Jaj bil Firn/ Oven baked Chicken

Hey guys, well i know it has been a very very very....very long time since I last posted and I am truly sorry for those of you that care. I hope to finally keep up even though I added a new hobby to my daily life ( I've become obsessed with crocheting blankets for the past couple of months). Anyways this is an easy dinner recipe that is hard to screw up. I love this dish so much because of the lemon and garlic and when those two ingredients are together you can't go wrong. Anyways this is how I make it.

Start of by smashing a lot of garlic, since it will be cooked you don't have to worry about a a stinky mouth afterwards :). I used half a garlic bulb (or around 7 or 8 good sized garlic cloves).

Next I squeeze lemon juice directly on top of the garlic. This help cook the garlic a little. If you smashed your garlic with salt then you should be fine but if not add some salt in at this point.

I find that since this sauce cooks in the oven and reduces that you need to either add some water or some chicken broth. I add water (since the chicken will produce its own juices) so that the chicken and veggies don't come out too sour.

Wash and dry the chicken very well. Here I am using a whole chicken cut in half. Some people use chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks or even a whole chicken cut up into 8 pieces (2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, and 2 breasts). I find that by leaving the chicken whole it keeps the breast more moist because it is covered by the skin and the skin doesn't move and uncover the breast while cooking.

Place the chicken in the desired over safe pan. I am using my biggest pyrex dish here. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and just a little but of olive oil to get the chicken started. Side note: When i buy chicken make sure to cut off the last digit of the wing and to cut off the "butt" of the chicken. There isn't anything extremely wrong with leaving them on but I get a little grossed out by those parts.

Cook the chicken in the over at 500 degrees until the chicken skin has dripped off some of the fat. The chicken is not cooked at this point. I then drain the fat in the pan or soak it up with paper towels. There is not juice at this point only fat because we cooked it at such a high temperature.

Next add in the wedged potatoes and baby carrots (the original recipe only has potatoes but sometimes i also add koosa (squash) and purple onions). Lay the veggies around the chicken but dont cover the chicken with the veggies. Pour the lemon/garlic/olive oil sauce on the veggies (but not on top of the chicken) and then tent some foil over top. When I say tent the foil I mean to lightly cover it but don't make it air tight.

Continue to cook the chicken until it is cooked all the way and the veggies are soft. When it comes out of the oven let it rest for about 20 minutes so that the veggies and chicken can soak up the lemony goodness. Right before I serve it I take a spoon and i pour the thickened sauce on top of the chicken and veggies.

TA DAH..perfection. The skin is crispy (for those of you that eat the skin...I just peel it off) and the potatoes and carrots have so much flavor.

The chicken should be really really moist. This is a picture of the breast which usually is the most dry part of the chicken and you can tell how moist and tender it comes out in this dish (thanks to the skin).

Written Recipe:

1 whole chicken cut in half with skin on

1/2 smashed garlic bulb (7 to 8 garlic cloves)

juice of 2 lemons (or 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup of chicken broth or water

olive oil (use your desired amount but I recommend about 1/4 cup or less)

salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 potatoes peeled and cut into 8 wedges each

baby carrots (optional)

other optional veggies: Koosa (squash) and purple onions

Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes uncovered at 500 degrees to cook off some of the fat and then drain the fat and add the veggies and the sauce. Cook for another 45 minutes to an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and the veggies are soft and tender (400 degrees).

Kabseh

Kabseh is like a rice dish that every Arab country has. Every country has their own form of kabseh and every household makes their kabseh a little different. I believe that kabseh originated from the khaleej (Saudi Arabian area) because I know they are known for their kabseh and mendhi. Like I said earlier, everyone has their own way of making kabseh, some people use mixed spices that are labeled kabseh spices, some people make their own spice mix, some people add veggies, come people make it with meat and not chicken. You cannot mess this dish up, just do whatever you want, this is how I make kabseh at home.

