SRC: Artichoke Tomato Chicken

Hi!  It's time for another Secret Recipe Club post!  This month I had the honor of making something from Lynne's blog 365 days of baking.  I felt an instant connection to Lynne when I read that her dream job was to me a mother.  She and her family reside in the warmer area of the States, AZ.  Lynne, can I come for a visit to get away from cold Michigan this winter?  :-)  Lynne has many talents and I am incredibly impressed that she would take on the challenge of baking something for 365 days in a row!  That is amazing!  I love to bake, but I think I would feel stressed!  Kudo's to you Lynne!  There is not a lack of choices on her blog.  Some of the incredible things I considered were Home made cheese crackers (I've always wanted to try that for my kids), Banana Bread French Toast, Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts, and look at these babies, Fluffernutter Nutella Crescents!  YUM!  But after looking at all her beautiful recipes, I landed on this one.  Artichoke Tomato Chicken.  I loved the simplicity of this one, but it's so flavorful!  It's healthy, which is good, I could serve it for dinner.  The Fluffernutter Nutella Cresents, well, I'm afraid I would eat them all myself.  But I will try those sometime when I have a crowd, or, maybe I will make them just for me.  :-)


Artichoke Tomato Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
4 medium size artichoke hearts (from a can/jar) sliced into thirds
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (I used dried)
6 slices provolone cheese
1 cup chicken broth

*I dipped the chicken in egg first, which is different from the original recipe*

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Prepare a 9 X 13" baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

Place 1 egg, slightly beaten into 1 dish and the bread crumbs into another shallow dish.

I added a little milk to my egg just to stretch it a little bit.

Using one breast at a time, dip the chicken in the beaten egg, and then the bread crumbs and place in prepared baking dish.

Place tomatoes and then artichokes on each piece of chicken.

Sprinkle with oregano.

Slice provolone cheese and half and place  over each chicken breast.  Depending on the size of your chicken breast, you may need 2 or 3 slices on each breast.

Gently pour chicken broth into dish.

Bake for 20 minutes.

So, the verdict?  Really, really good!  Everyone loved it.  Thanks Lynn for such a simple, easy and super flavorful recipe!

Make sure you stop by 365 days of baking and The Secret Recipe Club for more awesome recipes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole With Sweet Potato & Apple

This is another divine dinner from Cuisine At Home.  It's a wonderful, warm, comfort food, full of fall flavor.  It's not your traditional Chicken Pot Pie, I like to think of it as a little more 'grown-up', but my kids really liked it too.

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
3 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potato
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced russet potato
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tbs fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste


For the crust, cut pastry sheets into 1 inch wide strips.  On a parchment lined baking sheet, weave strips into a lattice pattern; freeze while preparing filling.  (Roll out one of the sheets of pastry just a little so it is the length of your 9x13 pan)

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray

For the filling, heat 2 1/2 cups broth, sweet and russet potatoes, onion, celery, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high.  cook until vegetables are slightly soft, about 8 minutes.

Whisk together remaining 3/4 cup broth, cream, flour, curry powder, and cinnamon.  Pour mixture into vegetable mixture.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Add chicken, apple, peas, cilantro, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour filling into prepared baking dish.

Bake the crust and casserole separately, yet at the same time, so the pastry is crisp when you lay it on the pie.  In about 25-30 minutes your filling should be bubbling, and your pastry should be golden.  Transfer on top of the casserole.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by, let me know if you try something, and your thoughts.  :-)

Tex-Mex Lasagna

This is my new favorite mexican type casserole.  The whole family loved this!  It's adapted from Cuisine At Home.

14 corn tortillas, cut into thirds
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 can of chopped mild green chili's
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 Tbs minced garlic (about 6-8 cloves)
2 Tbs Olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups black beans (I typically start with dried, then prepare.  If you use canned, rinse and drain)
16 oz shredded cheese.  I used 8 oz triple cheddar and 8 oz mexican blend.  You could use pepper jack if you want it a little more spicy.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on baking sheets.  Bake until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.

Saute' onion, bell pepper, chilis, corn and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until softened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into vegetable misture, then stir in broth.  Bring to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Line bottom of baking dish with 1/3 of the tortilla strips.  Layer with 1/3 of the black beans, begetable mixture, and cheeses.  Repeat twice, using 1/3 of the ingredients in each layer, ending with cheese.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and melted, 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with Avocado Lettuce Salad.  YUM!

