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

Black Bean Chicken Stir Fry

Skip the takeout tonight and try making this Black Bean Chicken Stir Fry instead. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is inexpensive to make.

Wanting another popular Chinese recipes to serve alongside this dish? Try my Chinese Squid or my Mushroom Fried Rice

Skip the take out, this tasty dish can be served in under 30 minutes.

Making this Black Bean Beef Stir fry is easy because it uses a pre-made sauce. There are a few pre-made black bean sauces on the market. My favorite is Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce.

WHAT IS BLACK BEAN CHICKEN

It is a popular Chinese dish that has marinated chicken and vegetables all cooked together in fermented black bean sauce.

My dish here is made with red and green peppers, onions and chicken and then is tossed in a tasty black bean sauce.

I don’t know about you but this vegetable mixture is perfect, however you can add mushrooms, broccoli or snow peas if you like too!

HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEAN CHICKEN

You will want to start by cooking your rice, and then marinating your chicken.

Because the rest takes less than 15 minutes. I like to use a mini rice cooker, just set it and forget it.

Start by marinating he chicken first in water and cornstarch mixture then fry it in oil over medium heat just enough to cook it.
Next remove it from the wok/pan to sauté the vegetables in a black bean sauce mixture for a while.
Just before adding back together with the cooked chicken sauté all together for a few minutes before serving. Pretty easy huh!

This delicious and authentic stir fry takes less than 30 minutes to make too, so what are you waiting for.

Follow along for a mouthwatering dinner that everyone is sure to love.

Then simply chop up all the vegetables and cook according to the instructions below.

The fantastic flavors of garlic and black bean sauce gives this dish it’s amazing flavor, and the cornstarch helps to thicken it up just right.

Even though there is garlic already in the black bean sauce, it is still nice to add 2 more cloves.

You will hardly notice it since the balance of the other flavors mellows it out nicely, so don’t be afraid to add more garlic.

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

Chinese Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry
Black Bean Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Black Bean Pork Vegetables Stir fry
Black Pepper Shrimp
Chinese Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry
Beef Pepper Ramen
Egg fried Rice
Black Pepper Chicken
Vegetable Egg Drop Soup

I’m 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!

Christmas & Thanksgiving, Dinner ideas

Best Tourtiere Recipe

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This Best Tourtiere Recipe also know as Tourtiere de Maman is a Canadian meat pie that is spiced. And is the perfect recipe to accompany your holiday festivities.

Looking for another festive dish? Then your gonna want to try my Baked Holiday Ham dish or my Beef Mushroom Wellington or even my Recette Sheppard’s Pie.

Gather your friends and family to enjoy a stress-free comfort meal, with my French Canadian Tourtière

WHERE DID TOURTIERE ORIGINATE

Tourtiere originated from Quebec from as early as 1600.

And is traditional served during the Christmas holidays.

IS TOURTIERE FRENCH

Yes, French Canadian.

WHEN IS TOURTIERE EATEN

Nothing beats this pie on the table on Christmas day, well next to some mashed potatoes and gravy of course. Or my popular Shredded Brussel Sprouts recipe!

Tourtiere spices

1 tbsp Savory
1 tsp Ground cloves
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Sage
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Season with salt and pepper

Note: not everyone likes Cinnamon in there meat pies, so to each there own.

How To Make Canadian Tourtière

Start with a pyrex baking dish that is 9.5 x 1.6 deep.
Then make the butter crust (see recipe card)
And the pie filling
Stuff the Tourtière and bake at 375 f for 45 minutes till golden brown.

CAN TOURTIERE BE FROZEN

Yes, as long as the meat that was used was fresh not frozen to begin with.

So how do I know how to make a traditional Tourtière you may be asking?

Well, I am Canadian, but not Acadian. And have strong French roots on one side of my family.

What is Acadian you may be asking? Acadian peoples originate from eastern Canada.

