Persian Stew

Directions

1. Persian Stew
2. Preparation: Coarsely chop the parsley, cutting the leaves away from the stems. Discard larger, woody stems. Parsley tends to hoard dirt, so submerge the parsley in a large bowl of water. Let this sit for 10 minutes; then drain. If water is very dirty, soak and drain the parsley once more. Finely chop the parsley after draining until no large pieces remain. Meanwhile, dice the green onions, keeping both the white and green parts, but discarding the very ends. Rinse onions thoroughly in a colander.
3. Persian Stew: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the parsley and green onions to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until the parsley is wilted and reduced. Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomato, tomato paste, lime juice (and zest if using), and 1 cup of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

1. Basmati Brown Rice & Cucumber Salad
2. Basmati Brown Rice & Cucumber Salad: While the stew is cooking, add the brown rice to a large pot with 5 cups of water. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat for about 25 minutes. Then, drain off most of the water, fluff the rice, and re-cover. Let the rice steam on low heat for 10 more minutes. For the cucumber salad, simply mix together cucumber, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. To Serve: Transfer rice to a bowl and serve the bowls of stew, rice, and cucumber salad family-style.