lovely chicken.

My husband and I LOVE Thai food! Well...if we're being honest with one another, we love ALL food...but Thai is definitely a favourite. We've been going to a local Thai restaurant in our home town for years now, and whether we eat in or grab some take-out, we've got our order down to a science. I know it sounds really boring, but every time we go, Joe will order the Red Curry Chicken, I'll order the Lovely Chicken, and we'll split an order of Summer Rolls (My mouth is water just thinking about it!). Wow...we've already become that old predictable married couple...and it hasn't even been a year! Boring or not, we'll share both of our dishes and it's the perfect combination of spicy, peanut-y Thai goodness.

Since moving to Montreal, I've really been missing out on my Sahla Thai fix, so I thought I'd attempt a little "Lovely Chicken" of my own. After a little experimenting in the kitchen, I do believe I've hit the jackpot! I may have even heard the words "best yet" come out of Joe's mouth, but he's a little biased :). We like a little spice in our food, so I definitely bumped up the amount of Sambal for our dish, but you can make it as mild or spicy as you like.


 Thai Peanut Chicken

- (1) tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- (2) cloves of garlic, minced
- (1) tbsp of minced ginger root
- (2) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- (1/4) cup of diced red onion
- (2) cups of broccoli florets (approximately 1-2 heads)
- (1/2) cup of julienned carrots

Peanut Sauce
- (3/4) cup of peanut butter
- (2) tbsp soy sauce
- (1) tsp sesame oil
- (1/2) tsp ginger root powder
- (1) tbsp brown sugar
- (1/4) tsp black pepper
- (1) tsp of sambal olek, or hot pepper sauce (double or even triple this amount if you like spice)
- (1) cup of chicken broth

Start by making the peanut sauce. For this sauce, I used natural peanut butter that had no sugar or salt added. In this case you may need to increase the soy sauce just a tad, but using regular (not light) peanut butter works well too.
 

 
Add all the ingredients in a small bowl other than the chicken broth. Stir with a whisk until completely blended. Slowly add the broth, stirring continually until the peanut sauce becomes smooth. Set aside.

Because this recipe is slightly time-sensitive and you don't want to overcook the vegetables, it is easiest to cut up all the vegetables and chicken before you begin. 

Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the strips of chicken and saute until fully cooked. 

Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about 2 minutes to soften. Make sure not to burn. Stir in the red onion and saute for another 2 minutes. 

 
Add in the broccoli and carrots and stir to combine. Saute just until the veggies become tender crisp and the broccoli turns a vibrant green. You don't want the overcook the veggies as they will become too mushy as opposed to the crispness you want.

 

Pour the peanut sauce over everything. Stir and cook for another couple minutes until the sauce has been heated and the flavours have incorporated into the chicken and vegetables.

Remove from heat and serve over a bed of jasmine rice.

mexico on my mind.

This morning I woke up with Mexico on my mind. It seems like many things in my life have been centering around this beautiful country lately, and I'm wondering whether to take it as a sign that I need to return (hint, hint Joe!). Maybe it's like LOST and the island is calling me back...I guess I just officially "outted" myself as a nerdy LOST junkie...oh boy :).

My first trip to Mexico, or to anywhere tropical for that matter, was about six months ago. Joe and I went to Riviera Maya for our honeymoon, and as soon as we arrived at our resort I turned to Joe and told him that he had officially ruined me for good. An all-inclusive, 5-star hotel with like 10 pools, 5 swim-up bars, 24-hour room service that would deliver chicken wings to our door-step at any time of the day, and MARGARITAS...and Banana Mamas...and Daquiris...and Pina Coladas...
Where was I? Right. Mexico. While I'm sure a number of you are probably thinking that an all-inclusive resort is actually a pretty skewed representation of what Mexico is really like, the Valentin Imperial will always be Mexico to me :).

