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!    

Savory Crepes

Savory Crepes

from Emeril Lagasse (slightly adapted) the sauce only

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened into a pale blond roux, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot stock in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently with a heavy wooden spoon until thick. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and stir to incorporate. Slowly whisk in the cream and simmer, stirring, until well incorporated and thickened. Remove from the heat.

I used this recipe for the crepes.

{cooks note}

Sunday evening, my boys wanted crepes.  Anytime there are strawberries in the house, they beg for crepes.  For a while, I have wanted to try out a new recipe for a crepe filling.  My favorite is fresh strawberries with whipping cream.  I have tried different fruit variations, but always find myself going back to the strawberries.  I searched for a savory recipe and found a sauce I liked, so I went for it.  I gathered all of the miscellaneous ingredients I had in my fridge and it was a success.  Here is what I used for the filling.  Sweet peppers, prosciutto, bacon, ham, cherry tomatoes, Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese.  Any type of filling similar to this would work, these are just the ingredients I already had in my fridge.  I sauteed the peppers first and then added the three meats.  Once they were cooked, I assembled the crepes and added the tomatoes, cheeses and the sauce.  I also poured a little sauce over the top.  The sauce was so good and added the perfect touch to the crepes.   We saved the fresh strawberries and leftover crepes for our dessert.  I'm loving that strawberries are in season again.  I'm not loving that my little family can go through $14 worth in three days!

{The picture quality on these is not that great.  I didn't have time to adjust my settings.}

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 Bacon Carbonara

CREAMY BACON CARBONARA

from just get off your butt and bake

2 eggs
1/4 cup Cream
1/3 cup Parmesan
Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
*(I doubled the Sauce recipe, and it was perfect)
1/2 lb. bacon
1 small onion, chopped (opt)
3 mushrooms sliced (opt)
1/2 lb. Pasta

DIRECTIONS:

Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl. I just used a fork. Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside. With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden. Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms. Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes. (**I doubled the sauce recipe and I saved a bit of the pasta water, just in case my sauce got thicker than I liked – simply add a bit if you need it) Don’t do this on high heat, or you will make scrambled eggs. Serve with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad. So Good!

{cooks note}

My whole family loved this new recipe.  I've made something similar to it, but the sauce did not call for egg in it.  Definitely double the sauce recipe.  Please excuse the lack of color in the photo.  I'm addicted to mangos and eat them with at least one meal a day.  All of the food on my plate sort of just blended in together, which is "breaking" the color rule for me.

Shish Kabob Marinade

Shish Kabob Marinade
from recipezaar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions

1.  Mix all ingredients together.

2.  Add meat (chicken, pork, beef or venison) and vegetables (cut into bite size pieces) (I use green pepper, onion, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes).

3.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least a couple hours.

4.  Thread onto skewers and grill.

{cooks note}

We love shish kabobs at our house.  I love to try new marinades on a regular basis.  Some are great and some are total failures.  This marinade always turns out great.  I use chicken thighs (the meat is so tender), red peppers, green peppers, orange peppers, yellow peppers, fresh pineapple, red onions, mushrooms (I don't like them, but my husband does) cherry tomatoes, zucchini and whatever else I feel like adding.  I usually made the marinade in the morning and then let it sit in the refrigerator all day until I am ready to grill them for dinner.  Don't forget to let your skewers soak in water for at least 30 minutes.  

Now go and get your grill on.

Come back Monday for a cool summer treat that will leave your mouth watering...and maybe a giveaway.

Salmon Burgers

Salmon Burgers

from Costco

Buy a bag of Pacific Salmon Burgers from Costco, grill and serve with fresh lemon juice.  

