Persian Chelo with Chicken

This is a spectacular Iranian dish of rice and chicken baked together on top of the stove to give a crisp crust and a soft filling.  I liked the combination of spices however I left out the raisins in mine (I just don’t like them) and as usual I cooked this in my cast iron fryer.  I got this recipe from Food and Drink Spring 2015.

RICE
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salt
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
3 cups water

CHICKEN
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp turmeric
1 kg skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced in 1 inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
6 cups packed spinach, washed, stemmed and sliced.
3/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

GARNISH
2 tbsp toasted chopped pistachios
2 tbsp sliced candied orange peel (optional)

• Melt 3 tbsp butter in heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add allspice, cinnamon and black pepper.  Season with salt.  Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add rice and water and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly al dent.  Remove from heat and spread rice on a baking sheet to cool.  Season with more salt if needed.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Add remaining oil and stir in garlic, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken to skillet and sauté for 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is thick and chicken is no longer pink.  Add spinach and raisins and ooh for 2 more minutes or until spinach wilts.  Stir in mint.  Taste for seasoning and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Melt remaining butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until butter is foamy.  Remove and reserve 2 tbsp of melted butter.  Remove pan from heat and add half of rice, spreading it evenly over base of skillet.  Use a spatula to compress it slightly.  Spoon chicken mixture over the rice in an even layer.  Finish with remaining rice, again compressing with a spatula.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole down through the centre of the mixture to let steam escape.  Drizzle with reserved melted butter.
• Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice has formed a golden crust on the bottom.  Watch so it does not get too dark.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Use a spatula to loosen sides.  Reverse pan onto a large serving plate so the golden bottom crust is on top.  
• Break up mixture with a spoon.  Garnish with pistachios and candied orange.

Serves 6

Pumpkin Squares

Instead of Pumpkin Pie, try these squares for something a little different.  They are simple and delicious.  Dress up by drizzling with some cream cheese topping or leave plain.  From Food and Drink 2003

2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups canned pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice or nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

TOPPING
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Mix flour and icing sugar together with butter and salt in a food processor or by hand until mixture just comes together.  Do not let it form a ball.  Pat into lined baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden at the edges.
4. In food processor or blender, combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar, corn syrup, whipping cream, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt.  Process until well combined.  Scrape sides and process again.
5. Pour over base and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until centre springs back when touched.  Cool squares.
6. Combine butter and cream cheese with a hand beater until soft and fluffy.  Beat in icing sugar and milk.  Pour into a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one corner.  Drizzle over squares.  Chill then cut into squares.

Makes 24 squares.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

These are definitely kid approved!  Great for Halloween or any time, kids can help decorate once they are done.  Based on a recipe from Todays Parent magazine October 2009.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
Icing and decorating supplies

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line 16 muffin tin compartments with paper cupcake liners
In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy - about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Beat in pumpkin puree.  On low speed, alternately stir flour mixture and milk into butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour.  Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes; they're done when a toothpick poked into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, with no batter clinging to it.  Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Ice and decorate!