Moroccan Chicken Skewer

This is a very refreshing and unique dish which use Moroccan Spices for seasoning the chicken cubes. As one of my friend has returned from Australia during Chinese New Year, she helps me to buy a few bottles of seasoning spices which we can't find it in Singapore. One of it, is this Moroccan Seasoning from Masterfood.

For this Moroccan Chicken Skewer, I made some light and fruity salad to go with it. From the picture you can see that I actually add in some chopped dried fruits to enhance the texture of the salad as well as the colour. I also add in some Japanese Cucumber cubes and mixed them all together with some low-fat mixed berries yoghurt. You can served this Fruity Salad with any other BBQ dishes or served it as a snack itself.

As you can see, I actually marinated the chicken tight strips with shallot, lime slices and some Moroccan spices. You can replace the lime slices with lemon if you prefer. But lime slices will release a much more fragrant scent compare to lemon.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Boneless Chicken Tight, cut into long strips
1/2 Lime, cut into thin slices
4 - 6 Shallots, skin removed
1/2 Tablespoon of Moroccan Seasoning
1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
4 Cherry Tomatoes
4 Wooden Skewers, soaked in water
4 Feta Cheese, optional

Method:
1. Place the chicken, lime slices, shallots, Moroccan seasoning and olive oil in a small zip lock bag and marinate it overnight in the fridge or at least 1 hour.
2. Thread one cherry tomato, chicken strip, lime slice, shallot and another chicken strip on each skewer. (You can thread with extra Feta Cheese if you prefer)
3. Get all done, the arrange it on a BBQ rack, grill or oven rack and cooked it till done.
4. If you prefer you can brush a little bit of butter or oil on the skewer for extra taste.
5. Removed when done and serve it with the prepared fruity salad.

Note:
a) The reason as to soak the wooden skewers is to prevent it from getting burnt when BBQ or grill.
b) You can prepared the fruity salad a day or half day earlier and keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Related Post:
1. Moroccan Apricot Chicken

Pan-fry Chicken With Strawberry Jam Sauce

I didn't realised that actually making Strawberry Jam is so fun and easy until I gave it a try over the weekend break. These homemade jam is so fresh and tasty from the fresh strawberry that is in season. You can read more on my making process of the jam at this link.


Other than serving these freshly made jam on the usual toast or pancake, I decided to try using it to make a dish. I marinate the boneless chicken thigh with some strawberry jam and orange segment to with it.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Boneless Chicken Thighs
2 Tablespoons Of Strawberry Jam
1/2 Tablespoon Orange Juice
Salt and Pepper

Methods:
1. Wash and trim the fat on the chicken thighs, pat dry and marinate it with all the ingredients and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or more.

2. Preheat a frying pan with some olive oil, drained the chicken thighs well then pan-fry it with skin side down for about 5 minutes(depend on the thickness and size) then turn over to cook the other side.

3. When both side are cooked through with slight brown in colour, remove and arranged on serving plate.

4. Prepare the sauce and drizzle it together with the fruits over at the side of the chicken.

5. Served with extra vegetables, salad or mashed potato.

Sauce Ingredients:
80ml Orange Juice
6 - 8 Orange Segments
2 Fresh Strawberries, cut into thick slices
1 Tablespoon Of Strawberry Jam

Methods:
1. Place all the ingredients except the orange in a small saucepan then simmer till almost boil then add in the orange segments and stir till it begin to boil again.

Orange Marmalade Roasted Chicken

This Orange Marmalade Roasted Chicken is indeed a great and tasty finger food or main course dish if you will to serve it with some salad, rice or baked potatoes to make it more of a complete meal. I modify this recipe from one of my best friend Pamy's Website.


I served these baked chicken wings with a beaded of Homemade Potato Chips and Pork Ribs Watercress Soup for our dinner today. Reyon enjoys these chicken wings as it's really taste good which is like what Pamy mention, it's better than BBQ chicken. But instead of baking it for such a long hours, I do a short cut by simmer the chicken wings and marinate sauce under low heat for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked, then I put it in toaster oven and baked it for about 20 minutes or less until the sauce is caramelised and the chicken wings are crispy and nice.
Ingredients:
3 Medium Chicken Wings
1.5 Tablespoons Of Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Of Dark Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Of Orange Marmalade
1 Tablespoon Of Lemon Juice
1 Grated Lemon Rinds
3 Cloves Of Garlic

Methods:
1. Wash and pat dry the chicken wings, then mixed all the ingredients together except for the garlic cloves and marinate the chicken wings for about 15 minutes or more in the fridge.
2. Prepare a non-stick pan and put in the garlic cloves and saute on very low heat until a bit fragrant then pour in the marinated chicken wings and sauce.
3. Cover and simmer for about 7 - 10 minutes(turn occasionally to coat the sauce) until the chicken is almost done.
4. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray or aluminum foil parcel and baked in the oven toaster for about 15 - 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

Notes:
a) Before putting into the oven toaster, you can spread some extra Orange Marmalade on top the chicken and baked accordingly to enhance the flavour.
b) You can add more dark soy sauce if you prefer to have a darker colour for your chicken wings.

Baked Rosemary Chicken With Jam Apple

Saw this interesting modify French Cuisine from one of the Taiwan cookbook that I loan from the library. So I decided to use it for the Wedding Anniversary Dinner.... Although it might not be up to standard like those French Restaurant but it do taste good as a home-cooked dish and most important this is a one dish meal which is easy to prepare.


