Taiwanese Pepper Chicken

A Chinese buffet opened up recently near us. I love buffets especially when it comes to Chinese food. I always want a little bit of everything. But most Chinese food restaurants serve their dishes in family style platters. So we end up ordering around 5 different dishes and then come home with enough left-overs to feed a seven nation army. Anyhow, we decided to try out the new buffet on father's day and we ended up trying a new dish we had never had before: pepper chicken. We loved it so much, I knew I had to come home and try to recreate it. Well, after a few weeks, I had actually forgotten all about it. Then, like a sign from the universe, I stumbled across a recipe for Taiwanese salt and pepper pork while I was browsing the Food board on Reddit. The recipe looked really similar to the chicken we had so I used it as inspiration for this chicken dish. I should note that the dish we had at the restaurant had green bell peppers in it. I didn't happen to have any bell peppers when I made this. But I did have some jalapeño peppers from my garden and, since this family has a pathological love of all things spicy, I thought it would make a decent substitute!

Taiwanese Pepper Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp cracked black pepper, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chili pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
canola oil for frying

  

• Fill a stainless steel pan with 1" of oil. Preheat oil over medium-medium-high heat.
• Cut the chicken breasts into 1" cubes.
• Mix together the egg, soy sauce, and 1 tsp of the cracked pepper.
• Toss the chicken in the egg mixture.
• Add the flour and corn starch. Toss to coat.
• Fry the chicken in the oil for about 3 - 4 minutes until it is golden brown and cooked through. You'll probably need to do this in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.

• Remove the chicken from the oil and set aside.
• Allow the oil to cool and then transfer it to a holding container so that you can dispose of it later. Reserve about 2 tbsp of the oil in the pan.
• In the reserved oil, saute the garlic and peppers until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add the remaining 1 tsp of cracked pepper.

• Toss the chicken in the garlic and pepper mixture. Serve with rice and vegetables.

Note: if you don't have an electric spice grinder (I don't!) then it will take you an incredible amount of time to grind up the amount of black pepper needed for this recipe. You're definitely going to feel the burn in your arms. But... it's worth it! I promise!

Tips & Tricks: Campfire Cooking

We went camping Memorial day weekend and it was glorious! I left my phone at home at there was no Facebook, no texting, no emails - yep, not even work email!

You might have guessed that I really enjoy cooking on the campfire. I love any excuse to cook. I've learned a few tricks over the years about campfire cooking and so I thought I would pass those on to you!

1. Grilling: Get yourself a primitive grill. Ours only cost about $10 at Academy Sports and it really does make life so much easier. I love to use my primitive grill to cook corn on the cob and other veggies, hot dogs, burgers, chicken, steaks, basically anything you would cook on a grill at home! I just make sure to bring along my grilling tongs and spatula.
   
   
   
   
   
   We brought along a bag of charcoals. Depending on what I was cooking, I would throw in anywhere from 5 - 15 charcoals once the fire got going. Then I'd let the fire die out and cook over the hot coals, just like a normal charcoal grill!
   
   I marinated the chicken overnight in some Jamaican Jerk marinade (store bought) then cooked the chicken the first night we were there. That way I didn't have to worry as much about the temperature in the cooler.
   
   
2. Food Safety: And on that note, by this point you probably know how crazy I am about food safety (Tips & Tricks: Food Safety). This is something you need to keep in mind, especially if you are camping for a few days. You will probably need to replace the ice in your cooler at least once per day with about 8 -10 lbs of ice, depending on the size of the cooler. Try to limit the number of times you open the cooler and keep the cooler out of direct sun light, this will keep things cool. Keep foods that need to stay especially cold (eggs, raw meats, deli meat, etc.) toward the bottom where it's coolest. If you're worried about the eggs breaking, you can pick up a special plastic egg carrying case; we got ours at Walmart in the camping section for around $3. Keep the raw meats at the very bottom so they don't drip on anything else. Every morning, drain out the excess water from the bottom of the cooler, then dump a new bag of ice in. Around dinner time, check the cooler to see if it needs more ice. This will really depend on how much food you have, the size of your cooler, and the temperature outside. It was warm but not hot on our trip so we only needed to replace the ice once per day.
   
