Tonight’s “T.V.” dinner is chicken sumac, Naan bread with spicy lebni and zaatar spices and a Mediterranean salad.
I found this cool Persian Sumac marinade by Wild Garden at my local neighborhood market’s meat counter and just had to try it. It’s a pre-packaged liquid marinade, making it super easy to make this declicious meal. The marinade gives the chicken a tangy acidic taste, so it’s very fresh and light. Here is the link to Wild Garden’s directions and you can see if you can find it in your local store as well: https://www.wildgarden.com/product/persian-quick-marinade/
I also bought some Lebni, and some flatbread to make a Zaatar spiced Lebni flatbread. The Zaatar spices I bought at Christmas at World Market. Zaatar spice recipes can vary greatly, but za‘atar is generally a combination of dried oregano, thyme, and/or marjoram (woodsy and floral), with sumac (tangy and acidic) and toasted sesame seeds (nutty and rich). Lebni or
labneh is similar in consistency (but way thicker) and taste (but not as sweet) to plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (not as sour). It’s a Middle Eastern tangy, ultra-strained yogurt. I was first introduced to it, at…wait for it…California Pizza Kitchen. Sprinkle the Zaatar on the flatbread, toast it, then spread the lebni on with another sprinkle and maybe even a squeeze of lemon.
I also made a simple Mediterranean salad with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and the za’atar spices.
Enjoy this meal with a white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or even a Chardonnay made in stainless steel barrels. One of our favorites is Rombauer – all of their wines are amazing at a relatively good price.
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