Readers with no connection to the United States (neither born or living in the US), forgive this post as it is US centered (I know…just like an American to be self-centered….)
Recently the New York Times put together a map of the United States that show the migration within the US. Each state shows what percentage of people living in the state were born there, what percentage were born outside of the US, and what percentage was born from various other states. Here are some interesting finds:
- The states with the lowest percentage of people living in a state that was born there: Nevada (25%), Florida (36%), District of Columbia (37%) and Arizona (38%).
- The highest percentage: Louisiana (79%), Michigan (77%), Ohio (75%) and Pennsylvania (74%).
- 28% of California’s population was born outside of the US.
- 19% of Nevada’s population was born in California.
- Less than 1% of Ohio’s population was born in California, like me.
Ras El Hanout and Moroccan Spice Blend
This kind of recipe was a little different from I normally make, but I am glad I did. It was a good meal and even my boys liked it.
The Moroccan spice blend uses a lot of different spices. If I didn’t already have them all in my spice pantry, I would have probably just bought the blend.
Once you have the blend, the rest is pretty easy to put together.
Start the beans and onion.
Add the peppers.
The chicken and the rice comes in next.
Delectable!
Ras El Hanout and Moroccan Spice Blend
prep 10 minutes ∙ source Moroccanfood.about.com
INGREDIENTS
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamon
- 2 teaspoons ground mace
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
DIRECTIONS
Blend all of the spices in a bowl. Transfer to a glass jar, and store in a dry, dark place.
Use Ras El Hanout to season tagines, stews, meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. It keeps well for several months.
Middle Eastern-Style Chicken, Veggies and Rice
prep 15 M ∙ cook 15 M ∙ makes 4 servings ∙ difficulty Easy ∙ source Foodnetwork.com
INGREDIENTS
- Two 8.5-to-8.8-ounce packages 90-second, microwave-ready whole grain brown rice, or 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
- 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and halved on the diagonal
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 10 ounces shredded rotisserie chicken breast meat, about 2 cups (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
- 3/4 teaspoon Moroccan spice blend (ras el hanout) or ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the rice according to package directions. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large deep skillet over high heat. Add the green beans and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir-fry until the green beans and peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the shredded chicken, rice, spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until no excess liquid remains, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and pine nuts and serve.
Per serving: Calories: 489; Total Fat 17 grams; Saturated Fat: 3 grams; Protein: 29 grams; Total carbohydrates: 57 grams; Sugar: 6 grams Fiber: 7 grams; Cholesterol: 59 milligrams; Sodium: 631 milligrams
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Reblogged this on Catholic Glasses and commented:
Looks great. I think I’d skip the cayenne pepper, though.
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looks SO good…!
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Reblogged this on Smart Food Solutions.
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Yum! Such a good way to use up cooked rice.
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