   In addition to keeping your food cool, you want to prevent cross contamination. Even if you're not cooking raw meat at any point in your trip, the risk is still there from other sources. The way that I mitigate this risk is by bringing along some hand sanitizer wipes such as Wet Ones. That way, if I touch anything that could be contaminated - raw meat, dirt, a piece of fire wood, the dog, etc. - I can just wipe my hands and I'm good to go!
3. Frying: When frying over the campfire, you can use cast iron or just a special campfire skillet. This skillet only cost around $10 at Walmart in the camping section. It's got a special handle that doesn't get hot. If you prefer cast iron, a good pan is going to cost you around $50. But it will last you for life and is worth the investment.
   
   
   I got some hot charcoals going, just like I did for the grill, and put the pan directly on the hot coals. I made bacon and pancakes the first morning. I actually dumped out the grease and used cooking spray to prevent the pancakes from sticking. But you could do it either way. By the way, I used the Bisquick shake and pour pancakes. Yeah, I know, I generally despise Bisquick or any other boxed mix, but they make camping so much easier!!
   
   
   
   
4. Food Prep: For breakfast the second morning I made a little egg bake type dish. I cut up the veggies ahead of time at home because that's way easier than having to bring a huge knife along and try to cut up the veggies at a picnic table. I cut up the veggies pretty small - about 1/2" dice - including the potatoes. Even though you're cooking on hot charcoals, getting adequate heat can still sometimes be a challenge. So if you cut your veggies nice and small, they'll cook quickly, even when the charcoals aren't as hot as you would like.
   
   First I cooked the sausage in my skillet. Then I left the sausage and drippings in the pan and added diced red pepper, onion, and potatoes. Once those were thoroughly cooked and soft, I added some whipped eggs and cooked it all together. Once the eggs were cooked, I removed the pan from the heat then topped the whole thing with shredded cheese and sliced scallions. You could hardly call that roughing it haha!
   
   
   
   
5. Mountain Pies: I first heard about mountain pies from some friends of ours who we going camping with quite frequently. These are so fun and they're great because everybody can make their own with whatever fillings they want. You just put a slice of bread in each side of the pie iron, add your fillings, clamp it shut, then cook it directly over the hot coals. They cost about $10 in the camping section at Walmart or around $20 at Bass Pro Shop. That being said, the ones at Bass Pro Shop are a lot heavier and more durable.
   
   
   
   
   We filled ours with cheese and pepperoni then dipped them in pizza sauce which I heated up in my little skillet. Yum! We also made some for dessert and filled them with canned apple pie filling.
   
   
6. Roasting Forks: One of the best tools we've picked up so far is roasting forks. They're just metal forks with long handles. They're great for roasting hot dogs or toasting marshmallows. That way you don't have to go hunting around for a long stick and pray that it hasn't been contaminated with poison ivy or animal urine. Yuck! They range in price anywhere from $1 per fork to about $3 per fork, depending on if you want a nice handle, etc. We got the crappy $1 ones haha.
   

   

   Lola & Matt toasting Marshmallows!

   
   

   
   
7. Bug Screen: Ok, this last one has more to do with eating than cooking but it's relevant. This is another tip that we picked up from our friends who told us about mountain pies. This 12' x 12' bug screen cost us about $50 at Academy Sports and it is the best investment we have ever made! We set it up around the picnic table and it makes eating so much more pleasant. No worries about bugs and it provides some shade too. There's even a hook on the ceiling so that you can hang a lantern for when you're eating in the evening.
   

   

   
   

Believe it or not, between all of that cooking we still found time to go hiking and peddle boating haha!

Pizza Chicken Roulade

A chicken roulade, in case you were curious, is just a piece of chicken that has been stuffed and then rolled up. With pizza chicken roulades, I stuffed them with the big slices of sandwich pepperoni that you get from the deli and fresh mozzarella and then braised them in tomato sauce. Braising refers to a process where you sear the meat or vegetable either on a grill or in a hot pan, then you finish the cooking process gently by simmering or baking in liquid, usually a sauce.

Pizza Chicken Roulade
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 slices of sandwich pepperoni
8 oz fresh mozzarella (not the aged kind)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 jar of pasta sauce
4 pieces of fresh basil

• Cut the chicken breasts in half length-wise so that you have four thinner pieces of chicken.
• Place one piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. With a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or other heavy instrument, pound the chicken flat. It should be about 1/8" thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
• Lay out a piece of chicken, layer 3 slices of pepperoni onto the chicken. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese, cut into slices. Roll the chicken up. To keep it together, you'll need to place about four toothpicks in there. Repeat with the remaining chicken, pepperoni, and cheese.
• Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium high heat.
• Place the chicken in the pan and sear on both sides for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. The chicken will still be raw in the middle.

