Persian Pomegranate Chicken Stew (Khoresh-e Fesenjan)

One of the most well-known of the most well-known of the Persian fesenjans,Khoresh-e Fesenjanprovides the perfect marriage of taste with the slightly mellow taste of walnuts perfectly balancing the sweet and sour taste of the pomegranate syrup,robb-e anar. Khoresh-e fesenjan is usually made with duck but chicken is a perfect substitute.This dish is delicious eaten right after it has been prepared but like most stews, tastes exquisite the next day after the flavors have had time to concentrate.

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-size pieces

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

8oz. shelled walnuts, finely ground

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c pomegranate syrup diluted in 2c water

1/4 tsp. saffron

1c pomegranate seeds, for garnish

1/2 c shelled walnuts,for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.Add the chicken pieces and onion and stir often for about 15 minutes.

2.In a food processor, add the walnuts, diluted pomegranate syrup and saffron and mix well till you have a thick paste.Adjust seasonings if necessary.

3.Add the pomegranate sauce to the pan with the chicken and cover and simmer for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often.

4. After the 45 minutes, taste the sauce.If it is too sour , add a pinch of sugar to sweeten it.If it is too sweet, add a little pomegranate syrup to sour it.

5. Remove khoresh from heat and transfer to a serving dish.Garnish with pomegranate seeds and shelled walnut and serve with rice.

Bulgur with Tomatoes (Burghul bi Tomatim)

Yield:4

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 c bulgur

1/2 lbs. tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp. tomato paste (opt.)

1 tsp. sugar

salt & pepper

1/2 tsp. baharat

1 c water

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat.Add the onion and keep stirring till they turn opaque.

2. Add the remaining ingredients slowly one by one and keep stirring till they are evenly

combined throughout the bulgur.

3. Cook until all the water has evaporated.Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Stovetop Chicken Kebab

Don't have a grill? Looking for an easy, quick way to prepare chicken kebab.This recipe can be
put together and be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts , cut into chunks
4-5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. turmeric powder
salt & pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken breast chunks and cook, stirring every few minutes.After 5 minutes , add the
remaining ingredients.
3. Continue cooking chicken for an additional 15-20 minutes until chicken begins to brown.
4.Remove from heat and serve immediately with basmati rice.

Middle Eastern Cucumber & Mint Salad (Salata Khiar bi Na'na)

Yield:4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, cut into small cubes
1 handful fresh mint leaves, thinly chopped

For the dressing:
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. orange-blossom water
dash of salt & pepper

1. To make the salad, place both the cucumber and the mint in a serving bowl..Toss till evenly
combined.
2. To make the dressing, place all dressing ingredients a blender and blend for 1 minute.
3. Add the salad dressing to the salad just before serving .Toss and serve.

Fattoush (Middle Eastern Bread Salad)

Photo courtesy of Islamic Iftar

Yield:6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Arab (pita ) bread , cut into small pieces

1 medium head of lettuce, shredded

3 medium tomatoes, cut into small cubes

3 cucumbers, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 green onions, thinly sliced

handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

5 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. ground sumac

salt & pepper, to taste

1. To make the salad, place all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss till evenly

combined.

2. For the dressing, place all the ingredients together in a blender and blend for 1 minute.Adjust

seasonings if necessary.

3. Add the salad dressing to the salad, toss again just before serving.

Moroccan Grilled Salmon ( Samak al Maghreb)

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c plain Greek-style plain yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
dash of salt & pepper
4 (6oz.) skinless salmon fillets

1. In a food processor, place the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, coriander, cumin and
salt and pepper and process until evenly combined.Pour the yogurt marinade into a
resealable plastic bag and place the salmon in the bag.Coat the salmon with the marinade
and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat grill.Lightly coat with some olive oil and place the salmon fillets on it.
Grill the fillets for about 5-6 minutes per side or until they begin to flake.

3. Remove salmon fillets from the grill and serve immediately.

Arab Salad (Salata Arabi)

Yield: 6 Ingredients

Ingredients:
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded into bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, peeled, finely diced
1 large cucumber, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 large tomato, cubed into bite-size pieces
6 radishes, thinly sliced, then cubed
5 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped


For the Dressing:
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove, peeled, crushed


1. In a large serving bowl, combine all the salad ingredients together and toss evenly to combine.


2. In a small bowl pour the extra-virgin olive oil and slowly add the remaining ingredients one by

by one, slowly mixing after each one.


3. Pour the salad dressing over the salad greens when ready to serve and mix well before serving.