Meat/Poultry

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This recipe is the ultimate Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup copycat! Use a rotisserie chicken for the best flavor and to make things easier. Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home. This recipe is simple and quick to make, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner and a family favorite!

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

sofiyababinov
This recipe is the ultimate Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup copycat! Use a rotisserie chicken for the best flavor and to make things easier. Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home. This recipe is simple and quick to make, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner and a family favorite!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 TBS Olive Oil
  • 4 TBS Butter
  • 1 Onion finely diced
  • 1 Cup Celery finely diced
  • 1 Quart Half & Half
  • 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 Carrots finely shredded
  • 30 oz Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg to taste, a little dash
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Dry Parsley Flakes
  • 1 Cup Spinach coarsely chopped
  • 1 18 oz Pack Gnocchi
  • 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast cubed, rotisserie chicken works best

Instructions
 

  • Do all of your prep work first, this makes it a lot easier as you go! Wash, peel and shred the carrots. Wash and coarsely cut the spinach. Peel and finely cut the onion. Mince the garlic cloves. Wash and finely dice the celery. The onion, garlic and celery can all be set aside in one plate.
  • Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large pot, on medium heat. Add 4 TBS butter into the oil and let it melt.
  • Add the onion, celery, and garlic into the pot. Stir and cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
  • When the onion is soft and translucent, whisk in the flour, a little bit at a time as you constantly whisk so it doesn’t burn, for about a minute to get a flour roux.
  • Whisk in the Half & Half, simmer until it thickens up a bit. Add the chicken broth in. Mix it and let it simmer until it thickens again, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the shredded carrots, gnocchi, chopped spinach leaves, and the cooked, cubed chicken.
  • Continue to simmer on medium heat, until the soup is completely heated through and the gnocchi are soft. Approximately 5-10 minutes.

Notes

Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home.
Keyword easy, Italian, restaurant, soup

Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup

This Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup is a faster, easier, and arguably yummier version of the famous Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Lean and delicious Italian turkey sausage meatballs (homemade or store bought) are a great substitute for the typical pork sausage used in this recipe. This is definitely a family favorite recipe!

Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup

sofiyababinov
This Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup is a faster, easier, and arguably yummier version of the famous Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Lean and delicious Italian turkey sausage meatballs (homemade or store bought) are a great substitute for the typical pork sausage used in this recipe. This is definitely a family favorite recipe!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 LB Ground Turkey Sausage Meat store bought or homemade (in notes below)
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil for frying meatballs
  • 12 Cups Filtered Water
  • 4-5 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
  • 4-5 Red Skin Potatoes washed, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 Bag Kale washed, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions
 

  • Form little (1 inch) meatballs from the store bought (or homemade, see notes below) ground Italian turkey sausage meat and set aside.
  • Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the Italian turkey sausage meatballs. Cook, flipping meatballs from side to side, until meatballs are well cooked through.
  • Boil 12 cups filtered water in a big pot on high heat. Once water comes to a boil, add 3 chicken bouillon cubes and the fully cooked turkey sausage meatballs.
  • Lower heat to medium high. Add in the sliced red skin potatoes. Cook 10-15 minutes until potatoes cook through. Once potatoes are cooked through, add 1/2 large bunch (or bag) of chopped kale.
  • Add in 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Once the kale is soft and cooked through, the soup is done. Add another 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes, to taste. No salt necessary because the bouillon cubes add enough salt to the soup. Mix well and serve hot!
  • This soup tastes great the next day too. Just warm up as much as you need in a small pot on medium heat.

Notes

If you can’t find store bought ground Italian turkey sausage meat, you can use Italian turkey sausages and just squeeze the ground meat out of the sausage skins or you can make your own Italian turkey sausage ground meat using this recipe:
Ingredients: 1 LB Ground Turkey, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp Onion Powder, 1/2 tsp Dry Oregano, 1/2 tsp Dry Basil, 2 tsp Dry Parsley, 1/4-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (mild or spicy).
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Form into about 1 inch meatballs.
Keyword 30 minutes, easy, soup, turkey

Lamb Shurpa Soup

Hearty and comforting Lamb Shurpa Soup takes me back to my Eastern European roots. Nothing better on a cold winters day! You can use beef if you prefer. This soup is easy to make and tastes even better the next day.

