Jalapeño popper stuffed chicken

Mmmmm this chicken was a major hit with hubby and I. It definitely adds a few extra calories to those boneless skinless chicken breasts, but sometimes plain chicken can be boring. This is definitely not boring! If you’re like us and love things a little spicy, don’t seed your jalapenos for this dish. I found the heat level wonderful and I did not seed mine.  For a special treat, this dish was really tasty.

The chicken got wonderfully crispy in my cast iron pan, but I think a regular pan would work well too. Serving this dish to guests would be great. To keep the meal in healthy balance I served mine with mashed sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

Baby and I are still loving all things spicy, so this really hit the spot! I wonder if when the baby is born, they will be a kid who loves spicy food, because I eat spicy so much when carrying? Interesting to think about! One of my friends whose mother ate a lot of lemons/grapefruits/other sour citrus while pregnant loves citrus a lot, it is her favourite! Curious how the body works. What a miracle!

I hope you test this one out the next time you are sick of ‘boring’ chicken!

(Serves 4)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package of cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (seeded if you do not it as spicy)
• 2 tbs green onion, minced
• ¼ cup real bacon bits
• 16 tooth picks
• 1 cup panko
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• Garlic powder, salt, pepper
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs

In a medium sized bowl mix together; the cream cheese, grated cheeses, minced jalapeno pepper, minced green onion, and bacon bits. Blend with a spoon until well combined. Divide into 4 portions and set aside.

Along one side of each breast, cut a pocket, using your fingers to widen it as much as possible without breaking through the other sides. Fill each breast pocket with ¼ of the cream cheese stuffing. Secure the open flap with 3-4 toothpicks. Set aside.

Place 3 bowls out:

Fill one bowl with panko/parmesan/garlic/salt/pepper, mix well.

Fill the second bowl with plain flour.

Fill the third bowl with 2 eggs beaten.

Using your hands, dip each chicken breast first in the flour, second in the egg, and third in the seasoned panko. Press down to adhere the panko, and ensure all sides are coated. Repeat with remaining breasts.

Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Using some butter, pan sear the coated chicken for 5-10 minutes on one side, until well browned and crispy. Flip onto the other side and repeat the cooking time. Keep rotating until the chicken is cooked through, well browned, and crispy; about 25-30 minutes. Alternatively you could bake your coated chicken by spraying with oil and baking at 375 for 30 minutes.

As I have a wonderful cast iron pan which you can bake as well as use on the stove top, I sear mine on one side for 5 minutes, flip, sear for 5 minutes again, then place the whole pan in the oven for 25 minutes. It’s the best of both worlds!

Enjoy this spicy take on chicken!

Taco pasta

So here I am again, trying to cook something healthy but stick-to-your-ribs hearty to satisfy me and baby. It is challenging to make something new every week for work lunches, however I must say, this dish was so easy that it practically cooked itself. Plus it was absolutely delicious! So delicious in fact that it was very hard not to eat this for breakfast at 8:30am after I got to work…instead of saving it for lunch. I barely made it. The only thing that stopped me was knowing I would then have no lunch to speak of. In other words, I would be gnawing off my own salt-and-peppered arm around 3pm.

The key with this one is using the toppings to personalize your pasta, just as you would with a taco. For example I LOVE spicy (even more since being pregnant) so give me all the fresh jalapenos you can, plus cheese and pretty much all of the veggies in the list. Hubby will forego the veggies and have his simply with cheese and sour cream. The picture above is of the taco pasta with only cheese, since I wanted you to be able to see the noodles and meat mix, instead of just a pile of fresh veg. Also since I forgot to add the vegetables. Mostly that.

I do believe that kids would like this dish, but that’s a guess I am making at this point. Eventually I will be able to give reviews based on children’s actual likes, but for now it’s all a guessing game. Much like the game ‘when will I burst into the pregnancy crazies and cry for absolutely no reason?!’ That’s a fun game too. Especially for hubby!

Hope you try out this super easy dish for you and your family.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 1 lb ground turkey, or beef
• 1 package of low-sodium taco seasoning
• ½ can of kernel corn, drained
• ½ can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½- ¾ bag of egg noodles, dumpling or extra large size

Suggested toppings:

• Grated cheddar and/or Monterey jack cheese
• Chopped green onion
• Chopped tomato
• Shredded lettuce
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Fresh sliced jalapenos
• Sour cream

Sauté your ground meat and seasoning according to the directions on the packet of taco seasoning. Cook until browned and the meat is cooked through.

