Low fat – Green Thai Curry Chicken

Anyone suffering from Alektrophobia?

I nearly passed out laughing about this very unusual phobia.  Alektrophobia is the fear of  Chickens.

I Remember my dad never ate Chicken, he couldn’t stomach the though of having Chicken for Supper as he witnessed a Chicken being  slaughtered as a child.

If you enjoy low-fat, healthy Chicken with a good dose of spice and the strong flavour of curry than this recipe is a keeper!

Recipe 

500 g Chicken strips

1 onion sliced

1 punnet of button Mushrooms

1 Cup of Green, yellow and rep peppers (half of each color pepper cut into Julienne slices)

15 ml olive oil

2 tsp Green Thai Curry paste (See tips below)

1 small tin of low-fat coconut milk +- 100 ml

Salt and pepper to taste

5 ml Vegetable spices (optional)

Fry your sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers and Vegetable spices in the olive oil  for +- 5 minutes.

Add Chicken Strips, and fry until the Chicken are cooked through.

Add the green Thai curry paste and mix through, pour the coconut milk over and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with Basmati rice.

A healthy low-fat meal that is cooked in 30 minutes, the left overs makes for a great lunch the next day.

Enjoy!

Tips 

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Remember the more Green Thai Curry paste you use the stronger and hotter the taste will be. If you don’t like too spicy food add less curry paste to the dish.

The coconut milk balance the strong flavours of the curry and also forms a lovely sauce for the dish.

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Curry Chicken fillets with Chutney and Coconut

This is not your typical “Kerk bazaar” (Church fete’) Curry and rice recipe, but I’ve tried to adopt a much healthier version for an old classic.

Traditional Curry and Rice, as our  South African folks would tell you consists of Curry Mince / lamb with added vegetables such as carrots, potatoes or peas over a bowl of white long grain rice.  Don’t confuse this curry with your traditional Indian curries, they are two completely different meals.

At any good Church Fete’ you would have the additional trimmings to enrich your (plastic) bowl of curry.

First you have your bowl of sliced bananas mixed with mayonnaise and a tad bit of condensed milk that you would spoon over your curry, more than 2 tablespoons is considered rude as you need to keep in mind that everyone else in line behind you also want some.  If you are brave enough and don’t mind the church aunties giving you a dirty look than go ahead, have another table-spoon!

Secondly comes the Tomato Sambal that normally consists of diced Tomato and onions with a dash of salt and pepper.

Then comes the ever popular Mrs. Balls chutney, one tablespoon is efficient and lastly,  a healthy heaped teaspoon of desiccated coconut is added on top.

My husband and son loves mixing everything together before they eat it, I prefer eating it as is,  in layers.

For the recipe below I’ve used Chicken breast which I’ve  marinated in a Curry yogurt marinade. The white rice is replaced with brown rice for a healthier option and low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat chutney was used.

A great mock recipe that fools the taste buds but still pleases the senses.

Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Fillets

400 g – 500 g Chicken Breasts (sliced in half-length ways)

175 ml plain yogurt

2 tsp curry powder

or alternatively mix your own curry powder

(1 tsp Dahnia and Jeera powder mix, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp ginger powder)

salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken fillets length ways in half and pound the chicken fillets gently between two sheets of cling film.

Mix the curry, salt and pepper and the yogurt together. Rub the yogurt mix over the chicken breast and pour the rest of the mixture over the chicken in a container and marinate over night or at least 3 hours before cooking.

Grill chicken fillets in a pan with a little olive oil until done. Serve with the following side dishes

Cooked brown rice 

Tomato and Onion Sambal 

Chop 3 firm tomatoes and 1/2 onion , season with salt and black pepper

Banana and mayonnaise 

Slice 2 bananas and mix with 4 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

Serve Chicken breast with a dollop of Chutney and a teaspoon of desiccated coconut on top besides the side dished on your plate.

