Chicken in White Sauce Pasta

by Trisha Vaz
Pasta – one humble ingredient but endless ways to cook it up. It has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. You can serve it hot or cold, in a soup, salad or as a main. It works so well with so many different veggies, proteins and sauces. I love me some pasta and always have a couple of varieties in my pantry cupboard.

 
Pasta dishes can range from simple to a little more complicated. I personally, love the idea of a few simple recipes that I can use during the week. This Chicken in white sauce pasta is one such dish. With a little multi-tasking, I can serve this up in well under half and hour. Yup, you heard that right, under 30 minutes. Honestly, what takes the most time, is boiling up the pasta itself. If you don’t eat meat, you can still make this recipe, just leave out the chicken and add some mushrooms, peas or even a little spinach. A vegetarian variant turns out equally delicious. 
 
Are you ready to check this recipe out???
 
Chicken in White Sauce Pasta
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Chicken in White Sauce Pasta

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: MainsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

This creamy pasta dish is full of flavour and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients

  • A single Chicken breast fillet, cut into bite sized pieces

  • 1/4 cup green capsicum, diced

  • 1 cup of broccoli florets

  • 1/2 cup corn kernels

  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • Chilli flakes, to taste

  • 1/2 – 1 tsp Mixed herbs, or to taste 

  • 1 tsp lemon juice

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil 

  • 1-2 tbsp vegetable stock / water

  • Pasta (enough for 4 servings)

  • A little parsley, to garnish

  • A little Parmesan cheese, grated

  •  
    For the white sauce – 

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1 1/2 tbsp butter

  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated

  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  • Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. I bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook till done. Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. 
  • While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Mix well. 
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the chicken and cook through, stirring occasionally, till the chicken has cooked through. Remove the chicken in a bowl and set aside. 
  • In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and quickly add the garlic. 
     
    Stir through and immediately add the green capsicum. Still through and let the capsicum cook for about a minute. 
  • Next add the broccoli and saute well.  (See note*)
  • Add the corn and stir through. 
  • Season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and mixed herbs, to taste. 
  • Add 1-2 tbsp vegetable stock (you can also use water), stir well, cover and let the veggies steam and cook for a minute or two or till they are done to your liking. (If you are adding cooked broccoli to the pan, you can leave this step out. )
  • Add the cooked chicken to the pan and stir through. Set aside and cook your white sauce. 
  • To cook the White Sauce / Bechamel Sauce – 
  • Add a tsp of olive oil to the pan on medium heat. 
  • Add the butter and let it melt. 
  • Add the flour and stir briskly, making sure the flour incorporates well with the butter and oil and that no lumps are left. 
  • Cook this roux off for about 30 seconds to a minute or till the raw smell of the flour has gone. (Do not let it develop any colour.)
  • Add half the milk to the pan and stir through well, making sure no lumps remain. 
  • Add the remaining milk and whisk well. 
  • Cook the sauce till it has thickened to your liking, whisking well.
  • When the sauce is done, lightly season with a little salt. 
  • To assemble the pasta – 
  • Add the white sauce to the chicken and veggies in the pan.  Stir well. Add the cheese and mix through. 
  • Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust, if needed. 
  • Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir through. 
     
    Serve your pasta in some serving plates. Finish with a light sprinkling of parsley and a grating of parmesan cheese. 
     
    Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Our broccoli is fairly tender and cooks very quickly. If your broccoli takes longer to cook, blanch or steam it before adding to the pan.  
  • For detailed instructions on how to make a great white sauce, check the recipe video.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Kid-friendly Chicken Chilly Fry

by Trisha Vaz
Earlier in the year, I put up a post on my YouTube community tab and asked you what kind of recipes you’d like to see on the channel. One recurring request that came out of that exercise, was chilly fry recipes. So today, I’m going to share with you one of the many ways I make a chilly fry. This is one of the quickest and simplest recipes for a Chicken Chilly Fry.
 
I’ve cooked up the chicken specifically for this recipe, however, if you have some leftover roast chicken, you could just as easily use that as well. The recipe can be made kid friendly by simply leaving out the chillies. However, if you’re looking for a little spice in the dish, a couple of chillies, slit lengthwise, hit just the right spot. 
 
