Thai Chicken

This is adapted from a Pioneer Woman recipe. I love the sharpness of the limes and the crunch of the peanut butter. Almost heaven on a plate!

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips/bite-sized pieces
Marinade: 
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 C soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp hot chili oil
juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp flour
2 T honey
Peanut oil (for frying)

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 C crunchy peanut butter
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp hot chili oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
juice of 2 Limes
water, as needed for to get the right consistency

Salad fixings:
Romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped
2 carrots, julienned
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
baby spinach leaves
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 scallions, chopped
bamboo shoots
cilantro, roughly chopped
peanuts
salt and pepper to taste
Basmati rice or Asian noodles

In a bowl, mix together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, lime juice, ginger, and brown sugar (Bowl 1). 
Pour off half of the marinade into a separate bowl (Bowl 2).
Add the chicken pieces and put them into Bowl 1. Add the squeezed limes and allow to marinade for several hours or overnight.
In Bowl 2, stir the flour and honey, and set aside.

Add a few tablespoons of  peanut oil to a heavy skillet, and when it’s hot, add the chicken strips in a single layer (Bowl 1).
Allow to cook for or few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through for about 4 minutes.
Lower the heat, then add the marinade from Bowl 2. 
Stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Cook over low heat for a few mintes, and then allow to cool.

Peanut Sauce: Mix all the peanut sauce ingredients, adding a little water to get a semi-runny consistency. Check for seasoning.

To serve:
Carefully divide the salad fixings between two plates. Add the chicken pieces and top with the cilantro.
Pour on some peanut sauce, and scatter some peanuts over the top. 
Serve with Asian noodles or a portion of Basmati rice.

Asian Turkey Meatballs

This has to be one of the easiest meatball recipes! They’re super easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. The recipe is easily doubled, and I would definitely recommend that you make a double batch as they certainly won’t last very long!

Meatball ingredients:

1 lb  ground turkey
2 scallions, very finely chopped
1⁄2 C cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp  soy sauce
1⁄4 C breadcrumbs 
1⁄4 C oats 
1 egg, lightly beaten

Dipping Sauce
1⁄4 C  brown sugar
1⁄4 C  soy sauce
1 Tbsp  rice vinegar
2 -3 slices  fresh ginger, peeled and gently squashed

Heat the oven to 400°.
Make the meatballs: 
Gently mix together all the meatball ingredients with your hands. Then form the meatballs by using an ice-cream scoop. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for about 23-25 minutes, until cooked and well-browned. 

Make the dipping sauce: 
In a small saucepan stir the sauce ingredients together over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer for about 5 minutes or so, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove the ginger slices and serve the dip in a small bowl along side the meatballs.

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos rancheros is a super tasty breakfast for a leisurely weekend morning! I absolutely love these flavors, and it reminds me of when I used to live in southern California. This recipe is adapted from a Jamie Deen recipe.

Ingredients

15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 medium sized chorizo,  skin removed, chopped into small chunks

vegetable oil

corn tortillas (4-6 as need)

16 oz can refried beans

4 large eggs

guacamole (Trader Joe's brand is very good)

3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack (or cheddar), for serving

sour cream, for serving

Directions

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes with their juice, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and salt.

Blitz until smooth, and then pour into a small sauce pan and simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over a low heat.

In a large frying pan cook the chorizo for about 5 minutes until browned. Then add the chorizo to the sauce and cover again.

Give the frying pan a quick wipe, and add a little vegetable oil if necessary, and cook the tortillas one by one for about 30 seconds on each side until lightly golden, adding a little vegetable oil if needed. Be careful not to overcook.

Heat or microwave the refried beans, and spread a spoonful or two onto the tortillas. Cover with foil and set aside or put on a cookie sheet in an oven on a very low heat.

In the same frying pan cook the eggs for about a minute or so until the bottoms are set. Then cover and cook for another minute or so until cooked.

Put one egg on top of each tortilla and ladle the warm tomato sauce over the top. Serve with the guacamole, cheese and additional cilantro. Top with a dollop of sour cream!

Delicious!

Tequila Lime Swordfish

• This recipe is based on Ina Garten's recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken. The flavors are wonderfully fresh and zingy. This recipe can definitely be halved for smaller amounts of fish.
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
• 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lbs swordfish steaks
• 1 cup of chopped cilantro (half for the marinade, and half for serving)

Mix together the tequila, lime and orange juice, chili, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, and then add the swordfish. Cover and chill overnight in the fridge. I have also put the marinade and the fish in a plastic bag, which allows you to easily rearrange and massage the marinade into the fish.
You can either cook the sword fish on a barbecue grill, or a George Forman grill if you prefer. Remove the fish from the marinade, and season well with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 minutes, until nicely seared. Serve with a slice of lime and sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro. This is a really clean tasting and fresh combination of flavors for a summer supper.

Arepera, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

This is the place to go for Venezuelan cuisine! I'm no expert but this was a great introduction for me. We fell into this very colourful, cosy and super friendly restaurant as we were strolling through the streets near Rue Saint-Denis and Boulevard Saint-Laurent on a rainy Saturday night. We started off with a wonderful avocado and watercress salad, with chopped tomatoes and a zingy dressing made from lime, avocado and fresh cilantro. This has to be one of the best salads I’ve ever had, and it’s going to be one of my regular dishes from now own. Arepera has a huge range of fresh juices such as sugar cane, watermelon, tamarind and tomato, but not the usual type of tomato!

The shredded beef stew was delicious, and came with a refreshing side of salsa and home made corn bread (arepera). Definitely stop by next time you're in Montreal, and let me know what you think.

Arepera

4050 deBullion (coin Duluth), Montreal, Quebec H2W 2E5

Tel: 514-508-7267

Spinach and Seafood Curry

The inspiration for this recipe came from my love of spicy seafood curries mixed with my love of all things coconut! This curry has a wonderful rich texture, and the coconut milk gives it a slight creaminess. I’ve always had rave reviews whenever I’ve served it. 

5 T vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
I large bunch cilantro (coriander), finely chopped (reserve a quarter to sprinkle on top before serving)
1 hot green chilli, finely chopped (or if you’re in a squeeze 1 T chopped jalapenos from a jar)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 x 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 T lemon or lime juice
1 lb mixed seafood (calimari, shrimp, etc.)
1/2 lb fresh salmon, chopped (or any white fish such as swordfish or tilapia)
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen spinach
1 can coconut milk
1 lemon or lime sliced to garnish

Heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat, and then gently fry the garlic until golden brown.
Add the cilantro, dry spices, tomatoes, ginger, salt, lemon juice and chopped chilli.
Stir gently, and bring to a simmer.
Add spinach and coconut milk. Stir. (At this point you can set the curry aside to cool and then refrigerate for up to day).
When you’re ready to prepare the curry, bring the tomato, coconut and spinach mixture to a gentle simmer. 
Add the salmon chunks and cook for 10 minutes, then add the mixed seafood for another 10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Amigo's Express, Banyan Tree Park, Wailuku, Maui

We fell into Amigo's Express, wandering around Wailuku. It's nestled under the branches of a huge, sprawling banyan tree with the West Maui Mountains in the distance. What a perfect spot to eat lunch! Plus, we happened to stop by on a Tuesday when they have $1 specials. I love the taste of cilantro, lime, corn tortillas and carne asada. Heavenly!

Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, Banyan Tree Park, on the corner of Vineyard and Market streets. 

(808) 357-8001 or (808) 344-8771