Chicken Paprikash
This was my first time, not only making this dish, but ever hearing about it. I’m always on the lookout for recipes that my kids will like just as much as my husband and I. The first thing that caught my eye was the inviting colour. Kinda reminded me of a rosé sauce, which my kids like. Ding ding! Then I noticed how saucy it was. I love sauce so much. Doesn’t really matter what it is, I will add extra sauce over top. Don’t even get me started on Chinese Dumplings and Sweet ‘n Sour sauce. I could drink that sauce. It’s my vice! I digress… Anyway, this seemed like a recipe I had to try, if not for those two reasons alone!
The original recipe serves homemade spaetzle on the side. I imagine it’s super yummy, but I didn’t have the time to make it. I was debating between serving this with egg noodles or rice. I think either would be fine, but I’m glad I chose rice. The sauce has an earthiness to it because of the paprika that lends itself better to rice, in my opinion. I also warmed up some naan for my husband and kids to help sop up all the deliciousness. It all worked well together.
I did use less onion than the original recipe suggested because I was worried my kids would detect them and be turned off. But, after making it, this dish can handle the amount of onion suggested because you are almost caramelizing them, so they break down quite a bit and almost dissolve into the sauce. Plus, the sweetness from the onions really lends itself to the great flavours in this dish.
The chicken in this dish is cooked entirely in the sauce, so the meat is so tender and moist. It almost melts in your mouth. I served this with roasted broccoli, only because I had some to use up in the fridge and it was so perfect with this dish!! My daughter referred to the broccoli as ‘broccoli chips’, but that’s for another post…
I used 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs. I love them so much. I didn’t want to be chintzy. I actually think I’ll use more next time. We didn’t have leftovers! Did you know that chicken thighs contain a vitamin that chicken breasts don’t that can help fight off cancer? My brother did so much research when my mom was sick, trying to find anything to help her beat this horrible disease and chicken thighs were among the suggestions. Interesting! Bring on the chicken thighs!
Give this recipe a try! It may become one of your go-tos! It will be one of mine!
Enjoy!
Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter The original recipe calls for unsalted. I only had salted. Either work.
- 2 medium onions
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons paprika The original recipe calls for sweet Hungarian paprika. I just used good ol' regular paprika!
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne Optional. I did not add this because of my kids.
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into small chunks I used 8 thighs and could have added even more to the amount of sauce made.
- 1/4 cup heavy (35%) cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, paprika, cayenne (if using) and cook, stirring, until dark red in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add the flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the broth and sugar and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Mom’s Honey Soy Chicken Wings
My Dad is a classical pianist. We grew up going to the symphony. When my Dad would have a recital, we often held the reception back at our house. It was always a packed house, and myself and my four siblings helped in the kitchen or as servers. Always on the menu were my Mom’s honey soy chicken wings. They were popular. My favorite, for sure.
They cook over the stove top, which I’ve always liked. But, I am liking it less nowadays. They take a little more time than those that cook in the oven. But, they are super easy, tasty and worth the time!
The recipe is super simple. Only 3 ingredients! Soy sauce, honey, and red wine.
You want to add equal parts honey and soy sauce to a medium/medium hot pan and use the wine to cut the sauce when it starts to get too gummy. I use a 1/4 cup each honey and soy sauce.
This picture is a good example of needing to add some wine. The honey and soy sauce will caramelize and adding a splash of wine will loosen it. Use the wine to loosen the sauce as often as you need until the wings are cooked.
These babies are done and ready to serve! Enjoy!!
(Source: Boss of the Apple Sauce)
Yummy Chicken ‘Stroganoff’
Guys, this dish is a new go-to!!! It’s soooooo satisfying to the palate, but so easy!!! Just account for the cook time, and this is a great weeknight meal!! A perfect Sunday dinner, though.
I’m still working on my photo quality. Don’t judge this dish on my poor picture-taking! It almost looks like a stroganoff, which in some ways, it is. But, also, not. The original recipe calls for sour cream, but I used plain yogurt, as that’s all I had. It was soooooo goood!! My 4 year old had seconds!!! The mustard flavor is really secondary. So, don’t be scared off if you hate dijon.
