Name: Coconut Lime Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 500 gm boneless, skinless chicken breast; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp butter; 1 onion, sliced; 1/2 cup chicken stock; 1 can full fat, unsweetened coconut milk; 2 tbsp lemon juice; zest of 1 lemon; 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro; 1 tbsp red pepper flakes; salt and pepper to taste; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp honey

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Coconut Lime Chicken

This Thai inspired Coconut Lime Chicken is comforting, delicious and easy to make. It is made with chicken breast that is simmered in creamy coconut milk, fresh lime juice, cilantro and red pepper flakes and ready under 30 minutes!

It’s been awhile since i’ve created a Thai inspired recipe, so I am really excited for this. And I love Thai! I have also been getting quite a few requests for the recipe for this dish so I am eager to see how many of you will make this dish! I had some left over coconut milk, and I decided to make a chicken dish out of it. This recipe is ideal for weeknights or if you have guests coming in last minute.

The sweetness of the coconut milk combined with the freshness and tanginess of the lemon juice and spiciness of the red pepper flakes is truly one of the best combinations! This dish is best served steamed rice.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the hero of this Thai inspired creamy Coconut and Lime Chicken dish. It gives the dish a creamy texture, nuttiness and sweetness. Also, as coconut milk is thick itself, you do not need a thickening agent.

There are many varieties in the market when it comes to coconut milk. So here are a few tips to help you choose the right one.

Unsweetened – Make sure to buy unsweetened coconut milk. Coconut milk itself is on the sweeter side, whereas sweetened coconut milk and cream of coconut both contain added sugar and are often placed near the coconut milk in shops.

Canned – Many varieties are available like I said. Canned, boxed, powder or refrigerated. Make sure to buy the canned coconut milk, this usually placed near the Asian sauces. Canned coconut milk is the most flavourful.

Full Fat Milk – For the best taste and texture use full fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk obviously has less fat, but then tends to be watery. This will not give you a rich and creamy texture.

Shake the can – It’s important you shake the can before opening it, because there is often a white solid layer on top that is formed which is known as coconut cream. Vigorously shake it before opening to combine the cream and liquid together.

My favourite brand to use is Chaokoh Coconut Milk. It is easily available in most of the grocery stores. It truly tastes and looks the best, the perfect texture you would want for your Coconut and Lime Chicken. The other brand that you can also use is Real Thai Coconut Milk. This is equally good.

Recipe tips and notes for Coconut Lime Chicken

Like the spice? If you like your food spicy, try adding in a few chopped Thai Chilli Pepper.
Fish Sauce – Try adding in a tsp of fish sauce to enhance the flavour of the dish. It is completely optional but it will give the dish a more authentic Thai flavour. I haven’t included it in the recipe since many people don’t stock up on fish sauce. Fish sauce and even Lemongrass would be a great addition to the dish.
Lite Coconut Milk – Feel free to use lite coconut milk, but keep in mind the dish won’t be as rich and creamy as it would be if you use full fat milk. The sauce will definitely be thinner.
Don’t like cilantro? If you are one of those people who don’t fancy cilantro, then leave it out! Instead you can use basil or lime leaves.

Want to try more Thai inspired recipes?

Coconut Lime Chicken

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Main Dish, Non-VegetarianCuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

This Thai inspired Coconut Lime Chicken is comforting, delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients

500 gm boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp honey

Directions

Slice the chicken into small chunks and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in it with 1 tbsp oil. When hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown or slightly cooked. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil and cook the onions and the garlic until fragrant. About 30-45 seconds.
Stir in the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and honey. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring and scrapping the pan from the sides.
Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until chicken is fully cooked.
Stir in the cilantro and serve with steamed rice.

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Easy Chicken Caesar Salad

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad with a low fat and worry free dressing is a juicy and healthy salad. It is simple to toss and delicious to eat when topped with this creamy, low fat and homemade Caesar dressing.

I recommend, Caesar Salad is a must for everyone to have in their recipe files and this recipe will definitely not disappoint you. It is flavourful and satisfying! Makes for the perfect summer dinner or an evening snack.

Making this Caesar Salad is extremely easy. It is all about the topping and the creamy, delicious dressing, like it is in most salads. The original Caesar Salad Dressing contains eggs and anchovies, but I am not a fan of either. I prefer not to have these two ingredients in my salad bowl.

So, I have modified the salad dressing recipe, which is still creamy and delicious without eggs and anchovies.

What goes in a Caesar Salad?

