Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

So... as I was making this I realized that it was very similar to my Spicy Mac with Chicken and Broccoli recipe. I probably should have used another veggie, but I love broccoli sooo much. Anyway, the sauce is different, and both are delicious, so let's just say it's a variation. :)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, sliced into small strips

2 heads of broccoli, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. butter 

4 oz cream cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced fine

1 1/4 cup milk

4 oz. parmesan, grated

pepper to taste

1 lb. fettucini noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Massaman Chicken Curry

If I had to pick one dish that was my favorite in the whole world, massaman curry could be it. I say "could" because as you can tell I am absolutely obsessed with food, so picking one food is next to impossible. However, I adore Thai food, and massaman is so close to heavenly it would at least make the top 5.

Maintaining a recipe blog like this is both a blessing and a curse. You are experimenting along the way, so a plus is you're always making something new. However, you're bound to need to make adjustments along the way which interrupts the recipe writing process. That said, I realized halfway through making this that I needed either a bigger pot or to have made less food. 

So what did we learn? 

You will either need to cut this recipe in half or use a big soup pot to make it!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. oil

1 onion, chopped

2 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced 

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk 

8-10 tbsp. massaman curry paste (or red curry paste)*

1 (8 oz) jar satay sauce

1 red pepper, chopped

3 oz. roasted peanuts

*The more curry paste, the spicier. If you can't find massaman paste, you can use red curry but it tends to be spicier.

Hearty Chicken Soup with Rice

This weekend was definitely quite cold, and there is no better comfort food to warm the soul than a good old-fashioned bowl of chicken soup. Typically I make Chicken Noodle soup, but I wanted to change it up this time around. This soup is super easy, healthy, and so tasty!

Ingredients: 

2 lbs chicken breast or thighs, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter

64 oz. chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3/4 cup uncooked rice

salt and pepper to taste

Teriyaki Chicken

This has always been one of my favorite dishes, but I hated using the pre-made marinades or sauces because they always came out too salty. I had to work on this recipe for quite some time before I was happy with it.

Ingredients:

1 c. soy sauce (I used low-sodium)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp pepper

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp cold water

20 oz. pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved

2 tsp oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2-inch) piece of ginger root, peeled and minced

3 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 broccoli crown, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 carrots, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Potatoes

This is an easy one, with simple flavors, but is simply delicious! I served it with a side salad. Chop veggies, put in a baking/roasting dish, and bake, about 90 minutes later, dinner is served! For the wine, pick a dry white wine like a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Pick one that you like drinking, because you can use the rest to eat with the meal!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken thighs or legs

2 lemons, cut into wedges, seeds removed

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into pieces

10 cloves garlic, smashed and cut in half

1 onion, sliced very thinly

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)

3 sprigs of rosemary, broken into 1-inch pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Chicken Enchiladas

This is my own personal chicken enchilada recipe, so I realize it is not very authentic. Also I made way too much filling, so the pictures will show twice as much filling ingredients as the directions will call for below. I ended up saving my extra filling for burritos. It freezes well and will make a whole other dinner for another night. So if you want extra filling, use 4 chicken breasts, 1 cup frozen corn, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 cans of green chilis.

Also, I prefer to use corn tortillas but they were out at my local grocery store, so I had to settle for flour.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil

2 chicken breasts

dash garlic powder

dash cumin

salt and pepper

1 8 oz can green chilis

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 clove garlic, minced

2 green onions, diced

2 cans enchilada sauce

1 pkg tortillas

12 oz. shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese

sour cream, guacamole, salsa, Sriacha, cilantro to garnish

Filipino Chicken Stew (Chicken Adobo)

This was a staple dish during my childhood, probably because my parents were so hardworking and this dish is easy to prepare and only requires one pot to cook it. Now when I make it, I make a big batch and eat it for leftovers over a week. The pic above was from a different time that I made it, since I forgot to take a final picture this time around... 

I have been recently told by my mother, after several Pinoys out there denied this recipe's authenticity, that this version is Batangueno style (from the great province of Batangas where my mom was raised).

