grilled chicken breasts | Bewitching Kitchen

Once again I offer you a small collection of non-recipes, so simple that I wonder whether they are blog-worthy. The first two use the air-fryer, but you could make them both in a regular oven. It will just take a little longer, and maybe the texture will not be quite the same. The second two call for preserved lemons, an ingredient that is worth experimenting with. You can make your own, or buy a bottle, which is what I did.

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #1

AIR-FRIED TORTILLA CHIPS

Excellent use for tortillas that are getting past their prime, and wave at you when you open the fridge… “Please, do something about us laying here in this lousy bag. We are not getting any younger…”

Grab a pair of scissors, cut each tortilla in four wedges, each wedge in two. That will make 8 pretty good size chips from each corn tortilla. Spray olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite spices (I like to use a combination of smoked paprika, cumin, and a very light touch of cayenne pepper). Season with salt. Put in the air-fryer set as high as it will go (mine goes to 390F). Fry them until golden brown and crispy, shaking the basket every few minutes. They should be ready in 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen absorbent paper, and serve while still warm, but they are great at room temperature, getting a bit harder then. Amazing how much better they are than those you can buy in bags. If you only need a small amount, the air-fryer is definitely your best option. A very efficient way to exercise portion control: don’t make a massive amount!

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #2

AIR-FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

You might be surprised to learn that I found this recipe in a vegan forum. I do have a pretty open mind when it comes to cooking, and vegan recipes can be quite creative and intriguing. Members of the forum were raving about it. Grab a bottle of oil-packed artichoke hearts. If you can only find those that come in a brine type solution, no worries. Simply drain the liquid well, dry them a bit, and coat them with a nice layer of olive oil. Place them in the air fryer basket, set to high. Fry until they get golden the way you like. Some bits will threaten to get charred. Those are good bits, embrace them.

I can only advise you to get more than one bottle going. These fried morsels are addictive, they shrink, and you will regret not frying a few more. Plus, leftovers are fantastic added to pasta, couscous, as pizza topping. You need these in your life. I imagine you can do them equally well broiling in a regular oven. Simple. But so very tasty…

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #3

ROASTED VEGGIES WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

For this “non-recipe” I got a bag of those rainbow carrots, and cut them quarters lengthwise, then in sticks. Did the same with some zucchini. Added all veggies to a bowl, drizzled olive oil, salt and pepper. Grabbed 4 slices of preserved lemons, diced them (they are so soft they more or less melt as you cut them), added to the bowl, mixing gently.

Placed in a roasting pan and into a 425F oven. Thirty minutes later, they were ready to be enjoyed! Very nice lemony flavor, perfect side dish for a busy weeknight. Probably doable in the air-fryer also, but I was hoping for a bigger batch, with leftovers in mind.

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE #4

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PRESERVED LEMON MARINADE

Get a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slice them in half to make them thinner, and pound them slightly. Now get about 6 thin slices of preserved lemons and add to a small food processor with a few tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of agave nectar. Process into a paste. Add to the chicken breasts inside a plastic bag, leave to marinade a few hours or overnight. Remove the meat from the marinade, grill about 5 minutes per side.

Pure citric flavor, that will also tenderize the meat slightly. It will be moist and flavorful, a combination not always easy with chicken breasts. This preparation reminds me of the whole-lemon marinade I blogged about in the past.

I hope you enjoyed my little collection of quick and easy recipes, they tend to become part of our regular rotation, in fact preserved lemons will have a permanent spot in our fridge. Right there next to the rose harissa…

ONE YEAR AGO: French Style Baguettes

TWO YEARS AGO: Sad Times

THREE YEARS AGO: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Lettuce Wraps and Paleo Planet Review

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Making of a Nobel Reception

FIVE YEARS AGO: Fennel Soup with Almonds and Mint

SIX YEARS AGO: Green Curry Pork Tenderloin

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Farfalle with Zucchini and Ricotta

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Slow-baked Salmon with Lemon and Thyme

NINE YEARS AGO: Hoisin Explosion Chicken

I found this recipe over at Eat.at forum and right away I knew that we were going to love it. It’s loaded with tropical flavors, plus a hot kick of cayenne and curry. I used part of the marinade as a sauce, and served it with plenty of white rice to soak it up. The original recipe, from many years ago in tikiroom.com, was by “Sabu, the Coconut Boy.” I guess he knows his coconuts, because this recipe really delivers! 😉

SABU’S SPICY COCONUT CHICKEN
(adapted from tikiroom.com)

for marinade/sauce:
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (I used light)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Lower the heat and reduce the marinade for 10 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature. Place the chicken breasts in a dish and pour most of the marinade over them, saving some to warm up later as a sauce. Make sure both sides of the breasts are coated with the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is better).

Remove the chicken from the marinade, season lightly with salt, and grill until done but still tender. While the chicken is grilling, warm the reserved marinade. When the chicken breasts are cooked, let them rest at room temperature for a few minutes, slice, and arrange on a serving platter, and drizzle the sauce over the meat.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In the original version the chicken breasts were grilled, cut lengthwise into thin slices, threaded in skewers, brushed with the marinade and rolled in sweetened coconut flakes. I am not too fond of sweet coconut in savory dishes, so I omitted that step. The marinade was superb in its second role to sauce the meat. The orange flavor breaks through, which is surprising (considering the power of coconut milk and curry) and refreshing.

A perfect Monday dinner: Spicy Coconut Chicken, Basmati rice, and roasted cauliflower (lightly coated with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper, cumin and cooked in a 400F oven until golden brown).

ONE YEAR AGO: Poolish Baguettes