Summer Chicken Salad – Simple Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer and salads always goes hand in hand. They are cold, easy to digest and more importantly- healthy. But personally we all avoid salads even kids don’t like it. However, when it comes to pasta salads, the picture changes completely to its new horizon. Everyone loves it.

If we talk about Italian cuisines, pasta recipes are most accepted recipe after pizzas. There are plenty of pasta recipes. Amongst this, pasta salads are the favorite summer food of many of the people. And when it is served with barbecued meat and vegetables, you have always seen people going for the second serving too. Typically it got legumes, vegetables, seafood, chicken, nuts, herbs and spices etc. There are so many types of recipes that you can try with this salad recipe. However, Chicken Pasta Salad is the one which is loved by all from kids to adults.

Chicken pasta salad is a complete meal by itself. It got chicken, veggies and pasta. But traditionally, pasta salads are served cold. So, if you like to eat chilled food than you can have a bowlful of this recipe and can stay satisfied for long. This salad is often tossed in a vinegar, oil or mayonnaise-based dressing. And it can be served as both as an appetizer and a main course. 

You can also give this to your kids in their lunch and they don’t even need to reheat the stuff as it’s absolutely scrumptious even if it’s cold. You can also store this recipe for few days in the refrigerator. Stocking such easy recipes always save time and energy. And it is helpful when you just don’t feel like cooking at all. Just take it out from the refrigerator and dig in to. 

One should remember, the main elements of a pasta salad should be oily in character, not vinegary. This is important because most deli pasta salads have an edgy quality that only comes from a bland vinaigrette. One of the most important tip one should remember while boiling the pasta noodles that it should not be over cooked, always refer the directions given over the package. When you start making the pasta salads always start with dried pasta (not fresh). If you are using fresh pasta, cook them off quickly after rinsing them in cold water in a colander and toss noodles in olive oil and lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan, and cool them in the fridge.

What is Alfredo Sauce and How to Make It with Milk?

People often get confused with Alfredo sauce, it’s an Italian-American sauce which was invented in New York City. The dish was invented by di Lelio at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in 1914 as a variation of fettuccine al burro. The original Alfredo recipe is referred as Fettuccine Alfredo and it is a pasta recipe made from fettuccine pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese and butter. 

Behind this invention was a man named Alfredo Di Lelio who was a chef and was trying to please his pregnant wife, who was having difficulty to keeping the food down. He tried to make a recipe, which is not just subtle and mild but please the taste buds as well. So, He prepared a sauce made from parmesan cheese and butter and poured it over some fettuccine pasta. Later on, the cheesy-buttery sauce was named as Alfredo sauce.

Today, it is one of the classic recipe and served in many restaurants. This rich Alfredo sauce is not just used to make pasta but it is also used over fish, baked potatoes, shrimp and different chicken recipes. With the time, Alfredo has been under many variations too as per the taste and requirement; like Alfredo sauce made from egg yolks to a dairy free version made from cauliflower. 

In today’s post, we will also discuss how to make an Alfredo sauce with milk. This recipe is for the people who are health conscious and are always worried about the increasing waist-line. To trim that fat, this guilt-free recipe may help you to enjoy this delectable recipe even if you are trying to shed those extra pounds. In this recipe, we will replace the heavy cream or milk cream with milk however, we will use freshly grate parmesan cheese to intensify the richness and smoothness of this sauce. Serve it with egg noodles or fettuccine.

You need – 

• 1 Saucepan
• 2 tablespoon Butter
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon Flour
• 2 cup milk (low-fat)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoon low fat cream (optional)

Method – 

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat and add the minced garlic into it. Once it fragrances add flour.
2. Sauté floor for a minutes or so. Make sure flour doesn’t get burnt or change color. Now slowly add milk, make sure it won’t make any lumps in the sauce. Give a small boil in simmer. 
3. Add cheese and cook it for another 2 minutes. Now at this point of time, add cream (if needed) and season it with salt and turn of the heat. 

Tip – Make sure you are continuously whisking it to prevent clumping and lumps. And always make this recipe in a maintained temperature at low-medium heat. You can also use a blender to mix cream, milk flour, cheese and later add it into the saucepan where butter and garlic is cooked. Whatever method seems easier, you can try that.

So, at the end don’t get confused with the name, the recipe we cook using this alfredo sauce is no doubt Italian but the sauce is American origin. Enjoy this less-guilt recipe and please your family and loved ones. 

Paleo Inspired Shrimp Scampi with Mashed Cauliflower

Lately I was reading a lot about Paleo diet, it is one of the healthiest diet one can go for. It is basically a balanced diet which includes everything but in a correct proportion. It’s effective when it comes to weight loss without going for any kind of dieting plans. In fact dieting is actually bad for health. Today’s post is dedicated to Paleo inspired recipe, and in this recipe the main ingredient is Shrimp!