Meanwhile, boil your egg noodles according to package directions.

Chop/slice your optional veggie toppings, and grate your cheese.

When the meat has browned and cooked through, stir in the drained/rinsed corn and black beans. Cook for 5 minutes more.

To serve; layer your noodles in the bottom of your bowls, and top with the taco meat mix. Garnish to your little heart’s desire with grated cheese and fresh veggies. A dollop of sour cream really seals this delicious deal.

Enjoy!!

Asian rice bowls

Well, the secret is finally out—I am pregnant! This is our first baby. Hubby and I are very excited and happy. So now I can explain why I have been slacking in the blogging department.

For starters, during my first trimester, I didn’t really want to eat very much, or cook, or you know, be awake for anything at all. I slept a lot. Hubby cooked a lot. And our eating life was not at all what it once was (picture a lot of frozen pizzas, Hellman’s mayonnaise chicken, burgers etc.) I did not get morning sickness however so I was definitely lucky in that department.

Christmas break was also part of my first trimester, and let me tell you, going home to Nova Scotia for two weeks over the holiday season means not eating very healthy while you are there. Then Hubby had TWO business trips back-to-back around my 8-9th weeks…so that was an even lazier time for homemade eats. Feel free to pity me—I know I did! A lot of food was ordered. I am not proud of myself. Though I still went to the gym consistently throughout my first trimester haze, I did not eat the best as you can tell.

However now that I am through the first trimester I feel ever so much more energetic—the other night I even baked after work! Healthy oatmeal whole wheat cookies! It felt like a miracle. So now I am back on the cooking and delicious food train with a vengeance. However, I also don’t want to gain an excessive amount of weight this trimester, so I am trying to cook healthy meals that still satisfy my RAVENOUS pregnancy hunger and my craving for all things spicy and fresh. These Asian rice bowls are perfect.

Being pregnant means knowing that you will get fat. I mean I am sorry, but that’s just the truth of it. Especially if you were not a size 6 to begin with (hypothetically of course) you know that even if you only gained the ‘recommended amount of weight’ the fat train is still coming for you. So you do what you can do avoid getting smashed to bits by it. What I am doing is going to spinning class twice a week, pre-natal swimming once a week, doing pre-natal yoga videos twice a week, and trying to eat (mostly) healthy, though I do satisfy some of my pregnancy cravings for sure. It will be interesting to see how my eating habits change as I continue along in my pregnancy. I have not had any weird cravings yet!

For all of you preggo’s in your third trimester or nearing birth, I know my current state of optimism may be short lived and my misery level will increase again. However for now, I am going to enjoy my energy burst while it lasts.

I encourage everyone to try these Asian rice bowls. If you are looking for a fresh, fast, easy supper that will satisfy you even in the dead of winter, or even if you are pregnant and hungry like a wildebeest—this is definitely it.

Follow along folks.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the meat, and marinade:

• 1 lb chicken or beef, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the bowls:

• 1 cup rice (measured uncooked)
• 2 cups of coleslaw veggie mix (even better if you can find an Asian slaw mix)
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup of fresh cilantro, cleaned and chopped roughly
• 1 finely chopped fresno chili, for garnish (optional)
• Chopped peanuts, for garnish

Thinly slice your chicken or beef and set aside.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, and reserve ¼ cup of it to use as coleslaw dressing.

Mix the meat into the remainder of the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes or so, while you prep your other ingredients.

Cook your rice, chop your tomatoes, cilantro, chili, and peanuts and set each aside. If necessary, prepare your coleslaw ingredients. For this slaw, I like to use the regular broccoli or cabbage slaw bag mix—and then add bean sprouts and julienned snow peas to give it more crunch and Asian flare.

Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot, then add some cooking oil. Discard the marinade your meat was soaking in, and fry your meat until cooked through. If you are using beef—cook it a little less time than the chicken to keep it juicy. The chicken will taste better if it’s cooked a little longer to get a nice brown crisp on it.

Meanwhile, toss your coleslaw in the reserved 1/4 cup marinade.

To serve—place hot rice in the bottom of each bowl, top with coleslaw mix, then your beef or chicken straight from the hot pan. The garnishes really add a lot to this dish—so garnish your to your little heart’s desire and use lots of fresh cilantro, fresno chili, and peanuts, to give this dish wonderful colour and amazing fresh flavour.

