More Super Yummy Chicken

I tried these two chicken recipes this week and we loved them. So if you want some more yummy new chicken ideas I recommend these recipes.

Orange Chicken

Stewart loves Panda's orange chicken, and honestly who doesn't like Panda's yummy orange chicken?!?!?! Our problem is we really have zero budget for eating out so I thought I'd try to recreate it at home. I looked for a good recipe and I found a lot but they were all so much work I just really wasn't sure it'd be worth the work. But then I happened upon this recipe and it looked simple enough so we tried it and we really liked it. Its not exactly like Panda's but its close enough for us. I think it will be a family favorite that I will make to win my husband's heart time and time again. :o)

Sauce Ingredients
1 TB vegetable oil
2 TB minced garlic
4 sliced green onion
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken Broth
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB chili garlic sauce ( I used Sriracha HOT chili sauce) I am not sure this is what it really calls
for but next time I will use less because it was a bit spicy for me)
3 TB Soy Sauce
2 TB corn starch

Other Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 chicken breasts - I used 1 pound chicken cut into smaller pieces
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
dash of salt
peel from 1/2 orange chopped into small pieces

1.) Prepare the sauce in a medium sized sauce pan. Heat oil add minced garlic and sliced green onion. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. then reduce heat and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens. Set aside until the chicken is done.

2.) Slice chicken into bite size pieces. combine egg and milk in a med. bowl. Pour the flour into another bowl. Coat chicken in flour a few times then into the egg mixture and then back into the flour. I did it half at a time.

3.)Heat oil in a wok - or big frying pan like me. When the oil is heated, cook the chicken until it is golden brown.

4.) When frying is almost done a runny corn starch mixture to sauce and briny to a boil stirring constantly until it reaches your desired thickness. Taste sauce and add salt as needed. set aside again. Strain off the excess oil from chicken when completed and then add orange peel and heat for 20- 30 seconds. Add the sauce and gently stir until warmed through.
Serve with rice.

*We found that after it had cooled a bit its flavor was better. Either way we really liked it!

Chicken Scala

I had no idea how this would turn out. I haven't had anything like it before that I know of but it was surprisingly good. I eat like three helpings plus the kids left overs!

4 chicken breasts, I used 1 or more pounds of chicken tenders just because that is what I had, I
think I will keep doing it that way though I like smaller pieces of chicken they seem to have
more flavor and are more tender when they are smaller not to mention it takes a lot less time
to cook it.
1/4 c butter
1/2 c sour cream I used reduced fat sour cream - Daisy brand id my favorite
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TB flour - used way more then that, I ended up really coating the chicken I am not sure if I guess I did it wrong but we liked it that way, next time I guess I'll do what th recipes says to see if it makes a difference
1 can Campbell's beef Consommé, undiluted
1 TB Parmesan (optional)

Sprinkle chicken with flour ( I coated my chicken ) . Heat butter in skillet. Saute chicken for 15 minutes (I did a lot less then that, maybe 8 minutes) until browned and mostly cooked. Add consommé, simmer covered for 45 minutes ( I did more like 5-10 minutes). Stir in sour cream and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes more ( I did more like 5). Put in a serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and run under broiler until the cheese is golden. Serve with rice.

That last part with the broiler I so didn't do. I just sprinkled it with the cheese. I had a lot of broth/sauciness left over, maybe because I didn't cook for all the time it asks for :o) But it worked out great to have on our egg noddles, my kids like noodles better then rice but I think booth would be great.

Needing New Chicken Ideas?

Okay, so this first recipe is so good you should really do it. Stew loves it, mom Ras really liked it when she was hear...it is really really good. The ones after are recipes we will do again but not as a weekly event. However they are good, fun to try, and a good way to mix things up a bit.

Parmesan-Dijon Chicken

I like Dijon but I am not a huge fan but this recipe was prefect so if you aren't a mustard fan you still might like this one.

3/4 cup dry bread crumb ( I used Italian ones and I added a little extra salt to it)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( I didn't bother using the expensive freshly grated kind)
1/4 cup margarine, butter, or spread ( I have made it with all of the above and the butter was the best but was the highest in calorie)
2 TB Dion mustard
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 and 1/2 pound)

1.) Heat Oven to 375

2.) mix bread crumbs and cheese in large plastic bag. Combine margarine and mustard. Dip the chicken in the mustard mixture . Shake chicken in the bag to coat with crumb mixture.

