Food Lust People Love: easy recipes

Showing posts with label easy recipes. Show all posts

Sunday, September 27, 2026

Hubble Bubble Pumpkin Rice Pot

Perfect for a chilly fall evening, the wonderful flavor of this hubble bubble pumpkin rice pot is enhanced by smoked bacon, and cooked entirely in a microwave. Super easy and pretty quick to the table on a busy night.

Even way back in the late 1970s, when my stepfather succumbed to our repeated entreaties and finally bought a microwave, we honestly really only ever used it to reheat leftovers. And I must confess that pattern has generally continued all these years.

Rare is the dish I actually cook in a microwave. This is one of those exceptions. It’s an oldie but a goodie adapted from one on the BBC Good Food website, first published there in January of 2008. It’s a handy one to have in your back pocket for Halloween night.

Hubble Bubble Pumpkin Rice Pot

Know that if you have a little more or less pumpkin or squash, it’ll be fine. Below is the weight I used, pictured on the cutting board for reference. Ditto, the onion. I use already cooked smoked bacon crumbles. If you need to fry and crumble bacon first, you’ll need about 12 normal slices. Is it a lot of bacon? Nope, it is the perfect amount. Bacon is life, people. Live a little. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, about 6 1/3 oz or 180g

1 cup or 100g smoked bacon crumbles

550g or 1 lb 3.4 oz pumpkin or butternut squash, weight: peeled and cored

Freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne pepper, optional

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ chicken stock cubes

1 cup or 200g long grain rice

¼- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, depending on your taste

Vegetarian option: Instead of the bacon, add some grated hard cheese at the end of cooking time, just before the last five minute rest. Parmesan would be good or even a smoked cheddar or provolone.

Method

Remove the seeds from your pumpkin or butternut squash. Peel it and cut it into small chunks.

Peel and finely chop the onion.

Combine the onion, bacon crumbles and pumpkin together in a large microwaveable bowl. Add a few generous grinds of black pepper and, if desired, a good sprinkle of cayenne.

Mix well then dot the butter on top and cover the bowl with cling film or a plate.

Pierce the cling film a couple of times with a pointy knife, if using, and microwave on High for 6 minutes until everything’s hot and starting to cook.

While the vegetables are cooking, bring a kettle or pot of water to the boil and make 3 cups or 700ml stock using the chicken cubes. Carefully remove the hot bowl from the microwave and uncover one corner to allow the hot steam to escape without burning yourself. Remove the cover entirely.

Add in the rice and season with salt. We try to watch our sodium intake and since the stock cube has so much already, I only put a ¼ teaspoon in my dish. If you like things saltier, by all means, add more.

Stir well to thoroughly mix everything together. Pour in the stock.

Make sure to push any rice grains under the surface of the stock so they’ll cook well in the liquid.

Cover the bowl with a fresh piece of cling film (don’t forget to pierce it two or three times) or the same plate and microwave on High for 10 minutes. Uncover carefully!

Give it a stir. Then microwave for 5-7 minutes or until the rice is cooked. (Mine only took 5 minutes.)

Leave to stand, covered with a plate, for 5 minutes before giving everything a final stir.

Scoop straight into bowls to serve. Or, heck, put it in a pretty covered dish.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are all about recipes with rice! White, brown, black, wild, flat rice, puffed rice or rice flour. Sweet OR savory. Many thanks to our host, Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni. Check out the links below.

Arroz de Pato by Culinary Cam
Bhuga Chawal by Mayuri's Jikoni
Cheesy Rice by Amy's Cooking Adventures
Crab Sushi Bowl by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Crispy Rice Cereal Brittle by A Messy Kitchen
Fried Rice with Crab and Peas by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Hubble Bubble Pumpkin Rice Pot by Food Lust People Love
Varicha Bhat by Sneha's Recipe

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Sunday, January 18, 2026

Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders

The perfect finger food, popcorn-crusted chicken tenders are flavorful and crunchy with a buttered popcorn coating. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

If you have been reading here for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of Costco and shop there regularly when I am in the States but I must confess that, IMO, their microwave popcorn is terrible. So many kernels left unpopped that it’s ridiculous.

I bought my husband their enormous box of microwave popcorn a few years ago as a surprise treat and we ended up throwing most of it away. Did we have an old batch? The expiry date said otherwise. Truly, I didn't know what to think. If you’ve had a different experience, I’d love to hear about it. Maybe it's improved?

After trying many brands (Act II, Pop-secret, Orville Redenbacher, Jolly Time, etc.) we’ve finally decided that Orville Redenbacher original butter is the best value for money with the number of kernels that actually pop vs price and flavor. (Also no PFAS in the packaging these days.) So that’s what I used in this recipe. If you use a brand that tastes good and pops more reliably, I’d love to hear about that too!

That said, you can also use stovetop popped corn but then you won't have the buttery flavor in the crust.

Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders

This recipe was adapted for one on All Recipes that was meant to be cooked in an air fryer but having baked similar dishes in my oven, like my oven-baked butterflied shrimp and salt-and-vinegar-chip crusted cod fingers, I cranked up the temperature and it worked great. Crunchy chicken outside, tender tenders inside.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

Several generous grinds black pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

14 oz or 397g chicken tenders (about 8)

1 bag Orville Redenbacher butter microwave popcorn or your favorite brand

1 large egg + pinch sea salt

Method

Use a sharp knife to remove the thick white tendon from the tenders.

