This recipe can be made either in the oven or on the grill.  The directions that I've provided here are for baking these in the oven but in the summer I usually grill the chicken skewers instead.  Be very careful not to overcook chicken breast meat though because it becomes very dry.

The name says it all, this soup is a a little bit sour with a kick of spice in it as well.  I caught a cold again and wanted some chicken soup so I opted for a more flavorful version of it instead.  The veggies in this recipe can be substituted, you can toss in any veggies that you have at home in your refrigerator or pantry.  This is a perfect way to warm up and forget about nasty weather outside right now.  

Ingredients:
1 kg boneless chicken, cut into small cubes
1 floret cauliflower, cut into small pieces
4 leaves of cabbage, cut into thin strips
4 small carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1 green onion, sliced
2 tsp soya sauce
2 small green chilies, crushed
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
4 tsp cornflour
for serving: soya sauce, red chili sauce, and vinegar 

Method:

1. In a deep saucepan boil the chicken in 6 cups of water for 15 minutes.
2. Add veggies and boil for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the salt, pepper, soya sauce, and green chilies.
4. Mix the corn flour in half a cup of cold water and stir into the soup.
5. While stirring add egg and mix until cooked, about 1 minute.
   
   ​Serve with soya sauce, red chili sauce and vinegar.

A super simple and quick chicken dinner option that can be served with any grain or had as is.  The fresh salsa is nice and tangy and pairs really well with chicken.  

Ingredients:

Chicken:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

​Salsa:
1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

Method:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes.
   
2. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
   
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.
   
4. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
   
5. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine.
   
   Serve salsa over chicken

This is a creamy chicken curry that's been cook in a rich mogul style.  If the number of chilies is too spicy for you can adjust the amount for heat.  I like kadhai style dishes best served with either naan or chapati.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup ghee (or vegetable oil)
2 tbsp garlic and ginger crushed, or finely chopped
1/2 kg chicken pieces (with bones)
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green coriander chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 kg yoghurt, drained1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp red chili flakes
1 capsicum (cut in rings)
1 onion (cut in rings)
4-5 green chilies (whole and one cut in center)
4 tbsp cream
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat the ghee (or oil) on medium high heat and then add the garlic and ginger and fry it, stirring constantly until it begins to change color.
   
2. Add chicken and cook it for a few minutes until it starts to develop a light golden color.
3. Add salt and tomatoes and half of the coriander leaves. Mix well then add crushed cumin and coriander seeds.
4. Remove from heat and then add the yogurt, turmeric, red chili flakes and stir it together before returning to the heat (this prevents the yogurt from curdling)
5. Add green chilies and fresh cream.
   
6. Cook until the oil separates from the curry. 
   
7. Add onion and capsicum rings, cover and cook until chicken is tender.
8. Garnish with remaining fresh green coriander. Serve hot with naan or chapatti.

This recipe is for a chicken curry with some non-traditional flavors with the addition of the vinegar and soy sauce.  

Cook the marinated chicken with the onions until the water that the chicken lets off dries up.

The curry is ready in the next photograph, the chips need to be fried separately before stirring them into the curry.

You can deep or shallow fry the potatoes until they're half-done before adding them to the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken
3-4 small onions, cubed
4-5 tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red chili 
8-10 green chilies
3-4 potatoes, cut like fries
1/2 cup yogurt

Method:

1. Mix yogurt, red pepper, salt and chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oil, add cubed onion and the chicken and cook until all the water that the chicken lets off dries up.
3. Add tomatoes and cook until they lose their color and the oil starts to separate.
4. Add soy sauce, black pepper, and vinegar then mix well.
5. In a separate pot semi-fry the potatoes until about half done.
6. Add the half fried potatoes to the curry with the green chilies, and fresh cut coriander, cover and let simmer until the potatoes are tender.
7. Do not mix the curry too much after adding the potatoes because they will break.

This is a very desi version of a pizza.  The dressings that I've put on top (after removing the pizza from the oven) are completely optional.  I drizzled over some chipotle mayo (chutney would be an option as well) and then garnished it with some fresh cilantro.  I always use home made pizza dough and a good recipe for that can be found here.  

Load up the thin crust pizza with the cooked chicken, red or green bell peppers, fresh mozzarella and sliced red onions.