Lamb Shurpa Soup

sofiyababinov
Hearty and comforting Lamb Shurpa Soup takes me back to my Eastern European roots. Nothing better on a cold winters day! You can use beef if you prefer. This soup is easy to make and tastes even better the next day.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine European
Servings 12 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5-3 LB Lamb Chops washed, patted dry
  • 3 Carrots chopped into circles
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers cubed
  • 1 Onion finely chopped
  • 1 Large Tomato finely chopped
  • 2 LB Potatoes cubed
  • 1 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste
  • 1 TBS Salt
  • 1 tsp Onion & Garlic Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Mrs.Dash Seasoning or any salt-free seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • Parsley optional, to taste
  • Dill optional, to taste
  • 8 oz. Pasta of choice optional

For frying lamb chops and vegetables:

  • Montreal Chicken Seasoning to taste
  • Onion & Garlic Seasoning to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 3-4 TBS Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Wash lamb chops and pat them dry. Set a large skillet with 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add the lamb chops. Season lamb chops on both sides. I seasoned with salt and onion & garlic seasoning on one side and Montreal chicken seasoning on the other side.
  • Fry lamb chops until they are completely cooked through and seared.
  • Set a large pot with 17 cups water on high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower to medium heat. Add in the lamb chops and let lamb chops cook for 30 minutes. Skim off impurities (foam) that rises to the top.
  • After 30 minutes add the salt, spices of choice and potatoes. Meanwhile move on to the next step.
  • Set a pan with 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add in the carrots and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the onion and tomato. Season with salt and any seasoning of choice. Cook until veggies are a tender, about 10 minutes (they'll finish cooking in the soup).
  • Add 1 can of tomato paste to the skillet with veggies and let it cook a few minutes to thin out the tomato paste.
  • Add the cooked veggies/tomato paste into the pot of soup and cook until potatoes are cooked through.
  • If you want some pasta in the soup you can cook 8 oz. pasta of your choice in a small pot, according to package instructions and set it aside.
  • Once potatoes have cooked through and soup is done, turn off the burner and add 3 minced garlic cloves and optionally dill and parsley to taste. Add more salt or seasoning if needed!
  • To serve put pasta into bowls, ladle soup over pasta.

Notes

We cook the pasta for this soup in a separate pot so the pasta doesn’t get soggy and absorb all the soup broth.
Keyword easy, lamb, main course, soup

Ground Beef Bulgogi Plate

This ground beef Bulgogi plate is a super easy and quick meal yet looks and tastes like a dish from an upscale Korean restaurant! You can use ground beef or cut up pieces of beef (steak) for this recipe. I prefer to use ground beef because it’s easier. I got this amazing recipe from our friend Dre and it’s frequently on our weeknight menu. I hope you love this recipe just as much as we do!

Ground Beef Bulgogi Plate

This ground beef Bulgogi plate is a super easy and quick meal yet looks and tastes like a dish from a restaurant! You can use ground beef or cut up pieces of beef (steak) for this recipe. I love how versatile this dish is, everyone gets to build their own perfect plate.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 LB Ground Beef
  • 4-5 Carrots peeled, cut into thick matchsticks
  • 1/2 Cup Korean BBQ Bulgogi Sauce from the Asian market
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 Bunch Cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 Bunch Scallions finely chopped
  • 2 Cups Jasmine Rice cooked according to package instructions
  • 4 TBS Olive Oil divided, for cooking
  • Korean Gochujang Brown Rice Red Pepper Paste from the Asian Market, optional, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Chop up the carrots into large matchstick pieces, toss on a baking sheet with 3 TBS olive oil and salt to taste. Bake on 400 degrees for 20-30 mins, until carrots are soft. Meanwhile move on to next steps!
  • Cook 2 Cups Jasmine rice according to package instructions. Cover and set aside.
  • In a large frying pan, on medium heat, add 1 TBS olive oil then add the ground beef. When the ground beef is almost done cooking, add Korean BBQ Bulgogi sauce, Soy sauce, and Sesame oil. Cook until the ground beef is well cooked through. Cover with lid and set aside.
  • Finely chop 1 bunch cilantro and 1 bunch scallions. Put both into a plate. These will be served on the side as garnishes to serve the Bulgogi with.
  • Serve everything on the table and everyone can build their own perfect Bulgogi plate! This is not only a fun way to serve Bulgogi but makes storing leftovers easy too. I add 1 tsp of the Gochujang paste (for a spicy kick, totally optional) and mix everything together for the perfect Bulgogi plate!
Keyword 30 minutes, beef, easy, Korean