This is a great healthy supper for those short on time, but big on flavour. Hope you try this one—it is guaranteed to remind you of warmer weather and beat the winter blues for a little while…at least until you have to go shovel snow again!

 

Chicken and black bean enchiladas

Happy Friday folks! Okay okay I know; it’s been a long time since I have posted a recipe. I could come up with some excuses. I could tell you how busy I have been, how much I have been longing to post something, but I could never lie to you! Not to you! The truth is far less glamourous: I just didn’t feel like it. I’m dreadfully sorry. No that’s not true either—I am not! I have just been having too much fun to write recipes for the blog and I am definitely not sorry for fun. But I still love cooking and eating. And I still love you too, blog readers. Hope you missed me!

As usual I have been cooking up a storm every day, so I DO have some great recipes on the horizon to post for you. Once a month is probably where I shall land with new posts. Patience is a virtue as they say—right? I agree, at least when it’s patience in other people. Patience in myself is a slippery little fish I can never seem to catch!

Moving on to the reason you’re reading; the delicious food. This enchilada recipe is AMAZING. It’s one of the most scrumptious things I have made! The homemade red sauce is so packed with flavour you’ll think you’re in a Mexican restaurant. Hubby was in heaven. He has definitely requested I make this one again.

This is cozy, warm, and rustic; winter comfort food at its best.

Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

Enchilada sauce:

• 7 tomatoes, halved
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• Olive oil, for coating the vegetables
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning the vegetables
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, peel on
• ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons Chili Powder (or 1 tablespoon chili powder plus 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chicken stock

Enchiladas: (makes 6)

• 1 can refried beans, we like refried black beans best
• 3-4 chicken thighs, sauteed and thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• ½ green pepper, thinly sliced
• 6 mushrooms, chopped
• 4 cups of grated cheese, divided (I used half monterey jack and half old chedder—but you can use whatever you please!)
• 6 small tortillas (I used Dempsters corn tortillas)

Toppings:

• 1 cup sour cream
• Juice and zest of one whole lime
• Shredded lettuce, optional
• Chopped tomatoes, optional

To make the sauce:

Toss the tomato halves, onion quarters, and garlic cloves with some olive oil and arrange onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for 45 minutes, however, take the garlic cloves out after 25 minutes.

Heat a frying pan (without oil) and add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne and fresh oregano. Toast for 2 minutes, stirring often, or until the spices give off a toasty fragrance.

Once the roasted garlic cloves have cooled, peel the cloves. Add the roasted tomatoes, onions (and all their juices), peeled garlic cloves, spices, lemon juice, chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

For best taste, make the sauce 2-3 days ahead to let the flavours meld together.

To make the enchiladas:

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then sauté them whole in a hot frying pan using olive oil, until cooked through and browned on the outside, set aside to rest, then slice thinly. Thinly slice your shallots, green pepper, and chop your mushrooms. Using the same pan, sauté your vegetables until softened. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to include all the meat browning drippings in your filling. Toss the sliced chicken back in the pan (including any juices that accumulated while the chicken rested) mix it all together, and set aside.

Using a square glass baking dish that has at least a 2 inch rim, pour a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

Lay your tortillas on a flat surface. Place 1 heaping spoonful of refried beans in the centre of each tortilla and spread so that it makes an even line down the centre. Sprinkle on some grated cheese, then spoon about a 1/4 cup of the chicken/vegetables mixture. (Just be sure to use all the filling and attempt to make the amount even between all tortillas.) Roll the tortilla up in a tight cigar shape, leaving the ends open. Place seam side down in the baking dish on top of the layer of sauce. Repeat with all enchiladas until they are all tucked neatly in the serving dish side by side with no room in between. Pour about 2 cups of sauce over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned on top and the dish is bubbling.

While the enchiladas are cooking you should make the lime sour cream. Grate the outside of the lime to get the zest, then cut the lime in half. Mix the zest and juice with your sour cream and set aside. If using, thinly slice your lettuce and chop your tomatoes. Set aside.

When the enchiladas are done, let them rest for 5 minutes to cool a bit. Using a large spatula, carefully remove 2 enchiladas per person to a plate, and top with the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and lime sour cream.

