bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Chicken and Basil Stir-fry

By

Stir-fried dishes are easy to prepare, which is why this is my first option when I want to cook something good in a limited amount of time. The toughest part about it though, is ensuring the meat is tender. If you will use mince then that isn’t a problem, but for sliced meats you have to cook it just right, so that it won’t be tough. Allowing the meat to simmer in stock or water can also be done to soften it. I usually use a fork to test doneness. Once it goes through just fine then the meat is ready.

Chicken and basil stir-fry is a delicious rice topping. It can be served along with soup or a vegetable dish. For this recipe we used sliced chicken breasts, but you may use chicken mince as well. You can also use the same recipe for pork or even beef.

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil

600g chicken breasts, sliced into very thin strips

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 2cm knob fresh ginger, grated

4 fresh red chili, sliced thinly

4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, shredded

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

100g mushrooms, quartered

1 large carrot, sliced thinly

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 cup bean sprouts

3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat half of the oil in a wok or skillet. Stir-fry the chicken in batches for 3-6 minutes or until they are brown and tender. After, transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Set aside.

Place the remaining oil in the wok or skillet and heat it. Sauté the garlic, ginger, onions and lime leaves for 3-5 minutes or until all the ingredients are soft and the mixture becomes fragrant. Add the mushrooms and the carrots. Stir-fry them for another 5 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

Return the chicken to the wok and add the stock, soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Add the bean sprouts. Cook it in low heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and dries up a little. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Season it with salt and pepper if desired.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:   jules:stonesoup

 

Shiitake Chicken Ramen

By

I am still not over my soup streak. I think it is because of the extremely hot weather. I’ve been having my share of soups for almost a week now and I’m running out of ideas. That’s why I chose ramen. I honestly am not a big fan, because I prefer Chinese noodle dishes better. This time around, I appreciated it more. It has a distinct flavor from the dashi. You can buy it in powdered form, but you can make your own as well.

 

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 package of ramen noodles

1 or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

1/2 cup of scallions, sliced

1/2 cup of Shiitake mushrooms

1 egg

Dried Kelp

6 cups of water

 

To prepare the soup or dashi, soak the mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. After, drain it and discard the water. Place the mushrooms in a pot half filled with water.

Set the heat on high and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it stand for another 30 minutes. Strain the soup and separate the mushrooms. Set aside.

Next, cook the noodles according to package instructions or place 2 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles and cook it for 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are al dente. Drain and set aside.

Put the egg in a pot and put 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Turn of the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. After, peel it and slice lengthwise.

Combine the noodles, chicken breast, dried kelp, shiitake mushrooms and soup. Ladle it into a bowl and garnish it with egg and scallions. Serve immediately.

 

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  telepathicparanoia

 

Creamy Chicken Penne

By

When the weather is gray, all I can think of food and lounging all day. Creamy pastas are always good comfort foods that are simple to prepare and exquisitely delicious. For this recipe, you can also substitute ham instead of chicken.

 

Ingredients:

400g dried penne pasta

2 tablespoons penne pasta

2 single chicken breast fillets, cubed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1 cup snow peas

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven at 300F.

Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook the pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan under medium heat. Fry the chicken for 5-8 minutes or until it is light brown.  Transfer to a plate.

Place the remaining oil in the pan. Sauté the garlic for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. Stir-in the sour cream and slowly add the broth. Let it simmer for 5-8 minutes or until it thickens. Add the chicken and season it with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and the sauce. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and top it with snow peas. Sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese. Bake it for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with garlic bread.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  jerine

 

Greek Chicken

By

Chicken is one of the best meats to use because they absorb flavors easily. This tasty Mediterranean dish is so good it totally melts in your mouth. All you have to do is combine all the ingredients, bake it and voila! You have a wonderful dish that is perfect for parties or family dinners.

 

Ingredients:

750g marble potatoes or medium sized potatoes, quartered

8 chicken thighs

2 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 Spanish onions, quartered

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

400g can diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

12 black olives

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

1 cup crumbled feta cheese, to serve

Salt to taste

 

Preheat oven to 200C.

Dry the chicken using paper towels and place them on a lightly greased baking dish. Add the potatoes, onions, tomatoes and red bell pepper. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, oregano and garlic. After, drizzle it with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are done. Baste chicken with the drippings.  Top with olives, feta and parsley before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  russelljsmith

 

Cabbage Rolls

By

 

Cabbages are a good source of vitamin C. I enjoy its sweet taste. I can even eat it boiled with a little salt. In this recipe I used ground chicken, but feel free to use other types of meat if you wish.

 

Ingredients:

1 large cabbage

500g ground chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes, seeded and sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

3 cups tomato sauce

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

wooden toothpicks

 

Core the cabbage and make sure not to damage the leaves. Place the cabbage in a pot or Dutch oven with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or when the leaves are a little soft. Remove the cabbage from the pot and put it in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain the water and dry the leaves. Separate the leaves and remove the hard parts. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine one part of the garlic, half of the onions, grated carrot and the ground chicken. Mix well and season it with salt and pepper.

Get a cabbage leaf and place a tablespoon of ground chicken mixture. Wrap the cabbage around the mixture and secure it with a toothpick. Do this with the remaining cabbages and ground chicken.

