Chicken Shawarma Bowls and Naan

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I love all different kinds of food, and as much as I love comforting, fattening food, I prefer fresh vegetables and grilled meat. I feel energized and satisfied after eating lots of good veggies and some protein.

I’ve always been a carnivore, and my favorite method for cooking meat is to grill it. Sadly, for the last 5 years or so I’ve lived in apartments and haven’t had access to a grill. But, as I like to say, work with what you’ve got. I’m learning how to use my skillets to make really good meat. If you have an outdoor grill, use it for this recipe if you like! I will be making the chicken in a skillet.

Few cuisines embody the fresh veggies/tasty meat genre better than Middle Eastern IMO. I absolutely love shawarma, and it is incredibly easy to make. Flavorful, juicy, charred chicken with cool, crisp veggies and creamy yogurt and hummus sauces. It makes me happy just thinking about it!

I am absolutely not above purchasing prepackaged foods, especially if it’s a busy day and I don’t have time or energy to cook. I do try to pair convenience foods with something fresh, like a salad, but I also keep a frozen pizza in the freezer at all times, and sometimes that’s it for dinner. That’s life, and it’s ok.

This recipe is midway between frozen pizza and a four-course meal from scratch. I’ll make the chicken seasoning, Jerusalem salad, and sauce from scratch. The hummus, rice, and naan are all prepackaged.

Tim and I were walking through Trader Joe’s a while ago and I snatched this up before I even knew what was happening.

I’m a sucker for naan, and if I can’t get it at my favorite Indian restaurant, with chai, and korma and tandoori chicken and mango custard and saffron rice and…..

….sorry….

Ahem….if I can’t get it at my favorite Indian restaurant, I am not above buying it frozen. I know Middle Eastern and Indian food are not the same things, but I like naan so much more than pita. It just has a better flavor, I think.

Start by prepping your chicken. This recipe is only for 2 servings, but alter it as you need to based on how many people you’re serving. I put 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs in a Ziploc bag, added my rub ingredients, sealed the bag, and rubbed the spices into the chicken. You can use chicken breast for this if you like, but the thighs taste so much better. Let the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours so all of the flavors can mingle and get into the chicken.

Typically shawarma would have turmeric in the seasoning, but I didn’t have any. Work with what you’ve got!

Once you’ve got the chicken rubbed and soaking up all of those yummy flavors, start on your Jerusalem salad. Jerusalem salad is simply cucumber, onion, tomato, and olive oil. I decided to add a little salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley as well.

Dice 1 cup of your cucumbers into pea-size pieces, maybe a little bigger, and 1/2 cup of your red onion.
I used these beautiful heirloom snacking tomatoes, and I quartered them. You can use any tomato that you have, but I recommend grape or cherry tomatoes. 1 cup of diced tomatoes.

Add 1 Tbsp. each of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and about 1 tsp. dried parsley. Toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate until it’s time to eat.

Now make your hummus sauce. Add whatever hummus you have, plain yogurt, onion powder, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and garlic to a small bowl and combine. Add water to thin it out if you want it to be drizzleable (is that a word?), and salt and pepper to taste. That’s it. Sooo easy. Set aside or refrigerate until it’s time to eat.

If you need to cook some rice, do that now. I used a package of microwavable garlic brown rice/quinoa, mixed with rice leftover from dinner the night before, so all I had to do was warm it all up in the microwave.

When it’s time to cook your chicken, use your method of choice. I used a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Keep in mind the spices that come off of the chicken in the cooking process will burn. Keep things ventilated, and when you’re done with the skillet, boil some water and baking soda in it for about a half-hour, and then use some baking soda and dish soap to scrub it.

Cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160° F. Pull chicken off and set it on a cutting board. Let it rest a few minutes before you slice it into 1/4″-1/2″ slices, against the grain.

Put 1 cup of rice into a bowl, top with a sliced chicken thigh, a healthy serving of your Jerusalem salad, and other toppings of your choice. We had sliced dill pickle gherkins and kalamata olives. I finished them with the hummus yogurt sauce and some crumbled feta. You could also add babaganoush, tabouleh, pickled onions, diced sweet peppers…. anything that sounds good to you!

Serve with a flatbread of your choice, and dig into this delicious, healthy, refreshing meal!

