Savory Throw-Together

I am ashamed. This being my favorite comfort food, I have no real name for it. I called it “Persian Goulash” before I found out that goulash is more of a stew/soup. It has a Persian name but I can’t remember it and even if I could, I probably couldn’t pronounce it or spell it.

So for now it’s a “throw-together” and it’s the best throw-together in the world.

It’s delightfully Americanized and can be made with four basic ingredients, two of which come from CANS. And no, I’m not ashamed to say I prefer canned green beans in this dish. I do not prefer canned green beans as a rule, but they work well here.


What makes this meal so great is that is has all those delicious savory components mingling together over plain rice. The rice soaks up all of the flavors and makes everyone happy. Mostly me.

Just be liberal with the seasonings because you’ve got very plain potatoes that need love and also rice that will cut the flavor if it seems too strong.

Savory Throw-Together:
½ lb ground beef
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 14.5 oz can cut green beans
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp saffron-infused water
3-4 tbsp lemon juice (just squeeze/pour away *coughcough*)
1 tsp black pepper
Lots of salt

Brown ground beef over medium-high heat, set aside. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook potatoes until tender, mixing occasionally. You want a nice brown crust over them without burning them before they have time to soften. This can take 6-10 minutes depending on how large the cubes are.

Once the potatoes are tender, return ground beef to pan along with green beans, tomatoes, saffron, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes more until all items are heated through and flavorful.

Serve over Basmati or similar long-grain rice!

Serves 4-5. (Really good leftovers, and I hate leftovers so trust me)

--Jirafa

How-To: Saffron-Infused Water

I use a lot of saffron in my cooking and I'm sure that many of you aren't familiar with some of the preparation. The original how-to post I was linking has no pictures and is at the end of a very long recipe set, making it rather failtastic.

Here is a picturific how-to for preparing saffron water!



You'll want a pinch of saffron threads. Put into any kind of container (I just used the clear glass for pictures) and pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and allow to steep for 4-5 minutes.



You'll get a beautiful orange-yellow liquid that can be used in soups and pasta and over top of rice. It will also keep in an air-tight container for roughly two weeks.

--Jirafa

No Sin Sans Sugar Is Now The Giraffe's Eating Quarters

No, I'm not having an identity crisis. Not like these rather delicious chips here.



No Sin Sans Sugar was giving me problems. So I decided to associate myself with a nickname that's much better suited to me. I've been "Jirafa" since my first job where I acquired the nickname. It caught on so well that I'd get intercom calls for "Jirafa." I had a "Jirafa run" and my AP Biology teacher knew me as "Jirafa" before actually knowing my real name. My roommates refer to me exclusively as "Jirafa" and any time I hear my real name (Kristina) I'm a little disconcerted by it.

And yes, of course I love giraffes.

So it only seems appropriate to rename my blog after a creature that I adore (and somewhat identify with). So I apologize for all this and no, I don't make it a habit to change my identity.

I do not have a box of fake I.D.s in my closet. I really really don't...

What I do have is a love of food, a love that I will be sharing with you.

<3

--Jirafa

HIATUS

I've been dead recently. And it seems ridiculous to come out from hiatus to tell you that I'm going on hiatus.

I'm going on hiatus.

Why?

Because I haven't cooked a single darn thing worth posting in over a week!

And I weep inside my sad little heart for it.

Come this Sunday (because I like Sunday), No Sin Sans Sugar will:

+Have a recipe update!
+Have a new name!
+Have a new layout!
+Feature more posts beyond food (but mainly recipes, because food speaks louder than words). <3
+LIVE.

Until then, humbly yours.

--Jirafa

Microwave Chocolate Cake

We can get movies on demand so why not chocolate cake? Why do we always fall victim to chocolate cake cravings at 1 AM when it’s pouring outside and our keys are missing and there’s a plague of locusts incoming? Why am I the only person this kind of scenario seems to happen to?

Well now you can make chocolate cake in your microwave.

Come again?

In your microwave. I’ll prove it.

After having seen this link on microwaved chocolate cake I couldn’t stop myself. I had to rush out and try it myself. And by “rush out” I mean drag my laptop and camera into the kitchen.


Start with a bowl (or large mug) and mix together 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. I used chocolate mocha hot chocolate mix powder!


Then mix in one egg, 3 tablespoons of milk, and 3 tablespoons of oil.



All mixed up? Good! Now put it in your microwave and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.


You’ll get this.

Then you can just stick a fork in it and eat it or be pompous like me and sprinkle powdered sugar over it.

--Jirafa

Saffron French Fries

These are stars of my youth. The first time my father made these, I remember glaring at him and cursing him for withholding these from me until my 11th or 12th year of age, all while jamming as many in my mouth as I possibly could at one time.

When I was feeling particularly difficult, I would order my mother into the kitchen and oversee the potato cooking process like a nervous addict in need of her fix.

And now that I’m an adult, I can spoil myself with saffron French fries whenever I darn well please.



Because they’re insultingly easy you know. Ovens are helpful like that. You can also fry these in light oil in a frying pan, but I've just lost too many shirts to oil spots to continue that. Besides, think of how many pages of reading you can NOT do while these are cooking in the oven!




Saffron French Fries:

2 yukon gold potatoes, washed well (russet also work fine)
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, olive, whatever)
3 tbsp Saffron-infused water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice potatoes into wedges. Coat with remaining ingredients and spread over a baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway to ensure even browning (if you’re lazy like me and just care about fries, leave ‘em alone and they’ll be fine).

I serve these with a yogurt dip that 98% of the people I know won’t touch. But if you’re the rare plain yogurt lover or if you were raised under one of those cultures that raise babies on Abali yogurt instead of milk (joking, joking), you’ll love this. Because you probably eat plain yogurt out of the container for fun. You weirdo. Pass me a spoon.

1-2 heaping tablespoonfuls of plain yogurt
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dill weed
And you’ve got a dip.

Serves two.

--Jirafa

White Chocolate Berry Banana Muffins

Sorry for the lack of updates. College has turned into an absolute beast. Junior year is like being on the boss stage of your standard video game. A 9 month long boss stage.

Which is why there are muffins. These muffins give me secret joy since I found a new use for my unwanted foodstuffs. Unwanted foodstuffs sound terrible, don’t they? I’m just talking about this:



Yes. Yoplait yogurt. A little too sweet by itself, but in muffins? Ooh la la.

And yes, I’m proud of this. So shhhhhh. Some of us don’t have access to fresh delicious berries right now.


White Chocolate Berry Banana Muffins

2 cups flour
¾ cup white sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed well
1 container Yoplait Mixed Berry yogurt (or 1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt)
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together bananas, vanilla, eggs, butter, and yogurt. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, white sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Combine, mixing thoroughly. Add in white chocolate chips; mix.

Grease a standard muffin tin and fill each place with a heaping tablespoon of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Continue until all the batter has been used!

Makes about 18 muffins.

By the way, you can always use a different yogurt flavor. I’m going to play around with the ones I have leftover in my fridge.

--Jirafa