Moroccan Chicken Kebabs with Mint Yogurt Sauce

At my son’s work they have a food calendar that indicates different food holidays.  Who knew that July 9^th was kebab day!!??  (Or that the 24^th is Tequila day!!)  So, he asked if we could make kebabs yesterday.  I said SURE!  It’s not something that we normally have – so I thought this would be a delicious experiment and great idea for the blog.  I took bits of several recipes that I found online.  These turned out better than I expected.  So much flavor!  The combination of the sweet red onions and tomatoes with the delicious basmati rice, hummus and yogurt sauce was fantastic.  

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of chicken thighs, boneless/skinless and cut into approximately 2” pieces for threading onto skewers

1 red onion, cut into wedges (again think of sizes appropriate for the skewers)

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

8 ounces plain Greek yogurt

3 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced

2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the yogurt, garlic, spice mix, mint, parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Add the chicken chunks and stir well to combine.  Place in refrigerator for at least an hour, and up to four.

Remove the chicken from the fridge, thread onto skewers alternating with the pieces of onion. Fire up your grill – or heat a grill pan on the stove.

I was concerned that the tomatoes would over cook on the grill if I added them to the skewers. So, once all the chicken was out of the bowl I added the tomatoes and tossed them around to cover with the yogurt spice mixture.  Then, I added them to a skillet and cooked them on the stove top until they started to blister. Turned them off and let them sit until the kebabs were ready to serve.

Cook the kebabs on the grill until done, turning occasionally to avoid burning.  Our grill was at about 400 degrees, so it only took about 15 minutes. 

Take the meat and onion off the skewers.  Serve with basmati rice, hummus and mint Greek yogurt sauce - recipe follows.

Moroccan Spice Recipe (makes about ¼ cup)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

Mix all the spices together.  Place into a container. 

Mint Greek Yogurt Sauce

This is a great accompaniment to Mediterranean or Moroccan inspired meats and meals.  I’m serving it with the chicken kebabs.  But, it would also be great with lamb or beef, gyros or as a dipping sauce for pitas.

Ingredients:

1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt

½ cup finely chopped mint leaves

1 clove garlic, grated (I use the micro plane to grate my garlic – opposed to mincing it.  I also use the micro plane to zest the lemon)

Zest of one lemon

1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Taste and season accordingly.  But, don’t get over zealous.  The flavors will develop as the sauce sets.

Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  Mix again and taste again for seasoning.

Place the sauce in the fridge until ready to use.  The longer it sits – the more the flavors will develop.  I make this about five hours before I’m ready to use it. 

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Sunshine Chicken with Rice

I found this recipe on the Cooking Professionally website.  I’ve adjusted it slightly by adding ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and lime juice to it.  Also, I fry the chicken breasts first, then add the rice and remaining ingredients to the pan.  I feel like this gives me more control over the doneness of the chicken – and gives plenty of time for the rice to cook thoroughly.  Additionally, by frying the chicken first it adds more depth to the flavor of the rice.  This dish is just the right combination of sweet and savory – with the perfect amount of tang!

 

Ingredients:

2-3 teaspoons curry powder

1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 (5-ounce) chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless

Drizzle of Olive Oil

1 ½ cups orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

1 cup long-grain rice

½ cup water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 ½ tablespoons of minced ginger (I sometimes use the ginger that comes in a tube.  Timesaver for sure!)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)

fresh parsley, chopped, optional, for topping

Directions:

Combine the curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Rub the curry powder mixture over the chicken.

Drizzle the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat on the stove.

Fry the chicken breasts in the skillet for four minutes per side.

Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and place on a plate.

Add the orange juice, lime juice, rice, water, brown sugar, mustard, ginger, garlic and the remaining salt to the skillet.

Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to simmering and cover the skillet. Cook until the liquid is almost absorbed.  

Return the chicken pieces to the skillet.  Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, until all of the liquid is absorbed.  About 5 minutes.

Serve topped with parsley.

Click HERE for printable recipe.