Chicken Wontons

I know, I know, traditional Chinese wontons should be made of minced (ground) pork. My mother always makes wontons with minced (ground) pork and prawns (shrimp). However, I wanted to try with chicken. Why? It’s not that we don’t dig on swine, it’s just because we don’t eat much pork these days.

The filling consists of minced (ground) chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms, spring (green) onions, water chestnuts, Chinese leaf (napa cabbage) and seasonings. In essence, they are closer to jiaozi than the classic wonton.

"Cornish" Pasties

I’ve tried the traditional Cornish pasties in Cornwall, with the chunks of steak, swede (rutabaga) and potato in a delicious pastry. I’m also guilty of grabbing a factory “Cornish” pasty, whilst rushing through a train station on my way to work/home. It’s unfortunate that most people have never tried a real Cornish pasty, but is accustomed to the minced (ground) meat in gravy variety with a puff pastry exterior.

I apologize in advance to any Cornish readers. These pasties have nothing in common with the traditional, delicious pasties that originate from Cornwall. They aren’t made with beef, but with chicken; they don’t have swede (rutabaga), but carrots; the vegetables are cubed, not sliced; the filling is cooked before stuffing and they don’t have the typical short crust pastry (half fat to flour ratio). In a sense, to call these “Cornish” is probably an abomination, but I’ll live with that.

Olive Oil Roast Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables

Even though I absolutely love roast chicken, I’ve never made it for J. Why? Well, he prefers meat in slabs and doesn’t particularly care for skin or bones.

I’d been eyeing up this roast chicken recipe for quite a while, and I decided to make it for Christmas dinner, whether J liked it or not (I told him that I’d skin and slice the meat off the carcass for him). It had been far too many years, since the last time I enjoyed the succulence of a well-roasted chicken.

Chicken Souvlaki

Oh how we love Greek food! I mean proper Greek food, the stuff you get whilst visiting Greece or Cyprus. Not the gyros plate that is ubiquitous to the US, which is sadly paraded about as if it's the only thing that comes from Greek cuisine.

We love all of their desserts, salads and their grilled meat/fish cooked Mediterranean style. Souvlaki is no different. I think I was first introduced to souvlaki in a Greek restaurant in London, and then later tried the real deal in Cyprus, mmm!

Meat Burgers

I can’t believe that we used to eat such revolting burgers (patties) or “meat” cutlets. As kids, we used to think that having those Dalepak lamb grills, were such a treat – ugh. Now, that I’ve grown up, my tastes are more refined and I’m more educated with food and nutrition – there’s no way, I’ll go near those alien things again.

Tandoori Chicken Skewers

This is a delicious recipe that you can use to make roasted tandoori chicken or grilled (broiled) chicken skewers. The skewers are particularly delicious with rice and salad, or in pita/naan bread.

Baked Chicken Spring Rolls

You should see the pancake/spring rolls my Dad makes for the family business, they are HUGE. They are close to 15 x 5 cm (6 x 2 inches) and are a meal in themselves. My parents have been running their business since the late 60’s and their pancake rolls haven’t changed over the years. My Dad makes every single one of them from scratch, including their skins. The mini spring rolls found in Oriental (Asian) eateries now are no comparison.

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is one of those mish-mash foods, like fried rice - it could include anything. The usual minestrone usually has a bunch of veggies in a tomato-based soup; sometimes it has meat, beans and pasta too!

This version has mild-spiced Italian-style chicken sausage, pasta and loads of veggies. Because this soup contained pasta, there was no need for any bread for this meal.

Chicken & Cashew Curry

It’s a shame that Indian food doesn’t photograph well. Then again, Mexican food isn't that photogenic either. It also doesn't help when I shoot a photo when I'm in a rush to eat. You’ll just have to believe me when I say this curry was good!

I never knew that an Indian-style curry could take under 30 minutes and taste so good without tons of ghee. The chicken and mushrooms are coated in a rich, thick, creamy and mildly spiced curry that will work well with plain basmati rice and/or naan bread.