I like my pizza cooked with the cheese slightly browned on top.  This is good as is or if you wish you can garnish it further with some sauce/dressing/chutney and cilantro.

​For the Chicken:

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast halves cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp oil
tandoori chicken paste OR
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp tandoori masala/spice powder
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
2. Remove from heat and set aside

Note: if you have tandoori masala paste you can use that and you do not need to add all of the other ingredients.  If you're using tandoori spice powder then you need to add the other ingredients
​

For the Pizza:
1 pizza dough recipe  split into 2 halves
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
cooked tandoori chicken
1 can of tomato sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
chipotle mayo or chutney for garnish
handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish

Method:​

1. Place pizza stone in a cool oven and preheat the stone and oven together to the highest setting (mine goes to 475°F.
2. Roll out the dough and place on a pizza peel or surface lightly dusted with semolina or corn meal.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce, top with chicken, red onion, bell pepper, and cheese.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then remove from the heat and top with chipotle mayo and cilantro.

The first time I made this chicken I used Sriracha which made it so spicy I couldn't eat it so be sure you use the correct amount of sauce depending on how spicy you want the dish to be.  These little bite sized pieces of fried chicken coated in a chili garlic sauce are really delicious as is or served over some rice.  

Marinate, then fry the pieces of chicken breast.

Coat the fried chicken with chili garlic sauce.

Ingredients:
Chicken
3 boneless chicken fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
oil for deep frying

Sauce
in a skillet heat oil, add
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (sonf)
1/2 cup of the white part of green onions
1 tbsp crushed garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili garlic flavored sauce (or only 1 tbsp if it's something spicy like sriracha mixed in with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce)
1/2 tsp crushed red chilies
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
sesame seeds, for garnish

Method: 

1. Mix the chicken with the marinade ingredients  (egg, corn flour, black pepper, and salt) and set aside for 30 mins, then deep fry on medium heat until golden and cooked through.  Strain and set aside.
2. In a skillet heat oil, add the fennel seeds, the white part of green onions and crushed garlic saute for about a minute and then add the ketchup, chili garlic sauce cook until color changes (3-4 minutes).
3. Add the crushed red chilies, salt, black pepper, soy sauce and vinegar add a little water if the sauce is thick.
4. Stir in chicken and the green part of green onion.

Garnish with sesame seeds

This is a rich flavorful Moroccan soup made with chicken, lamb, lentils, and a number of fresh herbs and spices.  This is commonly eaten in Ramadan and is also called Ramadan Soup.  It's nice and hearty and is great for the weather that we are getting these days.  You can actually make this soup vegetarian as well by omitting the meat all together and it's still very flavorful.

Ingredients:
2 large onions
1 cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks with leaves, sliced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 inch piece of cassia or one cinnamon stick broken into long shards
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp ghee or clarified butter or s'men
1 lb shoulder lamb chops, halved (optional)
6 chicken wings, halved (optional)
1/2 cup dried red lentils
1 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt, or to taste
750 ml tomato puree or canned plum tomatoes, blended
8 tbsp or 50g fideua (fine soup noodles or broken vermicelli)
2 pinches saffron
​1 tsp sea salt

Method:

1. Using a large casserole, saute the onions, parsley, celery, pepper, cassia (or cinnamon) and turmeric in ghee for 5 minutes.
2. Add the lamb and chicken and continue sauteing for 20 minutes.
   
3. Wash and drain the lentils and pound the coriander and salt into a paste add these to the pan.  
4. Cook for 15 minutes then pour in 1.5 liters or 7 cups of boiling water.
5. Cook covered until the lentils are soft and the meat is tender then add the noodles.
6. Grind the saffron with the sea salt to a powder and sprinkle in cooking an additional 15 minutes.
7. Serve garnished with extra coriander, lemon halves to squeeze over it and optionally with dates.

This recipe is from the book A taste of Morocco by Clare Ferguson

These showed up on my Instagram quite some time ago but I wanted to try the recipe a few times with different types of pesto before posting it.  In the end it came down to using a high quality basil pesto either home made or the good kind from the grocery store and it makes all the difference in the flavor of these little meatballs.  This recipe is definitely a crowd-pleaser.  

