From Trinidad, in the sunny Caribbean, Nadia Ali offers her twist on a Caribbean favourite.
One pot chicken pelau She says: “This is one meal I can always count on. It’s easy to prepare, economical and the whole family enjoys it especially as I use lentils instead of black-eye beans as used in the original recipe. Served with a fresh green salad or coleslaw, it’s great when we can’t decide what to eat.”
Ingredients 2 chicken breasts 1/2 cup lentils 2 cups rice 1/2 diced onion 4 cloves garlic 6 tbsp tomato paste 3 tbsp chicken seasoning 2 tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup) 1 diced carrot Method Pre-cook the lentils until semi soft with salt and some chicken seasoning. Pre-wash 2 cups of rice and set aside. Cube the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. In a large pot, heat 6 tablespoons of oil with 4 tablespoons of brown sugar. Allow the sugar to caramelise before adding the chicken cubes. Toss lightly in the pot until the chicken is browned by the sugar. Add sufficient water to fill half the pot. Add the pre-washed rice into the pot with the chicken and water, adding the chicken seasoning, ketchup, tomato paste, onion and garlic. Leave to boil for about 30 minutes then add the lentils and carrots. Place the lid on and leave to cook until most of the liquid has almost been absorbed and the rice has softened. Turn off the heat and give the rice a turn. Serve with a green salad or coleslaw.
From Palestinian soil
Advertorial
Olive trees and their fruits have always been important to the Palestinian people. Now, Zaytoun, a fair-trade company based in the UK, is sharing Palestinian produce with the world. Zaytoun was started in 2004 by Heather Masoud and Cathi Pawson who brought 200 bottles of Palestinian olive oil to sell to friends and family in the UK. Both women had been doing voluntary work in Palestine, working with rural communities on issues such as land access, checkpoint human rights abuses and village closures. Since then, they have imported over 170 tons of olive oil to a mixture of retail and wholesale customers, in addition to regional fair-trade and Palestine campaign groups. As a fair-trade company, Zaytoun helps Palestinian producers to achieve Fairtrade and organic certification, thus making their products more marketable to UK customers. Zaytoun’s founders say, “We believe in supporting the Palestinian people’s right to a sustainable livelihood with dignity, through trade rather than aid. We know that the farmers we visit every year want their stories told - both the tales of the extreme challenges for a community under military occupation, and also the story of their rich and vibrant heritage which has been handed down through many generations of farming families.” The company imports their flagship product, extra virgin olive oil, as well as a range of other Palestinian produce - olives, Medjoul dates, almonds, couscous and za’atar. Zaytoun’s suppliers are a mixture of Palestinian NGOs and fair-trade companies who collect, test, bottle and store the oil from many farming cooperatives in the West Bank.
Zaytoun’s oil is from cooperatives in the Salfit, Nablus and Jenin areas, whilst their dates are from Palestinian farmers in Jericho. Women’s cooperatives are traditionally involved with za’atar production and also couscous preparation. Zaytoun were sourcing couscous from a women’s cooperative in Gaza but it has been impossible to bring anything out of Gaza for the last two years. Cathi and Heather both hope that Zaytoun will one day become obsolete as a campaigning tool. They say, “We know that the income we create for Palestinians through selling their produce in the UK, and the social and environmental benefits that this trade brings to their land and their families, is not only needed by a people who have few other employment opportunities, but also by our customers here in the UK as a way to do something positive and creative to help a people about whom they care very much.”
WIN a year’s supply of Zaytoun’s Palestinian olive oil!
Question: Name three of the Palestinian areas from which Zaytoun sources its olive oil.
Email your answer to competition@sisters-magazine.com along with your name and postal address. Closing date: 31 May 2009
Contact Zaytoun on 0845 345 4887 E: contact@zaytoun.org W: www.zaytoun.org
Terms and conditions: Open to anyone over 18 years of age. Open to residents of UK and Eire. One prize only of 12x500ml bottles olive oil will be sent to the first person with the correct answer to be drawn after the closing date.