Flaming Hot Cheetos Chicken

 

Hey friends, it's been a while since I posted anything. Life has been busy, and while I'm not complaining, I did miss whipping up some quick recipes and keeping the family happy. But seems like I have found my mojo back, or at least for now I have, so wanted to share a recipe that was quick and delicious! 

I recently bought a 2-pack of Cheetos for my kids, and then had half a bag of flaming hot cheetos left behind and wanted to find a way to use that. I thought of using it as a crunchy coating instead of regular breadcrumbs, and viola, this is how this dish came about. After I made this, I thought I could use the same coating for wings, chicken breasts and a more kid friendly version would be nuggets with just regular Cheetos. So, please go give this one a try, and hopefully it gives you guys as much happiness and satisfaction just like it did for my family.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Flaming Hot Crunchy Cheetos
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese 
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 4 chicken legs, cut into 2 (thighs & drumsticks)
• 2 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• 3/4th cup water
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, boil the chicken with garlic ginger paste and some salt and water. Make sure to turn the chicken around from time to time, since the chicken wont be completely immersed in water
2. While the chicken is boiling, you can prepare the cheetos coating mixture. In order to do this, blend together the cheetos and parmesan cheese in a blender
3. Once the chicken is cooked (approx 20-22 mins), take it out of the remaining water and let is dry out a bit
4. Once semi-dry, coat it in flour 
5. Combine egg, salt and 1 tsp water. Beat until well combined. Dip the floured chicken in egg mixture. 
6. Light grease/spray a baking tray and place the chicken pieces on the tray
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 275° until the crust is cooked

Serve with a side of a salad, or ranch. I used a chickpea salad and some gold ol' ranch dressing to help with the spice. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please feel free to comment any questions or suggestions you may have. Until then folks, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh Yes, EAT! 

Apple Date-nut Pancakes

Fathers Day Card

It's been three months since we've been in lockdown now, which for us also means we haven't been dining outside. This year being my husbands first fathers day, I wanted to do something special for him. We did go to the beach (with social distancing guidelines) and Insiyah made a lovely little card for her daddy too. But since my husband loves his Sunday brunches, we threw in a special Fathers day brunch as well.
This was a little last minute plan though, so I scavenged through my refrigerator the night before, and tried to see what I could cook up for him. I found apples were my only star ingredient for the day, so I thought of making him these Apple Date-nut pancakes. I still had a stash of dates, lying around since ramzan, so I thought of adding in nuts, and voila, those were my key players for the fancy Fathers Day Brunch.


This is yet another quick and simple recipe from my kitchen. It went well with Daddy dearest, and I'm sure you'll will love it too.

Apple Date Nut Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup grated red apples (I grated them with skin on, this is a personal preference)
• 5 dates, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp sugar 
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• a pinch of cinnamon powder (optional)
• Olive Oil Spray, for greasing the pan
• Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl. Add the egg, buttermilk and whisk into the dry mix. 
2. Now add the remaining ingredients whisk it until a smooth consistency is formed. If the batter feels too dry, slowly add in a little water and keep mixing until the batter is runny for pancakes
3. Now heat a nonstick pan, grease the pan with some spray. Take 2 tbsp of batter to make the pancakes.
4. Once bubbles start forming on the top layer(about 2 mins), carefully flip them over and cook for another couple of mins. 
5. Once done, I sprinkled them with some pistachio & almond powder, chopped dates and a few slices of apples. And served them with maple syrup. 
   
   
   
   

   

   Apple Date Nut Pancakes

I hope you like this simple yet elevated pancake recipe. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please feel free to share them. Until then folks, stay safe.. Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!

Russian Chicken Cutlets

Russian Chicken Cutlets

This has been a very different Ramadan for me and my family. For those of you'll who know, we usually go to Masjid everyday during the holy month of Ramadan. And that is where we break our fasts with iftaari - which usually consists of cookies, tea and a date. And follow our prayers with dinner at the masjid too. This dinner usually involves a dessert, a savory dish - like an appetizer and then the main course. 

This year, while we are still able to perform all our prayers, one thing we miss is the festive feel of our community gathering. The food playing a big part in this gathering. And in order to fill that void, I've been trying to ramp up my cooking. I'm going back to re-creating a lot of old family recipes and meals that bring back some nostalgia and happy memories. One such recipe that I am sharing with you today is the Russian Chicken Cutlets. This falls in the category of the bohri kharaas - the savory appetizer that precedes the main dish. 

This is not one of those quick one pan meals that I usually throw in. It is more involved, but definitely worth it . Also, I tried to look for why this recipe was called Russian Cutlets, but I'm still looking for an answer. 

