Main Dishes (A-M)

MAIN DISHES (A-M)

CHICKEN NOODLE STIRFRY

CORN CHOWDER

EGG NACHOS
EGYPTIAN KOSHARY

LOOBIA POLO AND KOFTEH (GREEN BEANS, RICE & MEATBALLS)

CHICKEN NOODLE STIRFRY
Submitted by: Courtney S. (Gr. 5)
From Canada
Dairy-free, Nut-free


INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg (397 g) steam fried noodles
1 pkg (500 g) frozen vegetables
2 c precooked chicken
1/2 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce

Prep Time: 15 min          Cook Time: 15 min          # Servings: 6


DIRECTIONS:

• Cook pasta according to package, and set aside for later
• Cook ginger and garlic in a bit of oil. Toss the frozen vegetables into a large skillet with a bit more oil, and add orange juice
• Stir fry them until they are tener
• Add the chicken into the pan with the vegetables and add Oyster and Hoisin sauces. 
• Add the noodles to the pan of chicken and vegetables

CORN CHOWDER
Submitted by: Declan M. (Gr. 2)
From Nova Scotia, Canada
Kosher, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Halal, Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg potato (Yukon Gold works great!)
680 ml creamed corn (canned or homemade)
680 ml fresh or canned corn nibblets (preferably peaches and cream)
1 c milk (or cream)
2 tbsp salted butter or margarine
2 medium onions, diced
2-3 stalks of celery (optional, but strongly suggested

1/2 tsp dried parsley (for colour)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika (optional)

Salt or sea salt to taste

Optional additions or variations: Some people like to crumble bacon on the top, or add cubed ham (not vegetarian, kosher or halal, then, obviously).  Shredded cheddar on top is also a popular garnish for hot corn chowder, as is chopped green onions.  I've also added diced fresh sweet red pepper, grated carrot or a cut green beans to the mix for colour.  can be made for vegans by using a soy milk with olive oil, with a bit of bullion, in the place of milk and butter. (It's a simple recipe, and hard to mess up, so be creative!)

Prep Time: 10 min          Cook Time: 55 min          # Servings: 5-10

DIRECTIONS:

• Clean and dice potato into approx. 2 cm cubes. (Peeling is optional) Cook in salt water with the chopped onions and celery for about 5 minutes, or until they are slightly cooked with still some firmness.  Drain and set aside.
• In a pot, heat creamed corn, with milk and butter, and then add corn nibblets.  Stir until smooth and melted.  Add seasonings and parsley, as desired.  Add the boiled potatoes, onion and celery.  (Add cubed ham here, if desired)  Cover and simmer (on low or medium) for about a half hour to 45 minutes (until potatoes are tender), stirring occasionally.  (Be careful not to boil it, or let anything stick to the bottom!) 
• Season to taste, throughout, as needed
• Let stand for about 5 minutes or so, to allow for thickening, and then serve in bowls or soup mugs.  Add garnish, as desired
• ** Can also be made in a crock pot

EGG NACHOS
Submitted by: Elliott & Cary D. (Gr. 6 & 3)
Dairy-free, Gluten-free (optional), Nut-free, Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp cream cheese (optional)
1/4 c milk (non diary works)
1/2 c frozen corn, cooked
1/2 c cooked black beans (or 1 can)
2-3 wholegrain or gluten-free tortillas
1 c salsa
sour cream (optional)
grated cheddar cheese (optional)
sliced jalapenos (optional)
avocado, sliced (optional)

Prep Time: 10 min          Cook Time: 15 min          # Servings: 4

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 400 F
• Slice tortillas to one-inch strips. Place in single layer on a baking sheet.  Place in oven for approx. 5 minutes or until toasted
• In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk and cream cheese (if using) together with a fork (cream cheese may remain solid)  
• Scramble egg mixture at medium setting in a large, oiled, pan. When complete, mix in corn and black beans.
• To serve layer tortillas, then egg mixture, then salsa and other optional toppings.

To prepare Koofteh (meatballs),  in a bowl add the grated onion, ground beef, some turmeric powder, salt, pepper, and any other desired spices. Mix ingredients well. In a frying pan heat up oil (medium heat). Begin forming tiny meatballs and placing it in the frying pan and let them cook for a few minutes. Once all the Koofteh is prepared stir the contents around and put them aside.

Enjoy!

Makes a great leftover, especially on cold afternoons!

Notes: Substitute tortilla chips for tortillas *** Add chili powder and cumin to black beans for fuller flavour (1 tsp each) *** To save money cook dried beans in large batches and once cooled, place in freezer. Use as needed - add directly to recipes to heat.

