Chicken Tajine Made Easy

I was searching for a warming meal that had the characteristics of fall, dried fruits and spice combinations. Finding a Chicken Tajine recipe, I simplified it, so that ordinary folks could enjoy the ancient casserole from North African dating back to the 8th or 9th century. The dish was mentioned in a text: One Thousand and One Nights. Also, known in English as Arabian Nights, it is a collection of medieval Arab, Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Jewish folklore. We are lucky to be able to have such knowledge from the past. 

This dish was originally made in a cone shaped tajine earthenware pot, but I cooked my dish in a HEATH 12” casserole dish with lid and it turned out splendidly. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds of chicken thighs 

1 cup of olive oil

2 cups of okra

1 cup of prunes 

1/3 cup of shallots

2/3 cup of onion

1 cup of cilantro

1 cup of Italian parsley

2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

1 ½ Tbsp. of chopped garlic (5 large cloves of garlic) 

1 Tbsp. of chopped ginger

1 Tbsp. heaping of turmeric 

1 Tbsp. heaping of cinnamon

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. black pepper

First, cut and prepare all your ingredients. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, shallots, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix into a paste.

Next, rinse and pat dry your chicken. Place the raw chicken pieces in casserole skin sides up.

Pour your ingredients over the tops of the chicken, smoothing out the so evenly covered all pieces of chicken.

Cover the chicken with lid and place in oven on middle rack. Bake for 1 hour.

After the hour of baking, add okra and prunes to the dish, stirring in to fit in between chicken pieces. Bake for another ½ hour.

Enjoy this delicious Chicken Tajine main course, served hot to your family or guests! I found this dish goes well with a full-bodied wine. I have tried Pinot Noir and Bordeaux, all complex enough to bring out the flavors of this dish. Cooked cranberries on the side made for a nice tart contrast to the sweet prunes.

This recipe serves 4. 

Millet Pumpkin Bread

This dense and delicious Millet Pumpkin Bread is sure to warm up your house in the cold months ahead! Here is the perfect gluten free bread to please any of your hungry household.

Millet is believed to have been cultivated more than 7000 years ago simultaneously in Africa and Asia. The wonders of millet never seem to end. Millet has a high nutritional value, and is considered one of the super grains, though it is often passed over in the grocery stores. One cup of cooked millet has: 207 calories and tons of mineral content: copper 31%, phosphorus 25%  manganese24%  magnesium19%, according to the Food Rating system. Millet is also, high in fiber and vitamins! Your gut and heart will benefit from this ancient grain!

The Health Benefits of Millet are numerable: Does not feed pathogenic yeast (candida); Acts as a prebiotic to feed important microflora in your inner ecosystem; Provides serotonin to calm and soothe your moods; Helps hydrate your colon to keep you regular; Is alkaline; and Millet digests easily.

And that's not all. Many studies have been done on millet nutrition to identify its benefits for your health. Here are some findings from Body Ecology website :

·       *Magnesium in millet can help reduce the affects of migraines and heart attacks.

·       *Niacin (vitamin B3) in millet can help lower cholesterol.

·       *Phosphorus in millet helps with fat metabolism, body tissue repair and creating energy    

           (phosphorus is an essential component of adenosine triphosphate or ATP, a precursor to    

           energy in your body)

·       *Millet can help lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

·       *Fiber from whole grains has been shown to protect against breast cancer.

·       *Whole grains have been shown to protect against childhood asthma.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease you desired pan with butter. You can use a 7x3 inch loaf baking pan, but for this bread I used a deep pie dish, which allowed me to slice it like cake!

Bake for 1.5 hour. Your oven might take longer, because it is a dense bread. 

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vegetable oil, butter milk and sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and all the spices. Next integrate the two bowls into one, making sure that you blend them slowly, and if need be splash some more buttermilk to keep the mixture moist. Add the walnuts last.

Pour into buttered baking dish, and set on the middle rack of hot oven.

Bread will be done when fork comes out clean.

Let it cool, but best served warm!

 

1 can of (15 oz) pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup of brown sugar

2 cups of millet flour

1 ½ cups of gluten free flour

1 ¼ cup of buttermilk

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 teaspoon of ground ginger