Berries for Breakfast!

Blueberries, Strawberries, and Bananas with oats and yogurt..a a little squeeze of lemon juice!

Chicken Jalfrezi

I have so much love for Indian food I don't even know where to start.  The Indian style of cooking is exactly what I crave. Sauces with a variety of perfectly blended spices, unique tastes, a range of colours, sweetness, and heat. Made with either beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, etc. Served with rice and Naan bread. I love a dish with lots of fixings so I prefer to have some pickled chilies (or pickled mangoes) as a side. You really have to cook from the heart when making Indian food, it can't be rushed, it's all about FLAVOR! ..and for me SPICE!

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breast (cubed and made into Tandoori Chicken Skewers)

a few glugs of olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 inch piece of minced fresh ginger

1 green bell pepper cut into strips

1 red bell pepper cut into strips

1 green chili (whole)

2 cardamom pods

1/2 jar of "Patak's Mild, Medium or Hot Curry Paste"

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp paprika

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup of whipping cream

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

salt & pepper

Directions:

Prepare Tandoori Chicken (see link above).

Heat a large pot to medium heat.  Add a good amount of olive oil.  When the oil is heated add the onion, bell peppers, ginger and cardamom pods and a dash of salt. Once the onions are translucent and the peppers soften, add the garlic. 

Continue cooking for another minute then add the curry paste, turmeric, garam masala, paprika and the green chili pepper. Mix together and let the oils release from the curry paste and the spices blend together.

 

Cook for a few minutes then add the diced tomatoes, some salt and pepper.  Wait for the sauce to start bubbling then turn the heat down low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream, add the BBQ Tandoori Chicken, wait a few minutes then turn the heat off. Stir in the cilantro.

Serve with Basmati Rice and/ or 

Naan Bread with a side of "Patak's Chilli Pickle" (my absolute favorite)

 

Tandoori Chicken Skewers

It's Summer so I'm going to get as much use out of that BBQ as I can!  I'm on my way to making my Chicken Jalfrezi, and I've decided to pull out all the stops. I've grilled some Tandoori Chicken and will use that later to add to my sauce!  Although this is obviously great on it's own.. even add some peppers to the skewer or marinate different chicken parts like legs or full breast or even rotisserie chicken would be amazing! Either way my version is very simple, I've opted to use the "Patak's Tandoori Paste" and followed the recipe on the back.  I may be cutting corners but it tastes great and works just fine for me Jalfrezi (saves me some time as well).

Ingredients:
3 large chicken breast cut into cubes
4 tbsp of "Patak's Tandoori Paste"
2 tbsp of plain yogourt

Directions:
Mix the ingredients together and put the chicken and the tandoori sauce into a zip-lock bag and marinate for 3 hours or over night for best results.

String the chicken onto some skewers and throw them on a low heated BBQ turning every so often and brushing on some of the leftover marinade until cooked through.

Les Beignets

An easy snack to make, these little donuts are best freshly made. There won't be much use for them the day after. The recipe makes 18, perfect accompaniment with tea or coffee for big family and friend gatherings.

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
about 1/2 cup of oil for frying
a couple big handfuls of icing sugar


Directions:
In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together then add the sugar.
  
In a separate (larger) bowl, mix the egg and milk together well then gradually add the dry mixture then beat in the melted butter to make a soft dough.
   
Place the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter top.  Knead the dough until smooth and elastic.  Divide the dough into 18 even sized balls.  Pat the balls down into somewhat flatter disc shapes.  Use a floured handle of a wooden spoon to push holes through the center of each ball..make sure the hole is open enough.

Pour a couple centimeters worth of vegetable or canola oil into a pan and heat to about 375 degrees F.  Fry the Beignets in batches, over crowding the pan will cool the temperature. Once golden brown on one side flip and fry the next side until cooked through. Then place them onto a dish with paper towel. Let cool for 5 minutes or so and cover with loads of icing sugar!

Lunch! My Chicken Wing Recipe and Blue Cheese Dressing..in a Burger.

Here's my lunch! I have some blue cheese dressing leftover so I put some chicken breasts on the BBQ and grilled them in the same hot sauce mix that I used on the wings (see HOT BBQ Chicken Wings for sauce and blue cheese dressing) Then I grilled some onions and put it all on a bun with lettuce and tomato.

