It is summertime and I am jealous of all you lucky people that have a back garden or even a terrace that is large enough to BBQ on. I am confined to do all my cooking in my kitchen, no outdoor, smoky adventures for me.
With my parameters in mind, I am compiling a neat little list of recipes that have the taste of summer even if they are coming from my indoor kitchen. I love how by changing a few spices you can make an entirely different meal, like visiting a different country.
I adore the Epicurious recipe for Chili and Honey Chicken Legs. This recipe is super easy, I put the chicken in the marinade in the morning then when I get home all i have to do is pop it in the oven. I usually like to turn on the grill (broiler) for the last few minutes to give it that slightly burnt taste. I like to pair the chicken with spicy rice and beans for a faux Mexican flavour.
I still window shop in the BBQ section of the supermarket, just because I don’t have a garden doesn’t that mean that I don’t like grilled meat. I have been buying ready made kebabs then trying to recreate the recipes. My favourite so far is the Spiced Lamb Koftas. I usually will put some red or green pepper on the skewers with the meat balls. I serve with a crisp green salad, pita and yogurt dip.
The other recipe idea I picked up was Beef Satay. I love the whole marinating thing, just mix some ingredients together, throwing the meat in and when you get home after a long day at work you can have a meal in less than an hour. I love beef satay with ginger flavoured rice. Yummy.
Do you have any summer recipes for cooking indoors like you are cooking in the fresh air?