I’m a little behind in posting last Saturday’s theme. We partook in the cuisine of Lebanon. I made a kibbee, which is basically beef flavored with cinnamon, allspice and paprika, mixed with bulgar wheat. I wasn’t impressed with it on its own, so I’ll ask if anyone has any recipes for it that do stand alone.
What made this Saturday night, and many Saturday nights, special was how all the contributions came together to make a nice meal. Our resident hummus fan also brought in a cucumber garlic dip. Someone mentioned they’d once had kibbee with a cucumber sauce, so we tried the two pieces together and that dip saved what I thought was a bland meat dish.
The star of the evening, however, was the shish taouk, or Lebanese chicken, that a fellow production editor provided. These chicken skewers would be great for entertaining.
Shish Taouk – Lebanese Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, squeezed
1 tablespoon paprika
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
dash nutmeg
Cut chicken into bite-size chunks, mix solution, pour over meat in a glass or ceramic bowl. Refrigerate at least 2 hours if not overnight. Soak wood skewers in water for 2 hours to reduce burning. Grill over medium heat or broil.
