Chicken over rice - recipe

I love finding new recipes online by reading articles and blogs by other people who've tried them and recommend them. This specific recipe was recommended by Elin Josefina, she has a great mummy blog in Swedish. So this dish is called Chicken over rice. Much similar to a chicken cube served with rice that you can find in middle eastern restaurants. It is a favourite to order every time we go to those restaurant. So I decided to cook it and share my twist of this dish. I have added some optional spices. I looked online to see how others make this recipe, and almost all add a twist to it, so this is mine.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, diced

3-5 tbsp greek yoghurt

1 lemon

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp parlsey

salt and pepper

1 tsp kebab mix spice (optional)

3-4 tbsp oil for frying

1 cup rice cooked according to instructions on package

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp coriander

salt to taste

4 pods of cardemon

shredded lettuce, 1 onion, sherry tomatoes

yoghurt sauce: 3 tbsp greek yoghurt, 1 lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 3 tbsp water to make the sauce more watery

Method:

1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. Add all spices for the rice in the boiling water. Set aside.

2. Mix the greek yoghurt and all spices for the chicken marinade. Add the diced chicken pieces in the marinade and put it in the fridge for few hours. I only had it in for 1 hour. But the longer it is chilled the tastier flavours will marry. Fry the chicken pieces in a shallow frying pan with few tbsp of oil on medium to high heat. It should look golden and char grilled.

3. Shred some washed lettuce, slice 1 onion and cherry tomatoes. Mix all ingredients for the yoghurt sauce. Put the sauce i the fridge to chill while all food is cooked.

4. Serve it in a plate, rice with the chicken pieces over. Add the salad and yoghurt sauce on top of it. Tastes heavenly, specially for pregnancy cravings.

Enjoy!

Satisfying Salad Lunch: Pomegranate and feta cheese salad

Today's lunch was a quick salad made from leftovers in the fridge. I thought to myself, "This should make a nice salad." Sometimes the best meals are those that come together spontaneously, using whatever you have on hand. 

We had feta cheese and pomegranate that were already peeled and seeded—my husband is wonderful for preparing them for me. The combination was delightful: the fruit's sweetness and the cheese's saltiness paired well with the crunchy salad mix. 

Initially, I didn't expect it to be filling, but to my surprise, the creamy cheese was quite satisfying. It was also a great way to get a boost of vitamins on these rainy days. And just as I mentioned it, the sun began to shine. It felt like the universe was rewarding my quick culinary effort with a little extra sunshine - a lucky day indeed!

Ingredients:

Bag of mixed salad: carrots, red cabbage, lettuce

1 chopped orange bell pepper

4-5 halved cherry tomatoes

1/3 feta cheese square

1/2 cup seeded pomegranate

salt to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients and season with salt to taste. Easy and very tasty.

Enjoy!

Tuna and potato mash, toddler meals - recipe

Often when I have leftover tuna mayo mix I try to use it up by mixing it with something that my son loves. Today I made mashed potato, so I mixed in the tuna and added boiled vegetables. It was a great hit. Hubby had a portion too so these can be easily eaten by adults as well. Fast food goes healthy and non fried!

Ingredients:

Tuna mayo mix leftover

2 boiled potatoes

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp milk

half cup frozen corn and peas

fish seasoning

salt and pepper

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes until fully cooked through. Mash it and add butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Boil the frozen vegetables. Once done, mix everything with the tuna mayo mix.

Enjoy!

Sweet potato fries and fish fingers

Sweet Potato Fries and Fish Fingers: A Kid-Approved Meal

When my son was a baby, he absolutely loved mashed sweet potato purée. It was one of his favorite meals, often mixed with other veggies and chicken. But as he grew older and started feeding himself, he became much pickier with his food. Sweet potatoes, once a staple, had been rejected a few times. So, I decided to try something new—sweet potato oven-baked fries.

This time, it was a hit! The fries were a big success, especially when paired with his all-time favorite condiment, ketchup.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

2 fish fingers

ketchup

Method:

Peel the sweet potato and slice into fries.  Toss the fries in olive oil and pinch of salt until they are evenly coated. Bake in the oven at 220 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy. While the fries are baking, cook the fish fingers accoring to the package instructions. 

Plate the crispy sweet potato fries alongside the fish fingers. Don't forget the ketchup for dipping!  

This simple meal not only brought sweet potatoes back into the rotation but also made dinner time a little easier and a lot more enjoyable for both of us!

Enjoy!

Baked potato, beans and sausages

Occasionally, I bake too many potatoes and end up with leftovers for the next day. This time, my husband wanted beans with his dinner, so I added some sausages and shaped them into an animal. Our son was delighted and naturally wanted to join in. I strive to avoid wasting food, and this time, I happened to have these ingredients on hand. It may not be the healthiest option, but it was incredibly satisfying. While this meal might not typically be blog-worthy, part of this blog's purpose is for me to reminisce and track our past meals.

