Turmeric Chicken Skewers

Sometimes it's really hard to think of ways to cook chicken so it's not just another boring meal. I try not to think of meals in terms of adult meals/children's meals.. ideally we would all be eating the same good quality foods, but I know it can be tough to get children to eat their veggies..

The eagle eyed amongst you will spot a cake cooling in the background...... It may be Lemon Drizzle Cake.... :) 

Why not put their food on sticks? Let them eat with their fingers... I love casual meals where you just pick up your food and enjoy. Using small chunks of colourful vegetables on skewers won't seem as scary to them and as a big pile of broccoli...

These skewers are great both hot and cold which makes them ideal for a family meal, or leftovers for a packed lunch.

A little bit of advance planning is recommended so you can marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is even better :)

For the marinade:

• 1 small green onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 kafir leaves, centre stalks removed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
• 1 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tbsp water
• salt & pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend well. 

Chop chicken into chunks and coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 30 minutes...

Soak skewers in water for 10 minutes (this stops the tips burning)

For the skewers: 

• 1 marinated chicken breast
• 5 mushrooms, halved
• 1/2 yellow & red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 180d (fan).

Add the chicken, mushrooms and pepper to soaked bamboo skewers. 

Drizzle with a little melted coconut oil.

Cook for approx 8 minutes, turn the skewers over and cook for a further 8 minutes. 

Serve with a side salad.

Buffalo Chicken Strips...

There are actually no words to describe how good this chicken is... Make it & you'll see!!

These chicken strips are so full of flavour, you'll hardly believe they're good for you... Make extra & you have the nicest lunch to take to work...I'll just be surprised if you make it to lunch time without eating them!

For the spice mix:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika (smoky)
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet)
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp tumeric

Mix all the spices together in a bowl. Simple right?

For the chicken:

• chicken breast, pounded with a rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness & cut in strips
• 1 tbsp almond flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• coconut oil

Toss the diced chicken in 1/2 the spice mix until well coated. 

Mix the remaining spices with the almond flour. 

Coat chicken pieces in beaten egg. 

Toss in almond flour mix until evenly coated. 

Place in a heat proof dish, drizzle with a little melted coconut oil & bake for 15 minutes (since we've pounded the chicken into thin strips it cooks really quickly). 

For the glaze:

• 4 tbsp Franks Original Hot Sauce (Not the one for wings... it has added sugar!)
• 1 tsp butter

In a large pan, melt the butter with the hot sauce. 

Add cooked chicken, toss until well combined and cook for 2/3 minutes.

Serve with lettuce/side salad/sweet potato chips... But one thing you HAVE to do... Crumble some Blue Cheese over the top! It really adds to it. 

I used about 30g Boyne Valley Blue cheese. If you haven't tried it... DO! It's Ireland's only raw milk blue cheese made from goat's milk and it's incredible!! 

Coconut & Lime Chicken

I posted a photo of my dinner of Coconut & Lime Chicken with Sweet Potato Wedges on the Facebook  page last night, not because it was a gourmet masterpiece... but because it was super tasty, quick to put together, healthy & inexpensive... That's what this blog is all about... showing you that you don't need to be an incredible cook, have lots of kitchen gadgets or cash to eat well...

It cost me about €1.35 to make this.... that's far less than a frozen ready meal or pizza etc. It does not cost less to eat processed food. Oh... and just in case you were about to use the excuse that you don't have time... well you're wrong there too... only 25 minutes to make this....

Stop making excuses...

• 1 large chicken leg (you can use breast/drumsticks/wings for this) 
• 1/2 fresh lime, zest & juice
• 2 tbsp unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 1 tbsp almond flour (or 1 extra tbsp coconut)
• 1 egg beaten
• salt
• coriander

Preheat the oven to 170d (fan).

Start by pulling the skin off the chicken leg. (No fat isn't bad for you, but the skin really wouldn't add anything to this dish). 

Remove the zest of 1/2 a lime using the fine side of a grater. 

Mix coconut, almond flour & seasoning of choice together on a plate (or in a plastic freezer bag... this way you can just shake the chicken in the coating... no washing up!!)

Pierce the chicken a couple of times with a skewer/fork & squeeze the juice of 1/2 the lime over the top. 

Next dip the chicken into the beaten egg. 

Toss the chicken in coconut mixture. 

Place the coated chicken back in the egg & coat again in the remaining coconut. Repeating this step gives a thick crust that will go crispy in the oven. 

Place in a heat proof dish & bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked & crispy. 

I served this chicken with sweet potato wedges.... Read on for a great cheat method for making crispy wedges in a hurry... 

Cut the potato into wedges, place in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften them slightly (this just speeds up the cooking process). 

Toss in ground cinnamon, drizzle with melted coconut oil & bake alongside the chicken. They'll be wonderfully crispy & the cinnamon really compliments the sweet flavour of the sweet potato... 

See? It's not difficult to eat well. Oh and if you have kids... they will absolutely LOVE this! Let them eat it with their fingers... :)