By NERIA BARRPasta with chicken livers(photo credit: DUDU AZOULAI)
Chicken is one of the most versatile meats there is. You can roast it in many different ways, fry it, grill it or boil it. Every cuisine has its chicken dishes, and every family has its favorite recipes.But the most important ingredient in all of these is the chicken itself. If you want to improve even more on your favorite recipes, try using fresh, naturally farmed chicken and you will notice the difference.New in Israel, the Meshek Artzi chicken farm grows its poultry as close to nature as possible, feeding the chickens an all-natural vegetarian diet and using no antibiotics or other chemicals. They say that the chickens are kept in low-density coops and are supervised by veterinarians throughout the farming process.A large variety of cuts of the Artzi chickens is sold at supermarkets and delicatessens.Celebrity chef Nir Tzuk prepared a few recipes from the Artzi chickens for us.Try them.PASTA WITH CHICKEN LIVERS AND RAS EL HANOUTServes 6 ✔ 500 gr. fettuccine pasta ✔ 500 gr. chicken livers ✔ 1 level Tbsp. ras el hanout * ✔ 4 medium zucchini ✔ 4 cloves garlic, minced ✔ Zest of 3 lemons ✔ Bunch parsley leaves, chopped ✔ ½ cup olive oil ✔ 1 cup dry white wine *Ras el hanout is a seasoning mixture that can be found in spice shops.Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain.Cut the zucchini into 1-cm.-thick strips.In a large pot, sauté the livers in a little oil, add the seasonings and continue cooking until browned. Remove the livers from the pot.Add the zucchini to the pot and sauté until golden. Add the garlic, then return the livers to the pot. Add the cooked pasta and the wine and cook 1 minute.Turn the heat off, add the lemon zest, olive oil and parsley to the pot and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.CHICKEN FILLET WITH VEGETABLE RAGOUTServes 6 ✔ 900 gr. fillet of chicken ✔ 2 leeks ✔ 1 package of celery stalks ✔ 500 gr. champignon mushrooms ✔ 4 cloves garlic ✔ Juice of 2 lemons ✔ ½ Tbsp. honey ✔ 1 tsp. smoked paprika ✔ Pinch ground coriander For the marinade ✔ 1 cup olive oil ✔ 3 sprigs thyme ✔ 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika ✔ Salt and pepper Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate the chicken for 2 hours.Slice the leeks and celery thinly. Halve the mushrooms. Peel the garlic cloves and mince.In a large skillet, sauté the leeks and celery in a little oil until transparent.Add the rest of the ingredients, except the chicken, and toss. Continue cooking until vegetables are cooked through.Remove from the skillet and place on a serving dish.In a different skillet, sauté the chicken in a little oil until done. Place the chicken on top of the vegetable ragout and serve.CHICKEN SALADMakes 6 ✔ 500 gr. chicken breast ✔ 50 gr. bean noodles ✔ 1 sweet potato ✔ 1 beetroot ✔ 1 zucchini ✔ 250 gr. cherry tomatoes ✔ 2 avocados ✔ Juice of 2 lemons ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ 2 Tbsp. olive oil Boil water in a large pot, add a little salt and blanch the chicken for 10 minutes.Remove from the water, strain and cool.When cooled, cr umble the chicken by hand.Meanwhile, peel sweet potato, and slice into 1-cm.-thick slices. Cut the slices into cubes. Peel beetroot into 1-cm.-thick slices. Cut the slices into cubes.Slice zucchini into thin slices, place in a small bowl and add juice of 1 lemon, 1 Tbsp.olive oil and a little salt, mix and set aside.Boil water in a medium pot. When boiling place the bean noodles in the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the noodles from the boiling water. Cook the sweet potato cubes until soft and remove from boiling water. In the same water, cook the beet cubes until soft and strain.Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a salad bowl. Peel the avocado and cut into cubes. Add the tomatoes in the bowl. Add all the ingredients to the salad bowl, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss and serve.■ Recipes and photos courtesy of Meshek Artzi and Nir Tzuk
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