Amina's Kitchen

Jasmine Chicken with Tomatos and Green Onions

2009-05-07T10:29:00.001-07:00

I was going to make some burgul (Shami word for couscous) today...but then my taste buds changed and i had a hankering for some jasmine chicken with tomatoes and green onions. Im a big fan of "fresh" dishes. When i say that, i mean food that's prepared with lots of fresh ingredients, preferably things that i can grow myself in our garden. I originally got the idea for this recipe from a Dynasty Jasmine Rice bag, where they had a quick jasmine rice and chicken idea for dinner on the back. I took most of the basic ingredients and added an 3arabi spin to it. :) This is a delicious way to entertain friends and family, and the best part is that its not high in fat or calories. You wont sacrifice taste or enjoyment trying to be thin here! This dish will give your taste buds a kick! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:
4 young chicken quarters
4 cups of Dynasty Jasmine Rice, rinsed
1/2 a large white onion, chopped
2 green onion shoots, chopped
2-3 chicken bullion cubes
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced (or sub a can of diced tomatoes)
1 - 2 Dynasty Jasmine Tea bag
3-4 table spoons of olive oil
ground pepper to taste
parsley to taste
crumbled feta cheese
water

Directions:

1. Set the over at 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan poor in olive oil, and add white onion. Saute for 2 minutes on medium, then add the chopped green onion and continue to saute for another 4 minutes on medium low heat.

2. While onion is cooking, steep the Dynasty Jasmine Tea bag(s) in two cups of hot water and set aside

3. Take the rinsed rice and put it in a frying pan, add water until it is covered. Bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and dump out the water. set aside for the time being.

4.Take the chicken quarters, rinse, and place them in a deep casserole dish or deep square cooking pan.

5. Add the tomatoes and the chicken bullion cubes to the sauteed onions and continue to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until bullion has “melted” and all ingredients are well mixed. Add a dash of black pepper and parsley.

6.Take the rice and add water until the rice is almost covered. Then pour 1 cup of the tea over the rice as well. Bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

7.Add the rest of the tea to the tomatoes and onion saute and all to boil for 1 minute.

8.Pour the tomato saute over the chicken in the pan making sure that all pieces are covered by the mix. Add extra water to ensure that all of the chicken is submerged beneath the mix.

9.Cover the chicken and place in the oven. Set the timer for 90 minutes.

10.Check the rice to see if its completely cooked thru, plump, soft and a little sticky. If it needs more water, add the appropriate amount and recover, check again until it completely cooked. Once its done. Turn of the heat and allow it to steam.

11.Check back on the chicken after 90 minutes. Flit each piece and remove the skin. At this point it should be about ready to fall off the bone. Replace cover and put back in the over for another 60 minutes.

12.When the chicken is done, plate the rice first and then pick out pieces of chicken and serve of top of the rice. You can add crumbled feta cheese and parsley on top to garnish.

13.The rest of the tomato and onion mix can be poured into a bowl and served as a dipping sauce for bread.

Aminas Notes:
1.You can use other spices such as rosemary, allspice or cardamom...whatever you tastes good to you.

2. Depending on how much of the jasmine flavor you want to come thru, use one or to tea bags.

3.This dish takes about 3-4 hours to prepare. Make sure you have timed it right.

How to Make a Delicious Cup of Arab Coffee

2009-04-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Coffee is a staple drink in the Arab world. It is served to guests as readily as tea is, however it is not the same as Western coffee. Its going to be brought out to you in a tiny cup, enough to hold 2-4 oz.'s of liquid.It is served in a demi tasse or "finjan." The consistency will be thicker then Western coffee, and it will be MUCH stronger.If you've never had it, i encourage you to sip slowly, and don't have more than two cups at a time - you'll be so wired you won't sleep that night. :) After you finish, don't forget to return this kind gesture by saying "Fi Sahtek" - which means "to your health".

