Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking for two. Show all posts
Although I have a partner who really isn't that fond of pasta, I do cook it from time to time. He knows I love pasta and he doesn't mind me feeding my craving for it every now and then!
He eats it too, even if he doesn't really like it all that much.
He is from the old school that eats what is put in front of him.
And to be honest, even if it isn't his favourite he will be the first one to tell you that when I cook it, its not half bad and quite tolerable!
This is one of my favourite kinds of meals, an all in one dinner for two, with only a very few ingredients.
Pasta, sauce and protein cooking all in the same pan on top of the stove. I love cooking pasta this way.
It doesn't get over cooked, staying al dente, and the pasta absorbs even more of the flavour from the sauce . . . it gets right in there . . .
I created this to use up leftover cooked chicken. It is semi-based on another recipe I saw for something similar here.
In looking at her recipe I thought to myself, why can't I use already cooked chicken cubed, instead of cutting up chicken breasts and browning them in the pan.
Why indeed? Although if you don't have leftover roast chicken use fresh by all means. For this recipe you could use two small chicken breast fillets.
Just cut it up and cook it in the vinaigrette dressing as per the recipe, until the juices run clear.
You know about five years ago now, I came down with a bad case of food poisoning. I was so sick. That day I had eaten leftover pizza for breakfast and for dinner, Chicken Parmesan.
Oh boy . . . I thought I would never be able to eat either one again in a very long time!
I will admit that I still feel a bit queasy when I am faced with Chicken Parmesan, with the breading and all . . . but this was quite good.
There is no breading on the chicken, just plain roasted chicken.
Oh, I love breaded chicken . . . but not with marinara sauce and cheese . . . not yet anyways . . .
Maybe some day I will regain my taste for it. Some day . . .
And there is plenty of cheese in this . . . look at that ooze . . .
So, so, so good . . .
Interestingly enough, I wasn't put off pizza for very long. Thank goodness! Its one of my favourite food groups!
Since then I have been extremely pedantic about leftovers. I was actually in bed for four days. I never want to be that sick again.
I remember thinking that death would actually be welcome. You know you are really sick when death is welcome!
Anyways, not to put you off your food or anything . . . sorry if I have!!
I have a rule of thumb now. Food that has been made in house, I have a 3 day rule as far as leftovers go. I don't keep any after 3 days.
And anything takeaway . . . I get rid of the leftovers on the day. I don't keep them at all.
I know it might seem a bit wasteful, but I never buy more than we can feasibly eat at once. (I am so not a Gilmore Girl.) You know . . . you never know how long the toppings in a Pizza place have been sitting around waiting to be used on pizzas, or even how clean the person is that is making them.
That's why I don't like to see the people who cook my food in a restaurant. And also why I am really picky at Pot Lucks, unless I know exactly who has cooked what.
Yield: 2 - 3
Chicken & Parm Pasta Skillet
An all in one skillet meal which only uses a few ingredients and makes great use of leftover cooked poultry. This can easily be doubled.
ingredients:
- 1 TBS Italian Vinaigrette style salad dressing
- 150g cooked chicken, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups dry rigatoni pasta tubes (8 ounces)
- 340g good marinara sauce (1 1/2 cups)
- 340ml water (12 ounces)
- 90g grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
- 60g grated mozzarella/cheddar mix cheese (1/2 cup)
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley or basil to garnish
instructions:
How to cook Chicken & Parm Pasta Skillet
- Heat the Italian vinaigrette dressing in a medium skillet with a lid. Add the chicken. Cook and stir until the chicken begins to absorb the dressing. Pour the water and marinara sauce over top. Stir in the pasta, bring to the boil. Stir again, then reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. At the end of that time the pasta should be al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Scatter both cheeses over top. Cover and allow to melt. Sprinkle with the parsley/basil and serve immediately.
Hope I haven't put you off your dinner. I didn't mean to, just being honest! In any case, this was really tasty!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice Bake. Loaded with chicken and rice and plenty of cheese, this delicious and easy casserole is the epitome of comfort food.
I had some leftover chicken in the refrigerator that needed using up today. My mom always said I was a Master at creating something delicious out of nothing.
I don't know if she was right about that or not, but I do love taking what I have and making something tasty with it.
A couple of years ago I discovered how easy it was to bake rice in the oven.
You use basically the same amounts of rice and water/liquid/stock that you would use on top of the stove, except you bake it in the oven instead of a saucepan.
It does take quite a bit longer, but I find it takes on a lovely nutty flavor that we both enjoy very much.
Almost like an oven baked rice pilaf. I love rice pilaf.
Today I added the leftover chicken, chopped and some cheese along with some seasoning and garlic powder.
I wanted something with a lovely cheesy garlic bread flavor. I adore garlic bread.
Its all very simple to make. Just mix the chicken, rice, some chicken stock, grated cheddar and your seasonings together in a casserole dish.
Cover and bake.
Its takes only thirty five to forty minutes to bake.
While its in the oven, you can get on with making a salad, or cooking some vegetables to serve on the side.
Today I cooked baby English peas and some honey/butter/nutmeg glazed carrots . . . so good.
Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid in the dish, you scatter cheesy buttered cracker crumbs over top to cover.
Then simply return the casserole to the oven to bake for a little while longer, just until golden brown.
The amounts given serve two generously, or at least us two anyways.
You might have a heartier appetite, in which case it would be adequate for two people.
