Tag Archives: zaatar

Zaatar-Roasted Pineapple & Salmon Salad

9 Jul

Zaatar Roasted Pineapple and Salmon SaladI clipped the recipe for this nice summer salad from an article by Adeena Sussman in Hadassah magazine. If you have a piece of leftover salmon from another dinner, this is a great way to use it up – and the recipe is easy to halve for two.

Zaatar is Middle Eastern spice blend that includes thyme, oregano and sesame seeds. It might also include sumac, marjoram and other herbs. You can find it in any grocery store that caters to people from the Middle East or in a bulk store that specializes in spices. If all else fails, order some online! I’ve featured zaatar before, in my Roast Chicken recipe. It’s also good on pita: brush the pita with olive oil, sprinkle on zaatar, and put it under the broiler for about half a minute.

Ingredients:

½  of a cored pineapple (about 1 lb), cut into ½-inch cubes
1 Tbs. zaatar
¾ lb. (2 cups) flaked cooked salmon
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 cups baby lettuce leaves (or mixed spring greens or baby spinach)
3 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. olive oil
¼  tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss pineapple and zaatar in a bowl; roast in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until lightly caramelized, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Gently toss roasted pineapple with salmon, pepper and scallions. Divide lettuce among 4 plates and top each plate with a quarter of the salmon salad.

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper; drizzle over the salad.

Serves 4

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Roast Chicken

9 Jan

Roast ChickenThis is more a method than a recipe. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken. For a Cornish roasting hen – 2½ to 3 pounds – you’ll need 1½ to 2 hours. A proper roasting chicken of 5 or 6 pounds will take longer. The cooking time also depends on whether you use a regular oven or a convection oven. I recommend convection (my oven has a “convection roast” setting) because the cooking time is shorter and the chicken comes out juicier.

Rinse the chicken and shake it dry. Spray cooking spray on a roasting pan that is just a little bigger than the chicken and put the chicken in the pan while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees for convection and 375 degrees for a regular oven.

Sprinkle the chicken with garlic powder and rub a few tablespoons of zaatar over it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, zaatar is a herb blend commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. You can get it at Middle Eastern grocery stores or in well-stocked spice or bulk-food stores. If all else fails, order it online. (It’s great on pita and in scrambled eggs too!)

If you can’t find zaatar or don’t like it, you can use another herb blend or a little paprika.

The key to getting a juicy, nicely browned bird is to baste it frequently. Baste after the first half-hour and then every 15-20 minutes.

You will know it’s done when a) the bird is nicely browned b) the drumstick feels loose when you wiggle it and c) the juices that run out of the cavity are brown, not red. You can also prick the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh to see if the juices are running clear – but I prefer not to because I’d rather keep those juices in the chicken! When the chicken s done, remove to a platter and let it rest about 15 minutes before you carve it. Cut off the wings, drumsticks, thighs and breast meat, but leave the carcass intact. You’ll use it for chicken soup, which I’ll write about in my next post.

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