• Pour half of the sauce in the bottom of a 13" x 9" glass baking dish. Place the chicken on top of the sauce in a single layer. Top the chicken with the remaining sauce.
• Bake at 400° F for 25 - 30 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.

• Serve on top of rice, pasta, or even roasted vegetables. Garnish with fresh basil.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic Hummus

Since I made a really great homemade version of Chiavetta's marinade, I put it to good use by grilling up some chicken for dinner. I turned it into sandwiches with roasted garlic hummus spread on some French bread. It was a really nice, light dinner.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic Hummus
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup garlic & vinegar marinade
1 French baguette
1/2 cup roasted garlic hummus
sandwich toppings

• Cut the chicken breasts in half length-wise so that you have four, thinner pieces of chicken.
• Place them in a plastic bag along with the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, up to four hours.
• Grill the chicken on high for four to five minutes per side until thoroughly cooked.
• Cut the baguette into four pieces, then slice each piece in half for sandwiches.
• Toast the bread on the grill.
• Spread about two tablespoons of hummus on the bottom half of each piece of baguette. Top with a piece of grilled chicken. Finish it off with toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onions, etc.

Sweet Cheddar Chicken

This is another Cupboard Cleaner. I had some left-over cheddar cheese slices that I wasn't sure what to do with. So I did a little bit of brainstorming and decided that it would taste great with apricot preserves on some chicken. And then, of course scallions make everything taste better!

Sweet Cheddar Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp apricot preserves
4 slices cheddar cheese
2 scallions, sliced

• Cut each piece of chicken in half length-wise so that you have 4 thinner pieces of chicken.
• Grill the chicken on high heat for about 4 - 5 minutes per side until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.
• About 1 minute before the chicken is finished cooking, top each piece with one tablespoon of apricot preserves and one slice of cheddar cheese. You may need to fold the cheese in half if it's a big slice.
• Remove from the grill and top with the sliced scallions.
• These can be served with a side of rice or french fries. Or you could place them on a toasted bun to make a sandwich!

Not sure what to do with the left-over scallions? Check out my recipe for Broccoli Casserole.

Buffalo Wing Pizza

I struggled with the name for this post. I wanted to call it "Man Pizza" because it definitely meets the definition of whatMatt considers man food. But I decided that "Man Pizza" wasn't descriptive enough. So here we go with Buffalo Wing Pizza!

I made this pizza with pre-made frozen popcorn chicken. I'm normally not too keen on frozen food, but we had a coupon for these and I decided to try them. They were actually really good! That being said, if you don't want to get frozen chicken, you could make your own buffalo wings with my recipe for Boneless Buffalo Wings or you could even grill some chicken and cut it in to strips.

Buffalo Wing Pizza
Makes: 1 large pizza

1 package pre-made pizza dough
1/3 cup wing sauce (such as Frank's)
8 oz package of shredded pizza cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
2 oz crumbled blue cheese
8 oz popcorn chicken
8 oz bacon
Cornmeal

• On a surface coated with cornmeal, roll out the pizza dough. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet or pizza pan that has been lightly greased and coated with cornmeal. Set aside and allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, crisp the bacon. See my Tips & Tricks about how to cook bacon. Once cooked, chop up the bacon then set aside.
• Cook the popcorn chicken according to the directions. Mine took about 20 minutes. Once cooked, chop up any pieces of chicken that are too big. You want them all to be bite sized.
• Prick the pizza dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming in the dough (FYI: this is called "docking").
• Spread the wing sauce evenly over the pizza dough. Feel free to use more or less, depending on how spicy you want it.
• Sprinkle the entire package of pizza cheese over the pizza. Top with blue cheese, then bacon, then the chicken. If you're really crazy (like my husband) you can even toss the chicken in some wing sauce before you put it on the pizza.
• Bake the pizza at 375° F for 25 - 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dough is golden brown.
• Allow to cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

If you're not sure what to do with your left-over blue cheese, check out my recipe for Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers.

