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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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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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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Chicken Biriyani

Have you ever made Biriyani before? If not I dare you to try this recipe. Biriyani seems complicated and the list of ingredients could be overwhelming but boy oh boy the taste you will experience is worth the all the effort!

My mother never made Biriyani and I was not at all familiar with the dish. If not for my Tastic rice recipe book and the lip smacking picture in it I probably wouldn’t have tried it either. I just love the creamy spicy sauce and I even when all the Chicken have been eaten, that last tiny bit of rice and potatoes that’s  left in the pot is still my favorite lunchbox treat for the next day.

As you can see I love my spices

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

1.5 kg Chicken

3 ml Turmeric

5 ml Ginger powder / fresh ginger

5 ml ginger (minced)

250 ml plain yogurt

2 tomatoes (grated or processed to a pulp)

2 cinnamon sticks

4 Cardamom seeds

20 ml Masala

10 ml Cumin

10 ml Coriander powder

15 ml chopped mint

45 ml Lemon juice

125 ml black lentils

500 ml raw white rice / Basmati

10 ml salt

oil for frying

2 onions in rings

6 small potatoes peeled and halved

50 g butter

pinch of saffron

125 ml cold water

1. Place the Chicken in a bowl and rub with the Turmeric, ginger and garlic.

2. Add the yogurt, tomatoes, 1 Cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom seeds, Masala, Coriander powder, mint and lemon juice. Marinate for an hour.

3. Cook the lentils in salt water, strain and put aside.

4. Place the rice, water, salt, 2 x cardamom seeds and 1 x Cinnamon stick in a pot and parboil the rice, strain and set aside.

5. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onions with the cumin seeds until soft. Add the potatoes and fry for another 2 minutes stirring if necessary.

6. Add the butter to the pot add the Chicken without the marinade to the pot and fry for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add some of the lentils on top of the Chicken and the potatoes.

7. Layer the parboiled rice and the rest of the lentils on top and add the rest of the marinade and a pinch of saffron. Lastly add the cold water over the mixture in the pot and cook for 10 minutes on a high heat.

8. Place lid on the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 -60 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and most of the liquid should have reduced.

 Tips

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Make sure you have at least 2 hours to spend before attempting the recipe.

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Mediterranean Chicken Stew

I believe as an adult you are greatly responsible for your children’s likes and dislikes when it comes to food. We never ate mushrooms in our house because my parents didn’t like it, what a shame.

I was sixteen when I ate mushrooms for the first time. I bought a punnet at the grocery store, got home fried them carefully in a pan with butter and slap them on a piece of toast, every bite tasted liked heaven.

 Now I’m addicted to mushrooms and incorporate them in every recipe if I could, just like I did with this Mediterranean Chicken Stew.

 

 Ingredients

Serves 4

 250 ml cooked lentils

5 ml olive oil

4 Chicken breasts

1 Onion diced

1 Garlic gloved

1 Green chilli chopped

1 aubergine

1 Sweet potato

1 cup butternut cubed

1/2 punnet of mushrooms quartered

250 ml Chicken stock

10 ml Soya sauce

15 ml Balsamic vinegar

freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

2 large potatoes quartered

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken on both sides, remove from pan and fry the onions, garlic, chilli and mushrooms in the same pan. Add the aubergine and fry for another minute. Add the Balsamic vinegar and soya sauce to the mixture.

Add the Chicken, sweet potato, potato and butternut and the 250 ml stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for +- 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Add the lentils and salt and pepper to taste. Gently mash some of the veggies with lentils to form a thicker sauce.

Season with Salt and pepper.

Tips

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Because of the potatoes and sweet potatoes you can serve this dish as a complete meal.

Serve with a fresh garden salad.

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Oven baked Crumbed Chicken Fillet, a healthy alternative

Crumbed Chicken breast served with potato wedges and a mushroom salad.

I love Chicken and in all honesty Chicken with the skin on is so much better!  Unfortunately I do have high Cholesterol and my Doctor would not approve.  Try this no skin, no fat, oven baked crumbed chicken fillet and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

500 g Chicken fillets

2 Tbs low-fat mayonnaise

2 tsp English mustard

+- 2- 3  thick slices of brown bread (Stale bread works best)

2.5 ml salt or Chicken spices

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees and grease or spray a baking tray with a non-stick spray.

Place a plastic bag or cling film over your chopping board and flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet.

 If you don’t have a mallet don’t stress! take a deep breath. Simply place the chicken fillet in the bag on our chopping board or place between two pieces of cling film. Beat the chicken breast with a rolling-pin, great for the stress levels as well!

Cut your bread into big chunks using your food processor to create fine breadcrumbs. Season with salt or Chicken spices.

If you don’t have a food processor simply grate the  bread with light hand with your cheese grater.

Mix the mustard and mayonnaise and rub the chicken on both sides with the mixture. Dip chicken fillets in the crumbs and place on your baking tray. Bake until golden brown and done +- 20 minutes.

Tips

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Cut Chicken into bite size strips continue with steps above and bake. Great as picnic or party snack or for the kids lunchboxes.

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Butter Chicken

Finally I’ve done it! This is the first time I’ve made Butter Chicken and the harsh food critics at home loved it!

Well like all recipes there were about a million variations on the internet and for a second I have consirderd the healthier versions with the yogurt and sour milk but at the end the full cream just sounded so much better!

 I suppose I will have to add an extra 20 minutes to the excercise routine tomorrow……

Ingredients

500 g Skinless Chicken diced

For the marinade

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Salt

Rub the Chicken meat with the marinade and set aside.

4 tbs Butter

 1 Medium onion finely chopped

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ground Cummin seeds

200 g tomatoes

2 Green Chillies ( deseeded)

40 g Cashew nuts

1 tsp Coriander powder

2, 5 ml Turmeric powder

200 ml Cream

pinch of Saffron

a dash of tomato sauce

In a pot heat the butter and fry the Chicken for a few minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and braise the onions, coriander powder, Turmeric powder, Ground Cummin seeds and Garlic paste. Set aside.

In a food processor chop the cashew nuts, add the tomatoes and chillies and process. Add Onion mixture to the tomatoes and process once more until a smooth liquid is achieved. Add the liquid mixture to the pot and slowly simmer stirring continuously. Add the chicken, Saffron, tomato sauce and the cream and cook on a low heat for a few minutes.

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