Brown Rice Paella

A gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free entree to impress.

I was rushing to make this before our guests arrived and forgot to take a photo.  And it was gorgeous.  So let me describe it instead:  A beautiful bed of brown rice, with a perfect crust on the bottom, with roasted orange carrots, green farmshare zucchini, and earthy shiitake mushrooms, dotted throughout with red-ripe farmshare grape tomatoes, topped with golden-brown chicken and spicy chorizo, flecked throughout with smoky Spanish pimenton.  All this served to oohs and aahs after 20 minutes of work.  

I recently completed Mark Bittman’s Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More than 75 Recipes.  In it, Bittman explains his turn to a “sensible way of eating,” involving more plants and less meat, in his signature off-the-cuff, humorous, accessible style.  Part part screed against the meat industry, part clarion call to eco-consciousness, part diet book, and part weight-loss memoir, Food Matters does all of these things well, although others have already done this.  The 75 new recipes in Food Matters, all of which showcase little meat and lots of veggies, are all Bittman’s usual top notch.  This recipe is inspired by the paella recipe in that book.

As always on the SGG, this recipe is flexible.  Use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, setting them gently to roast on the top.  The more colors, the better.  Replace the tomatoes and some of their stock with canned diced tomatoes and their juices.  Use more meat, or less, or substitute shrimp and seafood.  To make it vegetarian, omit the chicken and chorizo, up the pimenton, and add veggies to your heart’s content.   Try saffron instead of pimenton, or use a combination.  Try mushroom stock.  Vary the spices to make it less Spanish and more unique.  Use traditional arborio rice instead of brown rice and cut the oven time by half.  The possibilities are endless, and up to you.

Before braising chicken thighs, I like to loosen the skin when I trim the thighs so that I can season the meat directly.  I leave the skin on to keep the meat moist during cooking, and then leave it up to my guests whether they want to remove it or not.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Total Time: 50-60 minutes.
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
~4 cups stock or water, more or less as needed
2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO; if you use a good nonstick pan, you may need even less; if your chicken is not fatty, you may need more)
8 chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
2 zucchini, sliced on the bias into “rounds” 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick
handful of baby carrots
handful of shiitake or other mushroom caps, sliced into thirds, or not slided

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced into rounds, cleaned by soaking and swooshing for at least 2 minutes in a bowl of water; or 1 (Spanish) onion, chopped or diced
1 T tomato paste
1-2 t pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika), plus more for the chicken
Pinch saffron (optional)

12 oz chorizo or other spicy sausage, sliced into rounds of your desired thickness
3 c short-grain brown rice
coarse sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
coarsely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

 1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Warm the stock/water and optional saffron in the microwave or a small saucepan.
2. Place tomatoes in a bowl and the zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots in another.  Sprinkle all veggies with salt and pepper, and toss with 1T EVOO.   Set aside.
3. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and ~1T pimenton (eyeball it and sprinkle it from the container).
4. In a 12″ ovenproof skillet, warm 1T (or less) EVOO over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and brown until just golden ~4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
5. Examine your pan.  You want a nice layer of fat, at least 3 Tablespoons, at the bottom of your pan to ensure a nice crust on the rice.  Pour off fat if desired, or add EVOO as necessary and reheat if needed before proceeding.  Be careful to avoid spatters.
6. Add the (well-drained) leeks or onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook 3-5 minutes or until softened.  Stir in tomato paste, pimenton, and chorizo.
7. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute until well-coated and shiny.
8. Slowly pour in the warmed stock and stir until just combined.
9. Turn off the heat.  Stir in the tomatoes.  Arrange the chicken on top.  Top artfully with the colorful veggies.
10. Bake paella for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, check the rice.  If it is nearly dry and just tender, it’s perfect.  If it’s too dry, add more stock or water. If it’s too wet, return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes and check again.  Repeat as necessary.
12. When the rice is ready, turn the oven off, and let the paella sit for 5-15 minutes.
13. (Optional) Put the pan over high heat for a few minutes, or cover and put on low heat for up to 30 (while you finish your first course), to develop the bottom crust, otherwise known as the best part.
14. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Iraqi Chicken in Spiced Yogurt

Remember this from my cooking class with Iraqi refugees in Cairo?

The cooking class didn’t really give us recipes, instead sending us home with a sheet of general instructions like “add spices to chicken.”  They certainly didn’t give us instructions on how to make the recipes without access to an outdoor grill, and they most certainly didn’t give us instructions on how to make them kosher!

