Chicken Shawarma & Jeweled Cauliflower

Chicken Shawarma

If it’s not summer by you, or you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken at a broil setting in your oven: broil the chicken thighs for 8 to 10 minutes on each side.

I usually have whole coriander seeds on hand, and then grind them about halfway to powder consistency. This gives the chicken a bit of a crunch once it’s grilled. If you prefer no crunch, grind the coriander and the other whole spices to a powder for a smooth paste. Whole spices are more potent than pre-ground spices, but it means a bit more work on your part. You can use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (coffee bean grinder) to grind the whole spices into a powder. Or just use the pre-ground versions.

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons high heat oil
• 2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) chicken thighs, de-boned and skinned

Method

1. Preheat your grill to around 500ºF (230ºC, or gas mark 8).
2. Place the garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, allspice, salt and oil in a food processor and pulse until you have a paste. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle or a blender.
3. Trim the chicken of excess fat and coat it with the spice paste.
4. Grill the chicken for about 8 minutes on each side.
5. Slice and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.

Serves 4 to 6

Jeweled Rice

I use Turkish, unsulphured apricots, which is why mine are a bit darker than most. For the cranberries, I use dried cranberries with no sugar added, and sweetened with apple juice and a bit of sunflower oil added to it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups roasted cauliflower rice (from my SCD book or try this recipe)
• 1/2 cup (66 g) dried apricots, minced
• 1/2 cup (60 g) dried cranberries, minced
• 1/2 cup (30 g) parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine the rice with the apricots, cranberries, and parsley.
2. Add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to your liking, and blend well.
3. Serve with lemon yogurt or fresh lemon wedges.

Serves 4 to 6

Lemon Yogurt

To make this lactose-free, culture your yogurt for 24 hours (SCD-style) or use dairy-free yogurt.

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon parsley, minced (optional)

Combine all the ingredients and blend well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.