Foodie Friday : CHICKEN RECIPES – The Best of

Award-winning TV chef, Lidia Bastianich, says that “chicken” is the most searched for food term. There is no reason to think that fact needs to be checked out. Lots of people love chicken! Fried, stewed, baked, barbecued, grilled! There has got to be a million plus ways to prepare this delightful bird and make it taste like it's the first time you've ever eaten it! Agree?

 



What's your favorite part of the chicken? (Breasts or dark meat?)

• I like chicken thighs.

Do you also like chicken livers, gizzards, and hearts?

• If you tenderize them you can cook them in a stew with carrots, potatoes and green cabbage. It's a poor man's meal but very filling.

Do you have favorite way you like to eat chicken?

 
When people say “best of”, it's almost always purely subjective. However, for several years I have been collecting what, in my opinion is the “best” chicken recipes from wherever they can be found and as of today my Pinterest board boasts close to 600 recipes.

Here is a quick list of just a few of the best chicken dishes ever.

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Yeah mon!! :)

16-Spice Fried Chicken with Mango–Red Chile Honey

Mango makes everything taste good!

 

Easy Greek Marinated Chicken

Greek Chicken with Garlic and Feta

Grilled Thai Spice Chicken Sliders

Who doesn't like Greek or Thai food? (O.o) (???)

 

Honey Jalapeno Chicken Tenders

Finger food in its finest hour!

 

Best Ever Roast Chicken

* soy sauce, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, olive oil.

Just listing the seasonings makes my mouth water.

 

Chicken Rice Casserole Sunday Supper

The mighty one pot dish!

 

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

* use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Said the magic word. Easy!!

 

Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

Best Chicken Detox Soup

Don't resist chicken soup! It's good for the soul! :)

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More #FoodieFriday Posts Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?  Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips  Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)  Happy Holidays! Who Wants Egg Nog?  YACR ( Yet Another Chili Recipe )  Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables  Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!  Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle  YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Foodie Friday: My Favorite Party Dip!

Do you ever go to parties or other social gatherings where they serve finger foods, hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, tapas, dim sum, etc. At almost every one of these occassions you'll find bowl of dip surrounded by some potato chips or crackers for you to dip with. The most popular dip is onion dip which is very easy to make. Take a packet of Lipton onion gravy and mix it into a cup of sour cream. Tasty but after a while … BORING!!

One upon a time, a friend decided to bring in smoked salmon dip to an office party. My life was changed forever! Seriously! I don't even like salmon. But I loved that dip!!

Found a great recipe at an awesome food blog.

Smoked Salmon Dip | Once Upon a Chef

On the off chance that you're not convinced that it's the best dip in the world, here are a few more dip recipes you might want to try.  There are plenty recipes to choose from.  There's got to be at least one that will make your faves list.

Dips and Spreads Recipes | Allrecipes  

The Best Delicious and Easy Dip Recipes Everyone Will Love! 

15 Easy Dip Recipes | A Couple Cooks  

25 of The Best Savory Dip Recipes for Sharing - Scrambled Chefs  

30 Easy Dip Recipes for Your Next Party - Insanely Good  

55 Best #Party Dip #Recipes So Good You'll Want to Turn Them into a Meal | PureWow  

70 Best Party Dip Recipes - Easy Super Bowl Dip Recipes  
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Foodie Nuggets: African Food: What is African Salad?

The fun about being in social communities is that people often like to share what they eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and appetizers.  Sometimes they call food by a certain name, and you think you've never heard of it.  Then you realize you do know that food, but where you live, it has a different name.  A friend said they were eating African Salad for lunch.  I like the photo, so I immediately Googled to get the recipe.  It was super easy to find.

AfricanSalad (Nigerian Abacha) | How to Make Igbo Foods | All Nigerian Foods

“The fresh Abacha (African salad is a by-product of cassava). There are a lot of processes involved with obtaining the fresh abacha that is used in preparing the African salad ...”

AfricanSalad: Health Benefits of Abacha food (Abacha and Pregnancy) -Nigerian Health Blog

• Abacha has numerous #health benefits. It's not good for weight loss but it is good for pregnant women.

African Salad (Tapioca or Abacha) | NnendiFoods

• “A staple food now in many parts of Nigeria, tapioca is used as a thickening agent in various foods. Tapioca is one of the purest forms of starch food. The Igbos call Tapioca in their native language, 'Abacha'.”

Interested in more Igbo Foods?

