Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bowl

Rice bowls are one of those things that are so simple and quick to put together. You can be so creative with anything you want to put on top of them. I love making mediterranean platters, just putting all these topping on a plate and using the naan to just scoop and build on, and using your hands it’s very interactive and a fun way to eat. But this time I switched it up and made it into a rice bowl. The baba ganoush, hummus and naan are just so much better homemade. It’s kind of a game changer. So if you do have a little extra time put some extra love into the bowl and make it really special.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pulled rotisserie chicken
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 cups cooked basmati rice
• 1/2 cup english cucumber sliced
• 1 small zucchini, sauteed or grilled
• 1/2 cup feta, cubed (I love big pieces of the feta)
• 1 cup heirloom tomatoes, wedged
• Baba ganoush (recipe follows)
• Hummus (recipe follows)
• Naan (recipe follows)
• Parsley butter drizzled on top

Directions

In a small bowl combine all the spices together and sprinkle on top of the chicken, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat up a medium saute pan with a little bit of oil over medium high heat and add the chicken. Because it’s rotisserie chicken it’s already cooked so you really just have to heat it through. Remove it from the heat or push it to the side and add in the zucchini. Cook for just a couple minutes just until it starts to get tender and golden.

To build the rice bowls, grab your two favorite bowls and add in the rice. Top with the cooked chicken, zucchini, feta, tomatoes. Add in a couple spoonfuls of the baba ganoush and hummus and serve with the naan.

Melt about 2 tbsp of butter and add in just 1 tbsp of fresh parsley and drizzle that on top of the bowls just for a little added deliciousness!

Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

Grab the food processor with the metal blade attachment and add in the garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon. Give it a couple pulses and then with the motor running add in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and making sure to scrape down the sides. Blend until it’s really smooth.

Baba ganoush

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. lemon juiced
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, and score the flesh. Drizzle and little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the egg plant until it’s completely fork tender, about 30-40 minutes depending how big the eggplant is.

Once cooked, cool completely and scoop out the flesh into a food processor, remove the skin. Add in the rest of the ingredients drizzling in the olive oil at the end. Puree until it’s really smooth.

Naan

I make this recipe probably once a week! It’s the best!!!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water (like 90-95 degrees, warm to the touch)
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 3/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 3/4 cup warm whole milk
• 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

In a bowl with the stand mixer, combine the warm, honey and yeast. Let sit and bubble up for about 5-10 minutes.

Add in the milk, yogurt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using the dough hook mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 2-4 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky. Turn out onto a floured surface and just knead into a smooth ball. Grease the bowl and add the dough back into the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm spot for about an hour until it doubles in size.

Once it has risen, punch it down and divide into 8 equal parts. Roll them all into balls and start rolling each one out until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.

When ready to cook, heat a large grill pan or cast iron over medium high heat. When the pan is really screaming hot, drizzle a little oil into the pan and place the naan onto the pan. Let sit for about 20-30 seconds on each side just until it starts to bubble and beautiful char marks form on either side. It goes really quick so don’t walk away! Finish with remaining naan. Once finished you can brush a little butter on them if you wish as well!