Chicken Shawarma Bowls

Rub:
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder

12-16 oz. boneless skinless chicken thighs

Jerusalem Salad:
1 cup diced English cucumber
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dried parsley

Hummus Yogurt Sauce:
1/4 c. hummus
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
scant 1/8 tsp. onion powder
water to thin if you like
salt and pepper to taste

Everything else:
2 cups cooked rice
pickles
kalamata olives
feta
naan or pita, warmed per package instructions

Put the chicken thighs in a Ziploc bag. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, then add those to the bag. Seal the bag and rub the chicken all over to distribute the spices evenly. Refrigerate for 2-10 hours.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine all ingredients for your Jerusalem salad, cover, refrigerate.

Combine all ingredients for the hummus yogurt sauce, and thin with water until you reach your desired consistency, cover, refrigerate.

Make 1 cup dry rice following instructions on the package, or use 2 servings of pre-packaged and seasoned rice or quinoa.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160° F, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Pull chicken off and set it on a cutting board. Let it rest a few minutes before you slice it into 1/4″-1/2″ slices, against the grain.

Put 1 cup of rice into a bowl, top with a sliced chicken thigh, a healthy serving of your Jerusalem salad, sliced dill pickle gherkins, and kalamata olives. Finish with the hummus yogurt sauce and some crumbled feta. Serve with a flatbread of your choice!

Serves 2

Super Easy {wildcard} Meatballs

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I never bothered to make meatballs from scratch until the past two years or so. I really hate touching raw meat, because I’m a spoiled, squeamish, city girl, and the process seemed tedious to me.

My friend and former roommate Erin started cooking a lot roughly 3 years ago and she made some amazing meatballs that inspired me. Then Tim and I signed up for a weekly meal kit, and a lot of the recipes were for various kinds of meatballs. I realized how easy they are to make, and how delicious and versatile they are.

This recipe for meatballs is quick and simple and can be used in many different dishes. I used half of this batch for meatball subs (recipe to come soon) and the other half will be used to make sweet and spicy Asian meatball bowls (recipe to come soon too).

They could also be used in soups, with pasta and tomato or veggie sauce, Mediterranean bowls or sandwiches, Swedish style with egg noodles and a brown gravy, or just with some teriyaki sauce and rice. That’s why I call them “wildcard.” Use your imagination. Make a batch, throw them in the freezer and you have a blank canvas for a meal.

Start with 1 medium-size zucchini. Grate it by hand with a cheese grater or mandolin, or do what I did and pulse it in your blender until it’s like zucchini confetti.

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Use your clean hands or cheesecloth and squeeze the excess water out of your zucchini confetti. I lost a little bit of the zucchini down the drain while I was squeezing. Oops.

In a large mixing bowl scramble one egg.

Next, add your squeezed zucchini confetti and 1 lb. ground beef/pork mix. Traditionally, meatballs are made with some veal or lamb. I am morally opposed to veal, so I don’t buy it, and I don’t like lamb. Use whatever meat you like though, all beef, turkey, lamb… Try not to have a fat content over 20% though.

Add 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I used panko, work with whatever you’ve got), 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan, 1 Tbsp. dried parsley, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2-1 tsp. minced garlic based on your taste, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper.

Mix everything together. You can use your hands, but as I said, I don’t like touching raw meat, so I used 2 spatulas.

Once you have everything mixed up, form meatballs about 1″-2″ in diameter, and line them up on a baking tray lined with foil.

I got 18 meatballs out of this, but if you made them a little smaller you could easily get 20-24. This recipe can easily be doubled as well.

Bake at 375° F for 12-18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.

I got so excited to eat that I forgot to take a picture of just the meatballs when I was done, but here is one of the sub before I finished making it.

The zucchini helps the meatballs to remain moist unlike a lot of meatballs that I’ve had, and the flavor from the caramelization on the bottom is super delicious. Yum.

Enjoy!

Wildcard Meatballs

1 egg
1 lb. ground meat, at least 80% lean
1 zucchini, chopped in a blender, excess water squeezed out
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs, or whatever breadcrumbs you have
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2-1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Add egg to a large mixing bowl and scramble. Add all other ingredients and mix with hands or 2 spoons.
Form 18-24 meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 12-18 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160° F. Serve immediately with your favorite sides and sauces.

