Baked Chicken with Basil (Middle Eastern Style) - Margaret Ullrich

Ah... Basil.

You've already used it when you made my Ma's meatballs.

Well, now's the time to taste what it does to chicken.

A dinner main course usually has three basic parts.

Meat, vegetables and starch.

And, in North America, the starch is usually rice, potatoes or pasta.

And we wonder why the kids are bored at dinner time.

There's a world of starches out there, folks.

And they're most likely in your regular grocery store.

You just have to look.

Or ask that nice, cute clerk.

In the Middle East bulgur is a staple starch.

There the kids would be surprised by French fries.

Yep, they're bored by bulgur.

So it goes.... 

                       

                        Chicken with Basil

Season 

2 legs and 2 breasts 

with

salt and pepper

Brown in butter and oil.  Remove.

In the same pot, cook until translucent

1 medium onion, chopped 

Add

1/2 Cup ground almonds

1/4 Cup honey

1/2 Tablespoon basil

1 clove garlic, chopped  

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook, stirring over gentle heat.

Combine

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 Cup chicken broth

Add.  Cook, stirring over high heat.                         

Remove from heat, add

juice of 1/2 lemon 

                     

Replace chicken, cover with sauce (can be stored in the fridge).

Bake, covered in 350º oven 1 hour. 

Serve with bulgur, and watercress salad with red onion and parsley.