2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring (optional if you are using a Charcoal BBQ)
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 TB sugar
2 teaspoons garlic salt
4 - 7 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
favorite grilling veggies chopped in large chunks to be skewered
* I like to add herbs to match the flavors of my meal: Asian night I add a little ginger, Italian night I add basil and oregano, Mexican night I add a little cumin....
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. poor 1/5 of the marinade in large bowl, toss the veggies with it and sprinkle with tiny bit more salt cover and set aside. Place chicken in the bowl, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow chicken to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator. I would shoot for at least 2 hours if the breast are large.
Preheat the grill for high heat. Skewer the veggies.
Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.Throw on the veggies and cook until desired done-ness.
Your chicken will look beautiful and taste great too! We have served this to five different dinner guests and everyone raves about it. Itis really super good!
American Test Kitchen has done it again! They have blessed me with one of the best recipes I have ever come across - Tandoori Chicken. I have always wanted to make it but just never got around to it, but finally I did. Like most always I turned to ATK to get a trusted recipe. It is LOVE poeple. My tate buds were in HEAVEN!!! I fell in love with Tandoori chicken even though this recipe is not the most authentic - it is not made in a tandoor which is a small kiln for baking things at super high temps. Many people's version are very spicy and add food coloring to give its trade mark orange color. But when food coloring is not necessary I skip out on it and this recipe feels the same. This dish is homey and yet exotic. The tenderness of the chicken is amazing as is the flavor thanks to the great cooking method- low temp bake followed by super hot broil. When I served this I knew it was something great. I kept wishing I had my foodie family around to marvel with me. But I was excited that Bridger kept saying, "Mommy this is the best chicken ever ever! This is my favorite!" That is pretty awesome too. So I might have hyped it too much so you'll make it and then be like, "whatever its not that good!" ...So here is the deal. Call me up and say "hey, make me some tandoori." and I will say "come right now and we'll do it!" and then I will serve you the yummiest Indian food you have ever tasted and kiss me on the cheek because you just cant help yourself. Ok? I mean it. This is something I would make for anyone just to share the love of it all and lets be honest so, then I'd get to eat it again too.
One ting I must tell you now. I did the recipe wrong. I left the skin on. I missed the whole remove the skin part when it listed the ingredients. Luckily I was intuitive enough to adapt a little here and there as I went - I added more salt, and I cooked it longer on both cooking settings. My chicken was fabulous despite my inability to read the recipe perfectly. So know you have two recipes to try! You can do it my way or follow their directions. I will make notes throughout so you can adapt it too if you want.
2 TB veg oil 6 med garlic gloves, minced or pressed 2 TB grated fresh ginger 1 TB garam masala (see note) 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek) 4 TB lime juice- divided 2 tsp table salt (I used more because I love my salt - probably 1/2 tsp more) 3 pounds bone-in-skin-on chicken parts breast, thigh or drumsticks. Remove the skin and excess fat. (I did thighs and drumsticks with skin).
1.) Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook just until fragrant bout 1 minute. Add garam masala, cumin, and chili powder, continue to cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer half of garlic spice mixture to medium bowl and stir in the yogurt and 2 TB lime juice ans set aside. ( I added 1/4 tsp salt to the yogurt)
2.) In a large bowl combine remaining garlic spice mixture, 2 TB lime juice, and salt. using a sharp knife, lightly score skinned side of each piece of chicken, making 2 or 3 shallow cuts about 1 in. apart and about 1/8 inch deep; transfer chicken to large bowl with spices and rub the slat spice mixture evenly on all pieces of chicken. Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes. (ok, I lifted the skin off the meat rubbed the spices under the skin and then put skin back over chicken and rubbed the outside of the chicken with the spice mixture, and I added more salt to my mixture as well. Then I let my chicken sit for four hours in the refrigerator. )
3.) Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss until chicken pieces are coated with thick layer. Arrange chicken pieces, scored side down on wire rack set in foil lined cookie sheet. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Bake chicken until instant -read thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 125 degrees for breast and 130 for legs and thighs, 15 to 25 minutes (mine took longer). Smaller pieces take longer so transfer then to a plate while the other pieces bake to their needed temperature.
