Anyway, been cooped up in the house since Thursday afternoon, when I felt so sick and tired that I left work right after lunch. Got home and slept ... And slept ... And slept !!! It was good, because I was about to feel better and encouraged me on simple dishes to have.
Due to not feeling well plus a great deal of tomatoes in the fridge (due to the cooking Saturday with my friends - http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegetarian-lasagna-with-homemade.html), combining both reasons, I thought of using the tomatoes, which is not just a good source of vitamin C it also gives a lovely red colour to dishes. However, I had to do something very simple, as I wouldn't want to stand the whole evening next to the stove this time.
Took out the following ingredients:
- 250 g of chopped brightly red tomatoes. (The redder they are, the sweeter it seems to me)
- 50 g of finely chopped onions
- Crushed a couple of cloves of garlic
- 20-40 pc of capers (it is usually a tbs or two)
- 10-15 pcs of green olives (not fresh & prefer the pitted type & stuffed with paprika)
- 100-150 g of finely chopped (or minced) chicken meat
- A stalk of fresh basil with 5-8 leaves, chopped (yes, including the stalk, which should be finely chopped and the leaves roughly chopped)
- A twig of thyme with leaves (of course, no need to chop them)
- enough chillies that it "spikes" the dish, or enough to "fire" it up (strictly optional)
Heat the pan with a medium-high to high fire till it is warm enough, that it doesn't smoke. Then poured in a good amount of oil ... Like 3-5 tbs ... I prefer olive oil, the cooking variety, not the one you use for salad dressings since this one burns easily. It usually takes at most a minute, when you have a really hot pan for the oil to warm up before it starts smoking.
Follow it now with the onions, after 30 seconds to a minute add the garlic. If you notice that the pan looks a bit dry, add a tbs of oil or two (when u add more oil, that means you will have to Sautée the onions and garlic for one minute longer). Sautée the onions and garlic until the onions are a bit glassy and not completely white in colour.
Do not worry if it turns a bit brown, but not black and not all brown. When you have reached this point, stir in the tomatoes and the twig of thyme
into the pan and cover the lid. If you have not yet lowered the fire under your pan, it is good to do it now to medium-low to medium. Let the mixture dry up, but not like a desert or crispy at all.
into the pan and cover the lid. If you have not yet lowered the fire under your pan, it is good to do it now to medium-low to medium. Let the mixture dry up, but not like a desert or crispy at all.
Just to a point the the tomatoes have reached a very tender state and that only a few pieces of the meat and peel plus its colour is evident in the pan. At this point, add the chicken mince and stir and toss the mixture.
When all the chicken meat is cooked, add in the capers and olives. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the liquid that the capers or olives are stored in the bottle. Cover it and lower the fire further or keep it to medium-low, simmer it further for 5-7 minutes, after which, open lid and lower the fire to low (if it isn't in low yet), add the finely chopped basil and split each olives in half (this will release more flavour). Cook further for a minute or two. At this point, I usually taste to see if I need to season it with some salt (1/8 tsp) and pepper (1/8 tsp), which I usually think I should, and a tbs of extra virgin oil (or when I use the sauce).
Transfer the chicken sauce into a container or bowl, and do not wash the pan. Put the pan on a medium heat fire and add a tsp of olive oil or butter (depending on your taste buds or your cholesterol level).
While the pan is heating up, slice open your bread buns (I would prefer the white ones this time ... a whole wheat is possible too, but haven' tried it yet ... let me know if you did, ok?) and lay them flat cut-side down. Brown it, and let the bread absorb the oil or butter and the remaining sauce in the pan, then turn again. This should take no less than 1,5 minutes per side, when the pan is warm (more like HOT) enough.
Then plate it up, scoop a tablespoonful on the bread. Place a few fresh basil leaves, not just for garnishing, but to enhance the flavour too!
While the pan is heating up, slice open your bread buns (I would prefer the white ones this time ... a whole wheat is possible too, but haven' tried it yet ... let me know if you did, ok?) and lay them flat cut-side down. Brown it, and let the bread absorb the oil or butter and the remaining sauce in the pan, then turn again. This should take no less than 1,5 minutes per side, when the pan is warm (more like HOT) enough. 
Then plate it up, scoop a tablespoonful on the bread. Place a few fresh basil leaves, not just for garnishing, but to enhance the flavour too!
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