Marinated chicken on a stick and living leaner
Delicious meal
Now that the new year has started the term Living Leaner that Mona started on her blog Wisewords, takes on a bit of a double meaning for me. In fact, it takes on a triple meaning… I’m no different then anyone else around the world who wants to get fit and healthy in the new Year. Maybe with this difference being that I actually started right after Christmas (with just a short break at New Years) so this doesn’t count at all as a New Years resolution. I don’t do New Years resolutions so this just happens to be in the same period. And let’s face it, we’ve been here before now haven’t we? But in terms of living leaner; I could be a lot leaner myself and since Tom is still unemployed we have to live a lot leaner ourselves to. The budget has a limit!
And quite frankly, the way we were spending money before was – at some point – quite ridiculous. That’s the thing with having enough money; you tend to start living according to it. And that’s fine really but it also means that taking a step back is a bit harder. And it’s quite a big step back too. Finding a job in these days is hard. December is not the best month in any year to find a job but with the crisis everyone talks about, it is even harder. We’re still hopeful all will turn around soon but as of this month Tom is on unemployment benefit for the first time in his life (and I bet he also wishes it is going to be the last time too)
Skewered chicken with orange fennel salad
And the worst thing is that we do not know at this point how much money we will have left. I have an irregular income and Tom will only hear at the end of the month how much his benefit will be. So we’re preparing for the worst case scenario, just in case.. 
That means that we’re on a tight budget. I do realize there are loads of people out there that have a far worse situation then we do, so believe me, I’m not complaining. I’m merely stating the facts. So that means that we have to also become a bit more creative with what we eat. Once a week (on saturday) we get a crate of organically grown produce including meat, vegetables, cheese, eggs etc. If we use it wisely it would be enough to feed us for a week if we add some extra’s to it such as pasta, spices etc. It’s always seasonal and local too. Going to the supermarket would possibly be a tiny bit cheaper but then I wouldn’t know where it came from and I would like to still support the local farmers where we can. And for now, we still can, so no reason to get rid of that.
This particular meal does have a lot of ingredients but most of that we always have in house so there was no extra cost involved. The only thing I needed to buy was the chicken, the fennel, the salad and the oranges and the cost of those you see below. It was delicious, especially the marinade on the chicken gets high points. We had this with some plain rice as otherwise the meal would have been too light. And while I do want to lose weight, I want it to be sensible too!
And so you can all check how I’m doing I’ve added a little weight loss badge on the right in the sidebar… If it stays at the same number for too long, you can come and kick my butt!
Spicy skewered chicken with fennel-orange salad
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
- 200g chicken breast
- olive oil
Herb mix
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon seasalt
- 1 teaspoon arachid oil (nut oil)
- 1 teaspoon shaohsing ricewine or dry sherry
orange fennel salad
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 piece lime juice (juice from half a lime)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil (I used regular sesame oil)
- 200g mixed salad leaves (washed)
- 1 piece fennel bulb (sliced thinly, soaked in cold water for 30 seconds and drained)
- 2 pieces oranges (peeled, parts cut out from between the pith)
- seasalt
- pepper
Directions:
| Soak 8-10 bamboo skewers for 20 minutes in cold water | |
| Mix all ingredients for the herb mix in a bowl. put the meat in and coat them with the mix before you put them on the skewers | |
| Heat a griddle or grill pan on high and sprinkle the meat with a little olive oil. Put the skewers in and grill the meat until golden brown, turn and grill the other side too. take of the fire. | |
| For the salad put olive oil, orange and limejuice, soysauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper in a bowl together and whisk. Put the salad leaves in another bowl and divide the fennel and orange parts; sprinkle the dressing over the salad. | |
| Divide the salad over 2 plates and put the chicken skewers on top and serve immediately. | |
Note
The original recipe uses lambfillet but that is hard to find here so I went with chicken instead!
Recipe from the book Chinese food made easy
Cost:
- Fennel € 1,30
- Oranges € 0,50
- Chickenbreast € 1,50
- Mixed Salad leaves € 1,50
- TOTAL 4,80
Obviously the salad leaves could have been cheaper had I used regular salad but these were bought for a photoshoot so I figured I might as well use them!
Appetizer
Asian
Bread
Breakfast
Desserts & other sweets
Healthy
OMG – this looks so so so so yummy! I think the more salad you incorporate into your life the better.
My little packets of seeds came today, thank you! And the Chef has already planted one of the packets
so I expect in a week we will see some growth. Can’t wait.
Happy New Year Simone!
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 5th, 2012 at 22:57
It was indeed very yummy Mona. Glad to hear the packets have arrived and can’t wait to see what you guys make with them!
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Scrumptious! Wonderfully spicy.
Cheers,
Rosa
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 5th, 2012 at 22:57
Thanks Rosa!
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Everything looks so delicious.
Good luck with everything, because I don’t want to kick your butt, you are too nice
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 5th, 2012 at 22:58
Thanks Magda..