4.) After removing the chicken from the oven turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes. Once broiler is heated flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots and the instant-read thermometer registers 165 for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 8 to 15 minutes ( mine took longer). Remove from oven and light cover chicken with foil and let it rest for five minuets . serve with Basmati Rice - pilaf style or any Indian relish. Be simple like me and serve it with perfectly cooked Basmati rice toss with slated butter. yum!
note: If you cant find garam masala substitute with 2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. ( I didn't have cardamom - thought I did, darn it. I added two small dashes of cayenne pepper though)
I got this recipe from Cook's Illustrated December 2009 edition. CI is American Test Chicken's Monthly Magazine. I love them. Such good food to be had!
The only problem making this dish is that you cant find Thai basil easily. My mom has a plant at her house so I will have to ask her where she bought the seeds and plant some of my own. But don't distress this recipe was written for Italian basil using Americans and is still so dang good! LOVE IT!
*American Test Kitchen Recipes are not for those who don't like cooking. They are all about getting the best taste not about one pan cooking. Lucky for me I like going dishes, I love cooking, and I love sharing my masterpieces with my family thus I appreciate them very much.
Note: This is a mild version of the Thai stir fry. It is a slow Thai stir-fry contrary to the super hot Chinese version. What makes Thai heat so delicious is the sugar they add to almost every dish. if you amp up the heat amp up the sugar too and if you cut back on heat cut back on the sugar. The ratio of heat to sugar is important in Thai food.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled 2 green Serrano chilies or 6 Red Thai chilies, stemmed (cut out seeds) leave in the seeds if you want it really hot. 1 TB fish sauce 1 tsp white rice vinegar 1 TB oyster sauce * I did not have so I added 1 TB sweet soy sauce and then omitted the sugar 1 TB sugar 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast chopped super fine * I asked the butcher to chop mine for me but you can put it into a food processor and mince it yourself at home if you want. I used 1 1/2 lbs. 3 medium Shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3/4 cups) 2 TB vegetable oil
1.) Process one cup basil leaves, garlic, and chilies in food processor until finely chopped.Transfer 1 TB of the basil mixture to a small bowl and stir in 1 TB fish sauce, 1 TB oyster sauce, vinegar, and sugar; set aside. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 12 inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet.
2.) Add 1 TB fish sauce and 1 TB water to food processor and turn on letting the liquid clean and gather the basil mixture. Pour over the minced chicken and cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. OR if you are mincing your chicken in the processor add the chicken cut into 2x2 inch cubes into the "dirty" processor with the basil traces and then added 1 TB fish sauce. Pulse 6 to eight times. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3.) Stir shallots and oil into basil mixture on skillet. Heat over med-low heat after 1 1/2 min the mixture should start to sizzle if it dosen't in that time change heat accordingly. Stir constantly until garlic and shallots are golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
4.) Add chicken, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring and breaking up chicken until only a few traces of pink remain, 2 to 4 minutes. Add reserve basil-fish sauce mixture and continue to cook stirring constantly, until all traces of pink are gone. Add the remaining cup basil leaves and cook 30 to 60 seconds until the basil leaves are wilted. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.
In Thailand they serve it with fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and vinegar as condiments for people to add to the dish as they like.
Had this at my mom's house and really loved it. Enjoy!
12 chicken breasts sliced in half ...I would use less then that- like half 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped 2 cloves chopped garlic 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 pepper 1/4 melted butter 8 ish slices of Swiss cheese enough to place slice on top of watch piece of chicken 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup water 1 3/4 cup corn bread stuffing tossed with 1/4 cup butter
Directions mix lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and butter together. mix prepared chicken and seasoning together in a 9x13 pan making sure that each piece of chicken is coated nicely. Then place a slices of Swiss cheese over the chicken. mix cream of chicken soup and water together and pour over cheese. Then in a separate bowl mix dry stuffing mix and butter together. Sprinkle over the soup. cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour then turn up heat to 425 and bake for 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Enjoy!
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix 1/4 cup oil or vegetable oil 2 TB firmly packed brown sugar 2 TB peanut butter 1 pound chicken breasts cut into thin strips or thin chunks * I added a little super hot garlic pepper sauce.
In a large glass bowl combine soup mix, oil, brown sugar, peanut butter. Then add the cut chicken breasts and toss to coat well. Marinate for 30 minutes.
You can either thread the chicken onto water soaked wooden skewers or spread out on a large cookie sheet. Then Broil or grill chicken. Cook until no longer pink. About 4 minutes each side in the broiler.
Serve with any favorite Thai dipping sauce or by its self. This is Stew's favorite these days.
