Imjadara, which is a rice dish mixed with lentils and sauteed onions, is one of my favorites! It's known as a simpler and 'less fancy' dish than others in the world of Middle Eastern food, but I still absolutely love it! I love making it with chicken, and this chicken on a can recipe is is to die for! The crispy, seasoned skin on the chicken will have you reaching for seconds!
I served this dish with a side of fresh yogurt, drizzled with olive oil, and a delicious Mediterranean salad (not pictured), for added flavor and variety!
The garlic and sriracha flavors in the chicken were so tasty and the method I used to cook it gave a beautiful crispiness to the chicken.
Chicken on a can is one of the easiest, yet most delicious ways you can cook a chicken in my opinion. You get the most flavor, and if you love a crispy skin, then this is your way! Because it's just me and my husband that I cooked for, I used a Cornish hen instead of a whole chicken. The flavors were just as bold and delicious and we didn't have to waste any food!
Imjadara can be made in many different ways. It's taken me a few tries to perfect it the way I like. This is the way my husband and I like it the most and I feel that you get to taste all of the amazing flavors equally!
Imjadara
Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 2 People
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Vermicelli, not toasted
1 cup Golden Rice, uncooked
1/2 cup Brown Lentils
1 Clove Garlic, sliced thinly
1 tsp. Salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
Parsley, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium plastic bowl, allow golden rice to soak for about 30 minutes.
In a small plastic bowl, soak the lentils for 30 minutes. Drain
Rinse the rice one or two times to remove any excess starch. mix in lentils. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook onion for about 8 minutes, until the onions are transparent and have turned a golden brown. Set aside.
In a medium size pot, heat another tbsp. of olive oil on medium heat. Pour in the vermicelli and begin cooking. Continuously stir to get an even toast on all of the vermicelli noodles. Cook for only about 3-4 minutes. (Keep an eye on them because they burn very quickly). Remove from heat when the noodles become a golden brown.
Once they are cooked, add in HALF of the onions, the other half will be used for garnish.
Add the soaked rice and lentils on top of the onions and vermicelli. Fill the pot with enough water so that the rice is covered and the water is about 1/2 an inch over it.
Place back on the stove on medium heat
Add in all of the spices and garlic. Give the rice and ingredients a good stir to incorporate the ingredients and to ensure an even cook.
Bring to a boil while uncovered. Once the water begins to boil, cover the rice and reduce heat to a medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes, until there is no water left in the pot and the rice is fluffy.
Garnish with parsley and the rest of the onions.
Enjoy!
Chicken on a Can
Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 2 People
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 Cornish hen
1 7.5 oz. Mountain Dew Soda can (or any citrus flavor soda i.e. Sprite, 7up, Fanta)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Roasted Garlic and Herb Spice
1 Tbsp. Garlic Sriracha Spice
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Turmeric
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
In a plastic bowl, place the cleaned chicken in it and drizzle the olive oil on the chicken. Rub thoroughly to coat the whole chicken.
Evenly spice the chicken with the spices above. Make sure the skin is covered evenly for taste and a crispy texture.
Open a can of the mini soda and discard 1/3 of it. Leave the rest to give a citrus flavor addition to the chicken while cooking. Place the can in the middle of the baking pan, standing up filled with 2/3 soda.
Very carefully, stand the seasoned Cornish hen onto the the can so that it is balancing on the can.
Cook for one hour.
Lower the temperature to 300 and cook for about another hour.
Once the skin of the chicken is golden brown and crispy it is ready to be served.
Enjoy!
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