Jamaican Inspired Jerk Chicken

I love the robust flavours in this traditional Jamaican dish. It has a good balance of spices and heat, not too overpowering yet flavourful. Absolutely a perfect dish for casual entertaining with family and friends. You can either grill or bake in the oven. To make the most of summer weather, I usually grill them on BBQ and serve with coleslaw, grilled corn or Jamaican rice and peas.

 

Jerk chicken should not be limited for summer entertaining only; I also like making this dish in the winter. Instead of grilling them on BBQ, I bake them in the oven. Trust me, the lingering aroma of spices in your kitchen will certainly open up your appetite and warm you in frigid cold winters.

This dish is easy to make and you can get all ingredients in regular grocery stores. Jamaican all spice is usually available either in "ethnic" or "spice" aisle.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium size whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Marinade: 

• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch green onion, cut into 2 inches long
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers, seeds removed. If you want it mild, replace with 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp Jamaican all spice powder 
• 1 tbsp dried thyme 
• 1 tbsp whole black pepper 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup water

 METHOD: 

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth
2. Pour into the chicken, marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight
3. Preheat BBQ grill to 325 degree Fahrenheit 
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange chicken pieces on the grill
5. Grill and turn the pieces every 5 minutes
6. Grill until juice runs clear
7. Serve hot and enjoy! 

Maple Garlic Chicken Wings

I cannot think of a better idea to start a Canada Day long weekend than a backyard BBQ party with family and friends. My blog partner and I had a get together at my place last weekend for a dinner. We came up with a couple of great recipes which we think are perfect for the upcoming long weekend celebration. Maple Garlic Chicken Wings is on the list.

When we think of Canada, maple leaves come on top of the list. We want to make something with maple....maple syrup then. So we jumped on the idea of featuring Maple Garlic Chicken Wings in our blog. The wings are so juicy, flavourful and surprisingly, they are not overly sweet. They sure taste like a spectacular fireworks bursting in your mouth!

Barbecuing with maple syrup can be very tricky as the sugar can get burnt easily. We recommend you to turn your wings frequently to minimize burning.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

•  2 lb chicken wings
• 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 1/2 cup maple syrup for marinade, additional 3 tbsp maple syrup for final touch
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp hot chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

 METHOD: 

1. Mix chicken wings with all ingredients with the exception of sesame seeds and 3 tbsp maple syrup 
2. Marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight preferably 
3. Preheat BBQ grill for 325 degree Fahrenheit 
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange wings on the grill
5. Grill the chicken wings, lower heat if you think the heat is too high. Turn the wings every 3 to 4 minutes to prevent burning
6. Grill until juice runs clear. Place the cooked chicken wings in a bowl, drizzle with 3 tbsp of maple syrup and toss in sesame seeds
7. Serve hot and enjoy! 

Spicy Thai Noodle

Thailand, a country located in South East Asia, is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, sacred Buddhist temples and its flavourful cuisine. Thai cooking puts a lot of emphasis on fresh and strong aromatic ingredients. Its cuisine is known for its balance of sweet, sour, spicy and saltiness. Needless to say, I have not met anyone who doesn't love Thai food.

Whenever I visit my family and friends in Indonesia and Malaysia, I make sure that I do not miss visiting Thailand as well. Instead of visiting Thai beaches, I put food adventure as my top priority. My family and I will make trips to Thai fresh markets every morning for local breakfasts. We then indulge ourselves with traditional Thai desserts, local fruits and cakes. Nevertheless, I will return to Canada with a few extra pounds of weight (not extra pounds of luggage!).

My craving for Thai food hit me the other day and I couldn't think of any better idea but to cook a Spicy Thai Noodle. I stir fry fresh rice noodles with several ingredients and incorporate in Thai basil for a sweet, peppery flavour. Like any stir fries, you will need to cook this dish in high heat, thus I recommend you spreading out all ingredients on kitchen counter. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 4 - 5 

INGREDIENTS:

• 400 g of fresh rice noodles (if not available, you can substitute with dried rice noodles and follow instructions on package)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 
• 3 green onions, cut into 1.5 inch length
• 1 crown of broccoli, cut into bite sized
• 5 Thai bird chillies, sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced 
• 10 to 12 Thai basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 eggs
• Cooking oil 
• Ground white pepper to taste
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Seasoning for the Noodle (A):

• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• Dash of white pepper

Marinade Ingredients (B):

• 12 to 15 shrimps
• 12 to 15 thinly sliced pork
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• Black pepper, to taste

Gravy:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp corn starch 
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp chicken flavoured powder (bouillon)

 METHOD: 

1. Microwave the fresh rice noodles for a minute or if you use dried rice noodles, cook according to instructions on package 
2. In a bowl, beat eggs lightly with a fork 
3. Heat up a wok, add in 2 tbsp of cooking oil and scramble the eggs till well done. Scoop and place on a plate
4. In the same wok, heat up 4 tbsp of cooking oil. Stir in sliced onions and garlic and cook until fragrant 
5. Add in item (B), cook under high heat for 3 minutes. Mix in green onions, Thai chillies, red bell peppers and broccoli. Cook for another 2 minutes
6. Add in the rice noodle and seasoning (A). Stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Add a dash of white pepper and mix in the scrambled eggs as well as Thai basil 
7. Scoop up the noodle onto serving plates 
8. In the same wok, heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil and pour in 2 cups of water. Let it boil and mix in salt, dark soy sauce as well as chicken bouillon 
9. Mix corn starch with water to make a slurry. Pour into the sauce until thicken
10. Pour the gravy over the noodle, serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
    

HUMMUS - MIDDLE EASTERN (CHICKPEA DIP)

Summer is fully upon us, at least the temperatures today are peak summer digits. Cooking will just add to the heat so lunch this afternoon was hummus and pita. A quick trip to the local Middle Eastern store nearby provided already cooked falafel and some kebabs. Neither frying nor BBQ was an option today. Hummus is protein and fibre rich, made with chickpeas and sesame paste and is easy and delicious. I soak my chickpeas overnight, change the water a few times and in the pressure cooker, it is ready in mere minutes. I have extolled the virtues of pressure cookers and chickpeas in an earlier post so I will not go into it again : >

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight and boiled the following day) or 1 large can of chickpeas
• juice of 2 large lemons (more if you like your hummus tart) 
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste sold at most local supermarkets in the international aisle)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 large cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water

METHOD: 

1. In a large bowl, rinse chick peas and soak overnight, the following day, boil without salt until tender
2. Use 4 cups of the (boiled and drained) chickpeas and freeze the rest for another time or another recipe
3. To the food processor add garlic and mince, then add chickpeas, 1/4 cup of water, salt, lemon juice and puree until fine
4. Add the tahini (sesame paste) and mix till blended
5. Add more water if necessary, do not make it too watery
6. Refrigerate for a half hour before serving
7. Just before serving, pour olive oil and serve with pita bread and olives

Zucchini Pineapple Bread

We just enjoyed a truly beautiful weekend, a long weekend thanks to a day off celebrating Victoria Day. It was time spent weeding and gardening and getting the deck and backyard summer ready. On Monday as I pondered what to post, I noticed zucchini on sale and the choice was easy. My blog partner and her husband really enjoy my Zucchini Pineapple Bread and also since we have not have too many "sweet" postings on the blog, I decided it was the perfect time to bake.The best thing about this recipe is that it makes two loaves, so you get to keep one and give the the other one to friends or family. I hear it freezes well but my loaf has not lasted long enough to reach that stage.  This recipe, is not an original. I have made it for over 15 years and over this period have modified it considerably, reduced sugar and oil, added nuts and chocolate chips or other fruit like frozen cranberries. So for the original recipe - thanks to Sunset Breads. Here is my version.

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 10  - 12

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cooking oil ( I used sunflower)
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• 2 cups coarsely shredded unpeeled zucchini ( 2 medium size)
• 1 can  (8 oz) crushed pineapple (drained)

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 11/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup dried cranberries 

METHOD: 

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy, add oil, sugar, vanilla; continue beating until thick and foamy 
2. Add zucchini and pineapple but do not mix or the zucchini will release too much water
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate chips, walnuts and cranberries 
4. Stir dry ingredient mixture into the zucchini, pineapple mixture, making sure not to over mix
5. Spoon batter into two greased and flour dusted 9x5" loaf pans 
6.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven (325 degree for glass pans) for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
7. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning on to racks to cool completely before cutting