Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

Yesterday I was asked to make a Teriyaki Chicken and Vege Bowl for dinner

So I checked on the net for a recipe for a Teriyaki Sauce and this was the one I liked best

A lot of them used honey but that is not the favourite sweetener in this house so I used soft brown sugar

The marinade was very simple and it was agreed this recipe was a keeper

Lots of vege, succulent chicken and some sushi rice to soak it up

For 4 people

You will need

1 1/2 boneless and skinless chicken thighs per person approx more or less depending on the appetite 

For the marinade

300 mls hot water

30 grms soft brown sugar

150 mls dark soy sauce

30 gms freshly grated root ginger

6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed

1-2 tsp chilli flakes optional, or adjust to taste

2 cups sushi rice

1 cup frozen edamame beans

1 shallot peeled, finely chopped

French dressing 

Red Cabbage

Sesame dressing

To Garnish

Roughly chopped fresh coriander

Sesame seeds

Sesame Dressing   This is essential, delicious               

Method

Grate the ginger 

Finely chop the garlic with the chilli flakes 

Mix hot water and sugar in a bowl

dissolve and let cool a bit

Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli flakes

Add the chicken thighs to the marinade

Put in the fridge

Marinade as long as you can but if you are short of time it does need about 2 hours

When you are ready to go 

Heat the oven to 200C

Remove chicken from the marinade

Place in a lightly oiled roasting pan

I sprayed a little oil on top of the chicken but that is optional 

It will take about 25 - 30 mins till the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer

Leave to rest for about 10 minutes

While the chicken is cooking, cook the sushi rice, to the manufacturers instructions

I then brought the remaining marinade to the boil, 

Simmered it for about 5 mins

Skimmed off the scum and put aside

This can be used for extra juice on the rice if you wish 

Finely chop the shallot and add 2-3 tbs French dressing and let sit while the chicken is cooking

Chop the red cabbage 

Cook the Edamame beans and drain

Slice the cooked chicken

Time to serve

Build your bowl

Rice on the bottom 

Sliced chicken 

The vege

Coriander and sesame seeds

and drizzle over the beautiful Sesame Dressing 

Dinner is served 

Delicious, colourful and healthy to boot 

Cheesy Chicken and Vegetable Bake

I have been pet sitting and here is my little charge, she was my constant companion for the last 10 days

her name in Lola and yes of course I sang the song many times during my stay 

The Kinks have a lot to answer for

I was cooking for one so I managed to make some of the food that I cooked "morph" into more than one dish.

i.e. Chicken stock made from roasted wings became Chicken Soup which then was used to poach some Chicken Breasts, which then were turned into this Chicken and Vegetable Bake

It doesn't look particularly attractive but it was very tasty and I got to use up the Vegetables that were sitting in the fridge

So you will need

Chicken Stock about  2 cups enough to cover the breasts 

1 Chicken Breast per person

50 gms butter

3-4 mushrooms chopped

I onion peeled and chopped

1 carrot washed and chopped

1 red pepper chopped

1 yellow pepper chopped

6 Brussels sprouts chopped

Big handful of spinach  roughly chopped

For the roux

50 gms butter

50 gms flour

500 pls of milk

Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Grated Cheese (Spilt in 2)

Fine breadcrumbs about 3 tablespoons 

So first gently poach the chicken breast in simmering chicken stock

this will take about 20 mins

Set aside and let them cool in the stock this will help to keep them moist 

Then cut into 2 cms pieces

Meanwhile in another pan 

On medium to high heat 

Melt butter and throw in the mushrooms

Season with S & P

Saute and remove from pan

Meanwhile in the same pan sauté the Onions, Carrots and Peppers and put aside

Prepare the Brussel Sprouts and Spinach

Wipe the pan and add 50 gms of butter

Melt and add the Brussels sprouts , sauté for a few minutes

Add the flour and stir well,

                                                                                                            

let the flour cook out for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly

Slowly add the milk stirring until the sauce is lovely, silky and thick 

Meanwhile grate the cheese

Add the1/2 the  cheese and the chopped spinach

Add the rest of the vegetables and the chicken to the sauce

Then lightly grease a baking dish and fill up your dish

Sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheese and then sprinkle fine breadcrumbs onto

just to lightly cover

Pop into 180C preheated oven and bake till cheese in melted and it is bubbling away nicely 

Probably about 25 mins 

Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the dish before it went into the oven and also when it came out so you will have to trust me that it looks and smell divine

I dished up this helping and wolfed it down

Yum

Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cucumbers

This salad is perfect for a hot day, 

Sweet, sour, and a little spicy. 

The recipe called for wide rice noodles but personally I prefer vermicelli style noodle. 

