Tag Archives: weeknight dinners

Green Tea Noodles with Ground Chicken & Zucchini

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After yet another long hiatus (toddler mama over here…sigh), I am SO excited to finally share a new recipe that’s quick, super flavorful, and satisfies that Asian takeout craving that I always seem to get midweek. I discovered this package of Haiku Green Tea Asian Style Noodles at my local supermarket yesterday and was instantly intrigued. I love experimenting with soba noodles so thought I would give this one a shot and get all the benefits of green tea. Soba noodles are healthier since they’re made with buckwheat flour, but I really loved the flavor of these green tea noodles — subtle and not too overpowering!

Since time is a luxury these days, I paired the noodles with some ground chicken (cooks faster than regular chicken pieces), zucchini, and a quick homemade stir-fry sauce. The entire process took 15 minutes, and the meal was DEVOURED in less than ten. Give this one a shot — I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Perfect weeknight dinner.

Ingredients (serves 2) 

3 rounds of the Haiku Green Tea Noodles, cooked in boiling water for 2 minutes and drained
1 lb ground chicken (you can also use beef or turkey)
2 tbsp Canola or avocado oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 small onion, sliced into thin long pieces
1 zucchini, diced
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Stir-fry sauce

1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Mirin/Japanese cooking sake
1/2 tsp honey
Pepper

Recipe

Combine the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Boil a pot of water and cook the green tea noodles according to directions for two minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the ground chicken, break up into little pieces, and stir until cooked. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and fry the garlic, ginger, and onion slices together until the mixture begins to soften slightly. Add in the zucchini pieces and stir for a few minutes. Add the ground chicken and stir-fry sauce to the pan and mix well.  Finally, add the noodles to the pan and stir everything together until the noodles are nicely coated in the sauce and ground chicken mixture. Serve with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy! My only regret is not doubling the recipe for more leftovers!

Boursin & Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Thighs

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I faced a rare conundrum the other day: an unopened pack of Boursin cheese that had been sitting pretty in my fridge for several days. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Boursin is this ridiculously delicious brand of creamy, flavor-packed French cheese that goes well with pretty much anything – eggs, crackers, you name it. It’s like goat cheese on crack. While brainstorming recipe ideas for using Boursin in a quick weeknight chicken dinner, I came across this Rachael Ray recipe that looked fabulous, but a bit too time-consuming.

Here’s my speedy version of her recipe, using three key ingredients: Boursin, ready-made pesto, and olive oil. THAT’S IT. Oh, and chicken thighs instead of breast, because they are so much more tender and better at soaking up that delicious garlic flavor 🙂

Ingredients (serves 4) 

12 chicken thighs
1/2 pack of Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese (~2.5 oz)
**the Rachael Ray recipe calls for a full pack, but IMHO half a pack is all you need since the cheese is so rich and flavorful!
3 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste
10-12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Recipe

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cheese and pesto until nice and creamy. Lay out the chicken thighs on a large baking tray and season with olive oil, and just a touch of salt & pepper. Add a teaspoon of the pesto cheese mixture to the center of the chicken thighs, and fold them over to enclose. Pour any leftover mixture over the thighs. You can then store this in the fridge for a few hours to marinate, or pop directly in the oven.

Bake the chicken thighs for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add some parmesan cheese, and the cherry tomatoes. Pop back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until the thighs are done cooking. I like to broil them for a few minutes at the very end for a nice browned look!

That’s it! SO incredibly easy with virtually zero prep time, but so many complex flavors, thanks to the Boursin cheese. I’ve already made this twice (once for guests), and they’re a huge hit!

Tandoori Chicken Tacos

Posted in All Things Indian, Cooking by

Here it is! My recipe for tandoori chicken tacos, which I guarantee is probably the easiest, no-fuss recipe you’ll find out there. My mother-in-law makes these all the time in the summer (with a more legit tandoori marinade) and they are so so scrumptious that I needed to figure out how to make a lazy girl version for myself. Enjoy, and leave a comment if you plan on trying these at home! You won’t regret it 🙂

Ingredients (serves 2)
*As with all cooking, I usually just eyeball/adjust these ingredients to taste, but here’s my best estimate for measurements

6 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 an onion, sliced into long pieces
6 flour tortillas
1 teaspoon Canola oil

For the marinade:
1 tablespoon plain or Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
Red chilli powder to taste (I like mine spicy, so 1 teaspoon)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Canola oil

For garnishing:
*Completely customizable, but here’s how I like mine!