Ingredients:

4 cups of water
4 table spoons of Arab Coffee
1 table spoon of Cardamom
sugar to taste

*Spices added: Cardamom, and Ginger are the most common.

Directions: Follow the video :)

Delicious Arab Comfort Food - Palestinian Style Rice

2009-04-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

So today i thought i go back to the basics and post a simple Palestinian staple dish - rice. Not Maklouba (which means 'Upside down' because it has meat cooking beneath the rice that is literally flipped upside down when served so the meat ends up on top!) which also is a very awesome super yummy dish. For today, just rice with some veges and potatoes. Another example of Arab-style soul food. Everyone loves this dish, and its very versitile so you can add in almost anything and it will still turn out great! this is one of those dishes that even the pickiest kid will gladly eat.

Ingredients:

Jasmine long grain rice - 4 cups, rinsed*
3-4 cubes of chicken bullion (depending on how many other ingredients you add)
1 small white onion, diced.
1/2 -1 peeled potato, cut into bite size pieces
1 Roma tomato, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup of cooked corn ( can also be frozen)
1 cup of green beans cut into bite size pieces (can also be frozen)
garlic powder(optional) - to taste
dill (fresh or dried) - to taste
ground black pepper - to taste
water - enough to cover the mixture in a frying pan
olive oil - 3-4 table spoons

*Aminas notes:
- You can also use Japanese sushi (short grain) rice -similar to Egyptian rice, or Basmati rice if you prefer. My personal favorite happens to be Jasmine because its so aromatic.
- you can add other veges that appeal to you, this is just my basic mix. the more you add, you may need more rice or chicken bullion to balance.
- you can also add (or sub) spices that you like - cumin, allspice, cardamom, a little rosemary maybe - whatever tastes good to you.
- to make this a completely vegetarian dish use vegetarian bullion cubes instead!

Directions:

1. In a medium size pot, put rinsed rice, and fill with water until its covered by about an inch. Bring rice to a boil for 1 minute and then turn off the heat. Allow it to sit, and soak up some of the warm water. Set aside.
2. In a medium size frying pan, add olive oil and turn on heat to medium. Add onions and allow to fry until they begin to brown just a bit. Then add potatoes and continue frying, turning down the heat to medium low for about 5 minutes.
3. Then add the rest of the veges, and fry for about 8 minutes until everything is beginning to soften.
4. Cover rice with a lid, and drain the water. Then, refill the water again over the rice and rinse a second time. Ok now finally drain the "rinse water" and dump the rice over the fried veges in the frying pan.
5. Stir everything together, making sure its well mixed. Add water until the mixture is completely covered. Then add chicken bouillon cubes and all spices.
6. Bring mixture to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then cover with a lid, and bring the heat down so the the mixture is at a slow simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
7. Check back to make sure your rice is completely cooked thru. If not, add a little more water and continue to simmer until the rice is nice, plump and soft. Be sure all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat, and recover with the lid, allowing the rice to steam for another 10 minutes or so.
8. When rice has finished steaming ( we like it to steam a little so it can get a bit of a sticky quality), dish it out on a serving plate and enjoy! Careful its hot :)

*Serve with Arab-style flat bread aka 'hobz' ( or try pita bread or nan ) and plain, unflavored yogurt, Greek yogurt or Laban.

Optional Garnishes: parsley, extra drill, extra black pepper or some browned almonds or peanuts

Lamb Chops and Couscous Cakes :)

2009-04-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE lamb. I recently came across this recipe from Giada de Laurentis on the Food Network website page "Giada at Home." I really enjoy her style of cooking. She mixes great, rich flavors. Shes very detail oriented, and yet not affraid to get her hands messy. Her Mediterranean style food really suits my pallet! This meal is great for entertaining guests and introducing them to Middle Eastern cuisine. Yum.

Below is her how-to video. Any time i can watch a cook at work, it really helps me perfect a dish!

Lamb Chops

Ingredients:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper*
8 small lamb chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and honey. Pulse until blended. With the machine running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil until the mixture is smooth and forms a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. Grill the lamb chops for 2 to 3 minutes each side until medium-rare.