Never fear, dear readers.  The Smart Green Gourmet did some research and put her nose and palate to the test and figured out how to make an Iraqi-style chicken so delicious that my husband and I used bread to mop up every last bit of the sauce in true Iraqi style.  I used soy yogurt here due to aforementioned kashrut concerns, but this recipe should work with regular yogurt, omitting the extra tablespoon of vinegar.  I normally can’t stand soy yogurt, but in this recipe, it worked beautifully.

I’ve left this recipe intentionally flexible.  The marinade directions below made more than enough for the 3 chicken thighs that I used.  If you’re using more meat, make more marinade.  You may also wish to adjust cooking times and temperatures according to what you’re making.  If you’re using boneless white meat chicken breasts, for example, lower heat would probably be appropriate.

This recipe couldn’t be easier: whisk together the marinade, toss it with the chicken, and bake.  It can easily be made ahead, or you can marinate the chicken overnight and bake it the next day.  It is easily multiplied.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Work time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3 (or as many as you would like)

Ingredients:

3 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat.
Tip: It’s OK to loosen the skin or skin the thighs completely in this recipe; the yogurt will keep the meat moist during cooking and you can save on saturated fat this way.

Marinade:
1.5 c plain soy yogurt (I used
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T cider vinegar
1 T EVOO
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t tumeric
1/4 t coriander
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together marinade ingredients.  Toss marinade with chicken.  Let marinate 15 minutes or overnight.
3. Arrange chicken in a baking dish in a single layer.  Bake ~45 minutes or until meat is done.
4. Serve with bread to mop up the sauce.

Cooking Class with Iraqi Refugees in Cairo!


Last weekend, I attended an Iraqi cooking class here in Cairo.  The event was a fundraiser for legal assistance for the refugee community in Egypt.  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has registered over 9,000 Iraqi refugees in Egypt, and countless other Iraqis are also here.  The Iraqi population in Egypt is highly educated, and many of these doctors, lawyers, and teachers can no longer work in their chosen professions.  Refugee legal aid helps provide refugees with legal protections in Egypt and helps Iraqis prepare their cases for resettlement elsewhere.  While Iraqis do not have permission to work or form self-help associations in Egypt, many Iraqis volunteer or through NGOs to help their community.  Their spirit is impressive.

It was lovely to spend a gorgeous January day taking a break from research and enjoying a the wonderful aromas of fresh herbs, the warmth of an outdoor barbeque, and endless cups of mint tea.  I’m looking forward to getting back to Boston to share the techniques and recipes that I learned.  Meanwhile, here are some photos to make you hungry!

After firing up the crackling grill (did I mention it’s January?), we carefully removed the meat from the skewers using fresh pita bread, which we then used to cover the meat and keep it warm.  The juice-soaked bread was delicious to eat with our fingers later on.

Shish Tawouk, or Grilled Spiced Meat, and Char-grilled Veggies.
Preparing the rice by sauteeing it in oil with onions, then adding the fresh fava beans.
Rice with Dill and Fresh Fava Beans.
Lamb and spices simmering in broth
Lamb stew served traditionally on a bed of fresh pita bread.
Plating the food

Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Scallions, and Mint

After the meat was removed from the grill, the tea kettle was filled with water and tea leaves and placed directly on the coals.   At the end of our meal, we poured this “tea kushari” over fresh spearmint leaves and savored the beautiful day.
All photos Copyright Smart Green Gourmet 2010.

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Honey-Harissa Dressing

Exotically delicious. I always have some little pieces of chicken left over on the bones after I carve a roast, which are perfect for a salad the next day. Harissa is a North African chili-garlic hot sauce. You can buy it at Middle Eastern supermarkets, at Whole Foods, or make your own.

Try adding sectioned oranges to the salad, and/or maybe a shpritz of lemon or orange juice to the dressing. I give you permission to play with your food.

Salad:
8-10 ounces of arugula, rinsed, spun, and dried
Shredded chicken (leftover from a roasted chicken, or 1-2 shredded legs or breasts)
1 c walnut pieces, toasted
12 dried apricots, chopped

Dressing:
1 T harissa
1 T honey
4 T EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss arugula and chicken in a large salad bowl.
2) Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with chicken and arugula.
3) Toss in walnuts and apricots. Serve.

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Honey-Harissa Dressing

Exotically delicious. I always have some little pieces of chicken left over on the bones after I carve a roast, which are perfect for a salad the next day. Harissa is a North African chili-garlic hot sauce. You can buy it at Middle Eastern supermarkets, at Whole Foods, or make your own.

