Roast Chicken with Green Olives and Dates

I had planned to post on here a lot more often this past month while on my Cardiology research elective, but I clearly angered some dark spirits who had other plans. Never in all my days have I experienced such an unfortunate series of (technologic) events, from a computer that passed rather suddenly of unknown etiology to a car repair with unexpected delays (thank gaaawd for Uber). Seriously, there are few things more aggravating than hours of futile phone calls begging to the least incompetent store "manager" available about getting my computer back from repair abyss. Although annoying, these problems are trivial and I remind myself of my many good fortunes.

[Insert seamless transition to chicken recipe]...nah. Won't even attempt to disguise this rant as an introduction to the recipe. Just needed to vent.

Sooo...chicken. Surely I'm not the only health conscious person with a perception of baked chicken as dry and rubbery. Whether cooking it at home or ordering it off a restaurant menu, chicken far too often elicits this feeling much like when you agree to a mediocre...err, movie for Netflix and chill. Regret. With so many busts, I treasure when chicken recipes are satisfying and truly orgasmic. This is one of them.

They say there are two types of men in this world. I'm admittedly...well, let's just say I'm pleased that this recipe uses the meaty thighs and legs of the bird. Yes, breast meat is a bit leaner and "healthier," but if you dislike it, what's the point? A sustainable diet must be balanced and absolutely requires that you love your food. That's exactly what this Yotam Ottolenghi creation delivers.

Like most Ottolenghi recipes, the ingredients are unexpected, brilliant and bursting with flavor. Like seriously, who would think chicken marinated in a mixture of dates, green olives, capers, oregano, wine and date syrup would be so magical?!  And the best part, it's foolproof!

Though the recipe may seem intimidating with long marinating times (48 hours) and exotic ingredients (date syrup), it's actually very simple. I found date syrup at my local Whole Foods, but it's also readily available on Amazon. (So no excuses)! As for the marinade, a little foreplay goes a long way. I promise. Just massage the mixture into your chicken thighs and allow it to sit in the fridge for a couple of days. This dish is perfect for cooks of all levels, from first timers to experienced. It is guaranteed to wow your dinner guests and leave them gossiping about last night.

Tips/Tricks to Make Perfect Roast Chicken with Green Olives and Dates:

• Use good wine that you enjoy drinking. You only need 1/2 cup, then serve the rest with dinner!
• Plan ahead and let the chicken marinate for 48 hours. (24 hours minimum).
• Make extra. You'll want leftovers.
• Cook the chicken with the skin left on (it will keep everything moist and flavorful), but avoid eating the skin (it's high in saturated fat and cholesterol).
• Have fun mixing different olives. Sneak some samples at the olive bar and pick your favorites! 

Roast Chicken with Green Olives and Dates Ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken leg quarters, skin on
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 15 grams oregano leaves, torn (plus extra for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 100 grams pitted green olives
• 60 grams capers
• 2 tablespoons caper juice
• 70 grams pitted Medjoul dates, quartered lengthwise
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio, Albarino)
• 1 tablespoon date syrup
• Kosher salt and pepper 

Roast Chicken with Green Olives and Dates Recipe:
Two days prior to serving:
In a non-reactive bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the white wine and date syrup. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper and mix well.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours, mixing occasionally.

One hour prior to serving:
Preheat oven to 355 F.

Spread the chicken quarters and marinade onto a large baking tray. In a separate bowl, whisk together the white wine and date syrup and then pour over the chicken.

Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes, basting 2-3 times until the skin is a beautiful golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from oven. Transfer to a serving platter, if desired. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves and enjoy.

Spicy Rosemary Roasted Nuts with Nigella Seeds

It's no secret that I love nuts. *Tree* nuts, that is. Rude.

It was notably in my third year of medical school when nuts became a staple in my diet. I was getting more and more into weight lifting and needed healthy, unprocessed sources of protein to snack on during my clinical rotations. It was actually my peppy hairdresser at the time who recommended I make homemade trail mix from my favorite nuts and seeds. She was in her forties, but appeared younger than stated age with a tall, thin build, chic fashion, and very long blonde extensions...clearly an authority on healthy snacking. She was actually onto something...