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Low fat – Spicy Chicken Kebabs with Savoury herb rice

I think the idea of going on holiday have finally hit home with me, only 56 days to go!

With that happy thought also comes a bit of beach body anxiety, I’m still have 6 kg to lose before my reaching my goal weight and with all the work stress and other nonsense I tend to lose focus a bit.

I have been going strong with the exercise but I still have days where my training session needs to take the back seat over deadlines and family responsibilities….so dissapointing at times, but such is life.

As they say, a flat stomach happens in the kitchen and I have finally made peace with the idea of having Chicken and Fish 5 times a week instead of red meat, in fact not having Chicken daily makes me a bit nervous.

Off course eating Chicken fillets day in and day out soon becomes boring and then you have to put your thinking hat on to zoosh up something out of the ordinary to keep the family happy.

I’ve made these Spicy Chicken kebab’s last week. Marinating the Chicken overnight really made the meat moist and succulent and full of flavour.

Ingredients For Spicy Chicken Kebabs

500 g Chicken fillets

1 onion

1 red / Yellow pepper

1 green pepper

175 ml plain yogurt

1/2 tsp Masala powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Jeera & Dhania mix powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Salt

1 Green Chilli seeded and chopped finely (optional)

Bamboo Skewers

Cut the Chicken fillets in bite size pieces and set aside. Cut the onion and Peppers in blocks and tread the meat alternatively with a piece of Onion and Peppers onto the Skewers. Place kebabs in an airtight container.

 Mix all the spices and the Chilli with the plain Yogurt and pour over the chicken Kebabs making sure every one is covered with the marinate by rubbing it onto each kebab with your hands.

Marinate Chicken Kebabs overnight (or at least 3 hours) and fry in a pan with a little olive oil until the chicken is done and browned on all sides.

Ingredients for the Savoury rice 

1 Cup of Basmati rice

Salt to taste

1 tsp Veggie Spices (I’ve used Ina Parmaan’s veggie spice)

2 sprigs of fresh Thyme

1/2 onion sliced

1 punnet of mushrooms

15 ml Garlic and Parsley butter

Cook the Basmati rice with Veggie spices as you would normally cook your rice, set aside.

Fry the onions, mushrooms and Thyme with the Garlic and Parsley butter.

Mix the mushroom mix with the rice and serve with the Kebabs.

Tips 

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If you don’t have the above spices available you can use 15 ml curry powder instead. 

Use 5 ml dried Thyme if you can’t get any fresh Thyme for the savoury rice 

Soaking the bamboo skewers in water before hand will prevent them from burning when roasting Kebabs on the grill or in the oven. 

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Rosemary and Orange Sunday Roast Chicken

 

 

Rosemary is probably one of the greatest herbs to compliment a Roast Chicken, pair it with Oranges and you have a winner Sunday Roast without much effort.

I’ts been said that a thriving Rosemary bush in a family garden indicates a female head of the household. Well I’ve got 3 different variations of Rosemary (Pink, blue and white)  growing in my garden and boy oh boy are they thriving!  Seems my husband’s allegations of me constantly wanting to wear the pants in the house might not be all that wrong.

Rosemary is also associated with memory were in ancient Greece students would adorn their hair with sprigs of Rosemary while studying….now I’m just wondering  how I would look attending my meetings with Rosemary in my hair, Greek Goddess!

And don’t forget that a sprig of Rosemary under your pillow will protect you from evil spirits and nightmares.

Recipe 

1 Whole Chicken 

Juice of 2 fresh oranges  

15 ml Robertson’s Chicken spices 

1 Sprig of Rosemary 

600 g Baby potatoes 

Rinse Chicken and rub with the Chicken Spices, place in your Roasting pan (with lid). 

Cut the Rosemary sprig in 3  pieces and place in the Roasting pan with the Chicken. 

Peel baby potatoes and add to the pan. 

