Moroccan Chicken Tagine

My husband and I have done some travelling both before and after we got married. We love to experience different cultures, get to know different folks and of course, try new cuisines. Once in awhile I try new recipes from other countries, especially the ones which we have had the chance to visit. It makes us feel like we are back in that country whenever we eat their food.

One of our favorite places to shop is the World Market because it gives us the chance to sample certain products from around the world. One time I saw this Tagine from one of their stores. A Tagine is an earthenware pot that is used in traditional Moroccan cooking. It is a circular cooking pot with cone-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The dish cooked in it is also called "Tagine." Since Mark has been to Morocco, I thought I'd cook him some Moroccan style dish.

I love this dish because of the flavor imparted by a lovely mix of spices commonly used in Moroccan cooking. It gives the chicken stew a nice robust and complex flavor. The addition of dried fruits give the dish some texture and added sweetness. Since we like to use fruits (esp. raisins) in Filipino dishes, I thought this dish is perfect for me.     

I didn't actually use the Tagine in cooking the stew but used my regular pan instead. However, a Tagine is always used as a serving dish. At least, the dish looks more authentic this way! :-)

So, if you want to try a different kind of dish, I would highly recommend this. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp each ground ginger, cumin, turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Freshly squeezed juice of one orange
7 oz package of mixed dried fruits, chopped
A few Tablespoons of raisins (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut up
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Chopped fresh Parsley (optional)

Procedure

Heat the oil to a medium in a large deep pan. Add the garlic and onion. Saute briefly until aromatic, about a minute or less. Do not let the garlic brown. lmmediately, adjust the heat to the lowest setting. Add all the spices and cook gently for about 4-5 mins or until the onion softens.

Pour the orange juice and the dried mixed fruits.  Stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomato paste and the chicken stock. Add the chicken and coat with the sauce. Bring to a boil. It may look quite thick at this point, but don't worry it will produce some more liquid as the chicken cooks. (I prefer the sauce to be thicker rather than runny).

Cover and simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. You may add a little water as you cook it if you find that the sauce is too thick for your liking. Adjust seasoning if necessary.  Sprinkle the sliced almonds for garnish or you can also sprinkle it with some chopped fresh parsley instead. This stew is even better the next day!

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Serve hot with rice and plain yogurt on the side, if desired. Enjoy your Moroccan chicken stew.

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Coconut Chicken Strips

In a previous post, I mentioned that a friend of mine invited me to her house for a Demarle food demonstration. There she showcased the lovely products from Demarle and prepared for us some really delicious meals from appetizers to desserts. Not only was I impressed with the Demarle products but with the food that she made.

Indian Butter Chicken

To say that we like chicken curry is an understatement. We love curry to the max! Whenever we travel, whatever country that may be - the first restaurant we always try to look for is an Indian curry house.  

Before I got married, I wasn't a major fan of anything spicy. In the region (Southern Tagalog) where I grew up, spicy dishes are not really a big thing. We usually love sweet, sour and salty but spicy, not too much. But then I met my British husband who is into everything spicy. I was converted by him. He loves chicken curry. When we were still in England we used to visit Brick Lane in East London for some curry therapy. If you are ever in London, this is the place to go if you want to get curry. There are rows upon rows of curry houses there. I miss this place!

However there is one special curry place for us and, no, it's not in India or the UK or even the USA (truth is, there is no Indian restaurant where I live).  Sad, isn't it. We found it, of all places, in Vietnam! While it may take years before we go back and eat there again, we have fond memories of Vietnam and most certainly the curry we had there. Here's a photo of myself in front of the restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. It's not much to look at but the curry is great, if you are able to wake up its owner to cook for you! Seriously, it was great and the best we have tasted! Check this out when you find yourself in the streets of Saigon.

And for good measure, here's another photo of me and my hubby in Vietnam. Photo was taken while we were cruising the Mekong Delta. Happy Memories!

Before I get any more sidetracked, here's one of our favorite curry dish - Indian Butter Chicken. This is a mild curry so feel free to up the heat to your desired spice level. Enjoy!




Ingredients

5 pieces Roma or plum tomatoes - or 2 (14oz/410gr)  cans of diced tomatoes (fresh is better though!) 
2 Tablespoons oil and 5 Tablespoons Butter 
2.2 pounds (1 kilo) skinless but bone-in chicken thighs (boneless are fine but they tend to fall apart)
Thumb-size peeled and chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp of ground ginger
3 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoon each red Curry powder, ground Cumin and ground Paprika
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ - 2 tsp salt, or to taste      
¼ - ½ cup of plain Yogurt (you can use heavy cream, if you prefer)                
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (a must for me!) 

