Zaatar Chicken With Orange Israeli Couscous Recipes

ZA'ATAR-ROASTED CHICKEN TENDERS & VEGETABLES WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Grate 2 teaspoons zest from orange. Slice 1/2 inch off the ends and squeeze juice from them into a medium saucepan; add the zest. Set aside.
• Cut the rest of the orange in half, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Toss in a large bowl with green beans, onion, olives, oil, wine, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared pan. Toss chicken with za'atar in the bowl, then place on top of the green bean mixture.
• Roast on the bottom rack until the green beans are tender and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add broth and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with the chicken and vegetables.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Season liberally with sea salt and black pepper on all sides.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the hot skillet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon za'atar immediately over each chicken thigh. Cook chicken, without turning, until skin is crispy and browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Turn chicken so skin side faces up and remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle remaining za'atar quickly and evenly over each chicken thigh. Spoon some of the rendered chicken fat from the pan over the top of the za'atar.
• Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink near the bone, about 15 minutes.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add chicken; toss to coat., Arrange olives, apricots and plums on the bottom of a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup water; top with chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. If desired, serve with rice.

OVEN-ROASTED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Pound chicken breasts to a 1-inch thickness for even cooking. Place in a large resealable plastic bag.
• Combine 2 tablespoons za'atar seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
• Place chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining za'atar seasoning.
• Roast in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 23 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Season with salt.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN OR EGGPLANT AND HUMMUS WITH ISRAELI SALAD

Steps:

• For the za'atar spice blend: Combine spices for za'atar in small plastic container. Cover and shake to combine.
• For the chicken or eggplant and hummus: Salt eggplant planks if using, drain and press on a kitchen towel or pound chicken breast cutlets and tenders on gel board to 1/8 inch thick if using. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Season eggplant or chicken with za'atar lightly on both sides.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle or large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Spray pan with oil and, working in batches, place eggplant or chicken in the pan and cook until brown and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and transfer to a platter. Slice into strips when ready to serve.
• To make the hummus, in a food processor bowl, combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, EVOO, 3 tablespoons za'atar and cumin. Process until smooth and add water if needed to thin. Transfer to a bowl.
• For the Israeli salad: Combine pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and herbs in a bowl. Add lemon juice, EVOO, salt and red or black pepper and toss to combine.
• Serve eggplant or chicken on platter with salad, hummus and pita bread.

ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH ORANGE ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper then rub the za'atar spice on both sides.
• Heat up half the oil in a large sauté pan and sear chicken well, approximately 4-5 minutes per side until browned on each side.
• Transfer chicken breasts to oven-proof pan and keep warm. Do not allow the meat to dry out.
• Return the skillet to the stove top and add the wine to deglaze; boil 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock and return to boil.
• Immediately add the couscous. Cover skillet tightly and remove from heat.
• Keep skillet covered 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil, orange juice, zest, cumin and cilantro.
• Stir into the couscous, tossing in the pine nuts and orange segments. Fluff with a fork.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
• Transfer the couscous to a platter and place the chicken breasts on top.
• Serve with warm pita bread, tzatziki and imported olives.

GRILLED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN WITH GARLIC YOGURT AND CILANTRO

Steps:

• In a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za'atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, light the grill to medium or heat your broiler with the rack 3 inches from the heat source. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, and grill or broil on one side until charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill or broil for another 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through.
• While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).
• To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.

COUSCOUS CHICKEN WITH ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• In skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, half of each the salt and pepper, the cinnamon and cayenne until onion is softened, 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in bowl, pour 1/3 cup boiling water over couscous; stir in currants and half of the orange juice. Cover and let stand until no liquid remains, about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork; stir in onion mixture, almonds and parsley.
• Cut each breast horizontally in half almost but not all the way through; stuff with couscous mixture. Place in roasting pan. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Roast in 400F oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. remove from pan.
• Strain pan juices into saucepan; pour in remaining orange juice and bring to boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water; stir into pan juices and boil for 1 minute. Serve with chicken.