Jalepeno and Cheddar Chicken Burgers

Last night I had a hankering for some burgers and when I remembered this recipe from Annie's Eats I knew I had to make it. These burgers pack a super flavourful punch and are really quick to put together. Though the original recipe serves them with Guacamole don't be deterred if you don't have any on hand or cannot find ripe avocados. These are amazing just as is with some mayonnaise and ketchup as well, or you could try them with sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa etc. I have used chicken breasts below but you can use ground chicken to make things easier. If you don't have a food processor just chop everything finely by hand and mix in a large bowl.

Recipe - From Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes 4 Large or 6 Medium Burgers
For the Burgers
500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and skinless)
1 Jalapeno (I used pickled)
1 Medium Red Onion (Peeled and Cut in half)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Garlic cloves
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Coriander
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

To Serve
Burger Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

1. Place the onion, garlic, coriander and jalapeno in a food processor. Pulse till finely chopped.

2. Add the chicken breast and process till finely ground.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse till the mixture comes together.

4. Divide the mixture into 4 or 6 portions and form patties.

5. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a non stick frying pan and cook the patties, flipping once, till cooked through.

6. Toast the buns, add the patty and the toppings as desired. Serve and Enjoy.

Kheema Crêpe Parcels

 

This is the first time I ever tried making French crêpes and this fail proof recipe from Smitten Kitchen is guaranteed to turn out perfect every time. Indeed the recipe was super easy to whip up and each crêpe took just a minute on the stove. 15 minutes later I had beautiful crêpes ready for some tasty fillings. One helpful tip I got from one of the commentators was to use two non stick pans at the same time. When one side of the crêpe is done you flip it onto the second pan. This way you can cook them faster. Stack them up on a foil and when ready to eat just reheat in the oven.

 

I was inspired to make these parcels from a similar recipe made by my friend who had filled them with a chicken filling. I decided to go with kheema (spiced minced meat) and some mayonnaise.

 

I would love to try doing a sweet variation next time with nutella and strawberries or coconut and sugar. Crêpe party, here I come!

Recipe - Crêpes from Smitten Kitchen

For The Crêpes
45 Grams Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 Cup (295 ml) Milk (Room Temperature)
4 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Cup (125 Grams) All Purpose Flour
Two pinches of salt

For The Filling
750 Grams Minced Meat (Beef/Mutton)
To Marinate
2 Tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Yogurt
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Tsp Cumin Powder (Zeera)
2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder (Dhanya)
Salt To Taste
To Cook
3 Tbsp Oil
1 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
4 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
1.4 Cup Finely Chopped Mint Leaves

For Assembly
Mayonnaise as needed
Paste made with water and flour for sticking

 

Make The Crêpe Batter

1. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Do not let it get too hot or it will scramble the eggs.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. There will be a lot of lumps and that is ok.

3. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or upto 4 Days.

 

Make The Filling

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Add the meat and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

2. When meat is marinated, heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and chillies. Sauté till the onion is translucent. Add the marinated meat and stir well to break down the clumps of meat.

3. Cook the meat on high till done and adjust spices according to taste. If any water is left in the pot keep cooking till it evaporates.

4. Turn off the flame and add the coriander and mint leaves. Cool Completely before using as filling.

 

Make The Crêpes

1. Remove the batter from the fridge and give it a quick stir. If you think it is a bit thick add a splash of milk.

2. Place a 8-9 inch non stick pan/skillet on medium flame. I like to use two pans on two burners to speed the process.

3. Lightly butter pan with a tissue and pour in 1/4 cup batter. Quickly rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly all around.

4. Once the edges have set, using a non stick turner or your fingers gently flip the crêpe. I flip mine onto to the second pan and continue to pour more batter on the first pan. Repeat to make more.

