Orange & Chili BBQ Chicken

My Orange Chili BBQ dish is Asian-inspired with the sweet flavouring of orange combined with the chili pepper to add a touch of heat.

The Ingredients: Orange & Chili BBQ Chicken

Makes 6 - 8 servings

1 whole 6 lb chicken, broken down into 12 pieces (breasts in half, the wings split and the thighs & drums separated)
Orange juice (squeezed fresh from 1 orange)
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 fresh chili pepper, minced
1 tsp fish sauce (can substitute 1 tsp salt if necessary)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the following ingredients to make a marinade:
Orange juice (squeezed fresh from 1 orange)
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 fresh chili pepper, minced
1 tsp fish sauce (can substitute 1 tsp salt if necessary)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp olive oil

Marinade the chicken in the above mixture for 1 hour in the fridge.

Cook on a BBQ (full heat) over indirect heat. For a BBQ at 600F, cook the chicken for 30 min or until meat is no longer pink (use a meat thermometer to best determine when the chicken is ready).


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Quinoa with Orange, Spinach & Peppers

Quinoa is something we started adding to our dinner options last year as some of our family is on a gluten-free diet. In addition to being gluten free, Quinoa comes with a lot of other benefits making it a great vegetarian option for everyone in the family. It is a complete protein as well as a good source of dietary fibre, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

I developed this recipe as a staple that is packed with flavour.. You can eat it as is or add any vegetable or protein you have on hand. It's a great alternative to rice or pasta and the kids love it.

The Ingredients: Quinoa with Orange, Spinach & Peppers

Makes 5 - 6 servings (as a side dish)

1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cups Quinoa
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup orange juice
1 diced red pepper
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (can substitute 1 tbsp dried parsley)
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika

Saute onions, red pepper, garlic & salt in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add paprika, cayenne & Quinoa. Stir for 30 seconds before stirring in the orange juice. Add the stock, peppers and parsley. Let simmer with lid off for approx 15 minutes. You should see the Quinoa shell split open a bit when done. Stir some spinach in at a few seconds before plating to avoid the spinach from getting too soggy.

Enjoy!

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Sunday Morning Pancakes

Life got busy for us at Our Kitchen Island, but we're back! We thought we'd kick off our new recipe posts with an old family favourite.

Sunday mornings are always something the whole family looks forward to as we make something special for breakfast. These homemade pancakes are especially popular in our house as their quick and easy to make plus they're a light, fluffy, delicious breakfast treat. We often make a few pancakes the shape of our kids' initials or age which makes it even more fun for the kids.

The Ingredients: Sunday Morning Pancakes

Makes 18 - 3" pancakes, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: approx 2 - 3 min per side.

2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup carbonated water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp oil

In one bowl with egg yolks, mix in:
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter (whisk in slowly)
1/2 cup milk

In a separate bowl, ombine dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Lightly stir in dry ingredients to wet. The mixture should be very lumpy and thick. Add 1/2 cup of carbonated water (I use Perrier but anything will do) and carefully fold to maintain lumps.

In a separate bowl, combine egg whites with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar. Beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks. Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the pancake batter and then fold in remaining egg whites until mixture is uniform.

On a hot oiled griddle or frypan, pour the pancake mixture into 3" circles. The time it takes to cook will vary depending on how hot your griddle is, what type you of griddle you're using and how big you make your pancakes. For 3" pancakes, it should take approx 3 minutes to cook on the first side. You can check to see if the bottom is a golden brown. If it is, flip the pancakes over for approx another 2 minutes. Store cooked pancakes in a warm oven until you've completed cooking all of the batter.

Top your pancakes with butter and maple syrup (or whatever you prefer - fresh fruit is a nice touch as well) and they're ready to enjoy!

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