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!

Baked Eggplant Casserole (Moussaka)

So there many, many different ways to make moussaka.  The Greek’s have their way, and the Egyptian’s have their way.  The best way to make a traditional moussaka is to fry the eggplant first.  In Egypt, you fry the eggplant and green bell peppers, top with a spicy meat sauce,and bake in the oven.  It is definitely a family favorite.  Although it is incredibly tasty, and well worth the trouble of dealing with all that oil and frying, it is just not the healthy way to go.  Especially not healthy, when you add a nice layer of bechamel sauce on top. Oh, yum! Well, I try to save the frying (and bechamel) for special occasions. Thus, here, I do not fry the eggplant, and this version has melted cheese on top, which reminds me more of a casserole than true moussaka.  So here goes my healthy version of moussaka, although the heaping amount of melted cheese on top may negate the saved calories….

Baked Eggplant Cassserole (Moussaka)
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour

1 lb of extra lean ground beef
1 eggplant, diced into cubes
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Olive oil
Salt & Black Pepper

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
(2) Prepare the ingredients, by chopping and dicing the eggplant, onion, green pepper, parsely, and garlic.
(3) In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin seeds. Saute until the onions are translucent.
(4) Add the ground beef, salt and black pepper to taste.
(5) Once the meat is thoroughly cooked, add the can of tomato sauce, parsley, and powdered cumin. Mix well, and let the mixture come to a rapid simmer.
(6) Add the diced eggplant, and, using the can of tomato sauce, add 1/2 can of water.
(7) Let the mixture again come to a rapid simmer. Reduce heat and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
(8) Add the entire contents into a deep casserole dish. Top the casserole with cheese, and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes.
(9) If you like, broil the casserole for the last 5 minutes, which will give a nice, crispy top layer to the casserole. Enjoy!

Harissa Spiced Beef Brisket Sandwiches

One of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, has had several beef brisket recipes lately and it has inspired me to try my own Middle East version!  Brisket is a relatively cheap, rough cut of meat. A cheap cut of beef also means that it needs to cook low and slow in order for the collagen to break down. The best method is to use a slow cooker, and to set it on low for 8 to 10 hours. However, in my busy life, I never have time to make dinner, let alone plan the night before. Enter – the pressure cooker! This miracle pot has turned all sorts of cheap cuts of meat into fork-tender deliciousness. I thought I would give it a try with the brisket, and it was great! Next time, I may leave it another 10 more minutes on the pressure cooker, as there was a part of the brisket that wasnt as tender as the rest of it. I also used a traditional Moroccan spice, harissa, to add a distinct middle eastern flavor to the beef. However, if you do not have any, Siracha or any other hot sauce will work.

Harissa Spiced Beef  Brisket Sandwiches

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour (pressure cooker) 10 minutes (oven)

2 lb beef brisket
1/2 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp mexican oregano (regular is fine too)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 c ketchup
2 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (equiv of 1/4 cup regular brown sugar)
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp harissa
1/4 cup flour (I use a Wondra)
Olive Oil
Salt

Your favorite bread buns

(1) In a large saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and saute until translucent. Add the minced garlic, cumin, mexican oregano, cayenne pepper, thyme and coriander. Mix well.
(2) Add the tomato sauce, and bring to a rapid simmer. The sauce should be quite thick. Add the ketchup, harissa, and brown sugar. Mix well.
(3) Add the beef broth and return the sauce to a rapid simmer. Depending on whether the broth is low sodium or not, add at least 1/2 tsp of salt, or more, to taste. Remove from heat.
(4) In a large pressure cooker, add the raw beef brisket. Pour the sauce over the top of the brisket. The meat should be completely covered by the sauce.
(5) Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer. Cover and let the pressure build for about 10 minutes on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let cook for at least 50 more minutes. You can cook for longer for more tender beef. Also, preheat the oven to 350.
(6) Once the time has passed, carefully release the pressure from your pressure cooker, following the instructions provided for your particular pressure cooker (they are not all the same). Open the cooker, and transfer the meat to a baking dish. Cover the meat with approximately half of the sauce, and place in the oven for 10 minutes. This is really only to add color to the meat, and to allow for some texture to the outermost layer of the meat.
(7) REmove the meat from the oven. Using a fork and knife, shred the brisket. If it is cool to the touch, I found it easiest to shred using my hands.
(8) Put all of the sauce from the baking dish back into the pressure cooker. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer. Add the flour (or Wondra) to help thicken the sauce. Mix well with a whisk so there are no clumps. You can add more salt or harissa, to taste. 
(9) Add the shredded brisket to the sauce and mix well. Serve hot and on your favorite bread bun. Enjoy!!