5. When the bottom is slightly golden remove crêpe onto a foil or wax paper. Cool Completely.

 

Assemble The Parcels

1. Place one crêpe on a plate and add 1/4 Cup of kheema in the center with 1 Tsp Mayonnaise.

2. Fold the two sides on the filling and then fold the bottom side upwards Apply the paste of flour and water to the top side and gently fold it downwards to make a square parcel.

3. Heat a skillet and place the prepared parcels on it. Cook till light golden on both sides.

3. Serve hot with Ketchup.

 

Happy Eating!!

An Iftaar Treat - Chicken Bread Rolls

 

Ramadan Kareem to all of you. The month of fasting is here once again and I have a new recipe to share. This recipe is very easy and comes together in a pinch. A good thing about these is that they are not deep fried. A quick toasting on the pan gives them a crispy exterior.

Recipe
Ingredients
For The Stuffing
200 Grams Boneless Chicken - Boiled and shredded
150 Grams Potato - Boiled and mashed
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
4 Green Chilies (Finely Chopped)
2 Tsp Oil
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Mint Leaves
1/4 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt To taste
1/2 Tsp Pepper

For The Roll
10 Bread Slices (Use white bread for best results)
10 Tsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Water
4 Tsp Ghee for frying

Make The Stuffing

1. Heat the oil in a pan and Saute the onions and green chillies till the onions are translucent.

2. Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Prep the Bread

1. Cut the sides off the bread slices (save them for breadcrumbs).

2. Place each slice on a flat surface and roll it flat with the help of a rolling pin. We want to get it as flat as possible as this helps in easy rolling.

Make the Rolls

1. Take one slice and place two tablespoons of filling in the center. Add 1 Tsp mayonnaise across the top. Wet the bottom edge of the bread with a little water and start rolling the bread from the top edge. Seal well and repeat with all slices.

2. Heat the ghee in a frying pan and place the rolls in the pan. Keep turning gently till all the sides are well toasted.

3. Serve hot with Ketchup.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Kheema Pakora

These Chicken kheema pakoras are deep fried crunchy bits of goodness. The ingredients for these are pretty simple and the mixture comes together in a pinch. I made these for an iftaar party last year and they make a good quantity to feed a crowd. One thing to keep in mind is to fry them low and slow. If you fry them on high they will brown too quickly and remain raw in the middle. A medium flame is best to get the crunch on the outside.

Recipe Source - Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Kheema Pakora

Ingredients

500 Gms Chicken Mince
1 Cup Finely Sliced Onion
4 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
2 Tbsp Besan (Chickpea Flour)
2 Tbsp Rice Flour
1 Egg
1 Inch Piece Ginger (Finely Chopped)
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Cup Finely chopped Coriander leaves
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Mint Leaves
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep frying

1. Pour oil for deep frying in a wok and heat till ready.

2. Mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. The mixture should hold its shape when pinched. If its too wet add more besan; if its too crumbly or dry add an additional egg or a splash of milk.

3. Take small portions of the mixture and place gently in hot oil.

4. Fry the pakoras on medium heat till golden brown. Do not fry on high as they will remain raw from inside.

5. Remove on a paper towel and serve hot with green chutney and tamarind chutney.

Happy Eating!!

July 2013 Daring Bakers - Moo Shu Chicken

Has it really been 6 months since my last post? Wow, that is a real long time and I am entirely to blame for this. I have neglected this space all this while and now I need to make up for it. And in order to do that, I bring you this fabulous Moo Shu chicken. How can Moo Shu chicken be a daring bakers callenge you ask? Let me explain. This month our challenge was to take any past Daring Bakers or Daring Cooks challenge that we wanted to try and complete it. With a million things to choose from I decided on something that would double up as dinner. Win-Win!

This dish is incredibly easy to make and all the ingredients are also readily available. Ofcourse, I did swap out a thing or two but that is the beauty of this dish. The pancakes do take some time to make but you could substitute store bought chapatis or tortillas if you are in a rush.

Let's make some Moo Shu!

Recipe - Makes a lot! I did not use the quantities specified below, just scaled them to our requirements.

