Chicken Faijta Lettuce Wraps

This dish is inpired by Sue Ellen Reyes Johnson, an Amazing passionate individual that inspires me! She calls it 'garden faijtas' check out her blog, www.theyellowtearoom.com
This is what I made for dinner tonight! It's simple, nutritious and delicious! It's quick to make, makes you feel full and is healthy, filling yet light! A great post-workout meal or when you're hungry and need to make something fast! Especially because my sister and I work all day, it's hard to make complicated dishes during the evening coz we are both so tired!

Chicken Faijta Lettuce Wraps

( serves 2-3 people)

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts cut into strips (I used 2)

Boston lettuce or cabbage (or any broad flat leaf lettuce)

1 Green bell pepper

1 large tomato

1 large white onion

lemon pepper herb seasoning

3 garlic cloves

juice of 2-3 lemons

salt

pepper

Preparation

1. Wash the chicken, pat dry and cut into strips

2. put it in a bowl and marinate for 30 minutes in lemon juice, garilc, salt, pepper and lemon pepper herb seasoning ( you can use any seasoning you like, the next time i make this i will be adding a tablespoon of taco seasoning!)

3. Grill the chicken until juices run clear and cooked on the inside

4. Add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring

5. Add the chopped tomato and green bell pepper ( i cut them into strips)

6. Cook for a few more minutes, make sure the tomatoes don't get too soggy

7. Place the chicken with the grilled vegetables inside a lettuce wrap

8. Drizzle some soya sauce on top et voila!
Variations: Always be creative! You can use minced chicken, minced meat, even add some salsa, shredded chedder cheese, sour cream, or gaucamole for a mexican flavour!

You can also add chopped green onions, shredded carrots to the chicken for a chinese version. You can basically use any of your favorite vegetables.

Have you tried this yet? Let me know how YOU made this dish!

Yummmm!!!!!!!

Chocolate Fondant a la Bailey's

Recipe adapted from Chef Axel Godefroid from Empire in Monarch Dubai.

Makes 4-6 chocolate fondants (I used 4 ramekins, mine were pretty big, but if you use smaller ones you can make 6 chocolate fondants)

Ingredients

150grams chocolate

150gr butter
2 pcs eggs

2 pcs egg yolk ( I used only 1 egg yolk)

60 gr icing sugar (1/2 cup)
16 gr flour (2 tablespoons)

Preparation
CHOCOLATE FONDANT

• melt chocolate• melt butter

• whisk sugar, egg, egg yolk

• add chocolate and butter mixed together

• add sieved flour

• add 1 tablespoon of bailey's irish cream or orange liquer (optional)

• put on ramekins that are already buttered and floured

• cooked at 180 degrees celcius for 8-9 minutes
Place the ramekins upside down on a plate and slowly lift it up, the fondant should slide out easily.

Serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmm FONDANT-LICIOUS!!!!!!

I added a tablespoon of baileys, I also tried this once with orange liquer it was delicious! This is also really good without any liquer. Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!!! Oh, for presentation purposes you can sieve some icing sugar on top of the fondant, like i did with the brownies below, add some raspberries on the plate too! This is a great dessert to serve at a dinner party, your guests will be VERY impressed! :)

Remember to be CREATIVE! After all.....

"Cooking and Entertaining is about finding your own style while following a
few basic guidelines."

- Patty Kriz

After all this baking today (and tasting) it is time for me to hit the gym because I am feeling very full! ( tip: if serving chocolate fondant as a dessert during a dinner, make sure your main course etc is not too heavy, otherwise it will be painful to eat this as dessert because it is quite heavy!)

ENJOY!

Arlene's Brownies

This brownie recipe is absolutely to die for! Always a favorite growing up, they are sweet, densly rich, chocolatey and very fudgy! I've always been on the hunt for the perfect brownie recipe and this one comes very very close! The best brownies i have ever tasted, has to be from Fat Witch bakery in New York City. I managed to get a hold of their caramel brownie recipe-I think I will attempt to make it soon and share my results with you. In the meantime, Enjoy Arlene's fabulous Brownies!

Arlene's Brownies

Ingredients

*1/2 cup self raising flour
*3/4 cup melted butter
*1 & 1/4 cup sugar
*1/2 cup cocoa powder ( i used hershey's)
*1 tsp vanilla
*4 eggs
*3/4 cup hershey's chocolate syrup

Preparation

1- Sieve flour and cocoa powder, then set aside

2- Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of cold water

3- Set aside and let it cool and then add the vanilla

4- Beat the eggs thoroughly till peaks form, add the flour-cocoa mixture and beat on low speed until it's all mixed

5- Add the butter sugar mixture and beat on low just until all ingredients are incorporated and you have a smooth batter

6- Add the chocolate syrup and fold it into brownie batter with a spatula

7- Put it in the oven ( 180 degrees celcius) for 20-25 minutes.

8- Around 20 mins, test doneness with a toothpick

9- Remove and let cool, then use a knife to cut into squares, also once cool you can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top to make it look puurrrty :)

ENJOY!!!!!!

I made these today and as you can tell from the picture, they don't look super fudgy, (which they usually are) that's because I used 1/2 cup of hershey's choclate syrup and baked them for 25 minutes. I urge you to use 3/4 cup of chocolate syrup and bake them for 15-20 minutes. It's ok if the toothpick comes out with a little batter on it, once it cools it will solidfy a bit more but retain its fudgy-ness!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FUDGY BROWNIE RECIPE? If you try this one, i would love to hear your feedback on your success!