Pancakes, Politics, and Dehumanization

As a rule, I will not be writing about politics here. I don’t follow the news and I don’t read about politics. I’ve even unsubscribed from all of my Facebook friends to avoid seeing any hyper-emotional articles, arguments, or rants. I’ve found it triggers my anxiety and causes way more trouble than it’s worth. I receive my news in small, controlled doses from trusted family and friends, or specific, targeted searches from multiple news sources to try to minimize media bias.

Anyway, I was happily reading an article about pancakes today, in which the author suddenly referred to President Trump as “a living toilet.“

scue me?

Uhm. Excuse me? This article is about pancakes, sir.

This guy took a break in the middle of his breakfast-themed writing to dehumanize someone he doesn’t even know. I’m not exactly sure why he felt the need or the freedom to do this. Maybe he was just pandering to his normal audience, or maybe he was trying to shock his way into being talked about (in which case, it worked). I was baffled so much, that here I am, writing about it.

Just as quickly as he dropped in an unsolicited, unexpected low-blow insult at another human being, I lost interest in what he had to say about pancakes. He’d destroyed any credibility that he had regarding his personal opinion about pancakes. Why would I listen to anything someone so intentionally spiteful has to say? No thank you.

We have a problem in our country, or maybe our world. We chastise the “other side” for being cruel and polarizing and use that as an excuse to be cruel and polarizing. I’ve noticed more and more that it’s seeping into non-political writing, reporting and conversations. It’s maddening to me. I’m fine with strong opinions, I have a lot of them. Cruelty doesn’t equal strength.

I am not affiliated with either side of the aisle. I did not vote for President Trump or Hillary, nor do I particularly like either one of them. I dislike a lot about both of the big political parties in the US, and I think that the government and the election process are so corrupt that when I vote, I do so with a skeptical “well, just in case it does anything, I guess I’ll participate” attitude. I have very little faith in the process.

I lean towards Libertarianism but have a firm understanding that all forms of government, even the absence of one, are flawed because humans are flawed.

I am a Libertarian because I am an independent thinker, and I want to be left to my own devices. I want other people to be left to their own devices as well. As long as no one is stepping on other people’s liberty, or actively hurting people or animals, I think that’s how it should be. The government should be small and quiet, only called into action in extreme cases. Politics should be simple. Alas, that isn’t reality.

The core of my political belief lends itself to allowing everyone to have their own opinion, and respecting that freedom. I wish this was common.

Instead, it’s common for us to allow ourselves, and those we align ourselves with, to be nasty, often resorting to dehumanizing name-calling, bullying, and sometimes vandalism or violence. I am familiar with the reasons excuses that people have and I’m not impressed.

“Republicans are rich racists and ignorant hillbillies who don’t care about immigrants, minorities, or the environment.“

“Democrats are communists who want to steal our liberty, brainwash our youth, and kill babies.”

Because what they consider to be right or moral or “common sense” is in direct opposition to what we believe, we permit ourselves to dehumanize them. We can preach peace and kindness and fairness, but the second someone disagrees with our ideals or methods, we’re allowed to throw it all out the window and start slinging mud. I believe that’s called bigotry, my friends.

I believe all humans have intrinsic value because we are all made in the image of God; Imago Dei. Even if you don’t believe that, I’m sure you believe that there is something that connects us all and gives us value. Otherwise, murder should be legal.

I recognize the fact that both Hillary Clinton (or Joe Biden, I suppose, at this point) and Donald Trump are human beings. I’m sure they’ve all done horrible, nasty things that would make my hair curl. They’re still humans, and they still have value and worth and are entitled to basic respect, decency, and dare I say it, love because they have intrinsic value. Even if they don’t extend that respect to others, they still deserve it.

Now, their decisions and actions, I don’t have to respect. Those do not have intrinsic value. Those I can criticize and scrutinize. Actually, since these people have chosen to live public lives and be leaders, scrutinizing their actions is responsible.

We can’t pick and choose which humans do and do not have worth. We cannot choose when to ignore the intrinsic value. When we do that we end up with horrific events like The Crusades, The Holocaust, and 9/11.

I know the root of these insults runs deeper. People get overwhelmed by emotion, or pride, and don’t know how to communicate peacefully. I also don’t think that’s a valid excuse. We need to start holding the media and our friends and family responsible for how they dehumanize our fellow humans and encourage them to instead focus on the deplorable actions. 

In the meantime, I hope someday I can go back to reading about pancakes in peace. Someday.