Samantha's African Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe

I got this recipe from my sister Samantha, and now I think I make it more than she does. It's so good and so simple.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 diced onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp of chili flakes (approx.)
2 cups of water
1 can of diced tomatoes
about 1 cup of peanut butter
salt & pepper to taste

Cut the chicken into cubes, season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken into a large pot heated to medium. Once the chicken is cooked on all sides, throw in the onions. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic, cumin, cayenne, and chilies. After about a minute put in the 2 cups of water. Put the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  You can use chicken stalk instead of water for a more concentrated flavor, I know my sister does, but the water will also turn into chicken stalk after simmering in the chicken.
Add the can of diced tomatoes, simmer again for another 10 minutes or so.
Add the peanut butter, stir well, the sauce should be thick and creamy...if it's not thick enough add more peanut butter. Simmer again for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper, maybe add more chilies or cayenne if it needs it (the peanut butter takes away a lot of the spice).
Serve over rice.

Here it is! My All Time Favorite Pasta Sauce!!

I really have to force myself to make some other pasta at times because this really is my favorite, and also a huge hit every time I share it. I really don't even know what to call it. It's a Rose sauce with lots of fresh herbs and every time I make it, it's different. I guess the crazy thing about it is that is has cilantro in it, which I've personally never seen in a pasta sauce but works really well in this one.  You definitely have to try it!

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast seasoned (it's great with Cajun spice or just salt and fresh ground pepper) 
2 Sausages, any kind really like spicy Italian, or Mediterranean, or Andouille, etc.

few tbsp olive oil
1 diced onion
5 cloves of minced or chopped garlic
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 jar (approx. 2 cups) of Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce , bought or home made.
1 small handful of  fresh chopped Basil
1 small handful of fresh chopped Cilantro
1 tsp of Sriracha HOT Chili Sauce

*Try adding red wine to the sauce
*Try Gluten free rice noodles or I prefer some kind of Fusilli pasta because it keeps in all the thick sauce!

In one pan cook the seasoned chicken breast until fully cooked then slice the chicken thinly on an angle and put it back in the pan with a dash more seasoning then put aside.
If the sausage is precooked then slice it thin and on an angle and put into a large heated pot then once a little browned add the onions. If your sausages aren't yet cooked then before slicing them, put them in the heated pan until cooked all the way through then slice them and add them to the pot ...then add the onions.

Once the onions have softened, add the garlic, cook for a couple more minutes. Then once the sausage is cooked and the garlic is soft then add the can of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Now I put the water on for my pasta. Once the water's boiling and the pasta is in the pot, and the tomatoes has simmered, I mix the Alfredo sauce in with the tomatoes. Simmer on low until the pasta noodles are ready. Drain the pasta. Stir the basil and cilantro into the sauce. Add the Sriracha..salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Serve!

If The Weather's Right.. Plant Your Own Fresh Herbs!

Here's my beautiful Basil and Cilantro...two herbs I use everyday.

Grilled Pear, Walnut & Goat's Cheese Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette

I could eat a huge bowl of this Salad! It's sweet from the pears and crunchy from the walnuts..a great side!

For the Salad toss together:
2 Bosc Pears, peeled sliced and grilled in a pan on medium heat until golden and soft.
Baby Spinach, washed and dried
Goats cheese (or try feta, or blue cheese)
Walnuts

For the Dressing whisk together:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of 1 large Orange
Salt & Pepper to taste

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking Mixes! (And My own Icing Recipe)

My boyfriend has Celiac Disease, and each time his mother travels to the States she picks up a bunch of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cakes and Brownies.

Unfortunately not sold here in Canada yet so if you know anyone going to the States..this is really a great find!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Baking Mixes

Easy Thick Buttery Icing! 
I'm really not a trained professional when it comes to cooking. I just do what works and what my instincts and greedy taste buds desire. And when it comes to baking, I rely on good directions.
But I really think i have this icing thing down! It's easy here is:

4 cups of icing sugar (whenever I try to half it, it turns runny)
2/3 cup of melted butter
1 tbsp vanilla
and just a couple tbsp of milk until you get a nice thick yet spreadable consistency

For Chocolate Icing:
add 1/3 cup of cocoa for light chocolate, 1/2 cup of cocoa for medium chocolate, and 3/4 cup for dark chocolate.