The original recipe only had baked apple and chicken but for ours, I added in baked baby potato, button mushroom and avocado salad. The taste of the chicken is very unique, tender and juice. While the baked apple with jam is a bit sweet towards dessert type where the melted assorted jam soaked into the apple... So yummy.....

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 - 4 Apples(1 used 2 small green & 2 Gala red apples)
2 Chicken Maryland(drumstick with another portion of meat)
4 - 6 Tablespoons Assorted Jam(I use strawberry & blueberry jam)
30g Butter, soften or melted
8-10 Baby Potatoes, wash and peel of skin
6-8 Button Mushrooms, wash and peel of skin
1 Avocado, peel and cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons Yogurt
4-6 Cherry Tomatoes

Methods:
1. Wash, peel and lightly coated the baby potatoes with 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil and 1/2 Teaspoon dried Mixed Herbs and toss well. Set aside.
2. Wash, peel and core the apples then stuffed about 2 Tablespoons of jam into each apple and place on a baking dish.
3. Next brush the melted butter all around the apple and bake in a preheat 180 degree oven for 10 minutes together with the seasoned baby potatoes in another baking dish(for the baby use a larger baking dish and place the potatoes in one corner while leave some extra space for baking the chicken).
3. While baking the apples and potatoes, preheat a non-stick pan with some butter and olive oil, saute both side of the button mushrooms until fragrant.(around 30 sec on each side, you can brush extra melted butter on the mushroom when frying)
4. Remove the mushroom, add another 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil, saute the chicken skin side down for 1 minutes, turn and saute the other side.(you can add in the garlic and rosemary from the seasoning to saute as well, as it will bring out more fragrant on the seasoning)
5. Next remove the chicken from the pan, arrange it on the same baking dish as the potatoes together with the button mushroom.
6. Brush drizzle the remaining marinade seasoning on the chicken then brush with some extra butter on the chicken, potatoes, mushroom and apples then continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, until chicken is crispy on skin and potatoes are tender.

Seasoning:
3 Cloves Garlic, cut into slices
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon White Pepper
1 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
1 Spig Of Rosemary

Methods:
1. Wash and trim the chicken, pat dry and marinate it with the above seasoning for about 2 hours or overnight in the fridge for better taste.(retain the seasoning sauce for baking the chicken later)

To Assemble:
1. Mix the avocado cubes with the yogurt(you can use plain or flavour yogurt) then set a portion on the place.
2. Removed the baked items from the oven, arrange them on the plate accordingly then top with some cherry tomatoes and serve.

Notes: You can use whole potato instead of baby potato or you can serve it with vegetables salad instead of baked apples.

Moroccan Apricot Chicken

This is an easy chicken dish that won't ruffle your feather, it's plump fruit and rich nectar make it a family favourite. Dried Apricot Pieces are rich source of beta carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A for healthy skin, cell development, immune function and vision); good source of iron and fibre; excellent source of potassium (helps reduce blood pressure).


The cuisine of Morocco is rated among the best in the world, and rightly so. There are few places where food is more carefully and artistically prepared, more delightfully served, and more enjoyed than in this country. So this Moroccan Apricot Chicken is of a mixture of sweet, sour and hot taste you had to give it a try before you can understand that kind of middle east cooking.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1/2 Cup Cornflour
8 Pieces Skinless Chicken Cutlets, trimmed
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Brown Onion, peeled, cut into thin wedges
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon Moroccan Seasoning
400ml Can Apricot Nectar
1/2 Cup Dried Apricots
1/3 Cup Flat-leaf Parsley Leaves, chopped
1/4 Cup Roasted Cashew Nut(optional)

Methods:
1. Place flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag and mixed well. Lightly coat chicken pieces in seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep, large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
3. Cook chicken, in batches for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate, repeat with remaining chicken and oil, cover and set aside.
4. Add onion and garlic to frying pan, cook and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
5. Sprinkle Moroccan seasoning over onion and stir until well combined.
6. Stir in apricot nectar, bring to the boil and reduce heat to low. Return the chicken to frying pan.
7. Add apricot and cover and cook for 20 minutes in low heat. Stir on and off to prevent the sauce from drying out. If the sauce dry up too fast before the chicken is done, add 50ml more of water.
8. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.
9. Next sprinkle some chopped parsley and roasted cashew nut on top before sever.

Notes: If you don't have Apricot Nectar and Moroccan Seasoning, please refer to the recipe below.

Apricot Nectar
Ingredients:
1 Can Of Apricot In syrup(about 825g)

Methods:
1. Blend the apricot with some of it's syrup in a blend until smooth to produce about 450ml of apricot puree.

Moroccan Seasoning Mix
Ingredients:(make 8 tablespoons)
5 Teaspoons Nutmeg
5 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
5 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
2 1/2 Teaspoons Ground All Spice
2 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 1/4 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 1/4 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

Methods:
1. Place all the spices in a food processor and blend well.
2. You can store the blended spice in an air-tigh container in the fridge.

Notes: You can used either Drumsticks, Chicken Thigh on Bone or Marylands for this recipe.

Lemon Butter Chicken With Roasted Vegetables

A very interesting dish that made with the combination of lemon and butter. Although the original recipe use fish fillet but I still go on with the cooking even though I am using chicken. Luckily the end result was good and we love the refreshing lemon fragrant that pair well with the creamy sauce.