You could also substitute chicken for the beans, or just add both.

Tropical Chicken Tacos

These were incredible!  We eat tacos or some form of mexican food at least once a week.  This was a great twist on our usuals.  The recipe comes from Clean Eating Magazine, so not only is it delicious, but it's good for you!  I did improvise the recipe in some places simply because I didn't have everything in the house, and it turned out great.  I will post the original recipe and note my changes as I go.

Ingredients for tacos:
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup low fat coconut milk
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tbs minced pineapple
1 tsp ancho chile powder (I used regular chile powder)
1/4 tsp sale
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp safflower oil (I used olive)
12 6 inch corn tortillas warmed (I used flour)

Coconut pineapple salsa:
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I used some orange bell pepper, but it lacked 'kick')
3 cups cubed pineapple
1 loosely packed cup fresh cilantro, chopped
(I also added some finely chopped cucumber)
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut
1/8 tsp salt

1.  In a large mixing bowl or zip lock bag, combine jalapeno, milk, onion, 3 tbs pineapple, chile powder, 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper.  Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.  Chicken should not marinate for more than 8 hours.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare salsa.  In a mixing bowl, combine salsa ingredients.  cover and refrigerate until needed.

3.  Heat grill or a grill pan and brush with oil.  ( I did these on the grill).  Remove chicken from marinade and grill until cooked through.  Slice chicken into thin strips and divide among the tortillas, then add your salsa.  We added avacado too!  YUM!

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

I have been looking for a great slow cooker orange chicken.  I saw a couple on pinterest, and I found the comments (on the actual blog post) to be very mixed.  People either loved it or hated it, it was too orangey, it was bitter, chicken was soggy, chicken was dry, etc.  So, I decided to google for a recipe.  I looked at probably 15-20 different sites and every single recipe was identical!  Interesting thing is, if a source was noted on any of the posts, they didn't match the others.  So, although the same recipe is out there, they don't lead back to one source.  So, I allowed that to be my inspiration and tried to create my own.  This is what we came up with.  We loved it.  My daughter, who doesn't like chicken, had 3 helpings!  I understand everyone has preferences, and I do love to hear feedback on my recipes, so even if you don't like it, it's okay.  Cooking is an Art right?  We can change things to our likings.

One reason we all love the crock pot is because we can basically turn it on in the morning and let it go all day.  I think that this recipe will NOT work that way.  It's just too long.  For me, I love having dinner set to go when the kids come home from school.  I want to hear about their day and be available to them without having to multi task and make dinner at the same time.  So, even though this isn't an all day slow cooker recipe, it was still very helpful for me because it gave me that time with the kids.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
canola oil
1/2 cup pineapple orange juice concentrate, thawed  (100% juice)
3 tbs ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1- 1 1/2  inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks sliced
1 red bell pepper cut into chunks
1 green onion thinly sliced for garnishing


Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a fry pan.  Brown the chicken pieces, working in batches if necessary.  Don't crowd the pan.  The chicken does not need to be cooked through because it will be going in the crock pot.  Your pan should be very hot before you brown your chicken, then it will not stick and you will get a nice golden color with some crispiness.  Make sure you use canola oil, or another oil that can stand high temperatures, olive oil will not due here.

Once you brown all your chicken, place it in the slow cooker.

In a separate bowl combine the juice, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.  Whisk to combine well.

Pour over the chicken add your vegetables* and stir.  Then set your crock pot on low for 2 1/2 hours

This recipe is definitely a little more prep than a typical set it and forget it recipe.  But it was well worth it  for me.  If you work, I would do this recipe on the stove top, it will go relatively quickly.

*I added my carrots, celery and onions right away, and my peppers a little later so they wouldn't be mushy.  Almost any veggies would work in this, or no veggies.
Also, if you like heat, I would definitely add some red pepper flakes.

Would love your feedback!

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

This Salad was sooo yummy!  I really like quinoa, but I haven't done a ton of things with it, so I'm always looking for ideas.  Plus, I bought a giant bag from Costco.

This recipe comes from What's Gaby cooking.  It calls for bbq sauce, but I have to say, I didn't actually use it because my chicken was plenty bbq.  I hope you enjoy!

