Chicken Fajitas with Mexian/Spainish Rice

Ingredients

12 chicken drumstick

3 cup Basmathi rice

1 large yellow onion

1/2 red capsicum

1/2 yellow capsicum

1/2 green capsicum

Seasoning (Chicken)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Coriander Sauce

200g Fat-Free yogurt

60g mayonnaise

Handful coriander

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt & pepper

1/2 lemon juice

Seasoning (Rice)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin powder

Directions/Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, add all the marinated ingredients to marinate the chicken and add the olive oil to coat all the chicken.  Set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 or 180 degrees C (Fan). Add the marinaded chicken drumsticks to a large roasting tray. Drizzle with oil and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until the chicken is lightly charred on the outside and perfectly cooked inside.
3. Prepare the green sauce, add all the ingredients to the blender, and blend until a smooth sauce.  Set aside for later use.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute the onion, red/yellow/green capsicum, and bell pepper for about 4 minutes.
5. Then add the uncooked Basmati rice and seasoning, toast for about 2 minutes, and chicken broth. Transfer to the rice cooker and cook as usual.
6. Once the rice is cooked, let it rest for 5-10 mins.  Scoop the rice and top with chicken and coriander sauce.  Serve warm.

Peri Peri Chicken / Fries / Garlic Bread (Nando's style)

Peri-Peri Chicken:

Whole chicken ~ split / 2lbs chicken drumsticks

1/4 cup peri-peri sauce (Recipe here)

Salt & black pepper

Directions/Instructions:

1. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then, add 1/4 cup of peri-peri sauce to a large bowl and mix to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.
2. Grill on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes until slightly charred on the outside, juicy, and tender in the middle. Alternatively, line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place the marinaded chicken. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and roast for 30 minutes. Then, coat the chicken with the marinade sauce and roast for another 10-15 minutes until slightly crisp outside, juicy, and tender in the middle. 

Peri-Peri Mayonaise (Perinaise)

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic ~ grated

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup peri-peri sauce

Method:  In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside for later use.

Peri-Peri Fries

3/4 cup AP Flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp fine salt

1 cup iced water

Method: Whisk all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a large bowl.  Then, add the fries to the mixture and coat it even.  Deep fried till golden and crispy.  Sprinkle peri-peri seasoning mixture (recipe).

Peri-Peri Garlic Bread

112g salted butter ~ soft

1/3 cup peri-peri sauce

2 cloves garlic ~ chopped finely

1/4 cup parsley ~ chopped

Method:  Beat the butter with an electric hand mixer, then add peri-peri sauce.  Continue to beat till smooth batter.  Then, add in the finely chopped garlic and parsley.  Mix them together to combine. Split half the baguette lengthwise and cut it into 4-5 inch segments.  Spread the butter mixture evenly on each baguette.  Pop in preheated oven to 375 deg F for 15 mins or until toasted.

Homemade Peri-Peri Sauce (Nando's Copycat)

Ingredients:

1 large yellow/red onion

2 large red bell pepper

8 cloves garlic

6 Thai bird red chilies (more for spiciness)

1 lemon juice & zest ~ divide

1/3 cup white vinegar

4 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp salt

1-1/2 tbsp whisky (optional)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions/Instructions:

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and process till a smooth paste.
2. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, then add brown, bay leaves, and whiskey (optional).  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.  Reduce to low, remove the bay leaf, and let it simmer for about 20 mins.
3. Transfer the sauce to the blender, adding 1 tbsp lemon juice or water to loosen.  Add salt to taste and honey for sweetness.
4. Stream the vegetable oil while constantly blending. To make the sauce darker and match Nando's, add a little extra paprika or Thai chili for spiciness.
5. Add an additional three cloves of garlic. Blend until it's as fine as possible. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a mixing bowl over a nice bath of cool, iced water. Season with salt to taste. Store in the fridge in an airtight bottle.

Sarawak Kolo Mee

Ingredients:

Egg Noodles/Kolo Mee

250g minced meat

Char Siew sliced ~ recipe here

Bean sprout

Baby Bak Choy/Xiao Bai Cai

Marinade

3/4 tsp light soy sauce

3/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cooking wine

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp chicken powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

Garnished

3 tsp chopped scallions

3 tsp fried garlic

3 tsp fried shallots

sliced chili

Per serving

1/2 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp zhe jiang vinegar/black vinegar

1/4 chicken powder

1/4 ground white pepper

Directions/Instructions:

1. Marinate the minced meat with light soy sauce, a dash of pepper, cooking wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl.  Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat some oil in a small pan, and stir-fry the marinated minced meat until cooked. Add the dark soy sauce and sugar, and cook until well done. Set aside for later use.
3. In each serving bowl, add the serving ingredients and mix well.  Set aside.
4. Prepare a hot, boiling pot. Quickly blanch the baby bok choy or xiao bai cai, then set it aside for later use.
5. Using the same pot of boiled water, blanch egg noodles until semi-soft. Then, transfer them to a dip in room-temperature water. Finally, blanch the noodles back into the boiling water with some bean sprouts. Quickly boil, drain, and transfer them to the serving mixture bowl.
6. Assemble noodles with baby bak choy/xiao bai cai, sliced char siew, and minced meat.  Garnish with fried shallots, garlic, chopped scallions, and sliced chilies.