Ingredients
For the pancakes
4 Cups All purpose Flour (I used whole wheat Atta)
1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1 Tsp Vegetable Oil

For the Moo Shu Chicken
2 Cups Thinly sliced Mushrooms
4 Cups Thinly sliced Cabbage
500 Grams Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless) - Marinate in pinch of salt and 1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste for 1 Hour
4 Large Eggs
4 Scallions
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Vinegar
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil  (Divided)
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
Salt to Taste
Pepper

For the Hoisin Sauce
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tsp Vinegar
1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
20 drops Chinese Style Hot Sauce
Pinch of pepper

Make the Pancakes

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6 - 8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8 - 10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.
3. Roll each piece into a ball, then, using the palm of your hand, press each piece into a flat pancake. Dust the worktop with more dry flour. Flatten each pancake into a 6 to 8 inch (15 cm to 20 cm) circle with a rolling pin, rolling gently on both sides.

4. Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.

Make The Chicken

1. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Stir fry the marinated chicken till no longer pink in the middle. Remove to a plate and shred finely.

4. In the wok, add the mushrooms and cabbage. Stir fry for about 2 - 3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, pepper, soy sauce and vinegar. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes.

5. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them  into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well. Add the chicken and heat through.

Make the Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl till well blended.

Serve 

Place about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot Moo Shu in the center of a warm pancake, add one Tsp sauce and roll it into a parcel with the bottom end turned up to prevent the contents from falling out. Eat with your
fingers.

Happy Eating!!

Spicy Chicken and Potato Salad

This is one of my new favorite salads as it has a myraid of flavors that come together beautifully. A very simple recipe, it is very easy to whip and will surely impress company.

Recipe Source - From a magazine clipping, unfortunately I don't have the source.

Ingredients - Serves 2

4 Chicken Breasts (Cut into strips)
500 Gms Potato (Peeled and Cut into wedges)
Olive oil for potatoes
Salt To Taste
Mixed salad leaves like lettuce, rocca etc.
For the Spice Paste
1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
Salt To Taste
For The Dressing
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Tomato (Seeded)
1 Cup Chopped Oranges (Peeled and Seeded)
Fresh Coriander Leaves (Chopped)
Few sprigs of Fresh Mint leaves
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Prepare the Chicken

1. Mix all the ingredients for the spice paste and coat the chicken strips with it. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chicken strips on medium high heat till done.

Prepare the Potatoes

1. Parboil the potato wedges in salted water for 3 minutes and drain. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Drizzle the potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. 

2. Preheat the oven to 200 Degree C, and place the potatoes in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes turning once. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Make The Dressing

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Assemble the Salad

1. Add the cooked chicken,potatoes and salad leaves to the bowl with dressing. Toss well and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Pizza

We had this fabulous pizza for dinner last night and everyone loved it. Hubby's friends were at home for dinner and even they gave it full marks. The recipe is from Eat Laugh Love, my partner for Taste and Create for the month of March. I know its a bit too late to be posting this but I didn't want to miss it.

I had made a similar pizza for the previous taste and create but the BBQ sauce was different from this recipe. I couldn't find liquid smoke and made a few changes in the sauce. Some great bad luck befell me and I added two teaspoons salt in the sauce thinking it was sugar (a mistake many people have done in my house as my salt and sugar containers are very similar and kept next to each other, LOL!). To rectify, I added some more tomato sauce and a whole lot of sugar. The end result was a very yummy sauce and I am glad I have frozen the rest of it for the future.

The Pizza dough is good and rises well. I mixed the whole thing by hand and kept it in the oven (switched off) to rise for one hour as I had time to spare.

Recipe Source - Eat Laugh Love

Ingredients

For The Pizza Toppings

BBQ Sauce (Recipe Below)

Sliced Mushrooms

Green Peppers

Onions

Mozzarella Cheese

Chicken (Cooked and tossed in the BBQ sauce, Chopped to 1/2 Inch pieces)

Oregano

Coriander Leaves

For the Pizza Dough  - I got two crusts from this dough as I doubled the recipe.

