Ultimate Recipe Swap: Israeli Spice Chicken

When I read that the theme for today's Ultimate Recipe Swap was spicy foods, I immediately thought of one of our all-time favorite dishes: Israeli Spice Chicken.

This dish makes it onto my menu pretty often but certainly not often enough for my husband's liking! He says he could eat it several times a week and not get tired of it! I don't know about that but it sure is good!

This recipe is from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2. When I first tried it as a newlywed, I had to first purchase the more 'unusual' spices like cumin and coriander. I had no idea that would spark a love for cumin, which I now purchase in the big container from Sam's Club. We like cumin in any kind of spicy or Mexican food now.

Anyways, back to the recipe. I sometimes follow her recipe exactly and cut 4 breasts in half. More often though, I only use a breast or two for frugal purposes or because it's all I have left! I often will cut this into chunks which also works well for stuffing into pita pockets.

Rachael recommends serving this spicy chicken with a marinated tomato salad, which is really good when tomatoes are cheap and in season. We like it with hummus, tabouli and pita bread. It's even delicious with boring sides like brown rice and a green vegetable which happens more frequently around here, especially on a busy weekday.

This spice rub is delicious on other meats, too. And if you don't use it all, it stores well in a covered container.

So here's the recipe that will open the cook's sinuses!

Israeli Spice Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts(1 1/2 to 2 pounds) split to make 8 pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 Tablespoons Israeli Spice Rub

Israeli Spice Rub
1& 1/2 Tablespoons paprika
1& 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Teaspoon oregano
1 Teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 to 1 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1& 1/2 Teaspoons coarse Kosher salt

Warm pita or flat bread, for passing(if desired)

Directions:
Place chicken in a shallow dish. Drizzle with olive oil to barely coat the meat. Rub chicken liberally with spice blend. Let stand 10 minutes.
Preheat grill pan or large nonstick skillet to medium-high. Grill chicken 6 or 7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. (Smaller strips or chunks may not take as long to cook.)

Enjoy!

**For more hot and spicy recipe, visit Life as Mom for the Ultimate Recipe Swap!