2 avocados, sliced into long pieces
Greek yogurt
Montamore cheese (sweet, creamy, and tangy!)
Cholula Hot Sauce

Recipe

Mix the marinade ingredients into a large bowl. Fold in the chicken thighs, mix well, and let marinate for at least a few hours in the fridge (the longer, the better!). While the chicken marinates, you can prep the other ingredients so that your taco bar is ready to go as soon as the chicken is prepared.

Heat 1 teaspoon of Canola oil on a large saucepan on medium to high heat. Fry the onions until they’re slightly brown and caramelized, and set aside on a separate plate. In the same oil, fry the chicken thighs until brown on each side (this will take a few minutes), add any additional chilli powder (for a bolder look and taste), and then lower the heat and cover until the chicken is cooked fully. Once the chicken thighs are cooked, add in the caramelized onions and mix. You should have a nice creamy chicken mixture with not too much gravy. If your gravy appears thin, then cover and cook for longer.

To serve: Add a spoonful of the chicken mixture to your flour tortilla and garnish with a few avocado slices, a teaspoon of Greek yogurt, cheeeeese, and a generous helping of that amazing Cholula Hot Sauce. Ready, set, DEVOUR. And then repeat until your belly is full 🙂 The perfect weeknight dinner for your Taco Tuesdays!

Chicken & Mushrooms in a Light White Wine Sauce

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Hi everyone, and Happy St. Patty’s Day! I seriously can’t believe we’re already at March with weather consistently in the mid-50s in Chicago. I mean, doesn’t it feel like Christmas was just yesterday? I’m so sorry with how terrible I’ve been at keeping up with my blog, but my February was a complete blur. My husband was away in DC for a mandatory course, my mom was visiting me (which means I barely cooked all month and was spoiled by her Indian food), work was absolutely crazy, and I spent a whirlwind weekend in NYC for my golden birthday. February just flew by, but I’m feeling good about March. I’m boycotting St. Patty’s Day (no day drinking or green river for me!) and focusing on resetting and getting some much-needed zen back into my life. On the blog front, this means that I’m back with tons of new blog posts and recipe ideas that I can’t wait to share with you!

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my easiest go-to chicken recipes that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough for guests. Feel free to customize the ingredients a bit – want something richer? Go ahead and add more white wine and heavy cream. Want something lighter? Sub the heavy cream with a splash of milk and it’s just as delicious. Enjoy!

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Ingredients (serves 4) 

6 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, or 1 shallot, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
White wine, to taste
Splash of heavy cream or milk

Recipe

Marinate the chicken thighs in salt and pepper, to taste. Melt the butter on a large saucepan on high heat. Once heated, fry the onions and garlic till the mixture becomes slightly translucent. Add the chicken thighs, fry on each side for a few minutes till they begin to brown. Add the mushrooms and a splash of white wine (I usually add a little less than 1/2 cup) and fry the mixture together. Lower the heat slightly and add heavy cream or milk. Stir the mixture together, add more salt and pepper to taste, cover and let the chicken cook fully. Garnish with thyme leaves and serve with salad or over a bed of pasta. C’est fini!

 

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp Curry

Posted in All Things Indian, Cooking by

Ugh, is it seriously Sunday already? I can’t believe how quickly the Thanksgiving long weekend flew by! This year we celebrated “Thanksgivmas” with my in-laws, with Christmas presents & jammies on Thursday morning, followed by a more formal turkey dinner in the evening. It was so nice to get into the Christmas spirit a little earlier this year, and even though we felt a bit sad after the family festivities were over, we realized that the official holiday countdown has only just begin! I still have a full week of Christmas celebrates with my side of the family to look forward to in Canada. I seriously cannot wait to gorge on my mom’s amazing food and steal–I mean, learn–more of her delicious recipes :). SO. EXCITED.