Makes: 25 cutlets 

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken kheema (minced meat)
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 7 green chillies, ground or chopped to very tiny pieces like a paste
• 1 capsicum, chopped to tiny pieces
• 1 small carrot, grated 
• 2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp grated cheese
• 2 tbsp Mrs Dash seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet vermicelli, crushed
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Cook chicken kheema with ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, salt and pepper in a pan. Do not add any water. The kheema will release some water when cooking. Cook in its own water stirring at short intervals, so that the kheema is cooked evenly and doesn't form lumps
2. Once the kheema is done, take it out in a big bowl. You will later use the same bowl to mix all the ingredients
3. Use the same pan, to make a thick white sauce. Start with heating the butter in this pan. Now add the all purpose flour and brown for a couple of mins. Now slowly add the milk in this pan, making sure no lumps are formed. Let it cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes and then add the Mrs dash seasoning and some pepper powder. 
4. Now throw in the chopped vegetables and potatoes in the white sauce and cook for another 3-5 mins. 
5. Now mix in this white sauce mixture with the chicken kheema previously cooked. Mix in the cheese and cilantro to this mixture and give it all a good mix. You will have to get your hands dirty on this one ;) 
6. Make flat cutlets that are about 2 inch in diameter from this mixture. It will be a little sticky to work with, but once fried, they will be soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. 
7. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and keep it aside
8. Place the crushed vermicelli in a shallow plate
9. If the cutlets feel too soft once shaped, you can place them in the refrigerator for about 30 mins before you start frying
10. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Dip the cutlets in the egg and then coat in the crushed vermicelli. 
11. Fry the cutlets for about 3 mins each side until a light golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to soak excess oil

You can serve these cutlets with tomato sauce or some coriander chutney. You can also coat the cutlets in breadcrumbs instead of vermicelli. I hope you enjoy this old family favorite recipe. Stay indoors, stay safe and cherish this time with your family. Until then folks, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!!

Notes: 

• You can substitute chicken kheema with shredded chicken as well
• Also, I make some of these cutlets and freeze them for later. Just prepare the cutlets until Step 9 and freeze for as long as a month

Mango Creme Brûlée

Mango Creme Brûlée

In the midst of everything that has been going around in the world, my focus lately has been to concentrate on the positives around me. Celebrate every little win, or small milestones in our life. 

My daughter turned 6 months old last week, and I wanted to make something sweet to make this occasion. 

With Ramadan going on, and keeping our socializing to a minimum, we couldn't share this occasion with many of our close family and friends, but I still wanted it to be a little celebratory. Hence, came the idea for Mango Creme Brûlée. We had a half birthday dessert, and also gave her a little taste of it. And by the looks of it, she seems to like Mango too, much like her parents. 

Makes 6 servings (ramekins) 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (can be substituted with regular milk, or half and half)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup mango pulp ( I usually buy the canned alphonso mango pulp)
• 1/3 cup sugar, some more for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit 
2. Mix the egg yolks and sugar and keep aside. I used 1/3 cup sugar only, since my mango pulp was sweetened as well. If making Vanilla creme brûlée, increase the sugar quantity to 1/2 cup
3. In a heavy bottom pan, heat the cream, milk and salt on medium heat. As soon as it begins to simmer, take it off the heat and mix in the vanilla extract
4. Now add 1/2 cup of the cream to the egg mixture. Ensure to whisk the egg yolks in a slow and steady stream, to avoid scrambling of the eggs
5. Now pour the remaining cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, still stirring slowly but continuously to avoid scrambling
6. Place the ramekins in a large baking pan. Divide the custard mixture evenly, filling to the top
7.  Carefully fill the pan with enough hot water to reach half-way through the ramekins
8. Bake until the edges are set and centers are a little shaky. The time usually depends on the depth of the ramekins. For my 1-inch ramekins, it takes about 30 minutes. But since I decided to use 1 large glass dish, I baked the custard for 40 mins.
9. Remove once done, and cool it for about an hour before refrigerating. 
10.  I'd suggest refrigerating for at least about 4 hours or more before starting on sugar topping
11. Using about 1/4 tsp of sugar for a ramekin, sprinkle an even layer of sugar on the ramekin. 
12. Broil for about 10 mins in an oven or use a kitchen torch to caramelize. 

Notes & Tips:

• We prefer to enjoy the creme brûlée without the caramelized sugar layer, hence you can see I skipped that step in the picture. Traditional creme brûlée does have a caramelized layer, that is very easy to create. 
• You can substitute the evaporated milk with heavy cream as well, that will just make the creme brûlée a little denser. This is just a preference on how dense you like your custard
• I have noticed that my creme brûlée stays perfectly fresh and tasty for upto 3 days in the refrigerator. So can definitely be one of those make-ahead desserts. 
• For the water bath, make sure the water level is low enough so that any bubbling doesn't spill into the ramekins

I hope you guys give this easy and yummy dessert a try in your kitchen as well. Also, to make the desert look a little festive, I printed and cut out a 1/2 sign on card stock and placed it on my creme brûlée along with a happy birthday sign. And decorated with sliced strawberry. 

Keep safe dear friends and until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh Yes, EAT! 

Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers

Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers - appetizer 

Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers, the recipe is pretty much in its name. The main ingredients are honey, garlic and chicken. Honey garlic chicken skewers have been served as appetizers as well as main course in our house. It's quick and versatile. Throw it in to make a quick appetizer or serve it with a side of asian sesame salad to make it a low carb dinner. Definitely a quick weeknight dinner for the hubby and me. 