Chicken & Vegetables in Thai Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce is one of the easiest sauces you can make. It's a raw sauce - no cooking required. And it's literally just a combination of peanut butter, water, soy sauce, and a few other goodies. I like to add this to some noodles with stir-fry vegetables and some chicken. I used carrots, celery, and onions because that's what I happened to have on hand. You could also use pea pods, mushrooms, asparagus, water chestnuts, or even a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables! You can also leave out the chicken for Meatless Mondays. This also makes a great make-ahead lunch for the week!

Chicken & Vegetables in Thai Peanut Sauce
Makes: 4 servings

1/2 lb spaghetti, lo mein noodles, or ramen noodles
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/2" dice
8 scallions
2 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or 1/2 tsp dried, ground ginger)
3/4 cup hot water
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce

• Cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 9 - 10 minutes. Make sure to salt the water well.
• Strain the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into 1/2" cubes.
• Chop the carrots, celery, and onions. Set aside.
• Slice the scallions, add the white part to the carrots, celery, and onions; set aside the green tops for garnish.
•  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high. Add the carrots, celery, and onion mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes until the vegetables just start to soften.
• Add the chicken to the skillet and continue cooking for 5 - 6 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from the heat.
• Make the sauce by combining the garlic, ginger, water, peanut butter, and soy sauce. It's true that you can use powdered garlic and ginger, but I highly recommend using fresh. There's just nothing like fresh ginger. Whisk the ingredients together - the sauce will have a lumpy texture at first, just keep whisking and it will smooth out.
• Add the sauce to the hot chicken and vegetables. Add the pasta then toss it all together.
• Garnish with the green scallion tops.

If you want to make the sauce a little spicy, you could add some Sriracha sauce.

Honey Lime Chicken

This is another one of those recipes that I just kind of pulled out of thin air. I wasn't sure what to make for dinner so I looked around to see what we had. Honey and lime are a pretty classic flavor combination. You see it a lot in southwestern dishes as well as Thai dishes. I went more in the Asian direction with this one and it was yummy! I made this with chicken breasts, but you could also use chicken thighs or even chicken wings.

Honey Lime Chicken

Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

Marinade:

2 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce

• Combine the lime juice, honey, garlic, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Set aside.
• Cut each of the chicken breasts in half length-wise so that you have four thin chicken breasts.
• Pour half of the marinade into a plastic bag with the chicken and marinate it for 10 - 30 minutes. You don't really want to do more than 30 minutes with an acidic marinade like this because it will make the chicken mushy.

• While the chicken in marinating, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade, then toss in the flour mixture. You want just a very thin coating on the chicken. This is going to create a thin, delicate crust.
• Deep fry the chicken at 350° F for 3 - 5 minutes total until deep brown and cooked through. Or cook in a heavy bottomed skillet filled with 1/2" of oil on medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes per side.
• Remove the chicken from the oil and allow to rest.
• While the chicken is resting, heat the other half of the marinate in a small sauce pan over medium heat for 4 - 5 minutes until the sauce bubbles and just starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.
• Plate the chicken then spoon some of the sauce over each piece. There will only be a very small amount of sauce but it's strong stuff so it will be plenty for four pieces of chicken.
• Serve the chicken over white rice, brown rice, rice pilaf, couscous, or quinoa. This dish pairs really well with some bok choy that has been chopped, sauteed until al dente, then tossed with just a little bit of soy sauce.

This was great as is but I can't wait to try it on the grill. I think it will be even more delicious!

Roasted Garlic & Italian Herb Chicken

I had some left-over roasted garlic compound butter from my Broccoli with Roasted Garlic Butter so I decided to put it to use in this chicken dish! The result was really great and it was a super fast meal. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Roasted Garlic & Italian Herb Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
1 tbsp roasted garlic butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

• Cut each piece of chicken in half length-wise so that you have four thin pieces of chicken.
• Mix together the panko, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and salt. Then mix in the melted butter. Set aside.
• Dip each piece of chicken in the beaten egg, then the panko mixture.
• Place the chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes until completely cooked and no longer pink.
• Serve with pasta.

I made a pasta side dish with the remaining butter. It paired really well with the chicken. You can make this while the chicken is baking.

