Sultan's Kitchen

[Tunisia216 2]

I just wanted to add that the harissa is great with chicken, beef, tuna, on sandwiches, with scrambled eggs in the morning - It will spice up, flavor, and compliment just about anything.

Spicy Chicken with Harissa and Mushrooms

Harissa is a fiery sauce from Tunisia. It's available in larger supermarkets and ethnic shops and is a classic accompaniment to couscous. Be warned, it is very hot and a little goes a long way!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 shallots (or 1 small onion), chopped

250g baby button mushrooms, halved or left whole

salt to taste

1-2 tbsp harissa (depending on how hot you like it)

600ml hot chicken stock

fresh parsley, chopped

Harissa is a hot sauce or paste made with chillies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and oil.

PREPARATION:

1. Heat a large frying pan and dry-fry the cumin and coriander seeds until begin to smoke and become aromatic. Remove to a pestle and mortar, allow to cool, then crush.

2. Heat the oil in the pan and brown the chicken breasts until nice and golden then remove to a plate.

3. Lower the heat and cook the shallots or onion until soft then add the mushrooms and salt and cook for another 5 minutes until soft.

4. add the spices and boil until most of the liquid has reduced off.

5. Stir the harissa into the hot stock until dissolved. Pour 200ml of stock into the mushroom mixture.

6. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is done.

7. Meanwhile, pour the rest of the hot stock and harissa over the couscous and leave to absorb. Season with salt and fluff up with a fork.

8. To serve, spoon the couscous on to plates and lay a chicken breast on top. Spoon over plenty of mushroom sauce and garnish with the chopped parsley.

PREP/COOK

INFORMATION:

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour Serves: 4

[Henia 11]

Ok I'm making this tonight but I have some stupid questions if anyone can help me out:

http://members.cox.net/ahmedheissa/recbirdt.htm

Egyptian's Dishes - Baird Tong Soup (Serves 4 People)

For non American: In America one cup of rice is not the same size as one cup of water. One cup of water is about 2 cups of rice.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 a cup Orzo

2. 1 pound Stew Beef meat (cut small)

3. 2 OZ Butter (1/2 stick)

4. 1/2 tea spoon salt

5. 1/2 tea spoon pepper

6. 2 medium size onions

7. 4 cups of water

8. 1/4 tea spoon of ground decorticated Cardamom (or 5 Cardamon sticks).

9. 1 Lemon.

Procedure

1. Melt the butter.

2. Add Orzo to butter.

3. Cook on a low flame and stir in the Orzo until Orzo becomes a red color.

4. Wash beef well.

5. Boil 4 cups of water and cook beef for 3 minutes. Scoop boiled blood if any.

6. Cut onion.

7. Add Onion, Orzo, salt, and pepper to beef and cook until onion and beef are cooked.

8. Add 1/4 tea spoon of ground decorticated Cardamom (or 5 Cardamon sticks) to beef.

9. Add water if needed.

10. After the soup is cooked remove the 5 Cardamom sticks.

If you failed to remove the sticks, the Cardamom will have a bitter taste when you eat it.

Serve soup while it is hot. If you like, add lemon to the soup. Enjoy.

stupid question #1: I just plop in the onion without even browning it first? Wont that taste weird?

stupid question #2: If I don't remove the cardamom sticks it will be bitter but why won't it be bitter if I just use the ground cardamom (which is what I have in my pantry)?

I can't wait to try it though! The weather is brisk here lately so this will be a good fall soup if it turns out to be a hit!

1. Plopping the onion in whole unchopped and unbrowned will get you nothing more then whole boiled onion (good for stocks but not for stews/casseroles) You want to chop and brown the onion to get the caramelization going, which adds flavour.

2. Caradamon are seeds not sticks. Cinnamon comes in sticks only. But it bitter since the outer shell browned, thus making it bitter. Kinda like when you brown/fry paprika- it gets bitter. Grind in the coffee grinder or buy alread ground, since the shell is fine by then. Add it when there is liquid in your pot, not before!

My suggestion would be to: Wash the meat as above, but dry it so when you brown it browns, then braises. And brown the meat, remove it then brown the onions for more max flavour. Maybe add bouillon cube in there if you find it bland. Also for nicer colour add saffron! So its not dirty white/brown looking! Good eats Bridget!

In the chicken recipe, I would assume it is in the casserole like a Earthenware dish or Le Creuset type cast iron pot ... where you can brown the chicken in the pot on the stove, then cook/bake in the oven.