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 cup bbread crumbs
1 large egg
1/3 cup basil pesto, plus 2 tbsp
2.5oz (65gr) bocconcini cheese balls 
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano

​Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix together the chicken, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp pesto until well combined.
3. Make a small meatball and flatten it and put a cheese ball in the middle of it. With slightly dampened hand, roll the meatballs between your palms, making sure that the cheese is fully covered.
   
4. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through
5. Coat the cooked meatballs with remaining 1/3 cup pesto, sprinkle some grated Parmigiano Reggiano and serve warm.

Summertime means BBQ, I've been quite lazy and didn't take many photos of all the glorious BBQ's at the various Cokar households.  This photo quality isn't the greatest but I think you will get the point.  They're chicken breast, bell pepper, and onion skewers.

I prefer to grill on a charcoal grill because of the flavor that the coals impart on the food- however I find gauging the temperature of the flame somewhat difficult so it's a good idea to get yourself a decent meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is cooked properly. 

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
Tandoori powder
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 inch piece of ginger root, crushed
2 tbsp oil
1 green bell pepper, cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, cubed
2 onions, cubed

Method: 

1.  Marinate chicken in the tandoori powder, lemon juice, oil, ginger and garlic and let sit in marinade for at least 1/2 hour.
2. String the chicken, pepper, and onions onto skewers alternating between the three.
3. Heat the frill to medium high and grill- turning occasionally until cooked through and no longer pink in the center (approx 10 minutes)

This version of Brocolli Chicken Alfredo is 'healthier' than usual because I decided to use whole wheat pasta and the broccoli is good for you....right?  I'm actually not sure if pasta is ever healthy but at least this recipe isn't loaded with cheese and grease.  

Boil the pasta al Dante and steam the broccoli.

Prepare the chicken, season with red chili flakes, salt, fresh ground black pepper, white pepper and garlic.

​Make the Alfredo sauce.

Put all the ingredients into a large pot, pour the sauce over it and mix.

Ingredients:

8 ounces rotini pasta
generous amount of salt (for the boiling pasta water)
1 small head of broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
Salt
1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes 

For the sauce:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to the package directions.
2. Within the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add broccoli and drain well.
3. Season chicken breasts with salt and all three peppers.  Heat oil in a skillet to medium high and add chicken cook until cooked through and golden brown on the outside.  Remove chicken from the skillet.  
4. Melt butter in same emptied skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned (approx 1 minute). Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook whisking constantly until it thickens (1-2 mins). 
5. Stir in Parmesan until well combined, stir in pasta, broccoli and chicken.
   
   Serve immediately

Most East Indian chicken recipes contain onions, this one is a little different since it doesn't have any onions in the ingredients and it packs in a bunch of flavor with the fennel (sonf) and caraway (ajwain) seeds.   This curry tastes amazing with fresh parathas.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken, with bones (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt, to taste
2 tbsp garlic and ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp crushed green chilies
250 gm yogurt
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
1.2 tsp crushed cumin seeds
1/2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp crushed ajwain (caraway seeds)
1/2 tsp crushed sonf (fennel seeds)
fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)

Method:

1. Heat oil, add chicken and fry for 5-10 minutes until it changes color and starts to turn slightly brown.
2. Add garlic and ginger, stir for a minute.
3. Add half of the green chilies and yogurt, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the remainder of the spices (black pepper, methi, ajwain, and sonf) along with the tomatoes cook on high flame stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes.
5. When the chicken is cooked, add the remaining green chillies and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

This recipe is always a hit and I having the jalfrezi with white rice.  Many people make jalfrezi with green, yellow, and red bell peppers but I personally like the flavor of red bell peppers the most so I used just those. 

Remove the white bits as well as the seeds from the bell peppers and cube them along with the onions.

Stir fry the veggies in some oil until the just begin to soften, then set aside.

Blend the tomatoes.

Cook the chicken with the spices.

Add the tomatoes and cook until they change color.