2 Cups Whole-wheat Flour

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 1/2 Tsp Quick Rising Yeast (I used instant yeast)

2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Hot Water (120-130°F)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Sauce

1 Cup Tomato Sauce - I used 2 Cups

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onions

3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1 Tsp Chili Powder - I used two tsp.

1 Tsp Paprika - Omitted 

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke - Omitted

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Cumin - I used cumin powder

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Oregano

1 Tsp Basil

Make The Dough

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the hot water and olive oil and knead till the dough comes together and forms a soft ball. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add more water if required.

2. Slightly oil the bottom and sides of the bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and swirl in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and keep aside to rise if using regular yeast.

3. If using rapid rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

Make The Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Cool sauce.

Top the Pizza and Bake

Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (about a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes, or as directed by your recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Tangy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza!!! Aah, the universal food that is so popular among all age groups. I mean who doesn't love pizza right? What? There are some people who don't like it?Hmm, maybe they need to eat a good home made pizza with all the deliciousness piled high. It had been so long since I had made pizza at home, that when I saw this recipe at the Low Fat Chick website I decided to try it out for this months Taste and Create.

The sauce is a lovely combination of sweet and tangy and comes together so easily. Usually while making pizza sauce there is so much stirring that I often resort to the bottled stuff to save time. But this time I just had to mix the stuff and let it simmer. Yum Yum! For the toppings I added a few more things than the original recipe like tomatoes and capsicum (green bell peppers) for a little tandoori feel. For the base I used the ready pizza base that is available in the freezer section of the grocery. You can use your own home made dough, I have given the Pioneer Woman's recipe below which I have made before and is great.

Recipe Source - Slightly Adapted from The Low Fat Chick

Ingredients

2 (6 Inch) Pizza Base

For The Sauce

1/2 Cup Grape Vinegar

1/4 Cup And 2 Tbsp Ketchup

2 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Garlic Clove (Pressed or Finely Minced)

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

For The Toppings - Quantities As Per Personal Preference

Cooked Shredded Chicken

Red Onion (Thinly Sliced)

Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)
Diced Tomatoes

Diced Capsicum

Olives

Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves

1. Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan. Stir till all ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to slightly cool.

2. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F).

3. Place the pizza base on a baking sheet covered with foil.

4. Spread the sauce on the dough. Layer with cheese, chicken, tomatoes, capsicum, onion and little more cheese. Sprinkle some coriander and place in the oven.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted on top.

6. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Recipe for Homemade Pizza Base (Source - The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

1 Tsp Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 Cup Warm Water
4 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cups Olive Oil

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

2. In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

3. Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.

4. To use, lighlty flour a baking sheet or pizza stone and place dough in the middle. Strecth the dough to the corners and top as desired (Dough will be slightly sticky).

***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

***Makes 2 big crusts.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken 65

Another weekend has gone by and its a brand new week at work. Friday was very hectic for me as we had guests at home and I was cooking non stop all day! I served this chicken for dinner along with mutton curry and chicken kheema with some pulav and rotis. My mutton curry didn't turn out so good but this chicken was good as always. It is a very easy recipe which I learnt from Latifs aunt. My mom used to make this a lot a few years back but somehow she 'forgot' how to make it. How can you forget a recipe??? Anyways, when I ate it again in Dubai I remembered the same taste and learnt the recipe to make at home. The ingredient quantities given below are a rough estimate. You can increase or decrease the quantities to your personal tastes.

Recipe - Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken - Small Pieces, Bone - In

1 Cup Onion (Diced In 1 Inch Pieces)

1 Cup Capsicum (Diced In 1 Inch Pieces)

3 Tbsp Butter, Divided (Salted Or Unsalted)

4 Green Chillies (Slit Vertically Halfway Through)

8-9 Curry Leaves

For the Marinade

2 Cups Thick Yogurt (Strain If Yogurt Has Too Much Water)

2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Cup Tomato Ketchup

Red Food Colouring (Optional)

Salt To Taste

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a big bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required. This is supposed to be a little sweet and sour. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade and keep in the fridge for an hour. After an hour, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and keep aside. Reserve the marinade.

2. Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and capsicum till translucent. Do not soften as we want them crunchy. Remove from pan and keep aside.

3. In another pot, melt the remaining two tablespoon butter over medium heat and add the curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Add the chicken marinade reserved earlier and let it cook till it changes colour. Place all the chicken pieces in the pot, stir well and lower the flame. Cover and cook till chicken is no longer pink. If gravy is required add some water and cook for five more minutes.
5. Add the sauteed onions and capsicum just before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.

Spinach, Ricotta and Chicken Lasagna

It's once again time for Taste and Create and this month my partner is Dragon Musings. She has a lot of lovely recipes for cupcakes and desserts which would have been great to make but I am on a sugar overload (is that even possible?) this month and decided to go the savory route this time. First I thought of making a pizza as she has some fantastic recipes but then I saw this lasagna recipe and got a sudden craving for it. I had not made lasagna in a long time and the last time I made it, it was a bit of a flop. So, armed with this recipe I assembled all my ingredients and got ready to make it. It was very easy and straightforward and the only change I made was to add cooked minced chicken (Latif will never touch anything vegetarian!) with some spices to the pasta sauce (home made)and simmer it for some time. This was the first time that I ever cooked with Ricotta cheese and the spinach - cheese mixture was lovely and creamy.  Overall it was very delicious and I will surely use this recipe again.

Click here for the recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Baked Chicken Pasta in Tomato Sauce

 Oh my God! I am in love! Again? Uh, yes again!! This pasta dish is amazing. Well Latif has gone to India for a few days (miss you honey!) and my brother has come over to stay with me. We both have very similar taste in food and love a lot of the same things. So as soon as Latif was out of the house I asked my brother if he wanted to eat pasta!! Hahaha (Sorry honey!) When he said yes, I quickly logged onto Annie's Eats (She has a lot of amazing pasta recipes) and searched for something to make with the ingredients I had on hand. I saw her baked ziti and then made this recipe which is loosely adapted from hers. I used the same tomato sauce recipe which I used in the Enchiladas(again from Annie's Eats). This pasta is creamy, a little spicy and oh so delicious. It is very easy to make and can feed a lot of people. I ate mine with a green salad (yes I eat salad now, I am a good girl!) and loved it!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Serves 3 - 4

2 1/2 Cups Dry Uncooked Small Cut Pasta (I Used Fusilli)
100 Gms Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 Large Egg
1/4 Tsp Cornflour

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (Or Whole Milk)

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

For The Sauce

1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped)

2 Jalapenos (Seeded And Chopped Fine)
3 Medium Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tbsp Dried Basil

500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless - Cubed)

1 Cup Diced Mixed Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Broccoli etc)

Salt To Taste

Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Boil the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Make the Sauce

While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and  saute till the onions are soft. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and vegetables. Cook till done. Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Mix and Assemble

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F). In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and egg. Stir well with a fork.  Keep aside.

Pour the heavy cream in the same pot which was used to boil the pasta. Place on medium heat and add in the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese and egg mixture, 3/4 of the sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Bake

Transfer the pasta to a small baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with a little basil and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Grilled Chicken Wraps with Tahini Sauce

I made these wraps for dinner one night and if I could have them every night for dinner I would be the happiest person on earth! These are so easy to throw together that it took me one hour from start to finish to make this. The grilled chicken on its own is simply fabulous (I even ate it cold straight from the fridge!) and after pairing it with the grilled onions and peppers! Oh boy! I was in heaven! It was actually supposed to go into a tortilla wrap and become a fajita (As seen on Annie's Eats) but I decided to change it up and wrapped it with a khubus and added the tahini sauce instead of sour cream (Thanks Syrian Foodie for the idea!). The marinate is very simple with no fuss ingredients and may taste a bit odd when the chicken is marinating (it did to me and I was worried about how it would turn out) but I didn’t have to worry coz after cooking the flavors just melded together and worked great. I didn’t cook the chicken on a grill (as we don’t have one) but cooked it in my oven.