In my search for easy meals that would be good to use post baby I tried this one out. I thought this would be gross but we actually liked it; the kids more then Stew and I but for an easy do ahead meal this was pretty darn good. Of course I have changed it like I seem to always do to recipes, so feel free to do the same when you try it out. My kids thought it was great. They kept calling it pizza. Yeah, it was just that good. :)
1 jar spaghetti sauce 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 and 1/2 pound chicken tenders - I chopped my chicken in small pieces so my kids wouldn't be as scared off by it; they have meat aversions. And I am pretty sure I used less thena pound 14 uncooked manicotti shells 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ( I used Italian blend pre-shreeded cheese) *I added parmesean cheese
1.) Spread about one-third of sauce in ungreased 9 x 13 pan
2.) Sprinkle garlic salt and parmesean cheese on chicken. Insert chiken into uncooked manicotti shells. ( I didn't worry about putting a lot of chiken in mine and I used a knife to help me push the chicken in wihtout gettign my figners all gross with chicken juice and garlic salt) Palce shells in pan.
3.) Pour remaining sauce evenlt over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with cheese.
4.) You can then either put it in the freezer for up to a month or put it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Cover with aluminum foil with both oppsions.
5.) If frozzen heat oven to 350 degrees and bake covered for about 1 1/2 hours until shells are tender. If refrigerated heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour covered.
This was a easy and yummy way to cook up a little Asian heaven on a weeknight.
1/4 cup chicken broth 1 TB. cornstarch 1 TB. sugar 2 TB. soy sauce 1 TB. white vinegar 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper *we thought it could use a little more but I would stick to the recipe if you or your family is sensitive to spice 1 TB. peanut oil 1 lb. chicken cut into small pieces 1 clove garlic 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1 red pepper, cut into strips 1/3 cup peanuts 2 green onions thinly sliced
mix broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Set it aside. Heat frying pan with oil. Add chicken, garlic, and ginger --stir fry for about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add bell pepper and stir fry for 1 minute. Add sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove form heat and sprinkle with peanuts and green onions. Serve with stir fry veggies and rice.
This is a Mormon type dish that is super easy and as yummy as it is fattening. I like to think of this as the Mexican equivalent of funeral potatoes.
1 can cream chicken soup 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup milk 1 can green chilies 1/2 medium or 1 small onion finely chopped 2 cups chicken cooked and cut or shredded into small pieces 12 CORN tortillas cut into small pieces salt and pepper to taste 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
In a 9x13 pan mix together the first five ingredients. Then add the chicken, tortillas, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with the cheese. Cover and refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
This looked fun and new for me and really yummy. Stew and I really enjoyed it. It isn't the easiest chicken dish I have ever made but I was excited to try it out so it wasn't a pain for me to make it. Plus seeing Stewart love it made it worth all the work.
I made a few changes to the original recipe. I will put an * by the things that our my additions. Please feel free to change the recipe to your taste as well!!! :)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1 TB lime juice 1 TB honey 1 tsp salt * 2/3 cup finely crushed tortilla chips 1 can (14 oz.) stewed tomatoes with onions and mild chilies 1/4 cup cilantro leaves 1 large garlic peeled 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1 TB lime juice* dash of salt* 1 cup shredded jack or cheddar cheese
1.) pat chicken dry. In a shallow bowl stir together the lime, honey, and 1 tsp salt. place tortilla chips in a bag. Turn each chicken piece in honey mixture to coat; then drop into chips and shale to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 475 degrees until done about 15 minutes.
2.) meanwhile, in a blender combine whole can of tomatoes and their juice, cilantro, garlic, oregano, lime, and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan and heat over high heat. Boil until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups. Reduce heat and keep warm.
3.) Sprinkle chicken with cheese and continue to bake until cheese is melted.
4.) to serve spoon warm salsa on plate and then place the chicken on top.
Hello people who look at this blog! I am sorry I have died to the world of food, but no worries I am slowly making a recovery. :O) This recipe makes it in my blog because it is the only new thing I have tried lately and because I really liked it.
