The Recipe
450g chicken breasts
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced & divided
1tbsp taco/fajita seasoning
1tbsp oil
1 large tomato
1 lime
salt
Shredded cheese
Nachos
1 avocado, diced
Chili sauce / jalapenos (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200C.
In a small bowl, mix together taco/fajita seasoning and oil.
Place chicken, bell pepper and most of the onion (keep back ~1/8 for the pico de gallo) in an ovenproof dish and coat with the seasoning mix. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is just done. Remove chicken and slice thinly. Return to the pan and cover with cheese and half the lime cut into slices. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pico de gallo: Chop and deseed the tomato and chop op the reserved onion. Mix together and add lime juice from the other half of the lime. Add salt to taste. Let it stand for awhile for the flavours to mix properly.
Serve with nachos, avocado and chili sauce/jalapenos for a bit of a kick.
The Verdict
Really good. I'd probably add more veggies another time, but it was a nice alternative to the usual nachos dishes. You were supposed to add the nachos in the end too to heat them up with the rest, but I worried they'd get too soggy with the juices from the veggies, and it worked really well this way too.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Friday, January 10, 2020
Week 2: Baked Honey-Mustard Chicken
The Recipe
450g chicken
4tbsp honey
4tbsp dijon mustard
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
1tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2cup chicken broth
rosemary
Mix together honey, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and broth. Put the chicken in an oven proof dish and cover with the sauce. Season with a bit of rosemary (a little goes a long way!). Bake at 200C for about half an hour until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes (you'll want something to soak up all that yummy, yummy sauce!) and a salad or veggie sticks.
The Verdict
REALLY good! The chicken was yummy and moist - not dry at all. There was FAR too much sauce, but that's probably part of what kept it so tasty, so I'll just leave it as-is for whenever I make it next.
450g chicken
4tbsp honey
4tbsp dijon mustard
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
1tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2cup chicken broth
rosemary
Mix together honey, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and broth. Put the chicken in an oven proof dish and cover with the sauce. Season with a bit of rosemary (a little goes a long way!). Bake at 200C for about half an hour until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes (you'll want something to soak up all that yummy, yummy sauce!) and a salad or veggie sticks.
The Verdict
REALLY good! The chicken was yummy and moist - not dry at all. There was FAR too much sauce, but that's probably part of what kept it so tasty, so I'll just leave it as-is for whenever I make it next.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Week 1: Chicken Shepherd's Pie
The Recipe
1lb chicken breast, cubed
salt, pepper
Butter
250g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2tbsp flour
3/4 cup half-and-half or milk
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 bell peppers
Mashed potatoes
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Preheat oven to 175C.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt some butter in a pan and cook chicken until done. Transfer chicken to an ovenproof dish and set aside.
In the same pan melt more butter and saute the mushrooms until soft. Transfer to the dish. Add a bit more butter and cook the garlic until fragrant but not yet brown. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Pour in both fluids, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add bell pepper and leave to simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to dish and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and/or breadcrumbs if you want to.
Bake for 45 minutes.
The Verdict
I'd accidentally added too much broth to the mashed potatoes so the texture was off. I have to remember that it has to be rather stiff for something like this. Otherwise I mostly liked it. The sauce was a bit bland, so I need to play around with the spices a bit (i.e. ADD some that aren't just salt and pepper), but the basic idea was good and an easy way to use up left-over mashed potatoes.
1lb chicken breast, cubed
salt, pepper
Butter
250g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2tbsp flour
3/4 cup half-and-half or milk
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 bell peppers
Mashed potatoes
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Preheat oven to 175C.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt some butter in a pan and cook chicken until done. Transfer chicken to an ovenproof dish and set aside.
In the same pan melt more butter and saute the mushrooms until soft. Transfer to the dish. Add a bit more butter and cook the garlic until fragrant but not yet brown. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Pour in both fluids, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add bell pepper and leave to simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to dish and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and/or breadcrumbs if you want to.
Bake for 45 minutes.
