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Chicken, Dinner ideas, Quick and easy recipes, Skip the takeout

Black Pepper Chicken

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This Black Pepper Chicken stir fry is just like the kind of recipe you would order from in your favorite restaurant.

Love this recipe? Then you may want to try my Black Pepper Shrimp Recipe too!

With just two chicken breasts you can feed a family of four easily.

So what are you waiting for?

By the time you dial up your local restaurant, you can have this delicious and authentic stir fry on the table.

This Black Pepper Chicken recipe is 100% keto and is something the whole family can enjoy!

This whole dish sauteed in a simple delicious sauce that is sure to curb your take-out craving for tonight!

Leaving everyone in your household asking for seconds or maybe even thirds. 

WHAT IS IN BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

  • Oyster sauce
  • Soya sauce
  • Ginger
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Cornstarch

What makes this stir fry one of my favorites is that it is packed with plenty of fibrous vegetables.

Such as broccoli, peppers, onions and celery.

WHAT ELSE CAN GO INTO BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN STIR FRY

Protein; Chicken, Beef, Pork, Shrimp, Calamari

Vegetables; snap peas, snow peas, bok choy, eggplant, cauliflower you name it.

Me and my partner used to go out every week for Chinese food, we enjoy it that much.

However now a days, I like to make these type of dishes at home.

It not only saves us a ton of money it is also much healthier. Since you can add more vegetables and different kinds to suit your individual taste.

This combination is my favorite, however I do sometimes like to add bok choy and snap peas too. 

HOW TO MAKE BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

  • You will want to start by making the rice “I like to use my rice cooker”
  • Then make the sauce, then set aside
  • Then you will want to chop all your vegetables then set aside
  • Same with the chicken
  • In a frying pan/work add 1 cup of water then all the vegetables, broccoli first and stir fry over medium heat for roughly 3 minutes till the vegetables are tender yet crisp. Remove the veggies strain and set aside!
  • Then in the same frying pan/work add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and cook the diced chicken over medium heat till no longer pink. Then add in the sliced onion and saute one more minute before adding in the sauce. 
  • Mix everything together then add in the steamed veggies, 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper to taste.  
  • Serve alongside rice if desired, enjoy!  

Chinese food is typically healthier for you than most foods and this dish definitely is one of those healthy dishes.

So do not be ashamed if you eat the whole plate yourself. 

I mean it is really packed full of lean protein = chicken breasts.

And lots and lots of vegetables!

IS BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN HEALTHY

Yes, it sure is however does have a fair amount of sodium.

So if your on a sodium diet, please use just the Oyster sauce and omit the soya. 

This stir fry is so darn delicious that i’m confident it will be one of those recipes that you will want to keep in your recipe book.

And truthfully this is the best homemade Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry that we have tried ever!

How can I make claims like that?

Well first off this is one of my favorite Asian dishes and so I have tried many different recipes throughout the years.

Not to mention I have ordered this dish at many of the Asian restaurants over the years and this one is defiantly up there in taste. 

The only difference between my dish and those in the restaurants, is that they tend to bring it on sizzling hot plate.

And well, I have yet to do that myself. 

That is not to say you can’t, for the wow factor. 

I like to serve this with jasmine rice on the side, and will use a mini rice cooker to cook the rice. Just set it and it will be ready when the dish is completed. 

This recipe does have a bit of a sauce, so serving this dish alongside some Jasmine rice is always good.

However if you are wanting to serve this as is feel free to add 1 tbsp of cornstarch to the sauce vs 1 tsp.

This will help to thicken it up even more leaving very little sauce.

Looking for more Chinese style recipes? See the video below for some ideas and or search the blog’s “Skip The Takeout” section for some more inspiration. 

Meal Prep Idea: Make enough to create a few meal prep bowls for the week ahead

Notes: Make it with shrimp, beef or tofu too. You may use any other vegetables you have on hand such as snow peas, red onions etc will work well too.

Also you can replace the black pepper with white pepper if desired. And add more water to create more of a sauce if putting this over rice. 

Liked this recipe then you will want to try my Black Pepper Shrimp recipes as well. 

If you liked this recipe? Then you will want to try my other ASIAN inspired recipes below!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear about it! You can leave a 5 star review in the comments below! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

Recipe: April 16, 2018

Recipe updated: January  8, 2019

 

Curries, Dinner ideas, Quick and easy recipes, Skip the takeout, Vegetarian

Chickpea Curry

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Today I’m sharing with you one of my newest fusion dishes. What makes this a fusion dish is the combination of the “Thai Green Curry Paste” and “Indian spices”. 

I ALWAYS have Indian and Thai ingredients on hand so this dish will be really easy to make if you do to.

