Vegetable & Chicken Stir Fry

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola oil

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 small head of broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

4 ounces snow peas (1 1/2 cups)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Chinese chile-garlic sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 cup mung bean sprouts

2 tablespoons shredded basil leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

 

Directions

1. Heat a wok until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and when it is nearly smoking, add the sliced onion and chicken strips. Stir-fry over high heat until the chicken is lightly browned in spots but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Scrape the chicken onto a medium plate and wipe out the wok.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the broccoli, celery, snow peas, garlic and ginger and stir-fry over high heat until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the chicken to the wok along with any accumulated juices. Add the sambal and hoisin and oyster sauces and stir-fry just until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add the bean sprouts, basil and lime juice and toss well. Transfer to a bowl and serve right away, with steamed jasmine rice.

 

Green Chicken Masala

An easy favourite and quick dinner with steamed rice and a steamed veggie on the side. We like green beans or broccoli.

 

  

 

Ingredients

 

• 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 jalapeño, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Kosher salt
• Basmati rice, for serving

Directions

1. In a blender, combine the cilantro, mint, jalapeño, garlic, lemon juice and water and puree until smooth.
2. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and turmeric and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden in spots, about 7 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the cilantro puree and coconut milk, season with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is slightly reduced and the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve with basmati rice.

This recipe is from FOOD & WINE Chef Recipes Made Easy

 

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps: 5 Minute Dinners

Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and you’ve got dinner ready to go in no time. The possibilities are very literally endless: enchiladas, casseroles, soups, pasta, whatever you feel.
And if you’ve got a chicken, why not buffalo it? The classic two-ingredient sauce comes together in mere seconds and the addition of chopped celery and blue cheese crumbles makes this dish like a whole plate of wings wrapped up in one bite. Our version here uses lettuce as a refreshing carb-free option, but you could obviously sub in tortillas here to make it a little heartier.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4
¼ cup hot sauce
4 tbsp. butter
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 romaine or butter lettuce leaves
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1. In a large skillet, melt butter with hot sauce over medium heat. Stir in chicken and celery until heated through.
2. Divide mixture among lettuce leaves, top with blue cheese, and serve

Chickpea Tabbouleh: 5 Minute Dinners

Take 5 is a PEOPLE Food series with a mission: Get a star-worthy meal (or dessert or cocktail) on your table in either 5 minutes or using only 5 ingredients. Each recipe has been bravely tested, tasted and approved by our food editors for your eating pleasure. If you’re hungry for more recipes, we’ve got you covered.

Tabbouleh is a classic Middle Eastern dish made with chopped veggies, herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, and usually a starch like bulgur or couscous. For our recipe, we swapped in another favorite from the region: chickpeas. Because they’re packed with protein, this works great either as a side dish for grilled meats or as a vegetarian main course.

Chickpea Tabbouleh

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side
2 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, chopped
2 tbsp. lemon juice
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups parsley leaves
½ cup mint leaves
Pita bread, for serving (optional)
In a large bowl, add chickpeas, tomatoes and cucumber. In a food processor, add remaining ingredients, season generously with salt and pepper and pulse until smooth. Toss dressing with chickpea mixture and serve with warm pita bread, if desired.

Source: people

Caesar Salad Dressing

One of our summer favs! Chicken Caesar Salad.





INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts
3 romaine lettuces

2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice (or concentrate)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS

I cook my chicken in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, until it's browned a little.

Start with the garlic and lemon juice, blend for a minute and slowly drizzle the oil. It will be smooth and creamy. Add the worcester and blending again slowly add the cheese.

That's it very simple, the dressing will last about a week but I usually use all of it. You don't need the chicken but with it but makes a perfect light summer meal. If you find it a little spicy you can cut the garlic and lemon juice down slightly.