Procedure 

If using fresh tomatoes, cut-up the tomatoes and then place in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth (puree the canned tomatoes too, if using this instead). In a deep pan, heat the oil and butter on medium to low heat until the butter melts. Stir in the spices, and let sizzle briefly, for a minute or less. Add the salt and brown sugar and stir until combined. Immediately, add the chicken pieces and coat them with the spices.

Mix in the pureed tomatoes. Though the mixture may seem thick at this point, it will thin out as it simmers. Bring to a quick boil and then cover the pan and gently simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is tender, occasionally stirring it. It is done when the chicken is tender and the sauce is medium-thick. It is already good and yummy at this point but if you like a creamier sauce, add plain yogurt or heavy cream and then squeeze some fresh lemon juice, to taste. Cook a little further without boiling just until the cream is heated. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve hot with freshly steamed rice (basmati or jasmine are the best for this!) and some green veggies on the side. Curry heaven!

Note: While the chicken curry tastes great already on the day it is cooked, it may be done a day ahead and chilled on the fridge so the flavors continue to infuse overnight. Even better the next day!

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Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

Baked Chicken Nuggets (Chicken Scampi)

A few years ago our church published a cook book entitled "Among Friends". They contain recipes shared by the lovely and talented ladies from our church. I have used this cook book often (the wear-and-tear shows!) and have discovered so many delicious recipes. Some of them I return to time and again 'cause my family simply love them. One of the recipes which we've cooked many many times (years, in fact) is the Chicken Scampi by Rebecca Braam. This is such a wonderful chicken dish, beloved by kids and adult alike. It's quite easy to do as well, which I always like in a recipe!

I would normally prepare this with bread crumbs as stated in the original recipe but for this version I  made it low-carb and gluten-free because Mark is trying a gluten-free diet and I am doing a low-carb diet. Works well for us! Instead of bread crumbs, I used ground almonds as substitute. Honestly, I was surprised that it turned out so good! Am glad that whenever we need to go wheat-free, there is this lovely alternative. We don't need to miss out on our favorite chicken dish! Of course, for those who don't need to be wheat-free, feel free to use the bread crumbs. They are both great, either way!

The original recipe called for about 2-3 lbs of chicken breasts but my small family can only manage one so the recipe has been measured to serve a small family of 4 (mine!). Feel free to adjust the amount if you wish to serve it to more people. Enjoy!


Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts (about 2), cut into cubes (bite-size nuggets)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs or 1/2 cup ground almonds  (for gluten-free version)*
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

*If you don't fancy the wheat-free version, use seasoned dry bread crumbs (like Italian)  for the same amount.

Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix. 

Add the chicken and coat with the mix. Alternatively, you may place the chicken with the dry ingredients in a large clear plastic bag. Shake until the chicken parts are fully coated.

For the Garlic Sauce:

3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed


Procedure


Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). In a large baking dish melt the sauce ingredients in the oven as it heats up.

Add chicken and coat with the garlic sauce.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and fully cooked. Enjoy with, what else? Rice, of course! Serve it with a home-made and very simple thousand island dressing (just ketchup and mayo). Have a lovely meal!

Adapted from Chicken Scampi by Rebecca Braam (Among Friends Cook Book)

Chicken Paella

This is a simple yet flavorful paella. I was inspired to make this at home in the summer of 2010 after our trip to Barcelona where I tasted what was to me a truly excellent paella. It was seafood paella with jumbo shrimps and mussels. What a gustatory delight!

Below is a photo of the paella we had.

Alas, I do not live near the sea, so making paella using the freshest sea food is not always possible. Also, making a paella dish can be rather intimidating.

Nonetheless, I decided to make this favorite rice dish of mine with ingredients that are at hand. I did not include saffron threads because sometimes they are not readily available and they're quite expensive too! Instead, I used paprika and turmeric to give both flavor and color to the rice. The result is wonderful! Now, I can just reminisce about Barcelona whenever I eat it.

