Poultry
Chicken Shwarma Bowls
Our Growing Weisser family has become obsessed with Mediterranean food. I am sure part of the obsession is our Middle Eastern heritage. This holiday season i will share some of our traditional Christmas food that we make every season. Chicken Shwarma is one of our go-to favorites. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that Rachel found online. I worked with it and changed it up and bit adding a bit more spice and a few adaptations to the sauce. This is definitely worth the time and would be a fantastic meal to serve for company. We ate this meal as a “build your own bowl” one night and as a pita sandwich the next night. Sure was delicious.
Chicken Shwarma Marinate
2 lemons juiced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic smashed
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon cardamom
Mix all ingredients in a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Add 2 ½ -3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Ziplock the bag securely and distribute the marinate around the chicken pieces by shaking and moving the chicken around once bag is sealed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bake or BBQ the chicken until cooked.
I baked mine in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. I think BBQ would taste even better. Build your bowls with lettuce, tomatoes, a scoop of quinoa, a big spoonful of roasted chickpeas and a dollop of cucumber tahini yogurt sauce-(recipes below). Serve with warm pita bread and hummus.
Other ingredients for Chicken Shwarma bowls, wraps, pita sandwiches…..
Pita bread
quinoa cooked according to package directions using chicken stock in place of water
Romaine lettuce chopped
3-4 tomatoes sliced
cucumbers sliced
fresh …
Chicken Chickpea Moroccan Crockpot Stew
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
Grateful for Gathering
Women love to GATHER!!! We gather for play groups for our children. We gather for coffee to catch up with friends. We gather to hike or exercise together. We gather for counsel, encouragement, advice and support from women who have walked the road before us-in dating, courtship, marriage child-rearing, caring for aging parents….the list is endless. We find every and any excuse to gather because together we are stronger.
I am so grateful for my women friends. Those who lead me and challenge me to be the best version of myself. I am grateful for those who trust me enough to follow when I invite them into my life and share my passions. As I grow in my relationships with other women I have confidence to do brave things. I have strength to go out of my comfort zone. I have courage to love those difficult people in my life that cause me stress and anxiety. When my girl friends are cheering for me in my balcony and praying for me, I can do the hard but RIGHT things, I can love without limits, I can accept the hard stuff in my life.
So this week I am grateful for GATHERING!!!
Tonight we had a gathering of women from our church. We have a new campus and have a desire for building community. We shared a meal together and we were encouraged to answer a few questions that helped us get to know one another better. We will continue this tradition throughout this next year, once a month, to help get our women connected, have a place to belong and learn how we can serve one another in our church, serve our family and make an impact in our community.
I offered to bring a crock pot of soup to …
Read MoreGreek Style Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
As summer comes to a close and families are back into the school routine…the weather shifts to Indian Summer…just in time for Labor Day. The best thing to do on Labor Day weekend is….have a BBQ! So that’s what we did. In honor of the end of summer and to initiate our new kitchen, we had three of our most favorite couples over for an evening of love, laughter and delicious food.
GREEK CHICKEN VEGETABLE KEBABS
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil for marinade plus 2 TBS for veggies
4 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic pressed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 medium sized zucchini
2 peppers (green, red or orange)
1 large red onion
Tzadziki
1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 clove garlic pressed
2 TBS lemon juice
12 TBS chopped parsley
4 TBS chopped fresh dill or more if desired
For the Kebabs
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and spices.
Cut chicken into 1-1 ½ inch cubes.
In a gallon ziplock bag, place the chicken cubes and pour the marinade over it and seal and shake until all the chicken is coated. Leave in refrigerator between 45 minutes and 2 hours but NO LONGER or the chicken will start to change texture because of the acidic nature of the marinade.
Cut the zucchini into ¾ inch slices,, cut the peppers into 1 ¼ inch cubes and cut the onions into 1 ¼ inch wedges. Place in another ziplock bag and add olive oil. Season lightly with salt.