Add juice of 2 oranges over the Chicken and the potatoes, place lid on and bake in 180 degrees oven for +-  1 1/2 – 2 hours until Chicken are super moist and soft and golden brown. 

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Pure protein balls – Chicken & Spinach meatballs.

You’ve got to try these little babies!

I make a batch every Sunday and consume them during the week as my protein snack in between meals. Sometimes I have them for lunch with a cup of steamed corn for a delicious healthy lunch.

They are the perfect on the run snack and great for the kid’s lunch boxes too!

 Chicken, Spinach meatballs

 

1 Kg Chicken fillets (Chopped up in your food processor)

1/2 punnet Mushrooms finely chopped (I use my food processor)

1/4 cup Oatbran

1/2 cup finely chopped onions (again the food processor)

+- 60g Spinach ( 6-8 leaves) finely chopped

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Chicken spices ( I use Robertson’s Chicken spices)

3 egg whites

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Spray 2 x muffin tins with Cooking spray or rub with Olive oil.

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl using your hands.

Roll balls, place onto muffin tray sprinkle with some more Chicken spices and bake until golden   brown.

Tips

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The mixture will be sticky, it’s normal. If you are going to add more oatbran your meatball will be too dry.

DON’T be lazy and chop up all your veggies and the chicken together…you WILL end up with green meatballs, ask me I’ve done that.

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Chicken Curry with Butternut, Sweet potato and baby potatoes.

I cook this meal at least once a week, this is now my all time favorite winter “diet” curry.  Curry is such a wonderful thing, it fills you up and warms your heart. I’m always amazed at how all the spicy flavors come together to form something so magic and spectacular in your mouth.

Instead of having this with rice I rather choose healthier form of  starch such as starchy vegtables in the form of baby potatoes (lower GI than your ordinary potato) and Sweet potato that goes fantastic with the curry. The butternut gives body to the sauce without adding much of anything else to thicken it with.

You will simply not believe what a quick and filling meal this is. Please do yourself a favor and invest in spice tin. I can simply not make a decient curry without it.

I use Chicken breast and drumsticks but remove the skin and all visible fat before cooking, also important to stick to the portion sizes. Nowadays I only cook the portion we are suppose to have unless I cook double for lunch the next day. Beside the obvious benefits of not over indulging you also save a lot more money because there is no food going to waste.

Yip, because we don’t really ”give it to the dogs” we rather have second portions “because we are hungry and work was horrible today and it’s cold and blah blah blah lipstick”. Sometimes it’s too much effort to give that 1/2 cup of rice that’s left over to the dog anyway so you rather chuck it in the bin…been there done that! No more!

here is a simple quide to cooking the correct portion sizes.

Serves 4

200 g Baby pototoes,  with skin halved

200 g butternut, peeled, chucky cubes

200 g sweet potato, peeled, chuncky cubes

4 Chicken drumsticks

4 Chicken Breasts

5 ml Jeera seeds ( Cumin seeds )

1 Onion, finely chopped

5 ml grated ginger

1 Garlic glove finely chopped

1 Green Chilli, finely chopped

1 red Chilli, finely chopped

5 ml dhania Powder ( Coriander powder)

5 ml Turmeric spice

5 ml Chilli powder (optional and adjust to taste, I like it hot!)

5 ml Garam masala

3 tomatoes

5 ml brown sugar

1 piece of cinnamon bark / stick

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Whiz up the 3 tomatoes in a your food processor or finely chop and set aside.

Saute’ your chopped onions with the Jeera (cumin seeds)  in a little olive oil  in your pot until the onions are transculent and soft.

Add your chillies, garlic and ginger and fry for another minute.

Add all your spices to the onions and fry for 30 seconds while stirring. Add Chicken pieces and veggies to the pot with the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon and brown sugar. Keep stiring until the tomatoes has disolved, add just enough water to cover the veggies and chicken and simmer for +- 25 - 40 minutes on moderate heat with the lid on until the veggies are soft and the chicken are cooked through. Stir in between cooking time and adjust the quantity of the liquid accordingly. Don’t worry if the butternut becomes a bit mushy, this will ultimately form a lovely sweet sauce.

