RECIPE REVIEW: SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEA, CUMIN AND TURMERIC

I was first introduced to this NY Times Sheet-Pan Chicken recipe during a dinner party with a girlfriend and couldn’t get enough. I ended up taking a copy of the recipe home eager to try it myself and not only was it so easy to remake, but it tasted just as good as the first time. I love the mix of flavors and spices, and how the yogurt breaks through the acidity. If you want to make it vegetarian and just leave out the meat, I’m sure it would be just as tasty! Either way, Adam told me I can definitely make it again so not only does this recipe get my approval, but it gets his too!

Score: 4.5/5

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 4 People

-Chicken and Chickpea-
4 LBS of Chicken (I prefer to use dark meal like thighs) bone-in and skin-on.
Lemons for lemon juice - need to yield 5 TBSP total (2 for chicken, 2 to marinate slaw, and 1 for yogurt)
1.5 CUPS of full-fat Greek yogurt
2 TSP of Turmeric (1 TSP for chicken marinade, 1 TSP for seasoning later)
1 TBSP of Fennel Seed
1 TSP of Cumin (ground)
2 Cans of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 Large Red Onion - sliced thinly
1 Mini Cucumber - sliced thinly
Olive Oil
2 TBSP Water
Salt and pepper to taste

-Toppings-
Feta (optional)
Fresh Mint - torn into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

 Season chicken using salt and pepper before creating a marinade using 3/4 CUP of yogurt, 2 TBSP of lemon juice, 1 TSP of Turmeric, and 2 TBSP of water. Add more salt and pepper if necessary, it should be slightly salty, this will reduce once cooked and combined with yogurt topping later.

Add seasoned chicken to marinade and make sure it is coated evenly - allow to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Prior to cooking, adjust the oven rack to the top shelf and heat oven to 450!

Next combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, and the remaining Turmeric in a bowl with half the red onion slices, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before giving it a good toss to make sure it is covered evenly. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and push chickpeas to the outer edge to make room for chicken.

Scrape the excess marinade off the chicken and place it in the center of the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until skin is browned. You will need to toss chickpeas occasionally to make sure they become crispy and golden and don’t burn

While the chicken is cooking create a slaw by tossing the remaining onions in a bowl with the thinly sliced cucumber and add 2 TBSP of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and let sit in its juice.

Once the chicken is ready, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Add onion cucumber slaw, to remaining yogurt and top with 1 TSP of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Top chicken with yogurt and garnish with mint and feta.

Enjoy!

To check out the original recipe, click HERE!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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SAVOURY FLAKY SPANAKOPITA BITES

I was craving some flaky spanakopita the other day and decided to test my hand at baking it myself at home. Adam’s Baba (grandmother) makes an amazing Macedonian version called Zelnik so naturally, she was the first person I called. These little spinach pies ended up turning out amazing even though I sort of freestyled some of the measurements and combined Baba’s recipe with a couple of others I found. I mean, you can never have too much cheese, right!?

INGREDIENTS:

Serving: 24 Spanakopita Bites

-Spanakopita Filling-
Olive oil
1 Medium Sweet Onion chopped finely
6 CUPS of Fresh Spinach chopped roughly
3 Springs of Green Onions, sliced into thin pieces
2 CUPS of Italian flat parsley chopped finely
2 Cups of Goat and Sheep Feta
1 CUP of freshly Grated Halloumi Cheese
2 Eggs beaten lightly
Salt and Pepper

-Phyllo Cups-
1 (454 Grams) Packet of Phyllo Sheets*
3/4 CUPS of Melted Unsalted Butter
1 Egg beaten lightly

*Phyllo Sheets - Make sure that the phyllo dough is completely thawed.  It is super fragile so if it is not well thawed out it will break easily.  In general, be extra gentle when handling each layer of phyllo because it is so thin it will tear easily. You have to work a little fast because the dough drys out quickly. I first cut the phyllo layers into rough 4” squares using a scissor and stacked them to keep the air off them as I worked. You can also keep them under a slightly damp dishtowel. Work with one muffin pan at a time.

DIRECTIONS:

Butter your muffin trays making sure to coat the bottom of each cup and the sides

In a pan add in olive oil and finely chopped onion and saute until translucent.

In a large bowl add the sauteed onion with finely chopped parsley, spinach, green onion, eggs, crumbled feta, and Halloumi. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and combine thoroughly till well mixed. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and pull out your muffin trays. It’s time to create your pastry cups.

