Mango Chicken

My sister in law made this a few years ago (and I LOVED it) I have changed the quantity a little on somethings so I will put the way I make it (I've lost her original recipe anyway!).

2 chicken breasts diced

1/2 brown onion chopped

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

2 1/2 tablespoons mango chutney (I use sharwoods green label)

1 mango sliced

1 tin mango sliced

1 1/2 -2 cups coconut milk

As with everything taste it and see if its to your liking. If you like things a little hotter then add some more curry. If you really like the coconut flavour add more milk.

METHOD

1. cut chicken into pieces and heat in a pan until browned

2. chop onion and mango

3. Place onion in pan and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the chutney, curry powder and mango and cook for a further minute or two

5. Add the coconult milk and allow to simmer for a minute or so before removing from heat.

6. Serve over some cooked rice.

Chicken Kebabs

Chicken kebabs are so easy and great for summer, but any time of the year really.

This recipe made about 12 kebabs. My husband had 4, my friend and I had 3 each and the kids had one each.

Marinade

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup vinegar (white)

1-2 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dry)

2 cloves garlic

1 red onion cut into chunks so that you can skewer them later

1. Make marinade in seal proof container (plastic ones with the lids that are good, tupperware type things)

2. Cut 2 chicken breasts into chunks and place in the marinade and place in the fridge for 3 hours minimum.

3. 30 mins before you are ready to start assembling the skewers soak them in water for 30 mins so they don't burn when you put them on the grill.

4. Choose your favourite vegetables and cut into chunks that can be put on skewers. I like to use different coloured peppers (capsicum) and pineapple, along with the onion that is in the marinade.

5. Assemble your skewers, alternating the veggies and chicken etc.

6. Grill on a hot plate or bbq grill until cooked.

7. I like to serve with steamed rice and salad, or grilled potato and salad.

Review- I have made these so many times and they are always a hit with the kids and the adults. The only thing that *some* children don't like is the red onion (and some fussy kids don't like the pineapple).

other things you could add to the kebabs are things like zucchini and mushrooms. I also use the same marinade for lamb kebabs.

Mango chutney with Lamb

I have this recipe book that I got from the supermarket, one of those "quick meal" books and they had a mango chutney on grilled lamb chops. Super idea I thought.

There is a lovely mando chutney made by Sharwood's that I have used before. So I brushed that onto the lamb chops and grilled them on the bbq grill. (I don't have a pic because my battery was flat the night I cooked).

Then I was planning on making a mango salad but fresh mango's were $8!! So I bought a tin of mangos and used half of the tin. I placed it in a pan, with 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder and warmed that up so it was like a paste with small chunks of mango.

Once the chops were cooked I placed them on the plate and put the mango paste I had made on top.

The kids didn't eat it (they don't really eat lamb) but hubby and I loved it. I don't like hot curry or anything so for me the flavour was just right but Hubby would of preferred a little more curry powder. So taste it as you go and get it right for your taste.

Sweet and Sour chicken

I love sweet and sour chicken so decided to make my own. There are so many different recipes out there, so I looked at about 4 different ones and came up with something similar to those (and different in some ways too). I can't believe there are some that tell you to add food colouring though! LOL. I won't be doing that thanks. I like lots of veggies, so add or take if you want.

This will serve 4 adults well (it did 2 adults and 2 children with left overs for two more adults).

2 chicken breast cut into pieces

1-2 carrots julienne style

1 stalk celery chopped

handful of snow peas

1/2 red capsicum (pepper)

1/2 green capsicum

1/4 onion chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 cup cauliflower

large tin of pineapple (or you can use fresh pineapple like I did, around a cup or so I think).

Sauce

2 tablespoon tomato sauce (ketchup)

1 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh if you have it

1 garlic clove chopped finely

1/3 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon corn flour (starch)

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce (you can just add 4 of soy sauce if you don't want to add oyster sauce).

Juice from the pineapple (probably 1/3 cup or you can do what I did and finely chopped the fresh pineapple and squeezed what I could from the remainders).

Mix until combined and set aside to add last minute to the chicken and vegetables.

1. Cook chicken in wok until almost brown, add onion and garlic.

2. Place veggies into wok and stir fry until almost cooked.

3. Add sauce and warm through.

4. Serve with your favourite rice.

Review- this was perfect for us. I made the tastes to suit us, so please, taste ALL THE TIME when you are cooking as you may prefer it sweeter, or with more sour. The kids loved it, they eat all those veggies I put in it. And they love rice.

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef was delicious! Such simple flavours but so so nice. Hubby even wanted seconds but there was none :)

This made enough for 2 adults and 2 children

500gms beef (I used stir fry beef that was already cut for me) most recipes say to use flank steak

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup corn flour (corn starch)
1/2 teaspoon ginger (I used powdered)

1 tablespoon (2 cloves) garlic chopped

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce (or you can just use 1/2 cup soy and no oyster sauce)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 green onions (spring onions)

1/2 brown onion

salt and pepper to season

1. Coat your beef strips in corn flour and let sit for around 10 mins (this seems to be important, don't know why)

2. Heat oil in pan and add garlic and ginger and fry til just brown. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar and water and let boil for around 2 minutes, then emove from heat.

3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in wok or other pan and fry the beef until almost cooked (it will cook again later so no need to over cook and make it tough). Remove from the pan and let it drain on some paper towel.

4. Remove excess oil then add the onions and fry for a minute or so. Add the meat back, fry for another minute. Add the sauce and mix well.

5. Serve with rice and your choice of sides. I lightly stir fried some yellow and red capsicum (peppers) and zucchini.

REVIEW- I have made this twice now, exactly the same way and I wouldn't change anything. The kids love it too which is good.