Dinner Sep 11, 2023
Chicken Kabobs
Note: Chicken needs to marinate a day in advance
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Thighs
¼ cup Greek Yogurt
6 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons fresh Parsley
2 tablespoons fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon Salt - or to taste
2 teaspoons Paprika - or to taste
2 teaspoons Cumin - or to taste
Red Onion
Directions:
Cube chicken
Mix all ingredients except chicken and onion together in a medium bowl
Taste test and season additionally if needed
Add chicken and mix to coat
Get out 4 wooden skewers and soak in water
[Soaking helps the skewers last longer on a hot grill without burning]
Let chicken marinate and skewers soak overnight
When ready to cook, quarter the onion and break apart layers
Add a piece of onion to the skewer, then chicken, continue alternating ending with onion
Grill
Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce
Note: I subbed chopped sun dried tomatoes, because it's too early for pomegranates. Also used dried, generic thyme and no za'atar.
Eggplant Ingredients:
2 large and long eggplants
⅓ cup olive oil
1½ teaspoons lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs to garnish
Maldon Sea Salt
Black Pepper
1 pomegranate
1 tsp Za'atar
Sauce Ingredients:
9 tablespoons Buttermilk
½ cup Greek Yogurt
1½ tablespoons Olive Oil, plus a drizzle to finish
1 small Garlic Clove, crushed
Pinch of Salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil—keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely.
While the eggplants are in the oven, cut the pomegranate into two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally and falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all are there, sift through the seeds to remove any bits of white skin or membrane.
[Or chop tomatoes]
To make the sauce. Whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.
To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Potatoes
Ingredients:
1lb Potatoes (New Potatoes)
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Directions:
Cube potatoes
Drizzle with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper
Toss to coat
Drizzle with buttermilk sauce
Final Notes:
The eggplant was a surprisingly good recipe, would make again!
The sauce worked pretty well on the chicken too.
The chicken marinade was nothing special, probably needed some sort of sweetener added.
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