Shakshuka with Feta

As in my last post, this recipe was re-published in a New York Times special section called One Pot/Pan/Skillet: 24 Brilliant Recipes for Everyone Who Hates Doing the Dishes. My dream. 🙂

During this time of self-quarantine, I have made or plan to make several other dishes from this collection including past favorites like One-Pan Shrimp Scampi with Orzo and Mustard Chicken with Shallots and White Wine.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. We ate it for dinner with a crusty sourdough baguette and a giant green salad. This quick and tasty dish can be served any meal of the day.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne, or to taste
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, coarsely chopped (I used San Marzano)
  
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more as needed
• 5 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 6 to 8 large eggs (I used 7)
• chopped cilantro, for serving
• hot sauce, for serving
• warm pita or crusty bread, for serving

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. (I used a large enameled cast iron pot.)
3. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute.
5. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes.
6. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in crumbled feta.
7. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce and warm bread.

Za’atar Chicken Schnitzel with Israeli Salad

I made all of these sautéed chicken dishes months apart, but it seems right to share them at the same time. 🙂

My Austrian sister-in-law has traditional schnitzel with freshly made mayonnaise and cucumber salad for dinner every Christmas Eve. It is absolutely delicious. I loved this Middle Eastern variation.

This recipe was adapted from Bringing it Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating by Gail Simmons with Mindy Fox. I substituted chicken thighs for chicken cutlets and cooked the dish in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Perfect.

This schnitzel would also be wonderful served as a sandwich in a pita with hummus.

Yield: Serves 4

For the Israeli Salad:

• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp za’atar
• 1 tsp sumac, optional
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Schnitzel:

• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko
• 1 1/2 T za’atar
• freshly grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken cutlets, about 1 pound
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• lemon wedges, for serving

To start the salad:

1. In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, parsley, and mint.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the schnitzel:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place an ovenproof platter or a baking sheet int he oven to warm.
2. In a wide, shallow bowl, stir together the flour, 1 tsp salt, and a generous pinch of pepper.
3. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt.
4. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko, za’atar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
5. Place each piece of chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin, gently pound each piece of chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.
6. Pat the meat dry and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
7. Dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
8. Dip in the eggs, letting excess drip off, then gently press into the panko mixture to completely coat.
9. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
10. Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat, until hot but not smoking. (I used a cast iron skillet over medium heat.)
11. Fry the chicken in 2 batches, turning once, until cooked through and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.
12. Drain each batch on paper towel-lined plates, season with salt, then transfer to the platter in the oven to keep warm.

To finish the salad:

1. Add the 2 T oil, lemon juice, za’atar, sumac, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture.
2. Toss to combine.

To serve:

1. Serve the schnitzel with the salad piled on top (or vice versa!) with lemon wedges on the side.

Watermelon Salads

My kids and I love summer watermelon. We usually just chomp on slices of it at the beach, but I recently incorporated it into two refreshing summer side salads.

The first was an adaptation of the classic Middle Eastern Tabouli Salad substituting watermelon for tomatoes. What a great idea! 🙂 The second was another classic Middle Eastern way of serving watermelon- with feta and basil. I made it for a party and was unable to capture it in a photo. You can (will have to!) imagine how pretty it looked. I had been unaware of how wonderful watermelon pairs with feta cheese- so simple and tasty.

The tabbouleh recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living and the watermelon-feta salad recipe was adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi. Fresh, seasonal and delicious.

Tabbouleh with Watermelon

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 1/4 cups water
• coarse salt
• 3/4 cup bulgur wheat (I used coarse red bulgur)
• 1 1/2 to 3+ cups peeled and coarsely chopped watermelon
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces soft goat or feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in bulgur, and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and let stand, uncovered, until cooled, 15 to 30 minutes. (I spread the cooked bulgur out on a rimmed baking sheet to speed the cooling process.)
2. Transfer bulgur to a bowl, and toss with watermelon, parsley, scallions, oil, lemon zest and juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Gently fold in cheese. Serve.

Watermelon, Basil & Feta Salad

Yield: Serves 4

• 10 oz block feta (preferable sheep’s milk)
• 4 to 5 cups of large-dice watermelon cubes
• 3/4 cups basil leaves, chiffonade
• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• olive oil, for drizzling

1. Slice the feta into large but thin pieces, or just break it by hand into rough chunks.
2. Arrange all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil, on a platter or bowl, mixing them up a little.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the top and serve immediately.

One Year Ago:

• German-Style Bacon & Shallot Potato Salad

Two Years Ago:

• Green Couscous with Arugula

Three Years Ago:

• Gazpacho
• Tzatziki

Ottolenghi’s Chicken with Caramelized Onions & Cinnamon-Cardamom Rice

This dish was a HUGE hit! We were all fighting over the leftovers!! 🙂 It’s a great dish to feed a crowd. I substituted boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a whole chicken, ground cardamom for cardamom pods, and golden raisins for barberries or currants. The resulting dish was full-flavored with perfectly cooked Basmati rice and very tender chicken. I LOVE one pot meals- and anything with caramelized onions. The addition of fresh parsley, dill and cilantro added color and brightness. This recipe was adapted from “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, via the New York Times. In order for the chicken and rice to be cooked perfectly, the chicken must be seared and browned before adding to the rice and the water must be boiling before adding to the dish, covering, and completing the cooking process. No one in my crowd opted to top the dish with Greek yogurt- maybe next time. DELICIOUS!!

Time: 1 hour, plus 30 minutes cooking and 10 minutes resting

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 2 1/2 tablespoons barberries, currants, dried cranberries, or golden raisins (25 grams)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (2 cups/250 grams)
• 2 1/4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (1 kilogram), or 1 whole chicken, quartered, or 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 cardamom pods or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• rounded 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two
• 1 2/3 cups white Basmati rice (300 grams)
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water (550 milliliters)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup dill leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (100 grams), mixed with 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional topping)

1. If using barberries: Put 3 T (40 grams) sugar and scant 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. If using currants, cranberries, or golden raisins you do not need to soak them in this way.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2T olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.
3. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining 2T olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it par-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Drain the barberries, if using, and add them as well; otherwise add the dried fruit being used. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.
4. Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm with yogurt mixture if you like.

 

If you like this you may also like:

• Jambalaya
• Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Spicy Israeli Couscous with Summer Squash

This side dish is delicious warm or cold. It has a little bit of spice from the red pepper flakes, but the amount can be easily adjusted to taste. I use Trader Joe’s Israeli Couscous blend which also includes red quinoa, split dried garbanzo beans, and orzo. We ate it with grilled Palestinian chicken and green salad- a gold standard Middle Eastern meal in our house! The recipe was adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

• 1 1/4 cups Israeli couscous
• 1 3/4 cups stock (I used chicken stock)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow summer squash (or 1 small)
• 1 cup diced zucchini (or 1 small)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder (I used sweet curry powder)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt, more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring stock to a boil and then add couscous. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Yields 3 cups of cooked couscous.)
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add and sauté the squash, zucchini, red onion, and garlic for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas and spices. Then gently stir in the cooked couscous. Cook until hot, about 8 minutes.
4. Garnish with parsley before serving.