Meat

Quick Chicken Parmigiana

By in Fall, Main Dish, Pasta, Poultry, Valentine's 12 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Quick Chicken Parmigiana

I used to not be a fan of chicken and tomatoes together. There was something about it that just seemed off to me. Give me cream with my chicken and tomatoes with my beef! That”s what I used to think. I”m not sure what changed my mind.  I guess a part of growing up is that your palate begins to change and things you didn”t like before suddenly become appealing.

I”ve been making this dish for quite a few months now. It”s one of my absolute favourite things to eat. Every time I eat it, it tastes even better than I remember and I wonder why I don”t make it more often (because I”m too busy trying new recipes, that”s why!).

This Chicken Parmigiana is not authentic and to be honest I haven”t found an authentic recipe that I”ve liked… yet. But the pictures always look so tasty that I had to give it a go on my own. This version is faster, through the use of homemade shake”n bake, and healthier, since we”re baking it in the oven rather than shallow-frying it in oil.

Basil is my must-have fresh herb. If you”re going to find one potted herb hanging in my kitchen, it will be basil. The flavour is so completely different then the dried variety and you can use it in so many different dishes, that it won”t have to go to waste. We use it most often in this dish, BLT Chicken Burgers, Spaghetti Bolognese, Sun-dried Tomato, Feta and Basil Bruschetta and Basil and Prosciutto Chicken Cordon Bleu. Definitely a worthy purchase.

This meal comes together in under 30 minutes. It may be a step away from the original but what it lacks in fat it more then makes up for in flavour. It has become one of our favourite weeknight meals and I”m hoping it”s a hit with your family as well.

Quick Chicken Parmigiana

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 1/4 cup homemade shake”n bake

  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

  • 1 (500g) jar pasta sauce (or 1 2/3 cups)

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

  • 250g spaghetti

  • sliced cheese, extra parmesan and basil

Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to create 4 thin chicken breasts. Flatten with the heel of your hand until approximately even thickness. Mix together shake”n bake and parmesan. Coat chicken in shake”n bake mixture. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine pasta sauce, garlic and basil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep warm. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Once chicken is cooked through, remove and set the oven to broil. Top each chicken breast with a large spoonful of pasta sauce, a slice of cheese, some grated parmesan and a sprinkling of basil. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly.

Serve spaghetti topped with pasta sauce and a chicken breast.

Makes: 4 servings

My Favourite Chili

By in Beef, Fall, GF Mains, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Soup 4 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

My Favourite Chili

This chili has a great robust flavour, a good amount of heat and the perfect meat/bean ratio – winning the spot of my favourite chili.

I have a secret to tell you. I used to not be able to make a good pot of chili to save my life. I”ve tried many five-star recipes with promises of perfection, but nothing tasted right when I made it. It wasn”t flavourful enough, hot enough, was too liquidy.. the list goes on. If I had a delicious chili at someone else”s house and asked for the recipe, when I would make it at home, it would always come up lacking.

I”ve heard that everyone has a nemesis in cooking. Something that should be easy to make, that everyone can do, but for some reason it never turns out for you. Chili was my nemesis. But, no more! And, I”m extremely happy about this fact because it is one of my all time favourite meals.

This chili has a great robust flavour, a good amount of heat, without being too hot, and has the perfect amount of meat/bean ratio (for me). Having a thick and hearty chili is a must for us because we like to scoop it up with a side of corn chips.

If this chili wasn”t so filling I would probably eat the entire pot myself. It is that good.

Do you have a cooking/baking nemesis?

Favourite Chili

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder

  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1.2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 cans (19 oz each) kidney beans

  • 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes

  • 1 cup beef broth

  • 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

  • 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)

  • shredded cheese, sour cream and corn chips, to serve

Brown the beef, onion and garlic in a large sauce pot  or Dutch oven over medium heat, until meat is cooked through and onions are tender (drain off fat, if necessary). Add spices, stir to coat. Add beans, tomatoes, broth and chilies. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook until heated or cooked through. Serve with cheese, sour cream and chips, if desired.