3.) Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes, turning once (I never remembered to turn them and they were fine), until cooked through.

Alfredo Chicken and Veggie Dinner

This is really unhealthy but a easy way to have a complete meal in one dish. If you don't like these veggies then you can do whatever variety you like.

2 TB butter
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves lightly salted and peppered
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup chopped squash
1/2 canned mushrooms
1/4 tsp chicken bullion or salt
1/2 tsp basil
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 to 1/2 grated Parmesan

1.) Melt butter in 10-ich skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken in butter until cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove chicken and set in slightly warmed though off oven to keep warm.

2.) add onion and saute until soft. add garlic, and veggies. Season to taste with basil, slat and/or bullion. Cook until they start to get tender.

3.) Add the cream and Parmesan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken and then pour over cooked pasta or rice. I am a pasta person myself. :o)

Chicken Piccata

We liked this but its not a all time favorite. It was fun to try though. :o)

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all purpose flour seasoned with salt to taste
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2 TB lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 TB capers if desired

1.) coat Chicken with flour lightly seasoned with slat, shaking off excess

2.) melt butter in 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken and garlic in the butter until it is cooked through.

3.) add the broth and lemon juice, sprinkle with pepper. heat until hot. Sprinkle with capers

Crepes - I love them!!!

Okay, so we had crepes as our fancy Home made Valentine's Day Dinner and it was fabulous! I just made up the stuff for the insides and it turned out perfect. Here are my recipes if you want to try it out yourself.

Crepes

2 eggs
6 TB water
1 cup whole milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 TB melted butter

Put all the ingredients in your blender and blend until well incorporated. Put it in the fridge for at lest two hours before cooking. Lightly butter a large skillet pan heated on medium heat. Using 1/4 cup of batter pour it in the center of the pan and then rotate the pan in a circle to spread out the batter to make a large thin circular shape (it should sizzle when the batter hits the pan). Let the crepe cook for 30 to 60 seconds until the bottom starts to brown and then using a thin spatula flip it over and cook the other side for 30 to 60 seconds when it is slightly browned as well. place the finished ones on a plate lined with a paper towel. Then wont stick together so just stack them ontop of each other. They taste good roomtempature or warm. The first two will be your worst but by then end they will be turning out perfect. I promise!!! I recommend making them in advance, that way you aren't just making them as your family eats them up a cook and never get to sit down and eat yourself. I would just place plastic wrap over them and set them in the fridge. Later you can set them out to bring them back to room temperature as your prepare the filling.

Crepe Fillings

Basil, Cheese, and Chicken Filling

I just made it up so the measurements aren't perfect. So just do what you think will be good.

1 Stick 1/3 less fat cream cheese at room temp
3 TB Gouda cheese
3 TB Parmesan cheese
2 TB chopped Fresh basil
2 TB finely chopped green onion
A couple dashes of garlic powder
Slat and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

1 lb. thinly sliced chicken
2 TB fresh basil
1 clove minced garlic
salt to taste
3 TB real Butter
1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat butter and then add lightly salted and peppered chicken to the hot pan. Saute for a coupel minutes until the chicken gets golden. Then add the green onion, garlic and basil cook together until it is aromatic. Then add the chicken broth and let the chicken simmer until reduced and the chicken is cooked through.

Assembly:

lay the crepes out and spread the cheese mixture down the center of the crepe and then spoon the chicken mixture in roll them up and arrange them on a large plate. Mix the left over cheese in with the left over juices from the chicken and then drizzles it over them. So divine!!!!

Strawberry and Banana Crepes

So my favorite way to have crepe is with ice cream, homemade butterscotch sauce, and banana foster but I wasn't up to that much work so I did this simpler healthier version.

Softened frozen yogurt
light whipped topping
sliced banana
crushed strawberries sweetened with sugar sugar

I laid out the crepes and spooned in the frozen yogurt, sprinkled with sliced banana. Rolled them up and arranged them on individual plates. I poured strawberries on top and spooned a dollop of whipped cream too. So yummy, pretty, and not that unhealthy for a desert!