Caitríona Redmond: How to make these chicken kebabs in your air fryer
Pic: iStock
It’s time for an annual review. Here we are, just a few days after New Year’s and Nollaig na mBán is fast on its way.
Many people will have taken down the Christmas decorations at this point, in preparation for kids returning to school on Monday, or even back to work after an extended break.
My house seems to echo once I’ve stowed the decorations away, and it feels like it needs a good deep clean.
Even with the days being marginally longer I feel a little more excited about spring in the air, I’ve even started to order my seeds for the allotment.
That said, June is fast approaching and at the end of the next six months my husband’s carer’s leave is over. Having him around has made an immeasurable difference to the entire family.
My wish for 2025 is to retain the extra pair of hands at home. If I want to do that, then I must take a long hard look at my household budget and spending patterns to save more money.
Personal reflection always makes me feel uncomfortable.
Just as well it’s a feeling I’m familiar with because yikes, my food spending has been cantering along unchecked for the past 4 weeks thanks to the festive season.
Did I really mean to buy six tubes of the popular circular crisp snacks that rhyme with jingles? Definitely not.
Were they eaten? Yes, but I still regret buying them.
I must accept I’ve made spending mistakes recently and move on from there.
Which is why I find myself back at my desk with a bundle of crumpled receipts, a pen and paper, and a spreadsheet to keep myself on track.
I have logged the quantity of food and the weight of my Christmas dinner last year.
I had a lot of leftovers; therefore, I know that I can save money next year by ordering less. I won’t benefit straight away but it’s a good place to start.
Next, I check my annual bills are due in January. I thank my past self for reorganising the car tax from January to April a few years ago.
This reduced the big bill at the start of the year, a time when everything can feel a little more difficult to swallow.
I list down all the ingredients I have to hand. From the freezer to the bottom of the fridge, and on to the bulk ingredient stores.
This feels like the task that never ends, and for the eleventeenth time I resolve to keep the stock list updated.
It’s been a long day, taking a difficult look at my buying and spending patterns.
A month ago, I might have opted to take a break from cooking at this point due to exhaustion.
That’s not an option anymore so I popped some potatoes into the oven to bake. If all else fails, we have baked potatoes with beans. A feast in any language.
Maybe it won’t be so bad sticking to a new budget after all.
Do you ever open the door to the kitchen or any other room in your home and feel disheartened at the volume of work it will take to set it to rights? If so, you are not on your own.
I get this feeling every morning after my pair of whirlwinds have made breakfast, packed lunches, and trotted off to school oblivious of the mayhem they have left behind them.
With a busy working week, I don’t have time to deep clean the entire house every day. Even if I did have time, you’d find me nestled in the corner reading a book instead. Instead, I learned to make time work for me.
You might be used to using a Pomodoro or tomato timer for work tasks? This is a clock you can set on your computer to concentrate on jobs for between 20-40 minutes at a go.
I use my kitchen timer for a cleaning purposes. 15-minute blocks are my secret to creating order in the kitchen and carving out time from my day job so that I don’t feel it’s an insurmountable task by close of business.
Take the time to marinade your chicken thighs before cooking and they will be incredibly tender. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin off 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste 1 tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp ground white pepper ¼ tsp salt 1 red pepper, sliced 1 red onion, sliced ¼ cucumber, sliced 2 tomatoes, sliced 1 handful finely sliced cabbage Juice of 1 lemon 4 pita breads or wraps Method Place the chicken in a large bowl with the ginger and garlic paste, paprika, white pepper, and salt. Stir well so that the raw chicken is coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for between 1 hour to 3 hours before cooking. To cook the chicken, place into the air fryer. There is no need for any oil with this recipe. Cook at 160°C for 30 minutes, making sure to flip the chicken every 10 minutes. If you prefer your peppers and onions cooked with the chicken, add these to the air fryer 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Sprinkle the pita bread with water and toast lightly on each side until the bread starts to puff slightly. Carefully split the pita on one side to create a pocket. Fill with as many fresh salad ingredients as you like, then the chicken, onion, and peppers, then squeeze lemon over the top to serve.Airfryer Chicken Kebabs
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