Chicken Shawarma

I should have served rice with this Middle Eastern dish but I had a potato salad I wanted to to try and I made it instead.  Turned out to be a bad idea because potato salad does not go well with spicy Asian food. 

 Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern)  4-5 servings 

Ingredients
2 lb. chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless

MARINADE

• 1 large garlic clove , minced (or 2 small cloves)
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground cardamon
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/2 tsp to make it not spicy)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil

TO SERVE

• 1 batch Lemon yogurt sauce
• 4 – 5 flatbreads (Lebanese or pita bread or homemade soft flatbreads)
• Sliced lettuce (cos or iceberg)
• Tomato slices
• Red onion , finely sliced
• Cheese , shredded (optional) (or feta)
• Hot sauce of choice (optional)
• other sides: Pita, tahini, ch, cucumbers,  ch. parsley,

Instructions

• Marinade chicken – Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal, the massage from the outside with your hands to make sure each piece is coated. Marinate 24 hours (minimum 3 hours).
  
• Yogurt Sauce – Combine the Yogurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
  
• Preheat stove or BBQ – Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium high heat, or lightly brush a BBQ hotplate/grills with oil and
• heat to medium high. (See notes for baking)
  
• Cook chicken – Place chicken in the skillet or on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred. Turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
  
• Rest – Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
  

TO SERVE

• Slice chicken and pile onto platter alongside flatbreads, Salad and the Yoghurt Sauce (or dairy free Tahini sauce from this recipe).
  
• To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread and smear with Yoghurt Sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and Chicken Shawarma. Roll up and enjoy!

TAHINI SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2.5 tbsp water
• 1.5 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 garlic clove , pressed through garlic crusher or grated using microplane (to make sauce smooth)
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

GARNISH:  1/4 cup flaked almonds, pine nuts or pistachios 

Yogurt sauce

1/2 C. plain Yogurt

1 T. Mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp, cider vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced ( 1-2 tsp)

heaping tsp. garlic powder

salt and white pepper

Mix the shawarma sauce: Add ingredients Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground white pepper as desired. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you’d like to thin it out some, whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of water. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Authentic Russian Salad ‘Olivye’ 10 servings 

Ingredients

6 potatoes, peeled

1 carrot or more to taste

4 whole eggs

6 large pickles, cut into cubes 

1 (15 oz.) can peas, drained

1/2 C. cubed fully cooked ham

1 T. chopped fresh dill or to taste (optional)

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

Directions  

Gather all ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add potatoes and boil 5-0 minutes. Add carrots and whole eggs and cook until potatoes are tender< 10-15 minutes.

Drain and cool.  Chop eggs and potatoes, peel the eggs.

Mix potatoes, carrots, eggs, pickles, peas, ham and dill together. Stir in the mayonnaise until evenly coated.

tip: you can use fresh parsley for the dill if preferred or dill is not available.

Larb

Earlier this week I was working on a crossword puzzle in the paper.  One clue was Laos mincemeat salad.  It was four letters and I had the first three LAR_. It looked like the last letter could be B.  LARB?   I didn't think I'd ever heard of that so I looked it up and it was a salad and looked good.  I couldn't go shopping for it until today because the car was in the shop and Charlie's car has a dead battery.  Just now as I was typing,I did a search on my computer found this from 2018.  

World's Most Famous Salads

• Salad Caprese.
• Salade Niçoise.
• Cobb Salad.
• Ceaser Salad.
• Waldorf Salad.
• Larb Salad.
• Tabbouleh.
• Olivier Salad.

I had not remembered  that list.  I printed out three larb recipes and compared them and added a little from each. I used the recipe printed and added some green beans, cucumber,  cabbage leaves  and cooked rice.  I thought it tasted better without the rice.  

  (Larb )Herby Pork with Chili also spelled Laab

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons jasmine rice
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 scant cup)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• ¼ cup lime juice from about 2 to 3 limes, plus more for serving (optional)
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 bird’s eye chili, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup torn mint leaves
• ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• 1 pound ground pork
• Kosher salt
• Flaky salt (optional)

PREPARATIOn

 1  In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the rice, stirring frequently, until it starts to smell nutty and turns golden in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder and allow to cool for a minute or two. Grind or pulse the rice until it has a powder-like consistency. You should have about 1½ to 2 tablespoons. Set aside and wipe out the pan.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together shallots, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, bird’s eye chile, chile flakes, half the scallions, half the mint and half the cilantro. Set aside.

3 Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add pork, breaking meat apart with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until meat is no longer pink, but not browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.

4 Remove pork from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the bowl with the chile-herb mixture, add the rice powder and stir together until combined. Season with kosher salt to taste.

5 Top with remaining herbs and serve. Season with flaky salt and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.

Sicillian Scacciata

I am not going to post the recipe for this because I will never make it again.  The crust used sour dough starter fed and composed mostly of white whole wheat flour and it took overnight plus all day to make.  The filling was kalamata olives, Italian sausage, broccoli, provolone cheese and oil packed sun dried tomatoes.
 

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala   Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4  

Ingredients

3 T. unsalted butter

2 C. sliced cremini mushrooms

4 six oz. thinly sliced chicken breasts

1/4C. AP flour

1/2 tsp.kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 T. EVOO

1/4 C.finely chopped shallots

3/4 C. Marsala wine

1C. chicken stock

1 T. ch. fresh rosemary 

Directions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they are golden brown on the edges. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside. 
2. Mix salt, pepper and flour. Dredge chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess flour.
3. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium. When oil is hot but not smoking, add dredged chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove cutlets from skillet and set aside. 
4. Add chopped shallots to skillet and cook until transparent, about 30 seconds. 
5. Add Marsala to skillet and reduce until just a small amount is left to coat the bottom of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Add stock and rosemary to skillet and reduce sauce by half, about 5 minutes. 
7. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of butter into sauce and add mushrooms. 
1. Return chicken cutlets and coat them with the sauce. Continue cooking over low flame until sauce is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.

 

(Filipino) Chicken Adobo Sa Gata

Charlie said this was really good. We should have it again soon.

Traditional Chicken Adobo Sa Gata  serves 4-6 a Filipino recipe

2 to 2 1/2 lbs. chicken bone- in thighs

1 whole head garlic, cloves smashed

1/4C.soy sauce

1/3 C. cane vinegar or white vinegar, divided

1 or 2 tsp. neutral oil

2 or 3 dried bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns, lightly crushed

1/2C. water

1 C. coconut milk-first pressed if available

optional ( regional)

2 or 3 Thai chilies

1 small onion sllced, sliced ( not always traditional but common in home kitchens)

Combine chicken, garlic, soy sauce and half the vinegar

Marinate 30 minutes (or cook immediately- both are authentic)

Heat oil in heavy pot over medium heat .Remove chicken from marinade & brown on all sides.

Add garlic from marinade and saute until fragrant.

Pour in marinade, remaining vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns and water.

Do not stir for the first 5 minutes -  this allows the vinegar to mellow.  simmer uncovered 20-25 minutes until chicken is tender and the sauce reduces.

Lower the heat and stir in the coconut milk.  Simmer 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens

Taste and adjust saltiness with a splash of soy or water- not sugar.

Optional, let oil slight separate for a richer, traditional finish. 

remoce bay leaves before serving.