(you want it a little shiny from the butter -that's how much butter you need, and you want to taste the vanilla)

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is sooo delicious and good for you! Lots of protein too!
I cheat, I buy the sauce, whatever sauce looks the best. I use the VH Thai Market Pad Thai sauce because it's Gluten Free.

Ingredients:
1 large Chicken Breast
1 bottle of Pad Thai Sauce
LEE KUM KEE Chili Garlic Sauce
1 whole package of Firm Tofu
2 scrambled Eggs
small handful of chopped Peanuts
small handful of chopped Basil and Cilantro
lime slices

First I thinly sliced 1 large chicken breast and put it in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
Once the chicken is cooked on the outside I added 1-2 tsp of LEE KUM KEE Chili Garlic Sauce. And a thinly sliced green chili pepper. Cook on medium-low until the chicken is done.
Then heat another non-stick pan to medium-high heat while the chicken is cooking. Add to the pan one whole package of Firm Tofu (diced into even cubes).
While all that is cooking away, start to boil some water for you noodles (One pack of Thai rice noodles..they only take a minute or so, once they're in the hot water)
And then...once the tofu has browned a bit put it into the pan with the chicken and use the empty heated pan to scramble two eggs. Then put the scrambled egg into the chicken and tofu, pour the whole bottle of Pad Thai Sauce into the mix. Add some chopped peanuts and chopped fresh Cilantro and Basil. Top it off with a squeeze of lime!

Just signed up for Jamie's Food Revolution!

I'm a huge fan of Jamie Oliver's! And his food revolution is a project I feel strongly about. I think society has gotten carried away in the fast paced lane and when it comes to food I think we should start to slow down, and take our time! We should just be more conscientious of what we eat, or are putting into our bodies. Even if it isn't the right choice we should always be aware of what we are eating. Because if we don't care about it "they" won't care either. And they'll continue to limit our options to cheaper, processed versions of food, in fact unless you cook from scratch, most of what we find in the stores I wouldn't even call food.. just a chemical replacement of the original thing.

Jamie's Food Revolution really gives you a feel for just how out of touch society has become with food. And also how simple it is to change this direction we're going in. People love to eat good tasting food. It's just that not everyone knows just how simple and rewarding it is to cook from scratch, no matter who you are, how busy you are, what your budget is or how skilled you may or may not be in the kitchen...anyone can cook great tasting meals from real ingredients.

How we behave, feel, respond to situations, all has a lot to do with what we eat or don't eat, and I think also, whether we take the time with preparing the food we eat. We need to become more conscious of ourselves and how we treat our bodies. It starts by being aware. Ultimately tuning in to what really matters within ourselves, could only make us better people and contributors to the rest of the world around us.

I want to encourage everyone else out there to get involved in Jamie's Food Revolution too, and Sign the Petition! When it comes to food -Let's get back to basics!


Sign the Petition! Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

HOT BBQ Chicken Wings

This time I just combined three types of hot sauces together..tossed it with the chicken wings and put them on the BBQ on low heat flipping them over consistently and brushing on more of the hot sauce blend each time (whenever they get dry). Doing this for about 30-40 minutes until the wings are tender and no longer pink inside. Then, take them off the grill, put them in a bowl and toss them in the sauce blend again.

*I used President's Choice Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce,
A great Hot Sauce I picked up in Key West, Florida, at this great place where you can sample over 100 different hot sauces! It's called "Peppers of Key West" And the hot sauce is called "Hot Sauce #1" it really is one of the best hot sauces I've ever tried! It's an aged red pepper sauce with lots of GARLIC! it's one of those "put it on everything" type of sauce. Like Tobasco, but better!..also gluten free.
The last thing I used was LEE KUM KEE Chili Garlic Sauce (only a couple tbsp, to taste)


Serve with Homemade Blue Cheese Dip:
Just combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 tbsp of white wine vinegar, 2-3 tbsp of squeezed lemon juice, and a few big pieces of whatever blue cheese you want, whisk it all together for a few minutes until the cheese has fully softened into the rest of the ingredients. Add a tbsp of fresh or dry parsley.

