Chicken and Lamb Soupy Stew with Hawaij

First of all, I appreciate the kind responses to my last post. Thank you. The past couple of months have brought about chances to plunge into new opportunities and it feels really good. Skate skiing is a blast, I’m starting a new venture on an awesome local board, Bob’s training to be a volunteer firefighter and we found a definite benefit of no kids at home is no school nights.

I know there will continue to be peaks and valleys in life, and this is just life. A gracious community, whether virtual or in person, can see you through the journey with compassion, humor and a friendly hand. And food.

Fortunately, food can be shared in many ways. A community I’m inspired by and enjoy cooking with is Tasting Jerusalem. We are scattered around the world and share so much. We kicked off this year with the Yemenite spice mix called hawaij (also spelled hawayij or hawaish) as our first ingredient to explore in 2016.

Hawaij was a new spice blend for me. You know me, spice mixes and condiments are my thing, so any opportunity to learn about a different one is a thrill. I dug through my boxes of cookbooks (new shelves in the kitchen just for cookbooks coming soon!) to pull out a few books by authorities on Middle Eastern cooking that I thought would be helpful to learn about hawaij.

So here we go – everything we ever wanted to know about hawaij!

In Sephardic Cooking, Copeland Marks says hawaij is the spice mix that gives Yemenite cooking its identity. He also shares a tip for keeping it fresh - store a bay leaf with the spice mix. I will. I love learning these little tidbits!

Janna Gur makes Yemenite Calf Leg Soup in The Book of New Israeli Food and hawaij is what spices it up. Calf leg soup is definitely something for me to aspire to.

Like most spice blends such as ras el hanout, dukkah and za’atar, there are different proportions and variations in the spices used. I found that hawaij traditionally includes cumin, black pepper, coriander, cardamom and turmeric. I also saw caraway, saffron, nutmeg or cloves included in some.

For my mix, I used the foundation of traditional spices and then added caraway seeds. Like other spice blends, it was quick to mix up. I was drinking coffee while grinding up the spices, and there was such an enticing aroma I dropped a big pinch in my cup. It jazzed it up quite nicely, sort of like an enhanced Turkish coffee.

So, what to make with my new spice blend?

I’ve cooked a lot from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan and when I saw her Yemenite Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew I knew I’d found my recipe. Who can resist soupy stew on a snowy day?

This hearty dish begins with simmering marrow bones and beef together to create a flavorful broth. The marrow is silky smooth and just melts. Luscious. I used lamb in place of beef since we have lots of lamb cuts in the freezer right now (no calf legs yet).

Garlic, onions, tomatoes, parsley and fresh dill enhanced the broth and then I added the chicken. I kept it easy and just plunked the whole chicken into the pot rather than cutting it into parts. Since you’ll be pulling the meat off the bones and adding it back to the pot, it didn’t seem necessary to cut the bird up.

Towards the end of cooking, add the potatoes, zucchini (I swapped in green beans) and a generous spoonful of hawaij. A big squeeze of lemon and scoop of zhoug complete it and brighten up this rich stew. Hawaij is aromatic and delicious with a warm, peppery flavor that nicely complements the richness of the lamb and beef marrow. Joan Nathan suggests serving the stew over rice – even heartier! As with most stews, I found it was even tastier the next day. This is a marvelous dish to slurp and share.

And hey, have you been following Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks? If not, please go check it out – another terrific community. Love, love, love the collection this year. I’m disappointed that A Girl and Her Greens was already knocked out but I have my fingers crossed for Gjelina. I ordered all of the books for the store and now my big decision is which one(s) will end up in my kitchen (my kitchen that no longer has super ugly counters – hooray for warm, wonderful butcher block wood!).

So in closing, as always, it’s about food and friends. This is what comforts and sustains me, and ultimately inspires and challenges me.

Hawaij

1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom

Combine all the spices in a mortar, grab your pestle and pound away until well mixed. Store in a sealed jar and sprinkle liberally.

Chicken and Lamb Soupy Stew
Serves 6-8
Adapted from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan

8 cups of water
½ pound lamb, cubed
4 or 5 small beef marrow bones
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 cup canned tomatoes, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs
2 large carrots, left whole
4 celery stalks
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ pound green beans, snipped and broken in half if long
3 small yellow potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon hawaij, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Rice for serving (optional)
Zhoug for serving (not optional)

Bring the water, lamb and marrow bones to a boil in a large soup pot and skim the foam off the top. Lower the heat and add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, parsley and dill.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chicken. You can cut into parts or just plunk it in whole like I did. Bring back to a boil, add the carrots, celery and cumin and then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

Carefully remove the marrow bones and chicken from the pot. Pull the chicken from the bones and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pot.

Gently mash the cooked carrots, celery, onion and garlic into the broth. Add the green beans, potatoes, hawaij, salt and pepper to taste and simmer another 10 minutes or so, until the veggies are cooked. Pour the lemon juice over the top and mix in.

If preparing ahead of time, wait to add the green beans, potatoes, hawaij and lemon juice and cook this step when ready to eat.