Until next time. Please be kind.

Noelle

Wholehearted Leadership: Being a Human Manager

When I initially decided to start a blog, over a year ago, I had a clear vision for what I wanted it to be. I wanted to share with people everything I have learned, and continue to learn, about small business management.

I first experienced supervising people professionally 15 years ago, but you could say my management, or leadership, of people began when I was 8 and I started babysitting the neighbors’ kids. I never really stopped, transitioning straight from babysitting and working in the nursery at church to being a youth leader, then managing people at work, and eventually owning my own business.

Over the years, I developed what I have come to realize is an unusual, or unique, management style. I reject a lot of ideas that are mainstream for both business owners and managers, and embrace vulnerability and boundaries. The thing that makes me different, in a word, is empathy.

My management, or leadership, style has served me well. My staff is loyal, I have about half or less of the turn over that is standard for my industry, and I frequently get compliments from customers about how great our staff is. This doesn’t mean I never struggle or that I haven’s made mistakes. Believe me, leadership of any kind is not for the faint of heart, and I make mistakes daily. But, the mistakes I’ve made have only expanded my knowledge and helped me to grow as a manager and a human.

My leadership style developed out of a combination of different values and experiences. My Christian upbringing and faith established a baseline of kindness and compassion in me. I do my best to treat others the way I would want to be treated, and to love those around me, even when they’re not kind to me, even when they’re my subordinates, even when they can’t do anything for me.
My personal growth, through plain ol’ aging, professional counseling, introspection, study, meditation, and interpersonal relationships, cemented in me that you can’t have compassion and love without also having healthy boundaries. They go hand-in-hand. They are inseparable. We don’t usually learn that part in church.

Bosses that I’ve had have taught me both what to do, and what not to do, by example. I’ve had amazing bosses, who trusted their staff to do the right thing, and guided them where needed, or took the time to encourage their employees through their insecurities in order to pave the way for growth.

I’ve also had bosses who would fire people for not knowing how to do something that they were never taught to do, or would lash out, blaming a person for something they had no knowledge of, just because they happened to be present when the manager found out about it, or literally throw things in the middle of a full blown tantrum in front of clients.

I am blessed that I haven’t personally dealt with outright abuse at the hands of managers in the workplace. From what I understand from stories I hear from my staff and other people I know, being abused by a boss is a given for a lot of people, especially in food service. So much so, that the employees don’t even recognize it as abuse. That’s how “normal” it is.

This. blows. my. mind. I cannot grasp the concept that treating humans like they’re humans is not the standard. I recently read an interview with Jeffrey Pfeffer, a business professor at Stanford, that talks about how this is literally killing us. It’s tragic. Managers, and companies as a whole, are not being held accountable for their bad behavior.

The things that most leaders are missing are vulnerability, empathy and boundaries. Accepting the fact that you are human goes a very, very long way in leadership. This means accepting, embracing and harnessing your strengths and your weaknesses. Vulnerability means being who you really are, and telling your staff how you really feel, and empathy means emotionally (and sometimes practically) putting yourself in their shoes. Boundaries mean establishing expectations, holding people accountable for their actions and not taking on other people’s problems as your own.

An example: When I am training a new employee, I often utter the words “This is our standard for doing this task. I have a really hard time with it; I’m still working on getting it right.” This is one small way I am vulnerable, empathetic and boundaried. I demonstrate how to do something, I communicate that I am not great at it, and indicate that I’m working towards being better. I’ve established a boundary and expectation, given permission for mistakes, but have also given the expectation for growth and improvement.

Vulnerability, empathy, boundaries.

In future business posts I will go over more specifics regarding how I implement and model the use of vulnerability, empathy and boundaries with my staff and my customers.

For more information on the topic, please check out Brene Brown, who is a researcher and social worker and an expert in vulnerability and shame, and Henry Cloud and John Townsend, who literally wrote the book on boundaries.

Until next time.

Noelle

Savory Brown Butter Noodles with Shrimp (or chicken)

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We all know that butter (and bacon, but that’s a different post!) makes everything better, right? But brown butter. Brown butter has a leg up on regular butter.

The extra layer of flavor added by browning butter is unbelievable.

For a long time I was terrified of browning butter. I didn’t want to be responsible for wasting liquid gold. It seems super tricky and I am not good at standing in one place for an extended period of time. So, any recipe that requires my undivided attention is usually destined for a doomed existence.