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Ingredients:

4 organic chicken thighs (skin on)
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting (use alternative flour if you want it completely gluten-free)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 ½ cups jasmine rice (uncooked)
3 cups chicken stock
2 plum tomatoes, petite diced
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 Red, yellow or orange sweet peppers, seeded and diced
4 oz Spanish Chorizo sausage, chopped 

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and then dust with flour.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep oven-proof pan or a Dutch oven and then fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray and into the oven for about 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven, prepare the accompanying vegetables.

Using the same pan where the chicken was cooked, sauté the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the paprika and turmeric. Stir-fry just until aromatic, less than a minute. Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock and mix. Bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat. We will continue cooking it in the oven.

Get the chicken from the oven and place in the pan with the rice and cook in the oven for about 15 mins. The rice should be almost dry at this point. Take the pan out of the oven, remove the chicken pieces to a plate, and then stir in the remaining ingredients except the chorizo. Put the chicken back on top  of the rice. Place the lid on the pan and then bring it back to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the rice has fully absorbed the stock. During the last few minutes, heat a little oil and fry the chorizos until brown and crispy. Keep warm. 

Remove the pan from the oven and transfer its contents to a deep serving dish, placing the chicken on top. Spread the chorizos around. Serve with a wedge of lemon, if desired.

Note: You may add the chorizo with the other ingredients (bell peppers, tomato, etc.) and let it cook in the oven. However, it may become chewy though it does add more flavor to the rice.

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Chicken, Cashew Nuts and Red Peppers in Sweet Chili Sauce

Usually, I like to plan ahead for what will be the menu for the week. I make a list of all the ingredients that I need and then buy them all in one go. This is to ensure that I don't have to do extra trips to the grocery during the week. But there are those days when things don't go as planned, either I suddenly don't fancy what I have originally thought I wanted to prepare or my family have other suggestions. We like to have a bit of flexibility! :-)

Anyway, I went to Meijer and saw some red peppers on sale. Red peppers are pretty expensive if they are not in season so I never buy them unless they are on sale or as in this case, a bargain! They were bunched in a plastic and were probably not in their best shape anymore hence they were on sale. I saw that they were still good though and if you cook them immediately you won't know the difference between the freshest ones available and the ones they're trying to get rid of.

But now, since I wasn't initially planning on using red peppers till I saw that they were dirt cheap, I had to think of a viand that I can use this with. I only had chicken available but they always pair well with peppers so that's good. But what else can I add to chicken and peppers? I was thinking Asian, something Chinese-inspired, that will go well with rice. 

I was considering using my South African Chutney for that sweet sour taste but I had second thoughts. Then I saw in the corner of my fridge, almost begging me to pick it up, was the sweet chili sauce. Perfect! It has peppers in it already, though the spicy kind of course, but it should complement the red peppers. To put some crunch and texture, I added roasted cashew nuts. Done! There goes dinner.

My husband loved it and that's all that matters! 

So here it is, hope you like it too.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 Tbsp Sweet Chili sauce (depending on how spicy you want it to be)
A little water to dilute the sauce, if desired
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts

 Procedure

Heat oil in a medium skillet. When hot, add the garlic cloves and let sizzle for a minute. Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the chicken pieces and sauté just until they change their color, about 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the diced red pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes. I like my red pepper crunchy so I don't overcook it.

Pour in the sweet chili sauce (diluted with a little water) and coat the chicken and the peppers. The sweet chili sauce I have is the one used as dipping sauce for spring rolls. 

Once the chicken and the peppers are fully glazed, add in the cashew nuts. Cook for another minute.

Serve immediately with steaming rice on the side. Yum!

Note: I dilute the chili sauce with a little water (1-2 Tbsp) and taste it to get to the spice level that I like or at least what my family can take!

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Abby's Chicken Curry

I maybe Asian but I was never fond of curry dishes. The Filipino cuisine is not generally spicy compared with our other Asian neighbors. But then I married my British husband, Mark, who is so into curry. He got me into it and now I really love curry dishes and will often cook it for my family.

Here's a chicken curry recipe that we love - spicy bite with a hint of cinnamon sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 kilo / 2 lbs (about 8 pieces)  trimmed chicken thighs
1 tbsp each - butter and olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (I usually use 1 tbsp each of mild and hot curry powder)
1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

3 plum tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper

1-2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp chutney (optional)

Procedure:

Heat the oil and butter in a deep pan. Brown the chicken on both sides. If you don't like the skin you can remove it after the browning. Set aside.

In the same pan, saute the garlic and onion  in the pan drippings until aromatic about 1-2 minutes. Lower the heat and then add all the spices (curry powder, turmeric and ginger). 

