MEXICAN MADDNESS

After indulging ourselves in Mexican cuisine - while visiting Monterrey, for only 3 days - to mark the 1 month off Mexican food (coincidentally on Valentine's Day), it was time to celebrate.

I really wanted to make a 'pollo con mole' that's mole chicken. So I asked my friend Lalo for some advice, he said "If you want to make it you can, but just so you know, most people in Mexico use mole from a jar." Normally I don't like to do this, but looking at a recipe I realised that, the jar is the way to go.

If you want to attempt - go for it, and please tell me how you go - here's a great mole recipe to follow, but it's not the easiest! 

Don't get scared, I'm giving you the FULL dinner run down. Sides, salads and all!

Mole Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients: 
Chicken

• 4 x chicken breasts 
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs crushed garlic
• 1 tbs Mexican spices
• 1/2 dried habanero chili 
• Juice of one lime  
• 4 tbs mole sauce

Sweet potato chips

• 1 x sweet potato, chopped into chip
• 2 tbs oil 
• Salt and pepper

Salsa

• 1 can of corn
• 3 x tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup coriander (cilantro), chopped 
• 2 x shallots, chopped 

Sides

• 2 x zucchinis, shaved 
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• Lettuce leaves
• Guacamole
• Ricotta Salata, garnish  

Method: 

1. Follow instructions to make mole sauce. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 250C (410F). 
3. Mix the chicken marinade together, pour over chicken breasts - either use a bag to coat the chicken, or dip into a bowl. 
4. Place the chicken on a lined baking tray and put in to oven for 40-50mins (depends on your oven). 
5. Add the cut sweet potato to a plastic bag, add the oil, salt and pepper and shake. 
6. Line the chips on a lined baking tray (you may need two trays).  Cook for roughly 45-50mins. Keep an eye on them. 
7. To make the salsa, combine all ingredients into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
8. For the zucchini, shave with a vegetable grater. Only grate until the middle spongy part of the vegetable. 

Assembling: 

1. Place the chicken on a plate. Pour mole over the center of the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. 
2. Grate ricotta salata over the black beans.
3. Put the salsa in a bowl. 
4. Season the chips again and put in a bowl.
5. Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl. 
6. Put the lettuce leaves in a bowl. 
7. Serve with Mexican salsas and guacamole.  

NB: I've been trying to stay on the healthy side so no tortilla wraps or chips (hence the lettuce and zucchini), but don't let me stop you! Enjoy it.

QUICK & EASY DINNERS PART 1

OK! So what was supposed to be a 10 day trip back to Sydney, was extended thanks to Sandy the superstorm. We're now back in NYC, with power and hot-water.

After 2 months alone in New York, it was time to have our first international guests! My Mr's cousins from Amsterdam. They are both at university and living out of home, and couldn't wait to spend the week in New York with their cousin and to finally taste my food, rather than just drooling over instagram pictures. (The meal that I prepared for them will be coming in the next few days.)

This recipe however, is for Mu, she's living with eight (yes that's eight) girls in Utrecht and was desperate for some quick, cheap and easy dinner ideas. Looking through my past dinners, I realised almost all of them were done post-work, & post grocery shop.

So without further blabbing - I give you my Sabich recipe. Well maybe a little more blabber, to give the origin. One theory is Sabich comes from the Arabic word "sabach", which means morning, as the ingredients are typical of a Middle Eastern breakfast. The other is that it's an acronym in Hebrew Salad (סלט), Egg (ביצה), More Eggplant (יותר חציל).

Whatever the origin - it's delish and a great option for dinner - not to mention HEALTHY!

Ingredients: (this amount will be perfect for 2-3 dinners and lunches)
1 pkt Lebanese bread (you can use either wholemeal or white)
6 x hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters
2 x eggplant, cut into chips (skin on)
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tsp Moroccan spices (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 x quarter red cabbage, sliced
3 tbs white vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar
3 x pickles, halved
3 x tomatoes, sliced (you can use any that are in season)
2 x Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
Hummus (one of my favourite brands is Yalla)
Flat leaf parsley to garnish
Harrisa, optional

Method:
To cook the eggplant:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees, fan forced.
2. Place the eggplant on a line baking tray.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the eggplant, it doesn't have to completely cover the slice, just a little will do.
4. Sprinkle over the spices & place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the eggplant. Take them out when they are a little dark around the edges, but still a little soft in the middle. 

