Panko Crusted Fried Chicken (Penne/Panne)

We always grew up enjoying bifteak – breaded and pan fried steak. However, my mother also makes it with chicken. On a more recent trip to Egypt, I saw it on the table, and got excited to see bifteak. I was quickly corrected – “You mean, Penne?” Um, what? Isn’t that pasta? Well, for Egyptians, somehow penne/panne means lightly breaded and pan-fried chicken. Anyway, these are so quick, and easy to make. I put them in pita pockets with cucumbers, labne and tomato. Also, if you cannot find the thinly sliced chicken at a good price, you can also buy chicken breast and cut it half, or just use chicken tenders.

Panko Crusted Fried Chicken (Penne/Panne)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 cup plain panko crumbs
olive oil
1 egg

(1) Place each individual chicken breast slice in between two pieces of saran wrap. Using a meat pounder or the back of a spoon) and lightly pound the chicken so that it is evenly thin.

(2) In a bowl, place the pounded chicken breasts, salt, cumin, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Put a dash of olive oil just to give some liquid for the marinade. Set aside for at least 10 minutes. You can also prepare this step the night before for a deeper flavor profile.

(3) In a bowl, beat one egg. In a separate plate, place the panko crumbs. Then, have a clean plate out as well. This should be in an assembly line.

(4) Dip each chicken breast into the egg, then into the panko crumbs. Shake off the excess crumbs, and place on a clean plate. Repeat for all of the chicken breasts.

(5) In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. Pan fry the chicken for approximately 4 minutes per side – the meat is thin, so it should cook quickly.

(6) Serve warm – eat alone, in a sandwich, as snack, with rice, with anything, really! Enjoy!

Apricot Glazed Chicken

The picture does not fully capture the delicious-ness!

 

I have always heard of infamous Moroccan’s cooking in tagines, using prunes, apricots, figs, and all sorts of other dried fruits. I have never been one to mix sweet foods with my meats. I finally experimented with chicken, figs, and apricots, and the result was a big hit. I am still skeptical of the carmelized figs, but everyone else seemed to love them. For those of you who like to substitute chicken breast for thighs, I wouldn’t recommend doing so here. The apricot jam turns into more of a glaze, and doesnt penetrate the chicken, so you need a tender cut of chicken.  This was fun to make, and the smell in the house was amazing – Enjoy! 

Apricot Glazed Chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes 

1.25 lbs of skinless chicken thighs (you can get boneless if you prefer)
1/2 cup of apricot preserves
3 tsp soy sauce (i use low-sodium)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
juice of half of a lime
8 turkish figs, cut into quarters
Salt & Black Pepper 

(1) In a large ziploc bag, combine all of the ingredients, except the figs. Mix well. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
(2) Over high heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a hot saute pan. Add the contents of the ziploc bag.
(3) Sear and brown the chicken on both sides, on high heat, for approximately 10 minutes.
(4) Add the fig pieces, a dash of salt, black pepper, and, if you like, another dash of soy sauce.
(5) Reduce the heat, and cover. Cook for at least 15 more minutes. Periodically check the chicken and turn over to ensure even cooking.
(6) Remove from heat, and enjoy!

Moroccan Star Anise Chicken

I always thought star anise was the source of anise seeds, and thus a Middle Eastern spice.  I was apparently way off.  I had already decided to combine the star anise with my ras el hanout spice mix, and it turned out really, really good.  So consider this chicken more of an East Meets Middle East kind of dish…

You can buy ras el hanout spice mix at a local ethnic grocery store, and the star anise you can probably find it at a local Asian market.   I use the El Faz brand from World Market, although online it is only sold in the UK.  Wierd.  Sometimes Whole Foods surprises me and carries some of these “ethnic” spices. Note: I read that anise seeds are not a substitute for star anise – the star is more potent.

