Here is a fun pickled beet recipe that I’ve paired with a spicy chicken. One of the easiest ways to make spices and herbs part of your diet and gain the nutrients contained in them without having to eat a large quantity of energy-containing foods is to consume pickles and chutneys with your meals.
Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
½ lemon squeezed
Prep time: 15 mins + 12 hours marinade time
Cooking time: 40-45 mins
Serves 2 people
Preparation:
- Slice chicken to ½” wide strips.
- Add all the ingredients listed above and marinate chicken pieces overnight.
- Bake the marinated chicken in a 350° F oven for 20 minutes.
- Stir the chicken strips in the juices and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Arrange in a plate. Garnish with caramelized onion and Zatar powder (Zatar is a mix of dried thyme, roasted sesame seeds, oregano and salt – available in middle-eastern stores, or make it yourself.)
Pickled Beet Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 Beets – (about 14 ounces in weight)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ginger cut to small pieces
1 Green chili
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons Tamarind paste*
3 tablespoons of Canola oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp. brown sugarPrep time: 20 mins
Preparation:
- Cut beets into very thin slices.
- Sauté the slices in oil, remove from the pan and keep it on the side.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chili to the oil in the pan and sauté.
- Add the cayenne pepper, tamarind, brown sugar, and salt to the pan, and put the beets back in. Mix and sauté another minute.
- Eat 2 to 3 teaspoonful mixed with squeeze of lemon.
This will keep for at least 2 weeks when refrigerated.
Note on nutrient content of beetroot pickles
- Garlic contains vitamins B and C and dietary minerals manganese and phosphorus, calcium, iron and zinc.
- Ginger contains dietary mineral manganese.
- Chilies contain vitamins B and C and dietary minerals potassium, magnesium and iron.
- Tamarind contains B vitamins and calcium.
* Tamarind paste is often used in Thai and Indian cuisines. You can purchase it in jars in many supermarkets, or make it yourself by taking 2 tamarind pods, soaking them in hot water for 2 minutes, and squeezing the pulp out of them. Be sure to remove the seeds and shell fragments from the pulp.
