Djaj mah riz (Chicken and Rice)

Today around 2:00 Baba called me and said he was bringing someone home for supper and asked me to make this dish. It's one that I've made dozens of times (or at least it feels like it) so it's pretty easy to throw together in a hurry. Good thing, too. LOL I thought I'd share it with y'all.


First I wanted to get the eggplant in the oven for the Baba Ghanouj. Before I put it in the oven, I cut off the tops and made 6 stabs in each one with a knife.





Then I got my chickens ready to go in the microwave.





While the eggplant baked and the chickens defrosted I got out the ingredients for the hummus. I juiced the lemons and then added the other ingredients to the food processor and turned it on.





I almost forgot to mash the garlic. Oops!





Then I mixed the ingredients to rub on the chicken.





After I put the chicken in the oven, I began preparing the Baba Ghanouj. It requires the same ingredients as the Hummus, only you use eggplant instead of chick peas.





Then I turned on my trusty Moulinex.





And voila! I have my dips ready to go. I'll just need to drizzle some olive oil on them before I take them to the table.





After Baba deboned the chicken for me I browned the nuts and raisins.





Then I added them to the finished dish. Sorry I forgot to take pics of the rice preparation.





Here's the recipe!


For the chicken and rice:


Step A:

1 roasting chicken (or in my case, two smaller ones)
salt/pepper/cinnamon
2 T. butter
2 cloves garlic (crushed)


Step B:

1/4 c butter
1/2 lb. beef or lamb (ground)
2 c. long grain rice (I use brown)
salt/pepper/cinnamon
4 c. water (use a bit less if you're using white rice)


Step C:

1/4 c. each slivered almonds and pine nuts (a.k.a. pignolias)
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 c. butter

Preheat oven to 450F.


Clean chicken and rub all over with the butter, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic. Place in roasting pan with 1/2 c. water. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until chicken is tender.


While chicken is baking prepare the stuffing. In a saucepan saute butter and meat until meat is brown. Then add washed and drained rice, salt/pepper/cinnamon. Saute for a minute or so and then add water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until rice is done and water is gone. Rice should be nice and tender.


While rice is cooking, saute nuts in butter until golden brown (be careful not to let them burn). Add raisins and saute for another minute (sometimes I add them sooner so they can get nice and juicy with the butter. Yum!)

Debone chicken and set aside. Place rice on large platter and arrange chicken pieces over the top of rice. Then sprinking nuts and raisins mixture over the chicken.


For the BABA GHANOUJ:

1 large eggplant
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
salt to taste, about a tsp.
1/4 or less of tahini (according to taste-I use about 2 T.)
1/4 c. lemon juice (or to taste)


Preheat the oven to 375. Wash eggplant and remove the stem then pierce with a fork about 6 times. Place in baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. Remove and set aside to cook until you can handle it.

While you're waiting you can juice your lemons if you have a juicing attachment for your food processor. Otherwise after you peel the eggplant you need to mash it. (I hate doing it without a food processor.) After you juice the lemons, replace the juicing attachment with the metal blade. Add peeled eggplant and the remaining ingredients. Process until nice and smooth. (If you're not using a food processor, mash the eggplant and then add the other ingredients, stirring very well.


To eat, scoop up with broken off bits of pita bread.


For HUMMUS:

Follow the same recipe as above except replace a can of chickpeas for the eggplant. You will, before you turn on processor, add a bit of water...not enough to come to the top of the peas. Process until smooth. Eat the same way.


Oh, and don't forget to drizzle both of these with a bit of olive oil. If you don't want to eat a lot of bread with them, try using them as a veggie dip.


Sahtayn!