Flat bread- pita, pide, lavash, eisha types of bread.

Ash: I love harissa too! But the fresh kind not the ones from the can... they taste off to me! Any sandwich or quick bread with tuna or tapenade tastes fab with harissa! Steaks marinated in harissa is great too! Even fish! Mmmm

[Tunisia216 2]

I'm sure you know all the harissa jokes then :devil:

I really love it as well.. The first time I thought my mouth was on fire - We were on the train traveling out of Tunis and heading toward Jendouba (actually really close to Algeria) and I got a tuna sub with harissa on it and I'm like hmm what is this red stuff? Oh well I'm hungry, bite, chew... FIRE FIRE LOL

It was a few days before I was willing to try it again, but by weeks, months, and years I'm now a harissa-addict and I can't resist it. I love to scramble eggs and add a few spoons while they are cooking - or make a meatloaf and sub harissa for ketchup!!

Ash: I love harissa too! But the fresh kind not the ones from the can... they taste off to me! Any sandwich or quick bread with tuna or tapenade tastes fab with harissa! Steaks marinated in harissa is great too! Even fish! Mmmm

[doodlebugg 10]

Tunisian harissa (hot sauce) We use it in everything here.. You can buy it at the store, but it can get costly or sometimes hard to find - and some people prefer it a lot hotter than you can buy or vice versa, maybe you like the flavor but the heat is too much for you .. So here's a way to make it at home!

Ingredients :

50 gm (2 oz) dried red chilies

2 x Cloves garlic salt

1 tsp Caraway seeds

1 1/2 tsp Ground cumin

2 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Crushed dried mint leaves

Olive oil

Method :

* This fiery Tunisian chili sauce, also found in Algeria and Morocco, is used in cooking, particularly in the vegetable or meat tagines (stews) that accompany couscous, and as a table condiment, rather like Indonesian sambals. The sauce can be bought ready-made in small cans, but it is easy to make at home and keeps for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

* Remove the seeds and tear the chilies into pieces. Soak them in warm water until they soften (about 20 minutes). Drain, and pound or process. Crush the garlic with a little salt. Pound or blend all the ingredients to a paste, then stir in 15-30 ml (1-2 tbsp) of olive oil, Transfer to a jar, cover with a layer of olive oil, and refrigerate.

How do you tear the chilies without burning your hands? My husband would love this!!! He puts tabasco on EVERYTHING including his chips! lol

[Tunisia216 2]

I have always just used my hands, but if your skin is sensitive to that kind of thing I am sure that you could get the seeds out with a spoon or something similar and then instead of tear you could cut into small pieces.. kef kef.. I think in the end same difference. And you can play with this one to your tastes- If your hubby likes it on fire, do a lot of the chilies for him and if you find you like the flavor and not the heat, tune it down for yourself... And stick in fridge and label :

and

I hope he likes it!! I have chicken marinating in it now - I just add a little more water when I want to use it as a marinade, put in the plastic baggies and let it sit over night before I cook (water will thin it out a little and sometimes I even cut marks across the top of the chicken or steak with a knife to let the harissa sink it good )

How do you tear the chilies without burning your hands? My husband would love this!!! He puts tabasco on EVERYTHING including his chips! lol

[RAKASA 0]

How do you tear the chilies without burning your hands? My husband would love this!!! He puts tabasco on EVERYTHING including his chips! lol

gloves, baby... gloves!

[Henia 11]

I'm sure you know all the harissa jokes then

I really love it as well.. The first time I thought my mouth was on fire - We were on the train traveling out of Tunis and heading toward Jendouba (actually really close to Algeria) and I got a tuna sub with harissa on it and I'm like hmm what is this red stuff? Oh well I'm hungry, bite, chew... FIRE FIRE LOL

It was a few days before I was willing to try it again, but by weeks, months, and years I'm now a harissa-addict and I can't resist it. I love to scramble eggs and add a few spoons while they are cooking - or make a meatloaf and sub harissa for ketchup!!

Ash: I love harissa too! But the fresh kind not the ones from the can... they taste off to me! Any sandwich or quick bread with tuna or tapenade tastes fab with harissa! Steaks marinated in harissa is great too! Even fish! Mmmm

O ye love the stuff! My 8 yr old is even eating it now (lighten up with mayo thou) LOL! Us, too love it in eggs, sandwiches, marinades .... LOL! And yes, my first time too ... glopped a whole lot on my food .... wooooooahooooooo FIRE BREATHE!