This recipe is definitely one of those top vegan/vegetarian recipes that we like to enjoy in our home often. 

Made with coconut milk, chickpeas, roma tomatoes, canned tomatoes, onions and an array of spices.

You are sure to enjoy the amazing flavors in this dish!

Actually it’s my partners favorite curry dish right now and he is more of a meat eater, so trust me when I say, it’s that good.

In our home we eat vegetarian at least 3x per week and that is if I am cooking. “Which 95% of the time I am. So I hold all the power in deciding what goes in our meals. Thank God!

Otherwise we probably would be eating takeout every night. Which is fine and dandy when your in your 20’s but we are now in our 30’s and try to watch what we eat.

So what are you waiting for? You can have this absolutely delicious and healthy curry on the table tonight in under 30 minutes.

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

Chicken, Curries, Date Night, Dinner ideas, Instant Pot, Quick and easy recipes, Skip the takeout, Slow Cooker recipes

Indian Chicken Curry

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This Indian Chicken Curry also known as (Murgh Kari) is super quick and easy to prepare and has a great authentic taste. You can make it in your pressure cooker or on your stovetop in under 30 minutes making it a great weeknight meal or a great dish for meal prep throughout the week!

Looking for another great curry recipe? Try my Chickpea Spinach Curry or my Lamb and Chickpea Curry recipes.

Whether you’re feeding a large crowd, or cooking for yourself, this Indian Chicken Curry is a flavorful dish and is sure to earn rave reviews.

Serve it over white rice, brown rice or even riced cauliflower for a flavorful low carb curry. 

What You’ll Need

To make this curry the easy way, your going to want to purchase a pre-made spice mix. Such as MDH Chicken Masala as seen below. You can purchase it through my AMAZON link if you’d like too.

 

Marinating the Chicken

Is a tip to help the recipe taste more authentic as it enables all the flavors to merge into it. This can be done the night prior, by simply dicing the chicken and placing it into a plastic bag along with a bit of oil and the spice mixture.

I tend to choose a more spicy curry goat or lamb dish, however, when it comes to Curry Chicken, this recipe is definitely high up on my favorite list. I learned this dish from  “Chef Vikram Vij” when he was on the food network some time ago and I’ve been making it ever since!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • You can make this dish more spicy, by simply adding more cayenne pepper if desired. 
  • I like to make this recipe at home often because it’s super simple and healthy and doesn’t contain any MSG or preservatives.
  • You can make it in large batches which makes it a great budget friendly dinner option.
  • Add in your favorite vegetables to boost the nutrition. 
  • You can easily make it on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. 
  • It can easily be made vegetarian by adding in tofu or chickpeas instead of chicken.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cooking Oil or Ghee – This is what you’ll use to saute the chicken, onion, garlic and ginger. It will help brown them and bring out the flavors. 
  • Boneless Chicken Breasts – Chicken is the main protein source of this dish, but feel free to use any protein you enjoy. 
  • Onion & Garlic – These two aromatic vegetables add a great layer of flavor to chicken curry. 
  • Raw & Canned Tomato – You’ll need a mix of raw tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato paste for this recipe. Tomatoes add a great color and acidity to curry dishes. 
  • Ginger – Ginger helps give a spicy flavor that pairs well with any curry recipe. 
  • Full Fat Yogurt & Cream – These two ingredients help give the curry a nice creamy tomato sauce. 

Homemade Indian Curry Spice Blend

You can use a premade spice blend or a curry spice blend made from scratch! 

  • 1 1/2 tbsp Garam masala
  • 2 tbsp Curry powder
  • 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves

You can also buy a pre – made Spice Mix as seen below. 

 

How To Make Easy Indian Chicken Curry

  1. In a large pot or into a slow cooker pot add the cooking oil/ghee and turn on the heat. Next add in a large diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes before adding in the diced chicken. Sauté another 7 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the onion is tender.
  2. Next toss in the curry and remaining spices and sauté another 2 minutes before adding in the minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute till fragrant.
  3. Add in the tomatoes and along with the tomato paste.
  4. Next add in the yogurt, cream and stir everything to combine.
  5. Serve hot on top of your favorite rice. 

Pressure Cooker Indian Chicken Curry

If you’d like to make this recipe in your instant pot or pressure cooker, follow these steps:

  • Add cooking oil/ghee into the pot and turn it to SAUTE mode. 
  • Next add diced onion and sauté for 2-5  minutes or until veggies begin to soften.
  • Add in diced chicken breast and sauté for another 2-5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
  • Toss in the curry and spices along with garlic and ginger. 
  • Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste, cream and yogurt.
  • Close the lid and seal. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. 
  • Release naturally or quickly, stir then serve hot over rice.