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (scant 4 cups)
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 very large red onion, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 4 1/2- to 4 3/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, excess fat trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine (or red wine or sherry vinegar)
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil, divided
2 tablespoons drained capers, divided
12 ounces gemelli or penne, freshly cooked
 
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine plum tomatoes, mushrooms, and onion in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar; toss to blend. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until onion slices are golden brown and all vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
 
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to bowl. Add wine to skillet and boil until wine is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Stir in canned tomatoes with juice, then broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Return chicken to sauce in skillet. Place skillet in oven and roast uncovered until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Stir in roasted vegetables, remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, half of basil, and half of capers. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Place pasta in large shallow bowl. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle remaining basil and capers over.

I was in a hurry to get this meal on the table and I skipped roasting the vegetables and just fried them in the skillet after the chicken was browned, then threw it together as a one pot meal. I also had to use water instead of broth, dried basil instead of fresh, and I skipped the capers, but it tasted just as good. My whole family complained while it was cooking....mushrooms & tomatoes, yuk....but it was devoured without a word at the table. Always a tell tale sign. I served it with the rissotto & peas & asparagus.

Makes 8 servings
Prep time 20 mins
Approx $10

Cane Vinegar Chicken With Pearl Onions, Orange & Spinach

I love a dish of interest...and this one is certainly interesting

 

 

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, each weighing 5 to 6 ounces (total of 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

16 pearl onions, peeled

1/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup cane vinegar

1 cup chicken stock

2 large navel oranges, cut into supremes

1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

2 cups cleaned spinach (stems removed)

Preparation

Season the thighs with the salt and pepper. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot that has a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the thighs, skin side down, and let them cook without moving them around for 7 minutes. You are encouraging good caramelization of the skin and developing a ton of flavor in the process. After 7 minutes turn the thighs over and add the onions, paprika, and garlic to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the vinegar, being careful not to let it flame up. This is a good time to get a spatula and loosen up all of those pan drippings. The vinegar needs to cook down by half, and when it does, add the stock. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat, remove the lid, and add the oranges, mint, and spinach. Stir lightly and serve immediately. Serves 2-4. See Recipe...

Spicy Asian Noodle and Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons (or more) low-salt chicken broth

3/4 pound linguine or dried chow mein udon noodles
4 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken, cut into strips
2 large carrots, coarsely grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves


Preparation


Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 3 tablespoons broth in processor; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water to cool and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add chicken, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 main-course or 8 side-dish servings


Epicurious.com

Thai Chicken Salad with Rice Noodles

Ingredients

4 1/2 ounces rice stick noodles (maifun)*
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 purchased roasted chicken breast halves, boned, skinned, shredded
3 cups shredded Napa cabbage (I substituted with lettuce)
1 cup coarsely grated carrot
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts


Preparation


Cook noodles in small pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; cut noodles in several places with scissors. Spread out on platter.

Puree next 7 ingredients in blender. With machine running, gradually add oil and blend until dressing is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine chicken, cabbage, carrot, pepper, onion, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Arrange atop noodles, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve, passing remaining dressing alongside.


*Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, at Asian markets, and from amazon.com.


Makes 4 servings


Epicuriuos.com

Coq au Vin

click on image to enlarge

Pioneer Woman also has a recipe for this on her website.

Tender-Crisp Spring Braise

I'm thinking this would make a nice change to chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
4 small carrots with tops, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups mushrooms, halved (12 oz.)
1 large onion, cut in thin wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh tarragon



Preparation

1. In extra-large nonstick skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat Evenly layer potatoes and carrots in skillet. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, until potatoes are golden, turning once. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often. Add garlic and asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl; set aside.

2. In same skillet heat remaining oil. Sprinkle chicken with half the salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil about 3 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 3 minute or until no pink remains. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in cooked vegetables; heat through. Stir in snipped tarragon and remaining salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.
 
 
from BHG - for more one pot chicken dinners

Quails falling from the sky?

Well....almost. My hubby was at Costco a couple of days ago and loe & behold what did he find? 2 chickens in a package, sitting in the parking lot.

So I put one in the pot and made some braised chicken.

