Nifs Chicken And Spaghetti With A Middle Eastern Twist Recipes

NIF'S CHICKEN AND SPAGHETTI WITH A MIDDLE EASTERN TWIST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Pour oil into a small bowl and mix in cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper. Using your hands rub the seasoned oil all over your chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken, breast-side down in a roasting pan and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until well browned and cooked through, turning it over toward the end to brown the breast. When the chicken's nearly ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Take the chicken out of the oven and take the meat off the bone, leaving the skin on, except for the thick fatty stuff. Tear the chicken into medium-sized pieces. Make sure you tear the chicken apart over the roasting pan so you keep the juices in there for the sauce. You can use a knife and fork to tear it apart or wait until it is cooler and do it with your hands. Discard bones and put the chicken meat aside and keep warm.
• For the sauce, pour all the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan. You will need about 1 cup, so add chicken broth if necessary. Add the drained sultanas and the pine nuts. Begin to simmer the sauce when you are ready to cook the pasta. Very important - taste the sauce and add more seasoning if you think it needs more.
• Cook and drain the pasta (Do NOT rinse your pasta), and toss it in the warm pot with the sauce until spaghetti is coated. Add chicken pieces and gently toss and put in large bowl. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

MIDDLE EASTERN-INSPIRED HERB AND GARLIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn't burn.
• While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.

SPICY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of foil.
• Put the chicken in a large pan, season with salt and pepper and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool, then shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Save the broth for cooking the spaghetti.
• Remove the sausage from the casings and put into a large skillet with the olive oil. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the sausage meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the mushrooms to the skillet. When they give up their liquid, add the green peppers and sundried tomatoes, then cook until just beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside on top of the sausage. Reserve the oil in the skillet.
• Bring the reserved chicken broth back to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in the broth until al dente according to the package instructions, then drain, reserving the broth.
• If there is less than 2 tablespoons oil/fat in the skillet, add some olive oil to make 2 tablespoons. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. When it starts to thicken, after about 5 minutes, add the half-and-half. If it is too thick, thin with some more broth. Turn off the heat and add the basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chicken, sausage and vegetables. Stir in the spaghetti.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top and cover with aluminum foil. Cook the casserole immediately, or let cool completely, then freeze.
• If cooking right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook for 25 minutes, then uncover the baking dish and cook until heated through, an additional 20 minutes.
• To cook from frozen: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cook the frozen casserole for 2 hours, then raise the temperature to 375 degrees F, uncover and cook until heated through, 15 minutes more.
• Serve with salad and French bread.

SPAGHETTI WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Heat the tomato sauce with the cheese in a pot until the cheese has melted. Toss the pasta and tomato sauce together with the basil. Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter.
• Twirl small forkfuls of the pasta onto metal forks. Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle some of the buttered bread crumbs onto each one. Put the pan under the broiler and broil for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Make sure the handles of the forks are not directly under the heat source. Let cool for a minute and serve.

STOVETOP CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in lightly salted water in conjunction with the package instructions until not quite al dente and still quite chewy. Drain and set aside, reserving 3 cups of the pasta water.
• Place a large saucepan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Add the chicken and cook until browned and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter has melted, add the panko and 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then toss and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Add the bell pepper and onion to the pan with the chicken and cook until they have slightly softened, about a minute, then add the pimientos and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream of mushroom soup, pasta water and milk, then bring to a simmer. Add the Worcestershire sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons dried parsley, cayenne and seasoned salt to taste, followed by the cheeses, a handful at a time. Stir until completely incorporated. Add the frozen peas followed by the cooked pasta, then stir and cook until the pasta is perfectly cooked, a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper, stir again, then sprinkle the toasted parsley breadcrumbs over the top.