Anyways, we’re battling some serious Sunday blues here in the Gupta household, so we decided to whip up some homemade Indian food to cleanse our palate from all the decadent eating we’ve been doing over the long weekend. If you follow me on Instagram, you know what I’m talking about! Also, my husband bought me these amazing kadhai dishes as part of my early Christmas gift, and I was just really excited to test them out.

I’ve been making a lot of fish and chicken lately, and wanted to try out a new shrimp recipe tonight. My go-to recipe for shrimp curry involves heavy coconut milk, and I was in the mood for something lighter. I drew some inspiration from this Prawn Patia dish but added some Bengali spices and simplified a few of the steps. I was shocked by how delicious this dish ended up tasting! I love love love adding some sweetness to my curry (true Bengali) and I couldn’t get enough of the sweet and spicy combination. So good, I just had to share with you guys. Enjoy!

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Full spread from tonight’s dinner – bhindi masala, baingan bharta, and sweet & spicy shrimp curry!

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This might be my new go-to shrimp recipe…

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How cute are my new kadhai dishes?!

Ingredients (serves 2)

1/2 tsp kalo jeere (black cumin)
15-20 shrimp, deveined
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced into long slender pieces
1/2 tomato, diced into small pieces and ketchup, to taste
3 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin and coriander powder
1 sugar cube (or 1 tsp sugar)
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp water
Salt, to taste
Cilantro, for garnishing

Recipe

Heat the oil on a large saucepan. Once heated, drop in the kalo jeere for a few seconds. Then fry the onions until they begin to brown slightly. Add the grated garlic and ginger paste and mix together with the onions and kalo jeere. Add the tomatoes and stir continuously until the oil begins to separate. Add salt and the remaining spices (red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder) and keep mixing for another few minutes.

Add the sugar cube and stir until it mixes with the onions and spices. Add water and vinegar and cook until the tomatoes are fully cooked with the spices. Drop in the shrimps and cook for a few minutes with the onions and spice mixture. Stir continuously until the shrimp is fully cooked through (around five minutes). Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with hot rice!

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomatoes in a Garlic Cream Sauce

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‘Tis the season for turkey, but I have to admit, I’m always going to favor chicken over turkey. I didn’t grow up celebrating Thanksgiving, but after my family migrated to Canada, we always chose roasting a chicken over trying to handle a big bird. Chicken is just so much more juicy and flavorful! Anyone else with me?!

Anyways, today’s recipe is one of my favorite chicken dishes that would make an excellent non-traditional side for a Turkey Day meal. Or an entree for after Thanksgiving, when you’re sick of all the leftover turkey and craving something new.

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I first discovered this recipe on Damn Delicious, and simplified it even further for the lazy (or time pressed!) cook. My version is really really ridiculously simple, but impressive enough for guests and still damn delicious. Trust me, you won’t be able to stop licking your plate. My husband doesn’t even like sun-dried tomatoes, but he loves everything about this chicken and always asks for it.

Keep reading for the recipe!

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Ingredients (serves 2-4)

6 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 an onion (or 1/2 small onion), chopped
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
Parsley flakes, to taste
1.5 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red chili flakes, to taste
Thyme leaves, for garnishing

Recipe

Marinate the chicken in salt and pepper, to taste. Melt the butter on a large saucepan on high heat. Once heated, fry the onions and garlic till the mixture becomes slightly translucent. Add the chicken thighs, fry on each side for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and allow the thighs to fry a little longer in the olive oil. Lower the heat to medium and add the chicken broth, cream, and parsley flakes. Stir everything together and add more salt if necessary. Cover until the chicken is fully cooked, then garnish with thyme leaves.

Best served with pasta, or just a side salad and some garlic bread to soak up all that delicious gravy. Yum!

Let me know if you guys try out the recipe and don’t forget to subscribe by email (to the right) so you can get immediate updates. You can also like me on Facebook. Happy almost Turkey week!