Top 5 food in Igbo culture dishes

1. Nkwobi.
2. Igbo Bitter Leaf Soup. ...
3. Fufu and Uha Soup. ...
4. Jollof Rice with Chicken. Jollof Rice is one of the most popular nourishments not only for Igbo people but whole West Africa. ...
5. Yam served with Fish Pepper Soup. It can be called as Yam soup or Ji in the Igbo language. ...

The Mystery of the Perfect Condiments for Veggie Burgers

For several years we've been adjusting, changing, modifying our diet. "We" meaning my significant other and me. Had you asked me 40 years ago about “veggie burgers”, I probably would have tried to pretend not to hear the question or act like you're weren't talking to me. 

However, beginning in 2015, this is my reality check.

Veggie burgers are a real part of our nutrition plan.

Learned something about myself. Veggie burgers taste pretty good to me! Not all of them. But there is one particular brand that is inexpensive and tasty: Morningstar Farms® Garden Veggie Patties™. They have a variety of flavors: Asian, Spicy Black Bean, Mushroom, Grillers, etc. You eat them just like a regular hamburger.

(This is not affiliate advertisement.  I just like the brand.)

Made an amazing discovery. It sort of makes me feel silly because of its obviousness.

The Garden Veggie Pattie is the one that tastes the best in my opinion.  You don't have to dress it up with condiments. You don't even need to put it on a bun.

But the other ones – the mushroom, the Asian-style, the spicy bean, the chik'n or turkey grillers, etc. - are not so flavorful.  So I avoid them.

One of my daughters fixed a spicy bean burger for lunch but didn't finish the sandwich. She asked me if I wanted her leftovers; otherwise, she'd have to throw it away.

Waste food?!! Not in my house!!

So I ate what was left of her sandwich and … and … It tasted great!

Do you know why?

She put mustard and ketchup on her burger.

Duh! (O.o) That's what was missing from those veggie burgers??

The two most common under-appreciated condiments that are in homes and restaurants gave the veggie burger what it was missing. Flavor!

Why didn't I think of that??!  :)

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Marshman, Victoria. "The History of Mustard." The Nibble. Lifestyle Direct, Inc., July 2009. Web. 15 Apr 2017. © Copyright 2005-2017

Wiggins, Jasmine. "How Was Ketchup Invented?" National Geographic: About The Plate. National Geographic Society., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 05 May 2015.

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Content also appears at Persona Paper.

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Do You Have a Favorite Condiment for Your Food? ~ Whenever I ask this question I get a wide range of responses that went way beyond mustard and ketchup. People started throwing out: salsa, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, different kinds of mustards, chutney, mint sauce, red currant jelly, pickles and paprika, garlic and chives, Chimichurri, fish sauce and shrimp paste, Thai chili, black vinegar and peri-peri.  Talk about food diversity!

Care To Share Your Eggplant (Aubergine) Recipe?

Do you love to watch cooking shows on television?  One of my favorite TV chefs is Nigella Lawson (nigella.com). She taught me what an aubergine was. Aubergine?? Oh! You mean eggplant!! :)

On the hunt for eggplant recipes.

Sharing a few recipes via this foodie blog. But ....

I want more eggplant recipes! More! More!!

Why?

The food experts say that for 2017 and beyond, “purple is the new green” and everybody is supposed to be eating more purple veggies. Sure! Eggplants are not the only purple plants out there. But it's a good purple food to start with! Agree?  :)

One quick question:

• Do you eat eggplant cooked or raw?

I enjoy listening to the music of smooth jazz vocalist Michael Franks. One of his songs that we really like is called “Eggplant”.

When my baby cooks her eggplant.

She don't read no book!

Yeah OK. He's not really singing about eggplant. But the lyrics are inspiring and might make you want to cook eggplant, even if you do have to read “how to” in a book!

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Links of Interest: 

Freedman, Joanna. "Start Eating Purple for Good Health: The Science behind 2017's New Food Trend." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 19 Dec. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/start-eating-purple-good-health-science-behind-2017s-new-food/ ).

Davis, Sara. "A History of Eggplant in Four Languages." Table Matters. N.p., 12 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://tablematters.com/2012/10/10/a-history-of-eggplant-in-four-languages/ ).

Ehler, James T. "Eggplant Trivia and Facts." Food Facts & Trivia: Eggplant. Food Reference, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://www.foodreference.com/html/feggplant.html ).

Meyer, Megan. "Eight Fascinating Facts About Eggplant." Earth Eats | Real Food | Green Living. The Trustees of Indiana University, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/eggplant-facts/ ).

