09 September

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September 1, 2023

Parcha-Dosheme Plov

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Parcha-Dosheme Plov

(Azerbaijani Pilaf)

September: National Rice Month

As we continue to “cook our way through the calendar/countries” as a personal project to learn about international cuisines, we finally reached the last A country in the alphabet: Azerbaijan. Like its neighboring countries in Eurasia, rice is the staff of life. We tried an Azerbaijani pilaf recipe, which is similar to Indian biryani, and it was a delicious meal in itself. There are more than 40 plov recipes in Azerbaijan and this fruity one with chicken pieces is what we cooked to honor this country during National Rice Month.  

Recipe

(Adapted from AZcookbook.com)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups long grain rice, preferably basmati
  • 3 tablespoons salt, divided use (1 + 2 tablespoons)
  • ¼ cup butter, divided use (2 + 1 + 1 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup peeled chestnuts
  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • ½ cup dried sour plums (we used pitted prunes)
  • ½ cup pitted dates
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/3 teaspoon saffron threads 
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Wash rice in a strainer till water runs almost clear. Set rice and strainer in a large bowl with water and 1 tablespoon salt. Let soak while preparing the fruit mix. In a skillet/pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Sauté the chestnuts for around 3 minutes.

Add the apricots, plums and dates. Stir fry for another 3 minutes. Add raisins and mix for another minute, being careful not to burn the fruits. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In a large pot, boil 10 cups of water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of salt. Pick up the soaked rice from the bowl and add to the pot. Parboil for 7-10 minutes till the rice is ALMOST cooked (not too hard and not too soft as it will continue cooking with the fruit mix and chicken). In another large nonstick pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat and add the chicken but do not brown it. 

Scatter onions evenly over the chicken and let it sit for a minute. Turn up heat to medium low and gently stir to mix. Add half the rice over the onion-chicken mixture. Then scatter the fruits over the top. Layer the rest of the rice over the fruits.

Tuck a few pieces of the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the rice. Cover with 2 paper towel or 1 dish towel before closing with the lid to prevent more moisture in the rice. Turn heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve saffron in 3 tablespoons of hot water and mix until it changes color. Open the lid and pour it into the rice. Cover again with the towels and cook for another 25-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and take off the lid and towels. Ladle the rice onto a large platter or serve gently mixed in individual bowls.

Notes

  • We halved the original recipe and it still made a lot for the both of us. We shared some plov with our friends who were interested in tasting different ethnic cuisines and they really liked this rice dish.
  • Search our blog for other rice recipes.

 

September 1, 2023

Muamba de Galinha

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Muamba de Galinha

(Angola Chicken Stew)

September: National Chicken Month

Chicken stew is a comforting meal for many, including us. But we wanted to try something a little more “exotic” so we would not be eating the same old stew. As we continue to “cook our way through the calendar/countries”, we found a delicious recipe for chicken stew from Angola called muamba de galinha. It is a hearty stew filled with chicken and a variety of vegetables. The vibrant color comes from red palm oil and paprika. For something deliciously different, cook Angola’s national dish, muamba de galinha, during National Chicken Month.

Recipe
(Adapted from African Bites)

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken cut into pieces (we used chicken drumsticks)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 + 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon, crushed into a powder
  • ½ + 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 + 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red pepper (chili or jalapeño), pierced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • ¼ cup red palm oil
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 18-20 okra, sliced in half
  • 2+ cups of chicken broth or water
  • ½ – 1 pound of butternut squash, cut into cubes

Directions

In a large bowl, place the chicken pieces. Juice the lemon over them. Sprinkle with salt, a teaspoon of white pepper and thyme.

Sprinkle the powdered chicken bouillon, ½ teaspoon paprika and 3 minced garlic cloves. Toss and combine well. Pierce the red hot pepper and set aside.

Dice the tomatoes and slice the onions. Set aside. In a large pot, combine the red palm and canola oils and heat until sizzling. 

Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. To the same pot, add the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves and onions to saute.

Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of white pepper and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Mix the sauce well. Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Cover the chicken with enough broth or water. Add the butternut squash, red pepper and okra. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium, cover the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the vegetables are cooked through. Adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes before dishing out. 

Notes

  • Serve this muamba de galinha with white rice or a side of Angola-style corn and rice bread.
  • Search our blog for more chicken recipes.

 

September 12, 2022

St. Mary’s Chicken

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St. Mary’s Chicken

September 12: Feast Day of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In honor of Mother Mary, we have made a Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) and Mystical Rosette Ombre cakes in the past. Instead of something sweet, we tried something savory this time to cook on the Feast Day of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We found a recipe online called St. Mary’s Chicken created by nutritionist Scott Baptie who was doing his master’s degree in Applied Sports Nutrition at St. Mary’s University in Scotland at the time. It is a coincidence that his St. Mary’s University is the same name as the one where Islander’s brother had worked in Texas (when we lived in San Antonio, we made the Stella Maris and Mystical Rosette cakes for the students of his prayer group to celebrate this feast day). 

Mother Mary’s name is the inspiration for Mr. Baptie’s chicken recipe. It is very quick and easy to make, packed with protein and has a rich and tasty gravy. 

We adapted the original recipe and used bacon strips instead of lower fat bacon medallions because we could not find it at our grocery store. Thus, this dish is not as nutritious as the original but common bacon does add a nice flavor to the dish. Either way, this is a good savory recipe to make on any busy weeknight and on a Marian feast day like today!

Recipe
Adapted from “High Protein Handbook” by Scott Baptie

Ingredients

  • 4-6 strips of bacon, chopped (the original uses lower fat bacon medallions)
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (we used chicken tenderloins)
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ½ – 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (we did not have this ingredient)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • 1 ¼ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (optional garnish)

Directions

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up the chopped bacon. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain the grease. Optional step: In the same skillet, brown the chicken in the bacon grease to lock in the flavor. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.

In a bowl or cup, mix the chicken stock with mustard, thyme leaves, garlic, pepper, honey, crème fraiche and cornstarch. 

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bacon. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir the gravy and serve the chicken on a plate with a garnish of fresh thyme sprigs (optional).

Notes

  • Check out Scott Baptie’s websites and social media for other free recipes online. He also authored several health cookbooks and developed exercise and training programs for fat and weight loss.
  • The original recipe calls from bacon medallions, which we did not have on hand. They are basically back bacon rashers trimmed of fat. If using bacon medallions, there is no need to fry it up. Just place it in the baking pan with the chicken, pour the sauce mixture over everything and bake. Super simple!

 

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