Add one 4” phyllo square to each buttered muffin cup mould on your tray pressing each sheet into the moulds and allowing the corners to point up. Little tears may occur -don’t worry to much about this! Just make sure on the next layer to cover the tear with some phyllo. Using a pastry brush, brush each phyllo sheet with butter before adding another 4” phyllo square on top. Do this until you have cups that are 5-6 layers thick.

Once complete, fill each cup with spinach mixture and fold over phyllo corners back towards the middle to create a cover. If they have died out, try brushing them with butter to help moisten them. There will be some flaking, don’t worry so much about it.

Mix the last beaten egg with remaining butter and brush the top of each muffin mould with the mixture to help keep the phyllo sheet corners together before placing muffin tins in the oven and baking for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden

Once ready, allow muffin trays to cool for 10 minutes before trying to transfer cups onto a serving plate or cooling rack.

Enjoy!

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MUSSELS ARRABBIATA (SPICY TOMATO SAUCE)

One thing my brother-in-law and I have in common is our love for all-you-can eat mussels. When it comes to who can put down more bowls of mussels, I’ve got some stiff competition. Almost every time I go to visit him we always go to this restaurant that runs a ‘bottomless mussels’ special on Tuesdays and when they see us walk in they know, IT’S GOING DOWN!

The last time I visited though, I suggested trying our hand at making mussels at home. At the time I had also been craving something with a spicy arrabbiata sauce and I thought the flavors would pair really nicely with mussels (very similar to mussels marinara). So why not hit two birds with one stone!? Dinner that night came together beautifully, and I loved how well my new mussel recipe turned out. Needless to say, there were ZERO leftovers and being a self-proclaimed ‘mussel connoisseur’ I’m definitely giving myself a pat-on-the-back for this one!

To all my seafood lovers out there, this one is for you!

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 2 People

-Seafood-
4 lbs of fresh mussels – rinse, scrub and debeard. (I usually buy extra because I know that some are going to be bad)

How to buy, store, and prep fresh mussels:

When buying fresh mussels, make sure to smell them - they SHOULD NOT have a strong odor! You also want the shells to be shut. Since mussels are alive if you bang the shells or apply pressure and close them yourself, if they are indeed alive, they should shut or remain shut. If they open once again right away it means that they are weak/not fresh, so don’t buy those. Make sure to store your mussels in the fridge, they need air to breathe so don’t use a sealed container, instead place a damp cloth over them like a napkin or paper towel to provide further moisture. Before you are ready to use them make sure to rinse the shells, remove the beards or hairy bits, and scrub away any debris off the shells.

-Arrabbiata Sauce-
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion - chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1-2 dashes of hot chili flakes (as desired)
2 800g (28oz) cans of peeled tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano)
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped roughly
Salt and Pepper to Taste

-Toppings-
Fresh Italian Basil

-Extras-
Baguette

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LOVE SEAFOOD? CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SEAFOOD RECIPES!

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HOW TO MAKE MUSSELS ARRABIATA:

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add olive oil and let it heat up on low to medium heat.

Once hot add onion to skillet and let sweat for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Once onion and garlic are translucent add in your chili flakes and continue to cook, 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in your roughly chopped fresh basil and both cans of tomatoes. Chop up any large tomato bits.

Add salt and pepper and mix thoroughly before covering and simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring periodically. After 15 minutes add more salt and pepper to desired taste, if needed, then cover and let the sauce continue to simmer.

Place mussels in the skillet or Dutch oven and mix until fully coated in the simmering sauce. Cover and allow mussels to open/cook for 3-5 more minutes

Once all the mussels appear to be open and cooked, place in a bowl, garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Enjoy!

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If you like this fresh mussels recipe or have any comments/questions about how to cook mussels, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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BAKED ITALIAN KETO MEATBALLS!

My mom and I have been on the keto diet for over a year and we are always looking for new keto-friendly recipes to fit our keto-lifestyle. About a month or two ago my mom found this old ‘baked Italian meatball’ recipe on the internet and we decided to give it try, with a couple of our own keto-friendly twists of course. That evening when we sat down to dinner we could not believe how juicy and delicious the meatballs were, and the sauce - a little spicy but so flavorful. For the next three weeks straight we started a Meatball Monday tradition because we honestly couldn’t get enough! My mom and I love this recipe so much we figured It wasn’t fair for us to keep it all to ourselves, so here it is my keto loving friends! I’ve written it out so you can enjoy it too!

