Freekeh is wheat that is harvested when it is still young and full of protein. The wheat is roasted and has a slightly nutty flavor and chewy texture. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and is full of fiber. This dish is an easy dinner for 2 any night of the week.

2 chicken legs, skin on

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 scallions, tips trimmed

1 clove garlic, peeled

½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeds removed

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ounce apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white wine

1 cup freekeh, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes

1 ½ cups chicken broth, at a light simmer

Optional garnishes: 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts and/ or fresh cilantro

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
Roughly chop the scallions, garlic, cilantro, and poblano. Transfer to a mini blender and start to blend. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and blend to a smooth paste, along with the spices.

Heat up a medium sized pot with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and sear the chicken legs, skin side down first, about 5 minutes. When they are nice and brown, turn them over and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Drain off any excess oil and add the liquid to deglaze the pan. Rapidly scrape up any protein bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the freekeh and stir. Once the liquid has evaporated from the rice (1-2 minutes), add the herb paste and stir well. Cook for a few more minutes, then nestle the chicken pieces in the freekeh, and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook until the broth has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Serves 2.

The point of this dish was to take a classic Bolognese and make it with the meat of ruminants: goat, lamb, and beef. To add to the rumination, we also used goat milk instead of regular milk and a Pecorino for finishing off the dish. We love a lot of tomato flavor, but it is up to you how much you will want to add.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter or goat butter

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 stalk of celery, peeled and roughly chopped

½ onion, peeled and roughly chopped

½ lb ground lamb

½ lb ground goat

½ lb ground beef

1 cup white wine

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup goat milk

1 cup grated pecorino romano

400 g dried fettuccine or tagliatelle

Salt and Pepper

Chop the vegetables in a food processor until almost a puree, but with still a bit of texture.
Heat up the oil and butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
Add the vegetables and sweat until translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the ground meats and stir. Cook until the meat is well browned. 
Pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol has evaporated.
Add the tomato paste (you might have to adjust the quantity according to how tomato-y you would like it to be) and the milk and bring to a simmer. Cook at a very low simmer for about an 1 hour.  Bolognese sauces can take anywhere from 1-6 hours.  The longer the better, but 1 hour will produce a delicious sauce just the same. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Before you drain, scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot. Pour in the cooking liquid to moisten the pasta and prevent if from clumping. Add the meat sauce and toss well.
Serve with the fresh pecorino on top.