A few weeks ago I caught myself telling a friend "I never bake chicken unless it is a whole chicken" and as the words were leaving my lips I wondered: but why not?
So I went out and bought skinless, boneless chicken breast at the halal butcher that I love (New Mid East, on Bank near Alta Vista, Ottawa ON) and came back home to make my ideal marinade. 

I wanted to have a spicy flavour-intense chicken that I could put in a salad or a sandwich or a pizza, with the knowledge that it could carry the entire meal. This chicken in a salad doesn't need much of a dressing: just a squeeze of  lemon and a sprinkle of salt is enough! 


Beware supertasters: this is a spicy marinade. Reduce quantities of Spicy paprika and/or Hot cayenne for a milder marinade.

It must have been a success because I have only made it twice and have already received requests for the marinade recipe, so here it is.

1. Cut chicken breast into even strips. I made 2 to 3 strips with each of mine.
2. In a large bowl, add spices to the chicken.
3. Add minced or crushed garlic and salt.
4. Splash olive oil, enough to moisten the spices but not so much that you have a pool of oil.
5. Mix and rub spice mix with hands. Make sure all the chicken is coated and rubbed and that the garlic and salt is evenly distributed.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate at least an hour. I left mine out on the counter because I was using it within the hour and because I find that meat cooks better when it is room temperature.
7. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes. Ovens do vary so it is preferable to go with intuition. You want your chicken thoroughly cooked by not overcooked. Am I being super obvious right now? Like I said, I don't have a habit of cooking chicken breast!

Here is an example of a pizza I made with that chicken! 

Mixed and marinating.

Post by: Andi

Since moving to London, I have become acquainted with a whole new kind of home cooking. To sum it up: lots of spice, lots of rice. This recipe is a slight adaptation of my mother-in-law's standard chicken curry. I have added a couple teaspoons of sugar to offset the tangy-ness of the tomatoes, and I have included a dried herb called kasoori methi, which you can find at your local Indian grocer. It adds a whole other dimension to this dish and gives it that truly authentic curry taste. You won't believe you made it at home!