This is why I think it is a winner: -my kids get veggies in a kid friendly way - had a slight creamy taste - it's a whole meal in one dish - was different then your average chicken noodle - easy, most time spent is with chopping
My notes on this recipe:I used way less herbs. I did dashes, not tsp. I didn't add the salt. It is thick, Stewart asked if we needed forks when he set the table. :O) I used cream of mushroom too because I only had one can of cream of chicken - you wouldn't even know it tasted great. I used less chicken, less money if I didn't add it and my kids wont eat it. I think I might add more water if I added it all. Please know that when you cook you do what you would like. In my book recipes are only spring boards from which you can explore and customize to your taste.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
8 cups Water 2 T. Chicken Bouillon 2 can cream of chicken soup 1 sm. Onion, chopped fine 1 1/2 cups Carrots, chopped 1 1/2 cup Peas, frozen 3 cup Chicken, cooked and shopped into small pieces one large stalk celery chopped 1/2 tsp Thyme leaves, crushed 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp. Pepper 1/4 tsp. Parsley flakes 1/4 Basil 1/8 tsp Oregano 1 (12 oz.) pkg. Egg noodles, any type - I like no yolks, healthier
Mix water, bouillon and cream of chicken soup together in large soup pot. Then add everything else. Cook until noodles are done and then remove from heat and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes to thicken and cool. EAT!!! I put rolls in the oven while it thickened. Timing was perfect.
Growing up this was a favorite Relief Society Dish. It is super easy and yet tastes different then the usually recipes with cream of something soup and cream cheese. I bet you could do it in a crock pot if you wanted too, but I would probably always do in in a baking pan.
Catalina Chicken
1 (8oz.) bottle of Catalina -I always use light dressing 1 env. dry onion soup 1 can whole cranberry sauce 4-6 chicken breasts
mix all ingredients together and pour over the chicken breasts. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes. You can cover with foil if you want.
Serve with rice. I like to use brown rice to make it more healthy.
This dinner is one of my Favorite Summer and Spring Mexican feasts. It is fresh, healthy and Oh, so yummy!
Mexican Dry Soup - Sopa Seca
I love this! It's a classic of my mom's. It is nice to have a side dish other then refried beans and Spanish rice when its a mexican night. It is fresh and so good. A nice change at least! And honestly it taste very Mexican, not Italian at all!
1 to3 TB oil 18 to 14 oz package of Mexican broken vermicelli 1 can petite diced tomatoes chicken bullion to taste pepper Basil 1/4 tsp maybe 1/2 onion chopped in small pieces 1/2 green bell pepper chopped in small pieces 2 cups chicken broth Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot add the vermicelli. Saute until the noddles start to brown to a light golden brown. can burn so watch carefully. then add onion and bell pepper. let that saute some more to slightly cook that veggies and continue browning noodles. when the noddles are a nice light brown and the veggies are a little soft add the can of tomatoes. stir in the pepper, Basil, and bullion. Then add the chicken broth. reduce the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer 10 minutes or until the soupiness is gone and the noddles are tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with Parmesan and recover until ready to serve. This one of our favorites!
Bean Salad
1 can black beans drained and rinsed 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed 1 can corn drained 1 green bell pepper diced into small pieces 1/2 onion diced into small pieces garlic to taste (powder or fresh chopped works) 1/2 cup vegetable oil (adjust to taste) 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (adjust to taste) 1 tsp chicken bullion (adjust to taste) Romain lettuce rinsed and chopped "Salad Jazz "Chili Lime Salad seasoning (I get it at Walmart by the produce and/or salad dressings) its spicy so add it slowly and keep gage the flavor to see when it is enough for your taste. *tomato, cilantro, and avocado are good additions too
drain canned goods and chop the pepper and onion and mix together in a large bowl. stir in the garlic. Then add the oil, vinegar, bullion, and chili lime flavoring ( I have never used the whole thing so don't add too much) mix and let the flavors meld. Then rinse and chop your lettuce. Arrange it on a large plater. Spread the bean salad on the center of the lettuce. making sure the the juices make it on the lettuce too. Then serve and enjoy. You can sprinkle a little cheese if you would like. I also like to add tomato and avocado too!
Super Easy Healthyish Chicken!
I found these marinades at the store and have fallen in love with them. I like them because they aren't like tha bottles types that add a lot of sugar to your chicken. These are sugar free and very flavorfull! And so easy!
1 to 2 pound Chicken (I prefer to use chicken breats cut in half so theya ren't so thick, this makes it easier to have tender juicy meat) 1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Marinade - Okay these are great our favorites are the Grill Mates MESQUITE Marinade Mix and Grill Mates ZESTY HERB Marinade Mix and want to try the Grill Mates HICKORY BBQ Marinade Mix soon. For a Mexican night I I like the Mesquite the best
Marinade as directed ( I never need more then 15 minutes to get intense flavor) and then either grill, broil, heat it up on your foreman grill or cook in a frying pan. So little fat and major yummy flavor!
* I have also added thick sliced bell pepper and onion to the marinade and then cooked along side the meat to make yummy easy Fajitas.