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Curry

You can also make this recipe in your crockpot or slow cooker by following the instructions below:

  • Sauté all ingredients except tomatoes, cream and yogurt in a skillet over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften and chicken is no longer pink.
  • Add everything to a slow cooker including the tomatoes, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, cream and yogurt and stir until fully combined.
  • Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours or until chicken is fully cooked through. 
  • Stir everything together and serve hot on top of your favorite rice. 

FAQ

CAN I USE COCONUT MILK IN CURRY CHICKEN?

Yes, you can subsite the yogurt for a thick coconut milk if desired. Check out my popular Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe if you are looking for a creamy and dairy free curry. 

HOW DOES CHICKEN CURRY TASTE?

It’s pretty similar in taste to traditional Butter Chicken with a little more spice. It is creamy and has a great balance of flavors from the acidity of the tomatoes and the deep flavors of onion, garlic and ginger. 

CAN I USE FRESH TOMATOES?

Yes! But you’ll also want to be sure to use tomato paste as it helps thicken the sauce. 

WHAT IS A GOOD LOW FAT OPTION FOR CHICKEN CURRY?

Instead of using cream or yogurt, you can use Greek yogurt or sour cream to help bring down the fat content in this recipe. 

Try out making my easy Garlic Naan Bread Recipe to pair with any of my curry recipes! 

You’ll Love My Easy Curry Recipes

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this, I want to see! Follow Canadian Cooking Adventures Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @canadiancookingadventures and #canadiancookingadventures. 

Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of my latest recipes

Notes: If you don’t have “Greek Yogurt” feel free to use “Sour Cream” and skip the actual cream in the recipe if desired for a low fat option.

Also you can use, fresh tomatoes or canned for this recipe. 

 

Chicken, Slow Cooker recipes, Soups & Stews

Green Chile Chicken Bean Soup

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I absolutely love this Green Chile Chicken Bean Soup. It’s clean, fresh and healthy for you, not to mention super delicious! 

You can add black beans or white beans to this soup, I much prefer black beans myself so that is what I used.

Black beans are a good source of antioxidants making this one of the healthiest beans around. Also I  like to use “Better than Bouillon” Chicken stock in replace of liquid stock. We buy ours from Costco, so instead of using 7 cups of liquid Chicken Stock, we use 2 tbsp of that instead.

So if your interested in trying it out, the link is below in my amazon picks. The key to making this soup extra special is using two different types of chiles.

Both in powder form, “Pasilla Chile powder”, which it is a mild to medium-hot chile that is rich in flavor. And “California Chile Powder” which is has a nice mild heat to it. The combination of these two spices will add a great taste to this soup.

Most people are surprised at how filling it is also, typically most people get full just off half a bowl. Because one cup of Black Beans has packed 15.2 grams of protein adding that chicken breasts to that and you are sure to be satisfied for dinner with this soup.

This recipe really goes a long way, so you can feed a family of 6 and easily stores for leftovers. I like to make a big batch, and then I will freeze a few meal prep bowls for another day.

Leaving out the avocado and cilantro of course, those foods don’t taste as  good reheated.

I like to soak my black beans the night prior, however you can always use canned if you prefer.

So this recipe goes a long way, and can feed a family of 6 and easily stores for leftovers. I like to make a big batch, and then I will freeze a few meal prep bowls for another day. Leaving out the avocado and cilantro of course, those foods don’t taste as  good reheated.

I like to soak my black beans the night prior, however you can always use canned if you prefer. I made this soup in my crock pot, took less than 5 minutes to throw together.

Then I placed it on low for 8-10 hours, or you can place it on high for 5. And of course this also can be done on the stove top, or on the browning setting in the slow cooker as well. Just make sure you are simmering it long enough to tenderize the chicken breasts, you may need to add more water if your following the last two methods.

 

Did you know that the fiber in black beans actually helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease? Well if that is not more reason enough to eat more of these beans, then I don’t know what is! I like to serve it with fresh chunks of avocado and sometimes a spoonful or two of sour cream. You can cook this on the stove top as well, both methods work great. I hope you give this a try because it’s super delicious!

Our favorite Tomatillo Sauce

 

Note: Also try adding in some sour cream, to make it more creamy.

 

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! You can post a review, picture below or via Instagram and let me know how it turned out. And by doing so you will be automatically entered into our seasonal CONTEST to win one of our great prizes. Winner will be notified via email within a week after the contest closes. Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

Dinner ideas, Meal Prep, Skip the takeout, Vegetarian

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

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I call this recipe “Healthy Eggplant Parmesan“, because we are baking the eggplant vs deep frying it in oil. 