Nutty, cheesy and delicious. You can vary the amount of garlic powder you use.
I wouldn't use any more than 1/4 tsp but you could certainly use less.
If you have a family to feed, you could certainly also very easily double the ingredients . . .
I like to use a well flavored strong cheddar cheese for this. In North America I would use a sharp.
It will give you a lovely flavor boost without having to use too much.
In any case use a good, well flavored cheddar cheese.
My husband adores Cheddar cheese.
One of his largest disappointments when we holidayed in France one year was that he could not find any Cheddar cheese there . . .
Never mind that there was an abundance of a whole variety of other cheeses.
In his mind, if there's no Cheddar in the house, there's no cheese at all . . .
He is so, so, so British, but then again, that is one of the things I love about him . . . that and our mutual love of Cheddar!
Yield: 2
Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice Bake
A simple and delicious dinner that basically cooks itself. Serve with salads or a variety of vegetables on the side. Sized for two but easily doubled.
ingredients:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 30g cracker crumbs (1/4 cup)
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 105g uncooked long grain rice (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp each, pepper and garlic powder
- 295ml chicken stock (1 1/4 cups)
- 120g strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup) divided
- chopped parsley to garnish, optional
instructions:
How to cook Garlic Cheddar Chicken & Rice Bake
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark5. Butter a 1 litre (1 QT) baking dish. Set aside.
- Mix together the melted butter and cracker crumbs well. Stir in 30g (1/4 cup) of the cheese. Set aside.
- Mix the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chicken broth together in a bowl. stir in the remainder of the cheese and then pour the whole lot into the buttered baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the oven, uncover and give it a stir. Sprinkle the crumb/cheese mixture evenly over top and return to the oven. Bake for a further five minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.
I think if you wanted to you could add some thawed chopped frozen broccoli to this as well, which would be quite nice. We just had it as is and were quite happy with it.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Today a beautifully delicious dish, Crispy Sheet Pan Chicken Milanese, perfectly sized for just two people!
I love chicken recipes like this. Recipes that are simple to make, with no fuss or muss, but that give excellent delicious results.
With this one you get lovely tender, crisp golden crumb and cheese chicken breasts, flavoured with garlic and lemon.
They are baked rather than fried, which makes them a bit healthier. You also have crisp golden brown potatoes . . . again flavoured with butter and garlic.
If you are low carbing it, you could replace them with cauliflower florets.
Add to the mix, beautiful crispy tender green beans, again flavoured with butter and garlic . . .
The coated chicken and potatoes are roasted first and then you add the green beans and roast them for a bit longer . . .
By then your potatoes will be getting crisp and golden brown also . . . finally you add some halved baby plum tomatoes.
The tomatoes are drizzled with a bit of Balsamic vinegar, to help bring out their natural sweetness, and pop everything back into the oven just until the tomatoes are wilted and beginning to caramelise . . .
This is such a beautiful combination . . . tender juicy crisp coated chicken, crispy buttery potatoes, crispy tender green beans, caramelised tomatoes . . .
You can't go wrong!
Dust the tray with some additional finely grated Parmesan cheese . . . .
Sprinkle with some parsley to give an additional colour hit . . .
Pass out the lemon wedges for squeezing . . . or not as you desire.
Myself, I enjoy a hit of lemon . . .
Altogether a beautiful dish, delicious and colourful, generously sized with nothing to wash up except for your eating utensils. You can't go wrong!
Yield: 2
Crispy Sheet Pan Chicken Milanese
An oven baked all in one pan chicken dinner for two with delicious Italian flavours!
ingredients:
For the Vegetables:
- 250g baby potatoes, washed, dried and quartered (1/2 pound)
- 250g green beans, washed, trimmed and dried (1/2 pound)
- 12 baby plum tomatoes, halved
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 60g melted butter (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- dry Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the crispy chicken:
- 1 small free range egg, beaten lightly
- 1 TBS lemon juice
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
- 35g dried bread crumbs (1/4 cup) (I like panko)
- 3 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 TBS melted butter
To serve:
- Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- a dusting of Parmesan cheese
- fresh lemon wedges
instructions:
How to cook Crispy Sheet Pan Chicken Milanese
- First prepare the chicken. Whisk the egg, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Pound the chicken breasts so that they are roughly the same thickness throughout. Add them to the egg mixture, turning to coat them. Refrigerate and marinate for half an hour at least.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Put the bread crumbs in a bowl with the Parmesan cheese. Dredge each chicken breast on both sides in this, pressing them lightly to help the crumbs to stick. Place them onto the baking tray. Drizzle with the melted butter. (Alternately you can spray them with the low fat cooking spray). Place them in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Melt the butter for the vegetables and mix with the garlic, Italian seasoning and salt to taste. Toss the potatoes with half of this and the green beans with the other half.
- Place the potatoes in one layer around the chicken, reserving the beans for later.
- Roast the chicken and potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Push the potatoes to one side and add the green beans around the chicken on the other side. Return to the oven and roast for a further10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven again. Push the beans aside to make room for the tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and season with some salt and black pepper. Return the tray to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through, the potatoes are crisp and golden brown and the green beans crispy tender. The tomatoes should be wilted and beginning to caramelise. Scatter some Parmesan cheese over the tray and sprinkle with the flat leaf parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for spritzing over top.
If you don't like your green beans crispy tender, you may want to blanch them first. If you don't like green beans you can use trimmed asparagus spears, or baby corn cobs. Tasty either way!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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