kebabs with harissa

What IS harissa? That's a good question. I vaguely remember a contestant on 'Next Food Network Star' using it in one of his dishes. I also remember he said something about it being the 'mayonnaise of the Turkish cuisine.' I hate mayo and quickly and wrongly assumed it WAS mayo. Wrong... so so very wrong. I think what he meant was that it was as commonly used as mayo is in America. I wish our mayo tasted like harissa.

The harissa that I made was packed with peppers, some spicy, some sweet, as well as garlic and seasonings. It adds incredible flavor to nearly any protein you put it on and is much healthier than mayonnaise. I'd put it on chicken (which I did), pork, beef and even shrimp to spice up their flavors.

In this particular dish I went all out Turkish and also used the za'atar seasoning on my chicken. Please, do yourself a favor and add that to the chicken. It's fabulous, and the sesame seeds add a little crunch! YUM! I served it with a tasty Tunisian salad that's made with greek yogurt & feta.

So far, Turkey is on my good cuisine list!


Turkish Chicken Kebabs, serves 2-3

Za'Atar Seasoning

• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 tsp ground black pepper

Chicken Kebabs

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• Wooden skewers

String the chicken breasts onto 4 wooden skewers. Sprinkle with za'atar seasoning and grill over medium heat until cooked through. Top with Harissa.

Harissa, adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

• 2 large bell peppers
• 1 1/4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 jalapeño, seeded & chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Puree bell peppers and next 6 ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. With motor running pour in olive oil and blend until combined.