They actually are the ones who created this recipe to begin with. Then the French out there ran with it and it is now known as a French Canadian or Acadian dish.

This particular recipe for my best Tourtière Pie has been past down from my Great Grandma who was 100% French Canadian. And her ancestors are all from Newfoundland and Labrador territories.

I have been gifted with her original recipe which was hand written by her a few decades ago.

And, so I had to share it all with you here.

Growing up Canadian, I was influenced by many cultural groups and thus foods so it wasn’t like I stuck to just one type of food then or now.

However I’ve appreciated all that was taught to me along the way.

One fond memory I do have is that of my great grandma and grandma both in the kitchen together making Tourtière right before Christmas.

I must have been somewhere from 5-10 years old then. And I never knew how precious that memory would be for me as my great grandmother past shortly after.

I also remember enjoying this dish during Christmas dinner over the years as my aunts always carried the tradition of making it.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES A TOURTIERE MEAT PIE SERVE

One pie typically serves 8-10.

Over the years this recipe has been changed across the generations and each family does prepare it somewhat differently. In eastern Canada, most people there use pork or even rabbit in this pie.

Oh and be sure to serve this CANADIAN TOURTIÈRE with a dollop of Ketchup. The kids will love that addition too.

PS: don’t skip on the potatoes they really help to hold the pie together. I hope you give it a try this holidays season and let me know what you think.

Could you serve a traditional French Canadian meat pie this Christmas? Could your family like it more than the more traditional Turkey? I would love to know.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

WHICH WINE WITH TOURTIERE

Whites, sparkling or reds all go with them a tourtière pie.

Note: You can freeze this ahead of time, and bring it to any gathering to bake fresh.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH TOURTIERE

Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Beef and Mushroom Wellington

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

CRANBERRY STUFFING RECIPE!

Be sure to try these tasty recipes below!

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.

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Barbeque, Date Night, Dinner ideas, Meal Prep, Quick and easy recipes

Thick Boneless Pork Chop Recipe

These Thick Boneless Pork Chop Recipe are pan fried on the stove-top and served with fresh Homemade Peach Jalapeno Salsa.

My Thick Boneless Pork Chop Recipe may look a bit fancy, but trust me it really takes no special technique to prepare at all.

If you like pork with a hint of sweet/spicy flavors then you can’t go wrong with this recipe here. These pork chops go great even without the peach salsa, but if you can get your hands on in season fresh peaches then go for it!

HOW TO PAN FRY PORK CHOPS?

The trick to cooking the best pan fried pork chops is to use ample butter, because you are going to be basting the pork chops in the butter while it cooks.

The second trick is to season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper prior to cooking. If you follow those two tips alone you are sure to prepare the best pork chops ever.

These chops can be done on the grill as well, they just won’t be as juicy. Also feel free to use pineapple in replace of peaches if desired.

WHAT TYPE OF PORK CHOP IS GOOD FOR FRYING?

Feel free to use bone in pork chops, pork loin or ribs. All work well for frying!

Go ahead and serve these pork chops with mash potatoes or a salad of your liking. They really go well with either option or just enjoy as is with lots of peach salsa.

I just love the way the rosemary and garlic butter flavors the pork, it melts in your mouth and to be honest I have yet to try something this good in the restaurants.

First you will want to prepare the salsa in advance and store it in the fridge for more than one hour.

This really helps the flavors to set into the peaches and makes for an excellent topping to these pork chops.

To prepare the pork you will want to sear chops in a non stick frying pan with a little butter, rosemary and seasonings.

Each side will take about 8 minutes to cook, while cooking baste with butter in the pan.

Jalapeno Peach Salsa

LOOKING FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES FOR PORK CHOPS?

Below you will find some side dish recipes that would go so well with these “Pork Chops”

Meal Prep Inspiration: Make more pork chops and slice them once cooked and place over some creamed corn and add the peach salsa. Stores in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, your visits and your comments are greatly appreciated. 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!