Ingredients:

Baked potato

4 mini sausages

1/2 can of baked beans

shredded cheese

Method:

Heat the baked potato topped with beans and shredded cheese in the microwave. Then, fry the sausages and serve them alongside the potato and beans.

Enjoy!

Fish, baked potato and vegetables, toddler meal - recipe

As we try to make give our son the same food as we eat, I often just give him his meals that have same ingredients as us, but try to make it in a healthier version and add less salt. Luckily he likes fish and I always try to give it to him twice a week.

Ingredients:

1 piece of white fish

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 baked potato

1/2 cup boiled vegetables

Method:

1. Fry the white fish gently in a pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until lightly browned. Bake the potato in the oven until cooked through in 220 degrees for ca 45 min. Boil the frozen vegetables. Serve it together with a click of butter on the potato to make it moister and easier to eat. 

Enjoy!

Mason (jam) jar salad

I've recently discovered mason jar salads, which are essentially any salad combination you enjoy, packed in a jam jar. They're ideal for taking on the go, whether you're heading to work, the gym, enjoying a picnic, or just out and about. I adore salads, but sometimes making them feels like a chore, even though it's quite simple when all the ingredients are at hand. However, my enthusiasm for salads was reignited when I learned about this method. I've experimented with various combinations and will share my favorite classic Greek salad recipe.

Ingredients:

1 mason jar (any jar really)

few cherry tomatoes

half bell pepper

handful green leaves

few olives

few bite size pieces of feta cheese

few gherkins

few slices of cucumber

 dressing: 1,5 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1.Ensure you have a clean jar. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Cut the remaining ingredients into bite-sized pieces.

3. Creating a superb jar salad requires careful attention to the layering order. Start by pouring the dressing at the bottom to prevent sogginess. Next, add the chunkier items such as bell peppers and cucumbers, or any grainy elements or proteins like chicken. These create a barrier that keeps the remaining ingredients dry.

4. Finally, add cheeses, nuts, or any other toppings of your choice. In this instance, I've included tomatoes, cheese, olives, and finally the green leaves. This arrangement ensures that when you invert the jar, the greens form a bed, and the dressing evenly coats your salad.

 

5. Secure the lid and you're all set. This method will keep it fresh and crisp for up to five days, allowing you to prepare everything in one go and store it in the fridge. Then, you can easily grab one for your lunch when you're too lazy or don't have time to make something different.

Enjoy!

Egg-free battered fish and baked potato - recipe

Now that my mum keeps saying do not eat to much red meat, we are eating more fish in this household. Which is good, as it is healthy. But sometimes I like to make the fish in an unhealthy way and deep fry it. It make is crunchy on top but soft inside and simply delicious. Specially if it is battered. I wanted to do my own batter, but unfortunately did not have any eggs so had to come up with a quickly and egg free recipe instead. It turned out good although I  was not so sure as it was egg free. That teaches me that I should improvise a lot more in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

white fish fillets

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

fish seasoning

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

baked potato

frozen vegetable to boil

butter

Method:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, fish seasoning and salt and pepper in a flat bowl. Add little oil and both sides of the fish and dip it in the dry batter. Alternatively you can add 1 cup water to the batter to make it runny and you can dip the fish in it. Fry in a shallow frying pan on medium high temperature.

2. Bake the potatoes in the oven for ca 1 hour. Poke the potatoes first before putting it in.

3. Boil frozen vegetables of your choice. Once everything is done. Serve it in a plate with a click of butter on the baked potato. I also sprinkle a bread dipping mix seasoning over the baked potato as it gives it more taste. But that is optional.

Enjoy!

Cheese straws (sticks) - recipe

I love finding new ways of making snacks that are messy free when my son eats them outside. This is a perfect snack, both for young and adults. Cheese straws are good  and very easy to do. My son likes to eat them at any time of the day. When we go out I just put a few straws in a plastic container and we are good to go.

Ingredients:

1.5 cup flour

6 tbsp butter

2 cups chredded cheese

1 egg beaten

sesame seeds, optional

Method:

1. Mix cold butter and the flour in a bowl until it looks crumbly. Then add the cheese and the egg. You can save little of the egg if you like to brush the straws before it goes in the oven. Put the dough in the fridge for 10 mins to chill.

2. Once it has been chilled, roll the dough out and cut into straws or sticks that are half cm thick. Brush them with egg and sprinkle over some sesame seeds if you like.

3. Bake in the oven for 10 min at 175 degrees, until golden brown.

4. Serve your toddlers when they crave a snack or take with you when you guys are out and about.

Enjoy!