My friend Maram has this habit of posting on her Facebook page some recipes she gets from different sites on the Internet. I usually don't go there, I actually have no time to spend on the Internet looking for something I might or might not find. Besides, I spend enough time doing what I have to do online, so I rarely look for recipes there. The recipes that Maram likes to post on her page are almost always very rich, she claims she likes to eat and therefore she likes to post them, but she's very skinny, so I doubt that she actually cooks those dishes. Sometimes a recipe catches my eye. I look at it, but find it really full of fat or very elaborate, so I get discouraged and never try them. A couple of times I found some recipes that I can tweak to my taste, so I didn't hesitate and made them my way with great success. Today I am making a chicken dish and a dessert. Of course you may have noticed that I seldom make desserts or bake, but this one I couldn't miss: it's easy, versatile and "healthy", for a dessert.
CHICKEN TERIYAKI
I've always wanted to make this dish. The reason? Every time I fire up my outdoor grill to cook some chicken, my next door neighbor asks about this delicious smell and if it is coming from chicken teriyaki. I keep telling him that this is my regular marinade, that I don't use any store bought sauce in my food. He usually gets a taste, but the next time I am grilling, he asks the same question. So I got curious, I went looking for several types of chicken teriyaki and tasted them. They had nothing to do with my usual grilled chicken, be it in taste or smell. May be that was his way of inviting himself to dinner with us? The result was that when Maram posted a chicken teriyaki recipe the other day I decided to make it. The recipe was for chicken cooked in the slow cooker, but I decided I couldn't wait for four to six hours to taste it. So I decided to simplify things, I'll cook it in a skillet. Would it work? We'll see. I went to the store and bought the sauce. It had sesame already in it, but it seems that you have to add some yourself to get the dish exactly like the picture in the recipe. I didn't, so I got everything else except for the sesame seeds, the ones in the sauce mysteriously disappeared when cooked. Also I made it from thighs and breasts. The recipes called only for breasts, but I prefer the mix, thighs are more tender. You can choose what you prefer. Also you may serve it over white or yellow rice, or even mashed potatoes, as we did with the leftovers. You'll need:
5 skinless, boneless thighs fat removed and cut into strips
2 skinless, boneless breasts cut into strips
2 tbsp onion/garlic mixture
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2/3 cup stock or water plus granules
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Marinate the chicken strips in the onion/garlic mixture with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, not too much until you know how salty is the sauce for your taste. I usually marinate them in the same skillet I am going to cook them in. Use a non stick skillet, and let the chicken marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. Cook the chicken over medium high heat turning often until the liquid is all absorbed and the chicken pieces not browned, but no more pink. Add the teriyaki sauce, rinse the measuring cup with the stock or water and add it to the skillet. Stir to combine. Lower the heat, and keep stirring every now and then until the sauce thickens and the chicken pieces well coated. If you are using sesame seeds, add them to the skillet after the liquid is all absorbed just before adding the sauce. This way the seeds will be slightly toasted or cooked.
THREE MINUTE DESSERT
This is the most amazing trick I got from Maram's posts. I couldn't believe it until I made it myself in front of my husband, so he wouldn't doubt it. It became his favorite, and when he wants a dessert, he just brings me the ingredients and tells me you mix it, I'll cook it. As if it needs cooking. I even made it for a friend who bakes for a living, she didn't believe it although she was the one who put it in the microwave oven herself. According to the original recipe you should mix 2 boxes of cake mix, one Angel food and one any other flavor you prefer. I kept each one in the box and use whatever I need. The result is amazing and the possibilities are endless. Here I used Dulce de leche ice cream and some berries over a chocolate cake. You can imagine many other combinations: white cake with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce and chopped salted almonds. Or top the cake with buttercream ice cream and a peach in its syrup. I told you the sky is the limit. For this dish you'll need:
1 and 1/2 tsp Angel food cake mix
1 and 1/2 tsp chocolate flavor cake mix
2 tsp water
2 small scoops Dulce de leche ice cream
2 heaping tbsp mixed berries cleaned and left macerating in some sugar overnight
Mix the powdered cake mixes with water in a ramekin until dissolved. Cook in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and let rest, then transfer to the serving dish. Top with the ice cream and the berries. How easy was that?
