Lemon-Thyme Chicken

Hello! 

Another recipe I made last night and it turned out phenomenal! My boyfriend's mom introduced me to this website and I believe all the recipes are this simple, quick, healthy, and delicious. Here it is, with some of my personal twist:

- 2 pounds chicken cutlets 
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flour for dredging (whole wheat pastry flour is what I used) 
- Unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced thinly 
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Step 1:

Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Dredge them with flour and shake off the excess.

Step 2:

Warm about ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken cutlets and sauté on both sides until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Step 3:

Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and season with sea salt and pepper.  Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.  Pour the lemon juice into the pan and scrape any brown bits on the bottom.  Add the chicken stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer.  Transfer the chicken back to the pan with any accumulated juices.  Simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Step 4:

Remove thyme sprigs and serve immediately. 

Serve with (my twist):

- Rice, made in a Persian-style rice cooker

- Plain yogurt

- Raw radishes

That's it! Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sahra

http://pamelasalzman.com/lemon-thyme-chicken/

Tasty Turkey Kabobs

I started cooking, everybody! I've finally started cooking on the regular and I love it.

I've been asking my mom for her recipes for years and she always says it's difficult for her to tell me over the phone because she doesn't use measurements (we've lived in different cities since I was 18 years old... I know, it's devastating). 

But now that I've been playing my own version of catch-up by looking up recipes, getting creative in the kitchen (and making plenty of mistakes), I have a better idea of ratios when I'm preparing a dish. (Ratios are key, friends). This, in turn, has helped me comfortably take direction from mom sans specific measurements. 

That said, I did exactly this and my mom's Persian-inspired turkey kabobs turned out perfect! Here is the direction I was given, including my own personal tweaks:

- 1 pound ground turkey 
- 2 medium-sized white onions, finely chopped
- Tumeric
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup of dried parsley
- 3 garlic cloves
- Worcester sauce
- Olive oil
- One Egg

- Two tomatoes
- Lemon pepper
- Rice
- Plain yogurt
- Raw onions
- Cilantro
- Sumac (pronounced Somagh: http://www.kalamala.com/products/sumac-ground-4-oz)

Step 1:
Set oven on Bake, 500 degrees

Step 2:
Mix the first ten ingredients in a big bowl (wear gloves and massage well with your hands)
Add as much olive oil necessary to keep the mixture moist

Step 3:
Put foil on a cooking tray and spray with non-stick oil 

Step 4:
Make little patties (whatever shape and size you prefer) and lay them on the tray

Step 5:
Place in oven once heated to 500 degrees

Step 6:
Let bake for about 6-8 minutes (check on it and you will know when it's cooked)

Step 7:
Flip the patties, and add two whole tomatoes on the side of the cooking tray. Shake some lemon pepper and some olive oil on the tomatoes. Let cook again for 6-8 minutes.

Serve with:
- Rice. I make the rice with a Persian-style rice cooker (very easy).
- Plain yogurt
- Raw onions
- Cilantro
- And, of course, the warm tomatoes you just made with the kabob
- Sprinkle sumac on the rice, kabob, and tomatoes.


That's it! And it's pretty darn healthy too. Good luck!


Sincerely,
Sahra

Stop! Grammar Time

You welcome vs. You're welcome

Folks,

It is not "You welcome" as people too often say. It's "You're welcome." As in short for "You are welcome."

It's shocking how often this mistake is made, even on television. Let's stop the trend please. You will thank me later.

You're welcome.


Sincerely,
Sahra

Perspective

OG Blog Post #3

Before my surgery, my perspective was like this:

- My job isn’t satisfying every passion. I always felt I had so much to offer this world, and here I am, a 30-something with an OK job. How unoriginal.

- I’m unsure about this guy I’m dating.  He’s not a bad guy, but my gut keeps telling me to cut him loose. Ugh, am I wasting my time?

- All I want in life is a big kitchen, a garden, a bathtub I can actually lay down in, a backyard, and a mini-golden doodle. And here I am, living in a shoebox where I can’t do or own any of these.

Newfound perspective:

- I have an income that allows me the lifestyle I desire. I work from 9-6 and never on weekends. I can work out during my lunch break. I get along fabulously with my boss. I get one-month vacation each year.

So let’s get this straight. With my current job: I am not overworked, I am permitted the time to have my own life and pursue hobbies, I can enjoy the city any evening of the week and all weekend, I have the luxury to stay fit without waking up early or spending my precious evenings at the gym, I have plenty of time for dating, I can afford quality clothes, I can now incorporate cooking into my life on a regular basis as I have wanted to for years, I can travel the world without feeling rushed, AND most importantly, I have time to explore other career options.  Wait a minute… my job is AWESOME.  And it’s actually perfect for where I am in my life right now.

- I listened to my gut and cut that dud loose! Holy cow I’m so much happier now.

That is not a type-o, it’s supposed to say “dud.” I tried, it wasn’t working, I learned from it, now time to move on. And how lucky am I to even have that option for myself?  To live during a time when woman are allowed choices? What a blessing that I am financially independent, have my own place, and possess the strength, confidence, and support to not stay in a relationship out of fear of being alone or the need to be taken care of by a man. Boy, I am one lucky girl! I know He is out there and I can’t wait for the day we find each other.

-  NYC doesn’t have to be your last home or last city you live in. So start planning your escape plan to a more affordable city that will allow you the luxury of space and a backyard, and in the meantime, enjoy possibly your last several months in the greatest city on earth!