Dessert
Either of these deserts is great. I made these when I was kid. We had two orange trees and one tangerine tree in our back yard so these were treats I made often. These are especially great during the spring and hot summer months.
The Real Orange Julius
Four Tangerines or Clementines (1 for each person) Lite whipped cream
Peel and separate the tangerine sections. Remove excess white stuff on the outside of the sections. Arrange in a circular pattern on a plate with a soup bowl in the center. Sprinkle the tangerines with a little water and then sprinkle with a little white sugar. Put in the freezer. Half an hour before you want to eat desert remove the tangerine halves from the freezer to slightly thaw. Fill the bowl with the whipped topping. Serve. People can dip their tangerine pieces in the whipped topping. so good!
Oranges? -yeah you'll like this better then ice cream!
4 ripe firm oranges powdered sugar
Cut oranges in rings 1/4 inch thick. Then cut through the peel and then peel it away from the orange itself. arrange the slices nicely on a serving plate. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving put 1/2 powdered sugar in a fine strainer and dust the oranges until they have a adequate dusting of sugar. Serve and fall in love with oranges all over again!
*to jazz these up for company add in other fruits as well. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are my favorite to serve along with these simply fresh deserts.
This is fun recipe I sort of Emilyized and I think it is worth sharing.
Pizza dough Alfredo Sauce Half of a Green Bell pepper quarter of a small onion Smoked provolone cheese - as much as you want Deli cut roast beef - I like it cut a little thicker for this recipe - as much as you want
Prepare your dough and roll it out on a cookie sheet. Then spread on your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce, don't add too much. If you add too much it's flavor will over power the other ingredients. Then sprinkle on the very thinly sliced green pepper and onion. Sprinkle on half of the cheese ( which I cut up the pre-sliced kind into long strips. After lay on cut strips of roast beef add as much as you want, am not a huge beef fan so I didn't add to much but if you are beef lovers have at it! Then add the other half of the cheese. I sprinkled on a little salt and pepper . and popped it in the oven until cooked and bubbly. I think it is really fun way to do something different when you are making pizza at home.
Thai Fajitas
If you are a little shy about Thai food this might not be your favorite dish but we loved it. It is a recipe I sort of made up and it is a simply version of Thai food with ingredients most people have on hand - no fish sauce required!
Meat filling 1 pound sliced chicken salt and pepper to taste 1 bell pepper RED 2 TB minced bell pepper 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1 sliced green onion
Extras tortillas 1 large tomato sliced ice burg or butter lettuce
Add sliced chicken to pan and salt and pepper to taste. when half when cooked add bell pepper, garlic, red pepper flaks and ginger. Cook until the bell pepper is tender. Then add the cilantro.
While cooking prepare the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients and stir until smooth. I added a little cilantro to it too, but I think it isn't necessary.
Then add the meat mixture to a tortilla, top with lettuce, tomato, and sauce and dig in. Its different and fun.
Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars
Okay, so this one I didn't make up but we really like it. It's rich and moist and balanced out with the tang of raspberries. Love it!
1/2 cup butter or margarine 2 cups white chocolate chips 2 large eggs 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp almond extract 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 325. grease and sugar a 9 by 9 inch pan
Melt butter in microwave safe bowl on high for 1 minute. stir. then add 1 cup of white chocolate but do not stir and set aside
Beat eggs in medium bowl until foamy. add sugar beat until lemon colored, about 5 minutes. stir in the butter and chocolate mixture. add flour, slat and almond extract. mix on low until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown around edges. remove from oven
Heat jam in microwave for about 30 seconds. then spread over the hot crust. Add the remaining cup of white chocolate chips to batter and then drop spoonfuls of it over the jam. Then sprinkle with the almonds
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. cool completely in pan on wire rack. cut into bars. So good and pretty!
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.
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
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.
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!
I served this with some fried rice and it was a hit. I added a little chicken bullion because my canned chicken wasn't very salty. I used a full bag of coleslaw mix that was larger then the recipe called for so I made a little extra sauce. It is super easy to make, healthy and yummy.
¼ cup veg oil
3 TB sugar
2 TB seasoned rice vinegar
1 TB soy sauce
¼ pound Chinese pea pod, strings removed (1 cup), cut diagonally in half
3 cups coleslaw mix
1 can (10 ounces) chunk light chicken, drained
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Mix oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Salad De Masion
This Recipe is from Stewart's Aunt Sherri Larsen. I have had this at her home twice and loved it. Over our Christmas trip I was able to get it from her. It is to die for!!! Usually I shy away from salads with bacon but this one won me over. It sure isn't healthy but when you want to wow people who wont realize how much mayo it calls for then I say just go for it!!!