I try a few variations in the recipe, like changing up the honey with honey bbq sauce. Or throwing in a splash of sesame oil if I have it in store. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce, you could ALSO substitute it with the same amount of soy sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch strips
• 1/4 cup honey ( I sometimes substitute this with honey bbq sauce as well)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp soya sauce (this is the same as soy sauce :P)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp chilli garlic paste 
• 1 tsp cornstarch (or cornflour)
• 1 tsp sriracha mayo (optional)
• a pinch of sesame seeds 
• 2 stems of spring onions
• a pinch of salt (if necessary) 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except chicken and cornstarch

   

   Chicken skewers in the oven

2. Add in cornstarch to achieve desired thickness. The mix should be thick but still runny, and not pasty-thick. 
3. Add the chicken to this mixture and marinate for at least 2 hours. Overnight, is also ok.
4. If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak the skewers in for about 30 mins to an hour.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
6. Feed the chicken strips to the skewers and keep aside the remaining marinade for basting the chicken
7. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil. 
8. Lay the chicken skewers on a baking sheet. 
9. Sprinkle sesame seeds and spring onions and cook for about 12 mins
10. Then flip the skewers, sprinkle sesame seeds and cook for another 12 mins.

Serve with a side of soy sauce as an appetizer or with a side of some asian salad as an entree. I hope you enjoy this recipe. With Ramadan just around the corner, this could also be a lovely iftaar option. Please feel free to comment any questions or suggestions you may have. Until then folks, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh Yes, EAT! 

Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers - entree

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

This is a creamy Russian beef dish, another quick winner-dinner in my recipe book. It is traditionally a beef dish, but can be substituted with any other protein of choice. Beef stroganoff is traditionally served with pasta, however, it is just as good with rice or mashed potatoes. As the dish tenders to be very rich, you can also choose to serve something green alongside, such as steamed green beans, sautéed broccoli or a crisp salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp flour (optional)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 4 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup sour cream (can be substituted with greek yogurt)
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp red chilli pwd or cayenne pepper pwd (adjust as per taste)
• 1 tomato, pureed
• 1 tbsp walnuts, crushed to a powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander or dill, or both
• 1/3 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp oil

Directions:

1. Pound and flatten the 1-inch beef cubes slightly. Sprinkle the meat with some black pepper powder and cut into strips. Dust a little bit of flour over the strips and keep aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the tomato puree, tomato paste, water, cayenne powder, salt, garlic paste, powdered walnuts and chopped herbs. 
3. Heat oil on high heat, and once hot, fry the beef strips until golden brown
4. Once the strips are golden on the outside, add the sliced onions and continue frying until they turn golden
5. Now add the tomato mixture prepared in step 2. Mix all the ingredients in the pan evenly and lower the heat to medium heat
6. Cover and let it cook for another 15-20 mins or until meat is tender and sauce is cooked through
7. If you feel like you need to let you meat cook for longer, add some water and continue cooking until meet becomes tender. Add mushrooms now and cook for about 3-4 mins.
8. Once the meat is soft and tender, mix cornflour with 4 tbsp of water and heavy cream. Add this mix to the stroganoff. 
9. Give it all a stir and cook on low for another 5 mins. 
10. Finally add the sour cream, stir it and let it cook for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat. Taste and adjust salt if needed. 

Hope you guys enjoy this recipe! This is definitely a winter-comfort dish for me and my husband, as we bundle up and devour the calories. Please feel free to comment any questions or suggestions you may have. Until then folks, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh Yes, EAT! 

Conversational Cheesecake hearts!

Hey guys, I'm sorry for being MIA for a couple of months, but I'm back! And with new and improved will to continue adding content to this blog.. We are a day away from Valentine's Day and wanted to share a dessert that worked out great for me in the past. These conversational cheesecake hearts 💕  Guess I'm cheesy like that ;) I made this for my husband, then-boyfriend, when we first started dating. It was our first valentines together, I decided to impress him by baking his favorite dessert in the world! Those of you who already know him, know that this New Yorker loves and craves a good cheesecake, so the pressure was totally on me!!!! I am actually taking a short cut, and linking the recipe for a regular cheesecake below, and adding the twist that I added, to modify them to be my valentines-ready cheesecake hearts.

Conversational cheesecake hearts

Conversational Cheesecake Hearts:

Basic cheesecake recipe

Ingredients and tools: 

• Wilton Heart Shaped Silicone Molds
• Fine Tip Paint Brush
• Food coloring - in a couple of colors, I used red and yellow (to create, orange, pink and red cheesecake hearts)

Directions:

1. Follow basic cheesecake recipe up until you add the batter to the tin pan for baking. (Before putting it in the water bath
2. Before baking, divide the batter into equal parts depending on the number of colors you choose to use. In my case, I divided it into 3 parts. 
3. Add the food coloring to the batter to create your own colored cheesecakes. I used orange (1 drop yellow + 1 drop red), pink (1 drop red), and red (2 drops pink)
4. Pour batter into the silicone molds and add in water bath. Bake as per instructions in the Basic cheesecake recipe. 
5. Let them cool before you remove them from the mold
6. Once cool, remove from the molds and paint conversation heart phrases onto the tops of the cheesecake using food coloring. 

