Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Moroccan Fiesta Chicken

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Moroccan Fiesta Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 pounds chicken, boneless, skinless, raw
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 3 cups salsa, chunky (mild or medium)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 - 1 cup pine nuts, toasted or almonds, toasted (sliced or chopped)
  • 6 cups couscous or brown rice, cooked

Instructions

  1. Add the following ingredients to the crockpot: garlic, salsa, water, raisins, honey, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir.
  2. Cut raw chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Add chicken to crockpot. Stir.
  4. Cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
  5. Check the chicken to make sure it is cooked. It should be white throughout.
  6. Serve the Moroccan Fiesta Chicken over cooked rice or couscous. Top with toasted pine nuts or almonds.

Notes

This Moroccan Fiesta Chicken would be great served with a steamed vegetable and/or salad.

Try my favorite Moroccan Carrots recipe for a perfect accompaniment to this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken. The recipe for these amazing Moroccan Carrots can be found at Cookinglessonsfordad.com.

To make a vegetarian version of this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken recipe, replace the real chicken with a vegetable protein chicken substitute. This “fake” or “vegetarian” chicken has a similar texture and taste to real chicken. To use this “vegetarian” chicken, take it out of the can, cut it in bite-sized pieces and add it to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.

See a cooking demonstration of this Moroccan Fiesta Chicken on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Fruity Fruit Sauce

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Yield: 8 servings

Fruity Fruit Sauce

Ingredients

  • 5 - 6 cups fruit, diced, sliced, or whole (small fruits) (fresh or frozen)*
  • 1 - 12 ounce can apple juice concentrate
  • 1 1/2 cup water (divided)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch

*Fruit Possibilities (choose one):

  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Mangos
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • And more!

Instructions

  1. Place fruit, juice concentrate, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Stir.
  2. Place pan over high heat until mixture begins to boil. Stir occasionally.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  4. While mixture is simmering, mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water. Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
  5. After fruit mixture finishes simmering, remove it from the heat.
  6. Stir dissolved cornstarch again and slowly stir it into the fruit mixture.
  7. Return pan to a medium-high heat and bring the fruit mixture to a boil.
  8. Reduce heat and stir until the fruit sauce becomes thick. The fruit sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
  9. Serve this fruit sauce hot or cold.

Notes

Fruity fruit sauce is delicious over waffles, French toast, pancakes, toast and more.

This fruit sauce served over toast and peanut butter is an easy and delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack!

If the fruit is diced small, try this sauce in a peanut butter sandwich in place of jelly.

See a cooking demonstration of Fruity Fruit Sauce on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Scrambled Egg Surprise

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Scrambled Egg Surprise

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk or water (optional)
  • Cooking spray
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

(about 2 – 5 tablespoons total)

  • Onions, diced
  • Bell peppers (any color), diced
  • Protein foods, cooked and diced
  • Meats, diced (fully cook before adding eggs)
  • Mushrooms, sliced
  • Garlic, minced
  • Zucchini, sliced thin or shredded
  • Cheese, any variety
  • Cottage cheese

Instructions

  1. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the milk or water if desired. Whisk together until well blended.
  2. Chop additional ingredients (onions, peppers…) and set aside.
  3. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium heat until it is hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.
  4. Sauté your choice of additional ingredients in the pan before adding the eggs. You could also add extra ingredients (like cheese or herbs) to the eggs just before the cooking is complete.
  5. Pour egg mixture into the pan.
  6. As the eggs begin to set on the bottom and sides, slowly stir the mixture with a spatula. Lift cooked portions to allow the thin, uncooked portion to flow to underneath. Do not constantly stir.
  7. Cook just until eggs are thickened throughout, but are still shiny and moist.
  8. Remove from the pan and serve right away. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Notes

Use 2 eggs per serving. You can adjust this recipe for the number of servings you would like.
You can substitute soy, rice, or almond milk for the regular milk. You can also use water or not add any liquid to the eggs.

I listed some choices of additional ingredients you could add to the eggs, but I am sure there are many others.

Instead of cooking spray you could melt a small amount of butter in the pan over low heat before adding the additional ingredients and eggs (less healthy).

© Karen Breyer

 

Spaghetti

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Yield: 4 servings

Spaghetti

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound spaghetti
  • 4 quarts water
  • 1 teaspoon salt (for pasta water)

[b]Possible toppings:[/b]

  • Pasta/spaghetti sauce
  • Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Bring water and 1 teaspoon salt to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti and stir it around a little to keep from sticking. Return to a boil, then boil uncovered until al dente.
  2. Start checking the spaghetti for doneness at about 6 minutes. See package instructions for cooking time guidelines.
  3. When the spaghetti is finished cooking, drain it and return it to the pan.
  4. Top spaghetti with desired sauce and/or grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes

Spaghetti is a long, thin type of pasta.

Spaghetti is al dente when it is firm to the bite and loses it’s raw taste. It will have a slight resistance when bitten into. It is not soft or overdone.

You may want to serve this spaghetti with a salad, bread, and steamed vegetable.

Garlic or garlic-cheese bread is a delicious addition to the spaghetti.

See a cooking demonstration of this Spaghetti recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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