Remove cinnamon stick / bark and add salt to taste, serve hot.

Tips

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 If you want to thicken your sauce a bit use 2 tbs gram flour (chickpea flower) mixed with a little water and add during the last few minutes of cooking.

If you don’t have any of the above spices at hand use the following spice mix ( 15 ml curry powder, 2, 5 ml cinnamon powder, 2;5 ml ginger powder and 2,5 ml turmeric powder. You can also use dried chillies instead of fresh chillies.

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Sunday Roast – 40 gloves of Garlic Chicken

This is no ordinary Garlic Chicken, the chicken has been brined overnight in a solution of water, sugar and salt.

The meat falls from the bone and the garlic adds a lovely depth to the dish. This recipe was published in the February / March issue of the  ”Sarie Kos” Magazine.

The recipe calls for 250 ml dry wine which I didn’t have. I made it without the wine and still it was absolutely delicious. I’ve also seasoned my chicken with 10 ml chicken spices.

Brining is a method used similar to marinating chicken, it increase the moisture resulting a succulent piece of meat when cooked.

Serves 6

125 ml Salt

125 ml Sugar

Enough water to cover the chicken

1 Whole chicken

40 Gloves of garlic (I’ve used only 20)

(Keep the skin of the garlic on to ensure the garlic flavor is not too overpowering)

1 Onion chopped into big chunks

4 Carrots cut into chunks

Celery stalks to taste cut into chunks

250 ml Dry white wine (I’ve added 125 ml water)

2 Sprigs of Rosemary

2 Sprigs of Thyme

3 Bay leaves

Freshly ground pepper

10 ml Chicken spice (optional)

(Add potatoes with the chicken if you prefer)

Use a container that is big enough for the chicken to fit into it. Add the sugar, salt and water and full the container making sure the Chicken is covered. Keep chicken in the fridge overnight.

Remove chicken from the solution and pat dry. Discard of the water solution.

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the onions, carrots, celery to the bottom of a casserole. Add the wine / water and lay the chicken on the bed of vegetables. Add the fresh herbs and sprinkle with pepper and Chicken spice.

Bake for 2 hours until, remove casserole lid and grill for 5 minutes until Chicken is browned.

Tips

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Instead of serving it with rice or potatoes serve it with toasted french bread. Spread the flesh of the roasted garlic on the french loaf.

Use the rest of the left over garlic to add some flavor to mashed potatoes, pasta dishes and sauces.

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Feel better soon – Chicken soup

Can Chicken soup cure a common cold or flu? I don’t know, what I do know is that it really makes you feel better! Chicken soup is comfort food it heats you right up from the inside, sooth all aces and pains and simply just lift your spirits. I wonder if anyone had Chicken soup to mend a broken heart, Neh just a thought I believe Ice cream still works for that!

So what is your comfort food when live don’t look so bright?

Chicken Soup

1 Onion chopped

1 tsp chopped garlic

5 ml Robertson’s veggie spices

Olive oil for frying

4 -6 pieces of chicken (Breast, thighs with skin and bones)

1.5 liter water

5 carrots peeled and chopped

1/2 bunch of celery stalks and leaves chopped

1 potato cubed

In a large pot fry the onions, garlic and veggie spice  with a little olive until soft. Add the Chicken pieces and fry for another minute. Add the carrots, celery and potato with the water. Cook with lid on until the potatoes are soft. Remove the Chicken from the pot and remove all bones and skins. Flake the chicken meat and transfer back to the pot, cook with the lid until the carrots are soft. Remove some of the oil floating on top with spoon and season with Salt and pepper.

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Soy, Honey and Sesame Chicken Wings

There is a first time for everything….even green Asparagus.

Yes I know! How is it possible that I’ve never eaten green Asparagus yet I love white Asparagus spears so much.