Soups & Stews

Easy Turkey Noodle Soup

This Easy Turkey Noodle Soup is an excellent recipe to have on hand after the holidays, as it utilize your leftover turkey’s carcass and even the gravy if you so desire.

This Easy Turkey Noodle Soup is a great recipe to make, that utilizes the whole bird.

You can put almost any type of vegetable into this soup.

I used carrots and kale as it was what I had on hand. But really any type of vegetable will work!

EASY TURKEY NOODLES SOUP WITH CARCASS

So you probably know how good homemade chicken noodle soup is, but have you tried homemade turkey noodle soup? Well then you are in for something special. Because it is rich as it uses the whole carcus of the turkey!

If you have leftover gravy as well then you are going to want to add that in this soup too, trust me people will be begging for this recipe. It’s that good 🙂

I will typically make a BIG pot of turkey noodle soup the day after the holidays or the night of.

This way I am not wasting any food by utilizing the leftover turkey and gravy.

What I will do is fill a stock pot up with water and then I will put the carcass from my leftover Turkey inside.

Then all there is to do is simply boil the bird for a good 30 minutes or more.

Then I will remove the bird and skim away anything that looks less appealing and use the remaining broth as my soup stock.

Now there are plenty of ways to make this kind of soup, so I’m going to give you a few options here and let you decide what works best for you.

Really you cannot go wrong with making this soup, it’s healthy and also an excellent recipe to keep on hand after the holidays when you have leftover turkey.

When I talk options, I mean you can decide what type of noodle to place in the soup and vegetables.

For the noodles there are thick or thin, large and small, options.

So the type you use totally depends on what you prefer, however I do recommend using “egg noodles” because they are much lighter and work so much better in this kind of soup.

If you are feeling under the weather, feel free to add more garlic and onions to the stock as they carry antibacterial properties and have been proven to help people get better much faster.

I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Note: If you have a leftover turkey, then you can omit the chicken stock and simmer your turkey carcass for one hour in 8 cups of water, covered.

And use the turkey stock in replace if the chicken stock. Also use the leftover white turkey breast instead of buying turkey breasts as that works great too for this soup.

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, Dinner ideas, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker recipes

Simple Butter Chicken Recipe

This Simple Butter Chicken Recipe is sure to impress as it is just as good if not better than what you will find in most restaurants.

Make some Homemade Garlic Naan Bread to go alongside.

Today I’m so very happy to show you this recipe for a Simple Butter Chicken Recipe that your sure to make time and time again.

Awww the infamous Butter Chicken, also known as (Murgh Makhani). Almost everyone that has tried this dish has loved this dish and if you have not tried it before at home your in for a treat!

Love Indian food as much as me? Then your going to want to try my “Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry” and my “Eggplant Curry” or my “Chickpea Curry” as well.

Oh and don’t forget the NAAN BREAD 🙂

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN SPICY

To make this Curry easy to make, try purchasing a pre-made Butter Chicken curry powder package like the one below.

WHAT SPICES ARE USED IN BUTTER CHICKEN

Salt, Red Chilli, Turmeric, Cumin, Black Pepper, Large Cardamom, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Garlic, Star Aniseed, White Pepper

I always use a BUTTER CHICKEN SPICE blend as seen below as it has all of this in it already. Otherwise if your wanting to add in your own spices I highly recommend adding 1 tsp of chili powder, cumin, turmeric and fresh crushed garlic and onions.

Below you will see the pre-marinaded and cooked chicken being added to the sauce for the final step in cooking this delicious dish.

The part where your simmering the sauce, you can switch from 1/2 tsp of chili powder to 1 tsp for that extra heat. I love to do that, personally. I will add 1 tsp every time for this recipe.

WHO INVENTED BUTTER CHICKEN

It’s origins came from three Punjabi restaurateurs, Kundan Lal Jaggi, Kundan Lal Gujral and Thakur Dass, who founded the world-renowned Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi.