Easy Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Pho

4B3115C4-1A78-4D12-869F-38548C5A38D6I got the recipe for this Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Pho from my friend and next door neighbor, Trang. We were over their house for Pho one day and it was the best, most Authentic Vietnamese Pho I have ever eaten so I knew I had to get her recipe!  This recipe is very simple to make although it does require a trip to your local Asian Market for some of the ingredients. I am so exited to share it with everyone that has been waiting for me to post it! This recipe can be made with beef if you would prefer Beef Pho, you would just use 6 LB beef (any kind, we use brisket and chuck) and a few beef bones (optional but adds so much savory beef flavor) to make Beef Pho and it takes more time to cook. We are definitely Pho lovers and went out to eat Pho frequently, so I was very happy when my hubby and son said that this Pho tastes better then any restaurant we’ve ever eaten it at. Homemade definitely tastes best and saves a lot of money too. I hope you all love it just as much as we do!

Easy Authentic Vietnamese Chicken Pho

Easy, simple recipe for Authentic Vietnamese Beef Pho! We are definitely Pho lovers in my family and went out to eat Pho very frequently, so I was very happy when my hubby and son said that this Pho tastes better then any restaurant we've ever eaten it at. I hope you all love it as much as we did!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Baking Onion/Ginger for soup 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Big Pot (at least 14 quarts)

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Large Onions peeled, cut in halves
  • 1 6 in. Ginger peeled, thinly sliced
  • 6 LB Organic Whole Chicken
  • 32 Cups Water
  • 4 tsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Salt to taste
  • 1 TBS Oil for cooking the rice noodles

Special Pho Ingredients from the Asian Market (pictured below in the notes section)

  • 1 Package Pho Rice Noodles thin or wide noodles both work
  • 5 Oz. Cot Pho Bo brand Beef Flavored Pho Soup Base
  • Hoisin Sauce optional, to add flavor

Pho Soup Toppings/Garnish

  • 4 Limes quartered, to squeeze out lime juice
  • 1 Bunch Cilantro finely chopped
  • 2 Jalapeño Peppers thinly sliced
  • Bean Sprouts
  • 1 Bunch Scallions finely chopped
  • Thai Basil
  • Hot Sauce optional, to add flavor

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the onions and cut them in halves. Peel the ginger and cut it into quarter sized, thin slices. Put foil on a baking sheet, spray the baking sheet with oil, and put onion and ginger on it.
  • Put the baking sheet with onion and ginger into the over on 350 Degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes until the onion is yellow/golden in color. This baking process is important for the onion to have a sweet taste!
  • Fill a big pot with 3/4 water. Bring the pot of water to a boil, this will not be your Pho soup yet! Add the chicken into the pot (no giblets). Let it boil for 3-5 minutes. (If using beef with beef bone instead of chicken, let it boil 5-7 minutes.) This process cleans the meat of any impurities. Take the chicken out of the pot, discard the water in the pot and clean the pot. I use another, bigger, 16 quart pot to make the Pho.
  • Boil a big pot of water, as much water as you need for your Pho Soup (I did 32 cups water in a 16 quart pot). Add the whole chicken into the pot. Then add 5 Oz. Pho seasoning paste. I use half a jar of the Pho seasoning paste and 1 filter packet of spices. The spices stay in the packet (it’s like a tea bag) when you throw it into the soup! (The seasoning paste comes with 2 packets of spices included in the jar.) Add Salt to taste, I add 2 tsp. Add Sugar to taste, I add 4 tsp. Add in the baked onion and ginger.
  • Let it cook on a light boil (low-medium heat) for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. I had a 6 LB chicken and I cooked it for 45 minutes. If you are using beef, it will take 3-4 hrs to cook until the meat is tender.
  • In the last 15 minutes of cook time, soak the Pho noodles in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes. Boil a separate pot of water for the Pho rice noodles. When the water comes to a boil, throw in the rice noodles and a TBS of oil (this is my trick for the rice noodles not to stick together) and cook until just tender. Then run cooked noodles under cold water, mixing them, in a strainer to stop the cooking process and so the rice noodles don’t stick together. Be careful not to overcook your rice noodles or they will be too soft and fall apart in your Pho soup!
  • When the chicken is cooked through and soft, take the whole chicken out and turn off the burner. Discard the spice filter packet. Some people discard the onion and ginger but I like to keep it in the pot (for flavor only, but don’t serve it). Although some people like the onion, thinly cut, added to their bowl of Pho. Cut the chicken up into small strips.
  • To serve, put rice noodles and cut chicken pieces into bowls. Pour the Pho broth over the noodles/chicken.
  • Serve with sauces and a plate of the toppings (limes cut into quarters, finely chopped scallions and cilantro, sliced jalapeno pepper, washed bean sprouts and Thai basil leaves).
  • Everyone can add toppings of choice to their Pho soup according to their preferences!

