my jerusalem kitchen

Sigh.

I made it through my first week of law school. And, side note: I promise this blog will not turn into my “law school diaries.” But, for the first time in ten days or so, I’m not hopelessly wandering through the fog of summary judgments and direct verdicts and the only question on my mind is: why haven’t I posted this recipe yet? Shame on me!

Do you miss chicken nuggets? Do you cringe every time you feed your child one? This is MY NUMBER ONE GO TO DINNER: a sophisticated chicken nugget, haha. I love this dinner. I love this as lunch. Would you think I was disgusting if I said I would eat this for breakfast? (The answer to that is obviously yes.) But I love this chicken so much that there was a period of time not too long ago where Adam and I would make about four pounds of this chicken, keep it in fridge and add it to our salads or sandwiches throughout the week, which was a killer time-saver. The carrots are a delicious combination since the cumin seeds pair well with the cumin in the chicken and the sweetness of the honey plays with the nuttiness of the pistachio like kindergarten buddies. And I always, because I’m obsessed with lemon, squeeze lemon juice all over my chicken and with the smack of my lips, WOWZER, this seals the deal.

Even more than the flavor, did you check out how colorful this plate is? I didn’t photoshop that. Colorful = healthy! Which this recipe IS because I found it in Shape magazine a few years back. I’ve since played with the recipe a little, but in no ways that would alter the healthiness even a little. Mainly, I added some mustard seeds because my great friend Annie said she’d done that with this recipe and it was delish. Please, please, please make this now, with or without mustard seeds, and tell me your thoughts.

Serves 2 hungry people or three people who are also eating appetizers

Source for inspiration here

What you need:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you’re in Israel, buy the breasts for shnitzel; if you’re near a Trader Joe’s, the 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves are perfect)

1 cup pistachios; ground (not ground too finely–you want it kind of nutty)

3 tblsp black sesame seeds (if you can’t locate these, toast some regular ones or just use regular ones)

2 tblsp ground coriander

3/4-1 tblsp ground cumin (or you can use baharat spice)

1 egg + 1  tsp water

1/2 c all-purpose flour (use chickpea flour if you’re gluten-free)

salt & pepper (don’t be stingy!)

a few lemon wedges (or if you have lemon salt on hand, you’ll need just a pinch of it)

For the carrots:

1 1/2 tblsp olive oil

5 or 6 carrots cut on a bias into 1/4 inch thick piece

salt and pepper

1/3 c orange juice

2 tblsp honey or date honey

1 tsp cumin seeds and/or 1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp fresh cilantro; chopped

How to do it:

Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray some cooking oil. Grind the pistachios and transfer to a bowl in which you’ll combine the sesame seeds, coriander and cumin. In a shallow bowl or plate, beat the egg and water together. In a third bowl (I know!!! but stay with me!!!) add the flour and season it with salt and pepper. You can also add some lemon salt at this point or you can wait till the end and add fresh lemon.

Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces to your liking. To “bread/crust” the chicken: dip a piece of chicken in the flour on both sides and shake off the excess; quickly move to the egg mixture, immerse the chicken in the egg so it’s all wet; then lay each side into the pistachio mixture so it’s covered. This is a messy process. Just go with it. Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife in the thickest part.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the carrots. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and/or the mustard seeds and fry until they become fragrant (this is a good technique if you’re ever cooking with actual seeds). Add the carrots and toss to coat with oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the orange juice, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the honey. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about 10 minutes more or until liquid evaporates and carrots are tender. Divide chicken and carrots among the plates, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, garnish with a lemon wedge and serve. Enjoy!