Sambal Kicap Johor

Ingredients:

24 green eye birds

11 red eye birds

8 cloves garlic

1 medium red onion

1 shallot

4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1-1/2 cup sweet soy sauce

Directions/Instructions:

1. Heat a little cooking oil and saute the chilies, garlic, and onions for 2 mins.  Remove and drain.
2. Pour the sauteed ingredients into a blender, and add the sugar, salt, and sweet soy sauce.  Blend to a smooth sauce.
3. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Crispy Spicy Chicken Burger

Ingredients:

3-4 pcs boneless chicken thigh ~ halves

8 Burger bun

Lettuce ~ shredded

All Purpose Flour

Pinch of black pepper powder

Ice cold water

Peri-peri ~ recipe here

Marinade

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp mustard sauce

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp chili sauce

Pinch of black pepper powder

Directions/Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken thighs into halves and poke multiple incisions on all the thighs using a knife, then transfer them into a large bowl.
2. Add all the marinade ingredients, apply over the chicken, and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Place a piece of chicken into the flour mixture and massage it into the flour to coat it thoroughly, then lift and shake off the excess flour from the chicken.  
4. Dip the coated chicken into ice-cold water for 5-10 seconds, then drop it back into the flour mixture and massage it to coat it. This will ensure the perfect crumb and crispy crevices. Place the crumbed patty on a plate, and crumb the remaining chicken.
5. To fry the chicken, heat it until it reaches 170 degrees C, then carefully drop it into the hot oil and fry until it is light golden brown and crispy on all sides.
6. Once fried, remove the chicken from the oil and place it in a sieve so that all the excess oil drips off. While the chicken is hot, sprinkle peri-peri over both sides.
7. Cut the bun in half to assemble the chicken burger and spread it with butter. Place the sliced buns cut side down on the hot pan, press them gently, and toast until they are light golden brown and crispy.
8. Place the mayo sauce on the bottom of the toasted bun, crispy chicken, and shredded lettuce, and top with the other half of the bun.  Enjoy

Peri-Peri Spice Mix/Seasoning

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dry mango powder/Citri Acid

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Directions/Instructions:

1. Add all the above ingredients in a mixer grinder and grind them well to make a fine powder.  Store in an air-tight container.

Fried Chicken Satay

Ingredients:

3 pcs boneless chicken thigh ~ cut cubes

3-4 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

1 cup cooking oil ~ divide

Paste

5 shallots

5 cloves garlic

1" ginger

1" galangal

2 lemongrass

2 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp fennel ~ roasted & grind

1 tbsp cumin ~ roasted & grind

2 tbsp coriander ~ roasted & grind

Directions/Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned.  Use 1/2 cup of cooking oil to mix with the marinated chicken.  Cover and put in the fridge overnight.
2. Remove from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying.
3. Heat 1/2 cup of cooking oil in a wok over medium heat.  Add the marinade chicken and fry the satay chicken till golden brown.
4. Serve the fried chicken satay with peanut sauce and other condiments, e.g., rice cake, onion, and cucumber.

Satay Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

3 stalk lemongrass

15 shallots

8 clove garlic

2 tbsp chili paste

1" galangal

1 cup tamarind juice ~ 1 tbsp tamarind paste w/1 cup hot water

6 tbsp palm sugar

1 tbsp salt

350-400g roasted peanuts ~ grounded

900ml water

Cooking oil ~ used in blending the spices

Directions/Instructions:

1. Heat oil in the wok and fry the peanut until golden brown.  Drain on the kitchen paper towel.
2. Use a food processor to ground the peanuts not too fine.  Set aside.
3. Add the tamarind paste plus 1 cup of warm water and set aside.
4. Add spices and oil to the blender into a smooth paste.  Heat in a large pot with some oil and saute paste till fragrant or oil resurface.
5. Then add water.  Continue to stir till the mixture combine and bring to a boil.  Then add the grounded peanuts, palm sugar, and salt.  Continue to stir to mix and bring to a boil.
6. Next, tamarind juice and stir to combine well.  The sauce should be sweet and spicy.  Let it boil and reduce the heat to simmer for 45 minutes until the gravy thickens.  Keep stirring in between so that it does not burn on the bottom.  (Note: The longer simmer, the gravy thickens and tastes better)

Crispy Chili Beef

Ingredients:

400g beef ~ thin strips (e.g., rump, chuck, or flank)

1/2 cup cornflour

1 onion ~ sliced

1 capsicum ~ deseeded, cut into small chunks

1 tsp sesame seeds

Spring onion ~ chop

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce

3 garlic ~ finely grated

Sauce

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tbsp Chinese Chinkiang Black Vinegar

1/4 tsp chili flakes

Directions/Instructions:

1. Combine the beef with the marinade ingredients (I add 1 tbsp baking soda to tenderize the meat) and coat the marinade beef with cornflour when ready to fry.
2. Fill a saucepan or wok to about 1/3 capacity with vegetable oil. Heat over high heat. Once the oil reaches 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C, toss the coated beef and fry it in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is crispy and golden. Drain on a paper towel.
3. Place a clean wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and the sliced onion; stir-fry for 1 minute. Then, add the capsicum and stir-fry for another minute.
4. Turn the heat off before adding the sauce mixture to the pan. Stir the sauce while the residual heat warms it up a little. Then add the fried beef and toss. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Transfer to a serving plate, scatter over the spring onion, and serve with steamed white rice.