To serve, ladle the soupy stew into bowls (over rice if serving) and have zhoug and more hawaij on the table.

Chicken with Date Syrup for Rosh Hashanah

There’s a whole lot of new going on! Yesterday, Isaac began his junior year at a new high school, in a new town. Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Later this month, Sam begins college in a new state. It’s an exciting time!

The timing this year of Rosh Hashanah and the start of school in the same week is a bit hectic, but also rather ideal to me. The vision of a lovely, fresh year stretching ahead, full of possibility, learning, fun and growth, is quite appealing. My arms are wide open!

And at the moment, my arms are hugging a new bottle of date syrup, a gift from dear friends who just returned from a family visit to Israel. When Julie gave it to me, I really did hug it – she remembers how much I love this sweet stuff. Five years ago, our families were together in Israel to celebrate Sam’s bar mitzvah and we discovered date syrup.

Date syrup is thicker than maple syrup, with the distinct flavor of dates and a rich brown color. It’s delicious over ice cream or yogurt, and when stirred into tahini it makes a marvelous dip. I’m thinking it will be a terrific vinaigrette ingredient, too. I’m also happy eating it with a spoon.

Sweet foods, such as honey, carrots, dates and apples, are traditional to eat during Rosh Hashanah. With this in mind, I brushed some chicken drumsticks with date syrup and roasted it for a simple, delicious dish. When the chicken emerged from the oven, the kitchen filled with the warm, delicious scent of dates. The drumsticks were beautifully glazed, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds for added texture and flavor. The chicken was meltingly soft, sticky and tender, with a deep caramelized taste. Perfect for a sweet holiday!

I’m looking forward to gathering our family around the table with friends to dip apples in honey (and date syrup!) and celebrate this new year.  Shana tovah u’metukah! Wishing you all a good and sweet year. Happy 5774!

Chicken with Date Syrup
Serves  4

2 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup date syrup (date syrup, sometimes called date honey, can be found in Middle Eastern markets)
1/8 cup raw sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and pull out a rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, date syrup and sesame seeds. Toss with your hands to coat evenly. Place the drumsticks in a single layer on the baking sheet and pop in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is done to your liking. Serve warm with additional date syrup for drizzling.

Chicken Salad with Preserved Lemons and Basil

Summer is sizzling in Seattle and I couldn’t be happier! The warm mornings find me slipping out back with my iced coffee to enjoy the sounds of the day as it comes to life. The squeals of neighbor kids squirting water guns, baby chickadees chirping in our bird house, float planes flying overhead and sprinklers whooshing are comforting sounds to signal that summer is truly here.

With these hot days come balmy evenings and a desire for lighter dinners. A perfect time to start chopping up some of the sunny preserved lemons we are cooking with this month for Tasting Jerusalem! Preserved lemons can be found at gourmet shops and specialty kitchen stores, but with some time, they can easily be made at home.

Fresh lemons are slit open and stuffed with salt.

After sitting in a jar for a week, the lemons are covered with lemon juice and olive oil (and, if you prefer, a hot chile or fresh herb). They are then tucked away for a month to do their magic. The lemons transform into a salty, citrusy punch of flavor to which you will quickly become addicted. You will start adding them to salads and grains and stews and ... well, you get the picture. Usually only the skin is sliced or diced to eat, but I like to use the whole lemon. These yellow orbs keep for months, as long as they are covered with olive oil. The longer they sit, the better they become.

As I slipped a lemon out of the jar, I caught a whiff of basil. My basil plant has been going wild in the sunshine and if there is a scent that captures summer for me, it’s fresh basil. We’ve been eating lots of leafy salads and I wanted to make something a bit more substantial, yet with minimal cooking. Chicken salad!

Chicken salad is terrific to make ahead or in stages. I poached some chicken breasts on the stove top in the morning, before the heat of the day took over. Later, I shredded them and added homemade mayo, fresh lemon juice, basil and half a preserved lemon.  The salad can be eaten right away or chilled for a few hours, making it ideal to stash in a cooler. The preserved lemon and chicken are beautiful together, with the lemon adding bright bursts of briny flavor to every bite. The basil rounds out the salad with its floral, anise-like taste. It made a simple, satisfying dinner for us, eaten to the sounds of a summer day settling into the evening.

Chicken Salad with Preserved Lemon and Basil
Serves 2-3 as a light supper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roughly 1 1/2 pounds)
1 fresh lemon, sliced in half to juice
2 tablespoons mayo (preferable homemade)
1/3 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed and roughly chopped (for a less salty flavor, you can start with 1/4 preserved lemon)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a sauce pan. Add enough water to almost cover and squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Poach the chicken for about 20 minutes, until it is cooked and can be easily cut. Let cool in the broth. Shred the chicken and set aside or chill until ready to use.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the chicken with the mayo, basil, preserved lemon, pepper and the juice of the other half of the fresh lemon. Gently stir and taste for pepper. The preserved lemon will add plenty of salty flavor. Serve right away or chill for up to a few hours. You can serve on a bed of lettuce or make sandwiches.

