International Market in Lake Forest!
Pars Market & Pharmacy
A new international market has opened in Lake Forest and for those of you
not familiar with Persian style markets, well this is the only one that you
should visit. They are very clean and offer the best range of fruit and vege-
tables. They also have a coffee shop, deli and pharmacy inside the store.
An added bonus is that the staff are extremely nice and will go to great
lengths to accommodate your needs
The owners are infamous for their Napoleons that they make at their bakery
in Laguna Hills.
26548 Moulton Parkway Unit F
Laguna Hills
949-294-8732
peruse the deli sections where the ever so eager chefs will let you sample
their wares. As a vegetarian I especially like the Kashk Bademjan, an egg-
plant appetizer with caramelized onions, fried mint, and whey. It goes great
with the fresh made bread that you can buy daily at this European style store.
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite Iranian dishes called Ghormeh Sabzi.
If you are breast feeding then this dish helps to produce more milk and the
parsley is great for stabilizing your uterus after birth.
As the Persians say: Nooshe Jan! (May your soul enjoy!)
Vegan Ghormeh Sabzi & Pistachio Kheer:
serves at least 6-8
3 TBSP olive oil
2 small/med yellow onions – minced
1 small red onion – minced
4 cloves garlic – finely minced
at least 2 lbs baby spinach – finely chopped (see notes *)
1 bunch – cilantro – finely chopped
1 bunch – Italian (flat leaf) parsley – finely chopped
2 bunches scallions – finely chopped
2 bunches garlic chives – finely chopped
¼ – ⅓ cup mint – finely chopped (to taste)
1 TBSP turmeric
1 TBSP Cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy … just add near the end so you don’t blow your tongue
off when it reduces)
juice of 1 largish lemon
juice of 1 lime
healthy pinch of saffron (20+ threads)
1 cup water
- optional: a few dried limes – pierced (see notes **)
1 can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans – drained and rinsed
kosher salt – to taste
Step 1: Chop (and chop … and chop … and chop …)
Here is the thing about ghormeh sabzi: it requires a good bit of preparation before starting the cooking
process. It’s a good chance to polish the knife skills that much more, right?
Step 2: The base
In a large (heavy-bottomed if possible) pot, heat the oil on MEDIUM and cook the onions sprinkled with a touch
of salt until they are almost translucent. This usually takes a little longer with red onions, but the subtly different flavor is worth it. Add the garlic and stir regularly for a few minutes, until it gets fragrant. Add the turmeric and cayenne pepper and mix well.
Step 3: The green stuff!
Add the spinach and herbs in large handfuls, stirring until the heat starts to wilt the leaves and reduce the volume before adding more. Sprinkle very lightly with salt, but only at the very beginning. (It is VERY easy to over-salt with a dish this much about reduction, so try to keep the salting at a minimum until you’re near the finished volume.) Keep doing this until all the greens are added. Then stir regularly until the greens are cooked down more and have released their liquid. Then add the remaining ingredients, except the kidney beans, and mix well. Allow the liquid to come to a bubble, then reduce to SIMMER, stirring occasionally for at least 2-3 hours. As the liquid cooks down, you will want to stir more frequently to avoid burning.
helpful tip: If you want to taste and adjust seasoning, wait until well into the cooking process. This is a very concentrated stew so, if you add too much too early, it will cook down and be very strong in the final dish.
Step 4: Final touches
About a half hour before serving, add the kidney beans and mix well. Serve over brown basmati rice (I like to
use saffron plus butter and olive oil in the pot) or with flat bread.
Notes:
* If you go to a Middle-eastern market, you will find what is known as a “pillow pack”, which is a HUGE clear bag, stuffed with spinach. I will weigh one next time I hit the store, but I think it looks like the volume of 4 half-pound bags.
Bear in mind, my volume preference of the balance of herbs may not be yours. Tinker and adjust based on what flavor profile you’d like.
** Dried limes are traditional in ghormeh sabzi, but hard to hunt down outside Middle-eastern markets and the interwubs. I prefer my stew with a few limes, pierced several times to release more flavor. The Boss does not agree and prefers the taste without. You might want to scare some up and try it if you like the idea of a hint of concentrated savory citrus bite. The taste is hard to describe, but similar to how drying dramatically intensifies the deep, low notes of a chili pepper and softens the sharper ones, but keeps the same general favor. Does that make sense?
Pars Market & Pharmacy
A new international market has opened in Lake Forest and for those of you
not familiar with Persian style markets, well this is the only one that you
should visit. They are very clean and offer the best range of fruit and vege-
tables. They also have a coffee shop, deli and pharmacy inside the store.
An added bonus is that the staff are extremely nice and will go to great
not familiar with Persian style markets, well this is the only one that you
should visit. They are very clean and offer the best range of fruit and vege-
tables. They also have a coffee shop, deli and pharmacy inside the store.
An added bonus is that the staff are extremely nice and will go to great
lengths to accommodate your needs
The owners are infamous for their Napoleons that they make at their bakery
in Laguna Hills.
in Laguna Hills.
26548 Moulton Parkway Unit F
Laguna Hills
I highly recommend a visit to this store and while you are there definitely
peruse the deli sections where the ever so eager chefs will let you sample
their wares. As a vegetarian I especially like the Kashk Bademjan, an egg-
plant appetizer with caramelized onions, fried mint, and whey. It goes great
with the fresh made bread that you can buy daily at this European style store.
peruse the deli sections where the ever so eager chefs will let you sample
their wares. As a vegetarian I especially like the Kashk Bademjan, an egg-
plant appetizer with caramelized onions, fried mint, and whey. It goes great
with the fresh made bread that you can buy daily at this European style store.