Dry them thoroughly with paper towels then season them with them with the salt, paprika, mustard powder and black pepper.

Toss them with the cornstarch to make sure they are seasoned all over and completely coated.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and line a baking pan with baking parchment or a silicone liner.

Pop the bag of popcorn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Open and leave to cool then measure out 4 cups or about 35g of popcorn into a plastic bag and crush it into crumbs.

In a large bowl, beat the egg well with the pinch of salt.

Dip the seasoned chicken pieces into the beaten egg.

Then add to popcorn crumb bag and shake to coat.

Place the coated chicken on your prepared baking pan.

Bake for 8 minutes in your preheated oven.

Turn the chicken over and cook for an addition 6-8 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Serve hot and crispy with your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for and/or with popcorn in celebration of National Popcorn Month! Many thanks to our host Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out the links below.

Beurre Noisette Popcorn Balls, A Bubbly, and Other Popcorn and Wine Pairings by Culinary Cam
Bourbon Popcorn Trio by Our Good Life
Caramel Popcorn by Sneha's Recipe
Nacho Cheese Popcorn Seasoning by Amy's Cooking Adventures
Parmesan Thyme Popcorn with Browned Butter by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders by Food Lust People Love
Popcorn Granola Bars by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Snack Mix by Making Miracles

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Sunday, September 28, 2025

Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs

Tender, juicy and flavorful, these spicy Guinness marinated chicken thighs tick all the savory boxes for a perfectly delicious prep-ahead main course.

Yes, this is my second chicken thigh recipe in a row. What can I say but right after wings – my favorite part of a chicken – thighs come in a very close second. They are meaty and stay juicy, even if slightly overcooked, something I cannot say for chicken breasts. I'm always afraid of drying those out!

I made this recipe with Guinness stout to celebrate National Drink a Beer Day which I am celebrating with my Sunday FunDay blogger friends. Make sure you scroll down to see links to the recipes everyone else is sharing.

Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs

I used Guinness for this recipe but you can substitute your favorite stout or dark beer. I happened to have a bottle open because I was baking double chocolate Guinness muffins for Muffin Monday. (Check back for that recipe tomorrow!) This recipe is adapted from one on Domestic Fits.

Ingredients

1 small shallot

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil, plus extra to oil baking pan

1/2 cup or 120ml Guinness Extra Stout Beer

1/4 cup or 60ml balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder (spice mix, not cayenne)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon MSG (monosodium glutamate)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

Method

Purée the shallot and garlic with the olive oil in a small food processor.

Add that mixture to a gallon bag along with the dry spices and sugar.

Add in the Guinness, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Seal the bag and massage it until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the spices are well mixed.

Add the chicken. Press the air out of the bag and seal so that the chicken is well coated with marinade.

Marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, chilled in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove the bag from the refrigerator and preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. Oil a large baking pan with olive oil.

Remove the chicken from marinade and put it in the baking pan, skin side up.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Pour the marinade in a small pot and gently bring it to the boil.

Keep it at a low boil for at least 10 minutes, then cook to reduce the liquid by half.

Use the cooked marinade to baste the chicken regularly as it bakes.

Remove from the oven and serve warm with any remaining cooked marinade on the side as a sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and as I mentioned above, we are celebrating National Drink a Beer Day. Check out the links below.

Beer and Garlic Marinated Chicken Breasts from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Beer Batter Fried Shrimp/Prawns with Green Tahini Sauce from Sneha's Recipe
Michelada from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs from Food Lust People Love
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup from Amy's Cooking Adventures

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Sunday, July 28, 2024

Fresh Blackberry Tarts

Sweet summer berries are the star in these fresh blackberry tarts baked in puff pastry with a hint of balsamic, honey and sea salt. Treat yourself and serve them with thick pouring cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The best thing about summer is all of the fresh produce that is suddenly available from either local sources or at least ones that don’t add airmiles to the price. I think we can all agree that anything picked nearby tastes more like it should since it’s allowed to ripen on the vine or bush instead of in the hold of a truck or airplane.

In the Channel Islands, there are blackberry bushes growing wild! Here they are called brambles and despite the vicious thorns, we wait eagerly for the berries to ripen so we can pick them. Nothing beats free fruit, am I right?

Fresh Blackberry Tarts

Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets come in a box of two with a total weight of 1.1 lbs or 490g. I used only one sheet for these four tarts.

Ingredients for four individual tarts

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but chilled (I used Pepperidge Farm, see note above)

12 oz or 340g fresh blackberries

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons butter

Optional to serve: thick pouring cream or vanilla ice cream.

Method

In a mixing bowl, toss the blackberries and the cornstarch together.

Add in the honey, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir gently to combine. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare a baking pan by lining it with baking parchment or a silicone liner.

Gently unroll the puff pastry and cut it into four equal pieces. Place them in the prepared pan. Fold the sides up slightly, pinching them together to form an outside crust. If the sides don’t want to stick together, wet them with just a drop or two of water to help them adhere to each other.