The Verdict
I'd accidentally added too much broth to the mashed potatoes so the texture was off. I have to remember that it has to be rather stiff for something like this. Otherwise I mostly liked it. The sauce was a bit bland, so I need to play around with the spices a bit (i.e. ADD some that aren't just salt and pepper), but the basic idea was good and an easy way to use up left-over mashed potatoes.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Week 49: Cajun Pork
The Recipe
~500g tenderloin
1/2 tsp each of cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, garlic granules and brown sugar
A dash of ginger and pepper
Lemon juice
2 large potatoes
2-3 large carrots
2dl boiling beef stock
Mix together cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, garlic, ginger and pepper. Rub the tenderloin with the mix.
Heat oil in a pan and brown the tenderloin on all sides. Transfer to the crockpot and leave the pan for later.
Peel potatoes and cut them into chunks, placing them around the tenderloin. Pour beef stock and a bit of lemon juice over.
Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4, adding carrots (also peeled and cut into chunks) about half-way through (they get waaaaay too soft if added at the beginning).
Remove the potatoes, carrots and pork and cut the pork into slices. Meanwhile, transfer the sauce to the pan from earlier and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced somewhat.
Serve with a nice salad.
The Verdict
I cooked mine on HIGH for 3.5 hours and the pork had gotten a tad dry already. I think I'll try on LOW next time and then check it after 7 hours. Other than that, I really liked it. It was a tad on the spicy side, so I may leave out the potatoes and serve it over rice another time, but I really liked the way it tasted.
~500g tenderloin
1/2 tsp each of cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, garlic granules and brown sugar
A dash of ginger and pepper
Lemon juice
2 large potatoes
2-3 large carrots
2dl boiling beef stock
Mix together cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, garlic, ginger and pepper. Rub the tenderloin with the mix.
Heat oil in a pan and brown the tenderloin on all sides. Transfer to the crockpot and leave the pan for later.
Peel potatoes and cut them into chunks, placing them around the tenderloin. Pour beef stock and a bit of lemon juice over.
Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4, adding carrots (also peeled and cut into chunks) about half-way through (they get waaaaay too soft if added at the beginning).
Remove the potatoes, carrots and pork and cut the pork into slices. Meanwhile, transfer the sauce to the pan from earlier and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced somewhat.
Serve with a nice salad.
The Verdict
I cooked mine on HIGH for 3.5 hours and the pork had gotten a tad dry already. I think I'll try on LOW next time and then check it after 7 hours. Other than that, I really liked it. It was a tad on the spicy side, so I may leave out the potatoes and serve it over rice another time, but I really liked the way it tasted.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Week 45: Chorizo Pasta
The Recipe
(Serves 3)
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
~200g mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can (400g) tomatoes
~80g chorizo, cut into thin stripes (optional)
A handful of olives (optional)
Salt, pepper and basil to taste
1 cup (2.5dl) cream
Enough pasta for 3 people
Cook pasta in salted water.
Heat the oil in a wok or similar and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Add tomatoes, chorizo and olives and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chili, salt, pepper and basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Add cream and cook for yet another 5 minutes.
Serve immediately - it's best piping hot :D
The Verdict
REALLY good!!! The cream makes it taste so decadent :-D I used canned tomatoes with chili which meant the whole thing had a bit more of a kick than anticipated, but the cream cooled it down nicely enough for DH - I might try with non-spicy tomatoes next time though. Because there will definitely be a next time - SO yummy!!!
(Serves 3)
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
~200g mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can (400g) tomatoes
~80g chorizo, cut into thin stripes (optional)
A handful of olives (optional)
Salt, pepper and basil to taste
1 cup (2.5dl) cream
Enough pasta for 3 people
Cook pasta in salted water.
Heat the oil in a wok or similar and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Add tomatoes, chorizo and olives and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chili, salt, pepper and basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Add cream and cook for yet another 5 minutes.