In a saucepan over medium flame, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes or until light brown. Add the tomatoes. Cover the saucepan for another 5 minutes. After, add the tomato sauce and season it with salt and pepper. Place the cabbage rolls in the pan in one layer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and remove the toothpicks before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: shekay

 

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

By

Spice up your meal with this interesting dish with a Spanish- African vibe. Make sure you use less white meat. The parts near the bone give off more flavour. I added other variations of this recipe, so that you can recreate it over and over again and not get bored with it.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon tumeric

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs)

Salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 cup green olives, pitted

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup mint leaves (divided-chopped and whole)

4 cups chicken stock

In a bowl, combine all the spices. Make sure the chicken is dry and coat well with the spice mixture. Set aside for an hour, so that the chicken can absorb the flavour.

In a large high-sided pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side or until the skin is brown. Pour the 2 cups of chicken stock, boil and then cover.  Reduce the heat and let the stock simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped mint and the sliced or chopped olives. Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and reduce the sauce 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add additional salt, if desired.

In a medium saucepan, boil the 2 cups of chicken stock. Mix in the couscous and put a dash of salt; cover for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve the couscous on a platter with the chicken on top. Spoon the sauce over it and garnish with the whole mint leaves.

*Other variations:

For an Italian flavour, substitute 2 teaspoons minced garlic for the cumin. Use 2 tablespoons chopped basil instead of mint and add one tablespoon tomato paste to the chicken stock. Serve over linguini and garnish with basil leaves.

For an Indian taste, remove the olives and replace the cumin with 2 teaspoons of curry. Add a cinnamon stick to the chicken stock and serve with basmati rice.

For a Chinese feel, eliminate the olives and mint and use 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger instead of cumin. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the olive oil before adding the chicken thighs to the pan. After reducing the sauce 3 to 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste. Serve with rice or Asian noodles.

Photo Courtesy Of: Rubber slippers in Italy

Baked Chicken Parmesan: Good For Heartburn

By

Dynamic Graphics single images

I recently wrote about heartburn and the kinds of food that can help avoid attacks. Here is one interesting recipe by Sharon Gillson from About.com. Dubbed Baked Chicken Parmesan, this recipe is a less spicy and leaner version of the conventional dish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• A dash of Italian dressing
• A dash of salt
• 4 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Spray a baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt. Mix well.
• Lay chicken on a plate and coat with olive oil.
• Coat chicken on both sides with bread crumb mixture.
• Sprinkle remaining crumbs over chicken.
• Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, or until done.
Serves 4.

Take careful note of the kind of chicken that you get. Chicken breast is always leaner than other cuts but do make sure that you get the meat that does not have skin OR remove the skin yourself. Don’t be tempted to keep the skin in there and eat it later on. I know how good it is but it just might trigger a heartburn attack if you’re not careful. As for the olive oil, you can actually use any of the variations, but I prefer the extra virgin oil for its very light flavor.

Low Fat Carribean Chicken

By

carribean chicken

Ingredients

1/2 pound chicken wings
2 onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon browning sauce
4 cups water
2 cups white rice
1 cup pigeon peas
1/2 pound cod
3 tomatoes, cubed
1 cup grated carrots
1 teaspoon salt

What’s next

Rinse chicken, pat dry and season to taste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown, then add the onion, celery, and gravy browning and saute until onion and celery are soft. Next, add the water, rice, peas, fish, tomatoes, carrots and salt and stir all together. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes or until the rice and peas are soft but grainy.

Malaysian coconut chicken

By

coconut chicken

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) whole chicken
1 coconut, drained and meat grated
2 lemons, juiced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

What’s next

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place whole chicken into a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until the leg moves easily within its socket. Remove from the oven, and allow the chicken to cool slightly.

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Tear the meat from the bones, and chop into small pieces. Discard bones, and place the chicken in a large bowl. Stir in green onions and grated coconut. Sprinkle liberally with lemon juice. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust amounts of lemon juice, salt and red pepper so that one does not overwhelm the others

Orange roasted chicken

By

orange chicken

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
1 (4 pound) whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1 tablespoon sized pieces
2 navel oranges, halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage

What’s next
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the chicken broth into a small roasting pan, and set aside.
Loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs of the chicken. Stuff the butter pieces evenly underneath the skin of the chicken, and place into the roasting pan. Squeeze the orange halves over the chicken, and stuff the orange halves into the chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then rub in the minced garlic. Drizzle the melted butter all over the chicken, then lay the herb sprigs onto the breast and around the legs.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 1 to 2 hours. Baste the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes after you uncover it. Once cooked, allow the chicken to rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before slicing

Low Fat Herb Roast Chicken

By

herb-roast-chicken.jpg

Here’s a simple, low-fat recipe for chicken. If you’ve got any leftovers, slice intro strips before returning to the refrigerator. You can use it for salads or a sandwich. For other low fat cooking tips go to About.com

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
1 tbsp freshly chopped sage
1 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

What’s Next
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove giblets from chicken; rinse chicken and pat dry. Place onion and celery quarters inside the cavity. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Rub oil over bird. Sprinkle herbs all over and add freshly ground pepper. Roast uncovered for about an hour and twenty minutes, basting frequently with juices and fat-free chicken broth, until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads between 165 degrees and 180 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.