Ideally I love making shrimp scampi with pasta. Mostly people get confused with the name – what is scampi stands for? Scampi is nothing but a culinary method of making small lobster or shrimps. Its an elegant recipe that one can make serve it with linguini, angel pastas or egg pasta or whatever you have at home. This recipe is simple and easy to make. 

Today’s shrimp recipe is not served with pasta but with mashed cauliflower. This recipe is low in calories and really healthy. Shrimps are at times considered to be non-healthy and cause cholesterol but this is a myth. No doubt a shrimp contains fats but isn’t bad for your health. In fact this fat is good for your skin and hair. And this protein rich diet is perfect for dinner as well. 

Ideally in shrimp scampi recipe you pour bit of white wine, however for this recipe I am excluding wine and making it with some fresh herbs and flavors. Rest all ingredients are same i.e. garlic, lemon, parsley, olive oil and shrimps. The shrimp recipe is really easy to make and just take hardly 10 minutes to make it. That’s what I like about shrimp recipes, they are really quick to prepare. 

Tip – never over cook a shrimp, it get ruined and chewy in texture. The moment they turn pinkish in color turn off the heat.  

Let’s start cooking this amazing Paleo inspired shrimp scampi with mashed cauliflower –

Simple Ground Beef Recipes Under 30 Minutes

Sometimes cooking can be tedious and tiresome; and then we look for the recipes which are quick and easy and can be made under 30 minutes. If we check, almost every meat eater have a couple of pounds of ground beef in the freezer. Today I am sharing some easy beef recipes which can be cooked under 30 minutes. In today’s post I will share some easy and simple ground beef recipes which you can make at any given day.

Some recipes are really innovative like beef samosa, some of them are authentic like lasagna, from soup recipes to taco. I will share really tasty and easy recipes which is absolutely quick to make, so that if you don’t feel like spending time in the kitchen and hungry enough to grab something satisfying and delectable then these ground beef recipes would definitely make a difference.

In today’s list I got from fancy steak suppers to simple pasta tosses, these meals are so good and so simple to make, that you would enjoy making it even on the hectic weeknights. Tip - To save even more money than just cooking at home, try this trick. Take 1/8 to 1/4 of the beef out of each pound and put it in a separate freezer container. 

Top 3 Pasta Recipes for Kids

Making or tempting your kids to eat something good and healthy is always a task. Kids want something interesting, innovative recipes each time. Since at this point of time they are developing their taste buds so it is important to make them eat everything which is healthy, nutritious and of course tasty too.

I have seen kids getting indulge in only chocolates, candies, chips and all kind of processed food which is not good or they simply enjoy junk foods because it’s tasty. However, a mother or a parent should hit the middle path i.e. a food which is not just healthy but tasty too. Here you can give them nice pasta recipes. Kids just love pasta whether its mac and cheese, baked pasta, pasta salads etc. and pasta are healthy too. Go for wheat pasta, add veggies and make it really scrumptious by adding the authentic Italian sauces into the recipe. Italian cuisines are famous for their minimalistic and subtle flavors and yet so delicious that you can enjoy each and every flavor of that dish. 

In today’s post, I will share 3 best pasta recipes for kids which are not just healthy but kids approved too. In fact these recipes are adults approved. In short, these are the best pasta recipes that you can make for dinner and win the heart of the family. 

Mango and Apricot Chicken Salad Recipe

At spring and summers, we all like something which is easy to digest and light. I like to have fresh salads in spring and summers. Salads made of vegetables, beans, nuts, chicken and mixed of fruits and other goodness. Salads are cold in nature and taste just amazing for lunches. In fact you can even make this chicken salad recipe for the Easter Dinner or Party. This could be one of the nice and simple recipe for the Easter which is easy, quick and flavorsome.

Today I am sharing a simple chicken salad recipe that you can make on any given day. This chicken salad got flavors of mango, apricot, mayo and that edge of curry powder which makes this as a really flavorsome recipe. For this recipe, you need cold chicken pieces. If you have any leftovers, they are ideal. Use grilled chicken leftovers for this recipe. I got this recipe from Nigella.com.

This recipe thrills your taste buds with a delicate mingling of flavors, which is not just visually beautiful, but the smell of the mango and apricot are just heavenly, and you'll hear that noise of pleasant crunch as you indulge in bite after bite. This recipe got the dash of groundnut oil and sesame oil which really uplifts the flavor. You can also add some pine nuts, peanuts or any nuts of your choice if you want that extra crunch in this salad recipe. Nevertheless, let’s start making this amazing and easy chicken salad recipe –  

This recipe serves up to 2-3 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes  

Cooking Time: 5 minutes 

Total: 20 minutes

Easy Chicken Meatloaf Cupcake Recipe

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and if you are still confused with the menu then in today’s post, I am going to share a simple starter recipe that you can try for a day. If we look at our menu then we definitely have corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda and shepherd’s pie for this day which are the traditional Irish food. Therefore a starter should be a bite-size and should not have beef because we are serving that in the main course.