But I do need some butt kicking every now and then… Seriously!
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Was the chicken breast really just £1.50? What weight was it?
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 5th, 2012 at 22:59
He Mark, Yes it was very cheap as there was a special deal 2 for the price of 1..
And it was about 200 grams. A little more I believe..
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I don’t really do resolutions either, but that doesn’t mean one can’t choose to make positive changes just for their own sake. And it certainly is possible to eat well on a budget. This dish sounds like a great combination of flavours!
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Exactly.. That’s why I’m not calling it a new years resolution. It has such a failure ring to it, that I just don’t like at all! And it is a great combination of flavors!
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Simone, this post speaks my heart.
Our family income has been on a squeeze lately, with extra sick family member to take care of and my husband’s irregular income. We have been on stricter budget, and thought twice before purchasing anything. I have been surprised how little less can go a long way, with money I mean.
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 6th, 2012 at 16:55
Irregular incomes can be tricky if there is no regular income to balance it out, as is the case with us. I make money but it can be a lot of very little depending on the month and the jobs I get. Having a sick family member to take care of will make it even harder. But yes, ultimately it is teaching us again the value of money almost. Still I hope things improve for you as well as for us in 2012!
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Simone, I hope Tom finds a job soon. It is not easy, I have been unemployed for months now, jobs are scarce. What scares me is that we don’t have any buffer if we had to fix something in the house. It is the same for so many people I know, when I hear people complain about their job I always tell them that they are lucky to have one.
I am in the process of interviewing for a job, waiting to meet a person who is out of state and will be back next week. I try not to get too excited about the job, which will be a great one btw.
To a new year living leaner but with a job for both me and Tom.
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 6th, 2012 at 16:53
I will keep my fingers crossed that you find a job soon Laura! Tom also has an interesting one going on right now for which he has an interview (2nd one) next week again so I hope both he and you get the position!!
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That just looks lovely.
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:04
Thanks Joy!
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Though I am thoroughly enjoying soup and stew season here in Colorado, your salad makes me yearn for spring! I too love the simplicity of topping fresh greens with a flavorful protein … soon, very soon.
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:05
Thanks Judy. I actually think a lot of salads can be eaten perfectly well in winter. I love winter salads!
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You have become such an adventurous cook, Simone… this looks so delicious and I marvel at the flavours on your table each week. I wish my husband was as curious and accepting. YUM!
V
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:06
Well Tom doesn’t always like what he gets… But since he’s pretty much into cooking as well, he does accept a tiny failure every once in a while..lol… Not too often cause then he gets grumpy and not too many vegetarian dishes as then he starts complaining too, but otherwise he’s pretty much ok with most meals!
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I love this recipe. It’s simple and so tasty. Your photos are wonderful. I enjoy watching them so much. Happy Year 2012.
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:07
Happy New year to you too!
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I completely understand, we have been doing okay with my extra job I had. So we enjoyed life for a bit. Now it is time to get back to normal, and tighten up the belt a bit. We should both be thankful though for great husbands, our health, and the fact that 2012 will totally rock!
Your chicken skewers sound wonderful, love the fennel salad:-) Hugs, Terra
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:08
Thanks so much Terra! Yes, I always thank there is a lot to be thankful for even though sometimes it’s tempting to suffer a little from selfpity..;)
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Such a great little meal. So very simple, yet looks so very yummy. Well, of course it does, since you took the pictures!
Orange fennel sounds like a winning combination to me. I get the feeling this will end up on my table sometime soon!
Now, to pin some of those mouthwatering pictures…
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Simone (junglefrog) — January 7th, 2012 at 10:08
You’re too sweet Sonia! And yes, definitely a winning combo in my book..;)
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I am a big fan of your pictures, Simone..never miss out on any recipe for the same..and this one is no exception. Awesome clicks.
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The flavors sound amazing here, esp. the fennel and the cumin are my favorite. Need to give this a try. and I am love with the warm tones of this photograph. I hope Tom finds a job soon.
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Good luck with it all in 2012 & I hope your Tom will find a great job really soon,…
Your chicken on a stick sald looks lovely & great!
MMMMMMMM,….! Excellent pics too!
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love food on a stick, and this is no exception!
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I can relate Simone. Nearly three years ago my husband lost his job and it was not easy. He took on consulting and opened his own business but that didn’t work out. He is now employed again but not at the same pay. We got through it. It made us stop and think about a lot of things. The good news is that through this we maintained health and a good attitude. I know you will do the same. Looking forward to seeing your leaner dishes like this one.
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Looks yummy! Great photos!
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First off, sorry to hear about your situation…I hope things look brighter for you guys in 2012. As for the recipe Simone…brilliant. Skewering meat is my favourite way of cooking (hello souvlaki!) and the accompanying salad is beautiful…great thinking for a cheap and cheerful meal!
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