Young & Hungry

People ask me where I learned how to cook and how I got as into food as I am. Simple: I grew up in a food-loving home! What my question for everyone else out there is…where did people get the idea that a kitchen is supposed to be a fancy, polished environment with no more personality than a cold steel surface? The kitchen I grew up in was full of personality and sometimes chaos. That’s exactly how I like it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where people laugh together, cook together, eat together, argue, make-up, cry over pots of ice cream together, cook comfort meals for the sick, make birthday cakes, you name it. Some of the best meals I have ever eaten were cooked by my loved ones who were never fancy chefs in a 5 star restaurant. Michelin star? What’s that? Haha. No one in my family graduated from French culinary arts schools or cooked under the guidance of celebrated chefs. The people who introduced me to cooking were my grandmothers (both maternal and paternal), my mom, and my dad. People who simply wanted to make food that delights the taste buds and bellies of the family and friends surrounding the dining table.  

I am so happy that my darling fiancé shares the same passion for cooking and for food that I do. I love to bond with him in the kitchen. Concocting special meals for each other, cheering each other up with favorite recipes after a long day, and sometimes using each other as test subjects for some new creations. Not to mention exploring different restaurants and hole-in-the-wall places that somehow have amazing food. And, of course, munching on authentic food where ever we travel too. 

A date night like this is beyond perfection.

That’s how we roll in this family! We have a meal for every occasion and situation. We laugh and cook our way through whatever lemons life serves us – squeeze those lemons dry and toss ’em in an iced tea! 

Don’t get me wrong – sometimes a girl needs an elegant dinner at a nice restaurant. Or some take-out food that cures a craving or makes life a little easier on an exhausting day. That said, the joy of cooking for my loved ones is always present.

So let’s forget those pre-made, plastic meals and get back to the real cookin’! Be fearless (but careful). Get our hands messy, our aprons dirty, and our face full of smiles. Cooking has to come from the soul, otherwise you’re just tossing things in a bowl and calling it chow. A real meal made with fervor & love – regardless of complexity – is a meal that will satisfy the soul and the belly alike. Yes, cheesy (haha), but nonetheless true! 

Happy eating and cooking!

Shut up stomach! You’re not hungry, just bored.

Don’t forget the little moments, they’re the ones that mean the most.

-Chris young

You’re sitting there doing your thing then all of a sudden your stomach makes some baby bulldog noises. Luckily, we live in an area where almost any type of food is readily available and if not you can buy the ingredients to cook what you like. But wait… what happens when you aren’t sure what you are hungry for? I have experienced (quite too often) the phenomenon where I was being yelled at by my stomach in baby bulldog noises and wale noises to boot, but had no idea what I felt like eating. During one of my more recent “I’m-hungry-but-dunno-what-to-eat” moments, I came up with this little dish which was inspired by the flavors of the Middle East. All of the spices on the chicken combined with the fresh veggies (okay, yes; tomato and avocado are technically fruits, but I get them in the veggie section so they will be veggies to me) and the yogurt dressing make this a super satisfying chow fest.

Spicy Chicken Kebabs:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp crushed garlic

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp Cayenne powder

4 pita breads, sliced open

2 tomatoes, sliced

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced into enough slices for 4

1 small red onion

Enough Romano lettuce leaves to stuff into each pita

Small handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

150 g plain yogurt

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

Method:

• Soak eight wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
• Cut the chicken breast fillets into decent sized chunks, set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, ground coriander, ginger, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice, crushed garlic, cayenne powder, half of your cilantro, and season with salt and pepper. Then toss the chicken (using your hands) until well coated with the spices. Let that stand covered in your fridge until your skewers are done soaking.
• Brush a griddle pan with some oil and heat to medium-high. Skewer your marinated chicken and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, turning the skewers occasionally.
• While your chicken is grilling, warm the pita breads in the oven on low temp. Do not make them crispy, you just want to warm them through. Once warmed up, cut a slit along one edge of the pita to make the traditional pita pocket.
• To make your dressing: mix the yogurt and mint together.
• Stuff your pita breads with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sliced onion. Remove the cooked chicken from its skewers and stuff into the pita. Slather some of that yogurt sauce on the pita and sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
• Devour.