Mujadara with Leeks and Greens

Mujadara is wonderful Middle Eastern comfort food.  Lentils and rice (or bulgur) are cooked with fragrant spices and crispy onions, then greens are added for additional flavor and nutrition.  If you think it sounds boring, it's not at all - the spices add depth of flavor and the crispy leeks add both flavor and texture to a dish that's perfect for a chilly evening or when you're tired after a long day.
I'm not a vegetarian, but I do try to eat quite a few vegetarian meals throughout the week and this fit the bill while being very satisfying and comforting.

A couple of notes - the recipe as printed in the New York Times calls for rice, but a number of reviewers stated that in their household growing up it was always made with bulgur.  One reviewer said he felt bulgur had a superior texture so that's what I used, but I can see where rice would be just as good.  Your choice.  Another note is to use the amount of salt that's called for even if you try to cut down on salt normally.  Both lentils and beans really need salt to bring out their flavor, otherwise they taste like cardboard.

And finally, the leeks need to be sauteed probably a little darker than you'd normally be comfortable with, or they won't get crisp.  You're looking for dark golden brown, just this side of burnt.  Watch them closely while they cook so you can take them out at just the right minute.

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Mujadara with Leeks and Greens

Serves 4

Notes:  Bulgur and rice have different textures but both are common in mujadara – choose your favorite.  And don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of salt – it’s necessary to give the lentils flavor.

1 cup brown or green lentils

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots trimmed

2 ¼ teaspoons salt

¼ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup long-grain rice or bulgur

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

4 cups trimmed and sliced greens (chard, spinach, or kale)

Plain Greek yogurt, for garnish

Place the lentils in a bowl and add warm tap water to cover by 1 inch.  Let soak while you prep the other ingredients.

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  Rinse and drain.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown and crispy, 5-10 minutes.  Transfer half of the leeks to a small bowl to use for garnish and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt.

Stir garlic into the pot with the remaining leeks and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant.  Stir in rice or bulgur and sauté 2 minutes.  Stir in cumin, allspice and cayenne and sauté 30 seconds.

Drain lentils and stir in the pot.  Add 4 cups water, 2 teaspoon salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick.  Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. 

Rinse greens in a colander and spread the damp greens over the lentil mixture.  Cover and cook 5-7 minutes more (depending on how sturdy your greens are), until the rice (or bulgur) and lentils are tender and the greens have wilted.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. 

Serve sprinkled with reserved crispy leeks and dollop with yogurt.

Saffron Chicken with Sugar Snaps

Saffron is an exotic spice with a unique flavor that I can't even begin to describe.  It's expensive because the little saffron threads have to be hand-harvested from crocus flowers, but the good news is that a little goes a long ways in terms of both flavor and color in a recipe.  If you like saffron, I guarantee you'll love this dish.

You can tell this recipe is from a restaurant when you notice the butter and olive oil.  Although it seems like a lot, this recipe does serve four and you could always cut down on the amounts but the taste is absolutely worth it.  The secret is the chicken marinade of saffron, thyme, parsley and lemon zest with just enough olive oil to make a paste.  The incredible flavor is achieved by marinating the chicken for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight which allows the marinade to both stick to and permeate the chicken.  The good news is that if you plan ahead and marinate the chicken the night before, the whole dinner takes about 20 minutes to make the next day.  The chicken is cooked over moderate heat to preserve the flavors of the paste and to keep it from drying out.  The sugar snaps add healthy veggie crunch while the couscous or rice rounds out the meal.  Beautiful, delicious and (mostly) healthy.

P.S.  Make extra chicken for the best-ever chicken salad sandwich with toasted almonds, currants, celery and a tiny amount of mayo on a crusty roll.

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Saffron Chicken with Sugar Snaps

Serves 4

Note that the chicken needs to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight so plan ahead.

Scant ½ teaspoon saffron threads

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 lemon, zested and cut into quarters (for garnish)

3-4 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed

4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hot cooked couscous or rice

Crush the saffron as finely as possible in a mortar and pestle.  Reserve about a quarter of the saffron for later, then add the remaining saffron to 4 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the saffron oil, 2 teaspoons of thyme, the parsley and the lemon zest to a large zip-top bag.  Close the bag and massage to combine the ingredients, then open the bag again and add the chicken pieces.  Close and move the chicken around to make sure each piece is coated evenly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the bag and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil.  Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden.  Flip the chicken and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 160d, about 3-4 minutes more.  (Watch the temperature so the chicken doesn’t get too dark before it’s cooked through.)  Remove the chicken and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter.  When it melts, add the sugar snaps, green onions and remaining thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute for 2-3 minutes until the sugar snaps are bright green and crisp tender.  Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the reserved saffron and stir until the butter melts.  Remove from the heat.

To serve, plate the chicken with the sugar snap mixture and hot couscous or rice.  Garnish with the green onion tops and a lemon quarter to be squeezed on everything.