Potato and Sweet Potato Cajun Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees c. Slice 3 Potato's and 3 Sweet Potato's thin like your usual potato chips and bake them on a non-stick tray for 15-20 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown. As soon as you take them out of the oven toss evenly in Cajun spice and serve with Sour Cream and Chipotle Dip (sour cream mixed with 1 mashed Chipotle pepper and 2 tsp of Adobo sauce!)

Ham, Swiss and Avacado Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo

I won't tell you how to put a sandwich together but here's what's in it:

Focaccia Bread or Sub Bread
Shaved Black Forest Ham
Swiss Cheese
Sliced Avocado
Canned Jalapeno peppers (sliced)
3 slices of Tomato
Homemade Chipotle Mayo (Mix together 4 tbsp of mayonnaise and about 1 tbsp of Chipotle Adobo sauce for one sandwich)

Hummus and Crackers

To make the Hummus, blend together in a food processor: 1 can of chick peas (rinsed), 1/2 cup of tahini paste, about 1/4 cup olive oil, 4-5 roasted garlic cloves, juice of two lemons, 1 tsp cumin, salt and pepper.

You can add roasted vegetables like red peppers or jalapenos, or even add any hot sauce.

Eat with Crackers or Pita bread or even put it in a sandwich.

Chili Corn on the Cob

Boil corn for about 2-3 minutes or until bright yellow. Drain them and dress them with butter, salt, Chili powder or Chipotle powder, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lime.

Or put the corn on the BBQ and it would be even better!

Double Baked BIG Potatoes

First: Wash four large baking potatoes. Place them onto a tray. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes.

Once you take the potatoes out of the oven, let cool for a couple minutes then cut a slit down the center of each potato, squeeze the sides inward and gently scoop out the potato (as much as you can) and place the potato into a bowl along with: 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of old cheddar cheese, 1 tsp cumin, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tbsp Dijon or honey Dijon mustard, chopped chives or green onion, and either 6-8 strips of bacon (fried and chopped into bits) or one Spicy Sausage/ Spicy Chorizo Sausage squeezed out of it's casing and cooked in a heated pan and chopped up with a wooden spoon.. add it to the bowl with some salt and pepper and a bit of whatever hot sauce or a charred jalapeno pepper (diced and seeded). Mix all the ingredients until smooth and creamy add more sour cream if you need to. And shove it back into the potato skins gently. Then sprinkle the tops with a bit more cheese and put them back into the oven for about 10 more minutes. Until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.

Spicy Scalloped Potatoes

heat oven to 325ºF
Slice about 6 large red potatoes (skin on).
Finely chop 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic, and 1-2 sprigs of Rosemary
Squeeze one spicy chorizo sausage found at your local butcher , from it's casing into a pan heated at medium heat. Break up the sausage, set it aside. Grate 2 cups of a nice old cheddar, either white or orange.
In a large rectangular glass casserole dish, start layering: One even layer of sliced potatoes, sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp of almond flower or rice flower, salt and pepper, half the onions, half the garlic, half the sausage, half the rosemary, and half the cheese. Then layer the other half of the ingredients, adding a couple pats of butter over the top. Then pour in 2 cups of warm milk.

Put it into the oven for about 45 minutes. The cheese will start to get golden brown and the potatoes will be soft, let it cool and settle for about 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and chives.





*Gluten free

Chicken Mole ("Mole-eh!")

This recipe is for one of the most authentic and complicated Mexican dishes you can find. Chances are, if you haven't traveled to Mexico...and really experienced the true Mexican lifestyle, you probably have never heard of a Mexican Mole. A Mole is basically a sauce with a crazy amount of ingredients, including dark Mexican chocolate. It can be used in a variety of dishes, but traditionally served over chicken pieces, with rice or beans.
There's a lot of preparation, I was always really intimidated by this recipe. It's pretty complex. Finally I decided to just go for it, test my skills! I found a great version online, translated it from Spanish to English and made a couple additions and subtractions, just to make it my own. It took a few hours, but the result was perrrrfect! Don't shy away from the amount of chili's that are used here, these types of chilies are more for flavor and don't hold much heat. In fact if you wanted it to be spicy you should add something else to it like Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce.


