This week in my kitchen :: 7 Toss Kabob...

Capturing my love of whole foods, combined with the activity of a bustling kitchen.

A weekly collection of photos from the center of my home. 

...even time for a few words this week...

• 'A's' famous pizzas, and my three seed spelt bread all ready for the oven. 
• Amazed/thankful at how long one 25kg sack of spelt flour can last.
• A spot of geometry to line the baking pan for another fruit cake. 'A' swears that he didn't have any of last weeks. 
• Compost soup. I had to remove a teabag placed by sister on top of the leftover salad reserved for soup base, thinking it was destined for the compost heap...Don't cringe...waste not, want not...a tip that I gleaned from ina garten and hfw. I even added the red onion gravy left over from Sunday lunch... well it took me ages to caramelise all those onions. 
• Pan fried sea bass with current favourite sweet potato, puy lentils.
• Chicken toss kabob, with Persian rice and sour yoghurt.
• Boiled fruit cake with raspberries and yoghurt. I'm depending on the fat-burning raspberries dissolving all the butter in the cake.  
• Fresh herbs and blossoms from the garden. I wish you could smell them...

...even a recipe...

My chicken version of Persian Toss Kabob

Toss kabob isn't a kebab but a kind of Persian horesht or casserole/stew. Traditionally made with lamb and not chicken, tomatoes, potatoes and dried limes. As I don't eat read meat I made this chicken version of my mother-in-law, mama bosourge's recipe. She didn't use measurements as lots of mothers don't, but worked by taste, or handfuls. I have done the same here. You can make a vegan version by omitting the meat altogether and substitute chick peas or squash. It's still really tasty. 

Ingredients:

• Happy chicken. Either a whole one skinned and jointed for a family, or the appropriate number of portions.
• Dried limes. You can buy them online here, or use fresh lime or lemon juice. Four or five should be enough, not too many as it could make the dish a little bitter
• One large onion, sliced finely
• Canned bottled, or finely chopped, skinned tomatoes.
• Ground turmeric root
• Potatoes, peeled and cut into biggish chunks. Choose a  variety that will hold their shape and not dissolve when cooked
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mama always used white, I always use black...you can use whichever you prefer
• A couple of cloves of fresh garlic
• A little oil of choice or butter to cook

Method:

1. Pour a little oil into a heavy based saucepan, add the onions and cook until translucent.
2. Add a little ground turmeric and cook out, stirring all the time so that it doesn't stick. 
3. Add the chicken portions and brown a little. 
4. Add the garlic and cook, combining all the ingredients together. 
5. Add the tomatoes and dried lemons, stir well, and then add little boiling water. Season. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. 
6. After about half an hour add the potatoes and continue cooking. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. The horesht is ready when the chicken is falling off the bone and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. This should take about fifty minutes depending on the chicken. 

This is a hearty family supper meal, very more-ish and comforting. You could always spice it up with a little chilli. Traditionally eaten with basmati rice cooked the Persian way, sour plain yoghurt and flat nan bread.  

linking with amanda...coming too? Oh sorry heather not amanda...done it again...
debx