Still if you want some recipes with beef then go for some easy meatloaf recipes for this day. What I was planning is to keep a chicken recipe in the menu and nothing but a bite size chicken meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potatoes as an icing. Meatloaf recipes are favorite of many people and  if you want to make meatloaf with other meat like turkey bacon etc. feel free to make some. Cupcakes can be made in large quantities at a single time which is apt for any party or event. And if you top them with a favorite mashed potatoes then you don’t have to worry about serving them on plates; they can be a real good finger food for the party.

My Style Quick and Easy Chicken Recipe

Whenever I am in hurry and really confused about what to cook and don’t have patience for anything, I make this quick and easy recipe. As the name suggests, this recipe is really quick and easy to make. I am not sure about its origin because I blend different herbs and ingredients in this recipe; it got Chinese flavors and Italian herbs, so ultimately this is completely my recipe.

Anyways chicken recipes are quick and easy when you use the breast part of that chicken which are healthy, rich in protein and got almost negligible fat contents. Nevertheless this recipe is so flexible that if you even got grilled chicken leftovers you can use them easily. This recipe got very few ingredients which are easily available in the kitchen.

The sweet and zesty flavors makes it really amazing and a complete delight to get indulge. You can have this chicken recipe as an appetizer or snacks and if you double the sauce then it can be served over butter rice or noodles to make a complete bowl meal. This recipe can never go wrong even kids can make this recipe, use fresh chicken breast chunks or use grilled chicken chunks, simple veggies, mix of flavors and traditions- this recipe is a complete delight, trust me! 

How to make a quick and easy vegetable dip with healthy sour cream?

Whether you have party at your place or its all chaos of a game day; dip recipes are must for a day. Whether you choose hummus, guacamole, yogurt or creamy vegetable dip. Dips are must for all finger foods. If you are a health conscious and always worried about your waist line then healthy spinach yogurt dip, hummus or guacamole are always good. They are healthy and contains richness of yogurt, legumes and vegetables.

Ideally one should remember dip recipes are just a sauce or dipper and not a main course. Therefore if you put control over the quantity of dip without getting greedy, then creamy, cheesy dip recipes aren’t bad either. In fact the richness and creaminess of these dip recipes actually make the finger foods more tasty and scrumptious. 

Today I am sharing an easy vegetable dip recipe made from sour cream. Do you know, you can actually make a healthy sour cream which have less of fats and more of other goodness! Click here to find the recipe of the simple and healthy sour cream. The recipe shared here is a warm slow cooker crab dip which is made with homemade sour cream. I always prefer and look for some healthy alternatives to make recipe nutritious without affecting its taste and richness. The recipe shared here for the sour cream can be used easily for ours today’s recipe. This recipe is irresistibly tangy and sure to be a crowd favorite.

Anyways let’s start making this simple yet quick dip recipe called Easy vegetable dip recipe –

How to Make a Good and Healthy Chicken Salad?

Chicken salad is one of the recipes which I prefer in my dinner, as its delectable, quick and easy to make and pack full of nutrition. We all know about this saying that eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like pauper. But it doesn’t mean in dinner you have to eat some bland, boring and a tasteless food. It should be light and easy to digest. So make something which is scrumptious but satisfying and easy to digest.

Chicken salad is the best solution to it. It contains vegetables, fruits if you wish, nuts or pine nuts and chicken breasts. We all know chicken breasts are the best source of protein and got less fat contents. Simply mix the cooked chicken pieces with the mix of vegetables and any dressing of your choice, toss well and serve. Mostly people make chicken salads in mayonnaise or in wine vinaigrettes etc. there are plenty of more dressings depends upon the recipe that you can try. In today’s post, I am sharing a recipe called Wholehearted Chicken salad with Honey Mustard Dressing. It also got low-fat Greek yogurt in the dressing. Do you know the best replacement of mayonnaise other than low fat version is yogurt! It’s healthy and fat free which helps in making a guilt free indulgence for us.

I am not claiming that this recipe is the best recipe so far, however it is one the worth trying recipe for sure. Unlike other chicken salad recipes, it is not cold but warm in nature. You don’t have to refrigerate this salad, just make it and consume it. No standby or waiting period, instead of marinating which can be excluded if you have cooked chicken or leftovers. 

Nevertheless, let’s start cooking this wonderful and simple warm chicken salad recipe –