Spicy coriander chicken with udon noodles

This recipe is what you call a "speedy dinner" in one of my Donna Hay bibles and she is right! If you're after a midweek meal that is fast and full of flavour and most importantly can be clasified as being good for you I think you should try this one. One word of warning though.....remove the chilli seeds if you're wanting the kids to try it or you don't want the "kick". I left the seeds in and even though it was pretty spicy No 1 and 2 gave it a go but No 3 was sipping water after every mouth full!! It was so easy and I will remove the chilli seeds next time just to compare but if you're a chilli junkie like I'm a chocolate junkie just leave those seeds in.

You will need:
3 cups coriander (cilantro) leaves, plus extra, to serve
2 long red chillies, chopped
1/2 cup (70g) unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup (125ml) lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
3 x 200g chicken breast fillets, cut into strips
2 x 440g packets udon noodles, blanched
200g green beans, thinly sliced and blanched

Place the coriander, chilli, peanuts, lime juice, oil, mirin and sugar in the bowl of a small food processor and process until roughly chopped.

Place half the coriander mixture in a bowl with chicken and toss to coat.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the chicken for 12 - 14 minutes or until cooked through.
The udon noodles need to be blanched in boiling water as per packet instructions and I also blanched my beans at this point in the same saucepan of boiling water.

Place the noodles, beans and remaining coriander mixture in a bowl and mix to combine.

Top the noodles with the chicken and extra coriander leaves to serve.

Enjoy! M x

Vietnamese chicken and cabbage salad

This dish (known as Ga Xe Phai) is one of Vietnam's most popular salads. It is also one of Maude and Betty's week night go-to salads when we're busy or feeling a bit lazy. Yes there is chopping involved but it is easy vegie chopping and one which you could easily throw in the food processor grater/chopper for that extra lazy touch. The chicken involved in this version is a shredded cooked chook so while you're in the supermarket picking up the snow peas, cabbage and red onion (because of course we all grow amazing coriander and mint in our gardens right? Ha!) you can also grab a chook. Most of the dressing ingredients are fridge/pantry staples also. The M kids loved this one, even with the sambal oelek (something you could adjust to your taste). It would also work with some grilled beef cut into strips or without meat as a side salad. The leftovers are great the next day in a work lunch box too.

This beautiful salad was found in my good old Australian Women's Weekly - great cooking classics page 142 (serves 4)

You will need:

100g snow peas, trimmed

4 cups (400g) shredded chicken (BBQ chicken)

4 cups (320g) finely shredded chinese cabbage

4 garlic chives, chopped finely

1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon sambal oelek

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice

1/3 cup (80ml) fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh coriander

Place snow peas in a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water, drain immediately. Cover snow peas with cold water in same bowl , stand 2 minutes. Drain, slice thinly.

Combine snow peas in large bowl with chicken, cabbage, chives, onion and mint.

Combine sambal, oil, juice, sauce and sugar in screw top jar, shake well. Drizzle salad with dressing, toss gently to combine, then sprinkle coriander over salad.

Enjoy! M xx

Grilled chicken wraps with salsa verde

We seem to have wraps quite alot at my place. I think because we have lots of little people to impress and doing that can be hard work. I have to admit I learned very fast with my first child Miss 10 that I really thought my cooking skills were no longer required and we were going to have to buy shares in a noodle company and a sauce company and I was going to hand in my apron!! I was a bit sad about this. I had this tiny little person that I was so looking forward to whipping up some culinary delights and here on her plate was plain noodles with tomato sauce. Mind you the sauce wasn't allowed to touch the noodles (heaven forbid!). I tried everything, offering things over and over and trying different things but no luck. Crying to Mr M about our first born,  I was just about ready to wave the white flag. I decided to just let her go with what she was eating and just keep offering her different choices and not make a huge deal out of things.

The turning point at one stage was when we would have wraps and I would cut everything up and place the ingredients on plates and then everyone would make their own wrap! I think my Miss 10 thought it was fantastic that she got to be more hands on and help and make her own little wrap with what she liked and eventually upgraded and added more and more things. Success!

Our wraps vary from time to time and can be more adventurous at certain times depending on how much time I have. These wraps I came across in one of my Donna Hay books was a winner with all 3 plus Mr M and what made things even better we made our own flour tortillas which were so easy.
This recipe can be found in Issue 59 Oct/Nov 2011 on page 145.

You will need:
4  x 200g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
vegetable oil, for brushing
coriander leaves, sour cream and lime wedges, to serve.
salsa verde
2 long green chillies, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 green onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
flour tortillas
4 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
50g cold butter, chopped
2 1/2 cups boiling water

To make the salsa verde, place the chilli, garlic, green onion, coriander, mint and vegetable oil in a food processor and process on short bursts until combined. Set aside. Makes 1 cup.

To make the flour tortillas, place the flour and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the butter and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth dough forms.

Divide the dough into equal size portions and roll each piece out to a 20 cm-round (Don't worry too much on shapes and sizes). Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the tortillas , in batches, for 1-2 minutes each side or intil lightly browned.

To keep warm, stack the tortillas and cover with a tea towel until ready to use. Makes about 18.
Place the chicken, onion salt, chilli powder, oregano, paprika and oil in a bowl and toss to coat.. Preheat a pan or barbecue over high heat.

Char-grill or barbecue the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Slice chicken and serve with the tortillas, coriander, sour cream, lime and salsa verde.

You can always use store bought tortillas if you're feeling a little on the lazy side. A nice touch for store bought tortillas is to put them in the pan to heat rather than the microwave, but again sometimes on a Friday night you just want a quick easy meal!

Enjoy! x