Pan Roasted Chicken with Rice

We are about to celebrate Purim, a joyous, raucous holiday — this year it begins at sundown March 6, 2023.

Everyone will be feasting on hamantashen of course. And maybe other triangular shaped foods that imitate Haman’s hat. But Queen Esther was married to King Ahasuerus, a Persian, so a a traditional Purim Seudah (feast) could also include some delicious dishes from that part of the world.

Here is my recipe for Pan Roasted Chicken with Rice Stuffing, a dish inspired by the flavors of Persia. Of course it’s suitable any tine, but it is a festive, flavorful entree that’s perfect for Purim.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Rice Stuffing

Stuffing:

• 1 cup white rice

• 1-3/4 cups water

• 1 medium leek

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup diced winter squash

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1 tart apple, peeled, cored and chopped

• 1 cup chopped dried chopped dates

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the rice and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat and cook for one minute. Stir, turn the heat to lowest, cover the pan and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Trim the leek, discarding the thick, fibrous green leaves, and chop the tender green and white portion into small pieces. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring often, until the pieces are lightly crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped leek and celery and cook for 2 minutes or until they have softened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cooled rice, apple, dates, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and set aside (reheat later or keep in a warm oven).

Chicken:

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken cut into 8 pieces (or use legs, breasts, etc.)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Rinse and dry the chicken parts. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken, turning pieces once, for about 8 minutes, or until the skin is lightly browned. Mix the salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cayenne pepper and sprinkle over the chicken. Place the pan in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 160°F). Spoon the stuffing onto a serving dish, top with chicken parts, drizzle the stuffing with any accumulated juices and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

During the run-up to Purim, the media is loaded with recipes for hamantashen. (Of course!)

But, because historians have speculated that the heroine of this holiday, Queen Esther, was a vegetarian, meatless meals are also traditional.

A vegetarian version of classic Shepherd’s Pie is hearty and filling enough to convince even a hardcore meat eater. And it’s also a festive dish worthy of a celebratory meal.

Note to self: this dish also makes a splendid choice for Break-the-Fast after Yom Kippur.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie*

•  6 medium all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup lentils, preferably French green

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 12-14 ounces mushrooms, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 cup frozen peas or cut up cooked green beans

• paprika 

Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or potato masher until the lumps have disappeared. Stir in the stock, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  

Cook the lentils according to package directions. When the lentils are tender, drain them and set them aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the zucchini and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked lentils, vegetable stock, thyme and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with enough water to make a smooth paste. Add to the vegetable mixture. Stir and cook for 2-4 minutes or until the pan liquid has thickened. Stir in the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover the top with the mashed potatoes. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika (can be cooked ahead up to this point).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pie is hot and bubbling around the edges and the crust has browned lightly (if you make this ahead and refrigerate the dish, it may take 25-30 minutes to reheat).

Makes 8 servings

*a version of this dish appeared in The Jewish Week Food&Wine.

Potato and Cheese Kreplach

If I knew that the world was going to end or that it was my last day on earth, I would want potato-and-cheese kreplach with sour cream for dinner before I go.

For me, this simple, rustic, peasant dish is the ultimate.

I hadn’t had any for ages and ages and then, one day Ed and I were in Bratislava, Slovakia, perusing the menu at Houdini, a small restaurant conveniently located in our hotel.

They had potato-cheese pierogi!

Oh my.

There was no question about what I would order for dinner. I don’t even remember what else I could have chosen.

All I know is that the pierogies — the best I had ever eaten — came laden with sour cream and topped with chopped fresh chives.

I would go back to Bratislava just to have some more.

And I have been fantasizing about those things ever since.

However, because a trip to Slovakia is not in my immediate future, I decided to make some at home, but I made them kreplach shape in celebration of Purim, when it is customary to eat triangular shaped foods. These would be just perfect whether you make triangles or half moons.

If you’d like to make some, follow the recipe and look at the photos to see how the triangles are cut, filled and folded.

This is truly good food. Last day on earth worthy.

Potato Cheese Kreplach

FillinG:

• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about one pound), peeled, cut into chunks (about 3 cups mashed potatoes)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 cup farmer cheese

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and spoon into a bowl. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden brown. Add the onions to the potatoes. Add the farmer cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix the ingredients until well blended. Set aside to cool before filling the dough.

DougH: 

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks

• 2/3 cup water, approximately

• 1 cup dairy sour cream

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dough until the mixture is crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of the water and the sour cream and mix the dough until it is smooth, soft and well blended. If the dough seems too dry, add more water. (You can do this in a food processor.) Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Using portions of the dough, roll the dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-3-1/2” squares. Place about one tablespoon of the filling onto each square. Slightly wet 2 sides of the square along the border. Fold the dough over the filling to make a triangle, pressing down onto the moist strips to seal the dough. Use the back of a fork to press the edges. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the filled kreplach, 8-10 at a time, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until they are tender. Remove the kreplach with a slotted spoon and set aside; repeat.

Serve with sour cream and chopped chives or scallion tops.

Makes about 30