Crispy Oven-fried Chicken

Crispy Oven-fried Chicken

from Keeping Up

1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg, beaten

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place all ingredients (except egg and chicken) in a food processor and pulse until uniformly mixed.  Pour mixture into a shallow dish.  Dip each piece of chicken in egg, then in seasoning mixture, pressing to coat.  Bake on a greased baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with yogurt dipping sauce.

dipping sauce:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

Whisk together sauce ingredients.  Make in advance for optimal flavor.

{cooks note}

This is a great low-fat recipe that is sure to please everyone in your family.  We prefer it without the dipping sauce.  I like to serve mine with garlic red mashed potatoes and homemade country gravy.  I guess it not really that low-fat if you make it with the gravy.  :)  You could have your crumb mixture and dipping sauce prepared ahead of time to make for a quick and delicious meal for your family on those busy nights.  

Egg and dry crumb mixture.

I like to bake mine on parchment paper to avoid the chicken from sticking to the pan.

Enjoy!    

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

from Ina Garten

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough tomoisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

{cooks note}

Warning: this is a labor intensive meal, but worth it.  You could take some short cuts like buying frozen carrots, but those just don't cut it for me.  There are a few things you could definitely prepare ahead of time to make the actual process shorter.  Something I would do differently the next time I make these is to not cube my chicken.  I think I will just buy a whole cooked chicken at Costco or cook my own and then pull the meat off of it.  I didn't really like the texture of the cubed chicken.  That's just me, though.  Oh, and I also just used boneless skinless chicken.  For the pastry, I do not have a food processor...yet.  I just made it the good old fashioned way and it turned out great.  Below is a picture of the reason why I post very little on this blog lately.  She is by my side constantly through this ear infection, cold, flu and most of all teething time. She is scheduled to see an ENT soon, so let's hope that solves the ear problems.  In the picture, she is teething on a cupboard knob.  Nice.

Bake and cube chicken.  Set aside.

Saute onions in butter.  I did not have frozen small whole onions, so I just cut up a yellow onion into larger chunks.

I like to use fresh herbs whenever possible.  Using fresh herbs really makes a difference in certain dishes.  

The filling.  Make sure you cut your carrot so it is bite sized.  

Once the pastry is over all of your pies, spread an egg wash (yolk/water mixture) over the top to help with browning.  Make three slits at the top for air to escape and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

About an hour later you have this to look forward to.  The perfect comfort food for a cold winter evening and it is even better the second day.

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Keeping Up

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded

Stir together honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder until combined.  Add chicken and let sit in marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2 (10-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
1 cup half and half
flour tortillas
shredded colby jack cheese

Mix enchilada sauce with half and half.  Spread roughly 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.  Fill flour tortillas with marinated chicken and shredded cheese, roll-up, then place side-by-side in baking dish.  Pour remaining enchilada suace over the top of the enchiladas and top with more cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.

{cooks note}

An easy dish to prepare ahead of time and quick to make.  Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans to make the meal complete.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Creamy Lemon Chicken

from Keeping Up

2 tablespoons olive oil

10 boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning or other spicy seasoning salt

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 pound fettuccine, cooked al dente according to package directions

Pat chicken tenders dry and sprinkle with Herbes de Provence and creole seasoning.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown tenders on both sides.  Add chicken broth and simmer just until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove chicken from broth and set aside.

Allow broth to simmer and reduce down for a few more minutes, then add cream and lemon zest.  Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until sauce has reduced to desired consistency.  Stir in lemon juice and add chicken back to sauce.  Serve over fettuccine.

Herbes de Provence is a French herb blend, readily available on the spice isle.  Your guests will never know these sophisticated flavors came together in 20 minutes!

{cooks note}

This dish will knock your socks off!  I added a little cayenne pepper to mine instead of creole seasoning.  I didn't want it too spicy because then my kids wouldn't eat it.  If you do not have chicken tenders like me, then cut your chicken down the middle and then you will have a chicken tender.  Once the chicken was browned on both sides and it was ready to be taken out of the pan, I placed it on a plate and covered it tightly with foil and stuck it in a warmed oven so it would stay warm and moist.  I also grated some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top of the chicken once it was added to the pasta.  Please go and try this soon.  It is worth a special trip to the grocery store just for the Herbes de Provence.  Oh, and your house will smell divine.