{cooks note}

Cooking friends, these are the best Salmon Burgers ever.  My kids have been asking for them everyday since. I was at Costco last week looking through their coupon book and these Salmon Burgers caught my eye.  They are normally $12.99 at my Costco in Texas, but there was a coupon for $3.75 off (hurry, it only lasts until June 6th).  Since we love Salmon, I bought a bag.  There are 12 in a bag.  You can microwave them, cook them in the oven or grill them.  Grilling is my choice.  I did't have time to make hamburger buns, so we just served them plain with fresh lemon juice.  Yum.  Along with the meal, I used some organic salad mix I used previously in the week for Ginger Steak Salads.  I made a creamy balsamic vinaigrette and added large walnuts and soft goat cheese on top.  We grilled some pineapple on skewers and called it a meal.  Very easy and done in 15 minutes.  

Simple Stir-fry

Don't forget to enter the Cox's honey giveaway.  End Thursday at 11:59 pm.

Simple Stir-fry

from kelseyskitchen

Yield: 1-2 servings

1-2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, julienne

1/4 cup green bell pepper, julienne

1/2 cup snow peas, sliced thin

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup baby bok choy, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup mandarin oranges, peeled & segmented

1/4 cup green onions, thinly slice on a diagnol

Place chicken strips in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, stir 30 seconds. Add chicken; stir fry until chicken is beginning to brown an is almost cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Add bell peppers, snow peas and onion; toss for 1 minute. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar; boil until sauce thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute. Stir in bok choy, mandarin oranges, and scallions. Stir-fry just until bok choy is just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining green onions.

{cooks note}

This recipe for stir-fry is so simple...just as it states in the title.  I love all of the fresh ingredients.  I have made this with chicken, shrimp and beef--they were all delicious, but my favorite is the chicken.  Please put this on your menu soon.  My family loves it!

Fresh, fresh, fresh!

This is so good, I made it 3 times in a week and a half.  Our choice of rice is jasmine.

{*all images from kelseyskichen)

Green Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

Green Chicken and Corn Enchiladas

from the Dish on Delish by Lizzy

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen sweet white corn

2-3 chicken breasts

10 corn tortillas

1 (26-ounce) can Las Palmas green enchilada sauce

shredded cheese (can be a mixture of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar)

Set a large pot of water on to boil.  Add chicken breasts and boil until done (about 8 minutes if not frozen).  Once cooked through, remove from water and let cool.  Shred the chicken and set aside.  

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan.  Add onion and saute until starting to soften.  Stir in diced pepper and cook until starting to soften (not too long).  Add the frozen corn and saute until warmed through.  Pour in cooked chicken and about 3 tablespoons of enchilada sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Take a glass casserole dish (9x13) and pour about a 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom.  Swirl to coat the pan.  Wrap the corn tortillas in a wet (and rung dry) paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds just to soften the tortillas.  

One at a time,  put about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture inside the tortilla and wrap up tightly (being sure to not break the tortilla).  Place in the casserole dish and repeat until used all the tortillas and the filling.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and layer a good amount of cheese on top as well.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until the top is bubbly and browned.  

Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and tomatillo salsa. 

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{cooks note}

This recipe is great because it doesn't call for a can of cream of chicken soup.  I love that!  It's a healthy recipe that is so tasty.  I like to serve mine with Spanish rice and refried beans.  Don't worry if you can not find Las Palmas green enchilada sauce (I couldn't) everything will turn out just fine.  Oh, and I didn't have time to make the tomatillo salsa for this dish, but trust me, it's good.

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

slightly adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com

Salad:
20-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (14.5-ounce) can quartered artichokes
1 (9-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
1 (3-ounce) bag sun dried tomatoes or jar of sun dried tomatoes rinsed and drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced thin


Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
3/4 cup olive oil


Cook Tortellini in boiling water until al dente.  Drain and toss (carefully so the tortellini doesn't break apart) with a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking.  Let cool in colander. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together after pasta has cooled.


In a blender, add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and process until smooth.  Then, while the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until completely combined.  If serving the salad right away, immediately pour the dressing over the salad and toss well (you may not need all the dressing).  Serve.

