“Do not be afraid of simplicity. If you have a cold chicken for supper, why cover it with a tasteless white sauce which makes it look like a pretentious dish on the buffet table at some fancy dress ball?”
Marcel Boulestin
Have had a busy week, & just when I thought the kids were finally back to school after a 2 month vacation, ‘they’ (the district authorities) decided to extend the vacations! Too hot for all kids to be at school, so we have them home for another week. Phew! On the brighter side of life, we did manage to get a few random showers, which means we might expect respite from the harsh Indian summer pretty soon. These appear to be pre-monsoon showers, & though they give us an overdose of humidity, they keep our hopes raised. 
With the kids home again, the thought process & body mechanism involuntarily heads towards the kitchen no matter what. These past 2 months have run me ragged trying to think of how best to serve ‘food with a difference’. Left with few exciting options for dinner as I’ve been through the normal run of dinner table items, I often need the change, more than the kids. I took chicken tenders out for a supposedly light version of Butter Chicken, but chickened out at the thought as it still involves cream & butter. 
ITALIAN CHICKEN ON STICKS
Ingredients:
750gms chicken thigh tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
Zest & juice of 2 limes
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
Handful of fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tsp smoked chipotle paste (optional)
Salt to taste
Method:
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Whisk together oil , zest, juice of limes, garlic, oregano and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings if required.
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Remove 2 tbsp of the marinade for a salad if you like (optional), & whisk in the chipotle paste in the rest.
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Soak bamboo sticks in water for 30 minutes,
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Marinate the chicken tenders in this for at least an hour, or overnight. Take it out of the fridge half an hour before cooking.
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Preheat the oven to 300C.
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Thread the tenders on bamboo sticks alternatively with bell peppers & onions.
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Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Let drip for a 5 minutes. Grill the tenders on sticks on a heated grill pan, pressing down gently to get the BBQ lines. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.
My sis has been visiting from the US so I got my lucky haul of stuff. Have finally laid my hands on books I’ve been waiting to read for ages – Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes & A HomeMade Life. In addition, I got baking tins, tart pans & loads of more exciting stuff, including another Cookie book. FUN!! My dream run continued & sis # 2 had a friend flying in from the US and sent me some more ‘loot’! A fluted cake tin, silicon muffin cups,an oven thermometer … & much more! Now all I need is a little time…