Stir in the veggies before serving

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp oil
1/2 kg boneless chicken, cubed
2 onions, cubed
1-2 bell peppers, cubed
4-5 tomatoes, blended in 1/2 cup of water
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece ginger, grated
2-3 green chilies
salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
2 tbsp dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
1 tsp garam masala
fresh coriander, chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Heat wok or pan and add 1/2 tsp oil and stir fry the onions and capsicum for a minute or two-do not let them start to become limp. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels, set aside for later.
2. Blend the tomatoes with 1/2 cup of water and set aside.
3. To the hot pan, add the remainder of the oil and fry the ginger and garlic until it's a light golden color.
4. Add chicken and fry on high heat until the chicken develops a slightly golden color.
5. Add the blended tomatoes, and fry for a minute or two then add the salt, haldi, red chilli powder, green chilies, and dhaniya powder.
6. Lower the heat and simmer until tomatoes lose their color and the oil separates from the gravy.
7. Sprinkle with garam masala, turn off the heat and mix in the capsicum and the onions, garnish with choopped coriander.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Method:

1.  Mix the marinade ingredients (yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper) together in a medium sized bowl.
   
2. Marinate the chicken, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours to overnight.
   
3. Heat your grill to high and grill the chicken breasts over direct high heat a couple of minutes on one side. Then turn them over and cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Be sure not to overcook.

This recipe is from the Simply Recipes blog 

This delicious version of a Shepard's pie was given to me by an old friend.  The recipe is packed full of really amazing flavors and, tastes really good served with gravy.  If you don't want to serve this pie with gravy though be sure to make the chicken a little less dry than I did here by adding a bit of water to it whilst cooking.  

The first step is to prepare the marinated chicken chicken, as well as the mashed potatoes.

I then cooked down the veggies a little bit until they softened slightly.

Then it's time to layer up, starting with a thin layer of the mashed potatoes on the bottom followed by a mixture of the chicken and veggies.  This can all be topped off with the remainder of the mashed potatoes and a layer of mozzarella, or your favorite cheese mixture before baking in an oven until the cheese turns a beautiful golden color on top.  

Ingredients:
oil, for cooking the chicken and veggies in
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or any other cheese that you prefer)

Chicken:
2 whole chicken breasts, 1 inch cubed
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice from half a lemon
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp Nando's hot chili sauce
​1 tbsp tandoori masala

Veggies:
1 small can of sweet corn
2 red onions
1 red bell pepper

Potatoes:
approx 11/2  cups of prepared mashed potato mix, prepared according to package directions
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken in all the  ingredients listed under the chicken section for at least an hour.
2. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the package directions, stir in an additional tbsp of butter and 1/2 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Heat a skillet to medium high add 2 tbsp oil.  Once heated, add the chicken and cook stirring constantly until the chicken is cooked through (approx 8-10 minutes).  Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same heated skillet add 1 tbsp oil and then add the veggies.  Cook stirring frequently for about 2 minutes until the peppers and onions start to soften slightly, do not over cook.  Remove from heat and mix together with the cooked chicken.
5. Preheat oven to 350°C, add a thin layer of mashed potatoes to the bottom of a casserole dish.   Add the chicken and veggie mixture on top of the potato base.  Top  with the remainder of the potatoes.  Spread cheese over the top.
6. Cover the dish with tinfoil before baking for 20-25 minutes, covered. 
7. Set the oven to broil on high, remove the tinfoil to uncover the dish, and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden.  Keep an eye on the dis at this point because the cheese can burn easily.
   
   

Remove from heat and serve with gravy or more of the Nando's sauce.

The picture looks a bit sloppy but these chicken meatballs tasted so good I had to share.  I find that it's so important to mix the sauce in with the spaghetti in order for them to drink up some of the flavor as opposed to putting a pot of pasta at the table with another pot of sauce to pour over the top of it.  

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken 
​1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp oil, for frying

For the Pasta/Sauce:
1/2 packet of spaghetti, boiled in salted water (al dante)
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 of a red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup regular tomato sauce
​1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
dried parsley, for garnish

Method:

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs (don't mix in the oil) and form them into small meatballs.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan to medium-high and add the oil.  Drop in the meatballs one at a time and cook, turning occasionally,  until they're cooked through (about 10-12 minutes).  Remove from heat.
3. In a separate pot, add a little bit of oil, heat to medium high.  Add in the crushed garlic, and diced onions/bell peppers.  Let the ingredients turn translucent and  sweat a bit (don't let them turn golden).
4. Add in the sauce, dried herbs, and the meatballs.  Cook for 5 minutes and then mix in the spaghetti and serve hot, garnish with parsley.

