Recipes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

1 small yellow onion, cut into small dice

4-5 fresh garlic cloves, see Note below

1 ¼ cups basmati or jasmine rice

— Kosher salt

2 cups chicken stock or water, hot 1½ cups, approximately, cooked chickpeas

— Zest of 1 lemon

½ cup fresh spearmint leaves, cut into very thin ribbons

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

 ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3-4 tarragon leaves, minced

8-10 rosemary needles, minced

 — Juice of 1 lemon

 — Black pepper in a mill

¾ cup Straus whole milk yogurt

Preparation

Put the oil into a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion, sauté until soft and fragrant, about 12 minutes, add the garlic, and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the rice, stir, and season with salt. Add the stock or water, bring to a boil, cover the pan, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat without uncovering and let sit for 10 minutes.

Uncover the rice, use a fork to fluff it, add the chickpeas, and toss together. Cover and let sit 5 minutes to warm the chickpeas through. Uncover and add the lemon zest, mint, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, rosemary, and lemon juice. Add several turns of black pepper, taste, and correct for salt.

Serve neat, with yogurt alongside, or use as a bed for grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, or lamb kebabs.

Note: Fresh garlic is garlic that has not yet been cured, that is, left to dry, which makes it store well. It is juicier and has a brighter flavor that cured garlic. It is just now appearing at our farmers markets.

This recipe is from Michele Anna Jordan who is the author of 24 books to date. Contact her at michele@micheleannajordan.com