Coriander And Cumin Chicken Pita With Cucumber Salad And White Sauce Recipes

CHICKEN CUCUMBER PITAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, Italian dressing, garlic powder and pepper; pour over chicken mixture and toss to coat. Fill each pita half with a scant 1/2 cup chicken mixture.

GREEK CHICKEN IN A PITA

Steps:

• In a blender combine juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper and mint or cilantro leaves. Process until smooth and pour over chicken to marinate. Refrigerate chicken and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. In a small bowl stir together yogurt, cucumber and chopped mint.
• In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat pitas under a broiler or in a toaster oven. Slice open pitas and stuff with chicken, tomatoes, lettuce and top with yogurt dressing. Serve immediately.

COCHIN CORIANDER-CUMIN CHICKEN FOR PASSOVER

Steps:

• If using whole spices, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, anise seeds and cumin seeds; stir until the seeds start to pop, about 3 minutes. Grind them in a small blender, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle along with the nutmeg, turmeric and salt. If using ground spices, simply mix them all together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into the chicken, transfer to a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Add the chicken and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, curry leaves, vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the chicken is soft and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• In a food processor, blend the ginger, garlic, cilantro, mint and 2 of the chiles. Taste and add more chiles if desired. Stir into the chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve over rice, if desired.

TURKEY PITAS WITH CUCUMBERS, CHICKPEAS AND TAHINI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, cumin and sugar. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together tahini, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, pinch of salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water to thin the sauce. It should be thick but pourable. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice, if needed.
• Into the bowl with onions, stir in chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes and oil. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
• In each pita half, layer turkey, then drizzle with tahini-lemon mixture. Add spoonfuls of chickpea salad, cilantro and mint. Drizzle liberally with more tahini sauce and zhug, if you like.