I wish you guys enjoyed this recipe. If you do try them, please let me know. Wishing all you sweet readers a happy and loving Valentine's Day! Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT! 💕 ❤️ 

Mustard soup

Mustard and coconut soup

Winter has arrived.. at least in this part of the world that I live in, and so has the season of soups. I could binge on soups all year round, though! My husband and I have been consciously trying to reduce our dairy intake and this is why creamy soups will be on a down-low for us this winter. He was down with the flu last week, and hence I using all my soup knowledge, to try and make him flavorful soups, that would also help with faster recovery. While doing so, I thought of using coconut milk as a base for one of my soups. I usually do a corn & coconut soup, but decided to change it up with mustard this time around. It was a simple, quick and flavorful soup packed with flavor, yet light on the stomach.
I prefer adding shreds of chicken to my soup, but you could substitute this with veggies, or any other meat. For the jalapeños, I used the store-bought pickled ones, since I feel like they pack in more flavor, but feel free to use fresh or pickled ones depending on your taste.
For my chicken broth, I usually like to boil chicken legs in ginger-garlic paste along with some salt. I use the broth for the soup, and shred the chicken from the legs to use in the soup. The flavor from the bone makes a big difference in my opinion!

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds (optional)
• 1 Bay Leaf 
• 1 clove of  Garlic, chopped 
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp, Jalapeños
• 2 tbsp Mustard Sauce
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 3-4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Shredded Chicken
• a bunch of rosemary leaves (usually 6-8 leaves)
• 1/2 tbsp Franks Hot Sauce
• Salt according to taste
• Pepper according to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pot and add bay leaf and a few cumin seeds to it
2. Once the cumin seeds start popping, add in the garlic and onions
3. Wait till the onions turn translucent. Now add the jalapeños and give it all a good stir.
4. Next pour in the mustard sauce and mix everything well
5. Then add the coconut milk and chicken broth to the pot and let it boil
6. You can also add the shredded chicken here, if you are including chicken in your soup. Cook on medium heat for about 5 mins.
7. Add rosemary leaves to your soup now along with hot sauce. Make sure you add your hot sauce according to your taste preference. I would say start with a little and keep adding till you reach desired spice level. Cook for another 5-7 mins.
8. Lastly, adjust salt and pepper according to your taste and your super delicious soup is now ready to be devoured.

Hoping you guys get to bundle up and enjoy some soup too. As always, feel free to comment with questions, concerns and suggestions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!!

Beef Khow Suey

Beef Chow Suey

Khow Suey is a Burmese ramen dish topped with a delicately spiced coconut milk sauce and is served up with an array of different contrasting condiments & toppings that takes this dish to the next level and gives it a burst of amazing flavors.

I came across this recipe a while back and was a little hesitant to try it at first. It felt like there were too many moving parts to the recipe. But when I realized how easy each component was, and how I could modify it to my needs and tastes, I decided to give it a shot.

For starters, I could mix and match the choice of protein for my dish so easily, I decided to go the beef route for this particular recipe. But you can easily substitute with chicken, fish, shrimp, or any other meat of your choice. This could also be made with vegetables instead of meat.

Also, for the ramen, you could choose your noodle of choice, I prefer linguine, but I've seen people use spaghetti, egg noodles, or literally any pasta of your choice.

And as for the condiments, that's where the game is at.. you can play with spices, sauces, and other condiments that suit you flavor palette.

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

For the beef:

• 3 tbsp Oil
• 1 lb. beef, cut in small cubes (about 3/4-1 inch thick)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt according to taste 

For the coconut sauce:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp green chilli paste (optional, can be added as part of toppings in the end)
• Salt according to taste

For the assembly: 

• 8 oz Linguine pasta, boiled and strained
• 2 hardboiled eggs 
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 tbsp deep fried onions
• Potato wafers
• Lime wedges
• handful chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. First I start by cooking the beef. The same recipe can be substituted for any other meat or vegetables of your choice. The only thing varying would be the time required to cook your meat. For eg, I pressure cook beef for about 15-20 minutes (5-6 whistles) in the pressure cooker. For vegetables, fish, shrimp or chicken, you probably don't need to pressure cook but can stove cook for about 25-30 mins for chicken and shrimp, 15 mins for fish and vegetables.
2. Heat oil in a vessel (I used the pressure cooker like mentioned above), and fry the chopped onion.
3. Once it gets translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for another minute and then add tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 mins.
4. Now add the beef cubes, spices and stir fry for about 5 mins
5. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook until beef is tender (Refer to point 1 for approximate timing).
6. Once done, open cooker and add more water and cook if necessary. Once ready, set aside.  
7. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and water until completely blended. Pour it into a pan and cook on medium heat until it thickens and is cooked through. Now add the coconut milk whilst stirring continuously.
8. Cook for about 20 minutes and when it’s done add salt and lemon juice. Mix it well and take it off the heat.
9. To assemble, place boiled pasta in your serving dish, then pour coconut gravy over it, followed by the beef gravy in the center. Garnish with condiments of your choice. The possibilities are endless. 