Notes

This it the jar of Cot Pho Bo brand Beef Flavored Pho Soup Base (even for chicken Pho I used this beef soup base, per my friend’s suggestion. It makes Pho more flavorful then the chicken soup base).
This is the package of Rice Noodles that we use. You can use wide or thin rice noodles, just make sure the package say’s Pho rice noodles on it!
Keyword chicken, Pho, Vietnamese

Easy Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

4E59D2D5-04A8-46D9-AA38-D1E2D01C8CD2These super easy and fast Cheesy Chicken quesadillas have been a life saver for me during quarantine 2020. Everyone needs a fast, easy, budget friendly recipe for feeding their family on a time crunch. These literally take 5 to 10 minutes to prepare/cook and have on the table. My hubby came up with this recipe several years ago and I’m so excited to share it with you all!

Easy Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Easy Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas. This fast, easy, budget friendly recipe was definitely needed for when I need to feed my family on a time crunch. These literally take 5 to 10 minutes to prepare/cook and have on the table. My hubby came up with this recipe several years ago and I’m so excited to share it with you all!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 1 Quesadilla

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 TBS Canned Premium Chunk Chicken Breast
  • 2-3 TBS Cheddar Jack Cheese OR Mexican Blend Cheese shredded
  • 1 Raw Flour Tortilla
  • 3 TBS Salsa optional, on the side, to dip
  • 2 TBS Sour Cream optional, on the side, to dip

Instructions
 

  • Put raw tortilla in a pan and set it on low heat. Cook 1 side of the tortilla until it is just cooked through on that side but not yet golden. Flip it over to the other side to fill (step 2).
  • Add 1-2 TBS canned chicken breast to the tortilla, spreading it evenly with a fork.
  • Then add 2-3 TBS shredded Cheddar Jack or Mexican blend cheese on top of the chicken on the tortilla, spreading it evenly with a fork.
  • Fold the tortilla over to close, using a spatula. Cook for a few minutes and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional few minutes until the tortilla is slightly golden on both sides.
  • These taste best served immediately when the cheese is warm and melty inside. Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side for dipping, optionally.
Keyword appetizers, easy, Mexican, under 15 minutes

Homemade Lamb Deli Meat/Kielbasa

BACB1150-6BFD-4835-ABFB-833551D238CBThis homemade lamb deli meat is so savory and delicious! We like to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a quick appetizer, sandwich meat, charcuterie deli snack. This lamb deli meat is kind of like home made Spam so it stays fresh for a long time and can be eaten just like that (cut up in thin slices) or in many different ways (sandwiches, wraps, etc). This is a Bulgarian recipe. We first tried it at our friends house. We loved it and couldn’t get enough so we got the recipe and made it immediately! Recipe credit goes to our friend, Ivan. Recipe post and photo credit goes to my husband, Michael who made it and even took the pictures for me to share with you all! You can also use beef or Chicken but we love lamb for this recipe so that’s what we used (and that’s how our friend Ivan makes it too).

Homemade Lamb Deli Meat/Kielbasa

sofiyababinov
This homemade lamb deli meat is so savory and delicious! We like to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a quick appetizer, sandwich meat, charcuterie deli snack. This lamb deli meat is kind of like Spam so it stays fresh in the fridge for a long time and can be eaten just like that (cut up in thin slices) or in many different ways (sandwiches, wraps, etc).
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Resting time 2 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine European
Servings 20

