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.

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

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