Easy Chicken Recipes for Dinner

Chicken is such a versatile meat many recipes can be made with it. I am a working mom out for the whole day; in evening I hardly get time to think about what to cook for dinner. So an idea came to my find why not to use variant recipes for making dishes with chicken that can actually make my life easy. So what I did, I shopped for chicken meat and other required ingredients during weekends. I kept the chicken in store ready in the freezer so as to maintain its freshness.

Now time to look for something never tried before chicken recipes.

Bored of the repeated chicken recipes I browsed internet for some new ones. I came across the following ones which have been mentioned here one by one. All of these are tried, tested and their taste is also good. Let’s check them here:

Hawaiian Honey Mustard Chicken:

Cooking chicken here with a difference. The sweet savory taste of honey adds a different flavor to his dish as it is so easy to cook blended with rich flavors.  It is made with the Honey Mustard from Big Island Bees. This is one of my favorites as I have added honey to chicken for the first time in my life. I am sure my kids will love this one.

Vegetable Recipes – Key to Healthy Living

Everyone wants to stay fit and fine but because of their busy lifestyles it becomes hard for them to cook something healthy. Vegetable recipes provide us an easy way to stay healthy even diabetic people are often advised to eat them. Vegetables are considered quite an easy thing to cook and are also enriched with nutrients if prepared properly.

As per WHO, in a day humans are advised to consume at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. If they do not include vegetables in their diet they are prone to vitamin deficiencies and illnesses.  Vegetables can be taken in the form of normal meals for lunch or dinner, soups or juices. It is easy to make vegetable juices or soups as you can take all necessary vitamins and minerals just in a single drink. Rather than taking other dietary food supplements they provide us a good alternative.

Let me discuss here one such vegetable recipe called Mediterranean potato salad which I came across the internet while looking for something different.

If you don’t want this dish to be a low calorie one then you can simply swap the mayonnaise base for cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives and fresh Italian herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 25g black olives, sliced

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 1 tsp oregano, fresh or dried & olive oil

• ½ x 400g can cherry tomatoes

• handful basil leaves, torn

• 100g roasted red peppers, from a jar, sliced

• 300g new potatoes, halved if large

Method

• Take a saucepan then heat oil in it, add the onion and fry them for 5-10 mins until they turn soft. Add the garlic and oregano and cook them for about 1 min. Now add the tomatoes and peppers, season them well and simmer gently for about 10 mins.

• Meanwhile, in a pan of boiling salted water for 10-15 mins cook potatoes until they turn tender. Drain it well, then mix with the sauce and serve warm and sprinkle it with olives and basil.

Source:bbcgoodfood.com

My kids are picky eaters and they do make faces when vegetable dishes are shared with them. I came across this article which explains how green leafy vegetables takes care of your kids good health .

Soup Recipes – Another Healthy & Easy Alternative

Soups can actually make a healthy dish and are great in many aspects. Just by mixing the ingredients together you can actually make a delicious and nutritious dish with perfect combination of ordinary ingredients. The soups have many health benefits which can help us to treat various cold and flu ailments. It is always best to make them at home and do not go for canned soups which are often sold in grocery stores. The canned soups do not have any real benefits as these are treated with a lot of colorants, preservatives and fillers which are not good for your health.

Tortilla Soup Recipe

However, there is a lot more which we can actually think about making soups starting from scratch. I am going to share here one such a soup recipe called Tortilla Soup. This is a spicy and hearty soup dipped over by cheddar cheese and crispy tortilla strips.  Actually soup can be made chunky with chicken and avocado, but the tortillas give it a slight thickness.

Servings: 4

• 6 tablespoons cooking oil
• 8 6-inch corn tortillas, halved and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, paprika & ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup lightly-packed cilantro leaves plus 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 pound cheddar, grated
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Take a large heavy pot, then heat oil over moderately high heat. Add half the tortilla strips and cook them for about 1 minute while stirring continuously. Remove it over a slotted spoon and then drain it on paper towels. You can repeat it with the remaining tortilla strips.
2. You can reduce the heat to moderately low. Now add the onion, garlic, and spices; cook them while, stirring, for 5 minutes. You can now the broth, bay leaves, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cilantro leaves to one-third of the tortilla strips. Bring it to a simmer and cook them, uncovered, for 30 minutes; remove the bay leaves.
3. Take a blender, puree the soup in batches; now pour it back into the pot. Add chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer for about 1 minute until it’s done. Stir in the avocado.
4. To serve, keep the remaining tortilla strips in bowls, then top with the cheese, and pour in the soup. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.

Source: foodandwine.com

Earlier also I had shared Soup Recipes – The goodness for 12 Months which contains recipe information about many different types of delicious and aromatic soups such as classic pumpkin soup, pureed sweet potato soup, French soup recipe etc. Try any one of them they are quite appetizing! 

