Food Mamma

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chicken

sticky chicken wings

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I love chicken wings! I am always on the quest to find the best recipe to make at home without doing any frying. Mostly it’s just tossing together things that I have in the fridge. I always try to use balance out the flavours, using something sweet, salty, and a touch of heat.
This combination was a winner! Perfect for watching the game, or a get together with friends.

Sticky Chicken Wings 

3 TB ketchup
3 TB soya sauce
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1 TB honey
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 lb wings
sesame seeds 

Mix together the first seven ingredients. Once combined, toss in the wings and then place on a foil lined tray. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

thai chicken larb

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Around here, we love our thai food! I had been to Thailand once before, when I was in junior high. I’m determined to go back and learn the secrets to their delicious food. The curries, the rice, the salads – it’s just too good!

Larb seemed like something easy to prepare and it was! I had looked at many different recipes and they were all so different. I took components of what I liked, and what I had in the house, and made this version. I left out the chilis, opting to use Sriracha on top, so that everyone in the house could enjoy it. Although, truth be told, I’m pretty sure Q can handle things spicier than me.

With lemongrass, mint and lime, this dish was screaming with flavour. Even 9 month old Z enjoyed it! Although I was hoping for leftovers, there were none in sight! This will definitely be making the rounds again next week.

Thai Chicken Larb

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 TB minced garlic
1/2 TB fish sauce 

Handful of mint
Handful of cilantro
1 2″ piece of lemongrass, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped 

1 lime, juiced
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB fish sauce 

lettuce
Sriracha sauce 

Brown the chicken with the garlic and fish sauce. Once cooked, add the mint, cilantro, lemongrass, green onion and shallot.  In a bowl, combine the lime, brown sugar and fish sauce. Once the herbs and vegetables are mixed with the chicken, add the lime mixture. Scoop into lettuce cups and top with sriracha.

pulo lemongrass chicken salad rolls

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I was so excited to receive to receive a package of  Pulo Cuisine sauces and marinades to participate in the Pulo Recipe Challenge. Pulo is an authentic collection of sauces and marinades inspired by the 7000 Islands of the Philippines. With three marinades and two cooking sauces, each loaded with amazing flavours, the possibilities on how to use them were endless.

For dinner tonight, Q and I decided to make Lemongrass Chicken Salad Rolls using the Pulo Lemongrass Marinade. The sauce itself is packed with so many complex notes that nothing else needed to be added to marinate the chicken.

The chicken was soaked in the marinade for half an hour, quickly stir fried and then added to rice paper with mint, carrots, spinach and vermicelli noodles. Q loved the process of dipping the rice paper in water until it was pliable and assembling the rolls. My picky little boy loved the flavours of the chicken; I was ecstatic that he was nibbling on the chicken without any prompting – that speaks volumes!

This was a hit with everyone and is definitely something I will be making again and again. I have so many ideas for the other sauces!

Pulo Lemongrass Chicken Salad Rolls

8 chicken thighs, cut into strips
1/2 cup Pulo Lemongrass Marinade

Mint
Carrots
Spinach
Vermicelli Noodles
Rice Paper

Cut the chicken into strips and cover with Pulo Lemongrass Marinade for at least half an hour. Stir fry until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Dip the rice paper into hot water until pliable. Lay on a flat surface and fill with the cooked chicken, mint, carrots, spinach and noodles. Roll and enjoy!

panang curry

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With all my posts of various Thai restaurants we have been to, it’s no secret that we love it. Today, I had a craving for Panang but decided it would be a good thing to know how to make it from scratch. I found a simple recipe and made a few changes to make it on the mild side so we could all enjoy it.

Q and I had a fun time at the Asian market picking up the items we needed for the paste. He learned all about kumquats and guava and he picked up treats for himself. He was quite the helper, crushing up some peanuts to top the flavourful curry.

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious. I substituted the dried chilies with a red bell pepper and added fragrant ingredients like lemon grass and kaffir leaves.  The pungent aroma of the paste filled the kitchen and mellowed when it hit the coconut milk.

To make the curry, I adapted a recipe from Rachel Cooks Thai. I used chicken instead of beef and added the veggies we had in our fridge. Served with a bowlful of delicious coconut rice, it was a satisfying and comforting meal. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s leftovers!

Panang Curry Paste
Adapted from Bon Appetit via Epicurious

1 red pepper, cut into chunks
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
3 TB roasted peanuts
6 dried kaffir leaves
1 large shallot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TB crushed ginger
1 serrano chile, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Process until a paste forms, adding a small amount of water if necessary.

Panang Curry
Adapted from Rachel Cooks Thai

1 can coconut milk
3 TB panang curry paste
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 red pepper
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar

Scoop the top 1/3 cup of thicker coconut milk off the top of a newly opened can and into a large pan. Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until it starts to boil and separate.