 
Kid-friendly Chicken Chilly Fry
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Kid-friendly Chicken Chilly Fry

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

This easy to make Chicken Chilly fry is quick to put together and so delicious, it makes a great addition to a weeknight meal. It’s picky eater approved too.

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breast, cut into a couple of smaller pieces


  • For the marinade –

  • Salt, to taste 

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • 1-2 tsp sour lime / lemon juice

  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste

  • 1/4 tsp ginger paste

  •  
    For the chilly fry – 

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • Some green and red peppers, sliced

  • 1 tomato, sliced thickly

  • 2 chillies, slit lengthwise (optional)

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

  • For the chicken –
  • Marinade the chicken by mixing all the marinade ingredients and slathering over the chicken pieces. Cover and marinade for atleast 15 minutes. (When I remember to, I marinade the chicken overnight, in the fridge. Just make sure you take it out of the fridge a little while before cooking, so that it comes to room temperature.)
  • Cover the pieces with sufficient water and bring to a gentle boil and simmer till the chicken is completely cooked.
  • Take the chicken pieces out of the stock and reserve the stock. When the pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them and set aside.
  • To make the Chilly Fry –
  • Heat some oil in a pan. 
  • If you’re using chillies, add them to the pan and fry them off to infuse some flavour into the oil. 
  • Add the sliced onion and saute for a minute.
  • Next add the peppers and let them cook till they get a little char on them. 
  • Add the tomatoes, let them cook a little. Make sure them come in contact with the pan a little, so they can develop a nice little char on them too.
  • Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
  • Next, add the shredded chicken and stir to mix everything well. 
  • If the mix appears a little dry, add a couple of spoons of the stock to the pan and stir well. (Add the stock as needed. I used about 4-6 tbsps. in all)
     
    Once most of that liquid has been absorbed, your chilly fry is ready. 
     
    Serve hot. 

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Chicken Fried Rice

by Trisha Vaz
Today I’m going to share with you a much loved recipe. This one packs a lot of flavour and comes together easily. Most of the work involved actually is prepping the veggies. And yes, this fried rice has more than its fair share of veggies, which makes it quite nutritious. If you’ve never made fried rice at home before, I urge you to try it out. You’ll ditch the take-out version for the home made one instantly.

What I also like about this fried rice is you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand. You can switch up the veggies. I almost always use onion, spring onion, capsicum and carrot. I also add zucchini, snow peas, cabbage and baby corn if I have any of them on hand. The same is the case with the protein. Almost always I use a little bacon for flavour and some egg. Then I either use prawns, shredded chicken and sometimes even ham depending on what I have available at the time. So like you see, this fried rice is one of those meals you can put together almost any day of the week, even when your grocery run is due the next day. Apart from cooking the rice, it comes together in one pan – I now use my wok and love it.

This is the quickest way I find to get this on the plate. Soak my rice and when the rice is soaking and cooking, I prep my protien and veggies. When everything is ready, the final dish takes about 10 minutes tops to put together. Its one of my favourite quick and easy weeknight meal options. I tend to add a lot of vegetables and I like it that way, you could drop the quantity of vegetables to suit your liking. This is just a guide to making this fried rice and the quantities are suggestions. Go with what you think you’ll enjoy and adjust to your liking.

Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 3 (as mains)


1 cup basmati rice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 birdseye chilly (optional – we enjoy hot food but you can leave it out if you dont)
3 spring onions
1 red pepper
2 carrots
6-8 green beans
A handful of finely sliced cabbage (about a cups worth)
2 eggs
3 rashers of bacon (I used streaky bacon)
A cup of shredded chicken (you could used poached, roast, or rotisserie chicken)
A couple of tablespoons of oil (vegetable, olive or sunflower or any other cooking oil of your choice)
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Approx. 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use salt reduced soy)
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Rinse the rice a couple of times and drain. Soak in fresh water at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to the boil (just like you would for pasta). Add a spoon of salt to the water and carefully add the rice. Cook the rice till almost done (al dente). Don’t cook the rice through as it will turn mushy once you add it to the wok.

Drain the cook rice and using a fork lightly loosen the grains and leave to cool.