In a pan (same one I will be cooking my rice in) I add some oil and then I add onion and carrots that were chopped in a food processor (I use to cut it all by hand but it is the same thing) and then once the water is gone that comes out of the onion and carrot I add tomato paste and cook it until the oil separates a little and the oil has an orange color. Then I add the spices, I use kabseh spice (I will tell you the mix later if you can't find it), cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and paper. Set this aside and make the salsa that is eaten on the side with the kabseh.

Side note: I use to add fresh tomatoes but the rice sometimes would come out soggy or dry because it is hard to estimate how much water will come out of the tomatoes and how much water you need to add to the rice so tomato paste is what I use now.

Oh so Kabseh can be eaten with yogurt or salad or nothing....OR you can make this salsa like sauce that is eaten on the side. This sauce reminds me of the sauce that we use to eat with the rice from the Mendhi that my aunt would buy whenever we went to Bouqain (It was made by khaleeji restaurant). Anyways, if you haven't tried this before, it is really good so I suggest you make it at least once.

So I chop the tomatoes a little just to get them going then I add cilantro, garlic, a little bit of onion, a fresh jalapeno (or some cayenne pepper if you don't have a jalapeno on hand) and salt.

At the end I add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Place it in the fridge and let the flavors mix (the garlic and jalapeno flavors will come out more so don't add more garlic and jalapeno at this point until you let it sit for at least 30 minutes)

This is my rice cup, I use it to measure everything (even though I have measuring cups, it keeps me feeling like I am cooking Syrian food properly). I measured the amount of rice in my cup so I could write it on this blog and it is exactly 1 cup.

Wash the rice and add it to the carrot, onion, tomato paste and spice mix.

This is optional but most people do add it. I add raisins (not the black ones), just soak them for about 10 minutes and add them to the rice along with the chicken stock. (I cook chicken the same way I have in previous posts so I didn't show how here)

Add the chicken stock and cook on medium until the water is level with the rice then cover the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting for about 10 or 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked all the way through.

Arabs love to add nuts to their dishes so you can add any kind you want, these are my favorite: pine nuts, almonds and pistachios. You can also add cashews and some people add the raisins on top (rather then in the rice) after sautéing in some butter.

Serve the chicken on top along with the nuts and salsa. When I have a party I would usually take chicken and roast it in the oven and just use boxed chicken stock for the rice because it presents better but this is how I make it at home. Some people remove the chicken after it has been cooked thoroughly and place it in a pan with some oil and just brown and crisp up the chicken skin.

Written Recipe:

Salsa:

5 big whole tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 of a small onion

jalapeno (seeds removed and either use half or whole depending on how spicy you want it)

2 bunches of washed cilantro stems included

salt

Kabseh:

2 cups of basmati rice

1 whole carrot chopped

1 whole onion chopped

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of Kabseh spice

1/4 teaspoon of cardamom

1/2 teaspoon of mixed arabic spice

dash of nutmeg and ground cloves

salt and pepper

1/4 cup of raisins soaked for 10 minutes

3 cups of chicken stock

Nuts for garnish

Kabseh spice mix that I use when I don't have kabseh spice mix

1 teaspoon of ground dry ginger

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1/4 teaspoon of fennel

1 teaspoon of coriander

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of mixed arabic spice

Pizza Sauces صوس للبتزة

So as I said in a previous post making pizza is not only fun but very easy. I made a veggie pizza and a Thai crunch pizza (CPK knock off). I noticed that it is rare for me to like EVERYTHING about a pizza so this is a good way to get whatever i wanted in my pizza...and more.

Toppings for the Thai crunch pizza: Peanut sauce, sesame seeds, mozzarella cheese, shredded carrots, cilantro, chicken and bean sprouts

Toppings for a veggie pizza: thinly sliced red onions, tomatoes, thinly sliced peppers (any color) and fresh mozzarella. Fresh basil to top when the pizza comes out would be great (i did it the next day with leftovers) and additional toppings are mushrooms (fresh not canned) and olives. Recipe for sauce below.

