We grill a lot of chicken, partly because it is easy and healthy but I also genuinely enjoy chicken breasts if they are well seasoned, cooked to be tender and juicy – and of course marinated in some delicious concoction. This honey and ginger chicken recipe is very straightforward and goes well with brown rice and sesame broccoli, but my favorite way to eat it is on a salad of mixed greens with grilled zucchini, toasted walnuts and feta cheese.

…but hey, maybe next time he will do it?

The rub is primarily made of Chinese 5-spice powder. 5-spice varies much like Indian curry blends but most often contains star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel and cloves, mine also contains ginger. It isn’t spicy like hot sauce but rather more like savoury Christmas baking and should be available in the spice aisle of your local supermarket.

If you don’t have a BBQ don’t worry, this can easily be adapted to your oven – let me know if you have success with a fragrant and spicy gravy!

Now with this chicken stir-fry recipe I used homemade stock which I highly recommend over using boxed stock. Because the flavours are so simple, if you aren’t careful all you will taste is that synthetic stock instead of the subtle aromatics of ginger and scallion. Don’t have any stock in your freezer? Substitute water and add a bit of extra soy. It will still be good I promise.

Seriously, are you all eating quinoa yet? A protein-rich whole grain that cooks in less than 15 minutes and is endlessly versatile. In this recipe quinoa adds some heartiness to a chicken and tomato stew.

This particular quinoa recipe really embraces the idea of eating less meat in general. With only one chicken breast to four servings, most of your meal is made from grains and vegetables, and of course some feta. In our house, this is one of the ways we save money and eat less meat. This also makes it affordable to buy nicer meats. Not a fan of this idea? Double the meat.

Now, a little secret that I will share is that I try and be organized enough to prep ahead to make cooking on weeknights easier. In this case the sweet potatoes got baked the night before and spent a day in the fridge. That made this meal 20 minutes start to finish when I went to cook it. Do you have any similar tips for quicker, yet gourmet weeknight meals?

Ever wondered how to make a creamy pasta sauce without cream? There are lots of ways to cut calories in recipes, but here is a chicken and broccoli pasta recipe which uses chicken broth, broccoli, milk and a touch of flour to create a luscious sauce which is cream, butter and cheese free. I believe my husbands exact words were, “Really? But it tastes like it should be ridiculously bad for me!”

Butter chicken is a divine and indulgent Indian curry made from tomatoes, spices and typically lots of cream. Classically butter chicken or murgh makhani is marinated overnight in yougourt and spices and then simmered in a buttery tomato mixture. This recipe I have adapted over the years to be easier, quicker and healthier – but still just as satisfying. Serve with basmati rice and hot naan bread.

I am not a fan of anything that falls into the barbecue chicken fad including pizza, burgers or pasta. The dishes tend to be cloyingly sweet, overly sauced or both. But last week I had this craving for that tangyness that only barbecue sauce can deliver and decided to create a barbecue chicken enchiladas recipe that was easy to make but wasn’t syrupy.

The chicken enchiladas were a big hit in my household and were very easy to make. Despite my snobbery against such things, I suspect I will make them again and as such, decided to share.

There are so many recipes for chicken and pasta but here is a simple preparation of braised chicken legs with mustard, mushrooms and wine. Once you are used to butchering a chicken and making stock, you can get yourself organized enough that you can break down the chicken and simmer the stock in the morning (including adding the chicken leg bones to the stock) and then make this dish in the evening. If you would rather make this mustard recipe with chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time so they don’t dry out.

Well, I officially declare that I am converted, not only is it possible to serve delicious food which is steamed, but it may induce desires for more of it. Fragrant is one way to describe this Vietnamese steamed chicken recipe. Melted is another. The tomatoes and ginger dissolve into a sauce that will have you unfolding the parchment and creating an origami bowl to pour it back into your mouth.

Ga Hap Cha is a Vietnamese Chicken dish which is traditionally either stewed or steamed. Frequently the steamed chicken is served alongside the tomatoes which are kept whole. By combining everything, the tomatoes, ginger and scallions melt together to form a sauce that can be served alongside the chicken and on top noodles or rice.