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded BBQ chicken
1 avocado, chopped
2 tbsp White Cheddar cheese, shredded
2-4 tbsp BBQ sauce
2 scallions, chopped
cilantro for garnish

In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, chicken and avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer mixture onto a bowl and top with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, scallions and cilantro.
Serve warm or at room temperature

Tostadas

Have I mentioned I love Mexican food?  One of the great things about tostadas, is you can load them up however you want.  The ones I made here are a vegetarian version, but we've had them before with meat too.  I love the crunchy shell, great texture! 

Vegetable oil
Flour tortillas
Refried beans (we did homemade, but you can use canned)
Guacamole
Cheese
Sour cream
Taco seasoning
lettuce
tomato
Cilantro

This list includes what these are made with, but of course you can add beef, chicken, pork, onion, black olives, and so on, whatever you like!

Heat oil in a large pan.  There should be about a half inch or so of oil in the pan.  If you aren't sure when it's ready, just sprinkle a drop of water in it, if it sizzles, it's ready.  I did 1 tortilla at a time.  It will puff up while it's cooking, you may want to press the bubbles out, so you have a somewhat level surface to put your toppings on.  Fry the tortilla, flipping once, until it's golden on both sides.  It won't take long.  You'll notice that the first few will take a little longer, then it starts going really quick.  Lay the tortillas on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.

After your finished, start loading up your toppings.  We did the refried beans first, then a layer of guacamole, then cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro.  I mixed some sour cream with a bit of taco seasoning, and topped it off.  That gave it a little color and a burst of flavor.

Yummy!  

SRC: Pesto Pecan Chicken

This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned the blog Apron Strings.  The authors of this blog are Donna and Anne, a mother daughter duo who have an awesome story.  I have to admit, I was a little scared when I first saw their blog.  Anne was on the Food Network, and Donna has written several cookbooks!  Yikes!  I thought, these ladies are way beyond me.  But, after browsing a bit, I realized what an honor to cook something off of this blog!  They have lots of awesome recipes and I chose one that is extremely simple but most flavorful. Yes, they are way beyond me in their skills, but I'm so happy they are willing to blog and share their talents with the world.  D and A... You women are an inspiration in many ways.

So, I chose pesto pecan Chicken.  My husband re-named it Pesto Pecan Pollo, just get 3 P's in there.  But this recipe is 3 ingredients!  Yes, just 3 and it was incredibly delicious!

4 oz jar pesto
3/4 cup pecans finely chopped
4 chicken breasts

The only adjustment I made was to use home made pesto, because I had made some this fall and froze it.  I love when I have stuff already on hand.  Also a couple of my chicken breasts were quite thick, so I fillet'd (I do not know how to spell fillet in past tense) them, and actually got 6 pieces of chicken.  Or, as Apron Strings recommends, you could pound them between 2 pieces of wax paper to thin them out.

Preheat the oven to 425.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper.  Salt and pepper don't actually count as ingredients.  Spread a thick layer of pesto sauce on each chicken breast.

Then top them with the pecans, and press them down a bit.

Bake in the oven loosely covered for 15 min.  Then remove the foil and bake the remaining 15 minutes.  Starting out with the chicken covered will help the pecans to not get too dark or over done.  Depending on the size of your chicken, you may not need the full 30 minutes, just make sure you check it.

This dish was sooooo good!  We loved it!  Thanks Apron Strings!  Be sure to check out their blog for lots more great recipes.  Also, if you'd like more info on the Secret Recipe Club, go here for more info.  Plus you will find tons and tons of great blogs and fabulous food on there!  Enjoy!

Secret Recipe Club: Butternut Squash Risotto

I'm very excited to be apart of The Secret Recipe Club.  I saw it on another blog and it peaked my interest, so I checked it out.  Basically, you are assigned someone else's blog, and you cook/bake one of their recipes and blog about it on your own blog.  In turn, someone is choosing something off your blog too.  How fun!  So, the blog I was assigned Cookin' with Moxie.  Jamie has alot of great recipes, and she's italian so it was fun to browse and take in her knowledge.  I finally landed on the Butternut Squash Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms, but I know I'll be back to try some other recipes too!