Serve immediately - it's best piping hot :D
The Verdict
REALLY good!!! The cream makes it taste so decadent :-D I used canned tomatoes with chili which meant the whole thing had a bit more of a kick than anticipated, but the cream cooled it down nicely enough for DH - I might try with non-spicy tomatoes next time though. Because there will definitely be a next time - SO yummy!!!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Week 39: Cheesy Pasta
The Recipe
3/4l pasta
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
~100g sausages (or other meat) in bite sized pieces
1/2 squash, cubed
2 carrots, cubed
1 tomato, cubed
1/2 - 1dl milk
~100g feta, crumbled
Salt, pepper, paprika and curry to taste
Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, warm a bit of oil in a pot and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add squash, carrots, tomato and sausages and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add milk, feta and stir in all spices. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Cook under lid until the feta has melted completely, stirring occasionally, to make sure the milk doesn't burn.
The Verdict
Honestly? This was a "for lack of better options, empty the fridge" dish, that I normally wouldn't even think to jot down. However, it turned out SO GOOD that I definitely want to save the recipe for future reference. The feta made the sauce deliciously creamy and the spices complimented each other nicely. I added some sweet chili sauce at mealtime - DH just left it as is. Definitely something I'd want to make again, and I can't even think of any substitutions that would've made it better.
3/4l pasta
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
~100g sausages (or other meat) in bite sized pieces
1/2 squash, cubed
2 carrots, cubed
1 tomato, cubed
1/2 - 1dl milk
~100g feta, crumbled
Salt, pepper, paprika and curry to taste
Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, warm a bit of oil in a pot and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add squash, carrots, tomato and sausages and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add milk, feta and stir in all spices. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Cook under lid until the feta has melted completely, stirring occasionally, to make sure the milk doesn't burn.
The Verdict
Honestly? This was a "for lack of better options, empty the fridge" dish, that I normally wouldn't even think to jot down. However, it turned out SO GOOD that I definitely want to save the recipe for future reference. The feta made the sauce deliciously creamy and the spices complimented each other nicely. I added some sweet chili sauce at mealtime - DH just left it as is. Definitely something I'd want to make again, and I can't even think of any substitutions that would've made it better.
Monday, August 12, 2019
Week 33: Butter Garlic Noodles
The Recipe
~400g pasta
90g butter
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
150g bacon, sliced (optional)
1 bell pepper, sliced
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
~3/4dl Parmesan or Parmigiano cheese
Fresh basil (optional)
Cook pasta according to instructions on package.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a small saucepan. Remove bacon, leaving fat behind and cook the sliced bell pepper until soft. Add a bit of water if the pan runs dry. Remove bell pepper. Turn heat to medium low and melt butter. Once the butter has melted, add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent - do NOT allow garlic to brown. Add salt and pepper, bell pepper, bacon and cherry tomatoes.
Drain the pasta and mix with the cheese. Pour the sauce over top and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to rest for a few minutes to absorb some of the butter.
Serve with basil and a sweet chili sauce if desired.
The Verdict
VERY garlicky! But we like garlic, so that's all good :-D The sauce didn't coat the pasta quite as nicely as I'd hoped for, but I think I may just not have left it to rest long enough. But it tasted great, so if you don't mind smelling like garlic for the rest of the evening, I'd definitely recommend it. I think I'd add more tomatoes next time though. I used about 7-8 this time and it could easily have carried twice that.
~400g pasta
90g butter
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
150g bacon, sliced (optional)
1 bell pepper, sliced
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
~3/4dl Parmesan or Parmigiano cheese
Fresh basil (optional)
Cook pasta according to instructions on package.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a small saucepan. Remove bacon, leaving fat behind and cook the sliced bell pepper until soft. Add a bit of water if the pan runs dry. Remove bell pepper. Turn heat to medium low and melt butter. Once the butter has melted, add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent - do NOT allow garlic to brown. Add salt and pepper, bell pepper, bacon and cherry tomatoes.
Drain the pasta and mix with the cheese. Pour the sauce over top and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to rest for a few minutes to absorb some of the butter.
Serve with basil and a sweet chili sauce if desired.
The Verdict
VERY garlicky! But we like garlic, so that's all good :-D The sauce didn't coat the pasta quite as nicely as I'd hoped for, but I think I may just not have left it to rest long enough. But it tasted great, so if you don't mind smelling like garlic for the rest of the evening, I'd definitely recommend it. I think I'd add more tomatoes next time though. I used about 7-8 this time and it could easily have carried twice that.
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