IFN: Bahrain

Okay. So either I'm not looking in the right place... or Arabian/Middle Eastern food is pretty similar. They all use pretty much the same spices, and a lot of rice and some tomatoes. But at any rate, it tasted pretty good, and we especially liked the sweet rice.

So... Bahrain is a little island country off the coast of Saudi Arabia. We looked it up. Haha.

We essentially had two things, and they pretty much looked the same. Though they were very different in taste. Machboos and Muhammar.

This is the Chicken Machboos. It's a savory dish with a lot of spices in it.

This is the sweet rice Muhammar. Yum!

Essentially we ate rice with a bit of chicken and veggies for this meal, but it was incredibly filling and we had a ton of leftovers. (They're also pretty much one-pot-wonders, which is a plus.)

Enjoy!

Chicken Machboos
serves 4

2 c. water
1 1/2 c. basmati rice
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 chicken breasts
2 onions, finely chopped
coriander (fresh chopped, or powdered)
hot pepper
cinnamon
paprika
tumeric
cloves
cayenne
cardamom powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 slice gingerroot, minced
2 T. butter
1/8 c. lemon juice
3 T. oil
3 t. salt

Heat the water. While heating, mix together paprika, tumeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cayenne. salt, and pepper. Rub onto chicken.

Heat oil and fry onions, garlic, and ginger until golden brown. Add your favorite hot pepper. Add chicken and brown. Sprinkle more cinnamon and the remaining mixed spices. Cook on medium for about 3 minutes, turning often.

Add tomatoes, turn ingredients, and cook for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle additional salt on top of everything and pour water on top while it is still hot.

Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked. Add coriander about 5 minutes before you remove chicken from the stock pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice in cold water and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot, place in pan, brush with oil, and sprinkle more cinnamon on top. Place in oven at 325 degrees and allow chicken to become golden brown.

Add rice to the stock pot. Stir and cook at low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done. Sprinkle the lemon juice on top, and place butter pieces. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 more minutes.


Heap rice in serving dish and top with chicken.

Sweet Rice Muhammar
serves 4

2 c. basmati rice
1/4 t. saffron
1/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
 2 T. water

Soak together saffron, cloves, and cinnamon in water.

Boil 6 c. of water and add rice. Boil to half cooked (about 8 minutes) and drain.

Stir sugar throughout. Add butter and stir. Pour spices on top and stir.

Cook on very low heat for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to serving platter. Top with more melted butter.

Enjoy!

Greek-a-licious

This is the perfect tangy meal as we're getting to summer (and grilling season!). Here's a dinner combo you'll love if you like Greek food! Green Marinated Chicken (I baked my chicken since it was rainy and freezing when I made this) and Tzatziki Israeli Couscous!

So, just so you know, there are different kinds of couscous. The one you are probably most familiar with traditional couscous which are essentially tiny granules of durum wheat and have a light, fluffy consistency. The other kind of couscous is called Israeli. It is closer to a pasta. It's definitely chewier than traditional couscous. I used the latter kind in this recipe, although you could try it with something else!

 

Greek Marinated Chicken
1-2 large chicken breasts
3/4 c. plain yogurt (I used whole milk)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon oregano
1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped (I used curly, but I think I would recommend Italian for flavor)

Preheat oven to 375 (unless grilling). Combine the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Zest the lemon into the mix, then cut and squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Stir until combined. Add parsley and stir.

Cut chicken breasts into slices (I used one large breast and got seven smaller pieces) and place in marinade. Stir to cover. Place in refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

If baking, place chicken pieces in casserole dish and bake for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown on top. If desired, you can use chicken pieces with skin as well.

Tzatziki Couscous
1 ½-2 cups Israeli Couscous (or acini de pepe pasta or regular couscous)
½ cucumber, diced to taste (I like my pieces small and you can add more too)
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped (I used curly, I would recommend Italian)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or sub garlic powder)
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh pepper, to taste
½ c. plain yogurt
1 lemon
Dill, if desired (I didn’t use any)

Cook your couscous in boiling water for about 5-7 minutes until soft (like pasta). Combine other ingredients in a bowl. Drain couscous in a mesh strainer and chill with cold water. Allow to drain. Add to other ingredients. Stir an chill (or can be served at room temperature if desired).