1/2 lb penne or other tube pasta
2 tbsp roasted garlic butter
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tsp fresh)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

• Cook the pasta until al dente, about 11 - 12 minutes. Make sure to salt the water well.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saute pan. Once the butter is bubbling, add the pepper flakes then remove from the heat.
• Strain the pasta then add it to the garlic butter. Add the parsley and parmesan and toss until the pasta is coated.

Loaded Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

I had some left-over rotisserie chicken from the Buffalo Chicken Blasts that I made the other day so I decided to use it up in these Loaded Chicken & Black Bean Burritos. I also boiled the bones to make chicken stock. Waste not, want not! Anyhow, these burritos are really yummy with chicken, but you can also leave out the chicken for Meatless Mondays.

Loaded Chicken & Black Bean Burritos
Makes: 8 Burritos

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
15 oz can of black beans
4 oz can of green chilies
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/2 medium yellow onion, 1/2" dice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
8 burrito size flour tortillas
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

  

• In a saute pan, cook the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 - 12 minutes.
• Add the chicken, black beans, green chilies, salsa verde, cumin, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir and continue to cook on medium about 5 minutes until heated through.
• Sprinkle about one ounce of cheese on a tortilla then melt the cheese either in the microwave or under the broiler.

• Spread 1/8th of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla then roll up like a burrito.

• Serve with sour cream, salsa verde, sliced green onions, etc.
• Note: If you don't want to use a rotisserie chicken, you could bake two chicken breasts at 400° F for 20 - 25 minutes, then chop up.

Cheesecake Factory Copy-Cat: Buffalo Chicken Blasts

Matt and I love the Cheesecake Factory. The last time we went there, I had the best filet mignon I've ever had in my life! Anyhow, they have an appetizer there called Buffalo Chicken Blasts. It's basically wontons filled with buffalo chicken and then chicken fried. Does it get any better than that?! This is my second attempt at a copy-cat recipe for these and I think I've gotten pretty close. Let me know what you think!

Buffalo Chicken Blasts
Makes: 16 pieces

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 brick), softened
1/4 cup hot sauce (such as Frank's)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 egg roll wrappers
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

• Preheat a deep fryer or heavy bottomed dutch oven filled with oil to 375° F.
• Combine the chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, and cheddar cheese. Note: I used a rotisserie chicken for this. If you don't want to use a rotisserie chicken, you could bake two chicken breasts at 400° F for 20 - 25 minutes, then chop up. The chicken mixture will kind of look like a sticky mess at this point. That's ok, don't worry.

•  Make the egg wash by beating together the eggs and milk. Set aside.
• Mix the flour, garlic, onion, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• With a pastry brush, brush two sides of the egg roll wrapper with water (these are usually found in the produce section next to the tofu). Then fill the wrapper with two tablespoons of chicken mixture, about the size of a golf ball.
• Fold over the egg roll wrapper to form a triangle and seal the edges, making sure to press out any air from inside the wrapper.
• Dip the triangle in the egg wash, then the flour. Shake off any excess flour.

First batch is ready to go!

• Deep fry the triangles for two minutes on each side. My deep fryer can only fit two at a time.

• Once cooked, drain off any excess oil by placing the triangle on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Like so:

• Allow to cool for a few minutes. The filling will be hotter than the blazes of hell and damnation. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Note: You can make a smaller version by using wonton wrappers instead of egg roll wrappers. This would make a great party appetizer.

Pan Seared Sage Chicken

I've been on a big sage kick lately. I have no idea why. I guess it just "feels" right with how cold it's been lately. I made this chicken dish to go along with the Butternut Squash Mashup that I made. One thing that I like to do is keep a common theme in my meal. Since I used sage in the butternut squash, I figured I would add it to the chicken too. It turned out really well. I hope you like it.

Pan Seared Sage Chicken
Makes: 4 servings

Pasta:
1/2 lb penne or other tube pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter or butter substitute
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

Chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp rubbed sage

Make the pasta:

• Boil the pasta for 11 - 12 minutes until al dente. Make sure to salt the water really well.
• While the pasta is cooking, saute the garlic over medium heat until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to soften. Remove from the heat.
• Strain the pasta then add to the garlic butter. Add the sage then toss together.

Make the chicken:

  

• While the pasta is cooking, make the chicken.
• Cut each chicken breast in half length-wise so that you have 4 thin pieces of chicken.
• Combine the seasoned salt and sage. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of each piece of chicken.
• Spray a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray into a skillet. Heat over medium until hot.
• Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 3 - 4 minutes on each side until fully cooked and no longer pink.
• You can serve the chicken whole or cut into thin strips. Serve over top of pasta.