In the meanwhile, clean and chop all your vegetables. I like to chop mine in like sized pieces. You could julienne everything or slice it on the diagonal into little chunks. (I will try and get a picture of the chopped up veggies when I make this next, I was in a hurry this time and forgot.)

Dice the bacon rashers and keep aside.

Keep all your ingredients handy. The trick to cooking a delicious fried rice is to cook it on a high heat and cook it quickly.

Heat your wok or pan. Add a little cooking oil to the pan. Crack 2 eggs in a bowl, add a little salt and lightly whisk. Now either make a plain omlette and cut into chunks or a plain scramble. Take the egg off the pan and keep aside.

Next step is to fry off the bacon. Add a little oil if needed and tip the cut bacon into the work and let it cook a little and add some flavor to the pan. Dont cook till crisp. You just want the ends to start changing to a light brown. Now add the garlic and chilly and saute till it gets fragrant.

Add the sesame oil and then tip in the diced pepper and the rest of the veggies and stir fry on high heat till they cook off a little. You still want them to have a little bite.

Add the chopped spring onions.

Add a light sprinkle of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper.

Add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and stir to let it coat the veggies. Please adjust the sauce to suit your liking.

Tip in the chicken and egg and stir well to incorporate.

At this stage add the rice to the wok and gently mix everything but mix thoroughly. I use a spatula and a pair of chopsticks to do this.

Once the rice has warmed through, serve hot and top with finely sliced spring onion greens to garnish and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, some finely sliced fresh chilly.

Enjoy piping hot.

**Leftovers warm up really well the next day too.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Quick n Easy Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

by Trisha Vaz
…. I’m back home after a 3-week long trip to India and it feels great to be back. I can’t wait to try out some yummy Indian treats at home and share it with you. It may take a little while for that to happen. In the meanwhile, as I unpack, get through piles of laundry and dig my way out from under a mountain of emails and such, here’s a quick, no-fuss recipe thats perfect for a weeknight or whenever you dont have much time.

You know I’m all for cooking and baking from scratch as far as possible. But, I like having a few cheats on hand for the days when I can’t spend too much time in the kitchen or am too tired to. So a while ago, on two separate trips to my local Aldi store, I picked up these bad boys – 
I’d picked up the Barbecue sauce a while back and loved it, so when I saw the Buffalo Wing sauce, I just had to try it out. 
This chicken is super easy to put together, literally 3 easy steps – I use my trusty basic chicken marinade and let the drumsticks soak in all the flavour. Fry them in a pan with a little oil and toss with the sauce. Serve up with some salad and enjoy 🙂 I used 8 drumsticks, but you could easily reduce or increase quantities. This time around I used drumsticks with the skin on. You could use skinless drumsticks if you prefer. 
Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

8 chicken drumsticks
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly crushed to taste
Lime / lemon juice, to taste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp oil
Buffalo / Barbecue sauce, to taste
Mix the salt, pepper, lime juice, ginger and garlic paste.
Add the chicken to this and toss well.
Leave to marinade for about half an hour.
Heat oil in a pan.
Fry the chicken pieces till done.
Add the buffalo / barbecue sauce and toss well. I leave it on the heat for about another minute to heat through.
Serve up.
**NOTE** – The picture above shows just the Buffalo Chicken version, but I have tried this with the barbecue sauce and it turns out fantastic.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Cajun Chicken Wrap

by Trisha Vaz
Chicken is a protein that we eat most frequently at home. Whether it is a curry or fried, roasted or in a salad, we love it. What I also love about it is that is easy to prepare and cooks fast. One of many new edible ingredients that I’ve had access to in the last year is a Cajun spice mix. A lot of the spices I use are Hoyt’s including this one.

