile blend tomato, onion, salt and half of the water.
3. When the rice begins to look and smell toasted (a couple minutes), stand back and add the blended tomato mixture. (Careful it will splash). Add the reming water and stir.
4. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling place lid on top and lower it to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes at a simmer and do not open or disturb it.
5. After 25 minutes, let it sit 5 minutes after you’ve turned it off. Then fluff and serve.
In a small pot with lid, heat oil. Then add garlic clove and rice. Toast for about 5 minutes moving the rice frequently.
Meanwhile blend tomato, onion, salt and half of the water.
When the rice begins to look and smell toasted (a couple minutes), stand back and add the blended tomato mixture. (Careful it will splash). Add the reming water and stir.
Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling place lid on top and lower it to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes at a simmer and do not open or disturb it.
After 25 minutes, let it sit 5 minutes after you’ve turned it off. Then fluff and serve.
I don’t usually make pork so when this came out amazing, I was so happy. I liked it so much it’s going to be part of my weeknight dinner rotation.
The best part is that there’s no major preparation involved- you just season it and throw it in the oven.
No need for frying it in a pan and dirtying the stovetop.
Easy clean up, yay!
I made it as a healthy dinner for a meal prep client.
Pork tenderloin is just as lean as chicken breast so it’s a healthy choice. I served this baked pork roast with smashed fingerling potatoes and sautéed zucchini and onions.
Pork tenderloin is a really lean piece of meat. It’s important to not overcook it. It can go from tender to over cooked really fast.
So, this 1lb. tenderloin took only 35 minutes to cook.
I use a thermometer for pork and I made sure the internal temperature reached 145 F.
I’d really recommend investing in a thermometer if you don’t have one so you don’t end up with dry, overcooked pork.
Hope you fall in love with pork tenderloin like I did.
Garlic-Herb Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients (serves 3-4 people):
1 lb. Pork tenderloin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
¼ tsp. Black pepper
½ tsp. each dried basil, oregano, thyme, parsley
¼ tsp. dried sage
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a small bowl combine butter, oil, garlic, salt and spices. Mix with your fingers.
3. Place tenderloin in a baking dish or baking tray. Smear butter-herb mixture all over the tenderloin. Tuck the fresh Rosemary sprigs underneath the pork, if using.
4. Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 145 F. Immediately remove from the oven and let it rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Keeps in fridge for up to 3 days.
NOTES
Pork tenderloin might look pink in middle – if thermometer reads 145 degrees in center of tenderloin, it is fully cooked, regardless of color.
In a small bowl combine butter, oil, garlic, salt and spices. Mix with your fingers.
Place tenderloin in a baking dish or baking tray. Smear butter-herb mixture all over the tenderloin. Tuck the fresh Rosemary sprigs underneath the pork, if using.
Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the tenderloin reaches 145 F. Immediately remove from the oven and let it rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Keeps in fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Pork tenderloin might look pink in middle – if thermometer reads 145 degrees in center of tenderloin, it is fully cooked, regardless of color.
For more information on my work and meal prep service, please visit www.chefjoannas.com
To your wholesome & healthy life,
Joanna
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you because it’s easy and such a treat. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness and has great texture.
It’s also one-bowl recipe which always makes things easy and cleanup minimal. Everybody that’s had the pleasure of tasting them has loved ’em!
So without further ado, I present to you. . . Orange-Cardamom Cookies.
The combo of cardamom and orange is fantastic. It makes me feel like I’m eating fancy tea in a riad in Morocco. Enjoy 🥳
Orange-Cardamom Gluten-free Cookies
Ingredients (Makes 12-16 small cookies):
2 cups Almond Flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. Cardamom
2 Tbsp. coconut, olive oil, or grapeseed oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ orange, zested
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix first four ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk to break up any clumps.
2. Then, mix in the oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.
The mixture before dividing into balls
3. Scoop out into 12-16 balls. Roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Wash your hands. Then, keep your hands slightly damp to help you to roll and flatten them. They won’t really spread when baking, so you need to flatten them a bit.
4. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
Baked cookies!Light, fluffy texture
Orange-Cardamom Gluten-free Cookies
Enjoy this quick and easy gluten-free dessert. It's not too sweet. Have with tea or coffee for the perfect afternoon snack.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix first four ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk to break up any clumps.
Then, mix in the oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.
The mixture before dividing into balls
Scoop out into 12-16 balls. Roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Wash your hands. Then, keep your hands slightly damp to help you to roll and flatten them. They won’t really spread when baking, so you need to flatten them a bit.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
For more information on my work and vegan meal prep service, please visit www.chefjoannas.com
To your wholesome & healthy life,
Joanna
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas
This bowl was inspired by Sweetgreen, the salad chain. The combinations of flavors in this bowl are so good, I actually crave eating salad over a sandwich. (I’m a bread lover so for me that’s saying a lot)
It comes together quick. But it would be even faster if you have already-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken in the fridge.
The combination of Tuscan kale and romaine works nicely and the colors really pop, too. Feel free to use any greens you have on hand.
