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

99 Cent Salmon in Black Bean Sauce Stir-fry

If you have a 99cent chain store in your neck of the woods, I encourage you to have a look in and see what they have, you'll be amazed. All items in the store are 99cent and their produce section is actually amazing. After watching a top chef in the area make a gourmet meal for under $10 by purchasing products from the 99cent store, my husband and I have a browse in there every so often.

Last week, we found frozen salmon that was cut into cubes and so began my adventure for what was to be our meal tonight.

Most of these ingredients you can buy at the 99cent store with exception of the frozen mixed vegetables. While they have some main-stay items, many of the items rotate, so its definitely worth having a trip in every once in a while to browse the aisles and see what you can create for less than $10. Its really quite surprising what you can do with a little imagination and an open mind.

Ingredients:

3 packets salmon fillet (alternatively you can use 1lb salmon fillet, cubed)
6 cloves garlic
2" piece of ginger
Dash of Sriracha chili paste
5 TBSP oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetable
2 tsp black bean paste
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water

3 eggs
2 tsp soy sauce
2 TBSP oil

1. Beat eggs together with soy sauce and oil. Heat wok with about 1 tsp oil until oil begins smoking, add half the egg and cook as if cooking omelet, until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with second half of egg. Cut into large pieces and set aside.
2. In the Magic Bullet (or blender), blend together the garlic, ginger, dash of Sriracha chili paste, and oil until smooth.
3. Heat wok until very hot and oil begins smoking. Add onions and fry until onion is cooked and begins to turn brown. Add garlic and ginger "smoothie" and cook until mix begins to turn golden brown. Add vegetable, and the sauces (black bean sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce), mix well. Add water to the Magic Bullet cup that you blended the garlic and ginger in, and blend to capture any residuals left in the cup, add this water to the mix. Stir well to incorporate all the sauces and vegetables, then add the salmon. Cook until salmon is cooked through and then add the eggs. Stir well and then remove from heat.

Serve with steamed rice.

Hamburger Shawarma

My husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary the other night. Neither of us was feeling up to going out as we were a bit under the weather, and we really just wanted to have a more quiet, at home, celebration. As we had not gone shopping, we did not have too many ingredients in the house, so what to make that would tickle our fancy and be a little "special" but without going overboard? As I looked through the fridge and freezer, I noticed a packet of hamburgers, flour tortillas, cucumbers, and tomatoes. In the cupboard, I had a can of hummus and baba ganoush. My plan was now formulating in my head of something that would be different, but so easy to make and delicious. Not to mention filling.

Lately, I have been on a bit of a Middle Eastern "kick" and while I could have easily fried up the burgers and defrost some hamburger buns, I wanted something "different" and a bit "exotic"; it was, after all our 8th wedding anniversary.

This truly shows the versatility of what you can do with simple ingredients. I decided to totally improvise and make a delicious Middle Eastern meal with what I had on hand. The results were absolutely amazing and I am looking forward to doing it again really soon. It truly is so easy that I recommend it to everyone. You don't need to have a charcoal grill, but if you do, the flavour would be even better. 

Ingredients
4 hamburger patties
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Middle Eastern 7-Spices powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sumac

1 can Baba Ganoush dip
1 can Hummus dip
6 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup Olive Oil

4 Persian cucumbers, diced
4 tomatoes, diced
1/2 head lettuce, shredded

6 flour tortilla shells
1/8 stick of butter, melted

1. Mix together the first seven spices and rub all over the hamburger patties. Let sit and "marinate" for 20-30 minutes. Cook in a 350*F oven for about 20 minutes - or grill on a charcoal burner until cooked through. If cooking in oven, let sit in oven until ready to slice.

2. Using a Magic Bullet blender (or food processor) blend together the cloves of garlic, onion, lemon, and olive oil. Divide mixture in half between the Baba Ganoush and the hummus, stir very well together in each dip.

3. Mix together the vegetables.

4. Make Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing and set aside

5. Slice the hamburger meat on an angle

6. Brush the flour tortilla on both sides, lightly, with butter. Fry each tortilla in a hot, ungreased, frying pan. It will begin to bubble, when it does this, turn it over. It should be golden brown. When both sides are cooked like this, put on a plate and repeat with next tortilla until all are cooked.

You can assemble this as you wish, but I spread a little hummus and Baba Ganoush in the middle of a tortilla shell. Then add a little of the mixed salad. Place the meat over the salad and drizzle the creamy garlic dressing over top of the meat. Fold one side of the tortilla shell up and in, then fold one of the "flaps" in, then roll the shawarma up. Eat immediately!

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.