Now, I'm not a mushroom fan, I never really have been.  So, when I made this dish, I actually substituted roasted chicken for the mushrooms.  But, if you like mushrooms, be my guest to make the dish that way.
The only other change I made, was I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, because that's just what I had on hand.
Here is the original recipe:

Ingredients:

2 – 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into half-inch pieces

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

16 oz white button mushrooms, sliced and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces  (I omitted)

5-6 cups vegetable broth (if you run out, substitute hot water)

5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

2 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 2 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. On the baking sheet, toss the butternut squash with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Roast until tender and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until their water nearly evaporates, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until tender, about 3 more minutes. Set aside.  (I skipped this step and already had cooked chicken)

Heat the vegetable (I used chicken) broth (it does not have to boil) in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft but not browned. 

Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. 

Add the rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until all the grains are slick and slightly opaque. Add the wine and simmer until almost completely absorbed.

Add two ladles full of broth to the risotto and bring to a simmer. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Keep the risotto at a steady simmer, stirring continuously until the broth has evaporated almost completely. Add one ladle full of broth, stir until it is nearly evaporated, then add another ladle full. Continue simmering and stirring, adding broth as necessary, for about 25-30 minutes or until the rice is creamy and cooked through, but still firm to the bite. When the risotto is on its last ladle full of broth, add the spinach (this will wilt down considerably). Stir until spinach is just wilted. Add the roasted squash and mushrooms (I skipped the mushrooms and added chicken). Add 3 1/2 tbsp of butter and Parmesan cheese; stir to combine. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 big-eaters as a main-course.

The thing with Risotto is patience.  You have to literally stand by it the whole time it is cooking, it needs a little attention.  And, it is well worth it!  This was a really yummy Risotto.  My whole family loved it!

Be sure to check out Jamie's Blog atCookin' with Moxie.  And if you love to cook and try recipes, you should visit The Secret Recipe Club.  Even if you aren't interested in doing it, there are tons and tons of awesome food blogs on this site!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is another great recipe that I got from the "Apples of Gold" Study that I did and have talked about before.  Again, not sure whose recipe it was, so if you're out there, let me know!

I top these enchiladas off with enchilada sauce.  It's a great sauce that can be used on lots of Mexican dishes.  I found this great site, Cooking Mexican Recipes, that has authentic mexican recipes.  Rockin' Robin is definitely that--Rockin'!  She was very helpful when I contacted her with questions, and her site has these awesome videos!  You know exactly what your dish should look like.

2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken**
1/2 cup onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs butter
1 can chopped green chilies
1 cup or so of black beans
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for topping.

**Great tip for shredding chicken, is to put it in your Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle, while its still hot.  Turn it on low and your chicken is shredded in about 30 sec.  Found that in Pinterest, works like a charm!

Sautee' the onion and garlic in butter.  Add the rest of the ingredients.

Place about 1 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan

I put the mixture on one side of the tortilla, roll once, fold sides over, and roll the rest of the way, then place seam side down.

Top with the sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 until warmed throughout.

Makes about 12.

Slow Clooker Sundays: Peanut Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  Have you heard of Pinterest?  Watch out, it's addicting!  If you're not 

familiar with it, it's basically on online way to organize anything, such as thoughts, lists, ideas, you name 

it.  I find lots of food inspiration there as well as many other things.  But, on to the recipe.  This is an 

asian type dish, and I have adapted the recipe a little.  You can find the original recipe here.  You'll 

notice I changed the name and that is because I really can't call this 'hot and spicy' like the recipe name

says because I omitted the heat.  I wanted my kids to eat it.  :-)  And they did!  Like all slow cooker

meals, this one is easy peasy!  Enjoy!

•  2 
medium onions, cut into thin wedges

•  1 1/2
cups sliced carrot (3 medium)

•  1 
small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips

•  2 
pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

•  3/4
cup chicken broth

•  3 
tablespoons creamy peanut butter

•  1/2
teaspoon finely shredded lime peel

•  2 
tablespoons lime juice

•  2 
tablespoons soy sauce

•  2 
tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

•  1 
tablespoon grated fresh ginger

•  4 
garlic, minced

•  1/2
cup unsweetened coconut milk

•  1 
cup frozen peas

•  
Hot cooked rice

•  
Chopped peanuts (optional)

•  
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

directions

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, place onions, carrot, and sweet pepper. Top with chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, tapioca, ginger, curry paste, and garlic until smooth. Pour over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts and cilantro. 

Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

This is from my favorite food magazine, Everyday Food.  It just says "Fall" to me.  The whole family really enjoyed it.  I was especially excited to be using butternut squash from my garden!  This was the first year we grew it.


1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbs EVOO
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 tbs chopped fresh sage
4 tsp all purpose flour
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cranberries


In a large dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 1 tbs oil over medium high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and, in 2 batches, cook, skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch.  Transfer chicken to a plate; pour off fat from pot.


Add 1 tbs oil, squash, and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add sage, flour, coriander, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add broth and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute.  Nestle chicken, skin side up, in squash mixture, add cranberries, and bring to a boil  Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, 20-25 minutes.

Tropical Taco Salad

Grilled chicken (I brushed mine with olive oil and a little taco seasoning), about 2 cups cut into bite size pieces
Green leaf or boston bibb lettuce
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Avocado
2 cups black beans
2 ears roasted corn, cut off the cob
Grilled mango
Orange bell pepper

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
2 tbs salsa (you choose how hot)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (use smoked or leave it out, regular will not give you the same flavor)
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

First grill your chicken, corn and mango. Use a little olive oil on the corn.
Chop your chicken, mango, pepper, and avacado into bite size pieces, and cut the corn off the cobb.
Combine the lettuce, veggies, chicken, beans and mango together. Make your dressing and toss together.

For the dressing, I combined everything in a food processor.

This salad was absolutely delicious! Could be a main salad or a side salad.

Katsudon

This is a Japanese dish, a rice bowl. My husband told me the other day that this was his favorite thing when living in Japan. I was thrilled to make something for him that was his "favorite". He pretty much loves everything and doesn't often request a dish. Also, I currently have a guest living with me from Japan. He is just here for a month, so I was nervous about whether or not this was going to taste American-Japanese, or authentic. Yuske told me it tasted just like his mothers! That made my day. I will warn you, this is not a healthy dish. It's Japanese comfort food, and we all loved it!

This dish is usually made with pork, but we did the chicken version. Also, it's best when each bowl is served individually. I was nervous about this too. I thought it would take forever, but it actually went pretty smooth. Some prep work ahead of time helped. I will give you the recipe for 1, so if you are serving more, you will just repeat the process. So, here we go:

For the chicken:
1 chicken breast
1 beaten egg mixed with 1 tbs flour
more flour for dredging
panko bread crumbs
oil for frying (enough to come up a few inches in your pan)

Pound the chicken a little to thin it out. Maybe 1/2 inch or so.

Heat oil.

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then dip it in the egg mixture. Let the excess fall off and then coat in the Panko bread crumbs. (these are Japanese bread crumbs and are much crispier) Drop in your oil and let it cook. Once it gets golden brown on one side, flip it over until the other side is the same. Set aside and slice.

For the sauce:

1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon granulated Dashi (Japanese Soup Stock-found at your local asian/oriental market)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 oz sliced onion, about a handful
1 lightly beaten egg
1 bowl of prepared rice

Combine the water, dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and onion in a small pan. When it begins to boil, add the chicken.






Then pour the egg on top and around the chicken. Cover and cook for about 90 seconds until the egg is just set.
Then slide the contents of the pan onto the rice (which you've already put in the bowl).






And there you have it!

Okay, so here's how I made it easier on myself:

First I prepared all the sauces. I took 5 bowls and put the sauce ingredients with the onions into each one.

Next, I did all the chicken. It took about 2 beaten eggs mixed with 1 1/2 tbs of flour. I did fry them 2 at a time so the pan did not get crowded. I put some flour for dredging on one plate and the panko on another and added more if I needed to.

Once I had all the chicken done and set aside, I started on each bowl. As the sauce was heating up, I beat 1 egg. When the sauce was boiling, I added the chicken and the egg. Then cover it and put some rice in a bowl. By this time, your dish was about done and you could top off your rice.

I just had my family begin eating so no one's got cold. And we still ate together as a family.

This is definitely a more involved dish. I would love to know if you try it!

A huge shout out to mamaloli. This is where I found an awesome recipe, and she was kind enough to answer all of my questions. She's got lots of great dishes on her site too.

Turkey Wraps

These are a great lunch, or a nice main course when it's too hot to cook!
I used left over turkey meat from one that that we roasted.