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

-Meatballs-
1 lbs of medium (15-20% fat) ground beef
2 Italian pork sausages - casing removed and chopped
1 cup of Parmesan - grated
1.5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 cup crushed pork rinds
1 Egg
2 tbsp of fresh, chopped Italian parsley
Salt and Pepper

-Sauce-
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion - chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 tsp of oregano
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped roughly
1-2 dashes of hot chili flakes (if desired)
1 - 800g (28oz) can of peeled tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

-Toppings-
Fresh Parsley
Parmesan Cheese

-Extras-
Baguette

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form 7-8 large meatballs. Place meatballs on a tray covered in parchment paper and store in a cool place.

In a deep skillet or dutch oven, add olive oil and let it heat up on low/medium heat.

Once hot add onion to skillet and let sweat 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to let simmer stirring occasionally.

Once onion and garlic is translucent add in your spices and continue to cook 1-2 minutes.

Add in the canned tomatoes and chop up any large tomato bits. Mix thoroughly before covering and allowing to simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

After 30 minutes of simmering pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place meatballs in the skillet or dutch oven on top of the simmering sauce. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and add in fresh thyme.

Bake (no lid if you are using a dutch oven) for approximately 20-25 minutes turning meatballs over half way.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH @INSPIREDBYNICK!

Oh Hello There!

Welcome back to my blog!

I know it’s been a hot minute since I have posted anything on the ‘Food and Drink’ section of Soheila Online, but let me assure you that this was completely intentional. As I grow my brand I am also evolving and changing the direction of certain aspects of my blog. And although I love food (I mean, this girl loves to eat!) I wasn’t sure if recipe posts were where I wanted to concentrate my time and efforts. That doesn’t mean I won’t be sharing pretty food pictures with you anymore! It just means, instead of focusing my efforts on sharing my recipes, I want to share my food experiences with you in a different way - like through collaborations with my favourite food influencers!

So in the spirit of new beginnings I am back on the blog today to share a little festive autumn collaboration with my dear friend @Inspiredbynick! If you are guys are not familiar with Nick Joly he is a vegan food blogger based in Toronto that aims to promote healthier lifestyle habits and delicious vegan recipes. If you aren’t following him on Instagram already I definitely recommend you do!

@InspiredByNick and I at Downey’s Farm

Nick and I first met a couple months ago through our mutual friend Krystle (@dineandfash) and really hit it off. Since our first introduction over lunch at Cubano Restaurant I have been following Nick’s progress and really admire his positive attitude, health lifestyle habits, all round hustle, and drool-worthy vegan food pics! That is why a couple week ago I asked Nick if he wanted to collaborate with me on a little project I was planning for fall.

Usually not the biggest fan of letting go of summer, this year I wanted to embrace autumn by celebrating its cuteness in all its glory. For me this meant a little content creation road trip up to the pumpkin patch would need to happen, and I knew Nick would be the best partner in crime to collaborate with. So off we went to Downey’s farm in Caledon (a short 45 min drive from downtown Toronto).

Our plan for the collaboration was to go early, take a couple lifestyle photos, grab some picture perfect pumpkins, head back to Nick’s house to make a vegan recipe he had in mind, and style some Pinterest worthy photos. We were so prepared for our little road trip and for our food styling and pumpkin patch photos session that everything went off without a hitch. Nick had purchased mini pumpkins and ingredients ahead of time and I showed up with a red wagon (the perfect pumpkin patch photo prop) and a bag full of dollar store decorations for food styling. Together we took some super cute photos and created perfect autumn themed content. 

Nick of course being the master cook in this collaboration has shared the recipe to the Vegan Pumpkin Soup we (but really he - I just played with the dogs) made -> http://bit.ly/2CC1ATS on his blog while I get to share the cute pictures of us from the pumpkin patch with you here. Although I won’t be posting as many recipes anymore I really feel like there are so many talented foodies out there like Nick who’s Instagram could benefit a lot of people and instill more positive habits in everyone’s life - vegan or not. That is why I wanted to collaborate with Nick on my first post back and share his amazing platform with you as a way to find inspiration and positive reinforcement for your everyday life. Food after all is ment to be shared and Nick just does it so well!

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I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

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