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{cooks note}
I added grilled chicken for my husband since he likes meat with his meals most of the time.    I knew my boys wouldn't be too thrilled about the tomato-balsamic vinaigrette flavor, so I served them grilled chicken slices with the tortellini on the side.  This salad is so refreshing and tasty.

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

1-2 pounds mahi mahi (Tilapia works great too)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cabbage, sliced thin

Salsa or pico de gallo

white sauce (recipe to follow)

Corn tortillas

Limes

Line a small baking sheet with foil.  Place the fish down on the sheet and sprinkle with the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and half a lime.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until fish is flaky.  While the fish is baking, make the white sauce.

White Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Whisk all ingredients together. Set aside.

Cook corn tortillas on a skillet lightly coated in oil (I use my griddle and cook 4 at a time).  Once the fish is baked, shred the fish with two forks.  Assemble tacos.  Tortilla, fish, cabbage, white sauce, salsa and fresh lime.  

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{cooks note}

There are a lot of fish taco recipes out there, but I like this one because it is light (the fish is not fried) and very easy to make.  This is just one version I make.  My kids don't eat the tacos assembled, it's too hard for them, so they have the fish and tortillas.  This meal frequents our table a lot in the spring and summer.

My mahi mahi came individually packaged.  Cheapest place to purchase it is Costco.  I used four.

This is my lime press.  I use it all the time.

Fish seasonings. 

White sauce.

Shredded fish.

Each bite makes me feel like I am on vacation in Cabo...kind of.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Crust:

1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 active dry yeast)

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup cold water

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 10 minutes.  In mixingt bowl, combine flour, salt, olive oil, honey and cold water.  Add yeast mixture and knead with dough hook (or by hand) for 5 minutes.  Form into a ball and place in oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour.  

Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to fit a large rimmed cookie sheet.  Baste about 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the pan before placing the dough on.  After you place the dough on the sheet, you may have to stretch is out a bit to fit.

Makes enough for two pizzas. 

Pizza:

1 pizza crust

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup barbecue sauce

Fresh mozzarella, sliced thin

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Fresh cilantro

Olive oil

You can do the sauce a few different ways.  You can marinate the chicken in about a cup of barbecue sauce in a large zip lock bag for 4 hours or overnight and then bake it at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (in the sauce you marinated it with), or you can just skip marinating the chicken and cook it in the barbecue sauce.  I have made it both ways and they both turn out great.  Let the chicken cool, then slice into small pieces.

Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil on the rolled out dough and then spread the barbecue sauce over that.  Place the sliced mozzarella all over the dough and then layer that with the chicken.  Add the thinly sliced red onion and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Once the pizza is done, sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.

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{cooks note}

After I slice the chicken, I add it all back to the barbecue sauce I cooked it in while I finish other preparations on the pizza.  That way, the sauce is able to soak into the chicken and make it even more moist.  You won't be sorry you did it.  I make a white dough for this pizza because I think it tastes better.  Making your own dough is well worth the little effort it takes rather than buying a store bought one.  Unless it's Trader Joe's dough.  Then you can't go wrong.

 Bake chicken at 325 for 30 minutes.  

 You want the chicken pieces to be bite size.

Pizza dough after it has risen.

I like to buy this mozzarella because it is in a log and very easy to slice thin.

Dough rolled to fit my cookie sheet.  Don't forget to spread about 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the pan before placing the dough on it.

Pizza ready to be baked.  Notice how there are no red onions.  Well, dinner time is hectic for me.  I 'm lucky we have dinner at all.  The red onions were forgotten and I'm sure they weren't missed by a few little guys. Before spreading on the barbecue sauce spread on 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil. 

"Leaves" as my youngest boy would call them.  I call it cilantro.  This makes the pizza.  I am currently growing this in my herb garden and I've already had one harvest.  That's what you call, cilantro at your fingertips.

Hot out of the oven.  

We have eaten this pizza a lot over the past years and love it every time.  You can't beat a good homemade pizza.

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.