Add the curry paste and stir into the coconut milk until its well incorporated. Then add your chicken and veggies and coat them with the curry paste.

Add the rest of the coconut milk and let the chicken cook.

Once the chicken and veggies are cooked, add the kaffir lime leaves and season with fish sauce and sugar.

Top with cilantro peanuts and serve with coconut rice.

tequila lime chicken

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There’s no better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with great Mexican food. The possibilities are endless from fried fish tacos, delicious desserts like tres leches cake (or coconut, even better) or eating at your favourite Mexican restaurant. We found a new mexican fave at our house – Tequila Lime Chicken.

Since finding this recipe, we have had this chicken a few times. It is full of flavour and the resulting chicken is tender and juicy. It’s delicious served with some creamy guacamole or some grilled corn.  Perfect for a crowd!

Tequila Lima Chicken
Adapted from Once Upon A Chef

3 TB olive oil
3 TB tequila
3 tsp lime zest (zest of 2 limes)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp honey
salt
pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Combine all ingredients except chicken breasts in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Close the bag and squish marinade around to mix. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Grill on the bbq until chicken is cooked.

chicken tagine

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When planning hubby’s birthday last month, I knew I wanted to make a tagine to keep with the theme of the party, “An Arabian Afternoon”.  I had actually never had tagine, I just knew that it was an earthy Moroccan stew.  I searched many recipes trying to find something easy that had ingredients I already had in the house.  I finally settled on one by Melissa D’Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners).  Not being a big fan of olives, I left those out.  I tested the recipe a week before the party and it was a success!  Hubby loved it so much, he finished the entire thing – always a good sign.  The combination of the turmeric and cinnamon gave the tagine a deep flavour.  Although preserved lemons were called for in every recipe that I looked at, we both weren’t fans.  When I made the dish for the party, we left that out.  Everyone really seemed to enjoy the tagine and it was wonderful on couscous, a great vehicle to absorb all that yummy sauce.

Chicken Tagine
Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 TB ginger, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
Flat leaf parsley, handful
Cilantro, handful
Salt Pepper

Pat the chicken dry, and season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the onion, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic and stir for a minute. Increase heat and deglaze with half the broth, stirring, and allowing it to bubble. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. 

chicken kebabs

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I can’t believe it’s already July.  Time is just flying by!  We spent Canada Day at Calaway Park which Q totally enjoyed.  Luckily he enjoyed the rides, unlike his mamma, and he can’t wait to go back.  We just had to finish the day with a bbq.  I wanted something easy, that would take a few minutes to pull together.  I made the meat mixture for the kebabs before we left for some amusement park fun.  Food didn’t take long once we got home and threw the chicken on the grill.

Chicken Kebabs

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
handful cilantro, finely chopped
handful mint, finely chopped
2 TB yogurt
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
pepper

In a large bowl mix all ingredients together.  Let the meat sit for an hour or two in the fridge.  Make small logs out of the meat mixture using the back of a wooden spoon.  I placed the kebabs in a grill basket and placed it on the grill to avoid it from sticking and falling in.  Serve with pita and tzatziki.

chicken and spinach curry in less than 30 minutes

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We have been eating way too much red meat lately.  It was time to take a break and start making more chicken and fish dishes.  Looking through my fridge, I found I had some chicken and spinach, so I figured I would make hubby happy and make an Indian dish.  Indian food does not have to be complicated or time consuming.  In less time than it took Q to watch an episode of “In The Night Garden”, this dish was ready to eat!


Chicken and Spinach Curry

Oil
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 pound baby spinach
3 TB crushed tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
3 TB fried onions
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
coriander for garnish

Saute the chicken in the oil until half-cooked.  Add the spinach and continue cooking until chicken is cooked and spinach is wilted.  Add the tomatoes, onions and spices and cook for a few minutes.  Add water and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve with rice or naan.

greek chicken kabobs

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We finally had a fabulous hot weekend and it was the perfect weather to enjoy the Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival.  We tried many different salsas – spicy, cool, red, green – but my favorite was Broken Plate’s greek salsa made with feta.  It was delicious and I was inspired by the mediterranean flavours.  I had thawed chicken breasts waiting for me at home for the next day’s dinner, the perfect canvas to play!  A little of this and a little of that and I came up with this tasty marinade that left the chicken flavourful and juicy.

Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 cup plain yogurt (Balkan style or homemade)
1/4 cup seasoned feta cheese
2 TB greek seasoning (I used Club House)
2 cloves of garlic
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
3 chicken breasts, cubed

In a bowl, mix first 6 ingredients.  Add the chicken and marinate overnight.  Skewer the chicken and bbq.  Perfect with salad and grilled smashed potatoes.