Salad: 2 bags of Romain Lettuce raised and torn into bite size pieces 1 lbs. Bacon fried and cut up - I hate frying bacon so I bought ready to use stuff. The flavor isn't quite as good but saving myself the time and mess was well worth it for me grape/cherry tomatoes 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly shredded - I used the high quality pre-shredded stuff 1 cup Swiss cheese - I found some pre-shredded stuff who knew they had that?!?!?! croûtons
Dressing: 4 sliced green onions 2 cups mayo - please don't use miracle whip!!! Juice of 1 large Lemon Mrs. Dash lemon pepper to taste I think I added a little slat and pepper too
Prepare the salad dressing and then ensemble the salad. Add as much dressing as you like and mix well. I like to give it a little time mixed together before serving so the croûtons can soften a little bit.
This week we have tried two new chicken recipes that we really liked. They are different then the normal Mormon cuisine and aren't overly healthy but they are healthy enough for my standards and very yummy if you dig the non-Mormon cuisine. :o)
Lemon Dill Chicken
¼ cup margarine or salted butter
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound)
½ cup chicken broth
1 TB chopped fresh or ½ teaspoon dried dill weed – I recommend fresh
1 TB lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 medium green onion sliced
1.)Melt butter in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper chicken and then cook chicken in butter about six minutes turning once until brown
2.)Mix broth, dill weed, lemon juice, and salt and then pour over chicken. Heatto boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm
3.)meanwhile heat broth mixture adding half of the green onion and bring to a boil. Boil about 3 minutes or until reduced to about half, pour over chicken and sprinkle with other half of green onion
I served this with whole wheat pasta and the "traditional Ragu" sauce (my favorite these days) jazzed up by adding my favorite frozen vegetables to the pasta water for the last few minutes of cooking (fresh vegetables work too). I know a girl that her kids wont it vegetables at all so she purees them in the blender and then adds them to stuff. - So thats an idea to trick your kids into eating them more.
Thai Basil and Mint Chicken
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (1pound) salted to taste
2 TB vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red or green jalapeño chilies seeded and finely chopped - I know it sounds like a lot but its fine
1 table spoon fish sauce - don't be too scared off by this you can't taste the fishness once cooked, I used a little less though
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 TB chopped fresh mint leaves
1.)cut each breast in half into 4 pieces and lightly salted to taste
2.) heat oil in wok/skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic, chilies in oil stirring constantly, until garlic is golden.
3.)Add lightly salted chicken, stir-fry 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil and mint.
I served this with a simple vegetable stir fry from frozen vegetables and a made up sauce (chicken broth, soy sauce, basil, green onions, a little brown sugar, and a little seasoned rice vinegar, and thickened with corn starch) and also some steamed Jasmine rice. If you go whole grain rice it'd be even more healthy!
* Both of these Recipes were from Betty Crocker's Good And Easy Cookbook and alterations were made by yours truly
-Egg substitutes work just fine in baking and even custards. Egg Beaters Brand was ranked highest in taste by America's Test Kitchen.
-Brine-ing your beans gives your beans a better flavor and they even cook more evenly. Soak beans in water with 2 tsp. salt per quart of water.
-When you make a vinaigrette add 1/4 tsp Mayo for each 1/4 of vinaigrette. You wont notice the taste but it helps emulsify the oil and vinegar so they don't separate as much!
-To get better results with your baking make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You can accomplish this easily by putting them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes.
- If you find yourself out of brown sugar you can make it yourself! for light brown sugar add 1 Tb of molasses to 1 cup of white sugar. For dark brown sugar add 2 TB per cup of white sugar.
- You can make your own cake flour. Add 2 TB of corn starch to 7/8 cups all purpose flour = it will equal 1 cup. ( guess take away 2 table spoons of flour and replace with corn starch is the same thing.
-Powdered sugar is simply finely ground white sugar and corn starch. So if you ever find yourself out of powdered sugar and need it right then you can just blend some corn starch and white sugar in your blender and there you have it. It wont be as good but it works.
- As a general rule when using dried herbs in place of fresh half the amount called for.
-Adding a little corn starch to your pie crust does magical things.
- When replacing canned beans for dried beans you use five 8 oz canned for 1 pound dry.