Makes: 8 servings

Adapted from KraftCanada.

Greek Chicken Kabobs and Salad

By in Main Dish, Meat, Poultry 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Greek Chicken Kabob Salad

I always seem to make salad for supper on the night my husband is most hungry and a hearty meal when he comes home without an appetite. I could be a good wife and let him know ahead of time what we’re eating, so he could prepare his stomach accordingly, but why ruin the surprise? Besides, if I make salad for dinner you better believe there’s going to be dessert. It’s all about balance. :)

The first night I made this we gobbled it down in no time flat and I was craving it for days afterwards. So much so, that I put it on the menu again for the next week.

It uses my favourite Greek Dressing, which is tangy and packed with flavour - it’s a breeze to throw together and stores well at room temperature for quite a while. The chicken is marinated in the dressing, soaking up all that flavour, then threaded onto skewers and cooked on the grill. Throw together a simple salad, with the same dressing, while the meat cooks and you have dinner on the table in no time.

On super-hot days, when appetites are practically non-existent, it makes a light and tasty dinner. But just to make sure, I like to serve it with a side of Foccacia. That way, if James comes home extra hungry he doesn’t have to starve (or eat a double portion of dessert). :)

Greek Chicken Kabobs and Salad

Greek Dressing
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1.5 teaspoons pepper
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons dijon
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Place vinegar, seasonings and dijon in a blender or food processor (or use a handheld blender); pulse to combine. With the blender running, slowly pour in oil and process until creamy (emulsified). Store, covered, at room temperature.

Makes: 1.5 cups

Greek Chicken Kabobs
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup greek dressing

Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or tupperware; coat with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate (or leave at room temperature for 30 minutes).

Thread onto metal or soaked-wooden skewers. Grill over medium heat until cooked through.

Salad
  • 130g baby spinach (8 cups)
  • 1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cubed feta
  • 1/2 cup olives, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • greek dressing, to taste

Place spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, olives and onion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Add dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Greek Dressing adapted from Allrecipes.

BLT Chicken Burgers

By in Main Dish, Poultry 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

blt chicken burgers

If I were to pick one summer comfort food, it would burgers. I could eat a good burger practically every day, but I try to limit it to once a week during the hot summer months. I tend to go for a simple beef burger with cheese and bacon or a grilled chicken breast with pineapple, cheese and bacon. Do you see a trend here? I like me some bacon on my burgers. Which is why I dedicated a whole post to how I cook them for my sandwiches.

This particular day was a scorcher and I didn’t want to turn on the oven at all, so I did the same procedure as with the baked lattice bacon except I pan-fried it. I will always prefer my bacon baked over fried, just because it cooks more evenly, but the method still worked great.

The key to avoiding a tough burger is to handle the meat as little as possible. Mix the ingredients together just until incorporated and pat the burgers into form rather than squeezing.

I’ve always been a little nervous about making ground chicken burgers because you need to be extra careful in making sure they’re cooked through and I’ve heard they often turn out dry. But, this recipe sounded too good to pass up. The meat mixture is packed with cheddar and parmesan and I think that must help a lot with moisture because these were not even close to dry. They were juicy, cheesy and packed with flavour. Add the classic components of a BLT and a yummy Basil Mayonnaise and you have yourself one mean burger.

I prefer burgers without bread crumbs, crackers or oats because I find them less meatloaf-y. They are quite sticky to deal with but as long as you grease your grill ahead of time and make sure there’s a good char on them before you turn, you should have no problem flipping them.

BLT Chicken Burgers

I tend to make my burgers a little smaller and make six burgers out of one pound of meat, instead of four, which is why you will see differing amounts in the assembly. Choose as many as is appropriate for the amount of burgers you have made.

Chicken Burgers
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix ingredients together lightly and form into 4-6 thin patties. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.

