Noonie's | Chicken Fried Steak

Uhm, yes please. Love me some Chicken Fried Steak! All smothered in gravy goodness, ooohhh wwweeee! lol. (I mean CFS is a Southern food so I'm just tryin' to get into it lol) Although I've obviously eaten CFS plenty of times over the years I've only ever actually eaten while dining out at a restaurant. Never had I ever (ha) had the pleasure of eating homemade CFS, that is up until recently. When I went looking for an exact recipe to use I found a couple of variations of pretty much the same basic recipe. + so I decided to combine a couple of recipes that I found + made my own by adding/subtracting a couple of ingredients that I thought the recipe could use. This dish turned out to be everything I wanted it to be + more, which is a rarity in life, so needless to say I was a pretty damn happy lady after sitting down + enjoying it. I know you're goin' love it too. 

Grab your ingredients + let's get a cookin'! :)

Arab Meal 101: Manaeesh | Za'atar + Olive Oil 'Pies'

I've been wanting to share this next recipe with ya for a while now for a couple of reasons: 1) it's one of my favorite Arabic snacks/breakfast item + I like to share recipes from my culture! + 2) it literally takes 10 minutes to make including prep + bake time! I'm talking about a little something we Arabs call Manaeesh aka Za'atar pies aka flaky savory goodness! I've talked about Za'atar in the past here on BSOM but for those of you who missed it let me catch ya up on exactly what it is...! 

Za'atar is an Arabic spice that one could describe as kind of a tangy + savory. It typically consists of Roasted Sesame Seeds, Sumac, Thyme, Oregano + Salt, although there are a few variations here + there on the mix. I usually get my Za'atar fix from my local Mediterranean store, but I'm sure an international grocery store will probably have it as it's a popular spice in the Arab world. If you don't feel like buying it just to try it you can always make your own at home, although I haven't personally tried making my own I found this recipe online. Seems pretty legit. Anyways you're goin need some Za'atar for the recipe I'm about to share!

Arab Meal 101: Kofta b'tahini (Meat w/ Tahini)

Ever since I posted Arab Breakfast 101 + realized how much you fine folks loved it I've been meaning to share some more yummy Arab recipes that my family has enjoyed ever since I was a kid right here on BSOM. Well the time has come so here are are, allow me to introduce you to....Kofta b'tahini, or Kofta for short. 

I know the mere title of this may sound a little daunting, but it literally translates to "meat with tahini" + it's actually a really simple dish to put together. Kofta b'tahini is an Arab (specifically Jordanian) traditional dish, it's our version of a "meat + potatoes" kinda meal. It consists of a layer of ground beef, topped with fried potatoes +  a tahini sauce. For those of you out there not familiar with tahini it's basically just a Sesame seed paste, which can be purchased at any Mediterranean store or International market. If you don't want to buy a jar of it just to try it out, you can make your own tahini right at home. Although I have never made my own tahini I found this recipe online for it which seemed pretty legit + super easy to make (a 2 ingredient recipe). Grab your tahini along with the other ingredients below and let's make some Arabic food!

I should mention there are many variations on this dish, but this is how I've enjoyed it all of these years. I should also mention yes I've eaten Kofta since I was a kid + I had some idea of how it was made, but I had never actually made this myself until today! Good ol' mom volunteered to show us how to make this yummy dish, so THANK YOU MOM! :) Since she has made this dish so many times over the years she doesn't measure anything out, so we're goin' eye this one, we're a big fan of 'season to taste' in my family!

Kofta b'tahini  

Prep Time: 10 mins

Bake Time: 40 mins or so

Whatcha Need

* Ground Beef

* Salt + Peppa

* Chopped Onion
* Lemon Juice

* Sliced Potatoes
* Tahini
* White Rice

Lets Make it

* Mix up the meat, S+P + Onion

* Lay down the meat into a 13x9 pan

* Place pan in preheated 325 oven for about 10 mins, once meat is browned on one side,
 flip it + bake another 10 mins or until meat is thoroughly cooked

* While meat is baking slice whole potatoes + fry until they are about 1/2 way cooked,
you basically want them soft + lightly browned + drained
(You can also start your rice while the meat + potatoes are doing their thing)

* Once your meat + potatoes are done, place a layer of potatoes on top of the meat

* Now it's time to bust out the Tahini!