In a medium saucepan saute a medium onion and 4 cloves of garlic in some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Once the onions are transparent add in oregano and basil. If you have fresh herbs i recommend those although the dry ones work well as a substitute.

Add in a can of diced tomatoes (san marzano work well but any tomato works)

Let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes on high and then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and stir in.

Continue to cook until the sauce is thick and reduced. When you draw a line with your spoon you shouldn't see water come out but instead some of the oil.

MMMMMMMMM (seriously people some fresh basil in here was SOOOO good)

For the Thai pizza top with peanut sauce and cheese and sesame seeds and chicken and cook until the pizza is completely cooked, when it comes out add the cilantro, carrots and bean sprouts.

Written recipe for tomato pizza sauce:

1 can of diced tomatoes (san marzano if you can find)

1 medium onion diced

4 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon of dried basil

salt

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of EVOO

Written Recipe for peanut sauce:

3 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter

3 tablespoons brewed tea

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili oil or cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions for peanut sauce:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well OR in a blender

Fatet jaj جاج

Fatet Jaj mmmmmm is all i can say when i think of this, it is so scrumptious. Arabs love fateh, we have a few different kinds and all of them are delicious. Syrians serve this as a side dish, never is it a main meal (although i wouldn't mind eating it as one) and some people do serve it as a main meal (not sure which countries) but they add a layer of white rice to it, its really good but i cant stray away from the original. In my previous post i made mloukhiyeh for which i needed to boil chicken so from the extra chicken i made this. Here is how to make a really easy and fast side dish.

First we start off by making the yogurt top. First I add garlic

Then i add Tahini paste (or sesame paste, if you can't find this then it can easily be made)

A squirt of lemon juice and some salt.

Next i cut and fry up pita bread, if you have children in the house keep the bread away from them, children love this, i turned my back for one second and he had already eaten half of the fried pita (habib albi).

So right before you are about to serve this dish put the pita chips in the dish that you plan on serving, a layer just hick enough so you cant see the bottom of the bowl. Add the hot chicken broth just to moisten the bread a little.

Next top it with the (room temperature otherwise it cools the whole dish down) yogurt mixture. Add the chicken and fried almonds and the most important topping....PARSLEY. I just want to say that i need parsley when it comes to certain foods. I hate when people say oh who ever missed the parsley in a plate....I DO...when its needed its needed this is one of my most favorite herbs.

Written Recipe: Some measurements are not included because it depends on how much you are making

Fried pita bread

boiled chicken with the broth

yogurt mixture:

1 cup of yogurt

1 garlic clove smashed

3 tablespoons of tahini paste

Squirt of 1 lemon or a teaspoon

salt to taste

Fried almonds

chopped parsley

Mloukhiyeh (Jews Mallow) ملوخية

Mloukhiyeh is a dish ALL Arabs love, i grew up eating just the juice of the dish with a squirt of lemon juice on my rice because i just didn't want to try it...or maybe i just matured...i mean if my picky two year old eats it why wouldn't i like it. growing up i always thought mloukhiyeh was Arabic spinach (yes Arabs do eat spinach...i don't know why i thought that) but mloukhiyeh is actually a plant called Jews Mallow. To prepare mloukhiyeh for cooking you first have to pick all the leaves off, wash them well and then dry then for about 2 days (unless you have alot of sun in which they will dry really fast) and after they are almost dry all the way we lightly fry it and keep it in the freezer. The different Arab countries make it differently, Syrians like it dry (meaning no extra sauce) Egyptians eat it like a soup (and with rabbit). In this posting i made mloukhiyeh with chicken but it can also be made with meat, same steps just different protein.

First we boil the chicken, you know the routine onion, cinnamon stick, cardamon, bay leafs and salt.

This is what the chicken should look like, taste the broth and make sure it has the correct amount of salt because i don't add salt to the mloukhiyeh itself.

