Mediterranean Yellow Rice

Recipe taken from The Mediterranean Dish and What a Girl Eats

Ingredients:
-2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)
-3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
-1 medium yellow onion, diced
-1 garlic clove, minced (I used 3 garlic cloves and could have used more)
-2 lemons + zest (I just used 1 lemon)
-2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
-1 tsp turmeric (sprinkled)
-1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
-pinch of salt and pepper (didn't do, but should have)
(OMITTED - orzo and parsley garnish)

Directions:
1. Wash rice and soak for 15-20 min
2. Heat olive oil in pan (I used extra large pan) until oil shimmering.
3. Add onions and cook for 3 min until translucent
4. Add garlic
5. Add rice
6. Add turmeric + salt + pepper
7. Add lemon juice and broth
8. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (reduce a little)
9. Turn heat on low and cover for 20 minutes
10. Remove rice from heat, leave it covered, and sit for another 10 minutes
11. Add lemon zest + toasted nuts
12. Garnish with parsley - didn't do

Notes:

-could have used more salt as I forgot it

MODIFIED SIMPLIFIED VERSION - ALL IN THE RICE COOKERFOR SIMPLICITY

Ingredients:
-rice (basmati)
-onion flakes

-garlic flakes

-garlic powder

-turmeric (sprinkle)

-salt and pepper

-1 lemon + zest

-low sodium chicken broth (instead of water)

Directions:

Put all in rice cooker 

Served with toasted pine nuts 

Chicken Shawarma/Mediterranean Chicken

Recipe modified from Chef Savvy and The Little Pine - also looked at Skinnytaste.com and adjusted spices

Ingredients:
-Chicken - used 1.75 lbs of chicken strips (for 3 days, 6 servings)
-1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
-Juice from 1 lemon + zest
-1 Tbsp balsalmic vinegar 
-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 tsp ground cumin (Skinnytaste 1 tsp cumin)
-2 tsp paprika (Skinnytaste 1 tsp smoked paprika)
-1 tsp turmeric (Skinnytaste 1/4 tsp turmeric + 1/4 tsp curry powder)
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (Skinnytaste 1/8 tsp cinnamon)
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
-Marinate for 3 hours or longer
-Bake in oven 375 degrees for 20 min

Notes:

Served with Mediterranean rice and broccoli.  I thought it was good.  It tasted similar to Jamaican jerk recipe probably because of the cinnamon?

-had some notes to add less paprika and cumin, but I didn't and tasted good 2nd time around

-I think key ingredient is lemon zest

*Mediterranean