I like to add a little more punch to my Khow Suey, and that is actually the best part of this dish. You can customize it to your taste, and still get the feeling of enjoying an exotic Burmese dish. So feel free to add condiments, of your choice. For me, I preferred to stick to some jalapeños, cilantro and spicy potatoes wafers for some added crunch.

Beef Chow Suey

I hope you enjoy this recipe and give it your own take. As always, feel free to comment with questions, concerns and suggestions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!!

Skillet Baked Chicken Legs

Skillet Baked Chicken Legs

I love dinners where I can just throw all my ingredients in one pan and let them take over from there. I'm constantly on the lookout for week-night wonders that don't take up much of my time, and this recipe is just that. It does take a total of about an hour, but I usually marinate the meat the night before. So, I just throw everything in the oven on the day off, and Voila!

Chicken legs are best flavored with the skin on them, but if you prefer without skin, like I do, that alternative works out perfectly yummy too! I usually ask my butcher to cut the chicken legs in two - drumstick and thighs, and also add a couple of slits to them. I feel like this helps settle in the marinade flavor in better.

So respecting the minimalism of the recipe, I will keep this post to a minimal as well, here goes my new fall favorite! I hope you love it just as much as I do.

Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

For the Marinade: 

• 4 Chicken Legs - cut in two, add 2 slit to each piece
• 1.5 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme (if using fresh thyme, add in skillet instead of marination)
• 1 tsp dried parsley (can be substituted with fresh Parsley)
• 1 tsp Mrs Dash seasoning 
• Sea Salt (ground coarsely) 
• 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

For the skillet:

• 1 medium size potato, chopped
• a few chopped leeks (can be substituted with sliced onions too)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 stem of rosemary leaves
• 1 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Add chicken in a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients for the marinade and toss well.
2. Cover the bowl and leave the marinated mix in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I usually prefer leaving mine overnight.
3. Remove chicken from the refrigerator about 15 mins prior to cooking. 
4. Preheat oven to 375 F 
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 tbsp butter, fresh cloves of garlic, can be sliced for further increasing the garlic flavor. Now add the chicken to the skillet. Add the potatoes, leeks and rosemary leaves in. Add in the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter from the sides of the skillet, so that it coats the chicken. 
6. Turn the chicken pieces after 3 mins if skinless, and 4 if with skin. Keep flipping a couple of times, waiting 3-4 minutes between each flip. 
7. Now add the chicken to the oven for 20 mins. Then flip the pieces and cook for another 20 mins. (A little longer on the time, if you are using whole legs)

I usually prefer to cook them in the skillet for a few minutes before I throw them in the oven. This helps add a crispy coating on the chicken. You can serve it with some chimichurri or some mint or coriander chutney. Simple, yet comforting!

A lovely low-carb meal that is so easy to prepare! Shout out in the comments below if you are going to give this weeknight wonder a go! Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, Eat!

Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Over the Labor Day long weekend, some of our friends hosted an amazing Mexican fiesta potluck. I was in charge of bringing tortillas, and as always, I ended up buying too much. So at the end of the night, I had to carry my miscalculation back home with me.. and this gave my brain the new task of coming up with recipes that would help me finish up my tortillas. Luckily tortillas are so versatile. I ended up using them for wraps, made quesadillas, but another winner dinner that came out of it, was baked flautas.
I've also been good about prepping meals over the weekends and finishing them of on weekdays. And so I made the filling for the flautas before hand, and rolled and baked the evening of the dinner. This amazing recipe is also a under-30 min wonder that I can't wait to share with you all. Pair it with salsa & guac, and enjoy an amazing Mexican meal night. It is an amazing finger food idea, although, when made in abundance, it serves as a lovely quick week-night dinner dish as well.

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Medium size tortillas (8 inches)
• 4 Cheese Mexican blend
• Butter
• Salsa (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil chicken in 2 cups of water. Add bay leaf, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, paprika, thyme, and salt. Let it cook for about 15 mins. You can pork a fork in the chicken and check if it needs longer. If it does, add about 1/4 cup and let it cook for another 5 mins. 
2. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. (Liquid remaining should be about 1/2 cup)
3. Add chopped jalapeños and spinach to the same broth and cook on low heat for about 2-3 mins or until spinach is wilted. Now add the shredded chicken to the mixture. 
4. Cut the tortillas in half. Apply butter on the outer side of the tortilla. 
5. Spoon the non-buttered side with about 1 tbsp of chicken mixture along the edge of the tortilla. Repeat with cheese. 
6. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 with remaining tortillas. 
8. Bake for 10 mins, then turn over and bake for another 10 mins or until crispy. Serve with salsa, guacamole or sour cream

As always, I hope you enjoy this quick wonder in your kitchen! Feel free to leave suggestions, comments or questions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat! Oh yes, EAT!