I am submitting this recipe for the Sandwiches and Wraps event at One Hot Stove.

Recipe Sources – Grilled Chicken from Annie's Eats and Tahini Sauce from Syrian Foodie

Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken
2-3 (Approx. 500 Gms) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, (Cut In 2 Inch Cubes)
1/3 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6 Tbsp Olive Oil, Divided
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced Or Pressed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
11/2 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Jalapeno (Seeded, Ribbed And Diced)
1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Cilantro
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper

For the Tahini Sauce
4 Tbsp Tahini
Juice Of Half A Lemon
Salt To Taste
Water

For the Wraps
1 Large Red Onion (Sliced Into ½-Inch Thick Slices, Rings Not Separated)
2 Large Bell Peppers (Stemmed, Quartered And Seeded)
1 Large Tomato (Sliced Thinly)
6 Brown Pita Bread

Marinate the Chicken - In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Sauce – While the chicken is marinating, make the sauce. Add the tahini paste and lemon juice to a bowl and start mixing with a spoon. The mixture will become stiff and light in colour. Add a little water and mix again. Keep adding a little water at a time until the mixture loosens to the consistency you want. It needs to be fairly loose but not water-runny. Add salt to taste.

Grill the Chicken and Vegetables - Preheat oven to 180 degree C (350 degree F). Cover a baking sheet with a large piece of foil. Drizzle the foil with a teaspoon of olive oil and spread it. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to the sheet. Discard the left over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers in between the chicken pieces. If you don’t have enough space place them on another baking sheet covered with foil. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink inside (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160˚ F.) turning once in between. Fold the foil over the chicken to form a tent and cook for 5 more minutes. Cook the onions and peppers until crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a hot pot to keep warm.

Make the Wraps - Heat the pita bread over direct flame on the stove to make it a little crispy. Place it on a plate and add the chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes and tahini sauce. Roll into a wrap and enjoy!!

Happy Eating!!

30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

I love trying out new recipes and sometimes try to make things that I have never eaten before! While browsing the net, I came across this recipe for a Shepherds pie and thought that it sounded great. I mean mashed potatoes and minced meat? What’s not to like here! After making this easy recipe I must say that it is fabulous. All it requires is a big green salad to go with it and you have a complete meal. I halved the recipe as it was only for the two of us and used minced chicken as I only had that on hand. Also, I added a few more spices like garam masala, coriander seeds powder etc (as usual to indianize it, hehehe ) as I found the meat a bit bland for my palette.

And guess what I did with the leftovers? Meat cutlets of course! Just mash up everything in a big bowl and make small round patties. Dip in a whipped egg and roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry in a little oil and you have amazing cutlets!

Recipe Source – Rachel Ray from the Food Network

Ingredients (My changes in red)

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese (used cream cheese)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb (used ground chicken)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth (used chicken stock)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (omitted)
1 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Add the spices. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Enchiladas

Like any Food loving blogger, I love trying out new recipes and eating different cuisines. So it was only natural that when I saw this recipe at Annie's Eats I knew I had to make it. The chicken is cooked in a tomato based sauce which makes it soft and juicy. I used a different cheese (more because I only had mozarella on hand) than what the recipe called for and even though it was not authentic it was absolutely delicious. I was a bit hesitant to try it at first as Latif is not a fan of too much tomato in his food. So I decided to reduce the amount of the sauce that is added in the end before baking. As a result I got not too saucy enchiladas which were great to eat as leftovers too. I will be definitely making this again as it was a very easy recipe and it makes a lot of food!