WHATS BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE MADE OF

Fresh Cream
Ghee or Butter
Oil
Cashews or Almonds if you do not have you can always use sugar for added sweetness
Plain Yogurt
Tomatoes
Garlic and Onions

WHAT’S BUTTER CHICKEN

It is one of the most popular Indian curries Worldwide today.

It’s become so popular that the supermarkets are now selling various versions of it in pre- packaged bottles in hopes to win your business.

But that stuff just won’t cut if for those of us who are familiar with traditional Butter Chicken. Because real butter chicken uses ghee butter you can use regular butter if desired. Then of course there is cream and some stronger curry flavors than most of those pre-made bottled types entail.

Plus those bottles are expensive costing near 4x the price that it takes to make it from scratch, not to mention not nearly as tasty.

IS BUTTER CHICKEN SPICY

This popular dish hails from the Indian subcontinent and is noted for its creamy and smooth butter taste, you can make it more spicy by adding an extra 1 tsp of red chili powder if desired.

Otherwise this is a mild curry compared to other traditional Indian dishes.

In comparison we would rate the spice level of this dish to other Indian dish, a 4 out of 10.

Such as Grama masla and Indian curry powder. All which can be found in almost any grocery store spice section.

I think the reason people by those pre-made bottles is because they think making it from scratch is hard, but I assure you it’s not.

It’s all about having the right ingredients and nothing in this ingredients list is is foreign besides possibly the fenugreek leaves also known as kasuri methi. Also that can be found in almost all grocery stores today.

HOW LONG WILL BUTTER CHICKEN LAST IN THE FRIDGE

In a sealable container up to 3 days and if you want to freeze it for meal – preps you can do that and store in the freezer up to 3 months.

We hope you enjoy this tasty dish as much as we do! Serve it alongside some naan bread and enjoy!

We don’t add as much cream to this Butter Chicken as most do, which will give it a more orange color.

If your wanting a more cream heavy type of Butter Chicken just add 1/2 cup of cream opposed to the 1/4 cup that my recipe calls for.

If your a CURRY lover like me. Then you will want to try these dishes below!

Note: If you want a more creamy butter chicken add 1/2 cup of cream instead of the 1/4 cup that I used in this recipe.

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!

Did you like this curry?

Then you’re sure to like my “Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry” which uses coconut milk as is by far my most popular recipe on this blog.

More Popular Curry Dishes Below!

Chicken, Date Night, Dinner ideas

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

I have an easy Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken recipe that can be pulled of in no time and serves as a meal for four.

Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken is one of those no brainer, one pot recipes that can feed a family of four. By simply adding potatoes, carrots and onions to this baking dish. You can have a whole meal ready in under 1 hours time with very little effort.

Talk about easy peezy right! Wanting another awesome recipe that uses a whole chicken? Try my Air Fryer Whole Chicken

This super simple, one pan recipe is sure to have your family requesting for more. Now if you are wanting to feed more than 4 people then you simply just have to bake two chickens.

And don’t forget to keep the bird/bones to make some leftover chicken noodle soup for the next day!

Can it get better than this? We think not.

Note: It’s very important to preheat your oven prior to cooking the bird.

Date Night, Dinner ideas, Pasta, Quick and easy recipes

Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi

Gallery October 28, 2022 Jacqueline Leave a comment

This Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi is made with fresh parmesan cheese, spinach, mushrooms, vegetable stock, sour cream and brown butter.

This Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi is something extra special and may be just the ticket to getting out of doing the dishes with your spouse tonight!

Here is another popular gnocchi recipe from this blog that your also sure to enjoy! Creamy Sausage Gnocchi

Dig in!

HOW TO MAKE MUSHROOM AND SPINACH GNOCCHI

In order to make it more savory vs creamy, I balance the dish with vegetable stock and sour cream which helps to bring forth the herbs and spices that are also added during the cooking process.