Here is a recipe for one of my favorite Iranian dishes called Ghormeh Sabzi.
If you are breast feeding then this dish helps to produce more milk and the
parsley is great for stabilizing your uterus after birth.
As the Persians say: Nooshe Jan! (May your soul enjoy!)
If you are breast feeding then this dish helps to produce more milk and the
parsley is great for stabilizing your uterus after birth.
As the Persians say: Nooshe Jan! (May your soul enjoy!)
Vegan Ghormeh Sabzi & Pistachio Kheer:
serves at least 6-8
3 TBSP olive oil
2 small/med yellow onions – minced
1 small red onion – minced
4 cloves garlic – finely minced
at least 2 lbs baby spinach – finely chopped (see notes *)
1 bunch – cilantro – finely chopped
1 bunch – Italian (flat leaf) parsley – finely chopped
2 bunches scallions – finely chopped
2 bunches garlic chives – finely chopped
¼ – ⅓ cup mint – finely chopped (to taste)
1 TBSP turmeric
1 TBSP Cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy … just add near the end so you don’t blow your tongue
off when it reduces)
juice of 1 largish lemon
juice of 1 lime
healthy pinch of saffron (20+ threads)
1 cup water
- optional: a few dried limes – pierced (see notes **)
1 can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans – drained and rinsed
kosher salt – to taste
2 small/med yellow onions – minced
1 small red onion – minced
4 cloves garlic – finely minced
at least 2 lbs baby spinach – finely chopped (see notes *)
1 bunch – cilantro – finely chopped
1 bunch – Italian (flat leaf) parsley – finely chopped
2 bunches scallions – finely chopped
2 bunches garlic chives – finely chopped
¼ – ⅓ cup mint – finely chopped (to taste)
1 TBSP turmeric
1 TBSP Cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy … just add near the end so you don’t blow your tongue
off when it reduces)
juice of 1 largish lemon
juice of 1 lime
healthy pinch of saffron (20+ threads)
1 cup water
- optional: a few dried limes – pierced (see notes **)
1 can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans – drained and rinsed
kosher salt – to taste
Step 1: Chop (and chop … and chop … and chop …)
Here is the thing about ghormeh sabzi: it requires a good bit of preparation before starting the cooking
process. It’s a good chance to polish the knife skills that much more, right?
process. It’s a good chance to polish the knife skills that much more, right?
Step 2: The base
In a large (heavy-bottomed if possible) pot, heat the oil on MEDIUM and cook the onions sprinkled with a touch
of salt until they are almost translucent. This usually takes a little longer with red onions, but the subtly different flavor is worth it. Add the garlic and stir regularly for a few minutes, until it gets fragrant. Add the turmeric and cayenne pepper and mix well.
In a large (heavy-bottomed if possible) pot, heat the oil on MEDIUM and cook the onions sprinkled with a touch
of salt until they are almost translucent. This usually takes a little longer with red onions, but the subtly different flavor is worth it. Add the garlic and stir regularly for a few minutes, until it gets fragrant. Add the turmeric and cayenne pepper and mix well.
Step 3: The green stuff!
Add the spinach and herbs in large handfuls, stirring until the heat starts to wilt the leaves and reduce the volume before adding more. Sprinkle very lightly with salt, but only at the very beginning. (It is VERY easy to over-salt with a dish this much about reduction, so try to keep the salting at a minimum until you’re near the finished volume.) Keep doing this until all the greens are added. Then stir regularly until the greens are cooked down more and have released their liquid. Then add the remaining ingredients, except the kidney beans, and mix well. Allow the liquid to come to a bubble, then reduce to SIMMER, stirring occasionally for at least 2-3 hours. As the liquid cooks down, you will want to stir more frequently to avoid burning.
Add the spinach and herbs in large handfuls, stirring until the heat starts to wilt the leaves and reduce the volume before adding more. Sprinkle very lightly with salt, but only at the very beginning. (It is VERY easy to over-salt with a dish this much about reduction, so try to keep the salting at a minimum until you’re near the finished volume.) Keep doing this until all the greens are added. Then stir regularly until the greens are cooked down more and have released their liquid. Then add the remaining ingredients, except the kidney beans, and mix well. Allow the liquid to come to a bubble, then reduce to SIMMER, stirring occasionally for at least 2-3 hours. As the liquid cooks down, you will want to stir more frequently to avoid burning.
helpful tip: If you want to taste and adjust seasoning, wait until well into the cooking process. This is a very concentrated stew so, if you add too much too early, it will cook down and be very strong in the final dish.
Step 4: Final touches
About a half hour before serving, add the kidney beans and mix well. Serve over brown basmati rice (I like to
use saffron plus butter and olive oil in the pot) or with flat bread.
About a half hour before serving, add the kidney beans and mix well. Serve over brown basmati rice (I like to
use saffron plus butter and olive oil in the pot) or with flat bread.
Notes:
* If you go to a Middle-eastern market, you will find what is known as a “pillow pack”, which is a HUGE clear bag, stuffed with spinach. I will weigh one next time I hit the store, but I think it looks like the volume of 4 half-pound bags.
Bear in mind, my volume preference of the balance of herbs may not be yours. Tinker and adjust based on what flavor profile you’d like.
** Dried limes are traditional in ghormeh sabzi, but hard to hunt down outside Middle-eastern markets and the interwubs. I prefer my stew with a few limes, pierced several times to release more flavor. The Boss does not agree and prefers the taste without. You might want to scare some up and try it if you like the idea of a hint of concentrated savory citrus bite. The taste is hard to describe, but similar to how drying dramatically intensifies the deep, low notes of a chili pepper and softens the sharper ones, but keeps the same general favor. Does that make sense?
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