Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Chicken Supper Ideas


There is no love sincerer than the love of food. George Bernard Shaw

Well, nothing could be closer to the truth. Most people fail to come up with an appropriate answer when asked, "What is love?", but, in fact, what their minds fail to conjure up at that given instance is to give reference of the heartfelt, unadulterated emotion (which is a cocktail of ocular caress, olfactory euphoria and gustatory lust) that inundates every cell of the body with fervent anticipation when a smoking dish of a freshly cooked delicacy is set in front of the peasant on his return from a long day of back-breaking hard work at the fields! This emotion assumes the proportions of a spiritual rapture if the dish in question happens to have chicken as the primary ingredient! That being said, let's dig into a couple of delectable and easy chicken supper ideas that leave those taste buds begging for more...

Supper Ideas With Chicken

Chicken has a ubiquitous gustatory appeal all over the world and given its lean protein reputation, this poultry member drives health freaks crazy with its generous reservoir of proteins, dietary fibers and various essential vitamins. Supper ideas with chicken (breasts, wings, legs...you name it!) are all time hits and even kids who are picky eaters find the idea much more exciting than chewing on those veggies every single night! So, here are a couple of chicken supper ideas that you'll find handy when you wish to treat yourself to a delicious yet nutrient packed power dinner every now and then.

Cheesy 'n' Fowl
Well, as cheesy as the name sounds, this supper dish recipe will completely make you fall in love with all things fowl with its ease of preparation and great, exotic taste!

Ingredients
  • Cubed and cooked chicken breasts - 4 cups
  • Thawed, frozen broccoli florets - 4 cups
  • Condensed broccoli cheese soup - 2 cans
  • Milk - 1 cup
  • Cheddar processed cheese, shredded - 1 cup
  • Onion rings, French fried - 1 cup
  • Cooking oil (olive or canola) - 2 teaspoonfuls
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
  • In a deep frying pan, stir fry the thawed broccoli florets till they assume a texture that is somewhere between crisp and tender.
  • Add the chicken, condensed broccoli and cheese soup, salt and pepper to the stir fried broccoli florets and bring this mixture to boil.
  • Reduce the flame, cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and top the dish with the shredded cheese and French fried onion rings.
  • Remove from the flame and let the dish stand, covered, for about 2-4 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and spread evenly over the entire dish.
  • Serve with steaming hot rice or freshly cooked noodles!
You can also top it with half a teaspoonful of soy sauce or white sauce while serving. You would make approximately 6 servings if the dish is cooked using ingredients in the above mentioned quantities. Smaller or larger numbers of servings can be made by increasing or reducing he quantity of each ingredient. However, the proportion of each ingredient with respect to others must be maintained to get the best flavor.

Spicy Chicken Curry
For those of you who love to play the devil with your taste buds, here's an exotic, Indian style, spicy chicken gravy recipe that you'll fall in love with!

Ingredients
  • Skinless chicken breast halves - 5
  • Finely chopped onion - 1 cup
  • Ginger-garlic paste - 2 teaspoonfuls
  • Garlic - 4 cloves
  • Chopped tomatoes - 1 cup
  • Plain yogurt - 1 cup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Whole green chili - 2 (optional)
  • Cooking oil - 4 tablespoonfuls
Method of Preparation
  • Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or skillet till it starts smoking. Reduce the flame.
  • Wash and drain the chicken breasts and saut them on medium flame until they turn golden brown. You may boil the chicken breasts till the pink at the core disappears if you wish to remove all traces of fats before browning them in oil. Read more on healthy ways to cook chicken on Buzzle.
  • Take out the sauted chicken breast halves and set them aside. Add the chopped onions to the skillet and fry, increasing and reducing the flame as required to avoid charring the onions, until they turn light brown.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes to the onion and continue frying till the tomatoes release fluid and are sufficiently tendered and the air becomes fragrant with the aroma of frying spices.
  • Add the sauted chicken breasts to the skillet, add half a cup of water (not more!) and cook on medium flame for about 30 seconds.
  • Slit the garlic cloves into 2 each and add to the skillet. Stir the entire thing twice and add the beaten yogurt, salt and pepper. At this point, you may add a little turmeric if you want some color.
  • Slit the green chillies and add them to the chicken. Allow the chicken to get tendered for about 25-30 minutes on low flame. Cover with a lid so that no steam escapes.
  • Keep checking a couple of times in between and stir once or twice to make sure the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom. This won't be necessary if you use non-stick cookware.
  • Check if the chicken has tendered after 30 minutes. If not, add a little water (not more than cup) and cook covered on low flame for another 10-15 minutes.
  • Remove from flame, top with fresh coriander leaves and cover. Let it stand for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the coriander aroma to seep in the dish, imparting a herbal essence.
  • Serve with steaming hot rice!
You can also substitute the beaten yogurt with coconut milk. I am sure you'll enjoy cooking these dishes as much as you'll enjoy treating your taste buds with friends and family. So, what are you waiting for? Don that apron and put on that cap - after all, indulging your senses with as intense a gastronomic pleasure-instrument as a chicken dinner is perhaps the sweetest temptations to succumb to. Oh yes, the good padre will definitely grant forgiveness for commission of this sin in case you're worried about confession!

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