Also, make it even easier and use a store bought Rotisserie Chicken, 

Just rip the meat off the chicken then you can make soup or stock with the remains, 

The stock freezes well, for later use

For the hot sauce, I like to use Sriracha Sauce but take your pick of your favourite

To Feed 6 people 

You will need

500 gms rice noodles 

1 red capsicum chopped into small chunks

The meat of a whole cooked chicken shredded

4 Lebanese cucumbers thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves torn

1/3 cup coriander leaves torn

1/3 cup mint leaves torn

For the Dressing

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup runny honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon (or more) of your favourite hot sauce

Prepare noodles as per packet instructions

Drain, transfer to a large bowl of iced water

Drain then pat dry

To the noodles add chicken,  cucumbers, basil, coriander and mint

Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, honey, soy sauce

Season with hot sauce  to taste

Pour over noodle salad and toss to combine

Serve when needed

It will keep up to a day in the fridge

It's delicious and perfect for a hot summer day

Kurnik (A Russian Chicken Pie)

I was hosting a lunch recently and found this recipe on Jamie Olivers Website

Perfect for 8-10 people 

You could even prep ahead the day before

Cook the chicken mix and the Rice, pop into the fridge and bring out 

about an hour before serving.

Cover with the pastry lid 

Pop back into the fridge to chill

then 

25-30 minutes in a 180C oven

As simple as that

It looks like a Party Dish and tastes good too

If you want to make it a little easier for your self buy a cooked chicken

I had chicken breasts which I poached and shredded

2 onions

400 gms chestnut mushrooms

1/2 bunch of parsley (15gm)

Olive oil

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

200 mls double cream

750 mls organic Chicken Stock

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Nutmeg grated

500 gms chicken breast (or  the meat from a 1.4Kg Chicken)

200 gms long grain rice

1 bunch dill

4 hard boiled eggs

Puff Pastry 400 gms

Egg Wash

1 egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water

Place the chicken breast into a pot and cover with Chicken Stock

Bring to boil, turn heat down 

simmer for about 5 mins

Cover and leave sitting in the hot stock for about 20 minutes

The chicken will be perfectly cooked

Remove the chicken and put aside

When you can handle it, cut into bite size chunks 

This stock is your beautifully flavoured chicken stock for the rest of the dish

Meanwhile

Peel and finely slice the onion, garlic and mushroom

Heat a lug of oil into a pan over medium heat

Add onions, saute till soft…not brown

Add garlic, cook another couple of minutes

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In another frying pan over high heat add 2 tbs olive oil

Add mushrooms, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook till starting to brown (about 5 mins)

Add to onion pan

Mix well

Add flour and stir well

Then pour in cream and 250 mis of chicken stock

Bring to the boil stirring all the time

Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes to thicken

Stir in chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, a good grate of nutmeg

Add the chicken

Meanwhile pop the rice into a pot with the rest of the chicken stock

Bring to the boil, 

Cover, lower heat and reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes till the rice has absorbed the stock

Remove from the heat and fluff a little with a fork

Pick and finely chop the dill

Peel the hard boiled eggs

Chop them very finely

Mix with the dill

Add to the rice

Set aside

To assemble

Grease a large ovenproof dish

Spread a third of the rice so it is evenly covered

Layer on half the chicken mix and top with half the egg mix

Repeat the process and finish with the remaining rice mix

Roll out the pastry, so that it will generously cover the pie 

Place over the top of the mixture

Tuck the edges in

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes for the pastry to settle

Heat oven to 180C

Remove from the fridge

Brush with egg wash

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is heated through

So how’s that for a pie

I served it with a crisp Iceberg Salad, with some chopped cucumber and sliced radish and a sprinkle of chopped spring onions

Just toss with French dressing just before you serve

Excellent lunch

Chicken Pad Thai

I am always looking for tasty easy recipes that all the family will eat
This Pad Thai recipe was very popular
Add more or less chilli, depending on the tender mouths

200 gms Rice Stick noodles

1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce

2 tbs fish sauce

2 tbs  brown sugar

2 tbs dry sherry

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tbs vegetable oil

500 gms Chicken breast finely sliced

3 spring onions

1 tsp garlic minced

1 cup bean shoots

1/4 cup unsalted cashew nuts

1 red chilli 

1 lime cut into wedges to serve

Place noodles into a large bowl,

Cover with boiling water and stand until soft, according to packet instructions.

Drain thoroughly. 

Meanwhile combine sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, dry sherry and lime juice in a jug. 

Heat a large non-stick frying pan. 

Add a little oil and cook the chicken strips in batches 

until lightly browned, adding more oil as needed.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat the remainder of the oil and stir-fry spring onions and garlic for 1 minute.

Add drained noodles and stir until well combined. 

Add sauce mixture toss until well combined. 

Return chicken to pan with bean shoots and cook until heated through. 

Spoon into serving bowls, top with chopped nuts, coriander leaves and slices of chilli (optional)

Serve with lime wedges, extra coriander and nuts. 

