Tuesday, I decided that I really wanted some chili-lime chicken. Kaalyn and I, a couple weeks ago, decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and hit up some patios. We went to O'Sheas, where we weren't even offered menu's despite every customer our server went to after being offered them. So we had our drinks, and then waved them off in search of some delicious appetizers. We went to Moxie's, where the patio had a 20 minute wait and the restaurant was empty. Upon remembering that the last time we were there, we had horrid service and the food was kinda gross, we hopped in the car again to search out the next establishment. Beily's was completely empty during our drive by. In fact, it looked like they didn't even open the patio yet that day. Boston Pizza... just hells no. Original Joe's is right beside the Boston Pizza, and their patio was full of sun and only half full of people. So we copped a squat, and it was incredibly worth it. Our server was great, and we had the best chili-lime chicken I've ever had. (Note: don't order the Red Pepper Spinach Dip. It's mostly cheez whiz).
Now we're on to this Tuesday. I reeeally wanted to be able to make the deliciousness that is chili-lime chicken, and I succeeded in that it tasted similar. Mine was made a little more low-fat, but hey. Whatever.
What You'll Need
chicken breasts, cut into strips - I purchased chicken breasts that were already cut into strips (they called them filet's, but Co-op can be weird), and used 8 strips
Cornflake crumbs, or your favourite bread crumbs
Basic spices - I used sea salt, black pepper, and thyme
Crunchy chow mein noodles - approx. 1 cup per serving (or more if you're like me and love chow mein noodles)
Green onion, chopped
Baby spinach - approx. 1 cup per serving
1 bottle of Thai Sweet Chili sauce. There are many brands, and varying levels of heat. Choose what you like.
Lime juice and/or fresh limes. Completely your choice.
Foreman grill - If you don't have one, may I suggest purchasing one? Otherwise, bake the strips in the oven.
1. In a bowl, combine enough Cornflake crumbs to coat your chicken strips with your desired spices.
2. Allow Foreman grill/ oven to preheat.
3. Coat chicken strips with Cornflake crumbs, put on grill/cooking sheet and cook through. (Just remember: because they're cut into strips, they will cook a lot faster than a full breast)
4. Once chicken is cooked, cut into small bite-sized pieces. I say to do this after they're cooked because it's less gross, and the pieces can be more uniform. I also find it easier to dice cooked chicken than it is to try to do it with raw.
5. In a bowl, combine about a 1/4 cup of Thai Sweet Chili sauce with approximately a tablespoon of lime juice (or a single lime, if you're going that way). I say this as approximations because it'll all depend just how much you're cooking, and how much of the sauce you want as extra.
6. Toss chicken and 3/4c. of your chow mein noodles in the sauce.
Wednesday (being today), I was in the mood for a rice noodle bowl. Mind you, I had to prepare ahead of time because the beef needed to marinate, but I definitely could have changed my mind and made the steaks as their normal steak selves. I went with a teriyaki marinade, found on Allrecipes as the "Easiest Teriyaki Marinade Ever". While I may not think that it's the BEST ever, it certainly was easy. So I let the steaks I picked up (labelled as grilling steaks by Co-op. Man, their labels are weird) marinate overnight, and then went from there.
What You'll Need
small steaks, one per serving
one package rice vermicelli noodles
julienned carrots, cucumbers, or whatever you want to go into the noodle bowl
shredded lettuce - enough to cover the bottom of the bowl/plate you're using to serve
sesame seeds, for garnish
chopped peanuts - the one thing that I didn't have and that totally makes the dish. Sigh.
1. Marinate your steaks. I can't stress this enough. This way, you get a good flavour base even if you plan on bumping it up a notch while you're cooking.
4. Use a non-stick skillet, heating to just under medium heat. Trust me, because of the sugar content of the marinade I used, any higher would have had my touchy smoke detector going ape shit. At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Place your steak slices on the frying pan, as many as you can fit. I had to do it twice, but that's just how it goes.
6. Keep an eye on the steak, and when the water is boiling in that pot I told you to set up, dump in your vermicelli noodles. These noodles need a MAXIMUM of 2 minutes to cook.
7. Once the noodles are done, drain and allow to sit in the strainer/colander/sieve/whatever name you've given the large pot-type-deal with holes in it over the empty pot. This way, if any stray noodles decide that they want to make a run for it, you get to laugh in their face because they're in the pot and you can get them. Or at least I do.
I really wish that I had the forethought to pick up some spring rolls (and chopped peanuts >: | ), as that would have made the meal absolutely perfect. As it stands, I'll settle for top notch.