When ready to skewer the meat (if using …
Hatch Green Chili Enchilada Casserole
As summer winds down and you find yourself a bit stressed about getting back into the routine of school schedules, regular commitments starting up again or just a busier life ahead…this is a great recipe to have on hand. It is easy and nutritious. You can make it ahead of time and bake it later. It serves a large family and is great for parties. I made this a few weeks ago when we had a crowd of people stay for dinner after Garrett’s first birthday. If you can’t find Hatch Green Chili Salsa you can use salsa verde.
10-12 medium sized flour tortillas (I used the homemade style ones from Trader Joe’s)
4 large chicken breast cooked and chopped into chunks (cook in 2 cups chicken broth for 4-6 hours in crockpot)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 cups yellow onions chopped fine
3 garlic cloves minced
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 cups greek plain yogurt
2 bottles Hatch Green Chili Salsa (Trader Joe’s brand)
2-3 cups Colby Jack cheese grated (you can use Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar mixed)
- 10-12 medium sized flour tortillas (I used the homemade style ones from Trader Joe's)
- 4 large chicken breast cooked and chopped into chunks (cook in 2 cups chicken broth for 4-6 hours in crockpot)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 cups yellow onions chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 2 cups greek plain yogurt
- 2 bottles Hatch Green Chili Salsa (Trader Joe's brand)
Chili Chicken Stew-Creative Meals that Multiply for Busy Families
Spring is in the air and families are beginning the frenzy of evenings filled with sports practices, games, spring music concerts and all sorts of activities. As a mom who prefers not to grab fast food for her family on the way to or from all the evening activities….we have to have a strategy. When we were in the flow of 4 girls doing multiple activities and I felt like I was driving circles around our community, I came up with a creative strategy of “meals that multiply“. This is the first installment of some of the meals I made regularly that literally lasted for a week and the family never knew that our dinners came from the same big pot of stew.
Chili Chicken Stew (Crockpot or stovetop)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces if cooking in a pot on stove)
1 large onion chopped
1 yellow, orange or red pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
2 Tbs oil
2 (15oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans
1-2 cups pace picante sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Place whole chicken breasts, fresh or frozen, in the crockpot. Put all remaining ingredients in the order listed in crock pot and cook on low 6 hours. Remove chicken from stew and shred. Place back into crock pot, mix and serve. 
To make on stovetop, cut chicken into bite sized pieces and cook chicken, onion, pepper, and garlic in oil in a large pot until chicken is white and no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours. This chili chicken stew can be made the day before and freezes well.
Now here is where the magic begins……This one pot of chili chicken stew can be …
Curried Chickpea Chicken Stew: Cooking Healthy with a Modified Kitchen
As some of you may know, I have been operating our home with a “remodeling in process” kitchen. Due to an unfortunate mystery leak from the back corner of our 30 year old refrigerator, we have a forced kitchen repair in progress. We decided it was due time to do some remodeling, so we have turned our unfortunate event into a blessing of a new kitchen. I have spent the past few months learning a whole new vocabulary as I have become educated in appliances, countertops, backsplashes, hoods, knobs and pulls, etc….the list goes on and on. We are approaching the demolition day and I am getting excited to see how it all turns out. In the meantime…I have been cooking in a small space that I set up in my laundry room and a tiny bit of available countertop space in the kitchen. I have had to be very creative with the recipes I have tried because most of my kitchen supplies are packed away in bins in the playroom.
So, in honor of “National Nutrition Month” I have been experimenting with healthy Crock Pot meals. My favorite one to date is Curried Chickpea Chicken Stew.
