french onion dip

Usually for parties or get-togethers I make my spinach dip.  But every now and again I like to switch it up and lately I’ve been making this onion dip that I adapted from a recipe in Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings: Hungry For More cookbook.  I’ve swapped out the sour cream for Greek yogurt (yay healthier!!) and I omit the minced chives because they can be hard for me to come by here in Saudi but if you’ve got some chives on hand why not add some in.  It’s a super easy dip; the only thing is you’ve got to be a bit patient and spend some time caramelizing the onions.  Her recipe says 15 minutes but I find to get the onions properly soft and golden it’s more like 25 minutes.

My photos are from over the weekend when I made a hefty triple batch for a friend’s party but this recipe is for a more sensible 2 cups portion size,

2 tbsp vegetable oil  /  1 medium yellow onion, finely minced  /  1 tsp salt  /  1 tsp fresh ground black pepper  /  1 cup full fat Greek yogurt  /  1/3 cup mayonnaise  /  1 and 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Heat up the oil in  a frying pan over medium-high heat and then add the minced onions.  Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes and then turn the heat down to medium to medium-low.

Stir in 1/2 tsp each of the salt and pepper.  Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they are soft and caramelized which will take about 25 minutes or so.

Transfer the onions to a bowl and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  Then stir in the rest of the ingredients and set in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  The dip can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for 3 days.

So that’s it! Very simple and very addictive.  I’ve served these with plain potato chips or pretzels.  You could also always go on a healthy route and serve with some fresh cut veggies too.

chicken chow mein (fried noodles)

I used to make chow mein however I felt that day and with no set recipe but now I’m all about this recipe that I adapted from from The Dumpling Sisters cookbook by Amy and Julie Zhang.  I brought this cookbook with me over here to Saudi but I only made the recipe for the first time a couple months ago and now it is definitely my go-to.  I’ll be making a giant batch of these noodles for Chinese New Year Eve dinner later this week.

Serves 4 – 5.

chicken marinade:  1 tsp soy sauce  /  1/4 tsp salt  /  1/2 tsp sugar  /  a couple of pinches of ground white pepper  /  2 tsp cornstarch  /  1/2 tsp baking soda  /  4 tbsp cold water

500 grams skinless, boneless chicken thighs  /  400 grams dried egg noodles  /  5-6 tbsp vegetable oil  /  1 and 1/2 tbsp minced ginger  /  3 cloves garlic, minced  /  1 carrot, thinly sliced  /  1/2 a white cabbage, shredded  /  1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets  /  1 tsp salt  /  1 and 1/2 tsp sugar  /  1 and 1/2 tsp soy sauce

First, cut the chicken thighs into thin strips.  Mix the chicken and the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, cover and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.

Heat about 3 tbsp of oil in a wok over high heat and stir fry half of the ginger and garlic until it’s fragrant.  Spread the marinated chicken in a single layer (as much as possible anyway) in the wok and let it brown for about a minute.  Cook the chicken for another 3 minutes, flipping the chicken every 30 seconds or so.  The chicken should have a slightly golden crust.

Add in about 60 ml of water and cover with the lid.  Let the chicken cook for about a minute or so or until the chicken is completely cooked through.  Transfer the chicken, along with any gravy that’s in the wok to a bowl and set aside.

Start boiling some water in a large pot on another burner for your noodles.

Wipe down the wok with some paper towel and heat up 2 tbsp of oil over hight heat and stir fry the rest of the ginger and garlic.  Add in the carrot, cabbage and broccoli and stir fry for roughly a minute.  Add 80 ml of water and cover with the lid and let it cook for 2 minutes.  The vegetables should be softened by then.  Take off the lid and lower the heat to medium-low.

Once the water for your noodles has come to a boil, cook the noodles until they’re just done or al dente.  How long will depend on the noodles you have – slightly under the package’s cooking time instructions.  Drain the noodles and if you want, cut through the noodles with a pair of kitchen scissors to shorten them a bit.

Add the chicken and the noodles back into the wok and add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and if you find it a bit dry, can add in another tbsp of oil.  Toss everything together until everything is evenly coated with the sauce.

And there you have it – delicious chicken chow mein!  If you want you can serve with some spicy chili sauce but I like it just how it is.

 

 

pakistani chicken curry

Our friend dropped off some paneer curry a little while back it was sooo good I just had to get the recipe off her.  We didn’t have any paneer at the time but she said you can also use chicken so that’s what I did and now it’s my second time making it.

I have adapted her recipe, essentially by error!  Her recipe calls for 1/2 a tin of tomatoes and 1 fresh tomato… I didn’t have fresh and somehow ended up using 2 full tins of tomatoes.  I only realized my mistake today but it still works!  I guess much saucier than what is intended but it’s ok ‘cus we’re saucy people.  So I’ll say use 1 tin for less saucy, 2 for more.  She also gave me some of her garam masala that she grinds herself and it is definitely better than the store-bought already ground stuff but of course you can use already ground.  I’ll have to get her to teach me that next.  I also opt out of the chili ‘cus my kids are being lame about ‘spicey’ lately but obviously it’s better with some heat!

Serves 4 – 5.

1 kg chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes  /  3 medium onions, thinly sliced  / vegetable oil  /  1 cinnamon stick  /  1 tsp ground or whole cumin  /  1 heaped tbsp ginger-garlic paste  /  1 or 2 tin(s) whole tomatoes  /  1 tsp salt  /  1/2 tsp turmeric  /  1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)  /  1-2 tbsp garam masala  / 2 tbsp plain yogurt or heavy cream  /  handful of fresh cilantro (optional)

In a medium pot over medium heat, heat up about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil and then add the onions, cinnamon stick and cumin.  Cook the onions while stirring until they’re very soft and golden brown.

Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about 2 minutes.  Then add in the tomatoes and once it’s come to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the salt, turmeric and if you’re using it, the chili powder.  Then add in the cubed chicken and the garam masala.  Cook on high heat for about 3 minutes and then a further 20 minutes on a low simmer while giving it a stir every 5 minutes or so.

Stir in the yogurt or cream and then garnish with the cilantro.  Serve with basmati rice.