Turkey cut into bite size pieces
2 stalkes celery chopped
1 apple chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
squirt of dijon mustard
2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
handful of craisins
Tortilla shells (whole wheat are great too!)

Combine all the ingredients except tortillas. Mix well. You may want to adjust the amount of mayo or mustard depending on your tastes. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Thai chicken wraps

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (I sliced mine for quicker easier cooking, you can use tenders too.)

Teriyaki sauce (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil
Creamy peanut butter
Whole Wheat tortillas
Canned pineapple cut into small chunks
baby spinach
sliced green onion (optional)


Place the chicken in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, I like to do a couple hours.  Discard the marinade and cook the chicken in hot oil in a skillet on medium high heat until done, about 4-6 minutes on each side.
Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces.


Spread a little peanut butter on each tortilla, top with chicken, pineapple, spinach and onions if desired.  Roll up and enjoy!


Teriyaki sauce:
2 tsp fresh ginger (or 1 of dried ginger)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
3 tbs honey
1 garlic clove crushed
1 scallion sliced


Mix well.

Chicken dippers

12-15 chicken tenders
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
tortilla chips
flour
2 eggs, beaten


Mix together buttermilk, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, paprika and oregano in a medium bowl.  Put the chicken in and make sure it's covered with the marinade.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.  The longer it sets, the more flavor you'll have.


Fill a gallon size ziplock bag about 3/4 full with tortilla chips.  Crush with hands, and/or a rolling pin until you have crumbs.


Dip each chicken tender in the flour, then egg, then chips, and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Turn chicken half way through.


Serve with Maple mustard mayo, Slightly spicy tomato sauce, bbq sauce, ranch, or whatever floats your boat.


This is super kid friendly and also makes a great appetizer for a party.  

Quick Cassoulet

This is not your traditional Cassoulet, but full of flavor and very quick.

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1-2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbs olive oil

2-3 turkey sausages (fully cooked)

2 cups cooked tebo beans (or canned-any white bean works)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme (or use 1-2 sprigs fresh)

salt and pepper

Topping:  

fresh bread crumbs

olive oil

salt and pepper

Saute' the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes.  Add sliced sausage and cook for a few more minutes, then add the beans, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer until everything is warmed through and the vegetables are tender.

While the cassoulet is cooking, prepare topping.  Toss the breadcrumbs with some olive oil, salt and pepper and toast until golden.  Serve on top of the cassoulet.

Cassoulet  is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans.

Panko Chicken with Grapefruit-Honey Sauce

This is a recipe from my latest favorite cookbook, Mark Bittman's "Kitchen Express".


The sweetness of the honey, acidity of the grapefruit, and crunch of the panko really make this special.


Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness; dredge them first in a beaten egg and then in panko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper.  Panko is a Japenese bread crumb, they are found near the regular bread crumbs at your local grocery store.  They are more coarse and give much more crunch.
Heat a few tbs of olive oil; cook the chicken on both sides until golden and just done, about four minutes total.  Wipe the pan clean and soften some minced garlic for a minute in some more oil or butter; add half a cup of grapefruit juice and a tbs or so of honey.  Season with salt and pepper and reduce until syrupy.  Serve the chicken generously drizzled with the sauce and garnished with fresh grapefruits slices.


Yum!  Let me know if you give this one a try and what you think.

Almond crusted turkey tenderloin

This is adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine.

For the turkey--1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

3 tbs panko bread crumbs (if you've not used these, try them!  they're by the other bread crumbs, a japenese style and much crispier)

1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper

1 1/4 lb turkey tenderloin (split in half if large)

2 tbs olive oil

For the Almond gravy--

1/4 cup white wine

4 tsp all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 tbs butter

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 250.

Pulse 1/3 cup almonds in a mini food processor until finely ground.  Transfer to a shallow dish and stir in panko, salt, and pepper.  Roll tenderloins in almond mixture.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over med-high.  Saute' tenderloins until golden, about 5 min.  Flip and saute' utnil meat registers 165 on an instant read thermometer, 5-8 min.  remove turkey from pan, transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Whisk wine and flour together to form a slurry.  Return pan to tstovetop over med-high heat.

Deglaze pan with broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom.  Stir in slurry, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.  Boil 1 minute, then simmer to thicken slightly.  Stir in butter until melted, then add 1/4 cup almonds and parsley.