* You'll want enough of this sauce to cover the top of the meat + potatoes

* Warm up the Tahini + lemon juice + water on the stove
You'll want a ratio of about 1/4 Cup Tahini to about 1 Cup of water
As far as an amount for the lemon juice...this dish is supposed to be tangy!
We Arabs LOVE our lemon juice so don't skimpin' on the lemon juice if you want that authentic Arab taste!  
Mix WILL be thin at first, but just keep warming it up + it will thicken up for ya

* Pour Tahini mix on top of meat + potatoes,
place pan back in the oven bake for about 20 mins

* Serve on top of a bed of rice + enjoy!

I've been enjoying this exact dish ever since I was a kid + I hope you enjoy it too!

Until next time friends...Cheers!

<3 Noonie

PSST: If you enjoyed this post check out one of my other favorite Arab dishes: 

Arab Meal 101: Bamya | Okra + Beef Stew
Arab Breakfast 101: Grandma's Fried Eggs, Hummus + Ful

Includes photos + my family recipes! <3

Slow Cookin' Collective

If you've read this blog before you'd know that I'm in love with my slow cooker! I am continuously trying + looking for new slow cooker recipes + I welcome you all to share your favorites with me! Just comment below! :) Anyways thought I'd put together this collective post of slow cooker friendly recipes you can find right here on BSOM...Enjoy!!

Chili

Beef Stew

This picture doesn't do this stew justice!

Corn + Potato Chowder

As I mentioned I welcome you all to share YOUR favorite slow cooker recipes!

So come on fess up...

What's your favorite slow cooker recipe?!

Comment below or shoot me over an email to bicoastalstateofmind@gmail.com! <3

 I would love to hear from you and maybe even feature your recipe right here on BSOM if you're up to it! :)

Noonie's |Bagel Fixes|

Since I can remember I've always loved a good bagel. In fact one of my earliest memories involves bagels. My dad used to take my brother and I to this one bagel shop Downtown on the weekends we spent with him. There was a baseball field right across the street from our bagel shop, and on this one particular Sunday there happened to be a baseball game going on, so we took our bagels, walked across the street and watched the game as we enjoyed our breakfast. All together now "awwww" yes I know cute memory. LOL

I think my story illustrates to you the point I'm a bagel junkie, always have been, always will be. My typical "fix" is usually just a plain bagel, but lately I've been really into 'Everything' bagels, you know the ones with all the seeds that love to get stuck between your teeth. Well worth the sacrifice in my book. Sometimes I go for an onion bagel, but I don't really stray from these three types of bagels too often at all. Once in a while I enjoy a cinnamon raisin bagel, but I don't lean towards sweeter bagels too often. I enjoy a good ol' savory bagel much more. But life is all about broadening your horizons and so I'm going to touch a little on about the sweeter side of the bagel world.

So we talked a little about types of bagels, now let's talk about what to put in the middle of these things. I guess I should mention that yes I do eat my bagel the typical way, you know toasted and spread with plain cream cheese, leaving the bagel separate as 2 pieces. If I do go this route I always top my bagel with Za'atar (which I will talk about in a moment, I'm getting ahead of myself) + a little Salt + Peppa. But I like to spice things up, so I rarely eat my bagels this way. The way I DO usually eat my bagels require eating the bagel as a 'sandwich' in order to keep the goodies from slipping and sliding off, which would surely happen if I ate the bagel separate as 2 pieces instead one.
 
As I mentioned I always toast the bagel before doing anything else with it. I personally prefer mine a little on the crunchy side. Here are just a few of my favorite bagel sandwiches that I regularly eat.

