Fattoush, by Diane

 

This was the side dish to the Palestine dinner, another dinner in the Cooking through the Countries series. I was really surprised at how fresh this salad was, and the combo of the cool crispy veggies with the tangy dressing was really delicious. It tasted incredibly authentic too, and I think this dressing would have been a great marinade!

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 large cucumbers, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

6 small radishes, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

1 small bunch arugula

1 medium head of lettuce, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp ground sumac

1 tbsp dried mint

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 medium lemons)

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp

1 piece soft bread

Directions:

1. Tear the bread into small pieces, then toast in a pan with 2 tbsp olive oil until crispy. Set aside.

2. Mix all the chopped veggies together in a large bowl.

3. Mix the remaining ingredients together for the dressing, and pour over the salad. Add the bread on top.

Musakhan, by Diane

 

This dish was part of the Palestine dinner that I made as my friend and I continued our Cooking through the Countries! Musakhan is pan roasted chicken, marinated in warming spices, cooked over caramelized onions and draped over soft bread where all the juice and spices get absorbed. Typically it is eaten with your hands- grabbing a piece of soft bread and using it to scoop up the chicken and onions. Can't get better than that! 

This was delicious, very comforting, and quite easy to make- though it tastes as if it might have cooked all day (which continues to be a theme in these endeavors much to my surprise!). I used both naan and roti from a local Indian restaurant rather than the taboon bread, mostly for convenience. This would definitely be something wonderful to cook during the winter, and impressive for company. 

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs (I used bone in, skin on chicken breasts)

1 tsp allspice

2 tbsp ground sumac plus 1 tsp

1 pinch saffron

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup EVOO

2 red onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pine nuts

Taboon bread (I used naan and roti)

Optional: 1/4 cup chicken broth, pomegranate molasses

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and spices together, plus salt and pepper, massaging them into the chicken. Set aside to marinate for an hour.

2. Heat the oil in a large oven safe skillet, then add the chicken to sear on both sides until golden brown (about 5-8 min each side).

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft and carmelized (about 15-25 min). Add in the remaining tsp of sumac, along with 1/4 cup water (I used chicken broth here) and salt. I also added about 2 tsp of pomegranate molasses here to boost the flavor.

4. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then add the chicken back to the pan, nestled into the onions (skin side up). 

5. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through and liquid is evaporated. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the skillet.

6. While the chicken cooks, toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.

7. Arrange warmed bread on a platter, then top with chicken and onion mixture along with all pan juices. Sprinkle with pine nuts and more sumac, if desired. 

Grilled Eggplant, by Cheryl

Ok, so it may seem like a basic thing to cook, but grilled eggplant is actually pretty easy to mess up! But, I think I finally figured it out so they aren't too dried up or too oily. My mistake was that after I drew out the bitterness of the eggplant with salt I was only lightly brushing them with oil. I needed more oil! So I decided to make a yummy marinade that doubles as a dip for bread! This was so good and it's the only way I'm going to grill eggplant from now on. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced in circles

1/2 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tbsp oregano, chopped

salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Generously salt each slice and put into a colander. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to draw the moisture out. Rinse the eggplant quickly with water and dry with paper towels. 

2) While the eggplant is sitting, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Place each slice in a dish and flip over so each side is covered. 

3) Grill for about 6 minutes on each side. If they become too dry brush with more oil. 

Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice, by Diane

This was our main course for our cooking the countries theme, this week being Israel- more specifically Jerusalem. This recipe was SUCH a hit. Neither of us could believe it had come from our kitchens, and it was absolute comfort food. My friend will usually only have 2 or so bites of chicken in a sitting and she wound up eating two whole pieces herself! This would be wonderful to serve to guests as it looks and tastes impressive but actually involves very little work. This dish just tasted like a warm hug, and will definitely be on rotation.

This recipe called for barberries, which are traditional to the area. I subbed in currants and they were fantastic with the dish, but next time I'd like to attempt the more traditional route. If using barberries, soak them in water and sugar for a bit ahead of time to tone down the tartness. There was also an option to eat this dish with warm greek yogurt mixed with olive oil as a topping, which I declined (it's in the recipe if you're interested!).

Ingredients:

4 tbsp EVOO
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 lbs chicken (I used breasts but thighs would work well here)
Salt and pepper
10 cardamom pods
1/4 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 2/3 basmati rice
1/8-1/4 cup currants (I like the little pops of sweetness so I did 1/4)
2 1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbsp flat parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions:

1. Place the chicken in a large bowl, and add in 2 tbsp EVOO, 1 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Massage into the chicken and set aside.

2. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat, add in the remaining 2 tbsp of EVOO and the onions, stirring often for 15 minutes until caramelized. Remove the onions and set aside.

3. Add the chicken, spices, and oil to the pan. Sear the chicken 5 minutes on each side until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan, keeping a thin film of oil.

4. Add the rice, onions, currants, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper to the pan. Stir well for one minute.

5. Return the chicken to the pan, pressing it down into the rice. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and cover tightly.

6. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.

7. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from heat, uncover, and quickly place a tea towel over the rice before re-covering with the lid. Let the rice stay off the heat undisturbed for another 10 minutes.

8. After 10 minutes, remove the cover and add in the fresh herbs. Fluff the rice with a fork as you mix them through. Top with warm yogurt mixture if desired.

Roasted Asparagus and Preserved Lemon Salad, by Diane

Our cooking the countries continues! This weekend our country was Israel, specifically from the Jerusalem area. This was the first dish we made, and it was outstanding. It tasted incredibly fresh and was a great chilled summer salad. I would easily have eaten this as a meal on it's own! Plus it came together really quick, and had minimal cooking which is ideal in this heat. You can use either goat or feta cheese in this dish- although feta may be more traditional the goat cheese got extra creamy when combined with the dressing and it was a definite hit. This dish would also be perfect with chicken or salmon on top.

The twist in this dish was the addition of preserved lemon. To make preserved lemon you simply store lemon slices (peel on) in a mason jar packed with salt and lemon juice. You can make this up to a week ahead of time, but I did it a day ahead and it was fine. For this dish since I only needed a little, I used 1/2 a lemon cut into 3 slices, and made sure to massage the salt into the lemons before I stored it overnight. If you don't want to do this regular lemons will work just fine- or you can cheat and simply rub salt into lemons and use them within a few minutes. If you make the lemons in advance, the salt breaks down the peel and softens it so it's good to eat, so you can eat the whole lemon in this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half
EVOO
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp preserved lemons, rough cut
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
Fresh lemon juice


Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 400, and line a baking tray with parchment paper (mine filled two baking trays since I didn't want to overcrowd the asparagus).

2. Place asparagus and preserved lemons onto the tray(s), drizzle with EVOO, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 7 min and remove from the oven to cool. Save the pan drippings in a bowl for the dressing.

4. While the asparagus and lemon cool, toast the pistachios in a pan until fragrant and set aside.

5. Finish the dressing with some remaining preserved lemon juice, fresh lemon juice, and add extra EVOO, salt or pepper if desired.

6. Toss the cooled asparagus and lemons with the tomatoes, then top with dressing, pistachios, and cheese.