This has been one of my staple, fall-back-on dishes, to cook for parties, whether at our home or to take along to one, for many many years now!     It absolutely never fails, it is delicious, and besides being easy to prepare, it is also different, and miles more impressive then the traditional party-salads that we are all used to seeing on a buffet!

Ingredients:

500 grs chicken livers

1 onion grated

1 large clove garlic chopped

1 ½ cups basmati

1 can corn drained (reserve liquid for rice)

1 soup cube

chopped parsley

vinaigrette:

2 tbsp wine vinegar

6 tbsp olive oil

1tsp Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

Method:

clean chicken livers & cut into small pieces

add salt & pepper

saute in olive oil in large enough pan (make sure to not over crowd)

remove & set aside

in the same pan, saute onion

half way through add the garlic

add rice, stir

add the reserved corn liquid + enough water to cook the rice

add soup cube

add drained corn

when rice water starts to boil add the chicken liver

cover & simmer until cooked

remove from heat!

while still hot add vinaigrette

move to the serving salad bowl

when cool, sprinkle chopped parsley on top

serve room temperature

Enjoy!

I am really not a big fan of pasta in any shape or form. OK, I’m lying, some shapes and forms are more palatable than others. All in all, I’d be quite happy without its presence on my table whatsoever. However, my husband happens to absolutely adore pasta. In every shape and form!! Being the nice wife that I am, and being Miss Guilt in flesh and blood, I do break down and cook some form of pasta every now and then. One has to be fair I suppose, and some sort of compromise is a normal part of any relationship; pasta is mine.

I concocted this dish in one of my more desperate guilt-ridden moments, and it actually turned out pretty good. I even willingly make it every now and again.

It’s got pasta, chicken, loads of crunchy vegetables, and makes an ideal one-dish meal. It is delicious hot or cold. I prefer it on the cold side, actually room temperature, great for a buffet spread for large gatherings.

And did I mention? my husband loves it!!! so it is a savior for me.

Ingredients:

I’m sorry guys, I did not weigh any of the ingredients, so just use your own judgement!)

5 vermicelli balls (you can use more if you wish, I just prefer to drown mine in vegetables, for obvious reasons!!)

2 cups of chicken broth

1 chicken breast fillet

a medium piece of broccoli

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

½ red pepper

½ a yellow pepper

a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger

one lemon for squeezing

soya sauce to taste

Method:

Crush the vermicelli balls in your hand, just to more or less separate the strands. You don’t want too small or too fine. And you defintely do not want the kind that is sold crushed. It is way too fine!!

Drizzle with some olive oil and pan fry the vermicelli turning constantly. Do not get distracted as it tends to burn pretty quickly

get it to a nice golden brown as in picture #4

add the chicken broth, some soya sauce, cover the pan and turn down the heat

keep checking as you may need to add some more broth (every brand of vermicelli differs, so don’t take it for granted.)

check for doneness and remove from heat. Make sure you don’t over cook, you want the pasta to be al dente

uncover the pan and set aside

slice the chicken into thin strips, sprinkle some salt, some red pepper flakes and stir fry. Add to the vermicelli pan

slice your veggies as in picture #7, and stir fry each separately. Keep in mind that you want them on the crunchy side.

As each vegetable is done, add it to the vermicelli pan

squeeze the juice of one lemon

add some soya sauce to taste

and mix well to incorporate all ingredients

I always use the fingers of both hands to mix and toss gently, this way you’re less likely to make mush out of it

that’s it, you’re done…

Enjoy!

I first had this amazing salad at my friend Lina’s house. It was instant love, and it has since been on my “if all else fails cook this” list. And it goes so well with the chicken schnitzel, that I almost always never make the one without the other.

Another super easy & delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

½ a box couscous with lemon & mint (it comes with 2 pouches, so just use one).

1 cup boiling water

2 medium courgettes (Zucchini) cut into small cubes. I used the round ones because that’s what I found, but the regular kind works just as nice.

1 small onion chopped

feta cheese cut into small-ish cubes

some olive oil to drizzle

Method:

put the content of the one pouch of couscous in a small pan, pour on it the boiling water, cover the pan & set aside.

Lightly sautee the courgettes and onions in a frying pan with very little olive oil. Do not over cook as you want the courgettes to still be crunchy.

Fluff your couscous with a fork.

Add your cooled courgettes mixture

add the feta, drizzle some olive oil, mix with fork to combine all.

P.S. If you can not find this particular brand of couscous “with lemon & mint” in your grocery store, just get a plain kind, and add your own mint and lemon.

Enjoy!