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken (you can use a combo of breasts and thighs)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 onions chopped fine
4 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes undrained
2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
2-3 cups chicken broth
In a saucepan heat olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft. Add salt, pepper, curry and cumin and stir on low until combined. Pour this mixture into crockpot. Add chicken, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours …
Read MoreRoasted Lemon Chicken with Root Vegetables
The smell of a Roasted Chicken brings back memories of a chilly fall afternoon working on projects while it rains outside. This recipe combines a Mediterranean lemon zesty flavor with oregano and garlic. It is best if you have time to marinate the chicken the night before but you can do it all in one day as well. The root vegetables that roast alongside the chicken enable you to have your whole meal roasted and prepared at the same time. Serve with a big green salad and some crusty french bread and you are all set.
Ingredients
1 whole 3-5 pound organic chicken
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 lemons
3 Tablespoons fresh ginger
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons honey
1-2 Tablespoon canola oil
2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoons red chili pepper flakes
3 parsnips washed, peeled and cut into chinks
4 carrots washed, peeled and cut into chunks
4 red potatoes cut into chunks
1 red onion cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup fresh parsley
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Place in a roasting pan (spray with cooking spray) with 4-5 inch high sides. Sprinkle the chicken and the cavity with the black pepper. Cut one of the lemons in half and cut one half into small chunks. Slice the other whole lemon and the remaining half into circles to decorate the chicken before you roast it. Place the small chunks of lemon, the garlic, ginger, honey and canola oil into a blender or Cuisinart and blend until smooth. Stir in the oregano and the red chili pepper flakes. Spread mixture all over chicken. Decorate with lemon circles. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for the afternoon. 
Remove from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes. Place cut up root vegetables in …
Crockpot White Bean Chili
As the weather begins to cool and the nights get dark earlier, it is fun to have dinner all ready to go in the Crockpot at the end of the day. This recipe takes a bit of thinking and planning to get the ingredients prepared ahead of time but once everything is in the Crockpot, you will have a delicious and nutritious meal that serves at least 8 people or can be served in 3 or 4 different ways throughout the week.
Ingredients
1 pound dried great northern beans
8 cups chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 medium onions chopped fine
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bottle hatch green chili salsa (you can use 2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies)
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teraspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium zucchini
2 cups frozen corn (I used Trader Joes roasted frozen corn)
1 teaspoon salt
For toppings
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup minced cilantro
tortilla chips
Place dried beans in a 5 or 6 quart crock pot and cover with water about 1 inch over beans. Cover and let soak overnight. 
Drain water in the morning and add 6 cups of chicken broth, the garlic and half the onions. Cover and cook on high 2-2 ½ hours until the beans are soft but not mushy. (If necessary add some boiling water to the beans to keep them covered.)
While beans are cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook remaining onions until tender. Add the chicken, jalapeno and cook until chicken is brown on the outside. Add to the crock pot with green chili salsa, 
oregano, cumin, cloves and cayenne. Add remaining 2 cups of broth and stir to combine all. Cover …
Israeli Salad and other Favorite Foods from Israel
My husband and I just returned from a trip to Israel. Visiting a new country brings opportunities to experience a new culture-the history, the economy, the geo-political climate, the ancient customs, the food and costumes, the music and dance, the art and architecture and the archeological discoveries that unlock the mysteries of the people over centuries. Discovering the secrets of Israel was transformational for the two of us who have spent the last 45 years studying the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Traveling through Israel, we were able to experience the amazing food and LOVED each dish we tried. We already knew we loved Tabouleh and Hummus (click to find previous posts with recipes) and now our two new favorite dishes are found below……..
Israeli Salad
1 lb Persian cucumbers, diced
1 lb fresh ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup minced onion (optional)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp each)
Chop all vegetables into small cubes. Finely chop parsley. Toss vegetables and parsley with olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Shwarma
2-2 ½ pounds chicken thighs
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons round coriander
8 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons tumeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh grated ginger)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl to make a rub. You can mix ina food processor if you want.
Rub over all pieces of chicken and let sit between 30 minutes and 24 hours. Grill chicken on medium high heat about 8 minutes on each side. Remove from BBQ …