I’m in love with my newest Le Creuset pan. Look how good the chicken looks inside of it! I’m biased…
For the noodles, the original recipe calls for ‘super noodles’, and they sound delish! But, I didn’t have chicken bouillon on hand, so I couldn’t do them. I simply added butter and parsley to my egg noodles and that was plenty good! Although, I do plan to try the original method, if you don’t have all of the ingredients for the noodles, don’t let that stop you from cooking this chicken!
I PROMISE you will enjoy this dish.
Yummy Chicken 'Stroganoff'
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 to mato chopped, juice and seeds removed (I used a beefsteak tomato)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- *Buttered egg noodles with parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken on both sides, working in batches, if necessary, so that the chicken doesn't steam. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the same pan, and sauté the onions till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook down for about the same amount of time. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add in the tomato and flour, and cook for about 1 minute, to cook off the flour flavor. Add the dried tarragon. Deglaze the pan with white wine, allowing it to cook, so that the alcohol can burn off. Return the chicken to the pan, and add your chicken stock. Cover, and place in the oven for 45 minutes (30 minutes covered and 15 minutes with the lid removed).
- When finished, remove the chicken from the pan and add the mustard and yogurt, and whisk until blended. Return the chicken to the pan, and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, so that it is well coated. Serve with butter and parsley noodles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Chicken salad may seem mundane and boring, but this one is different! It has natural sweetness from the apple and a crunch from the almonds. It’s satisfying and healthy and a keeper of a recipe! When you are following a food plan that eliminates dairy, finding something to eat that is creamy is kind of special! Here’s what happened…
First things first, if you can’t eat sugar, you need to make homemade mayo. If you can, store bought mayonnaise will work just fine here.
Here’s what you need to do..
Chicken Salad
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shredded carrots
1 diced celery stalk
1 large apple, diced
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise, or store bought
1 or 2 scallions, diced
Paprika (optional)
In a non-stick pan, cook chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly. Add the carrots, celery, apple and mix together. Add mayonnaise and adjust the amount if you feel it needs more. Just before serving, add in the almonds, scallions and salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve with romaine lettuce leaves.
Enjoy!
(Source: adapted from https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/04/chicken-salad-wraps/|)
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
Since beginning the Whole 30 challenge, I have found myself trying dishes I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. I have made basil pesto many many times, but never have I made it without parmesan cheese. I have had spaghetti squash before with a tomato sauce and it just didn’t have that unctuous quality to it that I ‘need’ right now, or my husband and I will die on this plan or start eating sugar by the spoonful! Neither are good options. One of my favorite go-to meals is Chicken Pesto Pasta, so I figured I would recreate it as best I could. Here’s what happened…
Spaghetti squash is a cinch to make. There are several different ways you can cook it. To impart the most flavor, I suggest roasting it cut side up, with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Before you do that, though, you have to scoop out the seeds. Roast it in a 400 F oven for 50 minutes and it will look like this!
Now for the fun part…
Use a fork and pull the squash away from the flesh.
In the end, you’ll have a bowl of squash that looks like spaghetti! I won’t lie, this can never replace the real thing. It tastes nothing like actual spaghetti. But, the flavor of this squash is mild and can handle, and actually needs, good, bold flavors to help it along.
This is why I thought this pesto would be the perfect complement. Start with a small amount and add more as you feel you need to. Of course, if you aren’t able to make your own pesto, store bought will work. Just read the ingredients to make sure you understand what you’re eating.
I added chicken and tomatoes to bulk up this dish. I seasoned the chicken and tomatoes with salt and pepper before I added some pesto to the mix.
Once I tossed everything together, I added some balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness and acid. It’s my little piece de résistance. It really makes a nice difference.
This is my all-time favorite brand to use for balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If you find it, use it! It’s a bit more expensive than your average balsamic vinegar, but as it should be for better product.
This was honestly, far more satisfying than I ever imagined it would be! If you want to cut down on your carbs, give this a try!
Here’s what you need to do…
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
1 large or 2 medium spaghetti squash
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper for seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove seeds from squash and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash cut side up in oven for 50 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, using a fork, pull squash away from its flesh and place into a bowl, set aside.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add some olive oil and cook chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, all the way through. Add tomatoes and season with a touch more salt and pepper. Add a heaping tablespoon of pesto to the mixture.
Toss in the spaghetti squash. Add 2 more heaping tablespoons of pesto and combine all the ingredients. If using, add a generous dash of balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve.
