Sunday 13 September 2015

Spicy Indian Style Jerk Wings




























As I have said in my previous postings, I like to explore what happens when I mix seasonings from different countries. This mixture combines Jamaican Jerk with Indian Garam Masala, and uses a variety of cooking methods to achieve the look and taste of Grilled Jerk Chicken, in an urban kitchen. The methods used are sautéing, steam-baking, and broiling. These are quite spicy! The spiciness may be tempered with a sweet dipping sauce.
Ingredients
3lbs chicken wings
Marinade
2 rounded tbsp dried jerk seasoning (any brand)
1 rounded tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp wet jerk seasoning (any brand)
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp Salt and 1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp pickapeppa sauce
1/2 tbsp molasses or thick soya sauce. Don’t use ordinary soya sauce, it is not the same thing.
1-2 tsp vinegar
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
Method
  1. Make cuts in the wings and put in a Ziploc plastic bag
  2. Mix marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken. Massage the marinade into the cut wings well.
  3. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator
  4. Remove from refrigerator. Heat a wok or frying pan then quickly sauté the marinated wings in the pan until the seasonings release their fragrance. This also helps to cook the dry seasonings and make them less powdery. Transfer the wings, along with the oil into a 9 by 13 inch roasting pan which has been lined with foil. Cover the pan with foil.
  5. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully lift off the foil covering so that the escaping steam does not burn your hands. Place the wings on a plate. They are cooked at this stage. Place a rack in the roasting pan and put the wings on top of the rack. Place under broiler for 10-15 minutes until the wings are slightly charred and the skin crisps up.In the photo below, I have accompanied the wings with Freekeh Tabouli, and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for Chicken (Optional). 

Thursday 10 September 2015

Breakfast Oat Mounds



These are healthy breakfast oat mounds, crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Because they are double baked, they will keep for a long time. While not entirely gluten free, I have used some alternative flours to lower the gluten content. They are also not very sweet but sweet enough for me. The recipe is based on an earlier recipe in my blog, Anzac Cookies.
Ingredients


1 cups regular Old Fashioned oats
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flax meal
3.5 oz dessicated coconut, unsweetened (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup toasted, salted Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup dried fruit (raisins, dates, figs, cranberries, etc), coarsely chopped, then chopped more finely in a small food chopper
1/4 cup molasses
4 oz weight butter
4 oz weight coconut oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
Method

To make, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Melt the molasses, coconut oil, and butter together in the microwave. Mix in the baking soda with hot water, and add to the microwave mixture. This will froth or bubble up so quickly pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. The dough is fairly crumbly and dry, much like my version of Anzac Cookies. I pressed to dough mixture into a Lebanese Ma’mool mold (see photo).
Pack it really tightly, then unmold on to the parchment lined pans.
If you don't have one of those, a foil muffin liner can also be used if you pack it two-thirds full, then unmold. Bake on parchment paper lined cookie tin in the oven for ten minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes then put back in 250 degrees F oven for 60 minutes. Turn off oven and leave the cookies in there to dry out further. Cool on a rack.