Quick 'N' Easy Garlic Lemon Chicken

Often I am looking to make a fast dinner where I don't have to stand too long to create it. I have mentioned in the past that my Magic Bullet blender sits on my counter, and I do in fact use it on an almost daily basis.

I have been in a mega Fibromyalgia and arthritis flare-up for the past few days, so standing for any length of time in the kitchen is not really an option for me tonight. So I thought about what I could make fast and easy, and still maintain a delicious taste for my beloved taste-tester.

This is what I came up with. I kind of got the idea for this dish when I went to one of our local Middle Eastern grocers where they sold whole roasted rotisserie chickens. After I had cut the chicken up to serve it, I had a little skizz (look) into the cavity and saw half lemons and mounds of chopped garlic and spices. Not one to shy away from tasting something different and trying to "figure it out", I grabbed a spoon and "went digging". The flavours were amazing and I easily placed them.

Tonight I decided to try and fashion our meal off of that but adding a few of my own "tastes" to the flavour and to grind everything together to make a sauce for our rice.

As it cooks in the oven, the aroma filling the house is delectable. Served over rice with a side salad, this dish is filling, but also very healthy. Cooked on an outdoor grill would lend to the flavours - however, if doing that, then I suggest removing the bone to aid in the cooking time.

I hope you will give it a try and will love it as much as we did.

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!


Ingredients:

1/2 lemon juice
8 cloves garlic
3 TBSP oil
1/2 tsp 7 Spices
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
2 lbs chicken legs

1. Put everything but the chicken in to the Magic Blender, and mix until like a smoothie consistency
2. Rinse the chicken legs and pat dry. Place into an oven safe dish. Pour the sauce over the legs and then rub to make sure every part of the chicken legs are covered
3. Cook in a HOT 395*F oven for 45 minutes.

Serve with rice or pita bread with hummus and salad

Potato Lamb Pie

Last night I was met with a terrible burden... I was planning to make roast chicken legs for dinner, but the chicken I had bought a couple of days ago had gone off! GREAT!

Now I had a mega dilemma, what to make?

I had ground lamb in the fridge and as I rattled my brains to come up with something fast, I developed an "idea". How it turned out, one would not know.

Oh boy, it was time for prayer again!

I was really tired last night and so did not want to spend hours in the kitchen, and it was cold last night and I thought it was definitely an "oven" night.

"Oven" night is often a one-pot dish cooked in the oven which helps heat the house. Its quick to whip together and is really hearty.

That in mind, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Popping the ground lamb into a bowl, I whipped up something quickly in the Magic Bullet for flavour, and peeled and washed potatoes and grabbed the peas out of the freezer. Everything set.

The pie took shape and the oven did a great job warming the house as we waited and the aroma was a perfect air freshner for the house. As our bellies began to sing a familiar tune, the beeper on the oven went just in time, dinner was ready.

We dug in and Ben loved it! He told me that this really had to be up on the blog and be shared. So, as an "obedient wife" (I say that rather tongue-in-cheek") here I am writing this blog and sharing the recipe.

Without further adieu, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!


Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground lamb (you can substitute ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey also for a different flavour)
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1 TBSP lemon juice
6 cloves garlic
1 onion, quartered
2 TBSP oil (olive oil will add a great flavour, alternatively use vegetable oil)
1/4 tsp Middle Eastern 7-Spices
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tsp garlic powder

1. Heat oven to 395*F
2. Line the bottom of a deep pie dish (or pan) with 3 of the sliced potatoes
3. In a bowl, place the ground lamb.
4. In the Magic Bullet (or blender) grind together the lemon juice, garlic, onion, oil, 7-Spices, salt, black pepper, and cumin until it looks like a smoothie. Add to the lamb and mix together very well. Add the lamb to the layer of potatoes and press down and smoothe out.
5. Add the peas on top of the lamb and spread out over the lamb.
6. Spread the rest of the potatoes to the top of the peas making sure that everything is covered.
7. Sprinkle the salt and garlic powder over the top of the potatoes.
8. Cover the pan with aluminium foil (or a lid) and pop into the oven. Cook at 395*F for 45mins to 1 hr.

Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

The other night I was making dinner and as I went to reach for the salad dressing, noticed that we were totally out. Well, not one to ever shy away from making my own dressing, as my Mum has been making salad dressings my entire life, I looked in the fridge and cabinet to see what I had and what I could "throw in".

Normally, I don't record what I put into dressings as I whip them up on the spot depending on my tastes and what we're having for dinner that night. However, on this night, as I finished whipping this dressing up, and having a "taste-test" I found it to be SO good, I could have sat down and eaten the entire lot with a spoon!

Grabbing for pen and paper, I wracked my memory for exactly what I put in. I have since made it several times, including using it as an accompiament sauce for a beef shawarma I made, and it is just as good each time.

Believe me when I say you'll want to sit and eat it with a spoon, it's that good!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 TBSP Greek (or Middle Eastern) yoghurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Dash ground black pepper
Dash Sriracha Chili Sauce

Blend all ingredients together in a Magic Bullet or blender until smooth and creamy.

Serve over salad, in shawarma, or over grilled meat.

Kept in an air tight container in the fridge, this dressing can keep for approx 2 weeks... if it lasts that long.

Beef Curry

Tonight I made a very easy, fast, and delicious beef curry.

Growing up, curry was pretty much a mainstay in our household, and even when not at home, we enjoyed it at the various restaurants we frequented in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and other parts of Asia.

The kind of curry which I grew up eating, and that Mum used to always make, is considered a "Malay" curry, the distinguishing fact is the use of coconut cream and milk.

Curry is one of those dishes which you can make a "chop suey" or left-overs, and add to the curry and it'll come out delicious.

I like to use a lot more vegetables than meat just because I prefer the flavour, but you can adjust to your own taste.

Ingredients:

1lb stewing beef
2 cans (cooked) beef chunks in water, reserve the water
3 TBSP Garam Masala curry powder
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (large) TBSP ginger sauce (recipe below)
2 onions, diced
1 head cauliflower, cut the florets and then skin the stem and dice
3 cups frozen spinach
1 can yams (or sweet potatoes), drained
1 can coconut milk
2 TBSP dried curry leaves
Salt to taste (Optional - I did not use any as I did not feel it needed it)


Method:

1. Cook raw beef until well cooked, add the canned beef; fry in the onions, garlic, and ginger until well combined.
2. Add 3TBSP of reserved beef water to the curry powder and blend well, add to the beef mixture and stir well. Add the rest of the beef water.
3. Let simmer for about 5 minutes and then add the coconut milk, mix well.
4. Add cauliflower, spinach, yams, and curry leaves. Mix well and let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is cooked through but not mushy. Stir occasionally to ensure that it does not start to burn on the bottom.

Serve with steamed Jasmine or Basmati rice

Ginger Sauce:

2" piece ginger
1 TBSP light sesame oil
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 stalk green onion, very thinly sliced
Salt to taste

In a grinder (I use my Magic Bullet blender), blend together the ginger and oils until ginger is well ground. You can also use a mortar and pestal. Add salt and onions, blend slightly (just to mix).

Leave in fridge overnight (can be kept in fridge for about 2 months), the longer left, the more the flavour infuses. I use this for many dishes, mainly it is used for Hainan Chicken Rice or steamed chicken or just over rice with a fried egg.