I think I was so hungry I actually forgot to take a picture of the finished dish here.  This is a chicken kadhai dish which has a blend of some spices and loads of tomatoes.  This recipe is a bit different from the usual since there are no onions in it as is the norm with most desi curries.  There are only a few simple ingredients in this recipe.  

Heat some oil and add the ginger garlic paste along with the crushed coriander and cumin.

Next, add the chicken, some of the coriander and the green chilies.

Add the tomatoes and the remaining spices before covering and cooking until the chicken is cooked through.

Ingredients:
500 gm chicken (small pieces, bone in)
1/4 cup oil
2tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1tsp crushed dry coriander
1 tsp crushed cumin
4-5 green chilies
1 bunch fresh green coriander, chopped
3 tomatoes, roughly ground
1 tbsp crushed red chili
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste 
2 tbsp ginger finely sliced (for garnish)

Method:

1. Heat the oil and add the garlic and ginger paste, stir fry for few seconds before adding the crushed coriander and cumin, mix well.
2. Add the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes or until it lightly browns on the outside.
3. Add the green chilies and half of the bunch of coriander and mix it well.
4. Add roughly groundd tomatoes, salt, crushed red chili and turmeric. Cook covered with lid until the chicken is done and the oil separates from the curry.
   ​

Garnish with sliced ginger, green chilies, and fresh coriander.  Serve hot with chappati or naan.

Tip: If you're using canned tomatoes they may be dry compared to fresh tomatoes so be sure to add a little bit of water if needed.

Caution!  This is probably extremely unhealthy but it's also delicious so I had to share.  A little bit of anything is ok to have in moderation though...right?  At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.  This baked mac and cheese is full of chicken, white sauce, and plenty of ooey gooey cheese.  There are a couple of veggies in here as well like spinach, bell peppers, and tomatoes which hopefully help balance the unhealthy factor out ever so slightly. 

Ingredients:

White Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp white flour
1  cup milk
pinch of salt

Chicken/Pasta:
1-2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic. crushed
2 chicken breast halves, 1 inch cubed
1/2 bunch spinach, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 cups macaroni, boiled al dente and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano

Method:
For the sauce:

1. Heat the butter along with the flour in a pot while stirring constantly until the flour starts to turn light golden in color.
   
2. Add milk and a pinch of salt, stir until the milk comes to a boil and then lower the heat.  Cook until it thickens slightly.
3. Set the sauce aside.

Chicken/Pasta:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil add the garlic and stir for a few seconds before adding the chicken.   Stir and cook until the chicken turns golden in color and is cooked through.
3. Add the  spinach, bell peppers, and onion and cook until the spinach begins to wilt- only 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes along with the chili flakes, white and black pepper.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the boiled macaroni, white sauce, and cheese.
6. Sprinkle the top with some dried oregano.
7. Place the skillet in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top turns a nice golden brown color.
8. When removing from the oven let the dish rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Stuffed chicken breasts come in many forms.  You can basically stuff anything inside chicken because it works so well with a number of different ingredients.  In this recipe, I used spinach, mozzarella, onions, and garlic. The stuffing is first cooked and then stuffed into flattened pieces of chicken breast.  You should only cook chicken breasts until they have changed color and lost their pinkness, this helps keep the meat tender and juicy.  Overcooking chicken breast will make the meat tough and dry.     

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts, flattened with a meat pounder
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bunch of spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt, to taste
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
red chili flakes, 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat the oil to medium high and add the garlic and onions.  Saute until the onions become translucent. 
2. Add the spinach, black pepper, salt, chili flakes and stir.  Cook until the spinach starts to wilt then remove from the heat.
3. Let the spinach mixture cool, then lay a piece of flattened chicken breast out and add half of the mixture to it.  Top with half the cheese and fold over.  Hold the chicken closed with toothpicks if desired.
4. Repeat stuffing and folding the chicken with the other breast.
5. Heat a skillet with a little bit of olive oil to medium heat and add the chicken breasts to the pan.  Cook on one side for about 5 minutes before flipping over and cooking on the other side for 5 minutes or until cooked through. 

This chicken is super moist on the inside with a nice and crisp skin on the outside.  The slow cooking over indirect heat really helps all the flavors sink into the meat so there's no need for marination time.  

