An Inspired Kitchen

Za’atar Chicken and Grilled Vegetables

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mixture of toasted sesame seeds, sumac and thyme.  Sumac is the dried fruit from a bush and is used in Middle Eastern dishes and as a condiment.  It has a deep red color and a sour lemon taste and is delicious in this mix.  You marinate the chicken breasts in olive oil, garlic, za’atar, and lemon juice and grill them.  I sliced some zucchini, red peppers and onions and tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled them.  I forgot to add cherry tomatoes at the end of grilling which add a lot (this getting old thing and losing my memory is frustrating!).  To garnish the whole dish, I made a vinaigrette with the za’atar spice mix, balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil.  Make some couscous and use that as the base of the dish and place the vegetables over the couscous and the chicken on the vegetables and drizzle the vinaigrette over the chicken and sprinkle feta cheese over the top.  If you are having a dinner party, you can grill the vegetables ahead of time and while the chicken is grilling, broil the vegetables to reheat them.  It’s a wonderful summer meal.  Click here for the recipe….

Hummus, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Onion and Pomegranate Molasses in Pita Pockets

These little sandwiches are healthy and refreshing and make great appetizers or buy larger sized pita bread and make sandwiches.  You make a salad mixture with cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers (smaller and less seeds than English cucumbers), red onion, garlic, and fresh oregano.  Cut mini pita’s in half and put some hummus in a freezer bag and cut a corner off and pipe some hummus in the pita.  Add some of the salad mixture to the pita and drizzle some pomegranate molasses (or balsamic glaze) over the mixture and serve.  I found the pomegranate molasses at my local grocery store, but I’ve seen it at health food stores and Whole Foods.  You can also add feta cheese to the salad mixture for a nice salty bite.  Click here for the recipe….

Moroccan Pomegranate Cosmo with Cardamom

For a Moroccan party I had, I made these delicious cocktails with pomegranate vodka, pomegranate juice and cardamom simple syrup.  Take equal parts of sugar and water and bring it to a boil and add 5 crushed cardamom pods and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.  Strain the cardamom and you have a simple syrup that keeps for months in the refrigerator.  Mix equal parts of pomegranate vodka, pomegranate juice and a splash of the syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice and pour it in a cocktail shaker full of ice and shake away.  Strain it into a martini glass and garnish with an orange slice and pomegranate seeds.  It makes a great cocktail for summer or winter.  Wish I had one now!  Click here for the recipe….

Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow

Crazy name for this addictive mix, but it is good!  Where did the name Puppy Chow come from?!!  You melt peanut butter, chocolate and butter and toss it with chex cereal (any kind) and then toss it with powdered sugar.  I added M&M’s and you can make it seasonal with the colored candies that are available.   The kids loved it.  Use Jiff or Skippy peanut butter and not a natural oily peanut butter because they become a little oily.  I only had a natural peanut butter and they would have been better with the old school brands but they were devoured in no time!  Click here for the recipe….

Banana Bread

This recipe makes a really moist banana bread and I love the caramelized taste of the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves.  If I have bananas that are going too dark I put them in a freezer bag and freeze them to make banana bread at a later date.  Just thaw them out, mash them a bit and put them in the batter.  I like to make a double batch and freeze one for later.  I think banana bread always tastes better the next day, but my family often can’t wait that long to have a piece!  Click here for the recipe….

New Potato Salad with Tarragon, Dill, and Parsley  with Champagne Vinaigrette

This is a lighter potato salad that is made with a vinaigrette and fresh herbs.  Since it does not have any mayonnaise it’s good for outdoor parties where the food might be sitting in the sun.  I found some beautiful tri-colored new potatoes, but you could use any new potato.  You can make this the day before and store it in the refrigerator, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving because the olive oil sets up in the refrigerator.  Click here for the recipe….

Toasted Coconut Rice

I love to make this rice when I am serving pork or chicken with peanut satay sauce or when I am craving something coconutty (is that a word?).  Toast some coconut and then make the jasmine rice with coconut milk and chicken broth with a few slices of lime and t add frozen peas at the end to warm them through.  It’s delicious.  Click here for the recipe….