Musakhan, Baked Lava Style in an RV

 I didn't want to write about dinner last night...I've done that to death. We grilled a kielbasa, I made cole slaw and some French fries. Not that exciting, but, tasty, nonetheless. Instead, I thought I would share this recipe that I came up with over a week ago and it was fantastic!! I picked up a package of organic, free-range chicken thighs for a very good price. A while back, I discovered this tasty little spice called ground sumac. It's wonderful! It has a lemony component to it flavor that just goes great with chicken or shrimp or fish or any other mild flavored meat. I don't really use it on beef, although, I suppose you could.
Musakhan is Palestinian and this is my version.

 Musakhan, Baked Lava Style
**4 servings

4 organic, free range chicken thighs
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground sumac
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons lemon juice plus zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare a 9x9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil. (I did the latter of the two). Arrange chicken in baking dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
In a small dish, combine sumac,  sea salt, allspice, black pepper and lemon zest. Sprinkle evenly over chicken thighs. Top with sliced onions. Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the whole pan, drizzle lemon juice on top of everything. You can add another sprinkle of sea salt, if desired.
Bake, uncovered, for about 35-40 minutes or until chicken is done.


Traditionally, this dish is done a bit differently. To view a traditional Musakhan recipe, click here.
It is served on Palestinian bread and it sounds utterly fantastic prepared in the traditional way, too. I just made it a bit easier.
In Palestinian countries, especially in rural villages, this dish symbolizes self-sufficiency as the ingredients are readily available in any rural village household. This dish is both nutritious and delicious.

I served this with my version of bread which was a box of stuffing mix...LOL! I also made some fresh green beans with onion and bacon and a nice salad to go along with it all.
I hope you enjoy...PEACE!