oregano

Get to Know Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish & Tahini Yogurt

03 Dec 2011
Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

I got this recipe for Middle-Eastern spiced chicken skewers from Bon Appetit magazine sometime last year. I didn't save the magazine so I don't know what they thought about this recipe. So you're stuck with hearing what I think about it.

I think it's terrific. Pretty too. Pomegranate seeds make everything pretty. Which is similar to the way that tahini makes everything delicious and yogurt makes everything healthy. Making this recipe terrifically pretty and healthy too. I'd say this was a fresh, modern interpretation of Middle Eastern cuisine. It features an interesting mix of seasonings known in Turkey as Bahārāt, which includes cumin, oregano, and dried mint. Bahārāt is the Arabic word for 'spices'. So you might get confused when you Google around for the word. What makes this version typically Turkish is the addition of mint into the mixture.

So that's what I think (and know) about this recipe.

What do you think?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Musical Marinated Shell Beans with Roasted Tomatoes, Sounds Good To Me

30 Nov 2011
Marinated Shell Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat your beans at every meal!

I hate that little ditty. If I were a bean I'd sue.

Though I realize my legal action might be considered a frivolous lawsuit. Because I know full well that it's hard to prove libel when the scandalous statements are true. Beans make you fart.

You can pretend like they don't (and I do). But beans make you fart.

They contain the sugar raffinose, which isn't something we humans are able to digest properly. When these sugars reach your intestine in their improperly digested form, the bacteria in your intestines– whose job it is to tackle whatever crap (pardon the pun) we gulp down our gullets– has to work extra hard to send it packing out the other end. The by-product of all that hard work is gas. But p'shaw. Who cares, right? So what. I love beans. After all, what's a little flatulence between friends?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt

Chicken Skewer with Pomegranate
By jgreghenry Published November 29, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 T freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 T dried mint
  • 1 T dried oregano
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 1 t ground nutmeg
  • 6 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
  • 1 clv garlic, finely minced
  • 0.5 c greek yogurt
  • 0.25 c tahini
  • 1 c pomegranate seeds
  • 1 c pistachio, shelled, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 0.5 c flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
  • 4 T olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, peeled and grated
  • 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 6 whole pita breads, warmed in the oven

Directions

Make the spice mix: Using mortar and pestle grind black pepper, dried mint, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, and ground nutmeg for 2 to 3 minutes. May be made 1 week ahead. Cover to store.

Make the tahini yogurt: Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the spice mix you just made, and garlic in medium bowl; stir to blend. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in yogurt and tahini. Season tahini yogurt to taste with salt. May be made up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Make the pomegranate relish: Mix pomegranate seeds, pistachios, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. May be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Make the chicken: Whisk grated onion, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining spice mix in large bowl. Add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Preheat broiler. Divide the chicken chunks between 6 skewer, threading them with out packing them too tightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on small rimmed baking sheet. Broil chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Arrange kebabs on platter. Serve with tahini yogurt, pomegranate relish, and warm pita breads.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit

Marinated Shell Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

Marinated shell beans with roasted tomatoes
By jgreghenry Published November 28, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh shell beans in any combination, such as borlotti, black eyed peas, christmas lima, flageolet, cranberry
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T kosher salt, plus more for tomatoes
  • 1 lb cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 c flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
  • 0.25 c fresh oregano, leaves only, chopped
  • 0.5 c lemon vinaigrette

Directions

Put each type of bean in a separate saucepan and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, add 1 tablespoon salt to each pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, but are not so soft as to be mushy. Between 20 and 45 minutes. Add more water while cooking if necessary. Each type of bean will require a different cooking time so monitor them closely. When cooked turn the heat off and let the beans cool completely in the water.

Meanwhile. Adjust oven rack to the center postition, then preheat to 300 degress F.

In a medium bowl, roll the tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Place a wire rack onto a baking sheet and spread the tomatoes out onto the wire rack in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast until the skins are shrivled but they are still plump and moist, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let the tomatoes cool to room temperature.

Combine the cooked, cool beans in a large mixing bowl. Add the parsley, oregano and the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, then carefully stir the beans to combine the flavors. Let the beans sit and marinate at least an hour. Transfer to a serving plate, top with roasted tomatoes and more black pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Source: Inspired by Mozza

Market Matters- Sup Picked a Pound of Pickled Peppers

21 Aug 2011
colorful peppers

This is the time of year when the Hollywood Farmers Market is literally pumped up with colorful produce. It seems all the brightest vegetal hues make themselves prominent in August. Purple plums, crimson heirloom tomatoes, and golden squash embellish the stalls with all the flair of a Hello Kitty Lunch Box!

But there is another vegetable hitting it's peak with the heat of summer. One that can pack its own heat and yet wears all these colors, and more. I am talking about peppers. Peppers in all sizes and all colors. Hot peppers, sweet peppers, or plain ole pretty peppers. They are really an inspiration to cooks like me who find creative kicks through colorful cues.

In fact one look at these peppers and Peter Piper popped in my pate! Hey it would happen to you too. Nursery Ryhmes carry potent cultural baggage.

Which got me thinking. Did you know  the phrase "Sippity Sup" started out as the title of a Nursery Rhyme?

Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Bread and milk from a china cup.
Bread and milk from a bright silver spoon
Made of a piece of the bright silver moon.
Sippity sup, sippity sup,
Sippity, sippity sup.

I feel kinda bad that I sorta usurped that poor old Nursery Rhyme. I mean it was a lesser-known Nursery Rhyme to be sure. I don't think it held much favor with Mother Goose. So it wasn't really that hard to beat the Google pants off it.

Still, there was a time when you could Google "Sippity Sup" and you'd find references to that less than popular children's poem of the same name. Then "along comes a spider" in the form of a food blogger. And guess what? Now that poor little Nursery Rhyme does not even come up on the first page when you Google that phrase. That's my fault– but it wasn't intentional. I never even knew what HTML was before I started this blog. Let alone understand how to optimize it!

Sippity Sup Continues »
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