In a saucepan cook up sliced garlic (about 1 whole clove) in either butter samneh or oil (i use a mix of butter ad samneh) You don't want the garlic to turn brown, you just want it to become more white and to release some flavor.

Next add the mloukhiyeh from the freezer (because it is dry it is not rock hard frozen)

Fry the mloukhiyeh until all the leaves are coated in the butter. Be careful not to leave it for too long because it will burn.

Slowly add the chicken broth one ladle at a time. When the broth is absorbed add some more. This is where it is up to your taste. Syrians like their mloukhiyeh with no extra juice or broth however i like just a little because i need moisture in my dish (my husband likes it with no extra broth) So it is up to you how much broth you add but add it slowly because at a certain point it will just stop absorbing the broth.

Normally you would add 1 whole bunch of chopped cilantro right at the end and let it cook for about 1 or 2 minutes but i didn't have FRESH cilantro i had frozen. It tasted good but naturally fresh cilantro gives it a much nicer taste.

Seriously people this is his favorite dish

Serve the mloukhiyeh with the chicken on top. Some people like to put the chicken in with the mloukhiyeh but ti changes the color of the chicken to green and doesn't look as nice, that is up to you (tastes good but doesn't look so hot)

Serve with vermicelli (shariyeh) rice and lemon to be squeezed over the mloukhiyeh.

Written Recipe:

1 whole chicken boiled (onion, cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaf and salt)

1 whole clove of garlic sliced thinly

2 tablespoons of samneh

2 tablespoons of butter

3 cups of dried frozen mloukhiyeh (this amount doesn't matter because the chicken broth is not a specific measurement)

lemons

Mushroom and Chicken Pasta Casserole معكرونة بالفطر و الجاج

This is a really good and easy dish to make and its good for like parties and such instead of the regular lasagna. I believe Khaleh Rajaa told my mom how to make this and it has become one of our favorite dishes in the house. If you don't cook very much this is a good way to start, its easy and for some of you its NON ARABIC (ahem ahem Yaman and Nour).

In a pan saute mushroom until golden brown. WHATEVER YOU DO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO KEEP STIRRING THEM, this will release water and it wont caramelize the mushrooms.

See that beautiful golden brown...i don't like mushrooms very much but this looks good.

With the remaining butter in the pan (or you can add a little more) add flour and make a rue. A rue is a flour and butter mixture used to thicken sauces and soups.

Let the rue cook a little to remove the raw flour taste. It will bubble up like this which is good, but make sure to stir it, the cooking process only taste about 30 seconds of this bubbling up.

Slowly add COLD chicken broth (cold broth prevents lumps) and whisk until you get a nice sauce, let it boil. Add some milk to give it a little creaminess.

Return the mushrooms and the chicken (from when you boiled chicken and made a broth, shred the chicken before returning it to the sauce). If you want you can blend the mushrooms and sauce (not chicken) in a blender to make like a mushroom soup sauce but i didn't want my sauce dark so i didn't. I use to add a can of Campbell's mushroom soup instead of mushrooms but i don't like the additives so i don't do that anymore. Note the chicken is boiled chicken and the broth is used for the sauce.

The sauce should be runny, not as thick as like a bechamel because we are adding al dente noodles so that they thicken the sauce and so that the noodles absorb the mushroom taste.

Put everything in a baking pan

Cover with mozzarella cheese

cover and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (if you put it in the refrigerator it might need longer)

The cheese should be melted

When it comes out of the over it should be golden brown and yummy!!!

I like to eat it with salad (One of my favorite tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and fresh mint with olive oil and lemon juice....i like lettuceless salads)

Written Recipe:

2 chicken breast with skin and bone boiled (add onion, cardamon, cinnamon stick and salt)

(use 6 cups of the broth)

1 pound of noodles (1 box)

1 1/2 cups of fresh mushrooms (or campbells mushroom soup)

4 tablespoons of butter (more if needed)

8 oz of mozzerella cheese

1/2 cup of milk

4 tablespoons of flour