Hearty Chicken & Stars Soup

I had some wonderful left-overs from the Sissy's Chicken that I made yesterday so I decided to turn them into soup! Soup is a great way to use up left-overs and it's a great comfort food for this time of year. I happened to have some carrots and zucchini hanging around so that's what I used today. You could also add: mushrooms, spinach, kale, onions, celery, etc. I also used Israeli couscous because that's what I had in my cupboard. Unfortunately, I've found that it's a little difficult to come by. Instead of the couscous, you could use: egg noodles, elbow macaroni, ditalini (little tube shaped pasta), rice, or potatoes. Also, if you don't have chicken left-overs, you could pick up a rotisserie chicken for this recipe.

Hearty Chicken & Stars Soup
Makes: 6 servings

For the broth:
1 whole roasted chicken
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 cup whole baby carrots
2 cloves garlic
water

For the soup:
Chopped chicken picked from the bone
2 cups chopped baby carrots
2 zucchini cut into bite size pieces
2 - 4 tsp chicken base or chicken bouillon
1 cup Israeli couscous

Make the broth:

  
• Pick as much chicken as you can off of the bones. Don't worry if there is a lot left on there, it will come off later after the chicken has been simmered. Be very careful to pick out any bones, there are lots of tiny bones in chicken. Set the chunks of chicken aside in the refrigerator.
• In a heavy bottomed stock pot, pour in the oil and heat over medium. Add the whole carrots and garlic cloves. Stir continuously and cook until the carrots and garlic are a nice golden brown, about 5 - 7 minutes.
• Place the chicken bones in the pot on top of the carrots and garlic.
• Add enough water to almost cover the chicken. It took about 10 cups of water for the size chicken that I had.

  

• Cover the pot and turn the heat up to high.
• Once the water has reached a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low-medium-low and continue to simmer, covered for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, remove the pan from the heat. With a slotted spoon, scoop out as much chicken and bones as you can. Then pour the broth through a mesh strainer to strain out any remaining pieces of chicken and bone. The easiest way I've found to do this is to place a strainer over a really large mixing bowl, pour the broth into there, then transfer the broth back to the soup pan once it has been strained.
• Discard the carrots and garlic.

Make the soup:

• Pick the remaining chicken off the bones, again being very careful to pick out any tiny bones, and add it to the chicken that was picked off previously. You should find that it's much easier to pick apart this time and the chicken just falls off the bone.
• Discard the bones.
• Chop up any large chunks of chicken so that all pieces are bite size or smaller.
• Add the chicken to the broth.
• Cook on medium, uncovered until the amount of broth reduces by 1/3, about 20 - 30 minutes.
• Add the chopped carrots and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Add the zucchini and couscous, cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove the soup from the heat.
• Add the chicken base or chicken bouillon starting with 2 tsp. If the soup tastes bland, add more base or bouillon, 1 tsp at a time, until the soup reaches the desired flavor.
• Serve with crackers, biscuits, or a nice crusty artisan bread.

Sissy's Chicken

The reason I call this Sissy's Chicken is because it's actually my sister's recipe. She made this year's Thanksgiving turkey using this spice mix and it was so good that I use it almost every time I cook bone-in chicken; whether it's a whole chicken, leg quarters, chicken breast, etc. I guarantee you'll love this flavor profile!

Sissy's Chicken
Makes: 1 whole chicken

1.5 - 2 lb whole broiler or fryer chicken
1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dry rubbed sage
2 tbsp olive oil

• Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic, onion, coriander, and sage.
• Remove the giblets (usually in a bag in the chest cavity) from the chicken, rinse with water, then pat dry.
• Place the chicken in a roasting pan - preferably with a rack - breast side up. If you're unsure which side is the breast side, look for the neck bone which will be on the opposite side - that side should go down in the pan.
• Brush the olive oil over the entire chicken.
• Sprinkle the spice mixture over the entire chicken.
• Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.
• Roast the chicken at 325° F for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on weight, until the internal temperature when taken at the thigh is 165° F and the juices run clear (that means the juice should not be pink, in case you were curious).
• Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 5 - 10 minutes before slicing. This will keep the chicken nice and juicy.