Chickpea and Chicken Stew for Purim

A boisterous weekend is promised with the arrival of Purim! Purim is a time of merriment, the holiday celebrating Queen Esther and Mordecai’s victory of saving the Jews of Persia from the wicked Haman. Children and adults alike dress in costumes and festivities abound.

While hamentaschen are a popular cookie to bake for Purim (when I was cooking at Hillel UW I was baking hundreds of hamentaschen at this time each year!), chickpeas are also traditional to eat. According to the Purim story, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she ate mostly legumes so that she could maintain a kosher diet. For this reason, it is customary to eat chickpeas on Purim. As a simple snack, chickpeas are often warmed and sprinkled with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Over the past fifteen years or so, I’ve been making a chickpea and chicken stew that has become a favorite in our family. In the spirit of Purim, I include a blend of Persian-inspired spices with cinnamon, saffron and cardamom.

I begin by soaking dried chickpeas the night before I want to make the stew. Once this step is done, though, the stew is quick to prepare. The chickpeas cook along with the chicken, making it a one-pot meal (and even a possible weeknight dinner). After dicing a couple of onions and sautéing them in olive oil, I stir in the spices and chicken, followed by the soaked chickpeas, some chicken broth and a squeeze of lime. At this point, you can leave the stew to simmer while you chop a salad, steam some rice (or my new favorite, cauliflower “rice”) and open a bottle of wine.

The fragrant spices mingle together as the stew bubbles, taking you to far-away lands and filling your house with a delicious aroma. The chicken is tender and velvety, the chickpeas add a soft pop of texture and the onions melt into a luscious sauce. A bowl of stew energizes us for the Purim carnivals and hamentaschen eating yet to come. Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim)!

Chickpea and Chicken Stew
Serves 6

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
A pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3-4 pound organic chicken, cut into 6 serving pieces
3 cups organic chicken broth
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Steamed rice for serving

The night before you plan to make this stew, cover the chickpeas in a bowl with water and let soak overnight.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot (I use a 5 quart size), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, saffron, salt and pepper and after a stir let cook for a minute. Add the chicken pieces and allow the chicken to cook and brown for a few minutes. Drain the chickpeas and stir them in. Pour in the chicken broth and lime juice and gently stir to mix. The chickpeas should be covered but the chicken may not be completely submerged – this is ok.

Bring the stew to a boil, partially cover the pot and lower the heat. Let simmer for about 45-50 minutes, until the chickpeas are soft and the chicken is tender. The stew can be prepared ahead and rewarmed before serving. Just before eating, stir in the chopped parsley and taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve with bowls of steamed rice.

Honey Barbecued Chicken: Summer is Here!

The first full day of summer is here and it is a glorious feeling. My sons will be out of school tomorrow, so then it will really feel like summer...but right now the sun is shining, it’s actually warm and I’ve been outside drinking kombucha from my adorable new summer sipper from the Book Larder (I can see a few portable gin and tonics in here, too ... ).

With outdoor drinks and balmy evenings come the stirrings to have a barbecue. During the summer, we barbecue veggies, fish and meat. My husband and sons enjoy eating chicken, beef, lamb, turkey and duck, but I tend to ebb and flow in my desire for it. Over the years, I have found myself going through periods where I don’t eat any poultry or meat – my body just doesn’t want it, so I listen. After some time, though, I have a taste for it again and I’m not sure whether this is due to the seasons or something else but, again, I listen. This is the first time I’m sharing a recipe for chicken on Blue Kale Road and I thought grilling season would be an ideal time to introduce our favorite barbecued chicken.

This recipe is from our dear friend, Roz. She made it for us a number of years ago and since then it has become a summer staple and is consistently a hit. First of all, I love recipes where you can marinate the chicken ahead of time and then just toss it on the grill. This marinade is full of flavor from chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic, thyme and brown sugar. When the chicken hits the barbecue, a glaze of honey, soy sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and sriracha is brushed on. Sticky, sweet, smoky and spicy – your taste buds will be dancing!

This one is a crowd pleaser and would make a terrific addition to a July 4th celebration. Happy Summer to you!

Honey Barbecued Chicken
Adapted from Roz’s recipe
Serves 6-8

Marinade 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons chili powder (I use a hot one)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 pounds organic chicken thighs (or a combination of other parts)

Glaze
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

Stir the marinade ingredients together and rub all over the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl and cover. Refrigerate overnight. Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before grilling and let it sit at room temperature.

When ready to barbecue, mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. We have a gas barbecue and I turn it on high to preheat, then turn the heat to medium-low (the temperature should be about 350 degrees).  Dip a scrunched up paper towel in some oil and, using tongs, rub the cooking grates to oil them.

Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grates, brush some glaze on, close the barbecue and cook for about 20 minutes. Brush some glaze on again, flip the chicken pieces and brush glaze on the other side. Close and cook for about another 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees inside the chicken. Brush some more glaze on, and turn over once more for a few minutes. You can turn the heat up a little to crisp the skin a bit if desired. Serve warm or room temperature.