Put the chicken back into the pan and coat with the spices. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chutney). Stir. Don't worry if it seems to be dry, it will eventually create its own sauce.

Bring to a boil. Cover then simmer for about an hour or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Stir in the chutney (if using). At this point there would be a lot of sauce which is great to pour on rice. Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and a little sugar, to taste.  Serve with freshly boiled rice and thick plain yogurt (if desired).

Note: 

This dish may be prepared a day ahead so the flavor is fully absorbed by the chicken thighs. Also, you will be able to skim the fat right off if refrigerated a day before it is served.

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.   Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;  though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Selah)   Psalm 46: 1-3

Chicken with Tarragon Cream

Recently, I have been experimenting on French dishes. I don't really know why, I supposed I was just fancying something creamy and buttery.  I looked at my fridge and saw that I still had some chicken breasts that needed to be cooked and the mushrooms were begging to be used. There were still some left-over cream and half a bottle of white wine which I have used recently in a few dishes. 

The only ingredient missing is something that will give the dish some vibrant color and freshness. Thankfully, I have been cooking with the tarragon herb lately due to my husband's craving for Chicken, Cashew and Tarragon Stir-Fry. So there goes the solution - a little tarragon goes a long way in this dish.

I had been doing the South Beach Diet to lose weight (I love this diet! I think it's perfect for meat lovers like me!) and if you are into low-carb, this is one of the dishes that you need to learn by heart. It's pretty simple and yummy, too. And to replace the carbs --- I know deep in my heart that rice would be perfect with this for it will absorb the creamy sauce but, alas, not when am on a diet --- I suggest steamed/boiled cauliflower, which is the perfect replacement for rice or potatoes. You can certainly make mock mashed potatoes using this wonderful vegetable.  

So here it is, enjoy!

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons light Olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts (about 2), skinned, boned and halved (season with salt and pepper)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine (use low-carb and gluten-free)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh tarraron, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the chicken breasts, about 3 minutes per side.

Set the chicken aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently for about 2 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.

Increase the heat and stir in the mushrooms. Stir-fry for about 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to color and give off its liquid.

Pour in the wine. Bring to a quick boil then reduce the heat slightly and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cream and cook just until incorporated. Re-place the chicken in the pan and simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the chopped tarragon and season to taste.

Arrange the chicken on a serving plate and pour the sauce  over. Delish!

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Chicken, Cashew and Tarragon Stir-fry (with Bacon)

  

When we visit my in-laws in England, my husband never fails to request his mom to cook this dish. He said that this is one of his favorite food. Having tasted it a few times, I do agree it's a wonderful dish - simple to prepare yet fabulously delicious. I particularly love the crunch that the cashews bring and the flavor that the tarragon imparts to the chicken.

I would have tried to cook this a long time ago if I had the recipe. I don't know why I haven't asked for it. Unfortunately, when my husband was craving this dish for dinner it was  a little too late to call England so I had to make this based on how my hubby remembers it was done.

When we were eating the dish, he suddenly remembered that he forgot to tell me an important ingredient of the dish ---- bacon! How can anyone forget bacon? It's a good thing that when  he mentioned that the chicken was stir-fried --- butter and garlic came to mind. So, it still came out good. The next time I made it for sure bacon was added. If you don't fancy bacon you can just leave it out. 

Ingredients

A little olive oil (1 tsp or if using a non-stick pan, a little spray on the pan will do)
3 tbsp butter or 3-4 bacon strips, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb chicken breasts (2 large ones), chopped in bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper
4-6 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (we love tarragon so we  use a lot of it but it has a strong aniseed-like flavor so adjust to taste!)
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts (whole or in pieces)

Procedure

Melt the butter in a little oil in a large skillet or frying pan. If you prefer, use bacon instead. Cook the bacon until it turns brown and renders its fat. Sauté the garlic and let it sizzle for a few seconds (not more than a minute to prevent browning). Once the garlic has flavored the butter/bacon fat and oil, you may opt to remove it from the pan but if you love garlic, let it stay!

Raise the heat to medium high and then add the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper.  

Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes or until the chicken has changed its color and is starting to brown a little on its sides.

Stir in the cashew nuts and the tarragon leaves. Cook for another minute or just until chicken is tender.                                                                                       

Garnish with a little more tarragon on top. Serve immediately.

Have it with green veggies on the side. Broccoli perfectly pairs with it.