You are here by choice. It made sense seven years ago, but now you are in a new phase in your life and are prioritizing different things. This is normal. It’s called evolving as a human being. Appreciate how NYC has taught you to be a minimalist, be thankful you are at least living alone, and don’t forget that you can leave whenever you feel ready.

See how quickly your entire state of mind can change, just by keeping proper perspective? It’s almost like magic! Viewing my life through one mirror and then another.

Sincerely,

Sahra

Long Tongue Wired Shut

OG Blog Post #2

Sounds like my Native American name.

I’m wired shut, everyone. Long Tongue officially can’t talk or “eat” anything but liquids. What a nightmare for someone that enjoys sharing her thoughts as much as me. But maybe it’s a good thing? Maybe it’s good to sit in silence for a bit. By the way, my love for talking does not mean I can’t listen. I’ve always been a good listener too… just often have a lengthy response :)

It’s been a few days now, so I’ve gotten used to the torture. And have already come to some clarity and made the following conclusions:

- I don’t want to be with the guy I’m dating anymore.

Epiphany already accepted, embraced, and handled. Please note being wired shut is the only, and I mean ONLY time it’s acceptable to break up with someone via text. Even after four months.

- I love NYC, but am about ready to move back to Cali.

When I left the hospital I had a traumatizing encounter with a handful of unfriendly strangers, and this has made me reassess my choice to live in a city with such thick-skinned residents. Being tough is a great quality. However, when I’m stuck outside my apartment sans house keys or a cell phone and the reaction I get from my neighbors when asked for help is 1) I don’t have a cell phone 2) I left my cell phone in my apartment or 3) simply stared at in horror and completely ignored all together– there is a real problem. Now I’ve been in NYC for almost seven years so I get the attitude, but when I’m standing in front of you with a swollen face, gauze pads taped under my nose covered in blood, plastic bracelets on my wrist, and a bouquet of flowers in my hand… I’m probably not trying to hurt you. The lack of empathy I saw in others when I was the one struggling and in need of help confirmed that this is not the place for me. 

- I am going to start mediating (for real this time).

I was so scared the night before my surgery I didn’t sleep a wink all night. It was the first time in my life I actually felt like I needed a prayer or a mantra to help me feel at peace. No one could talk me out of my fear. I had to do it myself, and couldn’t. What a horribly helpless feeling.

- Make sure you have hobbies!

I’ve been more than blessed to have family to take care of me during this surgery, but let me tell you, waking up and going to bed with retired folks has really made clear the importance of finding hobbies for yourself. It is SO important to have something to get you out of bed every morning once you stop working. Something to make you feel fulfilled and gives you a purpose every day. And don’t rely this “purpose” on the path of others (ehem, grandbabies), because then you end up waiting. Which is exactly what you don’t want to be doing at his point in your life.

I think that’s it for now. Stay tuned for more.

Oh, and the surgery was to fix my open bite. Jaw surgery.

Sincerely,

Sahra

Long Tongue

OG Blog Post #1

I’m a talker. Yep, that’s me. In fact when growing up, my family called me “zaboon derahz,” which literal translation is “long tongue”. I promise it sounds much cuter in Persian, and is even considered an endearing nickname. 

You see, I was the youngest and tiniest in the family but always had wise-beyond-her-years insight. And I was never afraid to communicate them. I like to compare my fearlessness to my old dog, Sweetie Bear: a small, hyper Pekingese that used to bark and challenge bigger dogs, like he was clueless about how much stronger these other dogs were. Or maybe he knew but just didn’t care, like me.

I’ve never felt intimidated by someone because of age, education, wisdom, gender, class, size, profession, background, accomplishments… and it wasn’t something learned or taught, it was just the way I was born I guess. “Never felt intimidated by” not to be confused with not having respect. As a middle easterner, proper etiquette is instilled in us at a very young age. In fact, I recently reconnected and met up with my brother’s best friend from back in the day, Mike. He used to live down the road from us and was ten years older, so he helped my brother give a hand to my parents with raising my sister and me. I hadn’t seen him since I was a little girl, and he was so happy to see me as a grown up. He said the confidence I had coupled with how expressive I was as a young child was awe-inspiring to him and he was always curious to see what I would end up doing with my life. At that point, I was acting in LA. Which I’m still not sure if that is exactly what he had envisioned for me, or not at all.

Anyways, back to my “Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey" as my sister would often call these enlightening, life-altering conclusions. I’ve always had solid back up for feeling or firmly believing whatever it is I’m communicating. And by back up, I don’t mean quoting books and recent medical trials; I mean an insightful, levelheaded explanation of Why or How. Perhaps an innate grasp on human behavior, sprinkled in some good judgment, with a dash of superb advice-giving skills would be the simplest way to describe it.

All that being said, the purpose of this blog is to make you laugh, at me or with me, and hopefully make you think too. I humbly admit that my brilliant conclusions and bold statements are sometimes proven wrong, so I’m not expecting you to agree with all I say. Just understand these are all truths to me, at that moment in time.

I welcome you to join me on this journey of laugher, love, reflection, and nonsense.


Sincerely,
Sahra

Throwback Tuesday

Wow! I was so happy to finally get moving on this blog, I pulled up the first few entries I wrote a while back but never posted. And was shocked to see they were finalized almost exactly one year ago today, 3/27/13. So funny! I will publish them as separate entries below (which means above on a blog, I believe).


Sincerely,
Sahra