Appetizer Recipe – Appeals to Everyone

There is a wide range of appetizer party recipes available from where you can get ideas to choose from with appealing flavors. At times you can make your own alterations to make it an excellent choice of your guests. You can make appearance of your appetizers as per your elegant themes such as caviar or brie cheese.

Recently while looking for recipes for appetizers I came across this article which explains How Fruits can be used to make dip recipes served as appetizers. It explained to me fruits such as apple, cherries, bananas, blueberries can also be used to make good party dip appetizers

So I have come up with an appetizer recipe using Apple as a main ingredient.

Apple-Blue Cheese Chutney Recipe

Yield: Serves 10 (serving size: about 3 1/2 tablespoons)

Total: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil & brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots & golden raisins
• 2 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled Braeburn apple (2 large)
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preparation

1. Take a small saucepan then heat oil over medium-high flame. In this pan add shallots; sauté them for 1 minute then add apple and next 4 ingredients (through vinegar); bring it to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates till the time apples turn tender.

3. Remove pan from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cool it to room temperature. Gently stir in blue cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon thyme.

Note:

Make-ahead tip: Prepare and refrigerate the chutney up to three days ahead; bring it to room temperature before serving. For a prettier presentation, you can top crostini with chutney, and sprinkle the cheese on top instead of stirring it into the chutney.

Source: www.myrecipes.com

Appetizers are favorites of everyone as they really do increase your appetite before jumping on to your main course dish. During weeknights I hardly find time to make them but with some easy recipes which I have found over the web now I can easily make them every alternate day.

Till then Happy Cooking! Enjoy Eating! 

Simple And Grounded Beef Recipes

Ground beef has high nutritional value and is enriched with diverse nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins. It is good for growing children as it is supposed to be tremendously beneficial in building body tissues. So all moms should actually try some scrumptious but nourishing beef recipes for kids.

Beef is also a substantial meat and hence can be cooked for the entire family anytime. Earlier also I had posted some recipes which can be prepared with ground beef such  Simple Ground Beef Recipes Under 30 Minutes  and Slow-Cooker: American Chop Suey with Ground Beef wherein I had discussed Frying Pan Goulash and  Basil, Beef, and Barley Soup which was appreciated by many moms who tried these for their kids.

Now I came across another new ground beef recipe from Allrecipes.

Easy Chili Recipe with Spicy Tinge of Taste

Many story versions are associated with the origin of chilies. Some believe it was cooked first in Texas,in 1840s. Chili is loved by everyone and is a superb creation as it can be eaten with practically anything, but most importantly with tacos or tortillas. These can actually help you to make spicy dishes, by using varying ingredients that are sure to enhance your taste buds but will definitely be delicious.

Irrespective of the origin of chilies they are used worldwide and many delicious and delightful dishes can be prepared with them as they are one of the main ingredients used in many recipes. Chili can be made with chicken, cheese, white beans and mild salsa. A great chili recipe to make when you are in a hurry to eat Let us discuss  simple chili recipe here as mentioned below.

          

Servings: Up to 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1 (15 -16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained or 1 (15 -16 ounce) can pinto beans, if desired

Directions:

•  Take a 3 qt saucepan and cook beef, onion and garlic till beef turns brown.
• Now stir in remaining ingredients except beans.
• Heat to boiling point and reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer 1 hour while stirring occasionally
• Stir in beans.
• Heat to boiling point and reduce heat to low.
• Next on low heat let it simmer without lid for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally, to get the desired thickness.
• Let chili cool to room temperature and then put it into quart-size freezer bag and freeze it on a cookie sheet. Once it’s frozen, keep it stored in freezer standing up or stacked horizontally.
• To serve, keep it in fridge overnight and then transfer it to a pot and reheat over medium low heat until heated through nicely

       Recipe URL: http://www.food.com/recipe/simple-chili-190598

Note: If you think your chili is too thick then do not use water to make it thinner instead use a broth. Broth is used to add the liquid that you may need which adds flavor and depth to your chili recipe!

Hope the readers of my blog loved to read about this easy chili recipe. This recipe for chili is quiet easy to make and will surely add unique tinge to your same and old boring style of cooking.

If the readers find this recipe different and unique why not to try this in your kitchen and serve it to your family members.

An Easy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Mashed potatoes are favorite in my family especially these are loved by my uncle’s kids the most. This is one of the common recipe for serving potatoes which has always been quite filling. Many variations of mashed potatoes recipes are there around the world. Some do like it plain, with cheese etc. bacon bits depending upon the choice and your food preference.

Let me discuss an Easy Mashed Potato Recipe here:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, or more as desired
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 large Yukon Gold potato per person (about 1/2 to 3/4 pound apiece)
• 1/2 cup milk or cream, or more as needed
• 1 ounce cream cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper

Tools Required

Wooden spoon

3-quart pot (or larger)
Fork

Mouthwatering Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Ever wondered what dish to cook; which is easy and unique in taste and which your family members will relish to eat. Afredo sauce is basically a type of pasta sauce which is creamy, tangy, and makes any ordinary dish quite a filling one. It can be made at once in a larger quantity that it is substantial for the entire family to eat. However there are many different ways to cook this delicious sauce, but every recipe follows the same basic steps that should always be followed to make a perfect sauce.