Ingredients:

2 kilos of chicken pieces (skin on)
white rice or re-fried brown beans with cooked with minced garlic, as a side.

For the Mole:

7-9 Mulato Chilies
5-7 Pasilla Chilies
4-6 Ancho Chilies
1 cup plus 9 tbsp Vegetable oil
4-5 Tomatillos (mexican green tomatoes)...I prefer the canned version, otherwise you will need to remove the husks and boil them until soft.
4 cloves of Garlic
20 Black Pepper Corns
5 Cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tsp roasted Chili seeds (use the seeds that will be removed from the Ancho, Pasilla and Mulato Chilies in this recipe)
3 tbsp of Raisins
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds (look for the seeds without the shells)
1/4 cup Almonds (sliced or whole)
2 dried-out Corn Tortillas , torn into pieces.
6-7 cups of Chicken Broth (saved from when you boil the chicken pieces from this recipe)
50 grams (or more to taste) of Mexican Chocolate


Directions:

First, season chicken with salt and pepper.
Second, Cook the chicken in about 10 cups of water.
Third, prepare the mole:

step 1: Cook the chilies in 2 tbsp of oil until crispy, not burned. make sure to flip them. They will start to puff a bit.
step 2: While the chilies are soft after cooking on the stove, remove the seeds and stems (reserve 1 tbsp of the seeds)
step 3: Soak the chilies in warm water for 30 minutes
step 4: Make a paste with the chilies using some of the water they soaked in with either a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
step 5: Grind the pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and chilies together, and set aside in a separate bowl.
step 6: Blend tomatillos with garlic, add the ground spices and set aside.
step 7: Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add the following ingredients (without mixing) and until: raisin are puffed, almonds are golden, pumpkin seeds slightly golden, broken-up tortilla piece slightly heated. Add a bit of oil if needed.
step 8: (Except for the chili paste) Add all the mole ingredients (the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, tortilla and tomatillo sauce with the spices together in a food processor. Use some of the chicken stock to keep the right saucy consistency.
step 9: Heat a large pot to medium heat. Cook the chili paste for about 15 minutes in the remaining oil. This will really bring out the flavor and smokiness of the chilies. Mix frequently. Lower the heat.
step 10: Add the rest of the blended ingredients into the pot with the chili paste and the rest of the vegetable oil (it seems like a lot of oil but it gives the sauce a great texture and shine). Add the chocolate and cook for 15 minutes over high heat.
step 11: Add the remaining chicken broth and simmer for an additional 45 minutes.
step 12: In the last 15 minutes add the chicken pieces to the pot.

Serve with fresh corn tortillas, rice, and re-fried beans or rice.


*Gluten free

Chicken & Rice Cajun Soup

This is one of my newest creations! It's a thick and hearty feel good soup that won't last long around the house!

Ingredients:
2 full chicken legs
3-4 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or Essence by Emeril Lagasse)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
2 large organic carrots (peeled and chopped lengthwise then diced, to make half moons)
2 large organic celery sticks (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 organic red pepper
3/4 cup white rice
1/4 cup wild black rice
1/2 cup red lentils (rinsed and drained)
8-10 cups water or chicken stalk


Directions:

Set a cast iron pan to medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken legs with 2 tbsp of Cajun Seasoning. Grill each side of the chicken in the pan until golden brown on both sides. Set chicken aside. With the pan still medium to med-high heat, throw all the veggie's in except the garlic. Season veggies with 1 tbsp of Cajun. When veggies are soft yet still firm, mix in the garlic, rice, and lentils. Let the mixture fry for about one more minute.

Heat a dutch oven, or a slow cooker to medium heat. Put in the chicken and all the grilled veggies and rice mixture. Add half the water or stalk and the remaining Cajun seasoning to the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Then add the remaining water, and simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour. Until chicken pulls apart easily. Remove the chicken and place it in a bowl. With two forks shred the chicken and discard the bones. Put the chicken back into the soup. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.


Serve it up!



*Gluten free

The Spiciest Tastiest Chili Ever!!