Cut up the veggies while the eggplant is in the oven. 

To cook the cabbage: 

1. Put the cabbage, vinegar and sugar in a medium size pot. 
2. Cook on a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. 
3. When the cabbage is slightly opaque it's ready. 

To construct a Sabich:

1. Place a slice of Lebanese bread on your plate.
2. Spread out a spoon (or two) full of hummus length-ways down the middle of the bread.
3. Add a teaspoon of Harrisa if you like an extra kick of spice.
4. Grab the grilled eggplant and place a 4 or 5 pieces, running length-ways on top of the hummus.
5. Repeat with the cabbage, pickles, tomatoes, cucumber, egg, & parlsey - you can use as much or little as you like, but remember it has to roll up. 
6. To ensure the wrap seals, add some extra hummus in the middle. 
7. Fold up the bottom & close in the two sides. 

HINT: the best way to keep it wrapped up, keep on eating and don't put it down :)

PRESENTATION: If you're having people over, serve up the ingredients in different bowls. People can help themselves to what they like.

Also, I have to thank my brother-in-law, who introduced us to the Sabich in Israel, was the perfect pre-flight snack.

ONE PAN WONDER!

During the week - there's no time for fancy dinners. But what if I told you that you could pull off fancy, using one oven dish, with minimal chopping and effort. Laugh if you must, but then promise you'll try it. There will be no laughing - just lots of mmmm's and yummm's. 

I came up with this recipe when we had only a few veggies in the fridge, and had bought the Turkey breast pocket to try it out. I didn't have the energy to cook the sprouts on the cook top, and roast the potato and Turkey separately. So one-pan-wonder it was! 

Lets begin! 

Ingredients:

• Turkey Breast Pocket (I buy from the butcher at Edgecliff, it comes with sage and butter, discard)
• 1 x sweet potato, cut into half moons
• 10- 15 x Brussell Sprouts, halved 
• 4 x garlic cloves, whole with the skin left on

Herbs:

• Ras El Hanout
• Dukkah
• Dry chilli flakes
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 220 degrees, fan forced. 
2. In an oven roasting dish, place the Brussel Sprouts, sweet potato & garlic on the left and the right side of the dish, leaving room for the Turkey in the middle.
   Sprinkle the roast veggies with dukkah, chilli, salt and pepper. 
3. Add a splash of good quality of olive oil over the vegetables. 
4. To coat the Turkey with the spices: roll out some baking paper on the bench, place the Turkey in the centre and sprinkle over Ras El Hanout and salt and pepper, rolling the Turkey around to cover all the areas of the Turkey.
5. Pick up the breast pocket with the baking paper, and slide into the middle of the roasting pan.
6. Cook for 40 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after that if it needs further cooking.

While the Turkey was in the oven, it gave me time to put a quick salad together as well! But you could do the washing, watch TV, enjoy a sneaky glass of wine. Let me know what you would do with your spare 40 minutes! 

 

SOUP NIGHT

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

The office has been freezing - with layers upon layers, I still can't feel my feet - so tonight I'm thinking it's a soup kinda' night. I found a great website, Oh She Glows, I fell in love with a soup recipe and tried it out on my in-laws, with a few Shooz changes. It was a HIT!

You know the feeling when you've come home, the heater is on (if you have a real fireplace at home, totally JEAL!), the UGGs are on, and it doesn't matter that it's cold outside - yep that's it, that's the feeling you get when you eat the soup! 

Plus the quinoa adds great flavour and also super-healthy! 

WINTER WARMING SOUP.

Ingredients: 

• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup red quinoa, uncooked (if red is unavailable, use regular quinoa)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, boiled
• 4 cups water, boiled
• One can diced tomatoes
• One can black beans, rinsed & drained (if you can't get black beans, fava beans, kidney beans, or butter beans will work too)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Pinch or two of cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, well rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt flakes, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped sweet onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the chopped carrots, chopped zucchini, and minced garlic, and continue to sauté for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Boil the stock and water in another pot (if you don't have time to pre-boil, just add it at room temperature and cook the soup for an extra 10mins).  
3. Add stock mixture, tomatoes, red quinoa, black beans, and spices & seasonings. 
4. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Add the roughly chopped spinach, stir well, and cover. Simmer on low for about 15-35 minutes. 
6. The longer you cook it the more the flavours will develop. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

*I also have a feeling this soup will be even better the next day!

Stay warm. Love Shooz xx