This past weekend we hosted a dinner party at our house, and the theme was (not even chosen by me)...Mexican. My sister called me yesterday to tell me that she was leaving on vacation this morning to...Mexico. I looked at the calendar this morning and guess what holiday is in two days...Cinco de Mayo! Oh...and avocado's were on sale for 99 cents this week at the grocery store...if that's not coincidence, then I don't know what is!

This recipe is a very simple spin on a chicken soup. It's sooo fresh tasting and has a TON of flavour! If you like things a little spicy...double or even triple the amount of hot sauce. Make sure to check out the Margarita recipe at the bottom too, because happy hour isn't just for weekends...right?



Mexican Chicken and Lime Soup

- (2) tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- (1) medium onion, chopped
- (2-3) cloves of garlic, minced
- (1) large boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
- (6) cups of chicken stock
- (1) medium tomato, seeded and diced
- (1/2) cup of ripe diced avocado
- (2) tbsp. lime juice
- (1/2) tsp. hot sauce (or more if you like)
- (1/4) cup of coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- a dash of pepper

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium to low heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring for about 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. 

 

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Stir in chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer very gently, partially covered for 10 minutes. 

Just before serving, stir in tomato, avocado, lime juice, hot sauce and cilantro. 

Season with pepper and serve immediately.

A little extra...

The Classic Margarita

- (1 1/2) oz. Tequilla
- (1 1/2) oz. Triple Sec
- (1) oz. fresh lime juice

Shake ingredients together and serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime and enjoy!

lovin' lemon.

 
There's something about spring that reminds me of lemons. I'm not sure if it's because of the yellow daffodils that are popping up everywhere this time of the year, or whether it's the lemony smell throughout the house as everyone begins their spring cleaning, but lemons and spring just seem to go together. Lemon is one of my favourite flavours!  I'm not big into really sweet desserts, so the tartness of lemons cuts the sweetness just perfectly and adds a fresh citrusy flavour that I've always loved. I'll openly admit to eating the E.D. Smith lemon spread right out of the jar.
This past week I started to page through some of my recipe books looking for a snack to bring to our family Easter get-together. My Opa (Dutch for grandfather) recently moved into a long-term care facility as his health is not what it once was. I knew he'd be coming over for dinner, so I wanted to make something a little special for him. His ultimate favourite is lemon-meringue pie, but I'm not quite ready to tackle that recipe just yet. I thought some lemon squares would be a good compromise.
I've experimented with other recipes for lemon squares before, but I was looking for the ultimate recipe. One that combines a good shortbread crust with a filling that is both gooey and super lemony. My search led me to a fellow bloggers site. This recipe for lemon squares is from Moira at Who Wants Seconds and in my opinion, is worthy of the "ultimate" title...I think my Opa would agree too :)
 
 

The "Ultimate" Lemon Squares

Crust

- (2) cups of all-purpose flour

- (1/2) cup of sifted icing sugar (Confectioner's Sugar)

- (1) cup of butter (frozen)

Filling

- (4) eggs, beaten

- (2) cups of sugar

- (1/3) cup of lemon juice (freshly squeezed tastes best)

- (2) tsp lemon zest

- (1/4) cup of all-purpose flour

- (1/2) tsp baking powder

- icing sugar for dusting

FOR THE CRUST:
Adjust oven rack to the middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and line the base and sides of the dish with parchment paper. Note that the sides of the dish in this picture aren't fully covered with the parchment paper, however, if you can cover the sides completely, the squares will come out of the dish MUCH easier.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter (using the large holes of a box grater) into the dry mixture. 

Toss the butter pieces to coat, then rub the pieces between your fingers for a couple minutes, until the flour turns coarse and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. 

 
Pour the mixture into the lined pan and press firmly with your fingers to form an even crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

FOR THE FILLING:
Whisk eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir well. Pour mixture into the pan on top of the warm crust.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling feels firm when touched lightly. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Grasp the parchment and carefully lift the bars onto a cutting board. Cut into serving size squares or bars, wiping your knife clean between cuts if necessary. Sieve confectioners' sugar over bars and serve.