Ingredients:

2 lb. chicken, traditionally thighs and drumsticks

2 tbsp. oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 cloves garlic

2 cups water

4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar 

6 tbsp soy sauce 

2 bay leaves 

salt & pepper to taste 

Not pictured due to my poor planning: bay leaves, salt & pepper. I also usually use fresh garlic but I didn't have any, so I used some jarred minced garlic.

Heat oil in a pot, add chicken and brown on both sides. I typically use drumsticks and thighs, but I did not have any thighs in my freezer. I do recommend using both thighs and drumsticks for a nice variety.

Add onions and garlic and cook until caramelized. 

Add water, vinegar, and soy sauce.

Add potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper and add bay leaves.

Stir and stew for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Serve over sticky rice

I eat mine in a bowl and soak up the sauce in the rice. The chicken should fall right off the bone. Yum! 

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Here is my super easy chicken pot pie recipe!  

You can also make it more healthy by using low sodium broth.  I also would love to learn how to make my own crust, because as you can see below, the store bought ones tend to crumble and make the presentation not so pretty.  But it tastes good!

Excuse the quality of the pictures, I used my phone camera for these because I couldn't find my good camera.  :( I found it now, so the future blog entries should look better, I promise.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 medium potato, diced

1 lb chicken thighs, cut into chunks

3 tbsp butter

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/3 cup flour

1-3/4 cup chicken broth (not pictured)

2/3 cup milk (also not pictured. Oops!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dried thyme

2 frozen deep dish pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Boil peas, carrots, corn, potato and chicken for 15 minutes in a covered saucepan.  Drain and set aside.

Balsamic Chicken with Peppers

As promised, I am posting a healthier recipe.  This also happens to be a super quick and easy recipe that I whip up when I am tired and don't have very many ingredients to work with.  You could add other fresh veggies that you like, but I tend to make mine very simple. 

Ingredients:

olive oil

6 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

2-3 thinly sliced bell peppers, any colors 

1 medium onion, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dried basil (or one bunch fresh basil)

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Spicy Mac with Chicken and Broccoli

I love a good macaroni and cheese, especially when it's homemade. I love mac & cheese because you can change up the types of cheeses, the veggies you add in, and the type of pasta. I realize my first posts haven't been exactly the most healthy ones; I promise to provide some good healthy recipes in this blog as well... but as for now, bring on the cheesy. Also, I should note that I am a bit of a spice wuss. I suggest if you like spiciness, you add a chopped jalapeno or serrano, or an 8 oz can of green chilis for an extra kick.

Ingredients you will need:

1 lb. cavatelli pasta, cooked as directed on the box
8 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded
8 oz pepperjack, shredded
salt & pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp butter
3 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 broccoli crown
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch strips

Let's start by getting the broccoli & chicken part cooked. I also boiled the pasta while getting this part done. The cheese sauce requires the most attention, so you don't want to be working on other parts of the recipe while making the cheese sauce.

So first, heat up a large skillet pan with oil, add garlic. Saute for one minute, then add onion, and cook until translucent.



Add chicken. I used chicken thigh meat because it was on sale, but if you prefer white meat, you can use that too. I actually love dark meat and its rich flavor. Cook on medium-high heat until browned, about five minutes, stirring occasionally.



Add the broccoli on top, cover immediately. You do not need to stir, the steam from the chicken and onions should cook the broccoli to the proper tenderness.







Cook until broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, but keep cover on to retain heat.

Now on to that cheese sauce. Start by warming a saucepan on medium heat. Add butter but watch carefully so the butter does not burn. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes.






Slowly add the milk very gradually, whisking constantly.




Simmer and let thicken, whisking frequently, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add cheeses, salt & pepper, and garlic powder. Stir until incorporated.






In the pasta pot, add chicken and broccoli mixture to the pasta.



Pour cheese sauce on top, and mix all together.






Serve immediately!



Variations/substitutions:

add a can of green chilis to cheese sauce to make it spicier

sub white meat for thigh meat

sub peas for broccoli

sub macaroni pasta or penne for cavatelli

sub fontina for pepperjack, or any other good melting cheese