"Eggplant Food Facts." Belly Bytes. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2017. ( http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/eggplant_facts.html#.WJI-fzjwnIU ).

Below are some recipes you might enjoy.

French style Roasted Eggplant

Ratatouille and Eggplant for Harvest Season

Marinated Eggplant - A Healthy Life For Me

Eggplant Patties with Olives and Herbs | Gourmandelle

Do you have an eggplant recipe that is the best ever?  

If so, please share.

Add These Truffle Recipes to Your Holiday Treats

The last 4 months of the year, September through December, are my favorite months of the year because of the weather, because of the holidays, and because it's the only time I allow myself to indulge in sweet treats. When I hear the word “truffle”, I think chocolate. I don't think about the truffle that is some sort of fungi, called Tuber. Even though that type of truffle is highly prized as food and is used in French cooking and numerous national haute cuisines and is very expensive.

Nope! Instead I think of the chocolate truffle which is “a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped and toasted nuts (typically hazel nuts or almonds), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape.” (Description per Wikipedia.)

The name for this confectionery or delightful sweet treat is actually derived from the fungi for the simple reason that the confectionery and the edible fungi LOOK very similar. Even though the really expensive truffle that is used in French cooking is considered gourmet cuisine, … eh! I'd rather eat the chocolate truffle.

Did You Know? There are different types of chocolate truffles: French, Spanish, Swiss, typical European truffle, American, Belgian, and Californian. There is even a pot truffle (the recipe includes cannabis). The recipe varies slightly for each type, but they are all made with chocolate (or cocoa powder).

So happy to share this link published via the Tasty Newsletter, which is a BuzzFeed publication.

5 Delicious Truffles to Lift Your Mood

1. Custard Cream Truffles

2. White Chocolate Chip Truffle

3. Salted S'mores Truffles

4. Magic Fizzy Truffles

5. Cookies ‘n’ Cream Truffle

(P.S. If you were hoping these truffles would lift your mood because they contained cannabis … sorry! But I guess you could add it to the recipe when nobody's looking. As long as it's legal. LOL. 😊 Me personally, I get a buzz out of chocolate. 😊)

Add these truffles to your holiday treats.  Go ahead and indulge in this guilty pleasure.  You could also make them as food gifts.  

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Original source

World Cuisine : The India-Africa Cooking Connection

For me, a hearty stew has always been the ultimate family-style comfort food. Prepare a big pot, fill the bowls for family, friends, and honored guests, break bread, and chow down!! (Keep reading and you'll get the "bread" and "chow" references.)  Such a meal can unite family and friends, make strangers feel welcome, and dare I say ... connect countries?  Hey!  Nothing wrong with wishful thinking and dreams of world peace.

Indians love curry; in fact that's where it originated. Africans like peanuts; it was a food used to feed the slaves because it was an excellent source of protein. These tidbits of info gleaned from researching world cuisine, global flavors, and food history.  When the Indians and the Africans combined their food loves ... the "mix" was WOW!  Let the links shared below explain the impact.  They lead to recipes that introduce your palette to the blending of the cultures of  India and Africa in every delicious mouthful.  Not just dishes that use curry and peanuts but meals with other flavorful cultural ingredients.  It's family food, it's comfort food, it's "all kinds of deliciousness" food!! ☺

Let's Go to South Africa for Some Indian Food

Experience the flavors of Indian food in South Africa.

Indian cuisine South Africa style blends Indian and African foods

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African cuisine reflects the amalgamation of hundreds of different cultures and groups that inhabit the continent. The local culinary traditions are a fusion and it can be seen in the choice of ingredients, method of preparation and cooking techniques.

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Foodie Nuggets: Japanese Fun Food

JAPANESE FOOD

Links to cooking videos that teach you how to make 2 kinds of Japanese pancakes; considered snacks or dessert. 

Taiyaki is a warm fish-shaped cake with red bean filling.

* How to Make Taiyaki (Recipe) 鯛焼きの作り方（レシピ）

Dorayaki is made of honey pancake sandwich with sweet red bean filling.