Noonie's Favorite Bagel Sandwiches

* Egg Bagel Sandwich: Start with a toasted or  grilled bagel
 (simply grill the bagel in a pan with some butter spread on it)
Fixins': Add an over hard egg (that's how I prefer mine) +/or Cheddar cheese +/or bacon + Salt + Peppa

 * Turkey Bagel Sandwich: This one is pretty straightforward. Start with a toasted bagel.
Fixins': Turkey + Provolone cheese + A little Mayo + Black Peppa

* Childhood Favorite: Start with a toasted bagel. 
Fixins': Plain cream cheese + Cheddar cheese + a few slices of tomatoes +  Za'atar + Salt + Peppa

Okay so I guess people don't typically add Za'atar on their bagels because I don't think everyone knows exactly what Za'atar is. Well let me drop some knowledge your way.

 Za'atar is an Arabic spice that is kind of tangy I guess you could say. It typically consist of Roasted Sesame Seeds, Sumac, Thyme, Oregano and Salt, although there are a few variations here and there on the mix. I've been eating it ever since I can remember. I typically get my Za'atar fix from my local Mediterranean store, but I'm sure an international grocery store will probably have it. It's a popular spice in the Arab world. If you don't feel like buying it just to try it you can always make your own at home, although I haven't personally tried making my own I found this recipe online. Seems like it's pretty legit.

 

These are just a few of my personal favorites, but I randomly found this bagel recipe online (which is actually what inspired me to write this post to begin with) and I just had to share it alongside my faves. I have yet to try this number, but it looks pretty damn tasty! I think when I do get around to making it I'll skip the egg part and just go for the avocado + hummus + cheese.

Like I said earlier I am a bagel junkie + have a super bad sweet tooth, but I don't typically go to the sweeter side of the bagel world. However, I know there are some of you out there that do enjoy the sweeter side of bagels, and I didn't want to leave you out in the cold so I thought I'd share a few sweet bagel ideas.

   Sweet Tooth Bagel Ideas: 

* Butter + Cinnamon + Sugar  

* Cream Cheese or Butter + Jam

  *  Cream Cheese or Butter + Honey  

* Fresh fruit + Cream Cheese 

 Source

On another note, all this talk of bagels reminded me of a TV show I saw a few months back about the history of bagels, which I'm not going to get into. But the tv show mentioned a bagel shop in Brooklyn, NY (coincidentally) that is one of the few bagel shops that still makes their bagels the old fashion way, by way of boiling. I looked up the name of the place which is The Bagel Hole and I thought maybe Nelli can go try them out and let us know how they are since they're in her neck of the woods. :)

Until next time friends...Cheers!!

P.S. Hey! I want to know about your bagels habits! 
How do you typically enjoy your bagel? 
Maybe you have a favorite local bagel shop you'd like to shout out?
Comment below! :)

Also if you get around to making the Za'atar recipe I included, let me know how it is! <3

CA | We Be Growin'

Source

California is known for many things. Sunshine. Movie Stars. Medical Marijuana. Oh and of course it's agriculture. Which is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. We here in Cali have got some of the finest agriculture and we actually produce "...nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Across the nation, US consumers regularly purchase several crops produced solely in California." (CA Ag. Production Stats) Pretty damn impressive right?! As I am a very proud Californian, I wanted to share with you exactly what produce comes from Cali, but more specifically I wanted to share with you what produce is currently in it's peak season here in the sunshine state. I should mention you can get most of our produce during other times of the year, but I wanted to focus on produce that's in it's peak season.  

How am I going to do this you ask?

Well the plan is to break the produce that's in season down into the months. Each month I will share with you what produce is currently in it's peak season, as well as...now wait this is the fun part...RECIPES that include the specific produce! I thought this would be such a fun way for you to see what Cali has to offer + you get to enjoy it with a recipe! :) Some months of course will have overlapping produce but I'm going to keep it interesting by offering you a variety of different recipes for you to incorporate the produce into. From sweet to savory you'll be sure to find all kinds of good stuff right here on BSOM!

I've got some work ahead of me so I better get goin! But I wanted to leave you with a list of this month's produce so you'll have an idea of what's to come! Here we go!! :)

Source

Cali's MARCH
 Peak Season Produce

* Asparagus

* Avocado

* Navel Oranges

* Strawberries

I hope you're as excited about this as I am!