Enjoy!
Ree Drummond’s Mulligatawny Soup
I follow many food blogs. Reading all of them is what made me want to start my own! I was astounded how many exist! But, the best food blog I have ever come across belongs to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. She also has a show on The Food Network. I love her. I haven’t come across many recipes of hers that I haven’t liked, and there is never really much about them that I need to change.
I watched The Food Network episode where Ree was making this soup for her BFF. While it was easy, I’ll be honest, it didn’t seem all that appetizing to me, at the time. Until one afternoon, I was wracking my brain, trying to think about what to make for dinner, without having to make a trip to the grocery store, and I thought of this soup. I had all of the ingredients, so I decided to give it a try! I was so glad I did! It’s surprisingly delicious. The longer you let it sit, the better it gets, so keep that in mind! Here’s what happened…
The original recipe calls for one whole boneless, skinless chicken breast. If you’ve ever bought your chicken from a butcher, you will know that a whole breast actually looks like two breasts connected to each other. So, in reality what you buy at the store is actually half a breast. In this case, use the whole breast, or 2 halves, also known as, 2 chicken breasts. Confused yet?
Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook them in a dutch oven over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Don’t stir the chicken too much, as you want it to caramelize and form those brown bits on the bottom that you can see in the picture. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the pieces to a plate and set aside.
This picture looks pretty unappetizing, doesn’t it? It gets worse before it gets better, but trust me! The end result is worth it. Once you’ve removed your chicken, add 2 more tablespoons of butter and saute your onions and garlic, lifting up all those little brown bits left behind from the chicken.
A little tip to get that pesky skin off of the garlic is to smash your garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Just sit the knife over the clove, form a fist and hit the knife with the underside of your fist.
In this picture, I’ve already added the flour and incorporated it into the onions. I was pretty liberal with the amount of curry I used. It’s easily a heaping tablespoon of curry that I add.
I told you the pictures would get worse before they get better! There is nothing burnt on the bottom of my pan. This is all flavor. You want to incorporate all of that yummy curry into your onion mixture before adding your broth.
As you add your broth, begin by adding only a little, so that you can see and lift all of the goodness that is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once all the broth is added, let it cook for about 5 minutes before adding the half-and-half.
My one and only deviation from Ree’s recipe, if I can even claim it as such, is that I let my half-and-half come to room temperature before I added it to the broth. I’ve made this soup many times, and when I put cold cream into hot broth, guess what happens? It separates. Still tastes great, but doesn’t look as pretty. Letting your cream come to room temperature will give your soup a nice creamy, even texture. Add your tablespoon of sugar at this point. Allow your cream to settle into the broth for about 5 minutes on medium heat before adding your chicken back into the pot, along with the apples.
Your apple pieces should be similar in size to your chicken pieces.
This doesn’t look very good, does it? I know! Give the flavors some time to marry. Adjust your seasoning. You will find it needs quite a bit of salt at this stage.
End result is this! It’s creamy, earthy, with a hint of sweet. Yummy! Even my 3 year old loves this soup! Adding cilantro when ready to serve is not only a must for flavor, but as you can see, it adds a lot of visual appeal. Serve this soup with Naan bread for dipping. Try this soup. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised!!
Here’s what you need to do….
Ree Drummond’s Mulligatawny Soup
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced finely
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
32 oz, or 4 cups, of low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half, brought to room temperature
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown your chicken over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter until chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan, reduce your heat to medium and add your onions with another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add your minced garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add your flour and incorporate into the onions. Add your curry powder and do the same. Pour your chicken broth over the onion mixture and let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Next, add your cream and sugar and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot along with the apple pieces and adjust your seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!
(Source: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/easy-mulligatawny/)
Pan-Fried Curry Chicken with Raisin Rice and Yogurt Sauce
March Break was a busy one for us! My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came to visit early and stayed for a week! My daughter and my nephew love, love each other and they have a lot of fun together. So much fun, my sister and brother-in-law took my daughter home to Windsor with them, so that the kiddos could keep the celebrating going! My parents brought her back a couple of days later, when they visited us over the weekend. With so many mouths to feed, I was able to make many recipes that I have wanted to share with others.
This recipe, I made for my parents. I had a feeling my Dad, especially, would appreciate it. And he did! They both did. The rice is especially lovely. For me, it’s the star of this recipe. The yogurt sauce being a close second.
