Chicken Mishwi with Spice Rice, Yogurt Sauce and Fattoush

Fed 3 people

Ingredients

Chicken

• 6 boneless skinless chicken things
• 1 1/3 tablespoons yogurt
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp white pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp ground dried ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons clear balsamic vinegar

Rice

• 2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
• 1/3 cup of garbanzo or fava beans
• 2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup vermicelli noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp za 'atar
• salt and pepper
• cilantro for garnish

Sauce

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp clear balsamic vinegar

Fattoush

• 2 heads of romaine, chopped
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• (optional) 1 tablespoon feta cheese
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tsp za 'atar

Cooking

Rice

1. rinse and drain rice until water is clear. set a side. in a frying pan, add the butter and the broken vermicelli and fry until browned, but not burnt.
2. in a pot, add the diced onion and fry until browned, slightly blackened. reduce heat and add in the spices and the rice, vermicelli, pine nuts and the garbanzo beans.
3. stir the mixture on high heat for a minute. add in the water and bring to a boil. one at a boil, reduce heat to low and cover with a lid and simmer on low for 10 - 15 minutes or until water is completely absorbed and rice is cooked.

Chicken

1. in a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. mix in the chicken very well for a minute or two. place in fridge for at least 4 hours (over night is best). you can bake the chicken in a oven at 350F for 30 - 35 minutes, but grilling the chicken really is the best.
2. if grilling, either on the barbecue or in a cast iron pan, grill chicken until juices run clear and chicken is nicely colored, but not burnt. (for me on my barbecue it was 3 - 4 minutes on each side.) and in the cast iron it took me about 5 minutes per side on high heat.

Sauce

1. in a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix very well with a fork or whisk. place in fridge until ready to use.

Fattoush

1. in a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, tomato, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, za 'atar and if you choose to use it, the fetta cheese.
2. combine the vinegar oil and lime together and pour over the salad and mix and toss well.

I like to serve this with hummus or baba ganoush and pita.

bon appetit