Until next time friends...Cheers!!

P.S. I got my info for what's in season  here.

P.P.S. I am already kicking around some ideas for recipes I'd like to make using the above produce, but I wanted to ask you...

What sort of recipes would you like to see that incorporate the above produce?!

I am currently taking suggestions! Comment below or shoot me over an email to: bicoastalstateofmind@gmail.com :)

<3

Puttin' All Your Eggs in a Basket

I know a lot of you out there have had this next dish I am about to talk about. But I thought I'd touch on the subject anyways because 1) it's delicious, and 2) there may be a few people out there who have never seen or tried it so here we go..."Egg in the Basket" is one of the many names this dish goes by.

I've been eating this dish ever since I was a kid, because like I said it's delicious, easy to make and only requires a couple of ingredients. I typically eat it for breakfast, but really it's one of those universal dishes that can be eaten any time of day whether for a meal or for a snack really.

As I mentioned this blog is aimed mostly at those who have never head of an egg in the basket or eaten one etc. which is why I'm including this... (But hold on you experienced "egg in a basket" makers + eaters I've got something for you too)

Egg in a Basket 

Prep Time: A minute?

Cook Time: 2-3 mins depending on

how you like your egg cooked

Whatcha Need

*Butter

*Egg(s)

*Slice of bread
*Salt + Peppa

*Frying pan

Method

-Throw a little butter in your pan, let it melt

-While it's melting cut a 1" hole into your bread, I found that using a shot glass

is the easiest/best way to get the right size hole

-Throw both pieces of your bread in the pan

-Add your egg in the middle, season and cook to your liking
-Serve solo or alongside some other breakfasty foods such as hash browns or bacon

-Enjoy!

This dish can be made other ways too, although I haven't tried any of these here are a few more options...

* Use a bagel or waffle instead of a piece of bread

* You can bake this dish instead of frying (my "healthy" tip for this recipe)

* Add cheese on top or add a little garlic to your eggs..the possibilities are endless!

So maybe you have had these before? Well I betcha don't know these fun facts about 'em! (Don't feel bad I didn't know either until I did a little research for this blog)

--No one knows where this dish originated, but a big thanks to whoever created it!
--This dish goes by many names such as a "Bird in a Hole", a "Frog in a Basket", a "Toad Hole", just to name a few. Quite interesting right?!
--This dish made one of it's first appearances on film back in 41 called "Moon Over Miami". It can most recently be spotted in one of my favorite movies "V for Vendetta", when V serves it to Natalie Portman's character after he has kidnapped her.

I am literally going to go make one of these bad boys right now. 

After all this talk of them I'm starving!!

Until next time friends...Cheers!

Dad's Chicken Salad

 [Insert picture of sandwich here! 

Ate it before I even thought to take a picture! Whoops! ]

I've been craving a chicken salad sandwich for the last 12 years. Sure I've had a few chicken salad sandwiches here and there over the years, but unfortunately none of them compared to the one my dad used to serve at his restaurant he had when I was a kid. Because my parents were split we'd go visit dad on the weekends, the meeting place often being his restaurant that was in downtown Sacramento. Mom would drop us off and we would hang out for a few hours and eat dinner while dad finished closing up shop. Now I'm the type of person that once I like something I stick to it, sometimes that leads to me getting sick of something because I get too much of it at the beginning. I wouldn't call it obsession but I just know what I like and I'm loyal to it. This was the case with that chicken salad sandwich, I would have it for dinner every single weekend, never growing tired of it.

When dad decided to sell the restaurant 12 years ago, he never made that chicken salad again. I guess it's somewhat of a process to make, but I think the main reason he hasn't made it since is he just never got around it. But that doesn't mean I forgot about it. It's a very simple recipe to make dad's chicken salad but I guess I was in the same boat as him and just never got around to making it all these years, that was until last night.