Tunisian harissa (hot sauce) We use it in everything here.. You can buy it at the store, but it can get costly or sometimes hard to find - and some people prefer it a lot hotter than you can buy or vice versa, maybe you like the flavor but the heat is too much for you .. So here's a way to make it at home!

Ingredients :

50 gm (2 oz) dried red chilies

2 x Cloves garlic salt

1 tsp Caraway seeds

1 1/2 tsp Ground cumin

2 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Crushed dried mint leaves

Olive oil

Method :

* This fiery Tunisian chili sauce, also found in Algeria and Morocco, is used in cooking, particularly in the vegetable or meat tagines (stews) that accompany couscous, and as a table condiment, rather like Indonesian sambals. The sauce can be bought ready-made in small cans, but it is easy to make at home and keeps for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

* Remove the seeds and tear the chilies into pieces. Soak them in warm water until they soften (about 20 minutes). Drain, and pound or process. Crush the garlic with a little salt. Pound or blend all the ingredients to a paste, then stir in 15-30 ml (1-2 tbsp) of olive oil, Transfer to a jar, cover with a layer of olive oil, and refrigerate.

How do you tear the chilies without burning your hands? My husband would love this!!! He puts tabasco on EVERYTHING including his chips! lol

Gloves as Nora suggested but also rub lemon over your fingers ... then the gloves for extra senstivie hands. Then be sure to cut out the seeds and veins which are the hottest .... or just cheat and use hot chilli powder!

[RAKASA 0]

OK, here's the original recipe from my mom, but I alter it a bit, so I'll put my alterations in parentheses.

Sunday Chicken

10 Boneless Chik breasts (I only make however many we need/want)

1 jar sliced/dried beef (we use Armour, find it where you find canned meats)

1 pint sour cream

2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

10 strips of bacon (I either don't use this at all, or use turkey bacon - it's one strip per breast, so use as needed)

Lightly pepper w/ red & black pepper the chicken breasts. Use no salt. Line casserole w/ dried beef. Wrap chick breast w/ bacon slices and place over dried beef. Combine sour cream w/ mushroom soup. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered 3 hrs @ 325 degrees. Serves 6-8. May be assembled early & refrigerated until hours before serving.

(I only cook for 1 hour on 350 since I am usually only doing 3-4 breasts and I also use only one can of soup & 1/2 pint of sour cream. This sauce is amazing and the plates get licked clean!!!)

I'll probably serve this w/ a rice pilaf and some kind of veggie - maybe a salad.

BTW, my oatmeal date bread just finished... it's cooling now so I'll get to taste it in a bit. I'll probably make a french loaf to go w/ dinner since, you know, hubby's got to have bread w/ everything!

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

oh noura, i think ill try it sometime, it sounds great!

[RAKASA 0]

YUM... I did 1/2 the Sunday Chicken recipe and it was so good. I hadn't made it in a while. So, I thought I'd post the rice pilaf recipe I used w/ it.

RICE PILAF (w/ peas & carrots)

1/2 onion finely chopped

2-3 T butter

2 C Jasmine rice

3 C water w/ 1 1/2 cube chicken Maggi

1/4 C slivered almonds

1/4 C pine nuts

3/4- 1 C mixed peas & carrots

Saute onion in butter til soft. Add water & Maggi (or chicken boullion), bring to a boil and add rice. Jasmine rice cooks much quicker than regular rice, so it's ready in about 20-30 min. Meanwhile, toast almonds & pine nuts in a skillet w/ a small bit of olive oil (or Pam olive oil spray) and in a small pot, cook the peas & carrots. When everything is finished, mix together in a large bowl and serve.

[Henia 11]

OK, here's the original recipe from my mom, but I alter it a bit, so I'll put my alterations in parentheses.

Sunday Chicken

10 Boneless Chik breasts (I only make however many we need/want)

1 jar sliced/dried beef (we use Armour, find it where you find canned meats)

1 pint sour cream

2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

10 strips of bacon (I either don't use this at all, or use turkey bacon - it's one strip per breast, so use as needed)

Lightly pepper w/ red & black pepper the chicken breasts. Use no salt. Line casserole w/ dried beef. Wrap chick breast w/ bacon slices and place over dried beef. Combine sour cream w/ mushroom soup. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered 3 hrs @ 325 degrees. Serves 6-8. May be assembled early & refrigerated until hours before serving.

