grain
Chicken Freekeh Soup
NPR predicts that freekeh is one of the new foods to watch in 2014.
Freekeh is a very nutritious and filling ancient grain. It has a low glycemic index, according to Eatright.org , and is higher in protein and fiber than other grains.
Freekeh is a really rustic food that has been around in the Middle East forever. It is roasted green (young) wheat. It can be cooked in soup, as in this recipe. It can also be cooked as a rice substitute.
You can find it in whole or cracked forms, and either works in this recipe.
My children are not soup fans. They will eat them, but I have to drain out most of the liquid in most of the soups that I make so that they like them more (obviously this does not work for pureed soups, but we like our soups chunky. If it is a soup like split pea or red lentil, I will rip up some pita and throw it in there to give some body to the soup). They do like freekeh soup, because it is not as watery as some other soups.
This is not exactly the traditional freekeh soup, which usually has lamb. I’ll post that one sometime, but I went with a lighter chicken soup this time because it was a mild rainy day, and I feel like the heartier lamb freekeh soup is more suited to a very cold winter day.
Chicken Freekeh Soup
2 complete chicken legs (so 2 thighs, and 2 drumsticks)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 bunch chopped parsley
1 onion chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 teaspoons cumin
salt, to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
3 carrots, sliced into medallions
1-2 bay leafs
Pinch Italian seasoning
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
grated ginger
1 cup chickpeas, drained
1 potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup freekehm
1 cardamom pod
1 clove (optional)
First, rinse freekeh in several changes of cold water. Add 2 cups of water and let soak until you add it to the soup.
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in medium pot.
Add parsley, onions, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Saute a minute or so, then cover and reduce heat to medium to sweat out the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
Add chicken and carrots, stir, and cover for another 5 minutes. Add 12 cups of water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1-2 bay leafs, and a pinch of Italian seasoning and let come to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 45 minutes.
Add soaked freekeh and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-45 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until freekeh is tender, adding more water or stock if necessary.
Note – you can really adjust the liquid according to how you like it. Some people like it to be really thick, almost like a porridge, while others like it thinner. You can have a kettle of boiled water at the end to thin out as necessary if you see that the soup is thickening too quickly for the freekeh to cook completely, or if you simply would like a thinner soup.
Manakeesh – Zaatar Pizzas
One of the tastiest things to eat is warm manakeesh with some hot tea. Trust me on this. Make some nice, strong tea and sweeten generously. Enjoy it with this tangy/savory bread.
I tagged this as semi-homemade, because the dough is typically home-made, but when you are short on time, frozen supermarket pizza dough is a good substitute.
I always pick up a couple of package of supermarket frozen pizza dough during my weekly shopping trips- the kind that comes in a small ball. I usually also have one or two as backup in the freezer. We try to do one pizza night per week, varying toppings. It is fast and easy to prepare, and my son loves to help make pizza. Tonight he helped by mixing the oil and zaatar, and spreading it on the dough.
Manakeesh will usually be a little less puffy than this one when it made with the home-made dough. I will feature the home-made dough in a future post.
We have this on weekend mornings or for dinner. There were a few pieces leftover after dinner, and my husband promptly put them away to have for breakfast tomorrow.
Note – you can completely omit the cheese.
To make it a complete meal, put out several of the following small plates: lightly salted sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, Akkawi/Feta/Halloumi cheese, olives, labneh, fried or boiled eggs.
Manakeesh – Zaatar Pizzas
1 lb package frozen whole wheat pizza dough, defrosted and brought to room temperature
4 tablespoons zaatar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or feta or a blend of the two
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Cut dough into two rounds. Roll each one out to about a 10 inch round. Prick with tines of a fork.
Pour olive oil into a bowl. Add zaatar and stir to incorporate completely.
On first round, pour out half the zaatar oil mixture. Spread evenly.
On second round, pour out the rest of the zaatar oil mixture, and spread. Sprinkle cheese on top. Sprinkle with sumac, if using.
Bake 12-15 minutes until dough is done.
Quinoajadara – Quinoa Mujadara (Lentils and Quinoa with Caramelized Onions and Sumac)
Mujadara is a very popular Levantine dish. It is a very hearty vegetarian dish, and very healthy too. It is great hot or at room temperature, making mujadara leftovers a good work lunch option. My husband and kids all love mujadara, so we have it often, and change it up sometimes. This recipe is a marriage of mujadara and quinoa.
The onions, olive oil, and sumac create a sort of sauce for the dish. You can omit the sumac, but I think it add something special to this dish.
A tip for those whose kids are not big fans of onions – you can either plate theirs first without onions or you can top with buttered carrots.
Quinoa Mujadara
1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils
1 cup quinoa
1 cup vermicelli noodles, toasted over medium heat in skillet
1 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 onions, cut in half, each half thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pick over lentils if needed and rinse. Place in pot with about 6 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cover. Cook till lentils are just cooked, 20-40 minutes. This will vary depending on how fresh the lentils are, but start checking at 20 minutes.
Carefully drain any cooking liquid still left in the pot. Reserve. Keep lentils in the same pot. Add uncooked quinoa, toasted vermicelli, spices, and salt to taste. Return the cooking liquid, adding water or stock if needed, to complete 3 cups. Bring to a boil over low heat, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked.
Meanwhile, cook onions over low heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons sumac. Allow to cook a minute or two so that the hot oil is infused with the sumac flavor.
To serve, spread mujadara in a platter, and top with the onions. Make sure to also drizzle the olive oil and sumac “sauce” over the platter. Sprinkle with additional sumac, if desired. You can also just place the mujadara in plates, and portion out the onions in each plate.
Mujadara is traditionally served with plain yogurt and/or a finely chopped salad. Sour cream also tastes good with it.
Lemon Parsley Quinoa
This was our side dish tonight along with the previously posted Tahini Salad – Salata Tahina
The lemon is very subtle in this dish. It just adds some brightness to the earthy quinoa. You could certainly double it if you would like a more pronounced lemon flavor.
Lemon Parsley Quinoa
2 cups uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cook quinoa according to package directions, adding turmeric and desired amount of salt with the water.
After quinoa is cooked, add parsley and lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.
Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf
We love quinoa, especially since my kids eat it happily – always a plus. We had this tonight to go with a chicken and veggie tray bake, salad, and Greek yogurt.
Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon each: Cumin, allspice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, parsley, half a teaspoon of salt. Saute for about a minute; add spices and chickpeas, and saute for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add quinoa, water, and adjust salt to taste. Let it come to a boil over high heat, uncovered. When at a boil, cover, and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Turn off the stove and allow to stand covered 5 minutes.
Tastes great with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top.