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders

My grandmother loves using coconut in almost all her food. And its not just limited to using it for her cooking, she uses coconut even as a garnish in most of her foods. She makes khopra par (a dessert consisting of coconut, mava and sweet syrup),which is my ultimate favorite. Having spent a lot of time with her, growing up, I really found a liking towards using coconut flavors in my food. This was one of the inspirations for using desiccated coconut/coconut flakes in my chicken tenders. #makinggrandmaproud

Chicken tenders is something that has been done over and over again, so using coconut instead of traditional breadcrumbs was an inviting variation. This is a simple and light dinner recipe, can be used as a side or a snack too.. It might seem like there are many parts to it. There is definitely more prep work required for this, but its quick once all the prep is done.

You can pair it well with a salad, or guacamole or any other dip really. You can make it spicy by adding more cayenne pepper to your coconut flakes or keep it mild by reducing the amount. I paired my crispy tenders with glazed carrots to amp up our dinner. But this could easily be served as a finger food during game night. Another variation to this recipe would be to bake it. I am making the most of my summer frying days. Saving my baked tenders for winter nights. ;)

But yes, a recipe with many variations that can suit everyones needs.. Light, crunchy and summery. You can also replace the chicken in the recipe, with fish or shrimp for another fun variation. Hope you enjoy it!

Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, chopped into 3" cubes
• 2 cups coconut flakes
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• handful of fresh cilantro (can be substituted with parsley), chopped
• 2 tbsp Mrs Dash seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Season chicken evenly with salt and pepper
2. Add 1/2 cup flour, eggs, cilantro and Mrs Dash seasoning in a bowl and whisk together. If the batter feels too thick, add a little water to make the batter thinner, until right consistency is achieved
3. In a separate shallow dish, mix together coconut flakes and cayenne pepper
4. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour, in a plate or a shallow dish for dusting the chicken 



Shallow fry / Panfry chicken

5. Heat oil in a shallow pan on medium heat
6. Dust each chicken in the dry flour and take off excess. Next, dunk the chicken into the egg mixture. Then coat the piece in coconut flakes to make sure it is even coated.
7. Shallow fry chicken pieces in the pan for about 2-3 mins on each side, until light golden brown. 
8. Drain off excess oil and serve hot!

Like I mentioned earlier, I paired my crispy coconut chicken tenders with glazed carrots and sweet chili sambal sauce. Recipe for the glazed carrots is also added below.

To make Glazed Carrots:

• Carrots, 3
• Butter, 1 tbsp
• Brown sugar, 1 heaped tbsp
• chopped Dill (optional)
• Salt and pepper - a pinch

1. Boil carrots in hot water for about 8-10 minutes making sure they are dipped in the water. 
2. Drain and let them cool in a strainer
3. Add butter to the same pan, stir brown sugar, salt and pepper powder into the button until the sugar has melted.
4. Add carrots and the chopped dill leaves to the pan and cook for another 5 mins

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tender with glazed carrots

I hope you try this recipe soon, and enjoy it with your loved ones like I did. Feel free to comment with questions and suggestions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Italian meals are one my favorites! They are quick, easy to make and yet feel so elevated. Luckily, everyone at home is a big fan of Italian cuisine as well, so its a win-win for me. When I first came across the recipe for Chicken Marsala, I couldn't believe how quick and easy it looked. I thought, it wouldn't turn out restaurant quality - because the instructions were too simple for that. But believe me, this simple dish turns out restaurant quality every single time. I've made it for friends, for weeknight dinners, and its been a winner every single time! I'd probably rank this, in my top 5 under 30 minute recipes. Yeah, you read that right, its ready in under-30 minutes. You can pair this with spaghetti, or with some garlic bread as an accompaniment. If you don't want carbs to go with it, even a salad pairs pretty well with this. I once paired it with Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes, and that turned out beautiful too. If you're ever cooking to impress someone and don't have enough time to prep, this recipe is one you will see yourself coming back too. I know I always do.

One key note while making this dish, is to make sure your breasts and thinly sliced. This makes it easy to cook the slices, and reduces your time to cook. Thinner slices of chicken cook fast, and also end up tasting juicer. Since, you don't tend to overcook it. If your slices are too thick, it takes a while to ensure they are cooked thoroughly and this sometimes leaves the breast a little dry.

Also, I know the main ingredient for Chicken Marsala is marsala wine, but since I didn't want to use marsala wine, I substituted it with apple cider vinegar. And it worked out perfectly.

Cook Time: 25 mins Prep Time: 5 mins

Creamy chicken marsala over lemon parsley spagetti

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp Mrs Dash seasoning
• 1 tsp Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Chopped Parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for about 3 mins. Flip over and cook other side until both sides are lightly brown and cooked throughout. This should take a total of 6-8 mins. Remove chicken and set aside. 
2. Add another tbsp of olive oil and cook the mushrooms for approx 2 mins. Add the apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, mustard, garlic salt and Mrs dash seasoning. Bring it to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 mins or until the sauce begins to thicken. Place the chicken back in the sauce and continue to simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese once ready to serve. 