Nuts are rich in fiber and protein, which helps satisfy cravings, suppress appetite, and aid in digestion. They're also <3 heart healthy <3 and an essential component of the Mediterranean diet. Nuts contain the same "good" omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish. In studies such as PREDIMED, including nuts as part of a healthy diet may combat obesity and lower total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. In the Adventist Health Study, consuming 5 servings of nuts per week was associated with a 48 percent risk reduction of having a heart attack!  Even the American Heart Association recommends to "go nuts!" But moderation is key. Nuts and other sources of good fats are definitely your friend (but a friend you can only tolerate in small doses). That's because all fats, including omega-3's, are high in calories. Remember that a serving size of nuts is 1.5 ounces (about a small handful).

I still follow my hairdressers advice and often carry nuts in my white coat pocket. I usually mix raw, unsalted pistachios, cashews, almonds, and pumpkins seeds, but sometimes indulge and roast the nuts to add new flavors. Variety is the spice of life, eh? I'm a sucker for honey and rosemary on anything, so I dream about this Ottolenghi recipe that roasts nuts in a mixture of cayenne pepper, nigella seeds, honey, and rosemary. It's simple to make, but the flavors are complex, exciting, and absolutely brilliant.

You may ask, "what da haale is a nigella seed?" At least I did. I assumed it was something exotic, so I (impulsively) overnighted it from amazon (a convenience I indulge far too often). Nigella seeds come from Nigella sativa, widely grown in India and used to make naan, Indian flatbread. These seeds are available in many grocery stores, but are often labeled by the misnomer, black caraway or black cumin. This is especially confusing because those also describe another seed from the plant, Bunium bulbocastanum. Regardless of its label, be sure you're buying seeds that are small, black, and sort of teardrop shaped.

Before I move on to the recipe, I wanted to share that my salmon chriameh recipe was featured on Food Porn Daily! Also, my career profile was published on Love and The Sky, a great life+career blog targeting young adults learning and practicing medicine.

Tips/Tricks to Make the Perfect Roasted Nuts:

• Buy raw, unsalted nuts, if possible. This gives you full control over the salt level and flavors.
• Double (or triple) the recipe. It will go quick. 
• The recipe uses precise, weighed measurements, but will taste great if approximated. I encourage you to use other nuts/flavors to add your own twist.
• If you combine the nuts and honey by hand (like I did), do the mixing before adding the smaller seeds. Then add the seeds and mix together with a spoon and not your hands. This will cut out the 15 minute step of picking hundreds of tiny nigella seeds off your hands, adding them one by one back into the nut mix. 
• I used Manuka honey...soo reasonably priced. Use any high quality honey.

Spicy Rosemary Roasted Nuts Ingredients:

• 100 grams cashews
• 100 grams macadamia nuts
• 120 grams pecans
• 60 grams whole almonds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 80 grams pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons of nigella seeds (also called black caraway, black cumin, or kalonji seeds)
• 1 teaspoon of fine salt
• 2 large sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Serves about six people as a snack

Spicy Rosemary Roasted Nuts Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the nuts on a baking sheet and coat evenly with honey and oil (mix with your hands or a kitchen utensil). Add the seeds, rosemary, and salt. Toss together till combined (don't use your hands) and spread evenly over baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 to 17 minutes, mixing occasionally, until nuts turn golden to dark brown in color.

Remove from the heat. Add the cayenne and black pepper. Season to taste. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent the nuts from sticking to the pan. Enjoy!

Salmon in Chriameh Sauce

To start, I'm of Libyan-Jewish background and I grew up eating a dish called chriameh, which is fish cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.  I have fond memories of my Libyan-grandmother making mass quantities for Shabbat dinner to serve her 16 children (plus their spouses, children and grandchildren). It was astonishing.

On a whim, I tried Yotam Ottolenghi's version from his book Jerusalem. It has similar ingredients to my own family "recipe," but is different as ours is not written down anywhere and measurements are all eyeballed. I've had many friends request my chriameh recipe, but giving instructions on a dish with very imprecise quantities is challenging. But now, thanks to the brilliant Ottolenghi (you'll eventually realize I am slightly obsessed), I have found the perfect recipe to recommend to my friends, patients, and (blog readers? ha)... It's savory. It's spicy. It's the real deal!  Guaranteed to make you feel warm and happy inside. And it's also good for you!

