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Greek-style Roast Chicken

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roast_chicken
Roast Chicken is always a favourite for a simple yet stylish dish to serve when entertaining.

There are many different ways the roast chicken can be prepared but it can be given a twist by adding Greek Yogurt to the marinade. The yogurt helps the chicken retain its moisture while in the oven.

This recipe calls for 4 chicken breasts with the skin still on, salt, ground black pepper, to taste, 1 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 cloves garlic, and 3 tablespoons olive oil.

After seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, place them in a gallon sized re-sealable bag. Mix together the yogurt, cumin, smoked paprika, orange juice and garlic and pour into the bag with the chicken. Marinate chicken for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Over a medium flame, heat olive oil. Add chicken with the skin side down and cook for 2 minutes until chicken is golden brown. Place pan in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked.

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Chicken Curry, a taste of India at home

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Chicken_Curry
Nothing says exotic like curry and one of the simplest curry dishes to make is chicken curry. The dish is traditionally Indian and is like bringing a little taste of the sub-Continent home.

The curry can be spiced according to your own taste – fiery hot or just mild enough to leave you wanting more.

Chicken curry is best served with either Jasmine or Basmati Rice or Nan, or both.

Gather together 2 cups of Basmati or Jasmine rice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 1 clove of garlic minced, 3 tablespoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of grated ginger root, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized strips, 1 cup plain yogurt, ¾ cup coconut milk, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt to taste.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium flame and sauté onion until lightly browned. Add the garlic, curry powder, paprika, bay leaf, ginger root, and salt. Stir. Add chicken, tomato paste, coconut milk, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and yogurt. Bring to boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. In a separate pot, cook rice according to directions on package.

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Thai shrimp, spicy exotic

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Spicy, tasty, exotic. Thai style shrimp is ideal for a quick dinner with spunk. It can be made in half an hour as shrimp is easy to prepare. Just add steamed broccoli and white basmati rice.

To prepare you need 1 cup basmati rice, 1/2 broccoli, 4 cloves of peeled garlic, 1 piece of fresh ginger, chili peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, vegetable oil, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 stalk scallion, 1 pound medium shrimp – peeled and de-veined, 2 tomatoes, diced, 1 cup coconut milk, and 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves.

To prepare rice, place in a small pot and cook according to directions on the package. In a separate pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add broccoli. Steam for five minutes. For shrimp: In a blender, mix garlic, ginger, chili, salt, and turmeric to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and scallion and cook, stirring frequently. Add paste and stir. Add shrimp, and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Cover, and simmer for a few minutes.

Stir in the basil in the last minute of cooking. Serve rice and top with shrimp.

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Pina Colada, cool pineapple beverage

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Drinking a Pina Colada is like drinking in the taste of the Caribbean. The rum-based cocktailalmost goes hand-in-hand with a walk on the beach in the region and has actually been the official drink of Puerto Rico since 1978.

There is even a National Pina Colada Day celebrated on July 10th.The name Pina Colada means strained pineapple and refers to the fact that freshly squeezed pineapples are usually used in the drinks’ preparation.

The Puerto Rican style of Pina Colada includes using cream of coconut which is made fromcoconut juice, sugar, emulsifier, cellulose, thickeners, citric acid, and salt. The drink is served using with blended or shaken with ice and garnished with pineapple wedges ormaraschino cherries.

The recipe calls for 3 ounces of coconut cream, 6 ounces of pineapple juice, and 1½ ounces ofwhite rum. The mixture is then put in a blender or shaker with crushed ice. Blend or shake very well until smooth. Add garnish.

The drink can also be made using dark rum, amaretto – Amaretto Colada; coconut rum –Staten Island Ferry; blended with a strawberry daquiri- Lava Flow, or a Virgin Pina Coladawithout rum altogether.

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Shepherd’s Pie, hearty filling food

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Whether you call it a Shepherd’s Pie or a Cottage Pie, if a down-home hearty meal is what you’re searching for then this dish is the tasty, filling, traditional choice.

Shepherd’s Pie is an English or Irish dish traditionally made with mashed potatoes, mutton or lamb but is now most often made with minced beef. It can be topped with cheddar cheese for an extra zingy flavour.

The ingredients include two pounds of potatoes, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, garlic, salt, grounded pepper, dried thyme, ¼ all-purpose flour, 2 pounds ground beef, 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of whole milk, 1 large onion chopped, tomato paste, ½ cup peas, and 6 carrots diced.

To prepare first preheat the oven to 450. Boil potatoes until tender; Drain and crush with milk. In a separate saucepan, heat vegetable oil, add ground beef, flour, onion, carrots, thyme, garlic, peas, and tomato paste. Cook beef until browned.

In a casserole, pour beef and carrot filling. Add the potato topping using a spatula to spread over beef. Add grated cheese and bake in an oven for 20 minutes or until topping is browned. Let sit five minutes before serving.

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Yummy Cheese Fritters

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Cheese fritters are a great meal that can be enjoyed if you prefer to have something filling or a snack sans meat or fish. The best thing is that fritters can be made with any left-over bits of cheese whether it is cheddar, feta, gruyere, pepper jack or mozzarella.

They can also be served with marmalade or chutney to give them a little extra zest. First in a bowl sift flour, salt, and cayenne or black pepper, chopped onions, chopped scallions, and thyme. Make a hole in the centre of the blended flour and add two eggs. Whisk batter combining the eggs with two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of milk. Next grate in the cheese and stir all together.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you heat a saucepan with oil. Once the oil is hot use a large spoon to scoop up batter and drop medium size dollops in the pot. Fry until golden brown. Once cooked, remove the fritters and place in a sieve or silicone paper to drain off extra oil. The marmalade can be bought or you can make you own using sugar, cider vinegar, sweet peppers, oil, and garlic. Over a medium heat carmelise sugar and onions, sweet peppers, and garlic. Turn down flame until sauce is thick. Do not allow the mixture to burn. Turn off stove and allow marmalade to cool.

Serve and enjoy!

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A festival that can be eaten

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fish_festival
When you hear the word festival you may think of a party or a celebration but did you know that a festival can also be eaten? In the Caribbean what people call festival is actually a small fried dumpling with an elongated shape made from cornmeal and flour.

Festival can be eaten alone or with fried fish or grilled or jerk chicken or pork and is a very popular food on the beaches of Jamaica where fried fish and festival is a dietary staple.

Festivals are very easy to make. All you need is two cups of flour, ½ cup of cornmeal, water, ¼ cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of baking powder, and oil.

In a bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder together then slowly add water until the mixture is tender to touch but not too soft. Knead the mixture into a soft dough . Be careful not to knead too long or festival will be too crunchy. Cover the mixture and leave to sit on a counter for a few minutes until the dough rises slightly.

Place oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, break off small pieces of dough roll into long shapes and place in oil over a low flame. Fry until golden brown. The festival should be light. Serve when cool. Enjoy.

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