Ingredients
  

  • 6.5 LB Lamb (or Beef) Meat with a good amount of fat
  • 1.5 Lamb (or Beef) Bone
  • 1 Jalapeño or Red Chili Pepper (Very finely chopped) very finely chopped
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash the lamb meat and bones, pat dry with paper towels. Cut up the meat into small, about 1/2 inch pieces.
  • Put lamb meat, lamb bones and 2 bay leaves into a large wok or pot on low heat. Cook on low, mixing every once in a while so the meat doesn’t burn, for 4 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling apart. There will be some water from the fat of the meat and that’s fine.
  • When the meat is tender and falling apart, discard the bones and bay leaves. Add the very finely chopped jalapeño or red chili pepper, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook an additional 30 minutes until most of the water boils down.
  • Put the lamb meat mixture into a glass tray and evenly spread it out. Let it cool down an hour or two, then cover and refrigerate.
  • Best served chilled, after it has been refrigerated overnight or at least a few hours.
  • To serve cut into thin slices like deli meat. Yum!
Keyword appetizers, easy, lamb, meat, side dish

Chinese Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

266C81C2-976A-41A9-BE10-ECF4E953430BThese Chinese Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are absolutely delicious! They taste like the Authentic Chinese restaurant/takeout kind. It’s important to get all the right ingredients for this recipe which I will have pictured below and that can be found at an Asian or International store. Also note that this recipe is best if you let the chicken marinate overnight or for at least 6 hours. It literally makes a huge difference and tastes much better and more flavorful if marinated overnight! We had these for dinner 2 days ago and my boys requested them again for dinner tonight. These are great as an appetizer or as part of a homemade Chinese meal. I like to pair them with vegetable fried rice and some steamed veggies on the side.

Chinese Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

sofiyababinov
These Chinese Teriyaki Chicken Skewers are absolutely delicious! They taste like the Authentic Chinese restaurant/takeout kind. It’s important to get all the right ingredients for this recipe which I will have pictured below and that can be found at an Asian market or International store. Also note that this recipe is best if you let the chicken marinate overnight. It literally makes a huge difference and tastes much better and much more flavorful if marinated overnight!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinate time 12 hours
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 LB Chicken Thighs boneless/skinless
  • 1 TBS Soy Sauce
  • 1 TBS Sherry Wine
  • 1 TBS Oyster Sauce
  • 1 TBS Hoisin Sauce
  • 1.5 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 4 TBS Bull Head BBQ Sauce Vegetarian one, there are a few different types
  • 3 TBS Pineapple Juice
  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper
  • Oil for frying, preferably Peanut Oil

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken thighs. Pat them dry with paper towels. Cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Set aside in a big bowl.
  • Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a separate big bowl.
  • Pour the marinade mixture into the bowl of chicken. Mix the chicken well with the marinade mixture. Cover the bowl and let it stand and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight for the chicken to be flavorful and very soft. The longer you let it marinate the better it will taste!
  • Let the bamboo skewers soak in water for at least 30 minutes, so they don’t burn while cooking in the oven/pan.
  • Pat the bamboo skewers dry with paper towels. Put the marinated chicken thigh pieces on the skewers.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking rack with foil, spray it with non stick spray or use a brush to spread some oil on the foil.  Put the chicken skewers on the baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then flip the skewers oven to the other side and bake an additional 20 minutes.
  • Heat a pan with peanut oil (or any oil would work, but peanut oil works especially well for this recipe) on medium-high heat and fry each chicken skewer for 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any  excess oil. Serve hot! If you need to serve later, just keep them warm in the oven on the warm setting or low heat setting.
  • I like to serve these with vegetable fried rice.
  • These are the sauces from the Asian market:
  • These are the spices from the Asian market:
Keyword appetizers, chicken, Chinese, meat

Chicken Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

4FBC6F99-638D-4262-B795-EA5D7B5615FCThis is the classic Russian Olivier salad recipe, but with chicken instead of bologna as traditionally made. I got this Chicken Olivier salad recipe from my friend Inna. We tried it at her house once, it was the first time we tried it with chicken and we absolutely loved it this way! This is basically a fancy potato salad with chicken and it is served cold so it’s a great make ahead dish or potluck dish to bring. I also enjoy it served in a croissant for quick lunch/dinner sandwich!