Browning chicken.

The sauce and chicken ready to join the pasta.

Please don't overcook your pasta...there is nothing worse than mushy overcooked pasta.  Set the timer!

Voila!

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken
from Your Home Based Mom (via Tasty Kitchen)


Chicken-
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ C all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce-
1 ½ C water
2 Tbsps orange juice
¼ C lemon juice
1/3 C rice vinegar
2 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp orange zest (grated)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ tsp ginger root (minced)
½ tsp garlic (minced)
2 Tbsp green onion (chopped)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.
Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.

{cooks note}

Let's just put this out there...I am really picky about orange chicken.  I don't care for tons of breading on the chicken. I finally found a recipe that I like.  It's easy to follow and my whole family liked it, so that is a plus.  

Engagement Roast Chicken

 Engagement Roast Chicken
from Ina Garten (slightly adapted)


1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
1 whole head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
Good olive oil
2 Spanish onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters, place 2 quarters in the chicken along with the garlic and reserve the rest of the lemons. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 by 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the pan.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan.

Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce.

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{cooks note}

I have been buying these whole fryer chickens at Costco lately because they are .79 a pound.  They do take a little more effort to prep for cooking, but SO worth it.  The flavor is amazing.  I try and cook a couple at a time so I can just pick off all the meat at once and either use it that week or freeze it for later.  I got this particular recipe from Ina Garten.  It's wonderful.  If you want to roast chicken for normal everyday recipes like Hawaiian haystacks, enchiladas, etc. then just lightly coat with olive oil and salt and pepper the inside and out.  I lined the bottom of my pan with parchment paper because my chicken started to stick to the bottom of my pan.  It worked like a charm.  Also, you may want to cut back on the salt. 

I used my roast pan.  I didn't have one of these bad boys until my husband got a free one at work 4 years ago.  I really like it. 

 Place the chicken in the roast pan.

 Season the inside with salt...

 and pepper.

 Add cut up lemons.  Sorry for the fuzzy pictures that follow.  My camera was acting up.

 Stuff in your garlic.

 Tie the legs together.  I used twine I used for wrapping packages because I didn't have any baker's twine.  It worked just the same.

 Tuck the wings under...

 like so.

 Rub olive oil all over.

 Season the top with salt and pepper.

 Mix the remainder of your cut up lemons with sliced onions, olive oil and salt and pepper.

 Add them to the pan and bake.

 Voila!

A tender juicy chicken ready to be devoured.  I served mine with fingerling potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

from my sister Chelsea

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

5-6 green onions

Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon ginger

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Cut as much fat off of your chicken as you can.  Place in a container.  Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken.  Let marinate overnight.  It's best to let it marinate for 24 hours.  When ready, grill chicken and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top.  

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{cooks note}

This is such a simple meat to prepare and everyone will love it.  If you can't find Yoshida's sauce (like me) then substitute with soy sauce.  I used Kikkoman's soy sauce.  To me, it tastes less salty.  Start out using 1 cup and go up from there if you think it tastes alright.  You can also add some water to dilute it a bit.  I know a lot of Costco's carry Yoshida's (not mine), so get that if you can.  Also, you can use any cut of chicken you would like, but the wings are full of flavor and fairly cheap. I got a 6.5 pound bag of boneless chicken thighs at Costco for $11.39.  That's roughly $1.75 a pound.  If you buy the one's with the bone on, they are much cheaper. I just don't like dealing with the bone when I have kids to prepare for.

Marinating in the sauce.

Cooking on the grill.  Cooking time will vary.  We cooked these on a grill at the park using charcoal.  I think a gas grill would cook them much faster.  Either way, just watch the meat to determine when you think they are done.

Only cook once on each side.  Don't keep flipping your meat.  This will prevent it from drying out.  

This meat makes everyone happy.  Get ready for summer my friends, it's just around the corner.