Enjoy! This is a wonderful cozy Mexican meal. Hope you try it!

Thai red curry

I swear this red curry tastes almost as good as your local Thai restaurant; it is so fragrant and full of flavour! If you love ordering this dish when you go out to eat Thai food you should definitely try this recipe. It’s very easy to make so it can definitely be served as a weeknight dinner (it would be especially fast if you pureed the curry sauce the night before.) However it’s also delicious and special enough for guests! Serve with some crispy spring rolls and you have yourself an impressive meal. I will definitely be making this curry the next time I have houseguests. (Except maybe not for my Mom and Dad—not sure if my mom would enjoy this one since she is not a curry fan!) The amount of fresh chilis in this recipe results in a fairly spicy curry. If you don’t like spicy food I suggest reducing the amount of fresh chilis by half.

Hubby loved this and has now requested I make Thai green curry…so back to Krista’s Kitchen I go to whip that up for him. I think he is pretty lucky don’t you! But so am I since he is sweeter than cake and treats me like a goddess. (Stay tuned for the green curry recipe in the coming weeks.)

Whether or not you have had Thai food before, you should definitely give this curry a go; you will love it.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

Red curry sauce:

• 2-3 tbs lemongrass (I buy the squeeze bottle, available with the other fresh herb squeezes)
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp garlic chili sauce
• 2 fresh red thai chilies, or 2 fresno chiles, chopped (reduce by half if you do not enjoy spicy food)
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 1 can coconut milk

Stir fry:

• 4-6 chicken thighs, chopped
• 2 bay leaves (if you have kaffir lime leaves they would be better, but they are hard to find)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 Red pepper, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• Fresh basil or cilantro leaves, for serving

Place all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until very well combined.

Combine sauce, chicken pieces, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, in a deep frying pan or pot. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile chop your red pepper, onion, and tomato.

After 30 minutes add your red pepper, onion, and tomato. Continue simmering for another 15 minutes.

Serve the curry on top of basmati or jasmine rice, and sprinkle with fresh basil and/or cilantro.

Sweet and spicy Asian wings

Ohhhhhhh these wings. Mmmmmm I don’t even know how to describe these, I love them that much. If these wings were a man, I would definitely be in a polygamous relationship (sorry hubby.) I will never make another appetizer wing recipe again. Yes that’s right, this is my go-to ‘impress guests with snacks’ recipe. (And I LOVE impressing guests with snacks.) I think this recipe originally comes from the Ontario LCBO food and drinks magazine. These wings are spicy, sweet, crunchy, flavourful, and baked. The sauce has so much depth and texture. They are pretty. Yes there are a few ingredients which you must go out and buy (like 5 spice powder and fish sauce) but you should have these items around anyways to make your Asian food sing, so I think you should just suck it up, go buy them, and then MAKE THESE IMMEDIATELY.

I really could go on and on about these but how about I just shut up now, and give you the recipe? Sounds good friends, sounds good. Happy dipping.

Ingredients:

For the wings:

• 1 package of wings, already split and deveined
• ½ cup of flour
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce (Asian grocery aisle )
• 2 tbsp. grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2-3 green onions, thinly chopped
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp fish sauce (do not be afraid of this!!! It just adds depth to the sauce, not fish flavour)
• 1/4 cup water

First mix your flour and seasonings together. Throw your wings into the bowl one by one, and toss with the spiced flour mixture. Ensure that every inch of each wing is coated in flour.

Now put the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes. This allows the coating to adhere and really makes a nice crispy shell on the wings. Take the wings out of the fridge after 20 minutes and toss again with the leftover flour, as some will have stuck together a bit in the fridge. Put back in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Using a parchment lined baking sheet, spray or brush both sides of each wing in olive oil.

Bake the wings at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 15 minutes. (Sometimes I do an extra 5 minutes on each side if the wings are not yet a deep brown color.)

In the last 15 minutes of wing cooking time you should make your sauce. Bring all the sauce ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepot and cook for 5 minutes, then take off heat. When the wings are cooked, toss them in the sauce using a large bowl, then arrange them neatly on a serving platter.

Pour any leftover sauce over top of the wings, and sprinkle them with sesame seeds and green onion to serve.

You’re going to love these!

