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This marinade is delicious on chicken breasts and on chicken legs and quarters, or whole butterflied chickens. Wash the chicken well by scrubbing it with salt or flour. Soak your chickens in either salt water or buttermilk over night to draw out unwanted fluids and to tenderize the meat. After soaking, marinate the chicken as directed.
Ingredient
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Instructions:
If using boneless chicken pieces, cut into 1-in cubes and place in a shallow
non-aluminum container, or plastic zip top bag. You may use cut up chicken pieces
also.
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can marinate for up to 48 hours if properly refrigerated.
Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. While the meat is warming to room temp., prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat your oven broiler (griller) Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
If using chicken cubes, thread on to skewers. Place the skewers or butterfield or halved birds on the grill rack or a broilerpan and grill or broil until cooked through, basting with reserved marinade while cooking. (use a kitchen brush or spoon).
Cooking time will depend upon the size of the poultry pieces; But DO NOT LET THE MEAT BECOME DRY. Watch the meat carefully. It may only take 1 hour for breast pieces and less for bonier pieces. Serve the broiled/grilled chicken with pita bread & lemon wedges
1 large chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned, about 5 pounds ( or 5 pounds of skinless, bone-in chicken breasts if you prefer all white meat)
1 Tb. olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (roma tomatoes are good for this)
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 Tb. wine vinegar
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
pinch paprika
pinch cinnamon
1 lb. pasta noodles, such as macaroni or other shaped pasta
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesean
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
-Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and brown the chicken in batches, over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
-Add the onions and garlic and saute', stirring occasionally or until softened.
-Add 1 2/3 c. water, tomatoes, wine, vinegar, cloves, bay leaves, paprika and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Add chicken, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes.
-Remove the chicken and keep warm. Remove the bay leaves and cloves from the sauce and discard. Skim the fat from the sauce and set sauce aside.
-Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions.
Drain and stir into the sauce and heat through. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve pasta with grated parmesan and with the chicken.
Serves 8.
French food is a large part of the gastronomic landscape of Cairo and along the Mediterranean. Here is an easy recipe for dinner crepes, which are tasty yet impressive.
Crepes (see below)
3 Tb. margarine or butter
3 Tb. flour
1/2 Ts. salt
2 C. turkey or chicken broth
1 1/2 C. finely cut up chicken or turkey
2/3 C. chopped apple
1 medium stalk celery, chopped ( about 1/2 c.)
2 Tb. chopped onion
Seasoning such as Old Bay to taste.
Prepare Crepes; keep covere to prevent them from drying out. Heat margarine
over low heat until melted. Blend in flour and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring
constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
Mix chicken, apple, celery, onion and 3/4 c. of the thickend broth. Place scant 1/4 cup chicken mixture on center of each crepe; roll up. Place crepes seam sides down in ungreased oblong baking dish, 13 x 9. Pour remaining broth over crepes. Cook uncovered in 350F oven until crepes are hot, about 20 minutes. 6 servings.
Crepes
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 ts. baking powder
1/4 ts. salt
1 1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tb. melted margarine or butter
Mix flour, baking powder, salt. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with electric
hand mixer until smooth.
Lightly butter a 7 or 8 inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly, being careful not to burn the butter. For each crepe, pour a scant quarter cup of batter into the skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet until a thin film of batter covers the bottom. Cook until light brown. Run a wide spatula around the edge to loosen, then turn the crepe and cook until the other side is light brown. Stack crepes on wax paper to prevent sticking.
Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt
fresh ground pepper
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 (15.00 ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Instructions: 1. Rinse and drain spinach; squeeze out excess water.
2. Place spinach in saucepan over medium heat; cover with lid and allow to wilt.
3. Remove from heat and drain in colander.
4. Remove all excess water.
5. Heat oil in large cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet.
6. Add chopped onions and cook until tender and lightly golden.
7. Add tomatoes to skillet; season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until tomato is tender and liquid is reduced.
9. Preheat broiler.
10. Beat eggs lightly in bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Add nutmeg to flavor the eggs, stirring well.
12. Add tomato mixture and spinach to beaten eggs and mix well.
13. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in cast-iron or ovenproof skillet;
pour mixture in.
14. Top with canned chickpeas.
15. Cook over low heat for approximately 10-12 minutes or until the bottom has
set; then place under broiler to finish setting the top.
16. It should be firm and lightly browned when it is done.
17. Cut into slices and serve.
Chicken thighs roasted with figs and lemon slices in a lemon, vinegar and brown sugar glaze. A good recipe with to break the fast of Ramadan and celebrate the Iftar.
