019: oyster chicken over couscous

this is a super fast, super easy asian-inspired chicken recipe. it can also be done with kielbasa as the protein, but this is just a bit healthier. since i usually do my cooking for one, this recipe yields 1-2 servings. expanding it would be easy and quite feasible.




equipment:
1 12" frying pan
spatula (heat resistant)
sauce pan
knife


ingredients:
olive oil
1 chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. couscous
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. oyster sauce


steps:
1.) heat a few teaspoons of olive oil frying pan, and add chicken strips. heat until fully cooked.

2.) while the chicken is cooking, begin boiling water for the couscous, and cook according to the directions on the box (i used 1/2 c. water, 1 t. olive oil, and 1/3 c. couscous)

3.) add chopped red pepper and red onion to chicken. cook until caramelized.

4.) add oyster sauce to chicken combo, and heat until sauce is warm.

5.) serve chicken with sauce hot over couscous.



time: 10 minutes cook time
difficulty: 1 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2 (4.5 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: use kielbasa as the protein


enjoy!
-kl

013: dijon tarragon chicken

probably one of the fastest and easiest standby meals that i make. as always, this recipe is per chicken breast, given that i typically cook for one. the recipe can be expanded indefinitely to compensate for however many you are cooking for. cook time is about 15 minutes.





equipment:
frying pan
sauce pot (optional)
bowl
spoon
spatula


ingredients:
olive oil
1 [boneless, skinless] chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 T. tarragon
couscous (optional)


steps:
1.) heat olive oil in frying pan. cut chicken breast into strips for more even cooking, and cook thoroughly.

2.) meanwhile, mix mustard, mayonnaise, and tarragon in a separate bowl. i like to serve this dish over couscous, so if you want, prepare couscous according to directions. otherwise i'm sure rice or pasta would be good as well, or even plain.

3.) when chicken is cooked, pour dijon mixture over it and only keep it on the burner until sauce is thoroughly heated.

4.) serve (as i said, i do it over couscous, and that is how it is pictured).


time: 15 minutes
difficulty: 1 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦◊ (4 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: perhaps experiment with serving it over different things--couscous, pasta, rice, etc.


enjoy!
-kl

006: cranberry pineapple chicken pasta salad

this is an all inclusive dish: fruit, protein, and pasta! and delicious to boot. as usual, i do this on a per serving basis, given that i do most of my cooking for one. for me, this made one dinner and one lunch as leftovers. cook time was about half an hour.



equipment:
3 qt sauce pan
knife
measuring cups and spoons


ingredients:
1 c. pasta (i used rotini)
1/2 t. rosemary
1 T. olive oil
1 chicken breast (1/4 lb.)
1/2 c. chopped pineapple
1/2 c. dried cranberries (craisins)
1/2 c. parmesean or swiss cheese


steps:
1.) cook pasta according to instructions on box. add half (1/4 t.) of the rosemary to the water. when cooked and drained, pour olive oil over top and stir it in to cooked pasta (this is to keep it from sticking). chill.

2.) poach chicken breast, adding the other half (1/4 t.) of the rosemary to the water. when done, cut into bite sized pieces. add to pasta, and chill.

3.) cut pineapple into bite sized pieces. add pineapple, cranberries, and cheese to chicken and pasta when the chicken is cool. serve.


time: 30 minutes
difficulty: 2 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦◊◊ (3 stars out of 5)
suggestions for variation: add pieces of cooked bacon to the pasta salad. use crushed red pepper instead of rosemary, leave out the craisins, and sprinkle chili powder over the top.



enjoy!
-kl

c: poaching chicken

poaching chicken is a great way to cook chicken that is going to be used in something else. it keeps the chicken moist, and it also does not add any flavor to the meat like sauteing it can.

1.) put thawed chicken into saucepan. fill it with cold water until the water just covers the meat.

2.) put over medium heat and bring water to boil.

3.) as soon as the water starts to boil, remove it from the heat and let sit for 15-20 minutes. drain from water and you're good to go.

happy eating!
-kl