Chicken Curry Including the 5 A Day Vege

In the fridge was a big bag of Chicken tenderloins
What to do with them???
First thing that came to mind was Chicken Curry

These days we are blessed with wonderful packets of Curry Paste
Much easier  than making it yourself and very very tasty

I like to use Vegeta as seasoning, it is salty and packed full of flavour.
And if you are so inclined .
It's Gluten Free

The beauty of this particular Curry is the amount of Vegetables included
Pumpkin at the moment is at it's peak, beautiful colour. It Has to be good for you

 So you need for 6 generous servings

2 packets Curry Paste
Chicken tenderloins 1kg
I large onion peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
500 gm piece pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
1 carrot sliced
2 courgettes sliced
Vegeta seasoning
1 tin coconut milk
Handful green beans sliced
1/2 Lime or Lemon

Chop chicken into 2cm cubes (approx)
In a large pan, add curry paste  let bubble slightly
Add chicken and stir well

In another pan sauté onions and garlic
Add carrot and pumpkin
Stir and cook gently till vegetables are tender
Add courgettes
Season with 1 tablespoon of Vegeta

When the Vegetables start to gain some colour add to chicken
Deglaze Vegetable pan with 1 cup hot water
Add to chicken
Top up with extra water till chicken is just covered
Simmer till tender about 15 minutes
Add coconut milk
Simmer for another 10 mins

Meanwhile top and tail then slice the green beans into 2.5 pieces
Blanch in boiling salted water
Add  to chicken
Cook for another 5 minutes
Set aside
This dish improves with time
Let those flavours meld
So preferably  cook at least an hour before serving
Even better earlier in the day
Before serving add the Juice half lime or lemon

Serve over rice with coriander on top
Dinner is served
Good for lunch the next day
Perfect

Chicken Chasseur - Cooking With Sheryl

My friend Sheryl was a Runner Up in the Miss New Zealand Contest in 1970
In the weekend ,we found this clip of Sheryl, holding a Graham Kerr Cookbook

Apparently  this was her “original” recipe, which caused us quite a bit of mirth
as Cooking was not really in her repertoire back then
Of course things have changed and she is a very competent cook now

So I decided we should cook her favourite recipe
As I read through I realized it was a Classic French Recipe…Chicken Chasseur
But we shall continue to call it Sheryl’s Original…Perfect

The actual recipe was using a whole chicken,
But I used Chicken Thighs, as that was what we had on hand 
So I have adjusted the recipe 

For 4 people

750 gms Chicken Thighs
60 gms Butter
60 mls Olive oil
1 Onion peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Mixed Herbs
4 tablespoon Tomato Paste
280 mls Chicken Stock
280 mls Dry White Wine
3 slices Shoulder Bacon, chopped
300 gms Mushrooms chopped
Lemon Juice
Arrowroot for thickening
Parsley for Garnishing

In a large pan brown the chicken in the oil and butter
Add onion and fry till tender
Add herbs, tomato paste, stock and wine
Season with salt and pepper
Cook till the chicken is tender

Remove chicken when cooked and cut into bite sized pieces

Liquid will have reduced
Thicken with arrowroot (1 tablespoon)  mixed with  a little water

In a separate pan fry the bacon till just cooked

Add the mushrooms, squeeze of lemon and continue cooking till tender

When the liquid has thickened, add the chicken back plus the bacon and mashroom mix
You can cook up to this point, earlier in the day
Then reheat when needed

Serve over rice and garnish with a little chopped parsley  

Beautiful,  Well Done Sheryl

Very Simple Chicken and Sweet Potatoes (Kumera) with Red Curry Sauce

I had a chicken and some Kumera. (sweet potatoes) and some bits and pieces in the fridge
Found this recipe in The NY Times App, Just what I needed
Tweeted it to suit of course...as you do 

Of course I had to joint the chicken and quite frankly 
I think some Skin on, Bone in Chicken thighs would be easier
I like to have the bone in actually, as I love to pick the bones.
But mainly for the extra flavour
I used two pans to fry the chicken and amalgamated the drippings when cooked
This curry got thumbs up from the family
We shall make this again

So you will need
1 whole Chicken or 6 Chicken Thighs
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Sea salt. Freshly ground black pepper

3 spring onions
1 red pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 chilli chopped finely (optional)
3 cm piece of ginger. Grated

2 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste
1 400 ml Coconut Cream

1 Med Kumera per person peeled and chopped into rings
Frozen Edamame or frozen peas (handful) for colour and extra texture

To serve, coriander.
Lime wedges (optional)

Heat oven to 170C

Heat oil in a large oven-proof pan or a Dutch Oven to Med Heat
Pat dry the chicken prices and season both side well

Brown chicken pieces well. Use 2 pans if need be
Don’t crowd your pan
Remove and set aside

Meanwhile peel and chunk the Kumera
Bring to the boil in a pan of salted water

Cook till just tender
Drain

 

In the chicken pan sauté spring onions, ginger, peppers and garlic till soft

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add curry paste, stir and cook for about 2 minutes

Add coconut cream, stir and bring to the simmer

Place Kumera in pan, with the sauce
Then the chicken on top
Add some boiling water till halfway up the chicken
Cook till chicken cooked through about 40 minutes

Remove the chicken and set aside
add edamame or peas and reduce down 
  
Return Chicken to Pan
Throw over chopped coriander

 
Serve with wedges of limes (optional)