Tuesday 31 January 2017

CAREGIVER'S FRIEND: Menu and Recipes

I love food and I love to cook. When caregiving at home gets crazy busy though, my favorite recipes are just too time consuming to prepare. That's when I go to my 'under 5 minutes preparation time but delicious' collection.

Here's a sample menu that's very quick to make and so delicious that even the pickiest eaters in your family will love it.

CHICKEN A LA DA SUN



4 Boneless Chicken Breasts or 2 double sided breasts -  cut up into biggish pieces - OR works great with tofu if you are vegetarian
2 onions (peeled and chopped into 1/4s or 1/8s)
1 purple onion (peeled, cut up) *if you have it, if not, forget it and throw in an extra reg. onion
1/2 package of soft, unripened goat cheese, broken up (if very soft, pop it into the freezer for a few minutes and then break it up)
Sweet chili-garlic sauce (approx 1/2 bottle)
Cilantro for decoration and flavor, if you like it.

1. Drizzle a bit of sweet chili sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken, onions and rest of chili sauce.
2. Crumble goat cheese over top
3. Bake at 350 degrees for approx 40 min. Garnish with fresh cilantro

Service with Rice (I find the Uncle Ben's microwave instant rice-in-a-bag is the handiest) and a green salad.

OR if you don't like the sounds of that recipe, try this one:

ZESTY CHICKEN OREGANO

2 1/2 - 3 pound chicken cut up or same amount in breasts or thighs
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
Lemon slices to garnish

Place chicken pieces in an oblong baking pan. Mix remaining ingredients except lemon slices; pour over chicken. Cook uncovered in 375 oven, spooning mixture over chicken occasionally, 30 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 30 min more or until chicken is cooked through in thickest parts. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

Serve with couscous (who doesn't love to boil water, add couscous and 3 minutes later, it's ready?!)
And a green salad - I like arugula mixed with dried cranberries and maybe some salted shelled sunflower seeds. But any old salad will do!)

And for dessert:

APPLE TORTE

1 egg
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup or so of sliced apples (about 2)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup flour
pinch salt

In a bowl, mix egg with a fork together with sugar. Add all other ingredients and pour into a greased, small pie pan (about 6"). Bake at 350 till golden brown.
*Double recipe for larger, regular size pan.

OR

QUICK BROWNIES



1/2 cup butter melted in microwave
Add
2 heaping dessert spoons of cocoa powder
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
and some chopped nuts if you like.

Mix before and after adding flour. BAKE 350 for about 1/2 hour in greased 8" pan.

Enjoy!

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