[Tangent] Many (but not all) my dishes focus on heart-healthy, often Mediterranean style foods. If you couldn't guess from the blog name, I'm an Internal Medicine resident at Emory University with an interest in Preventative Medicine and Cardiology. Healthy cooking (without sacrificing taste) is right up my alley, so that's sort of the direction I plan to focus my blogging. Though I have some great..uhh..less healthy recipes that are too good not to share. Life's all about moderation, right?
  

Anyway, back to the chriameh...Though we usually serve this fish as an appetizer on Friday evenings, it most definitely can (and should) be made as a main course. Truthfully, it deserves all the limelight! It should be served with couscous, rice, challah bread, or even matzo on Passover. Really any vessel that allows you to enjoy every last lick of delicious red sauce is appropriate. It's traditionally served with white fish (sea bass, halibut, snapper, tilapia, etc), but I very much prefer making it with salmon. Salmon is my favorite fish (probably food in general), so many more salmon posts to come! You should cook the dish in a large, round frying pan with a lid. I used a 3 quart cast iron enamel paella pan, but any pan that distributes heat evenly is perfect.

Below is the recipe, but first here are a few tricks/tips to make the perfect salmon chriameh. 

1. Quality salmon is best enjoyed medium-rare (or rarer).
•  It's okay to prepare the sauce ahead of time, but the salmon should be cooked just before serving!
• I suggest only cooking the fish for 7 minutes as it will continue to cook in its sauce.
2. For those making this in advanced for Shabbat and plan to use a warming plate, you should significantly cut back on the cooking time or you'll dry out the fish!
• There are very few things worse than dry fish.
• At least for salmon chriameh, I'd probably keep the fish close to raw in the middle as it will continue cooking on the warmer for several hours before it's served. This should result in a beautiful salmon cooked to medium rather than a well-done misery. Gross.
3. White fish dries out quite easily.
•  So cook times are especially important!
• I'd still recommend salmon, though, for its superior taste as well as its "good" fats.
4. This recipe is not complicated, but has a bunch of ingredients. I always do all the prep before starting so that I have a mise en place to keep me organized.
1. Measure out all spices ahead of time and organize them into mini bowls or a little platter
2. Wash, cut, peal, etc any veggies
3. Read the recipe in its entirely at least once before starting

Chriameh Ingredients:

• Scant 1/2 cup sunflower oil (I prefer olive oil)
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (Optional. I generally omit)
• 1 lb salmon fillets (skin on) cut into 3-4 equal sized pieces
• Alternatively may use white fish (sea bass, halibut, snapper, tilapia, etc)
• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds, dry toasted and freshly ground (fresh pre-ground spices are ok if grinding isn't your idea of fun, but worth trying at some point)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (a bit more if you want it extra spicy)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 green chili, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp superfine sugar
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges, plus 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chriameh Recipe:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat in a large frying pan with a lid
• (Option 1): Place the flour in a shallow bowl seasoned generously with salt and pepper
• Toss the fish in it
• Shake off the excess flour
• (Option 2): Skip the flour and just season both sides of fish with salt and pepper
• Sear the fish for a minute or two on each side, until golden
• Remove the fish and wipe the pan clean
• Place garlic, spices, chili and 2 tablespoons of oil in a food processor and blitz to form a thick paste. Add a bit more oil if needed to combine the ingredients
• Pour the remaining oil in the frying pan, heat well, and add the spice paste
• Stir and fry for just 30 seconds, so that the spices don't burn
• Carefully add the water and tomato paste to stop the spices from cooking further
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and add sugar, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and some pepper
• Season to taste
• Put the fish in the sauce, bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pan and cook for 7 to 11 minutes
• Cook time will vary depending on thickness of fish, but cook till just done (or slightly under done)
• Remove the pan from heat, take off the lid, and allow to cool slightly
• Serve the fish just warm or at room temperature with cilantro and lemon wedges as garnish