Chicken Shawarma

You can’t beat chicken shawarma for simplicity and flavour.

The ubiquitous Middle Eastern street food is easy to make and delicious in a wrap or on the barbecue.

Here’s the recipe I use as a base marinade for 1 kg of chicken – use breast fillet for wraps or drumsticks for the BBQ.

Combine to make marinade mix:

• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground cardamon
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil

optional – add chilli flakes for added spice and/or 1/2 tsp cinnamon for added flavour.

Marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Cook marinated chicken breast on skewers or barbecue the drumsticks.

Perfect with rice or serve with fresh flatbread and salad.

Apple Cake

Came across this simple recipe for a delicious apple cake.

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 apples cored and diced

1. combine flour and baking soda in a mixing bowl
2. whisk in butter and sugar
3. add egg and whisk
4. add vanilla and whisk
5. add flour and whisk
6. add apples and whisk
7. spoon into greased baking tin and bake at 190 C or 375 F for 35 minutes

Gino D’Acampo’s Ligurian Chicken

years ago I saw Gino D’Acampo cook Ligurian chicken on his Italian Escape: Hidden Italy series on TV.

I jotted down the ingredients and gave it a go.

Wow !

What a great chicken dish. Packed full of fresh ingredients and Italian flavours.

The garlic, bay and vinegar reminded me of Philippine adobo. Chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, is an absolute favourite of mine, so I was curious to try an Italian take on chicken cooked with vinegar.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 8 chicken pieces (about 1.2kg)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil,
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained,
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed,
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 100ml balsamic vinegar
• 100g pitted green olives, drained
• 200ml passata
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. Coat chicken in flour, brown in the olive oil, remove and set aside.
2. Fry garlic, anchovies, olives, bay leaf, chilli, and rosemary in the remaining oil.
3. Add balsamic vinegar, allowing enough time for acidity to boil off.
4. Add water and passata.
5. Return chicken to the pan and cook for 40 mins. Allow sauce to reduce.

Serve with Italian bread, seasonal vegetables or rice.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Every country brings a stand-out dish to the table of world cuisine. The British contribute their afternoon tea and cake. The French the croissant. The Spanish bring paella.

The Jamaicans bring their trademark jerk chicken. Hot, spicy and packed full of sweet, smoky flavour. I love it.

As you can imagine, there are as many jerk chicken recipes as there are Jamaican kitchens. Each adapted, refined and perfected to suit the table and taste of the chef and their guests.

Here’s the recipe I use:

• Scotch bonnet pepper finely sliced (1 + according to taste)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 scallions diced
• 6 cloves garlic
• generous dash of soy sauce (to taste)
• a good splash of lemon juice (to taste)
• vinegar – I use Filipino cane vinegar (Datu Puti)
• tsp ginger
• tsp mixed spice
• tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground pimento (I use Dunn’s River)
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• tsp ground black pepper
• salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and marinade 1kg of chicken legs for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Use scotch bonnet peppers if you can get them rather than green chillis or chilli flakes. The Scotch bonnet has a reputation as a fiery hot chilli with a kick, but it adds a rich, deep flavour which other chillis can’t match. Start with one Scotch bonnet and move up to two or more if you dare !

The other must-have ingredient is the ground pimento, also known as AllSpice or Jamaican pepper. Its taste is a combination of warm cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper and it adds a deep, aromatic flavour to the chicken.

Barbecue, oven bake or air fry.

Enjoy.

Puttanesca

Had a gorgeous spaghetti puttanesca the other day. Perfect with garlic bread and a glass of red.

Loved it so much I took a box in to work for lunch.

The spicy combination of anchovies, capers and olives is divine.

Easy to make. Here’s how.

2 Big tins Whole Peeled Italian Plum Tomatoes
1 jar anchovy fillets
1 small jar capers
1 small jar black olives, pitted and sliced
Mushrooms
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 medium sized Onion, minced
1 tbsp dried chilli pepper flakes
2 tbsp fresh basil (1 tbsp if dried)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Heat extra-virgin olive oil and sautè garlic and onion.

Add the anchovy, capers, mushroom, and olives and cook. Add the dried herbs. Pour in the tomatoes and macerate with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the fresh basil before serving.

mmmm… cake

made a seriously yummy banana cake with frosted chocolate topping the other day. mmmmmm. here’s how….

• 125g/4oz butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 185g/6oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 185g/6oz flour, siflted
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3 small ripe bananas

Cream butter and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.

Beat in eggs one at a time and fold in. Add mashed bananas and combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and fold into butter and egg mixture. Spoon mixture into greased and lined 11 x 21cm loaf tin. Bake at 180°C, 350°F, Gas 5 for 1 hour. Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack.

Chocolate Icing

• 90g/3oz butter
• 250g/8oz icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tablespoons cream

Beat butter in a bowl until creamy. Add icing sugar, cocoa powder and cream. Beat until frosting is of spreadable consistency.