Armenia - #3

Tonights dinner is another Armenian classic. I love tahini, so I knew I'd have to make the grilled chicken with tahini sauce. Then I looked for sides, I found a recipe for rice pilaf with pine nuts and pomegranate seeds, as well as a spinach salad with pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Pomegranates are out of season right now though, so I had to come up with something else. I decided to make an orzo pilaf instead of rice because I love the way orzo cooks so fast and fluffs up. Instead of making a wilted spinach salad with waluts and pomegranate seeds, I made a pomegranate vinigarette and used almonds because I had them on hand. Enjoy my slight alterations to classic Armenian dishes!

Grilled Chicken with Tahini Sauce and Grilled Figs,

Orzo Pilaf with Pine Nuts & Spinach Salad with Almonds and Pomegranate Viniagrette

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
Sauce:
1/4 cup tahini
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 freshly squeezed lemon
1/4 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt


6 green figs, halved


Place chicken in a dish, add the garlic, oil, pepper and salt, turn to coat. Set in the fridge and marinate for 1 hour.
To make tahini sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for up to a few hours, or refrigerate for 3 days.
To cook the chicken, grill over medium high for 8 minutes per side.
Transfer to a serving platter, grill the figs for 1 minute.
Place and top with tahini sauce.



Orzo Pilaf:
1/2 cup dry orzo
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. flat leaf parsley


Boil the orzo for 8 minutes, drain and set aside. Add olive oil to pot, saute' onions and garlic for 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add in spices and orzo, toss to combine.



Spinach Salad:
4 cups baby spinach
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
Pomegranate Viniagrette:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil


Bring pomegranate juice to a boil in a small saucepot, reduce until it's syrupy, about 5 minutes (this should give you about 3 tbsp. of syrup). Set pot off burner to cool. Mix in sugar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Whisk to combine, taste for seasonings, pomegranate is very tart!
Toss spinach and almonds in dressing and plate.

Grilled chicken taken directly from:
The Armenian Table, Victoria Fenanyan Wise. St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY. 2004.