Arrange the lamb chops on a platter. Spoon the sauce over the top or serve the sauce on the side.

Amina's note: *I like to use sea salt any time i can, its more coarse and the taste is closer to the traditional flavor of the dish.

Couscous Cakes

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked couscous, prepared according to package instructions and cooled
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 lemon, zested
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mild mango chutney

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the couscous, cilantro, egg, egg yolk, coriander, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Mix until combined.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Form 1/4 cupfuls of the mixture into 8 patties. Add 4 of the patties to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture.

Serve the couscous cakes with mango chutney.

*Recipies found on the Food Network - Giada at Home

Three Onion Soup - Arab Style Comfort Food

2009-04-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Growing up when I was sick, my mom would make me homemade chicken noodle soup. It just made me feel better. :)

So now that I'm a mom, one of my favorite things to make when anyone in my family is sick is Three Onion Soup - the Arab version of chicken noodle. Its simple, very quick to prepare, and really helps warm up my little munch kins and sooth their soar throats! You can do lots of variations on this one so definitely feel free to throw in any extras that you like.

Ingredients:

2-3 whole green onions, cut into small rings about the size of a cm - discard roots
1 whole small white onion, peeled and chopped up
1/3 of a red onion (or sub a yellow onion), peeled and chopped up
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 cups of chicken broth (or sub approx 3-4 chicken bullion cubes and 6 cups of water)
dash of garlic powder to taste
dash of black pepper to taste
dash of parsley to taste

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth to a slow boil. If using chicken bullion cubes, bring water to a boil, then add cubes.

2. Throw in all of the chopped onions and the minced garlic. Cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Uncover and stir in the parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste. Cover again and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Taste to make sure no adjustments need to be made. (i.e. adding extra chicken stock or bullion cubes, or other spices.)

5. Pour into bowls, garnish with parsley and a few chopped green onions. Serve Immediately. Careful, it's hot! Relax and Enjoy :)

Tasty Extras – You might also like at add noodles (any spaghetti or rice noodles will work), potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, shallots, cabbage or kusa. Whatever tastes good to you.

How to Make The Perfect Cup of Arab Tea - Palestinian Style

2009-04-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

Many of my friends have asked me how i make the tea i serve in my home. Now anyone who has spent time in the Arab World can tell you that tea isn't just a staple drink, its an expression of love, culture and class. Making a really good cup of tea was one of the things on my must-learn list during a vacation overseas several years ago. I'm so glad i invested an afternoon with my mother-in-law to really sit down and go over all the different types of tea, how to make the best infusions, and when to serve each type. Here is a quick how-to guide for the basic Palestinian staple tea served throughout the Sham area. Styles may vary, as ingredients differ from region to region, but the main four ingredients remain the same: high quality black tea, sage (meramia), sugar and water.

First, a few pointers:

*I tried many ideas over here to get the same kind of infusion that they steep over in Palestine. But it just wasn't turning out quite right until i stumbled on Numi Glass teapots with diffusers! Its a beautiful hand-blown glass teapot that has a scored glass diffuser cup nested inside! Its AWESOME! Nothing else i used ever replicated the taste like this does. :)

*Boil your water first in a metal arab tea/coffee pot on the stove! Its just wayyyyyyyyyy better then doing it in the microwave.

*Choosing the right black tea is essential! I prefer using loose tea (hence the strainer), but you can also use tea bags. Three main brands served are Sadaf, Ahmad Tea, and Lipton Yellow Label Tea. My preferance is either Sadaf Specialty Black Tea or Lipton Yellow Lable Loose Tea. When buying Lipton, i always flip the box over to see if there is Arabic on the back. If that batch is marketed and sold over there, its gonna be good! You can find those at world food markets.