IS EGGPLANT PARMESAN HEALTHY

Yes, it has lots of vegetables and spices in it.

If you are on a low calorie diet you can use less cheese if desired and omit frying it in oil. 

Now I know many Italians swear by frying the eggplant in olive oil prior to baking.

However that is not very healthy and so I find that baking it just as good. 

WHAT EGGPLANT PARMESAN

This Eggplant Parmesan uses one large eggplant, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, eggs and your favorite tomato sauce of choice along with some Italian spices.

You can also add spinach to this recipe if desired, either way your going to fall in love with this recipe. Guaranteed!

WHY IS MY EGGPLANT PARMESAN TOUGH

Because, you simply need to soak the eggplant prior in water and salt to tenderize it.

That way it will turn out just as delicious as the kind that is fried in oil.

Also this recipe is suitable for those a on keto or low carb diet, since there’s no pasta used in this one.

You will want to start by soaking the eggplant in water and salt before hand to tenderize and remove any of the bitter taste.

Don’t miss this step, it’s important.

Now, if you think you will be missing out on the meat protein here and feeling hungry afterwards.

Then you will be pleasantly surprised to find this meal is just as filling as say Chicken parmesan. 

My family much prefers Eggplant Parmesan now to Chicken Parmesan.

IS EGGPLANT PARMESAN VEGETARIAN

Not this one as it has eggs, however if you want to make it you can skip the eggs. 

I like to make a large casserole dish, which makes about 6 individual large servings.

Typically we will eat this over the next few days and sometimes I will make two batches and freeze a bunch for my meal prep lunches. 

Your family will not believe this is made with eggplant. Just you?

Make numerous small portions and freeze it for quick on the go meals for down the road.

If you end up giving this a give it a try, I would love to know how you liked it. Bon Appetit!

Baked to Perfection, now that is one saucy number!

DOES EGGPLANT PARMESAN INDUCE LABOR

According to some experts, it can see this link for more information > does eggplant parmesan help induce labor

CAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN BE FROZEN

Yes, and you can make it into meal preps for lunch or dinner for another time. 

MEAL PREP IDEA: Make enough to create a few meal preps bowls for the week ahead.

By sectioning each eggplant medallion off into “meal prep” bowls in which I freeze for lunches/dinners for down the road.

Want to make more than 8 meal prep bowls? Double this recipe up with using the adjust serving option above.

Now that is one healthy meal prep, you won’t even miss the meat it’s that good!

Notes: You can use less cheese if you want.

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!

 

Chicken, Date Night, Dinner ideas, Quick and easy recipes, Skip the takeout

Chinese Chicken Broccoli Stir fry

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This Chinese Chicken Broccoli Stir fry takes less than 30 minutes to make too, I know you will LOVE it! 

IS CHINESE CHICKEN BROCCOLI HEALTHY

Heck yes, this recipe is packed full of lean protein and low calorie leafy green vegetables!

This dish is simmered in an authentic chinese sauce and is sure to remind you of being at your favorite chinese restaurant. 

The first time I tried Chinese Broccoli, was a few years back. I saw it ordered by a couple at the table next to me.

I then asked our server, what was that?

The waitress said “Gai lan” with a strong accent, I said Gay lan?

She said YES “Gai Lan” it’s Chinese Broccoli, do you want? 

YES please!!

Then it came to 0ur table in a creamy hot chinese sauce and I was hooked.

I have always liked Broccoli but this stuff was even better! 

This dish can be made with beef too which is also amazing. 

Plus, I was pleasantly surprised to find out it carries all the same health benefits as the common broccoli that most of us are more accustomed to.

Over the years, I have experimented with cooking Gai Lan.

Though it is excellent served on it’s own, this has to be one of my most favorite ways to serve it.

I don’t know why I used to be intimidated by chinese cooking, I guess it was because it was not something I was ever accustomed to making.

However I’ve now learned that true chinese cooking is pretty simple, you just want to make sure your using the right sauces and techniques to produce an authentic dish.

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE CHICKEN BROCCOLI

  • The trick when cooking this dish is to not overcook the broccoli, because you want it tender yet crisp.
  • And to do that, bring a pot of water a medium boil and then simply place the washed chinese broccoli it in to boil for no more than 2 minutes.
  • Remove it immediately and place it directly in a pot of cold water to cool down. Simple enough eh?
  • The last time the broccoli will see direct heat, is at the end of preparing this dish. Where you will mix it together with the chicken and sauce allowing it to simmer before serving.
  • For the cabbage you want to place it in the boiling water, 2 minutes before the Chinese Broccoli this gives it the perfect time to tenderize while not overcooking the broccoli. 

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe i’d love to hear about it! Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox every Month!