Smokey Mediterranean Meatloaf

For my food writing class, we were told to explore a new ingredient.  I bought smoked paprika because I have never used it before.  I ended up loving it so much that everything I have made these past few days has smoked paprika in it!  I have also never attempted to make a meatloaf before.  Long gone are the days when meatloaf had a boiled egg in the middle of it! I vividly recall helping my mother peel the boiled eggs for the meatloaf she would make.  In keeping with tradition, I still used a packet of Lipton onion soup mix in the beef. While it baked, I made a tangy sauce.  I took the meatloaf out of the loaf pan, and then put it back in the oven with the sauce drizzled all over it.  The result: awesomeness.  The smokey flavor of the paprika with the tangy tomato/vinegar sauce was very unique.  The texture was soft and light (thanks to the panko!). It tasted even better the next day.  Although it looks like a lot of ingredients, it’s mostly spices of which you can tinker with to your liking.  Enjoy!

Smokey Mediterranean Meatloaf
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

MEATLOAF:
1 1/4 lb lean ground beef (The 95/5 beef I buy only comes in 1.2 lb packages…)
1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix
1 cup italian panko crumbs
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped parsley
dash cayenne pepper (optional)

SAUCE:
1 12 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 can of water
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
dash cayenne pepper (optional)

(1) In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatloaf. Use your hands to knead the mixture.
(2) Spray a loaf pan with PAM. Press the entire meat mixture into the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
(3) While the meatloaf cooks, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a rapid simmer, and reduce the heat. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
(4) Remove the loaf from the oven after 45 minutes. Flip the loaf over into a 9 inch baking pan. Pour the sauce over the meatloaf.
(5) Return the loaf to the oven for 20 more minutes, and broil for the last 5 minutes for added color. Periodically check the loaf and baste it with the sauce.

Spiced Fava Bean Falafel (Ta’ameeya)

Most Westerners are used to eating falafel the Lebanese way, which is made from chickpeas. However, in Egypt, our falafel, or ta’ameeya, is made from split fava beans, also known as broad bean. Also, in Egypt, the falafel is light, airy and crispy. I have always had a hard time eating any other kind of falafel because I am not a fan of the huge balls that are raw on the inside. Don’t get me wrong, chickpea falafal is good; it’s just not what I’m used to! I did add a poblano pepper, which had a very, very mild flavor. Next time around, I will definitely add pinch of cayenne pepper for added kick. My mom usually adds an egg to the mixture, which helps to hold the patties together when they are frying – definitely try this if you like more dense falafels. I also assume you can try baking these, by brushing both sides with oil and placing in a hot oven. But this is one recipe where I think fried is the way to go….

Spiced Fava Bean Falafel (Ta’ameeya)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes approx. 40 falafels

2 cups dried split fava beans (broad beans)
1/2 bunch dill
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 poblano pepper
1 yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Olive or vegetable oil

(1) In a large bowl, add the dried beans and cover with water. Set aside overnight. The beans will absorb the water.
(2) In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, poblano pepper, cumin, coriander and salt. Puree until you have a smooth paste. Place into a large mixing bowl.
(3) Add the dill, parsley and cilantro to the food processor (remove stems). Puree until the greens are thoroughly chopped. Add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Use a spoon and combine the two together well.
(4) Add 1 cup of the beans and 3 tbsp of the onion/greens mixture to the food processor. Mix well. Remove the mixture and place it into another large bowl.
(5) Repeat this step until you are all out of beans and mixture. I did this 3 times and had exactly the right amount, but I can see how the last round of beans may have too much or too little of the green mixture. It doesn’t really matter though.
(6) Add the sesame seeds to the falafel mixture and mix well with a spoon.
(7) At this point, you can decide whether you want to freeze some of the mixture for later use. Add the baking soda now if you are going to cook immediately. If you are going to freeze it, then do not add it until you are ready to cook it, otherwise the mixture will turn strange colors if you add the powder and then freeze (so says my mom…).
(8) In a large saucepan, heat a few tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil. Use a spoon and make a small patty on the spoon. Drop it into the hot oil and press down on the patty a little with the spoon. Let it cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned on both sides.
(9) Sprinkle some additional salt to taste, and enjoy!!