Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives
By poisoneyes | October 8, 2008
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs, the dark meat is more flavorful)
Salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
The peel from 1 preserved lemon, rinsed in cold water, pulp discarded, peel cut into thin strips
1 cup green olives, pitted
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
1 Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put in the bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the chicken stand for one hour in the spices.
2 In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle lightly with salt (go easy on the salt, the olives and lemons are salty), and brown, skin side down for five minutes. (If you are using a clay tagine, you will skip the browning step, heat only to medium heat and use a heat diffuser on the heating element to prevent the tagine from cracking.) Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
Cantaloupe Chicken – Orzo Salad
By poisoneyes | September 5, 2008
Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 snack-size cup (4 ounces) pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 small cantaloupe, quartered and seeded
1/4 cup unsalted cashews
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. In a small bowl, hisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mint, lemon peel, honey, salt, pepper and pineapple juice until smooth. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add the chicken, celery, red pepper, onions and pineapple. Add mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. Serve on cantaloupe wedges. Sprinkle with cashews. Yield: 4 servings.
Chicken with Chick Peas & Rice
By poisoneyes | September 5, 2008
The ideal pasta for this recipe is the very small Rison No. 63, which resembles brow rice. It is available at continental delicatessens and some supermarkets. Broken up vermicelli is a suitable substitute.
Serves: 4-6
Cooking time: 1 hours
Ingredients:
1 large chicken
1 cup ghee or substitute
12 cups water
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
4 teaspoons salt
cup chick peas, soaked overnight
1 lb (500g) coarsely ground meat
teaspoon cinnamon
teaspoon black pepper
cup Rison Pasta No.63 or broken up vermicelli
1 cup rice, washed and drained
cup slivered almonds
Methods:
In a large saucepan, brown the chicken in cup of the ghee. Add 8 cups of water, half the chopped onions, the garlic, cinnamon stick and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to the boil, cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender enough for the meat to fall off the bones. While the chicken is cooking, drain the soaked chick peas and place in a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer vigorously until just tender. Drain and set aside.
In another saucepan, lightly brown the almonds in a little ghee. Remove and set aside.
Add cup of the saucepan and heat. Fry the meat in the ghee, stirring occasionally, until brown all over. Turn down heat to simmer and cook until nearly tender – approx 15 minutes.
Stir in the cinnamon, black pepper and the remainder of the onions and salt, and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes. Remove from saucepan and set aside. Place the remaining cup of ghee in the same saucepan and saut the pasta or vermicelli until golden brown. Add the rice and saut for a few more minutes.
Pour 5 cups of the boiling broth from the cooked chicken over the rice (make up quantity with water if necessary). Bring to the boil and add the cooked meat and onion mixture and the cooked chick peas. Stir well, cover, and turn down heat to simmer and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed approx 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow standing for further 10 minutes.
Serve the chick pea and rice mixture on a platter, garnished with the almonds and chicken pieces.
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