* How To Make Dorayaki (Recipe) どら焼きの作り方 （レシピ）

(Images credit: justonecookbook.com ) 

6 Best Japanese Sauces You Need To KnowBy Heart
• Just One Cookbook

1. Homemade Ponzu Sauce

2. Teriyaki Sauce

3. All-Purpose Miso Sauce

4. Tonkatsu Sauce

5. Yakiniku Sauce

6. Unagi Sauce

Food Blog Spotlight: Honey Chai Cake Recipe | Arabic Food (Reblog)

Are you curious about global flavors?  You have wanderlust but can't wander too far because your travel budget is extremely limited?  Describing myself, of course.  My travel adventures are accomplished mainly through the Internet and television.  Was watching a TV cooking show and the host asked one of his guests who was a world traveler, which part of the world had the "best food" (in his opinion).  He said he enjoyed food prepared in the Middle East.  

Image credit:  Arabic Food I, photo by Victor Maia, found at Flickr.com



Connecting the dots.  

Several months back, began using the Google+ collections feature to maintain a collection of posts and links related to World Cuisine.  In the process, stumbled across the Arabic Food Recipes blog.  My husband and kids are turned on to chai tea. Even though I am a coffee fiend, having been encouraged by them to try a cup, it's very easy to understand why they are chai tea lovers.  At the aforementioned food blog found a cake recipe and thought to myself:

• 'Chai tea is delicious. Why not chai cake?'  

(See link shared below.)

Here is another thing to note about this blog.  When many of us are enjoying the holiday season, we say "Happy Holidays" to others.  Why?  It's not to be anti-Christmas.  America is a diverse nation.  Some folks do not celebrate Christmas.  But they do celebrate a holiday!  This blog has holiday recipes for Christmas, EID, and Ramadan.  Cool huh?

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

A delicious honey cake with tea, covered with vanilla and white chocolate icing, no one can resist it! Shaikha - founder of "When Shaikha Cooks" blog - prepared for you this unique recipe, to prepare it easily, especially for when you're expecting friends.

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

“There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the kitchen on Christmas day while all your guests are enjoying themselves outside, so this DIY lamb shawarma recipe is the perfect solution. ...”

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen (The home of Delicious Arabic Food) invites you to try Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe. Enjoy the Arabic cuisine and learn how to make Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma.

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Cooking time: 20 minutes servings: 100 Ingredients Dough: 2 cups very hot margarine7 cups flour2 tsp smell of kaak (special kaak spices)2 tbsp toasted sesame1/2 cup warm water1 tbsp yeast 1 tsp sugar1/2 cup milk Stuffing: 500 grams Ajwa (dates)1 tsp cinnamon For garnish: Fine powder sugar Directions 1.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

“ … this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

With its layers of golden eggplant, cinnamon-scented lamb, and sweet tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings. Even better, it's just as good served warm or room temperature as it is hot from the oven.

Related articles

How To Promote Diversity And Inclusion During A Month Of Multicultural Holidays

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Foodie Friday : Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips

LittleThings is a website/platform that serves as home to a myriad group of content creators. The publishers don't just share info about food, but that's where my interests lie. Celebrate your inner chef!

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Some people make a meal just eating appetizers.  Try these bruschetta recipes.  I could eat a plate full.

3 Delicious Bruschetta Recipes Everyone Will Love | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/pPEJ1wrI8m #appetizers #Partyfood #funfood pic.twitter.com/xOjkyk4dnw

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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When the season changes to fall or winter, do you always look for pumpkin and squash recipes?  I do!

Tasty Squash Soup And #Pumpkin Roll #Recipes | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/7jFTjoaVu2 #soups #Autumn #fallrecipes

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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Bought my son a waffle iron for Christmas once.  He used it at first and then became bored.  These recipes are proof that he simply lacked creativity and cooking inspiration.

I Tried 5 #Recipes In A Waffle Iron And Here's What Worked | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/nK6AbI1f0P #breakfast #Cooking #creativity

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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We all know pasta is comfort food.  But isn't a pasta dish quick to make?  Sure!  Some are.  But some pasta meals can be cooked in the slow cooker and you'll be glad you took the time.

Slow Cooker #Pasta 3 Ways: #ComfortFood Worth The Wait | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/EajhVIvyVt #crockpot #slowcookerrecipes #meals

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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Most of my friends say they don't bake bread because they don't have time.  Wonder if they ever tried baking bread in a jar?

How To Bake #Bread In A Jar: 3 Ways To Put A Delightful Twist On #Classic #Recipes | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/LiSug4pNrl #baking

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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You can use this dessert recipe to celebrate Easter and if you don't celebrate that holiday, then celebrate Spring!  It's dessert!  Surely you can come up with an excuse to eat cake!

Robin's Egg #Cake Is Gorgeous, Delicious, And Easy To Make | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/4h5JcYem0k #cakelovers #desserts

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

Hope you enjoy these recipes.