Sweet Chili Chicken (or Tofu) - the easy version

My meals have been less than inspiring over the past couple of weeks. I am constantly feeling that life is always overtaking my best efforts, and no matter how hard I run to catch up - I'm never quite keeping up when it comes to keeping house and feeding my family and myself!!

So it stands to reason that sometimes I have to make something quick and easy. Here's one of my favourites lately. It's great with chicken, but you can always substitute tofu - I haven't tried it yet but I think extra firm would work the best. Someone try it and comment for me. :) I created this recipe from a few different ones I liked. Some use honey instead but I find the brown sugar makes it nice and caramel-sweet with that fiery spice behind it. Mmmmm.

Sweet Chili Chicken

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon of brown sugar (taste it - add more if you like it sweeter)
1 Teaspoon lime juice
Chicken Breast or thigh pieces (or one block extra-firm tofu)

Directions

Mix Sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar together in bowl.

Add chicken or tofu and refrigerate for 2 hours

Cook in over at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (cover with foil until last 10 minutes). Don't overcook.

Alternatively, for a REALLY quick supper, just throw in a frying pan on medium-high. Or you can thread the chicken pieces with red/green peppers and onions on a kebab for the BBQ.
                                                                                                                                                          julie

Gado Gado

this recipe is easy, fresh, and versatile as you can eat it over rice, in a wheat or lettuce wrap.
soooo delicious. I loved it so much I was trying to eat it whilst breastfeeding and chunks of carrot were falling on my son's face.

2 carrots, sliced
1/4 of a cauliflower, in small pieces
1 cup snow peas
1 cup bean sprouts,
4 cups of lettuce, shredded or use it for wraps
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into pieces
-you can throw in other veggies, like cucumbers, sprouts, lemon/lime wedges, garnish with cilantro, chuck in some potatoes if you want!

sauce:
1 T veg oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 t sambal oelek (or hot sauce and minced garlic)
1 t lemon juice
1 T kecap manis (optional)

-tomato or whole weat tortilla wraps
-lime wedges, cilantro

make:
-steam carrots and cauli. after a few minutes add the snow peas and cook until they are hot but still crunchy. add bean sprouts and cook for appx 1 minute. Remove the mixture from heat and set aside to cool.
-turn the oven on to 250 F and put the tortilla wraps in just to heat up a bit
-sauce: heat oil in a saucepan. cook the oinion until soft. add peanut butter, coco milk, sambal oelek, lemon juice, kecap manis, and 1/4 cup water. stir. boil and stir, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick.

place the wrap on a plate. add veggies, including the tomato, cucumber. cut the eggs in some pieces and add in. drizzle sauce, squeeze lime juice on and throw some cilantro on top. wrap up and....mmmmmmm....                                                          marcie