*Sage (aka meramia) is that "other" flavor that makes this tea distinctive and gives it that extra something special. Sipping it makes you feel like you're sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean watching the sunset. :) All you'll need here is a few leaves of fresh sage, or you can buy a package of the dried version from Sadaf.

*Water is water right? Well not exactly. Depending on what part of the country you live in and where your water comes from, there are a wide range of "little extras" that can also be in the water supply. For example, well water tastes very different from processed city water. So i try to always use purified water. A Brita filtration pitcher is a really cheap investment that will reduce your exposure to metals and chemicals that may still remain in the water after it goes threw the once-over at the treatment plant. It also improves the taste!

How to make Palestinian Tea:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a Turkish coffee top on the stove.

2. In the diffuser cup, put 3 tablespoons of black loose tea and 2 tablespoons of died sage (or 3-4 fresh sage leaves).

3. Place the diffuser inside the teapot.

4. Pour boiling water over the tea and sage slowly until the pot is full. Cover with lid and wait at least 5 minutes (preferably 8 minutes) to steep.

5. When tea and sage have infused properly, pour into tea cups and add sugar to taste. Enjoy.

Optional Extras: Honey, Lemon, Mint, Chamomile (babounage) or Anise.

Ok so now that you know how to make the best tea on earth, where do you buy your ingredients?

Sadaf Special Blend Tea

Sadaf Special Blend with Cardamom Tea

Lipton Yellow Label Tea

Dry Sadaf Sage

Sadaf Honey

Numi Glass Teapot with diffuser

Al Hannah Turkish Coffee Pot

The Perfect Plate of Hummus

2009-02-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

Perfect hummus

There are a million different ways to make hummus. And each region (even sometimes each city) has their own way of enjoying this staple. You can really make this famous side dish your own.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

* 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
* 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
* 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

*source: About.com

I personally like it with tahina, lots of lemon juice, olive oil, and a little paprika.

learn more about hummus and different ways of serving it at:
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htm

Mahshi Malfoof - Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

2009-02-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Prep: 45 mins..approx
Difficulty level: 3 (moderately challenging)
Serves: 4 - (Pick your cabbage carefully - you want young, tender flexible leaves with few veins.)

This is one of my favorite dishes. Its kinda like middle eastern comfort food. I make it for friends and family to show my love...and even just for me when i need a little TLC.

Hope you enjoy it. :)

1 or more large cabbages - see preparation
1 cup short grain rice
1/2 lb. minced or ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup lemon juice (as desired)
4 TBSP butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 head garlic, cloves separated with loose paper or skin removed (more to taste)
a dash of ground paprika
a dash of ground cinnamon
a dash of ground cumin
OR
1/4 - 1/2 tsp allspice or bhar hello

YOU will need a large pot with several inches of boiling water to blanch the cabbage leaves.

CHOOSING the cabbage is important, as you have to be able to get enough leaf area to actually hold the stuffing, rolled. Large, loose-leaf cabbages are best; you might need more than one cabbage if the leaves are tightly wrapped, as you will only be able to use the outermost leaves.

GENTLY peel the leaves from the cabbage. Lay them flat, and cut the largest area you can without large veins.

WHEN your pot is boiling blanch some leaves for few minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in cold water then put in a colander. Repeat same procedure with remaining leaves.

LINE bottom of cooking pot with bones (if you have bought lamb shoulder and cut the meat from the bone) or with a thick layer of cabbage leaves.

MIX rice with minced meat, spices and salt. Place cabbage leaf, shiny side down, on a work surface.

PLACE crosswise about 1 TBS of stuffing (depending on the size of leaf), and fold ends, roll tightly. Place seam down in cooking pot, packing tightly together. Place several cloves of garlic between each layer.

REPEAT procedure with remaining leaves. You will want about ten 'mahshi' per person.

PLACE 4 TBSP butter in saucepan. Invert a heavy plate on top to keep rolls in shape during cooking.

COVER leaves with water, bring to a boil then reduce to low simmer and cover. Simmer very gently for two hours or until tender.

Serve hot.