Ep 3. Weeknight Celebration

In the 14th season of 30 Minute Meals, celebrity chef Rachael Ray brings to viewers another exciting episode named "Weeknight Celebration." In this episode, Rachael holds nothing back as she whips up a delicious meal in just 30 minutes that will leave viewers wanting more.

Rachael kicks things off with a mouth-watering starter - a savory onion soup with melted gruyere cheese-crusted bread. She explains how to make the soup by thinly slicing onions and cooking it in a pot with butter, salt, and thyme. Rachael then adds beef stock, white wine, and Worcestershire sauce, bringing it to a boil before reducing it to a simmer. Finally, she tops each bowl with gruyere cheese and places it under the broiler to melt.

For the main dish, Rachael shows viewers how to make a dish that is perfect for any weeknight celebration - a quick skillet chicken with apricot and honey sauce. She starts by seasoning skinless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, and then cooking them in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. After flipping the chicken, Rachael adds chopped apricots, apple cider vinegar, honey, and water to create a sauce, before covering the whole skillet and letting it cook for another eight minutes.

To add freshness and color to the dish, Rachael serves a side of couscous salad, made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and parsley. She cooks the couscous in chicken stock, adds olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice for flavor, and then mixes in the chopped veggies and herbs.

Rachael wraps up the meal with a sweet and indulgent dessert - a Nutella and hazelnut banana bread pudding. She starts by slicing banana bread into cubes and layering it in a baking dish. In a separate bowl, she mixes together Nutella, milk, and eggs, then pours it over the banana bread. Before baking, Rachael sprinkles chopped hazelnuts on top of the pudding, giving it a delicious crunch.

Throughout the episode, Rachael shares several tips and tricks to make weeknight cooking easy and enjoyable. From using a veggie peeler to peel ginger quickly to creating one pan meals to save on clean-up time, viewers will walk away with new and improved cooking strategies.

Overall, "Weeknight Celebration" is an episode that showcases Rachael's ability to create exciting, flavorful, and easy-to-prepare meals in just 30 minutes. Whether viewers are cooking for themselves or entertaining guests, they are sure to be inspired by Rachael's inventive and delicious recipes.