To Grill: Clean and lightly grease grill grates; preheat to medium. Grill burgers, flipping once, until browned and cooked through (8-10 minutes).

Basil Mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembly
  • 4-6 burger buns, toasted if desired
  • 4-6 squares lattice bacon (or 8-12 slices), cooked
  • 4-6 romaine lettuce leaves
  • 1 large tomato, sliced

Spread buns with basil mayonnaise. Top with bacon, lettuce, chicken burgers and tomato. Serve immediately.

Makes: 4-6

Adapted from My Recipes.

Summer Chicken Stew

By in Main Dish, Poultry 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

summer stew

I’ve struggled with knowing how to write this post. It’s hard to just act as if nothing has happened when such tragedy has hit so close to home. It’s impossible to ignore and my heart is broken.

I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about how Oslo was shaken by the violent attacks last Friday so I won’t go into detail here. If needed, a quick search of cnn.com will get you all the information you want.

I don’t like giving a platform to extremists who perform such horrible acts by talking about them too much. But at the same time I feel that we need to remember those who are hurting. We need to pray for those who are grieving; for those who survived the horror that will not so easily be forgotten.

Those of us who haven’t been personally affected have the privilege of moving on from the tragedy much faster. I can’t imagine the hardship and sorrows yet to come for others who are not so lucky. My heart goes out to them, they are often in my thoughts and prayers.

Please pray for some measure of comfort for them.

It’s hard to pick up and talk nonchalantly about food in a time like this so I will be brief. This stew is quick to prepare, comforting on a rainy day, with the flavours of summer cooked in one pot until creamy and flavourful. If you crave a little bit of comfort on a warm and rainy day, this stew will help, even if just a little.

Summer Chicken Stew

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
  • 400ml chicken broth
  • 500g baby new potatoes, halved
  • 200g spreadable cream cheese (about 3/4 cup)
  • 200g sweetcorn (frozen, fresh or from a can)
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

Season chicken with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook chicken on both sides just until browned. Remove from pot and set aside.

Cook bacon in the same pot until crisp. Drain off excess fat. Stir in broth, browned chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

Stir in cream cheese, corn and tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes until corn is cooked and cream cheese is melted.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Good Food.

Shrimp and Couscous Paella

By in Main Dish, Pasta, Seafood 18 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

couscous paella

When we had this for dinner the first time we couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. Every half an hour or so one us would say “mmm.. supper was good.” Even Max would not stop eating it until every last bit was gone. I was a little disappointed that there were no leftovers because I was craving it again the next day (we halved the recipe). It’s a super quick meal to throw together on a weeknight and the flavours are outstanding.

Couscous has been a fairly new addition to our family’s table. We’ve only started eating it in the last year or so and I have no idea why. It’s so quick to prepare for a side or main and the pasta soaks up all the delicious flavours of whatever you cook it in. Traditional Paella (pronounced pah-e-yah) is made with rice but making it with couscous instead speeds up the cooking time considerably and is just a fun change from the norm.

This meal has a lot going for it. Not only does it take less than thirty minutes to throw together but it’s also a one pot dinner and fairly healthy too. Plus, I love anything that gives me the excuse to eat shrimp!

Do you eat couscous? What are your favorite ways to enjoy it?

Shrimp and Couscous Paella

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (2-14.5 oz cans)
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound large shrimp, uncooked
  • 2 cups couscous
  • 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • sliced almonds, to garnish
  • fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)
  1. In a large nonstick skillet saute red pepper in a small amount of oil until softened. Add onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until shrimp turn pink.
  3. Making sure broth is at a simmer, stir in couscous, peas and butter. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley to serve.

Serves: 6

*If using cooked shrimp: add to broth and bring to a boil, just to heat through, before adding couscous. And, if you’re like me and forget to thaw the peas you can add them along with the shrimp. :)

Adapted from Light & Tasty.

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