I’ve discovered browning butter really isn’t that bad. I’m not sure if I do it technically right, the way you would learn in culinary school or at a restaurant, but the way I do it is still delicious. My taste buds are all that matter.

You just heat it over medium heat, stir it occasionally, and once it starts to foam, watch it closely and pull it off immediately when you see a color just slightly lighter than you’re going for. Light to dark brown all taste great.

I adapted this recipe from Kelli Foster’s recipe on Kitchn.

Boil a large pot of salted water for your noodles. Egg noodles, spaghetti or angel hair will work the best, I used thin spaghetti. Cook and drain pasta according to the directions on the package, and return it to the pot you boiled it in, off of the heat. If you think it might get sticky, add a touch of olive oil and toss with tongs.

While the pasta boils: In a medium skillet, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally, until it’s foamy and just starting to brown.

Add 1/4 c. breadcrumbs (I prefer panko, but any kind will work) to the butter and stir constantly until they are brown and toasty. Pour onto a dish and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet. Add your shrimp or 1″cubed chicken. I used jumbo shrimp that I marinated in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I buy it in a jar, pre-minced, because mincing garlic is way too tedious IMO), sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for about 4 hours.

If you haven’t marinated your meat, be sure to add some oil or butter to the skillet, and use salt and pepper.

Flip the shrimp over when you can tell that the white color is getting to the middle like this:

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Shrimp should cook for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until it’s white and opaque all the way through. Chicken should cook until it is white and opaque all the way through and has reached 160° F (it will coast up to 165° F after being pulled off the heat).

Pull the shrimp/chicken off, place on a dish and set aside.

Wipe or clean out skillet as needed. Add 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter to the skillet. Once it’s foamy and starting to get a bit brown, pull off the heat, add 1 Tbsp. minced garlic and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. Let the garlic and pepper flakes chill in the butter for about a minute, then add the shrimp and stir or toss.

Using tongs, toss your noodles with a hefty squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon zest, 1 tsp. Cantanzaro herbs (or Italian spice mix), salt and pepper to taste, and all but 1 Tbsp. of your toasted breadcrumbs.

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Add your butter and shrimp or chicken and 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese. Toss again.

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Plate the pasta, and if you want it to look pretty, top with reserved breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of parmesan and parsley. Serve with a fresh green salad so you don’t go into a carb coma. Dig in!

Tim told me this is better than what he gets at Italian restaurants, so I have that going for me.

Enjoy!

Savory Brown Butter Noodles and Shrimp (or chicken)

8 oz. pasta or egg noodles of your choice
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 lb. peeled, de-veined shrimp, or chicken, diced into 1″ pieces
1 Tbsp. (about 4 medium sized cloves) minced garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 large squeeze of fresh lemon juice or 1 tsp. bottled lemon juice
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 tsp. Cantanzaro herbs (or Italian spice mix)

Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook and drain pasta according to the directions on the package, and return it to the pot you boiled it in, off of the heat. If you think it might get sticky, add a touch of olive oil and toss with tongs.

While the pasta boils: In a skillet or wok, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally, until it’s foamy and just starting to brown (this will happen quickly). Add breadcrumbs to the butter and stir constantly until they are brown and toasty. Pour onto a dish and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet. Add your shrimp or chicken. If you haven’t marinated your meat, add some oil or butter to the skillet, and salt and pepper it.
Flip the shrimp over when you can tell that the white color is getting to the middle.
Cook the shrimp for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until it’s white and opaque all the way through. Chicken should cook until it is white and opaque all the way through and has reached 160° F (it will coast up to 165° F after being pulled off the heat).

Pull the shrimp/chicken off, place on a dish and set aside.

Wipe or clean out skillet as needed. Add 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter to the skillet. Heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once it’s foamy and starting to get brown, pull off the heat, add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Let the garlic and pepper flakes sit in the butter for about a minute, then add the shrimp.

Using tongs, toss your noodles with a hefty squeeze of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, Cantanzaro herbs (or Italian spice mix), salt and pepper to taste, and all but 1 Tbsp. of toasted breadcrumbs.

Add your butter and shrimp or chicken and 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese. Toss again.

Plate the pasta and top with reserved breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of parmesan and parsley. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Serves 2-3.