Honey Balsamic Chicken

This recipe is courtesy of Budget Bytes!

Another quick dinner recipe that is yummy and can go with all sorts of things! Toss some vegetables with the chicken, too, and it's doubly good (if you like vegetables; I don't).

Ingredients

2 medium chicken breasts

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Slice the chicken into six diagonal strips. Place the strips in a ziplock bag with the 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients all together and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil on a skillet over medium heat. Cook the strips until browned on both sides. Remove chicken onto a plate.
3. Turn the heat to low. Add the butter and remaining 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir everything up in the skillet. Add the honey, increase the heat, and let the sauce simmer until thick (approx. 5 minutes).
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then add the chicken back into the skillet and toss until coated. Toss in vegetables for extra yummy and serve with rice!

Honey Mustard Salmon

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Classy!

If you're looking for a really quick, easy, and yummy salmon dish, this one is perfect. It takes hardly any time and makes little mess.

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with greased aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the dijon mustard, honey, and garlic. In a shallow dish, mix together the Panko bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest. Add olive oil and toss to evenly coat the crumbs.
3. Brush the tops of your salmon with the honey mustard mixture. Then dip the coated salmon in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat until all of the salmon fillets are coated.
4. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Serve with steamed asparagus and lemon wedges.

Italian Easter Bread

This recipe is courtesy of Grains of Earth!

I put myself in charge of Easter dinner this year because I had a ton of new recipes I wanted to try out! While everything turned out delicious, this Ukranian Easter bread was my pride and joy. It turned out so perfect. Yes, that is a whole duck egg in the middle. The great thing about this bread is you can make it for anything - just leave the egg out of the middle. It won't compromise the bread shape and you can save it for Easter, to make it special.

Ingredients

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cups milk

pinch of salt

1/3 cup salted butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups (approx.) flour

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

6 eggs, dyed or not (your choice)

pearl sugar

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter together, just until the butter is melted.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, salt, eggs and sugar. Add the warm (too hot and it will kill the yeast) milk mixture.
3. Add one cup of flour, mixing in between, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. You may end up using more than 3 1/2 cups of flour; that's fine.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
5. Placed in a greased, covered bowl, and let rise for 1 hour.
6. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll the pieces out into 1-inch thick ropes about 14 inches long. Taking two pieces, pinch ends together and braid, then form into a loop and pinch together.
7. Lining a baking sheet with greased aluminum foil, place braided circles on it.
8. Once you've braided all of your loops, cover the sheet and let rise for 1 hour.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
10. When the circles are done rising, brush with the egg wash. Place a whole, raw egg in the middle of each circle. The egg will bake through in the oven. Sprinkle the circles with pearl sugar as generously as you like.
11. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.
12. NOTE: because of the eggs in the middle, this bread does need to be stored in a refrigerator. If you don't put the eggs in the middle, store it like any other bread!

Czech Poppy Seed Bread

This recipe is courtesy of See Aimee Cook!

I loooove poppy seed bread. I always have, and I used to make muffins and loaves from the box mixes all the time. But I really don't like making things from boxes. So I decided to try out this recipe. I couldn't believe how fluffy my batter was, and how perfectly moist the bread turned out. This is incredibly good and I'll never go back to a box again!

Ingredients

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 1/2 sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour (the original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups flour, but I found that it made it too dry)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, cook the poppy seeds, honey, and water for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled poppy seed mixture to creamed mixture, and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating well.
5. In a small bowl, beat together egg whites until stiff, then fold into batter.
6. Pour batter into a lightly greased 9-inch tube (or bundt) pan. Bake for 40 minutes (the original recipe says to bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. I baked mine for 30 minutes, checked it, then added on an extra 10 minutes. This cooked it perfectly. It's a good idea to cut the time in half, then add on 5 or 10 minutes as needed, checking after each time)
7. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. The bread will collapse a little; that's all right. Remove from pan and cool totally on a wire rack. Slice and sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Brazilian Cheese Bread

This recipe is courtesy of RasaMalaysia!

These little bite-sized bits of cheesy bread are sooooooooo good and soooooo easy to make and so, so, so yummy and filling! You won't be able to stop eating them,

Ingredients

1 egg

1/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup milk

scant 1 1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 packed grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a mini muffin tin.
2. Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour the batter in the mini muffin tins, filling it to about 3/4 way full.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until very light brown.
5. Eat them all up!

Blackened Cajun Chicken

This recipe is courtesy of Flavor Mosaic!

Obviously this is with some side dishes (which I will post recipes to later): Brazilian cheese bread and roasted sweet potatoes. I also served the blackened chicken with avocado cream sauce.

Ingredients (for Cajun chicken)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions (for Cajun chicken)

1. In a small bowl, stir together the first 9 ingredients.
2. Halve your chicken breasts, then spray each side with cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle chicken with the spices (an easier way is to put the spices in a plastic bag, then throw the chicken in and shake it around a bit).
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the chicken cook for 8 minutes, then flip it onto the other side and let cook for another 8 minutes. You want the sides to be blackened.

Ingredients (for avocado cream sauce)

1/3 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions (for avocado cream sauce)

1. Throw it all in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.

This recipe is courtesy of SkinnyMom!

White Wine Chicken

This recipe is courtesy of Happy Wives Club!

I paired this delicious recipe with garlic knots and a bed of fettuccine. It's very filling, very yummy, and pretty quick to make, too!

