I saw this author/chef on a Good Morning America show recently and liked this recipe he made. So, even though I could print out the recipe I ordered his cookbook – there’s no better way to find information about different cuisines, authors and their cooking methods.
Arash is a self-taught cook, with Persian roots, who shares his personal journey with food, who wanted to lose weight, was never a cook but always loved food. His goal is to provide the reader with low-carb and healthy recipes.
He launched Kaizen (Kai for change and Zen for the better) Food Company to develop a tasty, low-carb and high-protein pasta and rice. I bought a box of his pasta which is made with lupini beans and will use it in another recipe.
His name is Arash Hashemi who wrote Shred Happens: So Easy So Good and was just published in March, 2025. There are 100 protein-packed Mediterranean and Middle Eastern favorites with a low-carb twist. There is a lengthy introduction to his cookbook on how he left his corporate job to pursue this new interest.
Power bowls are the perfect dish for lunch or dinner. You can make the protein ahead of time as well as the white sauce. When you are ready to serve prepare the salad ingredients and you have a delicious, healthy meal, especially if you use the author’s rice or pasta.
I love this kind of meal!!!
Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice Power Bowl
Recipe from Arash Hashemi, Adapted by Judi Graber
Marinade for the chicken:
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2-1/2 tbsp. EVOO, divided
- 1 tbsp. smoked mild paprika
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. dried thyme (or 2 tbsp. fresh which is what I had on hand)
- 1/2 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnmon
- 2 tbsp. plain yogurt (I used Fage 5% Greek yogurt)
- 5 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- kosher salt and freshly ground black (four pepper)
Place the chicken in a bowl and drizzle with 1-1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. You can cook this right away but it is recommended to let the chicken marinade for 4-6 hours before cooking it. Take the chicken out 30 minutes before cooking.
Dab the chicken with paper towels to remove excess marinade. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil in a cast iron pan; I used my cast iron grill pan.
Sear the chicken on each side for approximately 4 minutes, then flip and cook on each side 1-2 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through with no pink showing.
For the Salad:
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters (I cut in half)
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
- 2 tbsp. sumac
- 5 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and set aside. I’m not sure about 2 tbsp. sumac plus 5 tbsp. lemon juice – to me this was overpowering! I will adjust next time I make this tasty dish!
For the White Sauce:
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used Fage 5% Greek yogurt)
- 3 tbsp. mayonnaise (I used low-fat Hellmann’s)
- 3-4 tbsp. dill pickle juice, or 1-1/2-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black (four pepper) to taste
Combine all the ingredients and adjust any seasonings to taste.
NOTE: I will thin the white sauce next time as it was too thick. Maybe adding the extra tbsp. of dill pickle juice would have been enough. I would also double the recipe as it was really good.
To Assemble:
- rice or pasta (the author has his own brand of rice and pasta which uses lupini beans – I used Gandy Dancer’s Rice Pilaf)
- cooked chicken, cut into pieces
- salad ingredients
- optional sliced radishes, cucumbers and slivers of green onion (I added all three)
Cook rice or pasta of your choice. Add a serving to a bowl, place chicken on top, then pile it high with the salad. Add some sliced radishes, cucumbers and slivers of green onion; drizzle with the white sauce.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
This dish is so perfect for lunch. Great tasty combination of ingredients. 🙂
It’s a good power bowl – I did have it for dinner! There’s a lot of flavor in this dish and one needs to add ingredients to their taste. I have a problem with carbs so I appreciate this kind of recipe – hope I enjoy his pasta/rice 🙂
This sounds both delicious and healthy – a rare combination! I like that you can make some of the recipe in advance and then combine with fresh ingredients you pick up on the way home. Great recipe!
It was Terri – it is seasoned well so you need to be careful with the ingredients. Too much sumac for me! You marinate and cook the protein ahead of time, as well as the sauce. Even get the onions and tomatoes ready and add sumace mixture when you’re ready to eat. To finish add veggies of your choice 🙂
Although here in Australia SE Asian food is largely the mainstay these days, I have always loved Middle Eastern dishes and this one is a beauty 🙂 ! Love your use of sumac and am smiling at your ‘white’ sauce which is hardly what we usually think of when we use the name :)!
I agree – this is not my idea of a white sauce, but when you’re the author/chef you can call it anything you want 🙂 The sumac was overpowering for me so I would cut back – a nourishing and healthy recipe.
Such a great meal! Middle Eastern food is so good. I especially love all of the goodies that you get to add to it!
This power bowl was very good – the author has a heavy hand with the spices/seasonings. Double the sauce 🙂
This is my kind of meal 🙂 The chicken looks so inviting and perfectly cooked, and the yogurt sauce binds all elements together (and using juice from pickles sounds intriguing.)
The marinade for the chicken and the sauce are delicious. Felt the sumac/lemon juice was overpowering and did not flow good with the rest of the power bowl. I will cut back the sumac… You could use red wine vinegar instead of the pickle juice! 🙂