My best advice would be to invest in really good extra virgin olive oil AND aged balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze). When the quality is good, you only need a drizzle. So it’s worth the investment! It last you a long time.
I get Bragg olive oil, and get my balsamic glaze from the local farmer’s market.
Hope you give it a try!
Chicken Pesto Kale Bowl
Ingredients (for 2):
2 chicken breasts
1-2 cups kale, chopped
1-2 cups romaine, chopped
1 cup cooked wild rice or brown rice (I use trader joes frozen rice medley)
½ cup cherry tomatoes
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic glaze
Salt and pepper
Shredded Parmesan to taste
2 Tsp. Prepared Pesto
2 Tbsp. Pine nuts
Directions:
1. Prepare the rice. Meanwhile heat a pan to cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in a little oil until cooked on both sides. When it’s done, top with a little pesto and spread on chicken. Let chicken rest before chopping.
2. Divide rice into two serving bowls. Top with mixed kale and romaine. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.
Start with a base of rice
3. Top with chicken, shaved Parmesan, pine nuts, and cherry tomatoes. Serve and eat.
Chicken Pesto Kale Bowl
A simple and healthy salad bowl to keep things interesting. Eating healthy should taste this good!
1cupcooked wild rice or brown riceI use trader joes frozen rice medley
½cupcherry tomatoes
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic glaze
Salt and pepper
Shredded Parmesan to taste
2Tsp.Pesto
2Tbsp.Pine nuts
Instructions
Directions:
Prepare the rice. Meanwhile heat a pan to cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in a little oil until cooked on both sides. When it’s done, top with a little pesto and spread on chicken. Let chicken rest before chopping.
Divide rice into two serving bowls. Top with mixed kale and romaine. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.
Start with a base of rice
Top with chicken, shaved Parmesan, pine nuts, and cherry tomatoes. Serve and eat.
For more information on my work and vegan meal prep service, please visit www.chefjoannas.com
To your wholesome & healthy life,
Joanna
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas
If you’re like me, you don’t like to bananas with any spots.
I like to eat them when they are almost green. Except for baking.
This is a great occasion to use those almost-black bananas.
I even freeze peeled, black bananas and use them for baking.
I was short a banana for this recipe, so I quickly heated and smashed a frozen banana I had in the freezer. It works like a charm.
This muffin is so so tender and moist. I love using olive oil for baking because it feels healthier, but it also creates a nice crumb to the muffin.
Whole wheat pastry flour is also my go-to flour for baking these days. It doesn’t taste “wheat-y” like other whole wheat flours. Make sure you get “whole wheat pastry flour.”
I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I did.
You can even top them with peanut butter or other nut butter for a protein-filled snack or breakfast.
Why you’ll love these muffins:
Easy to make
With walnuts and flax, they make for a healthy breakfast
They are super fluffy and moist
Works great with frozen bananas, too
Sweetened with just banana and honey
Honey Nut Banana Muffins (Dairy-free)
Ingredients (makes 12 muffins):
Wet ingredients:
3 overripe bananas, smashed (about 1 ⅓ cup mashed banana)
⅓ cup honey
1 large egg
½ Tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
Dry ingredients:
1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
Mix ins:
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. whole flax seeds, to sprinkle on top
*You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a muffin tray. Or, line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly.
In another large bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix just to combine. DO NOT overmix.
When the batter just comes together, stir in the walnuts add mix briefly.
Divide batter evenly into muffin liners and sprinkle each muffin with flax seeds.
Put in the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature DOWN to 350 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Heating the frozen banana and smashingThe mixture before baking
Honey Nut Banana Muffins (Dairy-free)
An easy recipe that uses 3 overripe bananas. No refined sugars- its sweetened with just honey. Top with some peanut butter for a healthy protein-filled snack or breakfast.
New favorite low-maintenance way to make a roasted chickenJump to Recipe
I crave rotisserie chicken often, but I found myself going to the California Chicken Cafe too often.
Until… I found out how to rotisserie my own chicken. This method works! It takes 3 hours in the oven. But you don’t mess with it at all. So you can do your work-from-home thing while it cooks.
Beware though, the aromas from the oven whet your appetite pretty good. It may distract you from your work.
I don’t think I’ll roast chicken any other way or outsource it out to the local chicken rotisserie spot anymore.
This now my preferred rotisserie chicken. (I love stories with a happy ending 😂)
Slow Cooked Chicken
Ingredients (for 4):
3 1/2-4lb. Whole Chicken (pasture-raised is best)
1 lemon, cut in half
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
½ tsp. Paprika
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.
2. In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.
3. Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.
4. Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.
Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me.
I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.
Prepping Mrs. Chicken. I had a quarter onion I threw in underneath the chicken. After 1 ½ hours of cooking She’s done Tender and falling apart
½teaspooncrushed red pepper flakesor 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/2tsp.Dried thyme
½tsp.Paprika
2Tbsp.Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.
In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.
Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.
Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.
Notes
Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me. I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.