Ingredients:
12 chicken thighs
2 lemons, 1 sliced, 1 halved
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds dried figs
salt to taste
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Preheat the chicken thighs in oven to 400 degrees F . Squeeze juices from halved
lemon into a small bowl, then stir in brown sugar, vinegar and water; set aside.
Place figs and sliced lemon segments in the bottom of an 11x16 inch baking/roasting dish. Arrange chicken thighs on top, then pour vinegar mixture over chicken. Finally, sprinkle with salt and dried parsley to taste.
Bake/roast at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes, basting frequently (turn figs if they begin to brown).
With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, figs and lemon slices from baking dish and place on a warm platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, then pour over chicken as sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Usually made with pigeons instead of Cornish hens, this dish (pronounced ha-MAM mah-SHE bee boor-GHOUL) is one of the delicacies of Egypt, where villagers along the Nile River raise pigeons. The stuffing is baked separately and served alongside the hens.
Ingredients:
Cornish Hens:
3 (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens, skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Cooking spray
Bulgur:
3/4 cup currants
3 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups uncooked bulgur
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions:
1. To prepare the hens, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the onion and next 5 ingredients (onion through allspice) in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine hens and onion mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Remove the hens from the bag; discard marinade.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place hens on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until thermometer registers 180 degrees.
4. To prepare the bulgur, soak currants in a bowl of water 15 minutes. Drain; set aside. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in currants, pine nuts, and butter. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 Cornish hen and 1 1/2 cups bulgur mixture)
Ingredients:
4 - 6 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 onion, chopped very fine
dash of cinnamon powder
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Beat eggs, add sifted flour, cinnamon, and seasoning, and beat again. Heat oil and fry onion until golden, then stir in beaten eggs and fry on quick flame. When the underside sets, lift the edge or tilt the pan to let the liquid run underneath. Turn over and continue frying until both sides are golden and dry.
Omelets are usually served in thick slices.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds chicken parts
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion,halved, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Turmeric
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted and quartered dates, (about 6 ounces)
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
Directions:
1.Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over
medium heat. Add half of the chicken; brown about 5 minutes per side. Remove
from skillet. Repeat browning step with remaining chicken, adding onion. Return
all chicken to skillet.
2. Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric in a small bowl; add to chicken. Stir to evenly coat chicken and onions with spices; sauté 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in broth, lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in dates and almonds and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 onion very finely chopped
2-3 ripe tomatoes
3-6 hardboiled eggs
cooking oil
salt and pepper
Peel and slice the tomatoes ½ inch thick. Fry the onion until it softens,
then add the tomatoes and cook for 10-12 minutes. Shell the eggs, leave whole
and slide onto the tomato mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. To serve, remove the
eggs, halve, arrange in a serving dish and cover with the tomato mixture.
Stuffed duck has been a traditional recipe since the ancient Egyptians. At least
that is what most of Egyptian housewives believe.
Ingredients:
one large duck
crushed wheat or rice
cumin
Onion
salt and pepper
lemon
Tomato paste
one dozen small potatoes
Preparation:
Crushed rice wheat is washed in water and left to soak for a while. The duck is stuffed with the crushed rice wheat from behind. It is then plugged with a large onion and sewed tightly with a clean thread and needle. The sewing is very important, as it will not allow the rice/crushed wheat to escape from inside the duck.
The stuffed duck is boiled in water until it is tender. It is preferred to add a lot of herbs to the stew as this gives a special taste to the duck. You can be creative with herbs but avoid spicy ones. Add cumin, onions, some salt and pepper.
The stuffed duck is then placed on a pan and lemon juice is squeeze on it. Then tomato paste is spread on its back. The duck is placed in the oven on medium temperature. When the back is red the duck is taken out of the oven and left to cool for a minute. The stuffed crushed rice wheat can either be left inside of the duck or it can be taken out and placed around the duck in a serving plate.
As a side dish you can prepare stuffed potatoes. Pick a dozen or more small potatoes (about the size of a golf ball each). The potatoes are peeled and hollowed out. They are then fried. Minced meat is cooked on a frying pan. The potatoes are stuffed with the cooked minced meat and placed in a deep pan. Tomato paste is then brushed on the surface and the pan of potatoes is placed in the oven for ten minutes.
For salad you can prepare Egyptian green salad. Cut tomatoes, cucumbers, rocket, radish into medium pieces. Slice half an onion and add it to the salad. For seasoning, pour one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of olive oil in a cup and squeeze on it half of a small lemon. Add salt and pepper. Stir the seasoning and pour it on the salad. Toss the salad then sprinlke it with cumin