(I only cook for 1 hour on 350 since I am usually only doing 3-4 breasts and I also use only one can of soup & 1/2 pint of sour cream. This sauce is amazing and the plates get licked clean!!!)

I'll probably serve this w/ a rice pilaf and some kind of veggie - maybe a salad.

BTW, my oatmeal date bread just finished... it's cooling now so I'll get to taste it in a bit. I'll probably make a french loaf to go w/ dinner since, you know, hubby's got to have bread w/ everything!

This sounds good Noura! Mmmm do you know prehaps any Muslim friendly Cajun/Creole recipes too?

[Henia 11]

Also for all you Egyptian ladies ... I see in Fatafeat, the Egyptian cooks using some type of dried beef in recipes ... what is this, called? And what does it taste like? Thanks!

[doodlebugg 10]

One of my favorites!! Musakhkhan....This is a Palestinian dish...that I have seen prepared in varied ways...layering several layers or one single one...depends on the amount of people you are cooking for. You eat it with your hands...DIG IN! LOL SO Yummy

Musakhkhan

Yield: Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1-One cut up chicken into six pieces, or a combination of chicken legs and breasts. Or if you prefer just breasts of chicken...your choice. (Approx. 3 pounds)

2-One cup virgin Olive Oil

3-One pound or a bit more of large diced onions

4-Fried pine nuts for garnishing

5-One table spoon ground cardamom

6-Two table spoons Sumac

7-Salt and pepper to taste

8-Flat sheet bread, marquq or Taboon bread.

1. Cut the chicken into up into two breasts, two thighs, two legs, and two wings. Prepare it for cooking by washing, cleaning and drying. I add a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil to the chicken.

2. Sauté one medium diced onion, add the chicken, enough water to cover the chicken, cardamom, salt and pepper and boil over high heat and then let simmer until the chicken is done. I like it practically falling off the bone (if you use boned meat).

3. Add 1 cup olive oil to a casserole and cook the rest of the diced onions until translucent, this takes about 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sumac and cook for 2 minutes to mix. Do not over cook the onions, you do not want them burnt and you do not want them mushy.

4. While cooking the rest of the onions. Preheat the oven to 350F, remove the chicken from the pot, bake until golden brown.

5. Fry the pine nuts to a golden brown color. Make sure to watch them frying, they tend to burn quickly.

6. Cut up the bread or use it whole, and assemble in the serving platter. Add the first layer of the onion mix on top of the bread, add pine nuts. Repeat with another layer of bread, onions and pine nuts. It is up to you if you want to have one layer of bread and onions; I like to have two layers because the bread I use is very thin. At this point, add about half a cup of chicken stock if you feel that the bread is too dry.

7. Arrange the baked chicken on top and garnish with pine nuts. (A serving of bread, onions and pine nuts with each serving of chicken)

Toppings for each serving: Yogurt

Do you bake the chicken in the casserole dish that the onions are cooking in or is that totally separate? Also, what is flat sheet bread? Is that like matza bread or like roll-up bread?

I'm now addicted to this!!! Will be making this once/week during Ramadan but sucks 'cause I have to make something different for the kids since they don't care for it. I tweaked it slightly by only using chicken thighs in it and toasting the lavash bread in the oven so it was just crispy enough. I could totally just eat the crispy bread and onions and forget about the chicken!!!

I'm using the leftover broth tonight as a base for my chicken noodle soup too and it tastes yummie!!!!!

[Henia 11]

Sounds like 2 meals in one! My kinda cooking LOL!

[Henia 11]

TUNEZIAN FARKA

A breakfast pasta from North Africa!

INGREDIENTS:

•2 2/3 cups couscous (about 1 pound)

•2 2/3 cups water

•1/2 cup sugar

•1/4 cup vegetable oil

•1 1/2 cups chopped toasted mixed nuts (such as walnuts, blanched almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and pine nuts)

•1 8-ounce box pitted dates, cut into pieces

•2 cups milk, hot

•Additional sugar

PREPARATION:

•Place couscous in large bowl. Bring 2 2/3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar and oil to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour mixture over couscous and stir until well blended. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork to separate grains. Mix nuts and dates into couscous.

•Transfer couscous to 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cool. Cover with foil. (Can be prepared 4 hours

ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) •Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake couscous until heated through, about 20 minutes. Spoon into bowls.

Serve, passing hot milk and additional sugar separately.

SERVES 8