There are many variations for this salad, but a classic Caesar Salad contains:

Croutons – I make the croutons at home
Caesar Salad Dressing – Low fat, creamy and homemade
Romaine Lettuce or Iceberg – To enjoy the crunch and juiciness
Parmesan Cheese – For garnishing

But, another common ingredient that you will find in many restaurants is chicken and egg. These two ingredients definitely add more protein to the salad and at the same time make it even more tempting. I always add chicken to my Caesar Salad but otherwise it’s optional if you would like to add it to your salad bowl.

How to make homemade croutons?

Homemade croutons are definitely the best! There are two ways of making them at home, in the air fryer or simply baking them in the oven.

How to make croutons in the air fryer: Remove the crust of the bread (optional) and cut the bread into small cubes. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and let them cook in the air fryer until golden and crispy. Shaking the tray once in between This will take about 7-10 minutes.
How to make croutons in the oven: Remove the crust of the bread (optional) and cut the bread into cubes. Drizzle the bread with 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and bake until golden and crispy. This process shall take 7-10 minutes if it is a sandwich bread. Sourdough will slightly take longer, up to 15 minutes. Shake the tray once in between for the croutons to cook evenly.

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Now you can say goodbye to bottled Caesar dressing because this homemade, creamy and delicious Caesar dressing is the only way forward!

The dressing is easy to throw together and requires ingredients that are easily available in anyone’s pantry. It is the perfect blend of so many robust flavours that blend in together perfectly. The best part about this salad dressing is that it is low fat and lesser in calories in comparison to all the other dressings out there in the market. But with this recipe, you will still have a rich and creamy dressing.

The ingredients needed are low fat mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, olive oil, and finely diced garlic. Yes it is that simple!

I hope you enjoy this delicious and healthy bowl of Caesar Salad. If you have any suggestion please do leave them in the comments section below.

Also, if you are a salad person like me, try out the Asian Kale Salad and the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad. These two salad recipes are easy to toss and taste delicious at the same time!

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Non-Vegetarian, SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Easy Chicken Caesar Salad with a low fat and worry free dressing is a juicy and healthy salad. It is simple to toss and delicious to eat!

Ingredients

1 romaine lettuce
400 gms chicken breast
3-4 slices bread
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Dressing
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 spoon soy sauce
2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cut the lettuce into pieces, wash the leaves well and set aside to dry. Cut the cherry tomatoes into half and set aside.
Slice the chicken into small pieces and marinate it in thyme, pinch paprika, turmeric and salt, spoon olive oil. Heat a pan to medium heat, add the chicken and cook until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Cut the bread into slices. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and let them cook in the air fryer for about 7-10 minutes until golden crispy.
In a bowl prepare the salad dressing by whisking together all the salad dressing ingredients. Whisk until well combined.
In a large bowl place the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, croutons and the sliced chicken and coat with the salad dressing. Mix well and serve.

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Greek Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

How-to-make-greek-watermelon-cottage-cheese-feta-salad

It’s the Greek summer favourite!

I know the minute you read Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad, you thought to yourself what a strange combination. This combination is not only refreshing but delicious too! One spoonful of this refreshing summer salad will leave you convinced that the combination of watermelon and cottage cheese is truly divine!

This easy summer salad is a favourite at our dinner table. We normally eat it as an evening snack or light meal. The sweet and salty mix of cottage cheese and watermelon definitely keeps us cool and refreshed during the hot summer days!

It is the perfect summer salad recipe to toss up at the last minute if you have guests coming over or just want to cool yourself down after a tiring summer day! This vibrant bowl of watermelon is sure to add colour to any dinner table while you indulge in a feast with your loved ones.

Watermelon being the juicy summer fruit, icy cold cubes of it and crumbled salty cottage cheese salad is a Greek summer favourite. I have adapted this recipe from the classic Greek watermelon feta mix, making it easier to toss it up last minute by using cottage cheese instead of feta. The saltiness of the cottage cheese makes it the perfect substitute for feta. This variation includes thin slices of onion, a handful of seeds of your choice, a touch of freshly chopped vibrant mint leaves and a tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing. I have used pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds to add a slight crunch.

All the ingredients required are the everyday pantry staples that we all have.

It’s important you choose ingredients wisely and pick a juicy, ripe watermelon and fresh cottage cheese for your salad. How to pick the perfect juicy, ripe watermelon?

The perfect watermelon for your salad

This is one of the tricky parts about choosing a watermelon as you don’t know what is inside. Most people check if the watermelon is ripe by tapping it. But another way to check is by lifting it.

Is the watermelon heavy according to its size? Compare it with the weight of another watermelon of the same size. The heavier the watermelon the ripest it is, which indicates that it is full of water. Also, take a close look at the colour of the watermelon. For the salad pick a dark and dull green watermelon instead of a light and shiny green one. This will make the perfect watermelon for your salad.