Recipe Source – Annie's Eats (With my notes and changes in red)

Ingredients

1 Medium Onion, Chopped Fine (Used two as I wanted more bite)

2 Jalapenos, Seeded And Chopped Fine (Used pickled)

1 Tsp Canola Oil (Used Olive Oil)

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 Tsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce

1 Cup Water

1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

Salt And Pepper

500 Gms Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, Divided (Used Mozzarella)

1 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Divided (Omitted)

1/2 Cup Minced Fresh Coriander Leaves

12 (6-inch) Soft Corn Tortillas

Cooking spray

Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the coriander. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 220 degree C (425 degree F). Oil a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray (I used a smaller dish as I used only 8 tortillas) . Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup (I used 1/2 cup filling for each) of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 205 degree C (400 degree F). Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce over the top (I used only one cup of the sauce and freezed the remaining). Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Happy Eating !!

Chilli Chicken

Fried Rice is a regular on my menu and I always make a side to go with it. I usually make a gravy as I find plain fried rice a bit too dry for my taste. Yesterday I made this chicken and loved the simple taste of it. It is a perfect accompaniment to the rice although it is a bit time consuming. The quantities of the seasonings given below are as per taste and can be increased or decreased according to personal preference.

Recipe

Ingredients - Serves 4

500 Gms Chicken Breasts (Boneless and Skinless)

Oil To Fry

For the Marinade

4 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

4 Tbsp Cornflour

1 Egg

Salt To Taste

1 Tsp White Pepper or Black Pepper

1 Tsp Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Water

 For the Gravy

1 Cup Diced Onion

1/2 Cup Chopped Spring Onion

1/2 Cup Diced Capsicum

1/2 Cup Chopped Baby Corn (Optional)

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger

3 Green Chilies (Slit Halfway Vertically)

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Vinegar

Salt To Taste

White Pepper or Black Pepper To Taste

1 Tsp Cornflour

1 Cup Water

2 Tbsp Oil

1. 
   
   Clean and wash the chicken breast. Place a chicken breast in a Ziploc bag and seal tight. Pound with a rolling pin or mallet to flatten the breast. Repeat with all the pieces. Place on a cutting board and rub salt and pepper on the breast. Cut into two inch pieces. Keep aside.
2. 
   
   In a big bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients. It will be thick so add water till everything is well mixed. If needed add extra water. Add the chicken to the marinade and keep aside.
3. 
   
   Heat the oil for the gravy in another pan. Add the ginger, garlic, green chilies, onion, spring onion, capsicum, baby corn and saute till the onions are soft. Add the soy sauce and vinegar and saute for a minute. Add the salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasonings accordingly. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
4. 
   
   Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the marinated chicken on a medium flame, turning once, till golden brown. Check for doneness and remove on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.
5. 
   
   Dissolve the cornflour in the water. Place the gravy mixture back on heat and once hot add the cornflour. Mix well and cook for a minute. Add more water if you prefer a thinner gravy. Add the chicken and lower the flame. Cover and cook for a minute.
6. 
   
   Serve hot with fried rice.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Spaghetti With Mushroom Sauce

Latif and I stand divided on the pasta issue. While I love it, he is not a very big fan (I can’t say he hates it coz he will eat what I make). So I rarely go to make it (as I have mentioned earlier), but this weekend I wanted to use up the spaghetti I had in my pantry and decided to make something with chicken. Usually I just add a few veggies, cut up the cooked chicken, mix and serve. So this time I decided to try a new recipe and went over to The Pioneer woman where there a whole lot of spaghetti recipes. First I wanted to try the Chicken Parmigiana, but knowing that latif is not a big fan of tomato based sauces I went over to the other recipes. And this one just blew me away. Who knew you can use mushroom soup as a base for your sauce! (At least I did'nt!!) Although I had to indianize (is that a word??) the recipe to make it more Latif friendly, the basic idea was the same, and it was a fab idea! I didn’t have canned soup so I made some with the dry mix I had at home. I combined two recipes from there and got this fantastic one which I will definitely make again. I made the chicken using the Chicken Scallopine recipe and with just salt and pepper it was very flavorful.

