Blackened Cajun Chicken

Now that the holiday's are over, and I have ate all my leftover I get to cook again.  I received a lot of  fun cooking things for Christmas, that I am very excited to use!  I went out to dinner with my mom and had a blackened chicken, and it was really good.  I wanted to figure out how to make it and finally tried last night.  This was so easy to make, and it was really good.  It had a different taste then the restaurant (I believe they blacken theirs on a grill) but I liked it just as much!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serving size: 4 people

Cook time: 20 minutes

Recipe adapted from: Flavor Mosaic

Ingredients

I did not use measurements on the seasonings, because you only need to sprinkle the seasonings on each piece of chicken.

• Paprika
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Italian seasoning
• Black pepper
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil'

Directions

1. Place your chicken on a large plate, and sprinkle both sides with each of the seasonings.
2. While seasoning your chicken, place oil in a large pan with a lid, and let heat.
3. Once oil is heated place your chicken in pan, and cover.
4. Cook for 6-8 minutes on each side (until blackened!)
5. Enjoy,

I served my chicken with yellow rice and corn, and it was a great combination.

Final Product

Seasoned Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Here is another quick and easy dinner idea, and who doesn't love that?  As you saw from my previous post, I am  tight on money so this recipe was perfect.  I got about 10 large drumsticks for 6 dollars.  That left me with plenty of dinner, and left overs to take for lunch!

Prep time: 2 hours (or however long you want to marinate your chicken)
Cook time: 1 hour (or until chicken is nice and browned, and no longer pink inside)
Serving size- 4-5 people

Ingredients

• 7-10 chicken drumsticks (I had about 4.5 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons of minced garlic (it may seem like a lot, but it was perfect)
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Adoba seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of Onion powder
• 1 cup of lemon juice.
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Directions

1. In a large bowl place your chicken, and add the remaining ingredients.
2. Let marinate for 2 hours (more or less, depending how much time you have)
3. Place chicken on a greased baking tray, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Turn your chicken, and bake for another 30 minutes (you may need to do cook more if the chicken is not cooked through.
5. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with a little lemon juice.
6. Enjoy!

Final Product

Pan Fried Cod With Fresh Herbs

I have started a new job, and living in a new place which equals NO money.  I had a bag of cod in the freezer, and I thought why not have cod for dinner.  I can be pretty picky with fish, and I don't really like the taste of fried cod (I think it has too much of an oily taste.)  This recipe was something I quick threw together, and it was delicious.  It had that nice crispness of being fried, but without the taste of oil.  This seriously was such a cheap an easy meal, I suggest it to anyone who only has 20 minutes to throw dinner together.
Prep time- 5 minutes
Cook time- 10 minutes
Serving size- This recipe was for just one person, so just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients

• 1 cod fillet
• 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder.
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (1 0r 2 fresh garlic cloves)
• 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons of Adoba seasoning (sounds weird, but trust me on this!)
• Flour (I would say about a tablespoon, just enough to cover lightly so the fish browns )
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• Fresh parsley for topping

Directions

1. Combine your onion powder, garlic, paprika and Adoba.
2. Place your fish in the seasoning mixture, and coat both sides.
3. Then sprinkle flour on your seasoned fillet ( you really don't need a lot of flour, just a dusting so the fillet gets brown)
4. Place your oil in a pan, let sit for about 3-5 minutes to warm.
5. Place your cod in pan, and let cook for 4 minutes per side.
6. Serve with fresh parsley on top.
7. Enjoy!

Final Product

Baked Lemon and Pepper Chicken

My boyfriend is OBSESSED with lemon and pepper, and would probably eat anything if that was the marinade.  I was in a rush the other night, and decided to make a quick marinade, and then bake the chicken when I came home.  This quickly turned into a favorite meal (I must have made it about 3 times that week.)  This is very lemony so if you are not a huge lemon fan, I would reduce the amount of lemon.  I personally am a huge fan, so it was perfect for me.

Prep Time- 30 minutes-6 hours (however long you want to marinade the chicken... the longer the better!
Cook time- 20 minutes
Serving Size-4/5 people

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons of Lemon juice (or juice of 2 large lemons)
• 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
• Parsley for topping
• Grated parmesan cheese for topping.

Directions

1. In a large bowl place your chicken, and add the lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, pepper and olive oil.
2. Mix well until all chicken is coated.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-6 hours (the longer the better)
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place chicken on a greased baking tray sprinkle with parsley, and bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
6. Remove from oven, and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of chicken.
7. Enjoy!

Final Product