Optional: To serve with spaghetti: 

1.  Boil water with a few drops of olive oil. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Add a few drops of lemon juice once done and let it sit for about 1-2 mins. Now drain pasta in a strainer and run it under cold water. Add chopped parsley and toss in strainer.

I hope this one becomes a regular in your kitchen too, like it has in mine. Please leave me a comment below if you do try it, and let me know how it went for you! Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!

Amsterdam Food Diaries

A month back, my husband and I had a short stay in Amsterdam. Like I do before any holiday, I started researching all the dos and don'ts for our visit. The best places to eat, the best views to capture, touristy hot-spots, local favorites, yep - a lot of research goes into our trips. So when I started looking further into Amsterdam, apart from their infamous red-light district, windmills, museums and canals, there were sooooo many blogs on all the must-try foods in Amsterdam. We tried to pack in as much as we could in our 3-day schedule, but definitely missed out on a few. I will link the blogs that I looked into for my research at the bottom as well, in case any of you guys would like to try out some of the stuff that we couldn't fit in. But I had to share all our food encounters with you all. Before we started planning for our trip, I did not realize what a big food haven Amsterdam was. From sweet treats to deep fried goodness, from breakfasts of champions to dining like a king, there was food galore! I will be sharing all the restaurants and foods we tried, but in addition, will list my top 3 and special treat, husband's top 3 recommendations as well.. Super excited about this one, because this is the first time the hubster has agreed to provide direct input to the blog. So without wasting much time, I will get right onto it.

Day 1 - 

Thai chicken skewers

Croquettes

We started our day by making a trip to Amsterdam Centraal. Reaching there like hungry bears, we made our way to the Loetje Centraal right opposite the station. Yeah, we might have even sniffed our way to the restaurant. But oh how surprised we were! Sitting by the canals right opposite the station, this was definitely a popular touristy spot. Luckily, for a table of two, we didn't have more than a 3 minute wait. It was also a find-your-own-table sorta restaurant, so the hustling New Yorker within us found our way pretty quickly. Service was slow, especially for such a busy location. We ordered the chicken satay skewers and croquettes. Although I read that the best Croquettes were found by the street vendors, I decided to start my first meal at a reputed restaurant. The croquettes did not disappoint!!!! The chicken skewers were lovely as well. All in all, I would say a lovely restaurant, amazingly located, good food, only complaint would be the service.

Once our stomachs were full, we went around the city, tried different cheeses at many of the local cheese shops, but an amazing local find that we both couldn't keep our hands off were their Stroopwafels! A stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin laters of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle. This made up for our mid-day meal/all day snack/breakfast.. everything. 

Chicken Schnitzel

Dinner too ended up being right by Amsterdam Centraal (coz that was our drop-off point for the canal cruise, another MUST DO!!) and we headed to a restaurant called "Flame" which looked like a steakhouse. Husband got his share of steak and I ordered a Schnitzel which was basically a dutch version of fried and breaded chicken breast. Again, the restaurant did not disappoint and we left with happy and satisfied stomachs!

Day 2 -

Dutch pancake with cinnamon ice-cream and stroopwafels

Chicken with pineapple and cheese pancake

Day 2 started off with a local favorite, The Pancake Bakery. I heard so many people rave about the Dutch pancakes, we could not miss this visit as part of our trip. Again, we got a table here without much of a wait. They had seating right by the tiny sidewalks lining the canals and we found ourselves a cozy, quaint spot. Between the two of us, we decided to order a sweet and a savory pancake. We ordered the original Dutch Pancake, oozing with stroopwafels (yes, we didn't have enough already), cinnamon ice-cream, chocolate flakes and whipped cream.. again, whats there to go wrong with this one.. We were equally impressed with their savory pancake, we got the chicken, cheese and pineapple pancake. Their coffee was amazing too and came with a mini stroopwafel with it. YES, WE COULDNT GET ENOUGH OF THE STROOPWAFELS!

Chocolate coated waffle with custard and berries

During the day, we nibbled on Poffertjes, which are tiny fluffy dutch pancakes. They are spongy and reminded me of Madelines back home.  We also had a chocolate coated waffle, with berries and custard. Talk about living the good(junk) food life! These were lined at most local bakeries and are so inviting when you walk by. We finally decided to give in an tried some of those waffles with some local coffee and an ice-cream shake, another popular local sweet treat. The chocolate waffle however, did not end up to be as tempting or scrumptious as it looked. The waffle seemed stale, and the chocolate coating seemed too sweet, and all in all, it seemed like a dry stale waffle. This could be just our experience, or maybe a wrong pick, but it definitely fell off of our favorite list. 