Chicken Potato Salad (Olivier Salad)

This is the classic Russian Olivier salad recipe, but with chicken instead of bologna. This is basically a fancy potato salad with chicken in it and it is served cold so it’s a great make ahead dish or potluck dish. I also enjoy it served in a croissant for a quick lunch/dinner sandwich.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine European
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2-2.5 LB Chicken Breasts (4 large breasts) cooked, diced
  • 3 Potatoes cooked, peeled, diced
  • 4 Carrots cooked, peeled, diced
  • 8 Eggs hardboiled. peeled, diced
  • 1 710 mL Can kosher dill pickles
  • 1 Bunch Scallions
  • 1 Bunch Dill
  • 1 15 oz. Can Peas
  • 1 Small Onion peeled
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 6 Whole Peppercorns
  • 1.5 Cups Mayonnaise
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. When the water comes to a boil, throw in 1 whole peeled onion, 6 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and chicken breasts. Cook on medium-high for 30 minutes. Then turn the burner off and let the pot stand on the burner for 10 minutes, afterwards take out the chicken breasts and put them on a plate to cool. Meanwhile move on to steps 2 and 3.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the washed carrots and potatoes. Cook until the carrots and potatoes are both tender when poked with a fork (about 25-30 minutes) but do not over cook. In another small pot, bring water to a boil and hard-boil the eggs.
  • When the chicken breasts have cooled down, cut them into small cubes. When the carrots and potatoes have cooled down, peel them and also cut them into small cubes. When the hard boiled eggs have cooled down, peel them thoroughly and cut them into small cubes.
  • Add the cut chicken, carrots, potatoes, and hard boiled eggs to a big mixing bowl. Drain out and discard liquid from the pickles and dice the pickles into cubes then add them to the bowl. Wash and finely chop the scallions (both green and white part) and add to the bowl.
  • Add the mayonnaise to the bowl according to taste and texture preferences. I added 1.5 cups mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste, I added about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well to incorporate mayo.
  • Lastly add the (drained) can of peas and finely chopped dill to the bowl. Gently mix again. *I add the peas in last because they are very delicate, I don’t want to squash them by overmixing. You can add a can of (drained) corn instead if you don’t like peas.
  • Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours and enjoy! Great as a side dish, potluck dish and makes a great croissant sandwich too! Can be made the day before and tastes best if refrigerated overnight.

Notes

You can substitute cubed chicken breasts with cubed Bologna. You can substitute the can of peas with a can of corn if you don’t like peas. This dish tastes best if refrigerated overnight to let the flavors blend!
Keyword appetizers, European, salad, side dish

Mexican “Pollo Con Crema” Chicken

D7111BFA-230D-45CE-A3EA-161FEFFEAE0F“Pollo Con Crema” is my absolute favorite Mexican chicken dish. I always order it when we go out for Mexican, so of course I had to recreate it at home and I am so glad I did! It tastes so much better homemade and is fast and easy to make. I pair it with Spanish rice (recipe on my blog) and highly recommend you make both together for the best Mexican dinner at home!

Mexican “Pollo Con Crema” Chicken

sofiyababinov
“Pollo Con Crema” is my absolute favorite Mexican chicken dish! I always order it when we go out for Mexican food, so of course I had to recreate it at home. It tastes so much better homemade and is fast and easy to make. I pair it with Spanish rice (recipe on my blog) for the best Mexican dinner!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
  • 1 8oz. Pack White Mushrooms thickly sliced
  • 1 Large Sweet Onion cut into thin strips
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers cut into thin strips
  • 1 16oz. Container Sour Cream
  • 1.5 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 2 TBS "Better Than Bouillon" Chicken Paste or 1 TBS Chicken Bouillon cube
  • 2 TBS Olive Oil for cooking the chicken
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper depending on how spicy you prefer it to be
  • Montreal Chicken Seasoning to taste, for cooking the chicken
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Do the prep work first. Wash and cut all the veggies (mushrooms thickly sliced, onion and bell peppers into thin strips) and cut chicken breasts (into thin strips).
  • Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast pieces and season with salt/pepper and Montreal chicken seasoning, to taste.
  • Cook the chicken until it cooks all the way through and gets golden on the outside. Then add in the onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent and all vegetables are soft and cooked through well.
  • Add in 1.5 heavy cream and 2 TBS "Better Than Bouillon" chicken paste (or 1 chicken bouillon cube). Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the sour cream, sprinkle in 1 tsp paprika and 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Turn burner off and mix well. The cream should be a creamy, slightly thick consistency. If it's not thick, give it 10-15 minutes to stand and it will thicken up!

Notes

If the sauce is not a thick consistency at the end, let it stand for 10-15 minutes and it will thicken up!
Serve with my amazing Spanish rice, some warm tortillas, and Mexican beans or avocado on the side for the perfect Mexican dinner!
Keyword 30 minutes, chicken, easy, Mexican