This is the first brand of Cajun Spice that I tried and enjoyed it a lot, so I’ve just stuck with it. And moreover, it is a 100% Aussie family owned company; I try to buy local whenever possible. I know there are loads of folks who make this blend at home and sometime in the future, I fully intend trying my hand at making it myself. For now, I’ll stick with what I have easy access to.
Making Cajun chicken my way, couldn’t be easier. I use smaller pieces of boneless chicken. Sometimes I use thigh fillets, other times I use breast fillets. I almost always buy the whole bird and then portion it out and cut it up at home (that is husband’s department though). You could use whatever cut you like. Its nice to leave the chicken to marinade for about half an hour, but at times, when I’ve been pressed for time, I’ve made it after just 10 minutes and it still turns out pretty good. This is not a recipe as such, more of a guide to some yummy chicken.
Boneless chicken pieces
Salt, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Cajun spice blend, to taste
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Take off the skin and trim the fat, if any, from the pieces of chicken.
Sprinkle the salt and cajun spice mix over the pieces of chicken. 
Squeeze the sour lime juice over the chicken. I think the lime juice is what brings out the wonderful flavors of the spice blend. Its definitely not the same without the tang from the citrus juice. If you don’t have lime juice at hand, you could use lemon juice too, you’ll just need to use a little more. 
Toss the pieces well to ensure they are well coated. Rubbing the spices into the pieces of the chicken works really well. Leave the chicken pieces in the spice rub for about half an hour.
Heat the oil in a pan. Carefully place the pieces of chicken in the pan and fry on both sides over medium heat till done. Depending on the number of chicken pieces you are frying, you may need to cook it in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. You may need to use a touch more oil for each batch. (Tip: I start on a slightly higher heat to seal in the juices and then lower the heat to cook it through.) If you have a grill, I’m pretty sure this would taste fantastic grilled too.
You could serve these chicken pieces as they are with a salad for a fantastic quick weeknight meal. Or you could do what I do – cut up the pieces and use them in wraps and take them to work for a great packed lunch option. Here’s how a put the wraps together. 
For the Wrap –  
Flour tortillas (I used store bought)
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Cheese slices, optional
Cajun chicken pieces
Lay the cheese in the middle of the tortilla and place some lettuce on top. 
Top that with the the chunky guacamole and lay the chicken pieces over it.
Carefully, roll the tortilla to make the wrap.
Tip: If I’m eating the wrap straightaway, I warm the tortilla before making the wrap.
Enjoy!!!
** This is not a sponsored post. I’m just sharing with you a product I really enjoy.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes, Snacks

Easy Roast Chicken

by Trisha Vaz
Over the years, in my family, a roast chicken (or two) has become a staple at our family gatherings. There’s something so familiar and comforting about it. Now that we’ve moved to a different country, I still find myself longing for those gatherings or maybe, just maybe, what I’m really longing for is a good roast chicken, lol.

I recently picked up a whole bird from the supermarket. I usually pick up an RSPCA approved product. My take on a roast chicken is usually a very simple, yet flavorful marinade. Of course, you can serve this chicken up at a regular weekend meal or even at a more prominent family get together or party, by putting up some clever sides. I will share some ideas for sides over time. For today, we’ll stick with the roast chicken. So if you’ve never made a roast chicken at home before, this is a good recipe to start with. Chances are you’ll already have all the ingredients in your pantry. I’m sharing this recipe with you today so that you have a little time to try this out before Easter and then maybe, serve it up for Easter as well.

When roasting a chicken, the cooking time will vary based on the sized of the bird. After doing a little reading up, a common rule of thumb for cooking time is 45 minutes per kilo of chicken + 20 minutes. I use this as a guide and this is something you should keep in mind if you’ve never roasted a chicken before. How do you work out cooking time required for a good chicken roast?

Roast Chicken

1 chicken, whole, skin on (I used a smaller sized one about 1.2kilos )
Salt, to taste
Crushed black pepper, to taste
Juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 – 1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil

Wash and pat the chicken dry using paper towels.

Spread all the marinade ingredients on the chicken as well as in the cavity and rub it in well, almost like a massage. Leave to rest for about an hour.

Heat the oven to 200°C.

This time around, I placed the chicken on the rack in the roasting tray. I think it works well. This way the chicken isn’t cooking in the liquids. The skin turns out crisper.

Place the chicken in the hot oven. After about 10 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 180°C. Bake for required time till the chicken is cooked. Halfway through the cooking process, I baste the chicken with the some olive oil.

(If some of the marinade has dripped onto the roasting tray and seems like its burning, carefully add a splash of water to the tray, just a tiny bit to keep it from burning. I had to do this a couple of times.)

