We weren’t able to go to the shop (supermarket/grocery) today so I just had use whatever was available in the kitchen.

I saw chicken breasts. I googled “easy chicken breasts recipe” and came across a recipe using 5spice as flavor for the chicken and having salad eith oranges. We still have lots of oranges from last week so it was perfect. I didn’t have other ingredients for the salad so I just added what was available to me.

Orange-themed dinner

5 Spice Chicken

It’s just coating your chicken with 5spice seasoning, salt and pepper. I first tasted 5 spice when my Vietnamese colleague invited us for dinner. He served really good chicken wings. He said he used 5 spice. It’s a mix of several spices, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and I can’t really remember the others. The 5spice that I have seems to have a lot cinnamon though, not sure if it’s the normal taste. And for sure, my Thai colleague’s chicken was way better. I need to ask him if he added some special ingredient!

Anyway, coat chicken, then fry for about 3 mins on each side then transfer it to the over for 8 mins. The recipe I was basing on said it should be 6-8 mins. I didn ‘t believe it and left my chickwn breasts in the over for 10mins. Then I let it seat for more than 5 mins. It turned out good, I just realized how I always had my chicken overcooked because it’ll end up tough and difficult to chew. However, I think it should’ve been better if I removed it from the oven after 8 mins.

Orange Salad

I only had spinach. It was supposed to be mixed green, but spinach I’m sure spinach will do. I pulped 2 oranges above the spinach to make sure the spinach catched the juices from the orange. I also saw avocado so I added some slices. Then i topped it with walnuts. I drizzled some balsamic vinegar and olive oil as dressing (plus the orange juices!)

Sangria attempt

I wanted a bubbly to go with the chicken and summer-y salad. I only saw half a bottle of shiraz sitting there so the Sangria idea came up to me. I googled some recipe but most of the recipes require complicated ingredients (like ginger ale). Anyway, I transferred the wine into a pitcher, sliced some oranges, juiced an orange and a lemon, open a canned pineapple and added all its juice. I added some pineapple chunks too and raw sugar. Then lastly, threw in a lot of ice. It turned out delicious! I can’t wait to make it again, probably on new years’ drinking party with friends. It’s easy and you can use cheap wine and it will still taste good!

——-
First time to post using mobile!