Recipe Source - Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

200 gms Uncooked Spaghetti
Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Olive Oil

For the Sauce
4 Cups Cream of Mushroom soup* (E.g. Knorr, Maggi etc)
1/4 Cup Grated Carrot
1/4 Cup Chopped Capsicum
1/4 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Oil

For the Chicken
2 (500 Gms) Chicken Breasts (Boneless and Skinless)
Salt To Taste
1 Tsp Black Pepper Powder
Flour For Dredging
2 Tbsp Butter

* - you can used canned cream of mushroom available in the supermarket. I had a dry powder mix at home so I just made it (just boil it with 1 liter water) and used it.

Place the chicken breast in a Ziploc bag (or any transparent food bag) and flatten them using a rolling pin or mallet. The breast should be flattened to 1/8 inch thickness and should be uniform throughout to ensure that it cooks evenly. Rub them with salt and pepper and keep aside. (I cut the breasts into 4 inch squares for easier handling)

Boil water in a big pot with salt and olive oil. When ready add the spaghetti and cook till done. Drain and keep aside.

Place the flour in a plate and dredge the chicken breasts to coat both sides with flour. Heat the butter in a pot and fry on one side for two minutes and flip. Fry the other side for three minutes till the chicken is golden brown and cooked. It won’t take long since the breasts are quite flat. Remove from pot and keep aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onions, capsicums, mushrooms and carrots. Keep them a little on the crunchy side. Add the peppers and prepared soup. Taste and adjust salt as the soup will have its own seasonings. Add the grated cheese and mix well to combine.

To serve, place the spaghetti on a plate and top with a generous amount of the sauce. Mix well. Place the chicken breast on top and enjoy!

Happy Eating!!

Spicy Indonesian Chicken and a Stolen Recipe Book

I have a recipe book in which each recipe is lovingly and painstakingly handwritten. I however have not lovingly and painstakingly written those 100 + recipes in the book. I, rather stole it. Haha, ok let me be clear before you start judging me. My sister, who is a very good cook like my mother, used to live with my eldest sister for a good 6 years before the two of them got married. During this time it was her who would do the cooking in the house and she started this recipe book. I don’t know if all the recipes in this book are tried or not. I do know that they are colleted from many different sources like newspapers, magazines, cooking shows and of course from my mother. So, when she got married, she left behind this book at our house. And who came across it? I did! I pounced on it and staked all claim as mine! I started making dishes out of it and had great success with few and not so great with some of them.

This recipe is one with which I had a good experience. I made this last night with plain ol' khichdi to spice things up. The unique flavour of the chicken makes you want to keep eating it. The brown sugar and pepper give it a great twist and it is very easy to make. I have no idea why it is called Indonesian chicken. I tried to Google the name to see if something like this turns up but no luck. The only info I got about Indonesian cooking is that they usually have a sweet and sour flavour in one dish like honey and lime or lemon grass and sugar etc. But who cares where this is from as long as it tastes yum! So let’s cook chicken I say!

Recipe Source – Stolen recipe book from sister!! Lol!

Ingredients

1/2 Kg Chicken – Small pieces
1 Tsp Cumin (Jeera) Powder
1 Tsp Brown Sugar (use regular sugar if not available)
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Tamarind Pulp
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
Salt To Taste
1/4 Cup Oil

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl and marinate for one hour. Taste the marinade and adjust the seasonings according to personal taste i.e. spicier or sweeter. Heat the oil in a pan and add the marinated chicken. Fry on high for a few minutes till the chicken turns brown. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook till the chicken is done. If it is too dry add a little water. Serve as a side dish with pulav or khichdi (khichdi recipe coming soon!).

Happy Eating!!