This Alfredo sauce which is an Italian pasta recipe was created by Alfredo to please his wife when she was pregnant. She could not eat anything so he ran into the kitchen to cook something for her so this amazing Italian pasta recipe was created.

Basis ingredients of an Alfredo sauce are cream, butter, and cheese. All these are the base for making a high quality sauce as these give a different tinge of flavor and distinctive color to it. The quality of the cream and cheese is very important as they can actually make your recipe a hit or a flop one.

Parmesan cheese is the preferred cheese used otherwise any Italian cheese will work.

The magic of seasonings works here as well; they create such an aroma in the sauce that your kids will certainly love and you will receive great praise for it.

Time has come for moms to not to step out to buy this sauce from the store; instead try to make it at home for your family.

2 Best Sauces Which Can Save Any Bad Day In The Kitchen

We all can have a bad day in the kitchen when nothing seems to work. These days can also come quite often and the stress can kill us then and there on such days. I have been emphasizing on the need of creating a weekly menu and planning things accordingly.

However, if you also belongs to the family of non-planners (don’t worry, it’s not a sin) then at least you must have 2 basic sauce in your fridge always. No, I am not talking about the 5 mother sauces. Although, it is very good to have them handy always. Right now I am talking about the two sauces with which you can cook things easily in the kitchen.

You will always find Alfredo sauce as well as tomato sauce in my kitchen. Now you will ask me what is Alfredo sauce? And why I am talking about it with the 5 mother sauces. First of all, I would like to tell you that this sauce goes well with any and everything. You can use it with pizza, wraps, pasta, nachos, chicken etc. It is easily pair able with almost everything. Hence, keeping this in the fridge and cooking with it is easier.

Also, this sauce has a shelf life which means that I can make this sauce in bulk for a week and cook with it whenever it’s required. I have been making this sauce in straight 10 minutes from the last couple of years and with practice you will also be able to make it. If you have kids who love cheese (I guess, everybody does) than you can add some cheese into it and make an extra cheesy sauce.

This sauce also goes well with boiled vegetables and enhance the flavor of it. You can also create lots of side dishes with the help of this sauce. You can look for the recipes online for cooking Alfredo sauce. They are very easily available. Even you can serve this sauce with shrimps and fish. This is a kind of wonder sauce which is eatable with everything.

Now, the next sauce which I have mentioned above is a tomato sauce. Who doesn't swear by the taste of it? This sauce can be used as a base sauce in so many recipes including the meatball recipe, if you are using the frozen meatballs. One can also mix the ripe avocado and create a very nice dip with this sauce. The recipe for cooking a delicious tomato sauce is easily available on internet.

In my further post, I will write more about the recipes which can be cooked easily by these sauces. Do, write back if you need recipe of any specific dish. I will write that for you.

Till my next post. Stay healthy, stay fit!!

Recipes for Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

There are very few food items which can be termed as wonder food. Chicken and mushroom are certainly on that list. These two food items can go with anything and everything and they taste good with almost every flavor.

Different types of mushroom are available in the market but the most common ones are button mushrooms. I just got some fresh button mushrooms picked out of my backyard and now I am thinking what to cook from them. I am looking at them like they are my prey. There are so many recipes of chicken which can be made in combination of mushroom. 

Today, I will share one such recipe which is made with mushroom and chicken and very close to my heart because this is my father’s favorite recipe. I hope you will also like this recipe as much as my father do.

Ingredients:-

• 2 boneless chicken breast (cut in half)
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 5 big button mushrooms (cut in thin slices)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ½ cup marsala wine
• 3 shallots (thinly sliced)
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Parsley (for garnishing) 

Methods:-

• Mix salt and pepper well and season the chicken. Once done, coat the chicken with all-purpose flour and dust off the excess.
• Take a heavy base pan and melt the 1 spoon butter in it. Once it’s melted, add olive oil in the pan and mix well. Now put the chicken and cook it on a low-medium heat for about 3 minutes each side. After 6 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan.
• In the same pan, add the rest of the butter and add shallots and sauté them for a minute. Turn the heat on high settings and add mushrooms. Let them get cooked for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add marsala wine and bring it to boil. Post that, add the chicken stock.
• Once the chicken stock is boiled, add the chicken. Season the gravy with salt & pepper as per your taste.
• Give resting time of 10 minutes to chicken in the gravy before serving!
• Before serving garnish it with parsley

This dish can be cooked in less than 20 minutes and if you want, you can serve this with dish on the bed of cumin rice as well. There are so many other recipes for chicken marsala with mushrooms, but that I will share in my future post. For now, I hope you will all enjoy cooking this dish!!