Try adding sectioned oranges to the salad, and/or maybe a shpritz of lemon or orange juice to the dressing. I give you permission to play with your food.

Salad:
8-10 ounces of arugula, rinsed, spun, and dried
Shredded chicken (leftover from a roasted chicken, or 1-2 shredded legs or breasts)
1 c walnut pieces, toasted
12 dried apricots, chopped

Dressing:
1 T harissa
1 T honey
4 T EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss arugula and chicken in a large salad bowl.
2) Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with chicken and arugula.
3) Toss in walnuts and apricots. Serve.

Simmered Japanese Squash with Ground Chicken

Sweet, succulent squash makes this dish both simple to make and crowd-pleasing. Even my picky nieces would eat it as children.

This recipe calls for a Japanese kitchen gadget called otoshi buta, or a wooden drop lid, pictured at left. The drop lid fits inside the pot, directly atop the food, to help the food simmer faster. Don’t have a drop lid? Neither do I. Just use a regular pot lid 1-2 sizes smaller than your pot.

Shoyu is Japanese soy sauce. It can be found at Japanese markets, at Whole Foods, and increasingly, at regular grocery stores. It’s deep, mellow flavor is much more complex than regular soy sauce.

You can use ground turkey in this dish instead of chicken but it tends to dry out. I’d recommend kneading the raw turkey with an onion and some of the shoyu before adding it to the pot to help keep it moist.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4, accompanied by rice, soba noodles, or whole grain bread

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut or red kuri squash, or 2-3 delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ chunks.
1/2 pound ground chicken
4 t shoyu or soy sauce; more to taste
1.5 T agave or 5 T sugar

1) Place the squash, 1 1/4 cups of water, agave, and 2 t shoyu in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Cover with the drop lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until squash is tender.
2) Using an oven mitt, remove the drop lid. Crumble chicken over the top of the squash. Sprinkle with remaining 2 t shoyu or more to taste.
3) Replace pot lid (not drop lid). Cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

This recipe is adapted from Masako Yamaoka, “A First Book of Japanese Cooking,” Kodansha International, 1996.

This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from the user Chris 73 and is freely available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OtoshiButa.DropLid.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 2.5 license.

Simmered Japanese Squash with Ground Chicken

Sweet, succulent squash makes this dish both simple to make and crowd-pleasing. Even my picky nieces would eat it as children.

This recipe calls for a Japanese kitchen gadget called otoshi buta, or a wooden drop lid, pictured at left. The drop lid fits inside the pot, directly atop the food, to help the food simmer faster. Don’t have a drop lid? Neither do I. Just use a regular pot lid 1-2 sizes smaller than your pot.

Shoyu is Japanese soy sauce. It can be found at Japanese markets, at Whole Foods, and increasingly, at regular grocery stores. It’s deep, mellow flavor is much more complex than regular soy sauce.

You can use ground turkey in this dish instead of chicken but it tends to dry out. I’d recommend kneading the raw turkey with an onion and some of the shoyu before adding it to the pot to help keep it moist.

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4, accompanied by rice, soba noodles, or whole grain bread

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut or red kuri squash, or 2-3 delicata squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ chunks.
1/2 pound ground chicken
4 t shoyu or soy sauce; more to taste
1.5 T agave or 5 T sugar

1) Place the squash, 1 1/4 cups of water, agave, and 2 t shoyu in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Cover with the drop lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until squash is tender.
2) Using an oven mitt, remove the drop lid. Crumble chicken over the top of the squash. Sprinkle with remaining 2 t shoyu or more to taste.
3) Replace pot lid (not drop lid). Cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

This recipe is adapted from Masako Yamaoka, “A First Book of Japanese Cooking,” Kodansha International, 1996.

This Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image is from the user Chris 73 and is freely available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OtoshiButa.DropLid.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 2.5 license.

Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

Recipe: Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel

Looking for something delicious and different? Look no further. You can even make it ahead. This recipe would work with fish, veal or pork chops, or seitan. Make spice blend far in advance. Recipe may be prepared to step 2 and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Prepared chicken may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

Serves: 4 (easily multiplied)
Make ahead: Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil

2t coriander
2t fennel seeds

5T grill seasoning OR make your own by mixing:
1/2T coriander
1/2T onion powder
1/2T garlic powder
1/2T coriander
1/2T kosher salt
2T black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 if using veal or pork chops)
2. Combine all spices. Rub chicken (or other protein) with spices.
3. Heat 2T olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer pan to oven for 10 minutes.