Brinj with Shla (Iraqi Rice and Sauce)

This is the delicious rice and sauce that the lovely young Iraqi women staying with us (Nina and Havin) made for our dinner tonight.  We served it with oven-roasted vegetables (squash, eggplant, onion, and broccoli, drizzled with olive oil and salt and baked in the oven at 400 degrees), grilled chicken, and our best (failed) attempt at authentic naan (Indian flatbread).

I watched Nina as she prepared this, so this is the best "capture" of what I saw, for a repeat:

Brinj - (pronounced br-inje) -

Put a liberal amount of olive oil in a large saucepan (maybe 1/4 - 1/2 cup).  Add diced onion (maybe 1/4-1/2 of a whole onion) and broken pieces of spaghetti noodles (maybe 20-30 noodles, broken into 1-2 inch sections).  Stir and cook on medium heat until pasta is slightly browned.  Add water (Nina used 9 cups) and bring to a boil.  Add salt (no idea how much) and rice (5 cups).  Boil heavily for a little while (maybe 5 minutes or so), then turn down heat and cook on low until done (maybe 20 minutes).  Serve up onto a platter for lovely presentation when serving.  This made enough for 13.

Shla

In a Dutch oven, Nina placed a liberal amount of oil (again, maybe 1/4-1/2 cup or so).  Then she layered onion (one whole onion, cut into rings and half rings), zucchini (2 small ones, peeled and sliced into circles), tomatoes (six small ones, sliced into circles), and fresh parsley (maybe 10-12 leaves, minced coarsely).  She placed a little water, then covered it with a dusting of sea salt and cooked it down until it was soft.  She then added tomato paste (2-3 teaspoons or so) and more water and let it cook together a bit.  This sauce for the Brinj (rice dish) was delicious and everyone loved it.  We had plenty of rice, but we could have used more of the Shla to go with it.  I would make more next time if I were serving 13.  This amount would probably be a good amount for my family of 6 hearty eaters.

Quick Pocket Bread (Pitas)

This pita recipe will not give you a nice pocket, so if it is really crucial for the meal--as in, you need to stuff something into the pocket--you should make the regular recipe and let it rise the full time.

But if you are short on time and need a quick side bread quickly, this is a great option! We make these all the time as a side to chicken salad, tuna fish salad, egg salad, or the like. I always double it to make 12.

1 scant Tbsp. yeast
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 C. warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 C. whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast and honey in water and let stand until bubbly. Add salt and enough flour to make a sticky dough. Knead until smooth. Pinch off 6 equal portions of dough and roll them into balls. Pat between your palms to make flat circles. Place circles on greased cookie sheet and set oven to broil. Place sheet in middle of oven under heated broiler. (In a gas oven, place on lowest rack in broiler.) When first side is slightly browned, flip breads over and brown other side. They bake quickly, so watch carefully. Serve hot as you would ordinary pita.

This recipe is from the La Leche League cookbook Whole Foods for the Whole Family, one of my favorites.

Chicken Marinade for the Grill

This recipe was originally shared with me from my friend Darla as "Marinade to Die For."  I've modified it slightly from the original (as noted).  We find it works best with boneless skinless chicken thighs.

1 can lemon-lime soda (I use Mountain Dew)
1/3 C. steak sauce
1/2 stick butter* (The original recipe called for a whole stick, but I use only half, and it is plenty.)
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
garlic salt (I use SPG)
* In place of butter I’ve also used avocado oil with good results.

Marinate chicken for several hours.  (We like it best if marinated for 15-24 hours!) Grill until thoroughly done and slightly crisped around the edges.  (It makes a neat, crispy edge if you grill it this long.  It is only possible without drying the chicken out if you use boneless chicken thighs.)

I usually serve this with Baked Rice and marinated grilled veggies. Yum!