A meal using only Valley of Jordan Spices

Author & Photographer: Malka Schreier

When I made the decision to move off campus, I wanted to make sure that I still ate a variety of foods, even if that meant that I would have to cook something every night. I wanted to find and create recipes that weren’t too complicated, that I could make in large portions to last for a few days, and that were relatively healthy. Luckily, I live less than five minutes away from Valley of Jordan, a Mediterranean grocery store located on 53rd between Ellis and Greenwood. Not only is it my useful, nearby go-to for when I’m running out of key ingredients halfway through making a recipe, but it also contains a handy aisle full of different spices that aren’t as easily found elsewhere on 53rd. I decided to buy all of the spices that piqued my interest and experiment with different recipes in my attempt to continuously try new things. The spices at Valley of Jordan come in copious quantities, leaving you plenty of room to invent new dishes. 

I have included three recipes below that incorporate spices from Valley of Jordan. I prepared all three of them together to form a complete meal for my mother when she came to visit. Although you will need to separately buy the bases for these dishes (the meat, vegetables, etc.), they are all readily accessible in Hyde Park. The spices will (hopefully) add an original spin to these recipes. 

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All three recipes turned out well, especially the salad; I am a big fan of slightly sweet salads and the mint addition made for a nice final touch. The sweet potatoes are not too different from regular baked sweet potatoes, but I thought the addition of the za'atar made them a little more exciting, and I will likely experiment with using more za’atar and other spices in the future. The spice rub on the chicken does not totally bake away, so you can still taste a thin layer of spices. I like the slight crunch, but if you don’t, feel free to use less of the spice mixture or fry the chicken instead of baking it. This goes for all of the recipes–if you really like the taste of za’atar, for example, add more of it and if you don’t like mint, leave it out. There isn’t one ingredient that you absolutely need, so be creative with substitutions. Enjoy!

Spice Blend Chicken
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Ingredients

  • 20 oz chicken breast

  • 3 tbsp sumac

  • 3 tbsp za’atar

  • 4 tbsp Aleppo red pepper

  • 1 tbsp olive oil 

  • Sprinkle of salt

  • 1/3 cup chicken broth 

Optional garnish

  • Lettuce leaves and pomegranate seeds

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  2. Cut the chicken in ½ to ¾-inch wide strips.

  3. Mix the sumac, za’atar, and Aleppo red pepper in a large bowl. 

  4. Toss the chicken strips in with the spices. 

  5. Put the chicken in an oven-safe baking dish. Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on top. 

  6. Bake for 9-10 minutes. 

  7. Take the chicken out momentarily to add the chicken broth.

  8. Place the chicken back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

  9. Take out and serve hot or cold (I actually liked the leftover chicken better the next day). 

Salad with pomegranate molasses
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Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber, peeled

  • 1 tomato

  • 1 large red bell pepper

For the dressing

  • ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses

  • 1 tbsp dried mint 

  • ½ a lemon, juiced 

  • ½ tbsp olive oil 

  • ¼ tsp salt 

Optional garnish

  • Pomegranate seeds



 

Instructions

  1. Cut the peeled cucumber, tomato, and pepper into small cubes. 

  2. Add the pomegranate molasses, dried mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and mix together. 

  3. Optional: Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top for a bit of crunch. 

  4. Add any extra ingredients to taste. 

  5. Store in the fridge for half an hour before enjoying so the salad is cold and fresh. 

Za’atar Sweet Potatoes 
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Ingredients

  • 1-2 large sweet potatoes 

  • 1 large onion

  • ¼ tsp salt 

  • ½ tbsp olive oil 

  • 1 tbsp za’atar

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  2. Cut the sweet potatoes and onions into thin rounds. 

  3. Lay the sweet potatoes evenly out onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the onions on top. 

  4. Sprinkle the salt and za’atar on top, and drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes. 

  5. Bake until the onion is cooked and the sweet potatoes are soft–about 20-25 minutes.  

  6. Remove from the oven and set aside.




































Melanie WangComment