This is a yummy recipe, one that somehow come over with me from Australia over 20 years ago. I lost the recipe but fortunately I remembered how to make it. My family loves it.

served with skillet corn bread

Ingredients

1 chicken (or pieces)

chicken stock

water

3/4 cup balsalmic vinegar

1 can tomatoes

snow peas

peas

garlic

oregano

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

Preparation

Generously smother the chicken with crushed garlic, oregano salt & pepper. Brown on both sides in a pan. Add to pot remainder ingredients, except peas. Cover & simmer approximately 3/4 hr. Take lid off and cook 10 minutes for sauce to thicken. Add peas, cook for five minutes and serve.

I usually serve this with couscous, but last night I made mashed potatoes and substituted the canned tomatoes with tomato sauce & sundried tomatoes which was also very good.

It was nice to have a fuller meal after eating this this week. Have to say it's been easier on the cooking side.

Thai-Style Chicken Soup with Basil

 

Ingredients

• 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, root end trimmed and 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 quart rich and flavorful chicken stock ; 1 or 2 outer layers discarded
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice
• 2 ounces tamarind from a pliable block (a 2-inch cube), chopped
• 3 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• 2 (2-inch-long) fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced
• 2 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
• 1 (2-inch) piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 pound snow peas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/3 cup packed basil leaves (preferably Thai)

• Accompaniment: cooked jasmine rice

Preparation

Cut off and discard top of lemongrass, leaving 6-inch stalks, then finely chop. Cook lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add stock, reserved tomato juice, tamarind, fish sauce, chiles, lime leaves, and ginger and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.
While soup simmers, freeze chicken breast just until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes, then thinly slice crosswise.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return to a simmer and stir in chicken, diced tomatoes, snow peas, and basil. Gently simmer just until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional fish sauce and salt.

Coconut Chicken Balti

I made this last night and it was SO good. Took about 10 mins. I served it with white rice (butter added) and green beans. Delicious!!

Ingredients

2 lb chicken cut into cubes

olive oil

2 teaspoon spicy balti mix (see recipe below)

½  can creamed coconut

1 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

2 plum tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Balti spice mix: (makes 30ml)

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation 

Heat the oil and then gently fry the chicken, sealing it until it's golden brown. Add the spices, creamed coconut, coconut milk and cook gently for 6 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Stir in the tomatoes and heat through. Finally, add the coriander just before serving. 

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Approx cost $5

Chicken/Beef Fajitas and Crunchwraps

I have several ways of making tacos and fajitas. Depending on who I'm making it for. One ingredient that is always the same is Taco Bells little sauce packs. We always have a bunch left over and I use these at home. For some reason it's not a taco without.

For the little ones a simple chicken taco is leftover chicken (I often bake 2 chickens and freeze one for tacos), shredded cheese, lettuce and hot sauce. If they ask for sour cream or refried beans I'll add them, but I don't always have them on hand.



Dh likes the Ortega Fajita seasoning packs, which I get for free with coupons. He likes his with lots of red, green peppers & onions, fried in 1 pan with oil, and the chicken, or sometimes beef in the other with a little water and seasoning. Then they're usually mixed together. We add sour cream, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa (usually homemade), and guacamole (I've been using the wholly guacamole which I got free a year ago and froze. The separate packs are awesome because only 4 of us like guacamole.)

Now my favourite is our homemade crunch wraps, not quite like Taco Bells because they don't have the taco in the middle, but because of the way they're fried they're pretty crunchy anyway.

I like these with beef better. I cook the beef and add all the extras, nothing really special, but they taste great. Cook with the folded side face down first.

Indian Beef (or Chicken) Curry

 

I love Indian, Thai, Japanese and authentic Chinese Food. We get a lot of great Asian food in Australia. I usually cook from scratch but I recently discovered Patak’s Mild Curry Paste (Coriander & Cumin). It is sooo good, I make a curry with it nearly every week. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp oil
1 – 2lb chicken or beef stew meat
3-4 tbsp Patak’s Mild Curry Paste
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
salt to taste

Preparation

Saute onion. Add sliced chicken or beef and cook until lightly browned. Stir in curry paste, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, & salt. Simmer uncovered until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. I add Trader Joes's frozen green beans to this to make it a very quick meal.
Serve over rice.

Serves 8
Prep time 20 mins
Approx cost $11