1 lb lean ground beef
vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chili powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp chipotle powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp oregano
1 cinnamon stick
2 medium sized yellow onions (diced)
4-5 cloves of garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 large green chili (seeded, finely chopped)
1 tsp sugar
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or stalk
2 cups total of black eyed peas, red and white Lima beans combined
1 cup corn kernels
1 diced Yukon gold potato (optional)...for an even heartier version
2 tbsp tomato paste

Directions:

Heat a large pot or dutch oven to high heat.
Season beef with fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
Add a small drizzle of vegetable oil to the pot. Flatten the beef to fill the bottom of the hot pot. The beef won't burn but it will develop a blackened caramelized texture. Once the one side is darkened, flip the beef over to grill the other side (may have to flip in pieces). When both sides are finished browning, break the beef apart even more with a wooden spoon, leave some pieces kind of chunky.
Thrown in the diced onion, garlic, and cinnamon stick. When onions are translucent, add the green chili, chili powder, chiplotle powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Heat for about 30 seconds. Add can of chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. You may want to add a bit of water.
Once that's simmered, add the remaining 2 cups of water or stalk, black-eye peas, red Lima beans and white Lima beans sugar and cubed potatoes (optional). Simmer for one hour. Add more water if needed.
Stir in tomato paste until you have your desired consistency.
Garnish with chives, sour cream and chopped cilantro



*Gluten Free

BBQ Jerk Chicken

Marinate Chicken pieces (as much as you like)
in the following combined ingredients over night for the best results or for at least 2 hours.
*Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade to use for basting the chicken while cooking.

Ingredients :
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion
3 scallions
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 tbsp grated piece of ginger
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of fresh nutmeng
pinch of ground cloves
2 tbsp thyme
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice from 1 lime
juice from 1 large orange


Once chicken is done marinating, discard excess marinade and throw the chicken onto the grill. Use the marinade that was put aside to baste the chicken throughout.


*Gluten Free

Gluten Freeeee!

A couple years ago, my boyfriend discovered he had celiac disease. Celiac disease means your body is unable to process gluten (wheat). Which is why most of the recipes you'll find here are *gluten free. I thought it might have been more of a challenge, although I found I've become a lot more creative and inventive since the discovery. And even though I myself can have wheat, I've become accustomed to most foods without using it. And I feel much healthier for doing so.

For instance, pasta noodles are easily replaced with rice or corn pasta noodles, and they taste the same. Most grocery stores sell them at almost the same price. Or I love to use those skinny little Asian rice noodles for pastas and stir fry's. They're only about $1, and only take 2 minutes to cook.

To thicken sauces and gravies just use corn starch instead of flour, not as much though.

Make your own chicken/ beef stalk from scratch

Rice flour is a great substitute for baking, and I find gluten free baked goods taste so much better (bread is an exception).

Gluten free sooo does NOT have to mean taste free. You can have the same meals you crave. Make it from scratch and just find creative ways to get around using "flour or bread".

Spicy Guacamole Salsa

At the taco stands in Zihuatanejo, the guacamole served on the side was a bit different than the regular "thick and chunky" guacamole that we're all used to. It was more watered-down. More like a sauce or salsa to pour onto the tacos. And a little Spicier!

Ingredients:
1 large avocado
juice of 1 lime
1 clove of minced garlic
1 ancho or passilla chili
1tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Drizzle small amount of olive oil into pan.
Place Ancho or Pasilla Chili onto the pan. When the chili starts to heat up flip it onto it's other side. Once it starts to puff up, remove the chili from the pan and place it into a bowl with 1 cup of warm water. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then Scrape the seeds out.

In a blender, put in the avocado, lime juice, garlic, ancho/ pasilla chili, cumin, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend together. Start adding the water until you get a smooth consistency (like a creamy soup). Add some chili powder to taste.

serve as a side to any Mexican meal


*Gluten free

Real Corn Tortillas

2 cups masa harina, finely ground maize (corn) i.e; maseca
1 to 1 1/4 cups of hot water
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, mix ingredients for about 2 minutes until smooth.
The key is to get the right consistency. If dough is too sticky add more masa harina. If dough is too hard add just a few drops of water.