There are many steps to the completion of this dish, but it is very easy. You’ll want to start making your rice first, as it takes the longest, and while it is cooking, you can finish up everything else! Here’s what happened..
First, saute 2 small or 1 large shallot in 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt into your onions and then add 1 cup of brown rice. Get all of the rice nicely incorporated into the onion mixture and then add 2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Turn your element off and let the rice sit, covered, another 10 minutes. While the rice is resting, chop up your cilantro and toast your almonds.
They should look like this. These were toasted over the stove top, but if you prefer, you can easily toast them in the oven.
Fluff your rice. Add the raisins and cilantro and mix together. Replace lid on the rice and let sit until ready to serve, so as to give the raisins some time to plump up. Just before you are ready to serve, mix in the almonds, so that you maintain that needed crunch.
Your rice should look like this in the end. Mmmm…
Now for the yogurt sauce.
Easy peasy. 1 cup of yogurt, juice of one small lemon, a bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper. Be sure to taste this and add more lemon or salt as you see fit. I had a really juicy, big lemon and used about 1/2 of the lemon. Set aside till ready to use.
The chicken is also very easy.
My little sous chef helped me sprinkle on the dry rub of curry powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Wherever it fits to let your littles help you in the kitchen, it’s a great idea. My littlen loves to watch me cook and she’s usually close by to help out. Just this morning, she was sitting and playing at the dining room table, waiting for breakfast, and I told her, “Leila, your porridge is almost ready!”. She said to me, in her sweet 3 year old voice, ‘Ok, Mom! Let me know when I can help!”. My heart fluttered. Doesn’t get much cuter than that!!
Back to the recipe…
You’ll want to sear your chicken on either side for about 4 minutes a side and then finish in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
TA-DAH!
This is a healthy, quick and satisfying meal. It will become a rotation night meal, I guarantee it!
Here’s what you need to do….
Preheat oven to 350 F.
RAISIN RICE
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3/4 sliced almonds, toasted
Saute the shallots and salt in butter over medium heat until onions are translucent. Stir in rice to coat and add the broth. Bring to a boil and cover, reducing temperature to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let the rice set for 10 minutes, with the lid on. Fluff the rice and add the raisins and cilantro. When ready to serve, add the toasted almonds and stir to combine.
YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
CURRY CHICKEN
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all of the the spices together. Sprinkle all over the chicken. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and sear each side for 4 minutes. Transfer your skillet to the oven until your chicken is no longer pink. About 10-15 minutes. Remove your chicken from the oven, transfer to a plate and cover with tin foil for at least 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!
(Source: Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine November 2012)
Spicy Apricot and Coconut Chicken Skewers
My sister made this recipe years ago. It’s a surprisingly yummy and really easy bite to pull together. I decided it should be part of our Bachelor Finale Extravaganza! Here’s what happened:
First things first, you need to soak your skewers.
This is an important step or your skewers will burn in the oven while your chicken is cooking. You want to let these soak for at least 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cut up your chicken.
I didn’t do a very good job keeping my pieces uniform, but it’s no big deal.
Thread each piece of chicken onto the skewer like an accordion, so that they don’t fall off. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 F, until chicken is cooked through. The timing will depend largely on how big or small your chicken has been cut. Some of my pieces were in for longer than others, but anywhere from 15-25 minutes.
The original recipe called for Sambal Oelek to be added into the apricot jam, but I didn’t have any, so I used this. It worked just as well.
For the next several parts, I didn’t take any pictures because I’m a space case and forgot. But, don’t worry, it’s super easy!! Let’s get straight to the recipe!
Final product.
Here’s what you need to do:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into skewer-sized pieces
skewers
salt & pepper
1 cup apricot jam
1 tsp chili garlic sauce (or Sambal Oelek) – more if you like it really spicy
1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 F. Thread each piece of chicken onto a skewer and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, you will want to toast about 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut over medium heat until the ends have turned light brown. Set aside. In a pot, stirring frequently, melt down about 1 cup of apricot jam over medium to medium low heat until its consistency is like syrup. Add your chili garlic sauce and stir until combined. Remove from heat.
Once your chicken is out of the oven, spoon or brush the syrup mixture onto each skewer and sprinkle with coconut.
Enjoy!
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