Appetites: Minnesota sisters dish up simple recipes and Egyptian flavors in debut cookbook

Alia and Radwa Elkaffas think it’s important to keep it simple in the kitchen. Better known as the influencer duo Food Dolls, the sisters are out with a new cookbook that showcases their favorite flavors.

“We understand what it's like to be busy moms, and we want people to still enjoy having dinner at home, but then spending less time.” said Alia Elkaffas, who co-authored “Pretty Delicious” with her sister. “It's just simple, easy, quick, under 30 minute meals,” Radwa Elkaffas added.

“Pretty Delicious” features over 110 Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The Elkaffas grew up in Eden Prairie, Minn., but they remember their mom spending hours in the kitchen preparing Egyptian cuisine. Those flavors are prominent in recipes like sumac-spiced chicken. Other recipes, such as the baklava cinnamon rolls, have a decidedly American twist.

“You can create simple, beautiful recipes that taste delicious, that are easy to make,” Radwa Elkaffas said.

Listen to the conversation with Food Dolls, Alia and Radwa Elkaffas by clicking the player above. Find the recipe for their sumac-spiced whole chicken and onions with pitas below. More recipes can be found on their website and in their new book.

Sumac-spiced whole chicken and onions with pitas

Sumac onions (raw onions marinated in vinegar and a warm medley of spices) is one of our favorite condiments that we consistently count on to make any savory dish even better. We wanted to take that same umami-rich flavor profile and feature it as part of a main dish, so here we’re roasting the onions, but not before layering a butterflied chicken over the top to baste everything with its juices. Served over pita to sop up every golden drop, this is one of those dishes that you can easily throw together on a weeknight but would also wow a crowd.

Serves 6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons ground sumac

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large red onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2⅔ cups)

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving

6 (8-inch) pitas, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt, cumin, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon.

Add the onions to the sheet pan and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of the sumac mixture. Give the onions a toss until they are well coated, then spread them into a single layer. Set aside.

Now we’re going to butterfly the chicken—it’s okay, you got this! Place the bird breast-side down on a clean work surface. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut along one side of the backbone from tail to neck. Repeat this on the other side of the backbone, then remove it completely. (You can discard it or throw it in a bag in the freezer with your chicken carcass and make stock.) Open the chicken like a book and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. You may hear some popping noises—disregard and think of the delicious roast chicken you’re about to eat.

Gently lift the skin from the breast on one side and spoon a little of the marinade inside. Do the same on the other breast. Rub the remaining marinade over every nook and cranny of the chicken, including the underside.Set a cooling rack on top of the onion mixture in the sheet pan and place the chicken on the rack. Roast for 60 to 70 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a platter and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing.

To serve, carve the breasts from the chicken and slice. Remove the legs and separate the drumsticks and thighs. Lay the chicken pieces on a platter, followed by the sumac onions. Squeeze on lemon juice, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with the pita bread.

Tip for Real Life

While we have faith that you can butterfly a chicken, if you’re feeling nervous, you can ask your butcher to do it for you.

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