EGYPTIAN KOSHARY

Submitted by: Kenzy & Yusef S. (grades 5&1)

Dairy-free, Nut-free, Kosher, Halal, Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 c raw brown lentils

2/3 c raw rice

150g raw elbow pasta

50g raw filini pasta

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp vinegar

1 c chickpeas

1/4 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

Dressing sauce: 1 chopped small onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 can pasta sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes      Cook time: 45 minutes    # Servings: 8

DIRECTIONS:

• Cook lentils and elbow pasta according to package instructions.
•  Brown the filini pasta with the olive oil, then add rice and cook per package instructions.
• Sear cooked lentils with 1 tbsp vegetable oil until yellow, add garlic and cook for 1 min, then add pasta sauce, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Mix all cooked ingredients, dress with sauce and top with seasoned chickpeas.

Special Notes: Though not originally Egyptian, Koshary is a VERY popular and unique Egyptian dish. It dates back to world war days where Indian soldiers (part of the British troops centered in Egypt) mixed rice with yellow dal in a dish called "Kitchari". The dish then was modified by the Italians living in Cairo and throughout the rest of Egypt. Egyptians modified the recipe by adding sauce, chickpeas, and fried onions to it and it has since become "Koshary", a signature of the Egyptian kitchen.
It's a healthy dish (only 2 1/3 tbsp of oil in 8 servings) and has something from every food group. You can top it with crispy fried onions.

 

LOOBIA POLO AND KOFTEH (GREEN BEANS, RICE & MEATBALLS)

Submitted by: Parnia A. (grade 1)

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 ½ tbsp turmeric
2 large onions, 1 should be pureed using a food processor/fine food grater, and 1 should be chopped
6-8 heaping tbsp tomato paste 
2 lbs fresh or frozen cut (½ inch)green beans
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or cooking oil, plus enough to cover the bottom of a large pot for the popular tahdig (crispy rice), plus enough to cover the bottom of a pan for onions
2 tbsp butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 heaping tbsp cinnamon (ground cumin and dried rose petals, optional)
3 cups of uncooked basmati rice
½ tsp ground saffron mixed into ¼ cup hot water
salt and pepper to taste

Prep time: 60-75 minutes      Serves: 6-8

DIRECTIONS

• Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and add the chopped onion. Mix around to fry the onion until it browns (about 5-10 min). Turn off the heat and tilt the pan to drain away the oil to one side of the pan. This oil can then be discarded. Add the tomato paste and about ¾ cup water in to the frying pan . Mix well and add the cut green beans. Place the pan on medium-low with lid on and let the green beans cook for 15 min. Remove from heat and add the prepared meatballs to the mixture and add some salt, pepper, and cinnamon (and any other desired spices).
• Now prepare the rice as follows:
• Rinse uncooked rice 2-3 times to get rid of excess starch and impurities. Boil a large non-stick pot of water and add salt just as you would when cooking pasta. Put stove on medium-high heat. Add rice and don’t let it over-boil. When the rice is a bit hard in the middle and soft on the outside, turn off the heat and rinse the rice using cold water and a colander so that the rice stops cooking.
• Add enough oil to that rice pot to cover the bottom for making crispy rice (tahdig) and layer the rice, with meatball-green bean mixture into the pot. Add saffron-water, cinnamon, (cumin and rose petals) after each layer until all the ingredients are finished. Pour gently about 1/3 cup of water (or any water left from the meatball-bean mixture) on the top of the ingredients and place the lid on top of the pot and put burner on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. When steam rises to the lid ( remove the lid and add 2 tbsp butter or 2 tbsp oil all over the top of the rice. Put the lid back and let it steamed for about 25-30 minutes on low heat.
• Turn off heat, mix the rice and meatball-green beans layers gently to have a uniform dish of rice, green beans and meat balls and serve. Using the wooden spatula, you can get to the bottom of the pot to break the crispy rice (tahdig) into medium pieces and serve alongside the dish for a crunchy treat. The dish is served with salad or plain yogurt with a pinch of salt (and peppermint) on the side.

Chef's Note:  This is a popular Persian cuisine especially among children. It is made up of a mixture of ground beef, onions, green beans, and tomato paste, along with a couple spices and then layered with cooked basmati rice and saffron. This is set to steam in order to mix the flavors together, finish cooking the rice, and also create a popular crispy rice crust (called tahdig) at the bottom of the pot. Saffron is one of the main spices in Persian Cuisines, however, fell free to use or not use any of the mentioned spices. Persian Cuisine are not spicy and hot but of course you can modify it to your own taste.