Indie yogurt roasted chicken drumsticks with Polish 'miseria'

I'm super excited about the results of this experiment! A truly amazing, and diet friendly, way to prepare chicken drumsticks (or a whole chicken). Not a single drop of oil is used in the roasting process, but thanks to the the yogurt marinade chicken remains super juicy on the inside but crunchy on the outside AND full of flavour! Very comforting and it goes perfectly with the Polish cucumber salad called mizeria (not so diet friendly ;)).

You'll need:

3 chicken drumstics

juice from one lemon

5 spoons of natural yogurt

cumin

a bunch of fresh coriander leaves

1 garlic clove

salt&pepper

For Miseria:

cucumber(s)

sour cream 

salt&pepper

tzatziki seasoning mix (optional)

1. Chop the coriander and the garlic and proceed to combine the ingredients of the marinade (i.e yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, garlic and salt&pepper).

2. Leave the skin on the drumsticks, but massage some marinade underneath. You can also make some cuts on the meat underneath the skin for the flavour to mix in even better. Cover the drumsticks completely in the marinade and leave for at least 4 hours.

3. Roast in an oven pre-set to 220 degrees on a grill tray, without a cover for around 40 minutes (depending on the size of the drumsticks). If you don't have a grill tray, or don't want to spend time cleaning one, no worries - I used wooden skewers which I put over an open oven dish (which you can also cover with foil, if you want to avoid cleaning ;)) Thanks to the relatively high temperature and the fact that the drumsticks are completely covered in the marinade they don't dry out.

4. To make the salad, peel and slice the cucumber(s), combine with cream and season with salt and pepper. You can also add tzatziki seasoning mix for an extra twist.

Bon appétit!

Masoor dhal

...or simply split red lentils. Digging deep into my archives for this Indian side dish recipe.

You'll need:
250g split red lentils
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
1 long green chili
turmeric
garam masala
2 garlic cloves
4cm of ginger
oil
salt&pepper
1 litre water

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve and then transfer into a pot. Add garam masala, turmeric and water and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove any foam that accumulates on the surface in the process.

2. In the meantime, chop and fry the onion until it softens and starts turning golden brown. At this point add previously chopped garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds or so, taking care not to burn anything.

3. Cut the chili longways and add to the frying pan with onions together with chopped tomatoes.

4. Once the lentils cooked for 20 miunutes, transfer the contents of the frying pan to the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the lentils are completely soft. Add some water if necessary and stir regularly.

5. Season with salt&pepper if necessary.

Bon appétit!

Pork tenderloin in a green pepper cheese sauce

A very simple and quick recipe for a last minute special occasion dinner that can be ready within 20 minutes! I can't believe it's almost a year since I came up with this idea - reminiscing on the time I've spent in Belgium :) 

You'll need:

pork tenderloin

100g creamy cheese spread (also known as fromage fondu in Belgium (e.g. the one produced by Maredsous or the popular Hochland triangles))

50ml cream

a spoonful of marinaded green pepper

salt & pepper

potatoes (optional, to serve with)

1. Prepare the sauce by melting the cheese in cream in a small pot over a small heat. Once your cheese has completely dissolved, add green pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.

2. Fry the tenderloin on a warmed up pan, seasoned with salt and pepper (preferably freshly grated)

3. Allow the tenderloin to rest for a few minutes, then slice it and serve with your cheese and pepper sauce and a side of boiled potatoes (optional)

Bon appétit!