To be perfectly honest, I don't actually measure out all of the spices. I just kind of sprinkle them on individually and eye-ball it. But I figured I would give measurements in case eye-balling it makes you nervous.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

I'm experimenting with a new idea that I want to call "Cupboard Cleaners." These will be recipes that can easily be made with ingredients that you likely already have in your cupboard, refrigerator, and/or freezer. One thing that completely amazes Matt is that I can look at what we have in the cupboard and just kind of pull a meal out of thin air. Cupboard Cleaners will help you use up those ingredients that you're not sure what to do with - half an onion in the fridge, that last clove of garlic on the counter, that one tablespoon of butter that's left, half a bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard, a bag of couscous, you get the idea. We all have ingredients that have been partially used up in other recipes and then the left overs just seem to hang out with nothing to do but create clutter in the kitchen!

My first Cupboard Cleaner came from just such a scenario. I was cooking dinner last Saturday and I didn't have an idea yet for what I was going to make. I looked in the freezer and saw that I had half a bag of frozen mushrooms, I had half a box of penne in the cupboard, and a very small amount of shredded cheese in the refrigerator. Thus, Cheesy Chicken Casserole was born!

The word "cheesy" is really messing with my brain tonight. It doesn't look like it's spelled correctly. I keep staring at it which makes it worse. I could swear it should be spelled "cheesey" but then that looks even worse. I digress...

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Makes: 4 servings

1/2 lb penne

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" dice

1 tsp blackened seasoning (I like Zatarain's)

4 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter (I use Smart Balance)

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1 bay leaf

2 cups milk

3 slices American cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

• Cook the penne for 11 - 12 minutes, or until al dente. Make sure to salt the water well.
• Drain the pasta and set aside.
• While the pasta is cooking, toss the chicken with the blackened seasoning.
• In a large saute pan over medium high heat, cook the chicken until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, about 5 - 6 minutes.
• Set the chicken aside.
• In the same pan that was used to cook the chicken, heat up the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes.
• Add the flour to the mushrooms and garlic. Stir to make sure that all of the flour has absorbed the butter. Add the mustard powder and bay leaf.
• Add the milk and stir until the flour is completely dissolved in the milk.
• Continue to cook the sauce over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Add all three cheeses. Stir until completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the chicken and pasta to the sauce.
• Transfer to a greased 13" x 9" glass baking dish.
• Top with additional cheese and panko bread crumbs. Since this dish is a whole lot of creamy stuff and not much else, the bread crumbs help to add a little texture and crunch.
• Bake at 350° F for 20 - 25 minutes until bubbly and brown.

And after all of that, you may be thinking, "ok, but what if I don't have all of those ingredients in my cupboard/refrigerator?" Great question! Here's how you can customize.

Add-ins - instead of chicken or mushrooms, you could add: broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, spinach, zucchini, summer squash, caramelized onions.

Cheese - instead of American, Parmesan, or mozzarella cheese, you could use: cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, feta, pepper jack, provolone, Swiss, bleu cheese.

Sauce - instead of a milk-based sauce, you could use: chicken broth and white wine, or beef broth and red wine. If you do this, skip the cheese.

Chicken Parm

Chicken parm is a really simple dish that I like to make during the week. It's fast and everyone loves it. It might seem like something fancy because it's the kind of dish you would order at a restaurant, but trust me it's a lot easier than you think. I guarantee you'll be adding this to your weekly line-up.

Looking back through my posts, I've realized we eat entirely too much chicken haha! What can I say. It's cheap, easy, and everyone likes it.

Chicken Parm

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced super fine

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

6 oz shredded cheese (I like the pizza cheese blend)

1/2 lb pasta

1 jar tomato sauce

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• Trim any excess fat off the chicken breasts. Then cut each chicken breast in half length wise so that you have 4 pieces of chicken. This will make the pieces thinner which will help them cook faster and more evenly.
• Combine the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, and olive oil. Make sure that the garlic is minced super fine so that it actually cooks while in the oven. You don't want to bite into raw garlic!
• Dip the chicken breasts into the egg, then the bread crumb mixture. Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. If there are any extra bread crumbs, sprinkle them over top of the chicken breasts.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta and heat up the sauce.
• Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven. Top each piece with some shredded cheese. Place back in the oven for 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven and serve over top of pasta and sauce.