A few nights prior my boyfriend had picked up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for dinner as I had been craving chicken for some reason. I don't normally cook chicken at home, I guess because I like the bone in chicken and my boyfriend likes boneless skinless chicken breast so that might be one reason. But I guess you can't beat the convenience of picking up a nicely seasoned  juicy rotisserie chicken. I made some rice to go along with it, and that was that. Being that it was just my boyfriend and I eating the chicken that night, we had a ton of left over meat still left on the chicken, and that's when I got the bright idea to finally make dad's famous chicken salad which had been in the back of my mind since the last time I had some all those years ago.

So that brings us to last night, when I put my plan into action. I didn't mention earlier but I always had my chicken salad sandwich served on a french roll, and last night was no different. Had the boyfriend pick up some rolls on his way home while I got down and dirty picking the meat off of the chicken. It did take quite a little time to get all of the meat off, but once I did it was pretty quick to put together after that. 

As I mentioned this chicken salad recipe is super basic, which is why I could never find a good chicken salad out there because they all are "over complicated" (for lack of a better word). The only decent chicken salad I could find out there was actually from Wendy's but I don't like grapes in my chicken salad so they were out. Here's what I did....

Dad's Basic Chicken Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 20 -30 mins or so
(or however long it takes for you to get 
your chicken meat together)

Whatcha Need

Cooked chicken

Celery 

(optional)

Mayo

Black Pepper

  French Roll 

 (optional, but not really in my book)

Method

*Get yo chicken ready! Pick it, slice it,
shred it (do what ya gotta do)

you want to end up with little pieces at the end of it all

*Mix chicken, celery, mayo, and black pepper in a large bowl

*Let mix chill for 5 mins or so if desired

(I do this so the mayo will have a chance to set)

*Serve on a toasted French roll with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickles

(Or whatever you want but that's what a true Noonie's chicken salad sandwich would have on it) ;)

Pretty damn easy right? I don't know why I waited so long to make this for myself but I know definitely won't be going another 12 years without one of these bad boys!! 

Until next time...Cheers!!!

Stewy Goodnesss.

This picture doesn't do this
stew justice! 

Happy December friends! Cold weather, Christmas, New Years..and my birthday month! Gotta say I love December! :) With the cold weather comes hearty warm dinners one of my personal favorites being Beef Stew. Although I've grown up eating it, and have always loved it I've never made it myself until today, and boy did it turned out wonderfully! A few months back my step dad had a cow butchered, which lead to my boyfriend and I coming into about 200 or so lbs of organic, grass fed beef. With this has come a variety of beef cuts, many of which I had never cooked before which included stew meat.

I kind of got thrown into making the beef stew so I didn't have a written recipe that I found online or anything, but I have had beef stew my entire life, and I had experience on my hand as my boyfriend's grandma happened to be here when the beef stew adventure came up.

The stew meat was frozen when this all started and was put into a pot as is with some water. Unfortunately I don't own a crock pot so I just used a regular old pot and let the meat simmer on low for about 4 hours or so. I added water about 3 hours in, as advised by my boyfriend's grandma, and at the 4 hour mark we added Beef Stew Seasoning Mix, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms (which I had never had in stew before).

Growing up the beef stew I always ate had smaller pieces of potatoes as they had disintegrated as the stew cooked. I thought this how every stew was until I learned a valuable piece of information from my boyfriend's grandma. Always used white or red potatoes as they are waxier and don't break down like Russet potatoes do. I saw the light! She had also suggested the mushrooms, which as I mentioned I never had in stew before, but they were a great addition to this stew!! Super happy with how delicious the stew turned out, especially the meat! I've never cooked meat that was as tender as the stew meat turned out so it was quite a nice surprise! Even my picky eater boyfriend who hates stew loved how it turned out! It was so easy to put together too, and I loved how I didn't have to stand over it while it cooked! I just went about my day as dinner took care of itself..can't ask for better than that! :)

Until next time..cheers!!! ;)

UPDATE 2/10/13: As I do own a slow cooker now, I thought I would update this post with an actual recipe for how I make my stew in the slow cooker (which is pretty much the same method as the above post, but I just use a slow cooker now instead of a pot). I'm not going to go into details regarding amounts of these ingredients, as I just kind of winged to be honest. Plus your stew seasoning can give you a better idea regarding quantities.

