Basil Chicken Fettucine

Hey everyone, here comes another easy-peasy weekday meal that you can whip up in a jiffy. I know we're all getting busier by the day. Thanksgiving is next week, can you believe that? Between now and Thanksgiving, I won't have much time to do any fancy cooking so the less prep time, the better.

My daughter made this Basil Chicken Fettucine recently and it was a big hit. I thought I'd share this quick and easy recipe which is perfect for a weeknight dinner or weekday lunch.

Here's what we used but feel free to vary the amounts to your liking:

• Spinach fettucine for 3
• 1 large chicken breast, sliced
• Cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• A blob of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the fettucine till al dente/according to the instructions on the packaging.
2.  Meantime, in a skillet on medium, heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Add in the chicken and butter. Saute till the chicken is cooked through.
4. Add tomatoes and basil, and saute till tomatoes are slightly softened.
5. Finally add cooked fettucine into the skillet and toss to mix.
6. Season to taste and you are ready to serve.

So easy, right? It literally takes like 20 minutes to put together. I like to add broccoli, carrots or spinach too. So yummy and healthy.

Homemade salmon sashimi salad

Hey there guys, let's talk about me and my sashimi for a minute. My love for sashimi goes back quite a ways. It took a while though for me to get to liking it. As you can imagine, chewing on a piece of raw fish wasn't the most natural thing in the world for me LOL. Anyhoo I got past that and now I love it! but I will only eat salmon sashimi, not tuna, not white fish. Don't ask me why :)

My teens are big fans too which means we could rack up the bill pretty fast for the amount of sashimi we would need to order for a meal. So it's not like we can have this every day. The cheaper alternative is simply to make my own copycat version.

So let's get on with my take on the salmon sashimi salad that we enjoy so much.

• A heap of iceberg lettuce (as much as you like)
• A heap of cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half a carrot, finely shredded (not in the picture because I ran out)
• A box of salmon sashimi, about 8-10 slices
• One lemon
• Roasted sesame dressing

I get the salmon sashimi from my local Japanese grocery store. They come in a box, sliced and ready to eat. You should refrigerate it until you're ready to eat. I usually eat mine on the same day. I mean, it's raw and I just want to play it safe.

My local Japanese grocery store also sells roasted sesame dressing in bottles. They must go pretty fast because I can't always find them when I need them. So I tend to buy an extra bottle to keep as a spare when I see it.

Anyhoo all that's left to do is to toss the lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrot in a big salad bowl. Top with salmon and a big old squeeze of lemon juice. Shake a generous amount of roasted sesame dressing over top. Toss everything together and you're ready to eat.

This exotic twist to a regular salad makes a really nice change for an exotic potluck when you have guests over. The slightly sweet, nutty tang of the dressing goes so well with the veggies and salmon. Best of all, we get to enjoy this at a fraction of the price we would pay at the restaurant.

Share your sashimi story. What do you think - love it, hate it, would like to try it?

My version of loaded potato skins

Have you ever bought a grocery item that you completely forgot you have a ton of at home and then gone ahead and bought a ton more? Well, that happens to me... quite a lot. This week, I have an abundance of Russets sitting around, the result of buying more when I still have lots at home.

Said Russets were starting to look a little sad and wrinkly so I thought hey, let's make some loaded potato skins. They're a big hit with my kids and they really do go fast.

They're really easy to make too. Here's how I made my version.

• 6 Russet potatoes, halved
• 6 slices back bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, diced (optional, we just happen to love onions)
• cheddar and mozzarella cheese (feel free to use your favorites)
• green/spring onions, finely chopped
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1. Scrub the potatoes really well and rub some oil on them, skin side.
2. Microwave on high for10-12 minutes, or till softened but not too soft since you're going to be baking them later.
3. Scoop out the center of each potato leaving a ring around the skin to form a bowl.
4. Mash up the potato centers in another bowl. Add bacon and onions. Season to taste. Mix well.
5. Scoop a portion of the mixture into each potato skin.
6. Top with spring onions, and cheese however generously you like.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or till cheeses are melted to a beautiful light brown.
8. Dig in!!

I would've sprinkled some finely chopped spring onions on top except I didn't have any on hand. But this is already so so good as it is. So kid-friendly too if you have little ones, and makes a very nice appetizer or snack when you have friends over.

Do you like potato skins? Where do you usually have them? Have you ever made your own? If not, you really have to try making these.