Update on the Saudi Arabian food

Well, my first attempt at making my own pita bread was successful in that it was very tasty. However, my pita did not have pockets. So we wrapped our falafel up like a taco and enjoyed them. Next week, I'll try again, this time not flattening the dough so much.

My spice rack has welcomed five new jars of spices to the mix.

And we are happy.

Inspiration for Experimentation

After having seen Julie & Julia twice this weekend, I've been inspired to try something new with food. Friends and I discussed various world cuisines as we left the theater--which we like, which we don't like--and I decided to pick a country and spend a month learning about its food. So I'm going to spend September researching Saudi food, and I'll try cooking things like al-kabsa and sambousek (and eat my fill of falafel and hummus and baba ganoush). I've found two cookbooks and a few recipes online. My first task is to try making my own pita bread. I'll let you know if I find any of the recipes super delicious.

I have never been to Saudi Arabia, and at this point in my life, I don't know a single person from that country. Nevertheless, I think I will learn to love the food.

NORTH/CENTRAL EUROPEAN: Blueberry Coffee Cake

I think that if I post any more recipes from Simply in Season, I just may be in trouble. This is my variation on their recipe.

Cake:

¾ cup spelt flour

¾ cup kamut flour

1/3 cup fructose or sweetener of your choice

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups blueberries

1 tsp lemon peel

1 egg

½ cup soymilk

¼ cup Earth Balance margarine

Topping:

¼ cup fructose or sweetener of your choice

1/3 cup spelt flour

1/3 cup walnuts or other nuts (chopped)

2 TBSP Earth Balance margarine

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. 1. Combine the flour, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

2. 2. Gently fold in the blueberries and lemon peel.

3. 3. Whisk together the egg, milk, and margarine in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir carefully. Batter will be stiff. Spread into greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan.

4. 4. Mix together the ingredients for the topping until crumbly and sprinkle over batter.

5. 5. Bake in preheated oven at 425˚F until top is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Try it with warm milk poured on top.

GREEK: Cinnamon Stewed Chicken

This is a recipe from Cat Cora's visit to Oprah. I didn't see the show, but I found the recipe recently when I wanted to use up some orzo I had in the cupboard.

• 1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (legs, breast and thighs)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion , peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1 cup orzo , cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preboil water with sea salt.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. A wet chicken will cause the oil to splatter while the chicken is sautéing. Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonreactive, deep skillet over high heat. A 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once. If you don't have a skillet large enough, brown them in two batches using 1/2 the oil for each batch. What's important is that the chicken isn't overcrowded, which would cause them to steam rather than brown.
4. Add the chicken to the oil and brown for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn the pieces using a metal spatula, as they have a tendency to stick to the pan. Remove the pieces when they are well browned on all sides.
5. Mince three of the garlic cloves. Lower the heat to medium-high, and add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add about 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to deglaze the pan, loosening any particles stuck on the bottom.
6. When the water has evaporated, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and remaining 2 garlic cloves, minced.
7. Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, it can be thinned with a little more water. Season the finished sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve over orzo, cooked according to package directions, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

CHINESE AMERICAN: Orange Chicken

I wanted to make an Applebee's version of this recipe, so I found one at Recipezaar. To save time in the future, I will probably use a frozen Asian vegetable mix and may even buy the chicken already breaded, but it is oh, so good freshly made. The orange flavor is not too sweet or overpowering as it is in some Chinese (American) restaurants.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup flour (we used spelt)
oil for frying
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup sugar (we used less and replaced it with fructose for Jeff's dietary needs)
salt and pepper
rice
slivered toasted almonds
broccoli
red bell peppers
snow peas
chow mein noodles

1. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside.
2. Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.
3. Fry the chicken in oil until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying chicken in small batches until all are nicely browned and crisp.
4. Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.
5. Pour glaze over chicken. Serve chicken over a bed of cooked rice. Garnish with slivered almonds and crispy noodles. Applebee's tosses the chicken and orange glaze with an array of stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas and red peppers.

FUSION: What is this?

I do not know the history of the granola/protein/health bar movement. All I know is that our bookstore stopped carrying the Clif Nectar bars with chocolate in them, and I needed a substitute. Here is one that made me happy, based on a recipe I found at Imagelicious.

1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted dates
1 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 TBSP maple syrup

Mix together in a very sturdy food processor. Press flat in a baking pan and cut into bars. Eat. Chill whatever leftovers you may have (at our house, they are very few).

MOROCCAN: Chicken and Lentils

I copied several pages from Jeff's mom's cookbook at Christmas, and this recipe made me happy.

8 cups water
3 tsp sea salt, divided
1 LB dried lentils, rinsed, drained, and picked over
up to 1 cup plus 2 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 TBSP ground cumin, divided
2 TBSP plus 2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 LBS skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

1. Combine the water and 1 tsp salt in stock pot over high heat. Add lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until lentils are soft, about an hour. Drain well. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix up to 1 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, 2 TBSP cumin, 2 TBSP chili powder, garlic, and 1 tsp sea salt. Pour half of the dressing over lentils. Save the rest for later. Toss gently and let cool.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil. Add onion and saute until well cooked, about 5 minutes. Onion should appear dark brown and soft. Add chicken and saute 2 minutes more. Add 1 tsp sea salt, 1 TBSP cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, and cinnamon. Saute until poultry is cooked through.

4. Arrange lentils on a large serving platter. Place sliced chicken on top of lentils. Use remaining dressing and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature (but we ate it warm--that's the way I like it).

Adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

SEASONINGS: Fajita Seasoning

This will replace one packet of fajita seasoning:

1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt

NORTH AMERICAN: Sugar Cookies

I thought I could count on Pillsbury this last weekend when we had a Christmas party at our house. I bought the sugar cookie package, followed the directions, and ended up with a big pile of sugar-cookie-flavored slop. So, twenty minutes before the party began, I sent Jeff to the store for a bag of flour, and I got out my mom's old recipe. She saved the day! Plus, guest got to help with the baking as well as the decorating. They enjoyed getting their hands dirty.

These cookies are one of my favorite parts about Christmas.

2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine
2 eggs
milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP hot water
1 tsp baking soda
4-5 cups flour

1. Cream together the sugar and margarine.
2. Beat the two eggs in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup. Add the milk and eggs to the sugar and margarine mixture.
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, pour the hot water over the baking soda and stir. Add to the mixture.
5. Stir in the flour, bit by bit, until the dough becomes thick enough to roll out.
6. Roll out, use your cookie cutters, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
7. Cool the cookies on a rack, then decorate like crazy.