Noonie's Stewy Goodness: Slow Cooker Edition
Prep Time: 10 mins or so
Cook Time: 8 Hours (Low) 5 Hours (High)
Or until beef is tender.

Whatcha Need:
* Stew Meat of your choice
(I always use beef)
* Potatos
* Carrots
* Mushrooms
* Stew Seasoning Mix
(I always use McCormick's)
* Just enough water to cover the top of your ingredients

Method:
- Place stew meat at the bottom of your slow cooker
- Mix a little water with the stew seasoning, pour seasoning mix and the rest of the water into the slow cooker
- Pile everything else on top, cover and let it be
- Last but not least...enjoy!! :)

Arab Breakfast 101: Grandma's Fried Eggs, Hummus + Ful

Breakfast is served!

For those of you that don't know me, I'm 1/2 Arab. Yep born in Jordan, raised over here since I was a kid although there were a few times we went back to the "old country" and lived for a couple years. I attended 1st & 2nd grade in Jordan at a private school where my mom was also a teacher. I knew Arabic when I was a kid living there, but as soon as we came back I unfortunately forgot almost all of it.

Although I was raised here I have always eaten Arabic food. My parents are divorced but my mom loved Arabic food so she would cook about 1-2 Arabic meals a week. Although she doesn't have an Arab bone in her body she learned how to cook when we lived over seas and her Arabic food tastes just as good as my dad's cooking (my dad is full Arab). One of my favorite Arabic meals my dad makes is his breakfast, which consists of fried eggs (he cooks them a special way), hummus and ful (pronounced fool) served with Pita bread and hot tea. You know we Arabs love our hot tea.

What makes my dad's cooking so special is that he never spices anything the same way each time he makes it. It's always about the same, but my dad loves to experiment in the kitchen and likes to add new things here and there, which keeps things interesting. Now these fried eggs of his are the same type his grandma would make for him when he was growing up. What makes them so special you ask?? Well here it is.

Grandma's Fried Eggs

Ingredients:

*Frying Pan

* Eggs (Duh)

*Vegetable Oil 

*Flour

*Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1) Heat about 3 Tablespoons of oil in the pan, add about 4-5 Tablespoons of flour, stir.

You want the flour to get brown, but be sure not to let it burn.

2) Once the oil is warm add your eggs.

While the eggs are cooking, spoon the flour/oil on top of the eggs and add your S & P. Continue spooning the hot flour/oil mix on top the eggs while they are cooking until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Do not flip the eggs while they are cooking.

Serve with Pita bread and enjoy! :)

Of course these eggs are good on the own, but for that traditional Arab goodness pair with hummus & ful. There are plenty of recipes online for good hummus and ful so I won't go into detail about those. But my dad's typical hummus is made with canned hummus, which he adds plain yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and Tahini with Cumin sprinkled on top. His typical ful is made from warmed Fava beans which are mashed, and he adds olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. He also tops both his hummus and ful with a green spicy sauce which he makes out of jalapenos as well as other ingredients (sorry for the ambiguity but alas I can't give up the recipe for the green sauce) just know that it's good ;)  

Ful! 

My dad loves tomatoes so he occasionally serves some slice tomatoes at breakfast. Of course not just any ol' sliced tomatoes, sometimes he fries them, but he always tops them with feta cheese or blue cheese and serves them with olives. Pretty delish!! 

My dad's tomato concoction

I'm so very glad my dad has taught me how to make these delicious Arabic dishes that I love! I know he won't always be around, as are none of us, so it's nice to learn about these old family traditions while I'm still able to. 

Take advantage & seize the day! It's so important to learn your families traditions while you still can, because one day the few people who know them may not be around anymore + your family traditions will be gone with them.

Until next time...Cheers!

<3 Noonie

PSST: If you enjoyed this post check out my other favorite Arab dishes: 

Arab Meal 101: Bamya | Okra + Beef Stew

Arab Meal 101: Kofta b'tahini (Meat w/ Tahini)

Includes photos + my family recipes! <3