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup olive oil

1 cup flour

1 stick butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp parsley, chopped

1 lemon

5 oz white wine (I used Barefoot Charbonney)

3 chicken bouillon cubes (the original recipe calls for 6; 3 is just fine unless you want it really salty)

Directions:

- In a shallow bowl, dip the chicken breasts in flour, until they're lightly coated. Dust off any excess.

- Cut lemon in half and juice one of the slices. Cut the other half into wedges and set aside.

- Pour olive oil into a large skillet until it coats the bottom and heat over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Cook until it turns white, but not totally cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a separate plate.

- Lower the heat and add the parsley and garlic. When the garlic turns transparent, add the butter, wine, and lemon juice. Let it simmer on low heat.

- In a container with a lid, add 10 oz of hot water and the bouillon cubes. Shake vigorously (the bouillon cubes don't have to be completely melted). Add 2 tbsp of flour, then shake vigorously again. Add this mixture to the skillet.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

- Put the chicken in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it.

- Bake chicken for 20-30 minutes.

- Serve with pasta! Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and squeeze a lemon slice over it all.

Garlic Knots

This recipe is courtesy of My Life of Travels & Adventures!

I was surprised at how quick and easy these were - and how downright fun! I mean, being able to tie bread dough into knots? That's fun and bloody awesome! These are perfect for any Italian dinner, just on their own, or even for pizza fondu.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 tbsp. maple syrup (I used the expensive 100% stuff) or honey

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

For Garlic Butter:

2 tbsp butter (I ended up using 4 tbsp)

4 tbsp minced garlic cloves

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

- Combine water, maple syrup, and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes.

- Stir in the oil. Then stir in the flour and salt. Add additional flour one cup at a time until the dough comes together. I ended up only using 3 cups of flour. Mixing it with your hands is the easiest way to get it all mixed together.

- Lightly flour your surface and knead dough for 5 minutes.

- Spray a large bowl and lightly flour it. Place dough inside, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

- Divide dough into 16 equal pieces.

- On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a dough rope about 9-10 inches long and about 1/2-inch thick.

- Shape into a knot (fold one end of the dough over the other so it looks like an awareness ribbon. Twist dough at the place where the two sides overlap. Fold ends over and tuck under). Once you get it down, it's super easy.

- Place knots on a covered baking sheet.

- Bake for 10-12 minutes (I baked mine for 14).

- To make the garlic butter, melt butter in a small saucepan.

- Mix in all the ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese.

- Toss the knots in the garlic butter.

- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top! NOTE: when I tried to add the Parmesan cheese to the mixture, as originally directed, it got melty and was very hard to toss the garlic knots thoroughly.

Indian Meatballs With Curry Coconut Sauce

This recipe is courtesy of Culinary Ginger!

My culinary adventures continue! This week, I tried my hand at an Indian dish - meatballs with curry coconut sauce. These are meant to be an appetizer, but I paired it with jasmine rice and naan bread, which made for a very satisfying dinner.

Ingredients: for curry sauce

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder (I used hot curry powder to make it spicier)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk (coconut cream adds extra richness)
- pinch of salt

Instructions: for curry sauce

- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute.
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- And the coconut milk (or cream) and stir well, cooking for 3 minutes until thickened.
- Throw in a pinch of salt to add a tad bit of flavor.
- Transfer to a bowl and put on a hot plate, or continue to cook over very low heat, to keep warm.

Ingredients: for the meatballs

- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions: for the meatballs

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Put all of the meatball ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Don't over process or the meat will turn gummy
- Line baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
- Scoop some of the meat mixture out and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. You can use a cookie scoop; I just used a regular spoon and shaped it with my hands. It's sticky, so this can be a messy process.
- Brush the tops with some olive oil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Once they're done, insert a toothpick and dunk them in the curry sauce.

Lime Cilantro Chicken

This recipe is courtesy of InspiredDreamer!

Last Sunday, I decided to start back into cooking and baking on a regular basis. My mum is more than happy with this decision, of course, as it gives her an excuse to teach me all her tricks - and it also gives her a night off from cooking. ;-)

This quickie recipe was discovered on Pinterest. Follow the link above to visit the person's website who was so kind to share this recipe! Combined with jasmine rice and this was the perfect quick dinner recipe. It's also great for lunches or a healthy snack!

Ingredients

- boneless chicken, 3 breasts

- 3 or 4 limes

- 4 to 6 garlic cloves

- olive oil

- cumin

- cayenne or chili powder (chili powder tastes better with the cumin)

- 1/4 snipped cilantro

- avocado (optional)

Directions

1. Mince the garlic, snip the cilantro and zest a lime. Juice the lime carcass along with 2 more limes. Cut the lime into wedges. If you're adding the avocado, slice it, too. These will serve as garnish.
2. Cube the chicken.
3. Pour just enough olive oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom. Heat it over medium-high heat until it's very hot, almost smoking. Add the chicken and let it cook undisturbed.
4. Once the chicken is browned nicely on the bottom, sprinkle it generously with cumin and chili powder (essentially, add as much or as little as you want; to taste). Let it cook another minute or 2, until the white line has moved about halfway through the pieces.
5. Turn the chicken and let it cook another couple of minutes, long enough to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and lime zest. Stir it a little and let cook for another 2 minutes, but don't let the garlic burn.
6. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the lime juice and stir everything up.
7. Garnish with the cilantro and serve up with some jasmine rice or anything with your choice!