Lickity Split Lebanese
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Tonight’s dinner came together in no time. In fact, if I hadn’t marinated the chicken (which honestly isn’t really necessary, but does help), dinner would have been on the table in well under 20 minutes.
A while back I made some za’atar mix, a popular Lebanese spice mixture made of thyme, sumac and sesame seeds. I decided to use the leftovers on some chicken thighs. I always have chicken thighs in my freezer. I LOVE dark meat chicken. It is so much more moist and flavorful than white meat and it holds up so well in braising and in broiling. And, if you skin the chicken, it’s really not a whole lot worse for you than chicken breasts, just a little higher in fat.
I was planning on serving this with couscous until I realized right before dinner that we were out of couscous. D’oh! Luckily, I did have some quinoa on hand so I used that instead. Quinoa is a very healthy seed, though it’s treated as a grain in cooking. It’s a little larger than couscous in size with a nutty flavor somewhat similar to brown rice. Thankfully, it takes a lot less time to cook than brown rice, too, so I wasn’t scrambling TOO much when I realized we were out of couscous. Plus, Tom prefers quinoa to couscous, so that’s a bonus.
In addition to the quinoa, I served these with a simple cucumber and feta salad. This was a really simple, easy meal that turned out great. The chicken was so moist and flavorful, especially considering the extremely short list of ingredients.
Broiled Za’atar Chicken Thighs 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs Mix lemon juice with oli and za’atar mix. Rub the mixture onto the chicken thighs and refrigerate for half an hour. Preheat the broiler and spray the broiler pan with some cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken with a little salt and pepper if desired. Broil for approximately 6 minutes per side, or until done. Nutritional Information per serving (2 thighs); note: I found a few different calorie counts for boneless/skinless chicken thighs. I went with the higher amount, just to be on the safe side. Calories: 233 / Fat: 11g / Carbs: 2g / Protein: 27.5g
Serves 2
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 heaping Tbsp. za’atar
salt and pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp. butter Put the quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for about 2 minutes. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for about one minute. Add the quinoa and the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 20 minutes. Top with toasted pine nuts. Note: You can make this with couscous the same way; once you’ve brought the broth to a boil and covered the pot, remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.Simple Quinoa with Pine Nuts
Serves 2
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted