Lemon Garlic Chicken Pilaf

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Mjadra

This style of pilaf is commonly called mjadra or njedra, and many cooks use brown rice in place of the bulgur and serve it as a vegetarian meal.

A squeeze of fresh lemon over the finished lentils brings out the sweetness of the caramelized onions.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4. Prep time: 35 minutes active; 6 hours, 30 minutes total.

4 6-ounce boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon Frontier dried thyme

1 teaspoon Frontier paprika

2 tablespoons Frontier ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon Frontier red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup bulgar

4 1/4 cups water, divided

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 cup green lentils, uncooked

5 cups yellow onions, julienned (2-3 large onions)

1 teaspoon Frontier dried oregano

PREPARATION

In a glass or metal bowl, combine the lemon juice garlic, thyme, paprika, red pepper flakes and 1/2 tablespoon of ground cumin to make a marinade. Add the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Place marinated chicken breasts in a shallow casserole dish in a single layer, and bake 20 minutes or until cooked to an internal temperature of 165º F. While the chicken is baking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ground cumin and the oregano to the onions and sauté 10 minutes more until the onions are browned. Remove from heat.

While the onions are cooking, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let the bulgur soak up the water (about 10 minutes), then drain through a fine mesh strainer. In a small stockpot, add the lentils, 3 cups of water, and the bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes until lentils are tender, and remove from heat and drain. To serve, toss the bulgur and lentils together, divide the pilaf among four plates, and top each portion with caramelized onions. Serve with a chicken breast.

Nutritional information per serving:

716 calories 15 g. fat

145mg. cholesterol 169 mg. sodium

75 g. carbohydrate 15 g. fiber

73 g. protein

The nutritional values and information provided are approximations.

© 2013 National Cooperative Grocers Association