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!