Prosciutto wrapped chicken with orzo

This meal idea came from me trying to copycat a delicious dinner I had out at an Italian restaurant in downtown Ottawa with hubby. It is seriously delicious and a bit decadent. It is a treat meal for sure! Despite looking a bit fancy this meal actually comes together fast enough to make it a weeknight dish. The crispy prosciutto is divine with the melted fontina and I bet this chicken would be even better on the grill!

The toasted orzo side dish is a real STAR. You will be floored by how delicious the orzo becomes just by toasting the noodles, plus a sauce made from the pasta cooking liquid and some goodies added. The sauce makes itself in the pan; you don’t even need to do a thing! I mean really this is SO great. You’ve gotta try it. I don’t mean to be bossy but I am. So go—try it now, today, this week; just do it!

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts
• ½ cup coarse grated fontina cheese
• 4 slices of prosciutto
• Salt and pepper

For the orzo:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ cup of orzo pasta
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup of chicken, vegetable, or beef stock
• 1 tsp dried basil (or fresh is even better, if you’ve got it—add about 2 tbs)
• ¼ tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tbs butter
• ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

Seat a sauté pan (without oil) to a very high heat.

To prepare the chicken, slice a pocket in the side of the breast and open it with your hands (do not cut all the way through) fill the pocket with ¼ cup of fontina cheese (more is even better, if you can fit it in!) Close the pocket over the cheese, ensuring that it is all tucked inside. Season the outside of your chicken well with salt and pepper, and any additional spices you may like. Lay out your two slices of prosciutto, slightly overlapping them along their long edge. Wrap the breast up tightly in the slices, taking care to ensure the entire pocket slit is covered up.

When ready, add oil to your hot pan and sear the chicken on both sides to crisp up the prosciutto (about 4 minutes per side.) Bake the chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (they may need longer if they are huge chicken breasts.)

To make your orzo, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a small saucepan. When hot, add the orzo and sauté over medium high heat until the noodles are toasted and browned, stirring occasionally (don’t walk away at this step as you don’t want the noodles to burn.) Add your basil, chili flakes, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add your stock. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your halved tomatoes and cook for another 7 minutes, or until the stock has reduced to a thick sauce. Keep warm on the lowest heat until your chicken is done roasting.

When ready to serve, stir in 1 tbs of butter and the parmesan cheese to the orzo. Serve alongside your chicken breast for an impressive weeknight Italian meal!

Jerk chicken grill kebabs

I really love grilled chicken skewers. As far as I am concerned, skewering boneless skinless chicken breast is the best way to grill it without the chicken turning dry. Since the pieces are smaller they cook more evenly and the chicken is still juicy when it is finished. I love me some spicy jerk chicken too! You can buy a bottle of jerk sauce instead of making your own, but beware: it is usually VERY spicy when pre-made. At least when you make your own you can control the amount of heat.

I won’t lie to you, some weeks it is hard to remember to take fancy pictures of my meals before I devour them and even harder to create a recipe post when life gets in the way, but I have made an agreement with myself (don’t you love when you do that): I will try to post a new recipe once a week. Hopefully I can keep them coming as the weather warms up. All that summer sun and heat has been known to confuse the responsible part of my brain, turning me into ‘summer Krista’ who is tanned, carefree, and drinks slightly more wine than usual.

But don’t be mad if I miss a weekly post; it’s not you, it’s me!

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (you can start with one and experiment, but I do not find it too spicy with two)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice (or orange juice would work too)
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 tsp allspice, ground
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 12 cubes of pineapple
• 12 grape tomatoes

Add all the ingredients (except the chicken, pineapple and tomatoes) into a food processor and pulse until it resembles a paste.

Transfer the marinade to a bowl and toss in the cubed chicken, stirring to combine the marinade throughout. Marinate for several hours, or overnight if possible.

When you’re ready to eat, skewer the chicken cubes onto steel or soaked wooden skewers, alternating with the pineapple cubes, and grape tomatoes. (If using bamboo skewers, soak for 15 minutes before using.) Grill for 6-10 minutes turning occasionally, until cooked through and blackened in spots.

Serve with tzatziki as a refreshing dip for the chicken. Happy grilling!

Grilled chicken & lamb kafta kebabs

Often times hubby and I will decide to make a big ‘feast’ on a weekend night of some cuisine that we feel like indulging in. Our feasts always include a lot of ingredients on a big platter. We sit around, drink wine, and munch on some delicious food. We have done Mexican nights, sushi nights, and a couple weekends ago we did a Middle-Eastern night where we made two types of kafta kebabs on the BBQ, and served them with all the fixins we could think of.