The salad provides a lot of hydration from the watermelon, essential fatty acids and a full profile of amino acids along with vitamin A, B, C and E from the sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds.

Pair this refreshing salad with a chilled glass of wine and a chunk of bread. You can have it with any grilled meat such as chicken or fish, it’s a lovely light dinner. I recommend you to go out of your comfort zone and give this combination try. This is one of the best summer salads to indulge in on a hot day. I’m sure this watermelon and cottage cheese salad will become a favourite on your table. Just the way it did on ours!

Lets see how to prepare the Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

Greek Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Salads, VegetarianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients SALAD

1 handful chopped fresh mint leaves
3 cups cubed, cold watermelon
1/3 cup crumbled cottage cheese
1 handful mixed seeds
DRESSING
1tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
Rock salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tsp honey

Directions

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and refrigerate.
Add the chopped mint leaves, watermelon, onion, cottage cheese and the seeds to a large salad bowl.
Drizzle the dressing and toss it all together.
Serve chilled.

Also try the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

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Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled-chicken-salad-recipe-summer-salad-recipe-easy-summer-dinner-recipe-for-familyhealthy-salad-dressing-vinaigrette-arugula-leaves-marinated-grilled-chicken-3

No more dull grilled chicken dinners!

During this summer season, there is something about the heat that has me wanting lighter foods like this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad. Grilled chicken salads make for a wholesome dinner to share with your loved ones. Summer salad recipes are not only simple to toss but also totally delicious and often a nutritional powerhouse, like this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad.

Nothing is more revitalising than a bowl of mixed greens, fresh summer produce and a healthy salad dressing.

During the summer season, my father and I mostly indulge in refreshing and light salads to beat the heat. These easy summer dinner recipes for family are delicious and healthy salads. They always work when we are back from our workout sessions or simply just enjoying the evening breeze. We like to use fresh vegetables and greens and create a vibrant bowl leaving us satisfied and full.

How-to-make-grilled-chicken-salad-recipe-spoonful-stories

This recipe provides lots of Vitamin A and folate from the arugula leaves, protein from the grilled chicken and lots of antioxidants from the cucumbers and tomatoes. The tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette is the perfect healthy salad dressing to balance the bitterness of the arugula leaves and the juiciness of the tomatoes. I assure you, put this refreshing summer salad in the centre of the table and it will be finished in no time. The tanginess of the dressing, bitterness of the leaves and the char of the grilled chicken is truly irresistible! If you have been trying to make your dinners healthier then this is the perfect salad to start with.

This is a fairly simple recipe that only requires one dressing which also acts as a marinade for the grilled chicken.

Arugula Leaves Preparation

You should always start by washing the arugula leaves under running water. This dusts off the dust and dirt and immediately resting them in an ice bath for a couple of minutes. The ice bath prevents the leaves from changing its colour and keeps them fresh.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

The honey-mustard vinaigrette requires olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, honey, oregano, chilli flakes, chopped garlic and mint leaves. Whisk together all the ingredients and you have your salad dressing ready! Isn’t it super quick and easy?

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Marinade

Now coming to the marinated grilled chicken!

A tip, try to marinate and refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours. The key to marinating your grilled chicken longer is that the citric acid of the lemon juice will break down the fibres of the meat, tenderise it and at the same time enhance the flavour of the meat! Who doesn’t love a juicy grilled chicken breast?!

Keep the grilled chicken marinade refrigerated, unless you want some bacteria to accompany your grilled chicken!

How to make the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Non-Vegetarian, SaladDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients Dressing/marinade

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp water
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp freshly chopped coriander
2 tsp honey
Rock salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
500 gm boneless, skinless chicken breast
SALAD
2 cups arugula leaves – washed and dried ( roughly chopped)
1 large cucumber diced
1 large tomato diced
1 onion finely sliced
Rock salt to taste

Directions

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl. Keep aside half and refrigerate for later to use as the dressing. Pour out the remaining in a shallow dish.
Marinade the chicken in the dish for at least 15 minutes (if time allows up to 2 hours in the refrigerator). While the chicken is being marinated, prepare all the salad ingredients and toss together in a large bowl.
Let the chicken rest for 3-5 mins, slice and mix with the salad. Drizzle the remaining untouched dressing over the salad and serve!
Add a handful of mixed seeds of your choice to add extra crunch!

Notes

Keep the marinated chicken refrigerated.

Hi! If you have any questions related to the recipe please leave a comment below. Don’t keep this recipe to yourself and spread the word! Make sure to try the Asian Kale Salad Recipe for some Asian flavours.