When we just got married (many, many moons ago) I tried to cook green Asparagus and it tasted horrible, I thought it was just the Asparagus that tasted bad, off course way back than I wasn’t able to cook an egg properly either.

Don’t be fooled,  the actual star of this meal is the Sticky Soy, Honey and Sesame Chicken Wings served with a potato Rosti.

Soy, Honey and Sesame Chicken Wings 

+- 8 -10 Chicken wings

50 g Sesame seeds

For the marinade mix together

150 ml Vital Soy Sauce

75 ml Honey

1 tbs Chicken spice

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Marinade the chicken for at least 1 hour.

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and place chicken in a baking tray. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on to the chicken. Baste frequently with the remainder of the marinade that is left over. Bake until golden brown and cooked through.

In the meantime cook your asparagus as follows: 

Heat a large griddle pan and dry-griddle the asparagus spears on both sides. When they are ready drizzle the juice of 1/2 lemon and a dash of Olive oil over them. Season with ground pepper and salt.

For the potato Rosti

6 Potatoes peeled

6 tbs flour

1 egg yolk

salt and pepper to taste

Chopped spring onion to taste

Grate the potatoes and rinse under cold water, strain the potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the potato mixing it thoroughly. Transfer the potatoes onto a clean tea towel.  Bring the corners together and squeeze the liquid out. Use your hands to form little potato patties for frying.

Heat your pan with a little olive oil and fry the rosti’s on a low to medium heat for +- 7 minutes on each side turning carefully.

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Chicken and Pineapple “Potjie”

What is summer without a potjie?

Slowly but surely the weather is changing and one of these days it will be winter again, my favorite season! Now don’t get me wrong I like summer especially when it comes to the vegetable garden, or just relaxing next to the pool, what I don’t enjoy is all the mosquitos.

My husband is actually the Potjie King but since he was to busy installing the laminated flooring for me I decided to make a Chicken pineapple potjie to reward him with.

If you don’t have a potjie don’t be discouraged to try the recipe, even on the stove the interesting flavor from the pineapple and Ideal milk with the chicken will leave you craving for a second helping.

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken pieces

500 g baby potatoes

300 g baby carrots

200 g baby corn

200 g courgettes

200 g patty pans

200 g butternut

250 g mushrooms

200 g shallots

1 onion

1 tbs Robertson veggie spices ( optional)

1 tsp Salt and pepper to taste

 Oil for frying

2 tbs Chicken spices

1 tin Ideal milk

2 tbs Bisto powder / Flour to thicken the sauce

1 tin pineapple pieces in syrup

250 ml water

Get your coals ready before preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare all veggies by rinsing and cutting into smaller pieces, keep aside. Rinse your chicken pieces and rub with the chicken spices, set aside. Slice the onion, remove skin from the shallots keeping them whole and add with the mushrooms.

Assemble your potjie over the hot coals and allow to heat through.

As soon as your pot is hot enough fry the sliced onions, whole shallots and the mushrooms in a little oil.

Remove mushrooms and onions and set aside.

Add the Chicken pieces to the pot and fry for a few minutes until brown.

Add the mushrooms and onion mixture. Add the vegetables,  salt and pepper and the 250 ml water to the pot. Cook for +- 30 – 50 minutes with the lid on until the potatoes are soft.

check often and lift the pieces from the bottom with spoon allowing the liquid to flow back to the bottom of the pot,  but don’t stir. You could add a little more water if need be to ensure that pot don’t cook dry.

As soon as the vegetables are done (and the neighbours are in comatic state of the lovely smell escaping from your yard) add the tin ideal milk keeping about 1/3 tin aside to mix with the bisto / flour.

Mix the bisto / flour with the remaining ideal milk to form a smooth paste, add to the pot. Add the Pineapple pieces + the juice to the pot. Gently stir your pot and cook for another 15 minutes without the lid until the sauce have reduced.

Enjoy with rice.

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