Please note the cooking time instructions above. To check if the chicken is cooked well, insert a sharp knife in the joint where the leg joins the body. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. If it is still pink, the chicken needs to cook more.

When the chicken is cooked, cover with foil and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve up with your favorite sides.

Enjoy!!!

What are some of your favorite sides? I’d love to hear from you.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Chicken on skewers

by Trisha Vaz
As promised in the last post, here’s one on the chicken on skewers. Now this recipe is quick to put together, but the flavors are much better if you get started a few hours before you want to serve up. There is barely any hands-on work other than marinating the chicken pieces, but the flavors get a chance to do their thing and you end up with a lot of deliciousness. However, if your in a rush, try and give the chicken at least an hour to sit in the spices.
When you use wooden skewers, its very important to let them soak in cold water for about 30 minutes to an hour. If they float to the top use a small plate to weigh them down and keep them submerged in the water. This is important since you don’t want them lighting up in the oven with the heat. Ofcourse, if you’re using metal skewers, simply skip this step. I prefer the wooden / bamboo skewers, because that means a little less washing to do after the meal. 🙂 But feel free to use what you have on hand. 
This recipe is very versatile, you can alter spice levels and substitute them for others you prefer. You can also easily double or triple quantities of chicken based on how many people you need to feed.
I served the chicken with some Baked Cauliflower Poppers and some plain yogurt and a salad to make a wonderful weeknight meal. It made for a delicious, healthy meal. 

Chicken on Skewers

250g boneless chicken
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
11/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Olive oil, to drizzle over the chicken

Soak the wooden / bamboo skewers in some cold water for 30 minutes to an hour.

Cut the chicken into cubes.

Mix the spices in the yogurt in a bowl and check for salt levels and adjust if needed.

Add the chicken pieces to the spice mix and toss well to coat.

Cover the bowl with some cling film and leave it to marinate in the fridge for about 4-6 hours or overnight. If you are in a rush, try and let it marinate for atleast an hour.

When you’re ready to bake, carefully thread the chicken pieces onto the wooden skewers. Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken.

I placed the skewers on a foil lined baking dish to catch the drip (since I didn’t want to add to the clean up later).

Bake in a preheated oven (about 180ºC) on the top shelf under the grill, for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.

Notes:

  • Don’t cut the chicken pieces too small else they’ll dry out while cooking.
  • You may baste the pieces with a little olive oil when you flip them over.

This recipe has been linked here –
Tuesday Talent Show @ Chef in Training
Time to Sparkle @ Inside BruCrew Life
Simple Supper Tuesday @ Hun … What’s for Dinner?
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Thriving on Thursday @ Domesblissity 

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes, Starters / Appetizers

Chicken Mayo Sandwich

by Trisha Vaz
Here’s a quick way to deal with hunger pangs after a day at work using just a few things that most of us will be able to assemble at any point. The humbly chicken mayo sandwich. What I love about sandwiches, is that like salads, they are extremely versatile. You can use a number of ingredients or leave out certain ingredients according to what you like or dislike and you can literally do no wrong. So even those of you who have never cooked before will be able to put this together. Serve it with a piece of fruit or some yogurt and you have a decent packed lunch. Honestly, I love a working lunch like this rather than having a fussy meal. I don’t mind something more elaborate for dinner.

This sandwich is really simple to put together if you keep a few things at hand. For example, having some leftover grilled or roasted chicken is a life saver. But even if you don’t here’s what I do. I simply marinade a chicken breast, cut into smaller pieces with some salt, a dash of lime juice and some ginger garlic paste for about 15 minutes and I add some water (not too much) and boil it till its done. You can then keep this refrigerated till you need to use it.

Chicken Mayo Sandwich


2 tsp Homemade Mayo (you can add more if you like)
Some shredded chicken
A couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
Salt to taste
Freshly crushed black pepper, to taste
2 slices of sandwich bread

Mix the mayo, chicken and lettuce and spread this on one of the slices of bread.

Placed the slices of tomato on the other and season with some salt and pepper.

Place one over the other and enjoy.

This recipe is linked to –
Tuesdays at the Table
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Real Food Wednesdays
Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try
A Little Birdie Told Me

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes, Sandwiches