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The struggle to cook good food despite a busy schedule is never-ending, especially for ordinary folks who don’t have help. There really is not enough time to do your daily tasks at home or at work, and still be able to take care of what to eat.
Fortunately, there are now many dishes for busy people that don’t take too long to complete.
Here are some of those quick and easy chicken recipes
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Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing
If you’re keeping an eye on your weight or just want something healthy, this salad integrates skinless chicken breasts, which are the healthier cuts, and the somewhat infamous avocado to make a low-calorie dish. Of course, it takes no time to whip up.
To make the tasty dressing, process the avocado and other ingredients (garlic, red onion, cilantro, olive oil low-fat yogurt, lime juice, low-fat milk, onion or garlic powder, salt, and black pepper) until smooth, while use a spice rub of smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, flour, and black pepper on the chicken before cooking on the skillet.
Don’t forget to add in the rest of the vegetables—red onion, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, and lettuce.
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Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken
Sure, food deliveries are faster compared to cooking your own food at home, but the beauty of preparing food is you know the quality of the ingredients you’re using because you picked them up yourself. Instead of calling for Chinese food take-out, go for an easy-to-cook Honey Sesame Chicken!
This take-out favorite can be made quick and healthier at home by baking the chicken strips instead of frying. No one likes to use a ton of oil, so coat the chicken with flour and bake it at 20°C instead.
Related:
Use chunky strips from thighs rather than small pieces of breast, so it can be broiled or grilled long enough for it to be crisp without getting smaller.
The sweet sauce is made with Chinese cooking or sherry wine, chicken broth or stock, rice wine, black or ordinary white vinegar, all-purpose soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Don’t forget to sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions!
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Walnut-Chicken Salad
Chicken is the best complement to a salad. Give the classic walnut salad a twist by not only garnishing your finish product with chunks of this nut but also by using it as a breading for the chicken breast. And because this cut cooks faster, making this salad won’t take too much from your limited time.
Start by brushing buttermilk on halves of chicken breasts and dredging it on a mixture of breadcrumbs, walnuts, and salt. These will then be pan-fried for 3 minutes on each side on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Once cooled, cut the chicken crosswise into thin slices.
Prepare the bed of greens where the chicken will be placed by mixing salad greens, spinach, and cheese. Add halved cherry tomatoes and walnuts on top and drizzle the buttermilk-honey dressing (made by combining honey, buttermilk, chives, lemon juice, and pepper).
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Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
During damp days, you’d want to come home to the warmth of good food, and a chicken noodle soup will do the trick. This Asian-inspired soup, a favorite of photographer Ralph Wunsch, takes no time, so you still have some to sit down and relax as you dry yourself down.
Start by sautéing garlic, ginger, and lemongrass for 3 minutes, then adding water and chicken broth to boil. Once boiling, you can already add the chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) and angel hair pasta and cook for at least 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, green onions, red chili pepper, and salt. After 5 more minutes, remove the lemongrass and enjoy. If you want, you can add in more vegetables like mushrooms, peas, or carrots.
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Chicken Fajitas
The last, no-fuss chicken dish that you can create quickly is the classic Tex-Mex food Chicken Fajitas. This one is a lot easier because rotisserie chicken and a ready-made flour tortilla, salsa, and guacamole can be used instead of doing it yourself, which, admittedly, takes too long. Just don’t forget to pick them up before going home!
With those taken care of, start slicing and cooking the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the onion, bell peppers (red, yellow, and/or orange), and salt on it for 3 minutes. Add in garlic, cumin, and chili powder, and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Turn off the heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.
Make a dressing out of olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, and salt, then drizzle over chicken. Aside from the salsa and guacamole toppings, you can also build your fajita with sour cream, green onion, rice, and beans.
Make any of these five dishes the next time you find yourself pressed for time to cook dinner for yourself or the family.
Author: Meghan Roces
Meghan Roces is considered a social butterfly due to her overwhelming energy and charisma, as proven by people who get to meet her. She also loves traveling and has been to a few amazing places around the world. However, one can only have such energy, and sometimes, Meghan would opt to lie low and have an alone time—curled up in bed with a really good book.
- References:
http://www.myrecipes.com/