I won’t lie—all of the dips (and the kibbeh balls) were purchased and not made by us. Some things you’re just better off buying! We did make the chicken, lamb, roasted vegetable skewers, roasted potatoes, and even grilled up some thick slices of halloumi cheese. Halloumi is a special type of salty cheese that does not melt. It definitely gets soft and hot, but keeps its shape so it can be grilled, fried, or even oven baked. This was a really great feast! If you don’t want to go quite as wild as we do, the kafta kebabs are awesome with just hummus as a dip, and some roasted potatoes/veg on the side.

Whatever you decide to make—you should try some Middle-Eastern food today as it’s so flavourful and healthy.

Chicken kafta (makes 8 kebabs)

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 2 shallots
• 2 tablespoons red peppers
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

Lamb kafta (makes 8 kebabs)

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 2 shallots
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh mint
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp each salt and black pepper

For the grilled halloumi cheese:

• 1 package halloumi cheese
• Olive oil, for brushing

For each type of kafta, add all the ingredients, except the ground meat, to a food processor and pulse for about 20-30 seconds.

Add the ground meat to the processor and pulse for another 30 seconds. Put the meat mixture into a bowl and mix with your hands to ensure that the spices are combined throughout.

If you do not have a food processor, you can grate the vegetable ingredients by hand and mix into the ground meat.

If using bamboo skewers, soak for 15 minutes before using.

Split each meat mixture into 8 sections.

Use water on your hands and form into logs on the skewers (8 lamb and 8 chicken.) Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Cook them on a preheated grill, turning every 2 minutes until completely cooked through, about 10 minutes.

To prepare the halloumi, slice the cheese into wide, 1/2 inch thick slices. Lightly brush each side with olive oil. Carefully place on your heated grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and gently crisped—do not over-grill.

Halloumi cheese is best served immediately, while it is slightly crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside!

Serve your kafta kebabs alongside hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanouj, tabouli, pitas, roasted potatoes, kibbeh, skewered vegetables, and grilled slices of haloumi cheese for a middle-eastern feast!

Asian ‘orange chicken’ tacos

I’m always trying to come up with new types of tacos to keep it interesting. I love taco night— but I get sick of ground beef tacos. I’d much prefer a shredded pork taco (that recipe will come eventually) or a fish taco. I have not yet made a chicken taco that I liked all that much, until now.

I really like this Asian version, where the Chinese dish ‘orange chicken’ was my inspiration. The result is a sweet, spicy, saucy chicken taco that has lots of flavour. It would be even yummier if you breaded the chicken pieces before a quick toss in the sauce, however in trying to keep it lower calorie I opted not to add any crispy coating. Shredded rotisserie chicken would also work just great.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to toppings—but try to keep some fresh ingredients in there, like lettuce and tomatoes. Or some fresh sliced radishes; those would be great.

I hope you enjoy this new spin on the always loved taco!

Ingredients (Makes 6-8 tacos)

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp Siracha
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• zest of one orange

To serve:

• Various taco toppings; such as sautéed onions and peppers, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro etc.
• 6-8 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbs plain yogurt
• Generous salt and pepper

Slice your chicken breasts and sauté them in a hot pan using canola oil. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients in the ‘chicken list’ together in a bowl, whisking to combine. Once the chicken pieces are cooked through and starting to brown in spots, pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken and cook until thickened, 2 minutes. Test the thickness of your sauce- you want it to be very thick so that it sticks to the chicken and the sauce makes its way into your taco. You may need to add a little more cornstarch mixed with water to get the thickness you want. Turn the heat way down to keep the chicken warm.

Meanwhile, prepare your taco toppings. Sauté any vegetables you want to use, and chop up any fresh veggies. I am going to use orange pepper, mushroom, onion (sautéed) and fresh tomatoes/ lettuce. I really wish I had some fresh radishes; those would be great on these tacos!

To make your avocado sauce, mash your avocado in a bowl and combine with 2 tbs plain yogurt and lots of salt and pepper.

Divvy up the tacos ‘self-serve’ style by giving each person 2-3 tortilla shells, and setting all the fillings out separately so everyone can make their own. I even added some chiopped peanuts and sesame seeds as a topping just for Asian flair. Enjoy your taco night!