Ingredients: 

1 whole chicken, skin on (organic chicken recommended)

In the can:
1/2 can of iced tea
1 tsp rosemary 
1 green chili, chopped

Chicken: 
1/2 of a lemon
2-3 tbsp oil 
salt, to taste
1 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder

Method:

1. Empty half the can of iced tea and add rosemary and the green chilies to it.
2. Cut 1/2 of a lemon and stuff it in the neck to block the steam inside the chicken.
   
3. Make a paste with the remaining ingredients and rub over the chicken on the inside and the outside.
4. Skewer the chicken onto a beer can chicken skewer.
5. Turn one burner of the BBQ on full heat and cook it over the part without the flame covered for 1.5 hours.
6. Rotate the chicken a bit every 20 minutes.
   

Tarragon and chicken goes really nicely together. This is a super simple and delicious way to make chicken for dinner or for using in a salad. I got this recipe from myrecipes.com, with cracked black pepper as the only addition to the recipe. 

Methi (fenugreek) is an aromatic herb which is sometimes used in desi cooking to give the dish a distinct fragrance and flavor.  I chose to use white chicken breast in this curry but feel free to use bone-in chicken to up the flavor.  The curry is thick and rich, which makes it great for scooping up with naan or chapati.   

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp oil
2 large chicken breasts
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large tomatos, diced
1 tsp red chili powder
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric)
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
2 tsp dhania (coriander) powder

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil to medium high heat and add the chicken.  Stir constantly until it evenly lightly browns and then remove from heat and set aside.
2. To the saucepan add the remaining oil along with the ginger and garlic and stir fry for a second before adding the onions.
3. Cook the onions until they are light golden brown and add the tomatoes, as well as the red chili powder, salt, turmeric, and cumin powder.  
4. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes lose their color and the oil separates from the curry.
5. Add the chicken and coriander powder, reduce heat to medium-low, cover  and cook until the chicken is cooked through (bone in chicken takes longer to cook that chicken breast- do not overcook the chicken breast as it will become tough and chewy).

Serve with fresh naan/chapatis or rice.

This recipe turns out a super moist-on-the-inside, and crispy skinned roast chicken.  The trick to get the flavor into the chicken is to marinate it for a long period of time.  Covering the chicken while baking it for the first hour helps lock the moisture in because the chicken cooks in its own steam and then uncovering to cook it an additional 15 minutes at the end crisps the skin up.

Ingredients:
2 lemons, quartered
1 onion thickly sliced

Marinade:
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs of thyme
black pepper, as needed
salt, as needed
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients and rub on both the inside and outside of the chicken, stuff some lemon into the chicken as well as leaving a few pieces on the outside.  
   
2. Tie the legs together with string.
   
3. Marinate breast side down for a few hours or overnight.  
   
4. In on oven proof dish, lay out a bed of thickly sliced onions and then turn the chicken breast side up and lay it over the onions.
   
5. Preheat oven and bake at 400 degrees, covered for 1 hour in the middle rack of the oven.
   
6. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes.
   

 

This recipe worked out pretty great.  I got it from Canadian Living and I'm a big fan of their recipes.  I used a little less chicken than what's indicated in the recipe below because I didn't need to make such a large amount.  That's why the end result had a little more sauce in it than if you follow the recipe directly.  The dish was full of flavor and it refrigerates and re-heats really well.    

The ingredients are fairly simple.

Have everything chopped, sliced, minced, and ready to go before you start cooking.

Brown the chicken then transfer to a plate to drain the fat.

Fry the onions, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, oregano, cumin, coriander and salt.

Add the chicken, stock, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon slices.  Reduce heat and cover then let simmer for 15 minutes.

This goes great with rice or a salad.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs chicken pieces, skinned (I used boneless but bone-in chicken works great)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp each pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin & coriander
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup pitted olives (green or black)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tbsp dried)

Method:

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate; pour off fat in pan.
2. Add remaining oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, oregano, cumin, coriander and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. 
3. Return chicken to pan. Add stock, lemon juice and sugar; place lemon slices over chicken.
4.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer, occasionally spooning sauce over chicken, for 15 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and olives; cook, uncovered, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, 5 to 10 minutes. 
6. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley.
   

Makes 6 servings