Morroccan Star Anise Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

5 chicken thighs (I used bone-in)
1 tsp ras el hanout spice mix
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 star anise
1 cup chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper

(1) In a large ziploc bag, combine the chicken with ras el hanout spices, cilantro, and salt.
(2) In a tagine, or large saucepan (with lid), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Pan fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric. Mix well with the onions.
(3) Add the chicken. On high heat, sear the chicken thighs until they have a nice golden color. Be careful not to burn the onions.
(4) Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and the star anise.
(5) Cover and let simmer over medium heat. Check on the chicken every 15-20 minutes and flip it over each time you check on it. If the liquid all disappears, and the chicken is not cooked yet, then slowly add the rest of the broth and reduce the heat a bit. You do not want the chicken to boil in the liquid, you just want moisture for the chicken to cook in.
(6) The chicken should be done when it falls off the bone and is succulent and juicy. This goes great with a side salad or some basmati rice. Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Shawarma

Chicken shawarma is one of those restaurant items that can be hit or miss.  Some restaurants make it very well, and others not so well.  Sometimes you end up with dry bits of chicken, often shoved into a sandwich with too much garlic sauce to make up for the dryness.  Bleck. This was my first attempt at making chicken shawarma, and it turned out very juicy and tender.  I did a lot of research and found that you basically need a lot of acid in the marinade to make it tender – hence, I used greek yogurt, vinegar and lemon juice.  Next time, I will experiment with less greek yogurt because there was almost too much juicy-ness while it was cooking.  I also didn’t use traditional spices, as I threw in some curry and cayenne pepper.  I put it on top of a modified fattoush recipe (I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand), and the dressing complimented the spice of the shawarma. Nice low-fat, healthy recipe – Yum!

Curried Chicken Shawarma

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size slices
6 oz of greek yogurt (little less than 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp seven spice
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil (for pan frying)

(1) In a large Ziploc bag, combine all of the ingredients above (except olive oil).  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Let the chicken come close to room temperature before cooking though.

(2) In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Try to drain the residual liquid marinade from the Ziploc bag.  Saute the chicken.  I found I still had a lot of juice in the saucepan, so I drained again while I was cooking the chicken.  Let the chicken cook until it is lightly browned.

(3) Serve on top of your favorite salad, or in a sandwich.  Enjoy!

Sumac Spiced Chicken Sandwiches (Mousakhan)

Mousakhan is a very popular Palestinian dish.  I have never had it the traditional way, only in sandwiches which is how my sister makes them.  When I was pregnant, I always loved it when she made these and brought them to me in the hospital.

The key ingredient in mousakhan is the sumac, which is a red flower that is ground into a spice.  Sumac has an inherently lemony flavor, and it is used in many Middle Eastern recipes, including fattoush. While it is commonly sold in Middle Eastern grocery stores, many traditional stores carry it in their “ethnic” food section. These sandwiches are very easy to make, and are always a big hit at dinner parties. This recipe is my version of my sister’s recipe.

Sumac Spiced Chicken Sandwiches (Mousakhan)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour

4 large chicken breasts
10 rolls of lavash bread (Costco sells great ones)
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 red onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of sumac powder
1 tbsp seven spice
salt
pepper
olive oil

(1) In a large pot (or pressure cooker), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Brown the yellow onion and minced garlic. Add the raw chicken breast, seven spice, salt and pepper. I use at least 1 tsp of salt.
(2) Once the chicken is coated in the spices and the onion, add 4 cups of water and let boil. If you are using a pressure cooker, the chicken should cook in approximately 20 minutes. If you are using a traditional pot, let the chicken come to a boil for at least 30-40 minutes. The chicken is done it flakes when pierced with a fork.
(3) Remove the chicken from the pot and place in a large mixing bowl. Set the chicken broth aside.
(4) Take two forks and begin to finely shred the chicken breasts. The chicken should be fairly easy to pull apart with the forks.
(5) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Cook the red onion slices until they are soft and translucent.
(6) Add the onions to the shredded chicken. Add the sumac powder and one cup of the reserved chicken broth to the bowl and mix well. You can add a little more of the reserved chicken broth if the mixture appears dry.
(7) Place approximately 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into the center of the lavash bread, and roll into a sandwich. Place in a jelly roll pan, or cookie sheet. Repeat for the rest of the lavash bread
(8) Brush the sandwiches with olive oil.
(9) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the bread becomes slightly crispy and browned. Enjoy!