Divide dough into 2 inch size balls. With either a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or even the counter top and a frying pan, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. Until tortillas are about 1 millimeter thick.

Preheat a cast iron tortilla pan at about medium to medium-high heat. Place tortillas onto the heated pan. Leave them until they start to turn a little golden one one side then flip them. Once they are cooked nicely all the way through on both sides (and not burned), about 2 minutes, set them aside wrapped up in a cloth. Tortillas will soften as they sit in the cloth.

Also try cutting tortillas into quarters, deep fry to make your own tortilla chips!

*Gluten Free

Try Pulled Chicken Tacos!

Mexican Pulled Chicken Tacos

This is my favorite recipe to pass around. I came up with this recipe while waiting in line at a Mexican "tienda" in Kensington market while living in Toronto. I was just making conversation with the woman behind me about how I wanted to make real Mexican tacos.
About five years ago my boyfriend and I had lived in Zihuatanejo Mexico for about six months. That's where my love for spice really emerged. The most unforgettable, out of all the delicious meals has to be the Tacos. And once I was back in Canada I had to re-create them!
So between the woman in line at the "tienda" and some of my own memory and experiences while in Zihuatanejo I came up with this recipe for Pulled Chicken Tacos:

Ingredients:

approx. 1 chicken breast per person
a piece of El Yucateco Annatto paste
juice of 1 orange
1-1 1/2 cups chicken stalk
4 tbsp (approx) olive oil

taco seasoning (mix ingredients):
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
about 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Fixings:
corn tortillas
1/2 cup of red onions
1/4 cup cilantro
guacamole
lime slices
grilled pineapple pieces
salsa verde (green) or..
salsa rojo (red)


Boil chicken in a pot with enough water to cover. Boil for about 15-20 minutes, until chicken is able to pull apart easily. Remove and reserve the water. Pull the chicken apart with two forks until it's very stringy, no big pieces..

Heat pan to medium. Put a bit of oil into the pan and throw in the chicken. Add the Annatto paste and work it into the chicken with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle the taco seasoning mix over the chicken, mix and let the flavors come out a bit. Cut a big orange and squeeze as much juice as you can out of both halves into the pan. Then take about a cup/ cup and a half of the leftover stock (boiled chicken water) and pour that into the pan. Give it a little shake bring it to a bubble then let simmer on med- low heat until all the juices are soaked in.

While the chicken is simmering, prep the tortillas, and guacamole and salsa.
chop the red onion into small pieces and finely chop the cilantro. Mix the two together and drizzle in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Chop some pineapple and grill it (optional, but delicious!).

Set it all up and dig in while it's hot!








 

Welcome!

Ok. First post. The introduction.
I'll start by clarifying that this is not a blog about "Hot Exes" in the kitchen. No, it's about food! I will warn you though... I have a tendency to spice-up every meal I create or imitate, the recipe's I will share with you will be HOT...and delicious! And hopefully you enjoy making them and passing them along as well.
This is a place for those who love to cook. Those who love to create new dishes, and experiment with new flavors and especially.. spice!

For me, I crave exotic tastes, of all kinds. The more flavor, the better. A big favorite of mine are the sauces in an Indian dish. Made with an amazing blend of spices and vegetables or meats served over rice...dipped with nan bread, chili pickles on the side, ....mmm.

I love Mexican (one of my most influential styles of cooking). With all the preparation, the time and love that goes into every meal. All the spice. All the fixings. Mexican food (the real stuff) has honestly changed my life.

On a recent trip to Florida I developed some excitement for southern-style cooking. After having some Jambalaya pasta at this great place in Fort Lauderdale. I had to replicate it. Now I'm putting a little cajun over everything!

Then there's Thai food, Vietnamese, Italian food (obviously!) , El-Salvadorean, Greek (not really known for spice but hey..) Ok ok so the list could go on and on.

To wrap it up, I thought it was about time I share my obsession of food with others who may be like me. Total non-professionals who just love to cook. For those who spend hours in the kitchen because they like to. Maybe share some cultural influences, travel experiences, tips, tricks, healthy living ..whatever .
Get inspired to love what you eat, and learn how to make it yourself!