Slow-Cooked Oven Roast Citrus Chicken

It is citrus season in Arizona! The lemons are heavy and dropping from the tree in such number its hard to keep up with.

Today's weather was really cool in the Valley of the Sun, and our heater decided that today (of all days) it was going to be "testy", and act up. Trying to keep the house warm, I made a peach crisp in the oven, and then very slow-baked this dish. The results were marvelous.

I had a packet of chicken legs in the freezer, a head of cabbage in the fridge, and I was itching to try the red rice I had recently percured.

BTW red rice is very healthy for you. It's known to invigorate the body, aids digestion, removes blood blockages in the body, and is often used to lower cholesterol.

Red rice is a good source of thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), fibre, iron and calcium. The flavor of cooked red cargo rice is generally more sweet and nutty, and the rice is more chewy than standard white polished rice. It does take longer to cook, but it is definitely worth it.

Tonights dinner was absolutely delicious, with a hint of citrus that just gave it a "clean" and "fresh" taste. The red rice was awesome, and I think I've found my new fave grain.

You're definitely going to want to give this a try!

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!


Ingredients:

6 chicken legs
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Middle Eastern 7-Spices
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 head of cabbage, leaves kept whole
1/4 tsp chicken powder

3 cups hot water
1 TBSP butter
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups red rice

1. In an oven proof bowl, use the cabbage to line the bowl. Add the red onion over top, sprinkle with chicken powder.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the chicken legs with pepper, salt, 7-Spices and lemon juice. Place the chicken over top of the cabbage and onions.
3. Bake at 300*F for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 250* for a further 30 minutes while rice is cooking.

4. In a cooking pot, add hot water butter and salt and bring to a boil, add red rice.
5. Bring the water to a boil again, reduce heat to very low and let simmer (stirring occasionally) for 30-40 minutes (or to desired texture of rice).
6. Drain any remaining liquid from rice before serving.

NB: You can substitute the chicken legs with a whole chicken

Aromatic Beef Patties

Yesterday, my husband and I went to a BBQ put on by our local mosque. When turning up to an event put on by Muslims, one expects that there is going to be some "different" in the taste of the food. When we saw that it was hamburgers and hot dogs, we were, at first a little taken aback but we do love hot dogs and hamburgers on the BBQ, so we actually were really happy.

So my husband brought me my plate that comprised of a perfectly BBQ'd hot dog on a bun, a beef patty (he said there were no more buns, but I actually prefer my hamburgers without the bread), potato salad, lettuce, tomato, onion, and lots of gherkins, and some chips. YUM!

But then, I took a bite of the hamburger and my knees went weak. To think that a group of Muslims (from varying parts of the world) would simply slap a beef patty on to the grill with a bit of salt and pepper on it, would be sacrilegious! This beef patty had been marinated to give it an amazing taste.

As I wrote in a post the other day, lemon infused meat on the BBQ is amazing, and as I bit into the beef patty and the aroma hit my taste buds, my senses came alive with the citrus chili blend that the meat had been marinated in.

Last night, I sought to recreate the delight my taste buds were craving for, but to do it without a BBQ - we are currently "sans BBQ".

I made a delicious paste which I spread on both sides of the beef patty and let it marinate for a short time before popping it into the oven. And I served it with a green salad and homemade Orange and Ginger Salad Dressing (to continue with my citrus theme during Arizona's citrus season), and steamed rice. Oh my heavens, it was a taste-buds delight and sensation. Its really quick to make and if you cook the meat on the BBQ, you'll have an added taste that will delight even further.

Ingredients:
4 beef patties
Juice from 1/4 lemon
3 tsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Middle Eastern 7-Spices
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sriracha chili paste
1/4 tsp sumac (optional)

1. Add all ingredients after "beef patties" together to make a paste.
2. Lay beef patties on a baking sheet and smear the paste on both sides. Pierce the patties with a fork, and set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 350*F (or light BBQ and bring to a high temperature). Place beef patties into the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or BBQ until hamburgers are cooked through.

Serve immediately.

Grilled Middle-Style Eastern Chicken Leg Dinner

Grilled Middle-Style Eastern Chicken Legs

4 boneless/skinless chicken legs
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP cumin powder
1 TBSP coriander powder
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 onions, cut in 6ths
3 cloves garlic, sliced


Method:

1. Rinse and dry chicken legs, place on aluminium lined baking sheet
2. Sprinkle the spices, salt and pepper on the chicken, add 1 TBSP oil and a bit of lemon juice per chicken leg to create a paste and rub all over chicken on both sides.
3. Add cut onion and sliced garlic around the chicken and put in broiler approx 8-10 mins per chicken side (alternatively, cook on BBQ grill for better flavour).



Homemade Salad Dressing

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp Tumeric powder
3 TBSP Splenda sweetener
1/2 TBSP Honey
1/2 lemon (juice)
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP Kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Method:

Add all ingredients to the Magic Bullet (or to a food processor or blender), and pulse until thick and creamy. Adjust taste to suit

Serve with tossed lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, sliced onions for a fresh taste



Chicken-flavoured Rice

2 cups white rice
3 cups water
1 tsp chicken powder (bouillon)
1 TBSP garlic powder
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Rinse rice and add water
2. Add the garlic powder, chicken powder, and salt; stir and then set to cook
3. When rice is cooked, add butter and mix through thoroughly