Vlaamse Frites with spicy mayo

Another local delicacy I had to try on our trip were their cheesy fries, locally known as "Vlaamse frites". And these weren't like any cheesy fries I have ever tried before. They mean cheese when they serve you cheesy fries. We chose some spicy mayo to add to our cheesy fries, but the options were endless. They had a huge menu of seasonings and toppings to add to your fries. Generous portions, always fresh and steaming hot. It totally made sense why we saw a line waiting for the fries before we saw the actual signboard to the store! I cannot remember the exact name of the store we had these at.  But every Vlammse frites store we passed, and there were bazillions we passed, seemed to match up in appearance. But yes, please please please, forget the calories and indulge in this amazing local delicacy if you happen to visit Amsterdam. After gobbling up on this awesomeness, our stomachs were full, but our hearts weren't. We wanted to try more local foods, and ended up finishing off our day with Doner kabobs. This was another local street food that seemed to don the windows of many local vendors. There were tons and tons of halal doner kabob joints along the canals of Amsterdam. Before calling it a night on our foodventure-filled day, we indulged in some Doner kabobs. Now being from New York, we did have certain expectations from a Halal cart. But once again, this food haven city, did not disappoint. My husband and I returned back with our tummies and hearts satisfied! 

Day 3 -

Day 3 began with a mission for us. It was our last day in this city and we decided to end it in style! During the day, we headed to Zaanse Schans, a historic neighborhood close to Amsterdam. Mainly known for its well-preserved windmills and houses. We visited a local cafe here and had some delicious coffee and breakfast. Breakfast was mostly baked goods from the local bakery, which was basic, but scrumptious. Apart from visiting different windmills, that are still very well functioning, we wanted to get a taste of the local rustic village.

Risotto Nero

We decided to dine at a restaurant in Zaandam. Like we had previously decided, we wanted to sign off our trip with a luxurious yet local meal, and this landed us at Inntel Zaandam for our dinner. We opted for a 3 course meal each, that included appetizers such as a traditional "Huisman" mustard soup with Dutch shrimps and creme fraiche, crispy chicken in Duyvis nuts, concasse of Kumato tomato and local sambal. Our main courses included Grilled beef steak with sweet potato, fresh vegetables and béarnaise sauce and a Risotto Nero - black risotto with vongole, crayfish and poached egg. To finish off, desserts included Crème brûlée with apple, and 'Boerenjongens' ice cream and Macaron of red fruit, with raspberry sorbet and white chocolate mousse. They advertised that all their ingredients were locally grown and made with a pinch of Dutch love! 

Creme brûlée

Macaron of red fruit

Husband's top three - 

1. His number one is undeniably the Stroopwafels. Yeah, he was kinda obsessed. Not to say I wasn't. But he literally ate them at any hour of the day. 
2. Cheesy fries. I feel kinda sad, this one dropped to #2, but I understand. These choices are really really hard. Those Vlaaamse Frites are definitely worth every blocked artery calorie that it came with. Couldn't stop binging. Deep-fried-warm-delicious-goodness! I'm sure whoever thought of potatoes and cheese as a combination, is pure genius! 
3. My homeboy, being the total New Yorker that he is, fell for his Doner kabob. They were delish, greasy, and flavorful to say the least. He sure felt at home with this one. 

Special mention: Husband wanted to list Top Picks instead of top three, since he thinks narrowing it down to three was not fair.. and so we compromised on giving the Dutch pancakes a special mention! Sweet and savory, both ranked the same for him. But definitely another MUST TRY when in Amsterdam. 

My top three - 

1. My number one pick is undoubtably the Vlammse Frites. Died eating them, will be ok to die after eating them too.. a definite MUST MUST MUST try if you're ever in Amsterdam
2. The second favorite for me was the Mustard soup I had on our last day there. It was so light, so fresh and sooooo good! It had that local rustic feel and yet felt so elevated in flavors. Definitely, going to look up the recipe and try to recreate this one back home
3. The last one, is so hard to just pick one, but it would probably be the local pancakes. I find it hard to chose between the sweet dutch pancake that I got and the savory pancake with chicken. But just cause I have to pick one, it would have to be the dutch pancake with STROOPWAFELS! I think I'm kinda obsessed with them. (Fun fact: I could buy a box at my local trader joes!!! Not the same as the dutch ones, but works for my casual cravings) :D 

Hope you enjoyed reading this post, and like I mentioned above.. the list was inexhaustible. We tried to fit in as much as we could in our schedule. Hoping this helps with your trip planning as well. Or even if you are just looking for cooking inspirations. Please let me know if you liked this post, or if you have any questions/suggestions. Until then, my loves, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!

Links we used for research -   

• https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/three-days-in-amsterdam/
• https://www.savoredjourneys.com/shortcut-guide-to-amsterdam/
• https://www.tripadvisor.com/Guide-g188590-k480-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html
• https://travel.usnews.com/Amsterdam_Netherlands/things-to-do/3-day-itinerary/
• https://www.wanderlustingk.com/travel-blog/amsterdam-3-days
• http://www.stephaniefox.co.uk/amsterdam-itinerary-3-days/