Tag: family dinner

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Sometimes you need nothing more than a soothing plate of chicken alfredo pasta to turn a day around. Luckily, this recipe for creamy chicken pasta from RecipeTin Eats is the perfect way to ensure that you’re focused on “eating good” while not spending forever in the kitchen.

While there are many recipes for chicken pasta available to choose from, this one simply takes the lead due to its essentialness in not only the number of ingredients but also its economic use of time. The following recipe benefits from multitasking, so you will want to ensure that you’re cooking your chicken while the pasta water boils and similarly making the sauce while your pasta cooks. If timed correctly, this meal can be on the table in less than half an hour.

Ingredients:

10 oz. of fettuccine noodles

2 tablespoons of butter, seperated

2 chicken breasts, horizontally cut in half

4 oz. of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¾ cup of parmesan cheese, finely shredded

2.5 oz. of baby spinach

3 oz. of sun-dried tomato strips (about 4)

½ cup of dry white wine

½ cup of low sodium chicken broth

1 ¼ cup of heavy cream

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

2 oz. of parsley, for garnish

Directions:

  1. You’ll want to begin this recipe by boiling a pot of water for your fettuccine. Using approximately 4 quarts of water for every 1 pound of pasta you have, place the water into a heavy pot on the stove burner. Partially cover the pot, add a sprinkle of salt to the water, and bring the water to a boil.
  2. Once it begins to boil, remove the pot lid from the pot, and then add your 10 ounces of fettuccine to the pot after the water has come to a boil. Boil your noodles until they are al dente, and then remove them from the pot, setting them aside. Remember to scoop out a mugful of pasta cooking water for later.
  3. Take your two chicken breasts, and cut them each in half horizontally. Sprinkle both sides of all four pieces with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, melt half of your butter in a large skillet on your stove burner. Melt it over high heat. After the butter is melted, add your seasoned chicken halves to the skillet and cook them for 2 minutes on each side until they are a deep golden color. Afterward, remove your chicken from the skillet, place it onto a plate, and shred it with two forks.
  4. In preparing your alfredo sauce, turn down the heat to about medium-high, and cook the remaining garlic and butter in the same skillet that you used for the chicken. Cook these minced garlic cloves for only about 30 seconds and then add the dry white wine to the pot.
  5. Rapidly simmer the butter, garlic, and wine. Stir the contents and ensure to scrape up the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Once the contents are mostly evaporated, add in your chicken broth, cream, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer this on medium heat for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring leisurely until it all thickens and is reduced.
  6. You truly bring this recipe together by tossing the ingredients together. Add your 2 ½ ounces of baby spinach to the skillet alongside your cooked chicken and pasta. Toss this in the skillet for 1 ½-2 minutes on the stove until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta strands entirely. If the alfredo sauce begins to get too thick, you can thin it up with the pasta cooking water you reserved earlier.
  7. Using tongs, plate your chicken fettuccine alfredo into separate bowls or plates and sprinkle a garnish of crumbled bacon pieces and parsley. Enjoy!

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Spicy Stir Fry Udon Recipe

Hearty and healthy, a good stir fry dish can be just the thing to impress your dinner guests for a quick and memorable meal, and thanks to this recipe from Pinch of Yum, you’ll be perfectly situated to do just that.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. You’ll begin the sauce portion of this recipe by combining all of the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar) into a small bowl or mason jar. Stir softly with a spoon to ensure that the ingredients are well-combined.
  2. For the noodles, you’ll want to place a small “swish” of oil in a nonstick skillet pan, and heat it over medium-high heat. After it’s heated, you can add in your noodles and enough of your combined sauce to coat them. Stir-fry the noodles until they are of the consistency, texture, and look that you prefer. Be aware that these udon noodles will get a bit caramelized if you leave them undisturbed in the pan for a minute or two, so make this happen to your heart’s content.
  3. For your vegetable medley, add either your bag of stir fry vegetables or your freshly-chopped vegetable pieces into the skillet with your udon noodles. Pour a small amount of your sauce over everything and try to keep some in the bowl for later if possible. If you’re able to keep some sauce, you can place it in the refrigerator for a second batch that you’ll stir fry at a later time. With tongs, toss around your noodles and vegetables for approximately 2-3 minutes until your vegetables are fork-tender and everything is properly browned, sticky, and pan-fried to perfection.
  4. After you complete the above steps, you can remove the skillet from the heat and freshly grate your garlic. Stir in the garlic and then add in the freshly-ground clack pepper. The recipe calls for a “ton” of black pepper, as the name of the recipe is “Black Pepper Stir Fried Udon,” after all. The author advises you to remove a portion of the noodles and vegetables from the skillet prior to adding a bulk of your pepper for anyone not partial to spice.
  5. Serve the recipe & enjoy!

Notes

  • If you have a supply of extra udon noodles after cooking the above recipe and/or you’d like to cook this recipe more than once, you can simply create some more sauce and save it in the refrigerator for later.
  • Because of the black sugar that you’ve added into the stir fry sauce, it’ll be likely to burn in the skillet if you leave your noodles standing undisturbed in the pan for too long. You don’t want to burn your caramelizing noodles, so keep a watchful eye during the caramelization process.
  • If you’re unable to find dark soy sauce, you can substitute regular soy sauce in its place. Though, attempt to find darkened soy sauce if possible, as it’s more concentrated and flavorful.
  • It’s always a good idea to add in your favorite protein to this dish. This recipe, which is known as “yaki udon,”originating from the Japanese tradition, is known for the addition of some type of meat. So cook some beef, chicken, or shrimp, and have at it.
  • When selecting your udon noodles, be aware that refrigerated or fresh udon is as fine a selection as pre-packaged, shelf-stable udon noodles.

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