Hope all of u had a happy holiday season. A new year, a fresh new start. Well, not exactly a clean slate, but lots of space left to write on.Lots of great memories to make, and lots of plates to wipe clean. Hopefully this year shall be quite an adventure, in all aspects. Well, now that I am finally out of the holiday mode, the heart is cribbing for all the holiday fun all the more. So why not let me take a few steps back, and relive Christmas Eve again.
Our California plans got shelved for a mishap.So for the first time, we had no plans, and there was a long holiday staring at us, right in front. So why not head to the 'Show Town of the Midwest,' Branson, in Missouri. The quaint little city, known for its shows and for having the biggest collection of Christmas Lights in the US. So it was Branson on the GPS. Picked a few neighbours, rented a van, booked a log cabin by the lake, and off we went to relax.
Despite driving all the way, Hubby as usual wanted to begin the vacation by cooking for us. Why not?! The grill at the deck of the cabin was waiting just for him.And weren't we already carrying quite a load of marinated meat and sea food. So the magician started his magic on the fire.
The December chill, the festive cheer in our hearts, the warmth of the leaping flames, the serenity of the lake in front: it was the perfect start to the holiday season.
Chicken breasts, seasoned with Cajun, Cayenne Pepper and Salt, and lemon juice hit the grill first. The chicken breasts had been cut in half and then scored diagonally so as to evenly cook them, and also for the marinade to sink in better. This was the first course of the chicken, and so had a dry rub going with it, while the second course had been marinating in Tandoori glory since the night before. The aroma of the meat on the flames even brought a stray mongrel around our cabin. The sizzle of the meat, the smokey aromas wafting through our noses, just set the right mood.
It had started to get dark, and the grilling had just about started. There were two more courses to hit the fire. Did I also mention that we had suddenly become super hungry. That is what the lure of good food does to you, I guess.
Once the first course was off the fire, it was decided that we start off eating, while the next few courses met their fate at the grill, under the expert's supervision. Tandoori Chicken always finds a place whenever Desis hit the grill usually. So it was for us as well. Only this time, we also had skewers full of Prawn Tikka to add some more crunch to the plate. The prawns and the Chicken drum sticks were marinated overnight. The marinade included yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, canola oil, Tandoori Masala. I had made some slits to the chicken drumsticks before marinating them, so that the marinade worked better on the meat. After the marinated drumsticks were grilled, it was time for the prawns. In a typical Prawn Tikka style, the prawns were pierced on bamboo skewers, along with slices of bell pepper, red onions and cherry tomatoes. Before being used, the bamboo skewers had been soaked in water, so that they did not get charred when they hit the grill. When served with a dash of lemon juice and some chaat masala, I almost forgot I was not in my homeland.
Needless to say, when my Iron Chef takes over kitchen responsibilities, everyone around is a happy soul. The double course chicken and the seafood were grilled to perfection. The food was so good, that we forgot to photograph half of the things. Well, I have a confession to make in this regard. I was the one who had volunteered to click away while Hubby cooked, and I got too busy eating, and forgot about the DSLR hanging from my neck. But no regrets, as the food was phenomenal.
Our California plans got shelved for a mishap.So for the first time, we had no plans, and there was a long holiday staring at us, right in front. So why not head to the 'Show Town of the Midwest,' Branson, in Missouri. The quaint little city, known for its shows and for having the biggest collection of Christmas Lights in the US. So it was Branson on the GPS. Picked a few neighbours, rented a van, booked a log cabin by the lake, and off we went to relax.
Despite driving all the way, Hubby as usual wanted to begin the vacation by cooking for us. Why not?! The grill at the deck of the cabin was waiting just for him.And weren't we already carrying quite a load of marinated meat and sea food. So the magician started his magic on the fire.
The December chill, the festive cheer in our hearts, the warmth of the leaping flames, the serenity of the lake in front: it was the perfect start to the holiday season.
Chicken breasts, seasoned with Cajun, Cayenne Pepper and Salt, and lemon juice hit the grill first. The chicken breasts had been cut in half and then scored diagonally so as to evenly cook them, and also for the marinade to sink in better. This was the first course of the chicken, and so had a dry rub going with it, while the second course had been marinating in Tandoori glory since the night before. The aroma of the meat on the flames even brought a stray mongrel around our cabin. The sizzle of the meat, the smokey aromas wafting through our noses, just set the right mood.
 |
| Cajun Chicken being grilled to perfection |
It had started to get dark, and the grilling had just about started. There were two more courses to hit the fire. Did I also mention that we had suddenly become super hungry. That is what the lure of good food does to you, I guess.
Once the first course was off the fire, it was decided that we start off eating, while the next few courses met their fate at the grill, under the expert's supervision. Tandoori Chicken always finds a place whenever Desis hit the grill usually. So it was for us as well. Only this time, we also had skewers full of Prawn Tikka to add some more crunch to the plate. The prawns and the Chicken drum sticks were marinated overnight. The marinade included yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, salt, canola oil, Tandoori Masala. I had made some slits to the chicken drumsticks before marinating them, so that the marinade worked better on the meat. After the marinated drumsticks were grilled, it was time for the prawns. In a typical Prawn Tikka style, the prawns were pierced on bamboo skewers, along with slices of bell pepper, red onions and cherry tomatoes. Before being used, the bamboo skewers had been soaked in water, so that they did not get charred when they hit the grill. When served with a dash of lemon juice and some chaat masala, I almost forgot I was not in my homeland.
 |
| Tandoori Chicken |
Thanks for Sharing this useful information with us. If anybody want to try best Cajun ChickenCajun Chicken then you can visit our site.
ReplyDelete