quick chicken meals for fussy DM?!?

[Toowittoowoo]

My parents are going to be looking after the DDs (4.5 and 1.5) for 1 day a week and giving them their tea at home. They have then suggested that as DH works away they would stay while we put the DDs to bed and have a meal afterwards.

It has also been suggested that me and DF take it in turns to cook the evening meal.

I like the sound of this arrangement but I am concerned about the cooking. DM is quite a fussy eater and if she has been looking after my DDs all day I need to be considerate about what I cook. She will only really eat chicken breast (as she thinks most other meat is fatty), she won't eat fish, olives, capers or anything remotely spicy. She doesn't like anything too tomatoey and prefers a creamy sauce. I have to admit that i am baffled as to what to cook.

It also complicates matters that I will be busy with the DDs from when I come in from work until they are in bed at 7.15 ish so the meals need to be quick.

Can anyone help me? So far I thought that this looked promising www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10416/creamy-pesto-chicken-with-roasted-tomatoes as I can prepare it while I chat to the kids and then just pop it in the oven before their last story. I can't think of anything else though despite much googling!

I sometimes just slice up chicken breast, fry off a little - then add some water, a bit of vegetable bouillon powder, herbs etc and just poach the chicken lightly. It doesn't take long that way - and is still moist, with a small amount of 'sauce' that can be spooned over.

Alternatively wrap breasts in foil and bake in oven. Slice or two of lemon in there, some dried herbs.. Again, quick and hard to mess up.

Or a tray bake - put small new potatoes in a roasting tray, onions, celery -whatever you like really. roast off for about 30 minutes, then add some chicken - breasts for DM, legs/thighs if you want to mix it up for the rest of you. Season, add a little more liquid, again with some stock. serve with some broccoli.

chicken and mushroom casserole. Boil the chicken a bit and then mix in mushroom soup and cook in a casserole dish in the oven, could be accompanied by baked potatoes. My mother made it with tinned mushroom soup and it was yummy but, of course, it is even nicer, if more work, making the mushroom soup from scratch.

Chicken and mushroom casserole, you could prepare it in advance and just pop in the oven on the night.
Chicken in a cream sauce, use cooked chicken, just make the sauce then add the chicken to heat through, serve with pasta or rice.
Chicken risotto, you could use cooked chicken for this.

Have you got a slow cooker?

Cook chicken and chop it up. Boil some pasta spirals or whatever and add butter. A glob of Mayo and a tin of sweet corn. Add chicken and Mix all together.
Eat it warm or cold, it's all good.

roast chicken?
she can have the breast meat and others also can get what they like.

Oh cricky, this isn't my type of cooking at all. I do curries and pasta meals etc but she would like the meals you've suggested. I've just got to do it haven't I?

Chicken and mushroom risotto is a good compromise though. I like the sound of that and she would like it too.

I wonder if there is a similar chicken and mushroom pasta?

A creamy, non-spicy, non-tomato chicken breast dish - Chicken Korma

Chicken wrapped in ham- cut a pocket into a chicken breast, fill with a mix of cream cheese, some chopped chives and spring onion. Close it up and wrap around with either parma ham or thin sliced bacon. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
Or a do ahead meal - Nigellas chicken with 40 cloves of garlic - it uses chicken thighs, but you could use chicken breast instead
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chicken-with-40-cloves-of-garlic-recipe.html

Chicken cubes in slow cooker with stock and lots of tarragon - dried is fine. I add leeks, mushrooms, onions - whatever I have. Sometimes I drain the sauce and thicken with cornflour, some times some bisto sorts it out
I have also done it on the hob and let it simmer for half an hour
It freezes really well,too

This is super easy: chicken in Dijon mustard sauce with rice:

Fry chicken breasts til cooked through and golden

Sauce: mix 3-4 tbs of creme fraiche, a little Dijon mustard (as she doesn't like too much spice just 1-2 tsps) a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.

When the chicken is cooked, add the cream sauce to pain and heat through, coat the chicken breasts.

Serve with rice and salad

It is yummy!

or baked in balsamic vinegar topped with sugar, lemon, white wine.

Is a chicken korma too exotic?
Chicken and mushroom pie
Chicken and mushroom (and bacon) pasta
Macaroni cheese?

wrap chicken breasts in bacon or parma ham depending on yr budget and bake in the oven with jacket potatoes that you've started off in the microwave so they only need half an hour or so

for a quick meal, I get those little chicken mini fillets, saute in a smidge of olive or coconut oil, then some of that ready cooked rice that comes in packets and some chopped vegetables (dh likes mushroom, I like spinach) strit fry for 2-3 minutes then and stir through a spoonful of peanut butter (sometimes with a little stock/water to slacken it) to makes a creamy sauce. Little bit of bacon is nice too but she might not like that if she thinks it's fatty.

We don't do dairy, but if you do, some half fat creme fraiche rather the peanut butter would work, especially if you use peas for the vegetable (and again, also add bacon). Creme fraiche and peas works really well with brown rice and balck pepper by the way.

I got this recipe from MN - super quick and easy. I use fresh pasta and a pack of sliced ready to eat chicken breast.

Cook the pasta. In the frying pan, add some butter and garlic, sliced mushrooms and the chicken slices with a sprinkling of italian seasoning.Add the zest and juice of one lemon to the pan. When the chicken has heated through and the mushrooms are soft, stir in a glug of cream then mix through the pasta.

Your mother should like the creamy sauce. The lemon lifts it a little so it doesn't taste too stodgy and it is so quick to prepare which is a bonus if you have kids to deal with too

Honey and mustard chicken - quickly mix the two with a bit of oil, coat the chicken with it, fold it up in foil and bake in oven.

www.avoca.com/home/explore/news/?id=237

Another one you can do beforehand. We dh just put the pastry on top.

We also do the nandos lemon & herb marinade then just pitta, salad and new potatoes. That's a very easy dinner!

Loads of these are really good - thank you. It has been a great help

A dish I do sometimes is lemon chicken. Dip small pieces of chicken breast in seasoned flour and fry in butter or olive oil. At the end add loads of lemon juice. Volia! It is actually yummy, we have it with rice and broccoli and/or peas. Great for kids too.

Another idea is chicken wraps/fajitas but obviously made v mild. Serve with yogurt, salad, cheese, etc.

Chicken pitta breads- small pieces of chicken cooked with eg lemon and honey and put in pittas with salad etc. Hot sauce for those who like it!

Chicken salad- chicken breast served with a big salad including new potatoes and maybe roasted veg. Serve with mayonnaise, lemon wedges etc.

I have a fussy DS who loves chicken so have been there! He will eat chicken Korma now, as well as tray bakes, roasts etc as suggested above.