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| By Pablo Picasso |
Okay Lovelies, I need some help from you. So, while I adore and love Eric, it has come to my attention over the past few years that cooking is not his thing. That's all fine and dandy with me, I love to cook, but I do feel like the boy should have some repertoire of food he can make for dinner so I'm not always on call to cook. Therefore, I decided to create him a cookbook of simple dinner recipes with step by step photos...I'm even going to include what setting our stove should be on! I'm not going to leave out any details.
But, I am racking my brain for simple (and mostly vegetarian, he hates dealing with meat--understandably!) dinner recipes. A main dish, a side dish, whatever...just something he can have the confidence to cook all by himself!
So, do share some simple easy-peasy recipes that you've tackled! Or, just post a link to a recipe!
One of my favorite recipes I've tried lately (and I'm going to make again later this week) is this simple dish: Curried Chicken with Pineapple Salsa. I love that it's all made in one large skillet. A super easy way to deal with meat! I am copy/pasting from Weight Watchers since I think the link is behind a pay wall. I tend to leave out the cooking spray and just use extra oil.
ReplyDeleteIngredients
3 spray(s) cooking spray
2 tsp peanut oil
2 tsp ginger root, finely minced
1 large uncooked onion(s), chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder, mild-variety recommended
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp sugar
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), cut into 1- to 1 1/2-in chunks
1 cup(s) light coconut milk
2 1/2 cup(s) pineapple, diced
1/4 cup(s) uncooked shallot(s), minced
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, minced
1/4 cup(s) shredded coconut meat, toasted
Instructions
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Add oil; heat until oil starts to shimmer. Add ginger and onions; sauté until onions turn translucent and start to caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add curry powder, salt and sugar; cook, stirring, until curry becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Push vegetables to side of skillet and sauté chicken until lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and reduce heat to low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is done, about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, to make salsa, combine pineapple, shallots and cilantro; toss well to coat To serve, top chicken with salsa and sprinkle with coconut; sprinkle with salt if desired. Yields about 5 servings of: 3/4 cup chicken, rounded 1/3 cup salsa and 2 teaspoons coconut per serving.
Here's another easy-peasy recipe, no meat involved! I'll leave out the scallions next time I use this because you use so little/it contributes so little to the taste but have to buy in such quantity at the store. I love "set it and forget it" recipes and this is one of those! Stir it all together and let it bubble away in the oven.
ReplyDeleteTex Mex Rice and Bean Casserole
Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 cup(s) canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels
1 Tbsp canned green chili peppers, chopped, mild or hot
15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup(s) cooked brown rice, fresh or day old
3/4 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
3/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), chopped (dark green part only)
2 Tbsp shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine corn, chilies, beans, rice, 3/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, chili powder, salt and pepper; stir in scallions.
Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and casserole is slightly bubbly, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes to firm up before slicing into 6 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.
Notes
Change the beans or cheese to your liking: white or black beans, reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses all work well.
If you want to brown the cheese more, place the dish (make sure it's broiler safe) under the broiler for a minute or two.