If you want to make it SIMPLY more creamy, mix some cream and the vegetable stock together. Just make sure your halving the vegetable stock so there is not to much liquid.

Or if you want it really creamy just use cream on it’s own.

I have really started to appreciate Italian cuisines more so over the past few years.

I guess with time my tastes change and I’m so grateful to be able to dabble in all the amazing flavors that the World has to offer.

I could just eat this type of food everyday, nothing really compares to pillowy soft gnocchi. And when it is tossed in a creamy sauce it’s to die for.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be whipped up in under 20 minutes. Which can make for a quick and tasty weeknight meal in no time. Go ahead indulge no guilt here!

This recipe would be perfect for a romantic dinner idea, think Valentines day or New Years. Also you can add some cooked shredded chicken to this or cooked bacon if desired.

As for me I like it just like this, I’m also a huge sun dried tomato lover SO I will add even more sun dried tomatoes to my dish. However for this recipe, I have cut them in half for my readers as I am sure most of you would prefer a balance of flavors.

Sprinkle some fresh parmesan cheese on top before serving and you will be in Gnocchi heaven… Bone appetite!

Be sure to sauté the sun dried tomatoes for a minimum of 2 minutes in vegetable stock, this really helps to bring out the flavors. Do this before adding back in the cooked gnocchi.

Here are some other Gnocchi recipes that you will love

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe id love to hear about it! You can post a review, picture below or via Instagram and let me know how it turned out. 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!

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Quick and easy recipes, Skip the takeout, Soups & Stews

Sausage Gnocchi Soup

Gallery October 27, 2022 Jacqueline Leave a comment

This Sausage Gnocchi Soup recipe is similar to the Italian Gardens recipe for Zuppa Toscana!

This Sausage Gnocchi Soup recipe is one of those soups that you will want to make a big old pot of and enjoy over a few days.

Want more recipes that call for Sausages? Try my Sausage and potatoes

Zuppa Toscana is one of the Olive Garden’s most popular soups. This recipe is very similar other than instead of using spinach I used kale as that was what I had on hand. And trust me it is just as good if not better!

I really like to use “medium Italian sausage” for this recipe. However if your wanting a more spicy soup feel free to add a spicer sausage.

So if your craving a soup to warm you up, but also want a hearty meal. Then this Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup will hit the spot!

I have always loved Italian type soups and have been testing out a few of these popular gnocchi soups for some time now.

I found that the key to making it more like a soup rather that just a pasta dish is to use “Mini Gnocchi“ for the soup, rather than regular sized gnocchi.

If you are wondering what those look like, see this spoonful below.

My soup utilizes Kale and makes for one healthy hearty meal! You can always use spinach instead if desired!

I decided to finally share my favorite version of it with you today! Mine is pretty similar to allot of those Italian Tortellini soup recipes you will find out there.

However mine has a few differences such as mine will use kale instead of spinach and celery instead of the carrots.

Not to sure why almost all Italian tortellini soups call for carrots these days, but to me that is so wrong.

Oh and mine also has a fair amount of parmesan cheese and absolutely “no cream”. The tomatoes and cheese will make it creamy enough!

I like to use sour cream vs heavy cream as it helps to make this soup super creamy without all the extra fat. That sour cream is mixed with chicken stock or vegetable whichever you prefer to use.

If you are planning to enjoy this soup over a couple of days, then you will want to add one more cup of stock in the soup. Since the Gnocchi tends to soak it up overnight. Believe it or not but this soup tastes even better on the second day.

If you loved this soup? you will also love the following recipes below.

Notes: Also keep in mind, as with all my recipes. If you want to make more or less of this soup, simple adjust the serving size in the ingredients section above and the servings will automatically adjust for you. This soup can store in the fridge for up to 3 days and or freeze for up to 3 months.

© CanadianCookingAdventures. All images and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. Please do not use any images without prior permission. Please do not republish this recipe. If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post. Thank you, Jacqueline