Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Last week was my husband's spring break. I took one too - we left for Kansas City, saw some fun sites and museums. I didn't do much cooking or cleaning. It was fabulous.
Are you guys watching March Madness? Our team was in through the sweet 16, unfortunately loosing last Thursday night by just a few points. It was sweet while it lasted.
Even though it was just my husband and I watching the game I thought we needed some party food - so I finally made these Asian Drumsticks from Gina's Skinny Recipes. These were delicious, and you would never guess they were low calorie. Mmm!

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

recipe via Gina's Skinny Recipes
8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
Pam spray oil
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 Tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

Yellow Thai Curry

I just started working night shifts now for my job. It is so much nicer to only miss a few hours of Lou's day - rather than the whole thing. I think we will both do much better.
The only problem is the obvious one - I am tired. I have great friends who are helping me watch Lou for a few hours in the morning so I can sleep, plus I sleep during her nap. That gives me about 6 hours of sleep - which is much better than I expected. But, I am a 8-9 hour girl. I know there are few of us out there, but I really need that amount of sleep or I am cranky/weepy/impatient. The days after I work I am moving slow and don't get much done around the house. Then dinner rolls around - and I need something fast and easy. This Thai Curry recipe is just that - easy easy! Thank you Trader Joe's!

Yellow Thai Curry

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, cut in half then sliced
1 large bell pepper, sliced
1-2 tomatoes, sliced (I like to use a Roma or something with a lot of flesh and not a lot of juice)
Trader Joe's Yellow Thai Curry sauce (I use about half the jar)
Salt and Pepper

In a large frying pan or a wok, heat up a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper. Toss in wok, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through. Add in onion, cook for an additional two minutes. Add in bell pepper, cook another 1 minute. Add sauce and tomatoes, cook until heated through. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

*If you don't want to do chicken - substitute any meat you like - pork, shrimp, beef, whatever you have in the freezer!

Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans

Well, we have moved to Lincoln, Nebraska! The move went ridiculously smooth - and my baby did great for a 16 hour car ride - go Lou! It really was a blessing. Our kitchen is unpacked, and the rest of the house can wait. I finally started making some real food. I love eating out - but two weeks straight can really wear on you (and your waist line - yikes!). I did a couple grocery store trips and feel like our kitchen is almost stocked. The freezer is pretty bare, but it's getting there.
Yesterday was one of our first real meals. I had made dinner before but it was simple things like nachos, spaghetti, things like that. Nothing you don't know already how to make.
This stir fry was inspired by Jamie Oliver (if you haven't signed the petition yet, go sign it!). I love making stir fry it is kind of a clean-out-the-fridge meal. You can put whatever you want in it. And don't stress about having a big variety of vegetables, this only has two. I even love it with just one (remember Broccoli Beef? That's only one vegetable!) The thing with stir fry is you can't cook while you prep. Do all your prep work before hand. I love big cutting boards for this reason - cut and push aside, cut and push aside. No need for lots of bowls. Have everything close to the stove and you will have your stir fry cooked in about 6 minutes!

Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans

1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 thumb-size peice of fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 to 1 serrano or red chile, seeds and veins removed
2 green onions
2 carrots
2 large handfuls of green beans, cleaned
2 chicken breasts
Peanut or vegetable oil
one lime
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
reserved cooking water
1 package chow mein noodles

First - fill a pot with water and set on high to get boiling while you prepare your ingredients.

To prepare the stir fry:

Remove leaves from cilantro, set aside. Chop cilantro, ginger, garlic, and chile into a very small dice. Set aside. Slice the green onions thinly. Cut and discard ends of green beans; cut into bite size pieces. Slice carrots thinly (I like to cut them into a long, thin julienne.) Slice chicken breasts thinly. It's easiest to slice the chicken if it is a little frozen.

To cook the stir fry:

Preheat your wok or large frying pan over high heat. Once it is very hot, add a "glug" of oil to pan, swirl around. Place chicken in and turn once slightly browned, a couple minutes. Add in cilantro stalks, ginger, garlic, and chile, and half the green onions. Stir fry for about 30 more seconds, keeping everything moving. Now add your noodles to your boiling water, cooking 2-3 minutes. Add cornstarch, sugar, and a 1/4 cup cooking water, keep it moving. Add vegetables. Cook for another 2 minutes, keeping everything moving to not to burn (have I said that enough?). Remove from heat. Add soy sauce and juice of half a lime, stir in well. Drain noodles, reserving a little liquid. Add noodles to pan, stir well. Add a little water if needed to loosen it up. Taste, add soy sauce if needed. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with remaining green onions and cilantro leaves. Serves 3-4.

Tips: 

For fresh ginger, peel by scratching with a spoon then reserve the remainder in the freezer.
Careful with your chile pepper - the oils can stick on your skin for a while, wear gloves if needed. (My fingers were burning until I went to bed!... I wasn't being careful...

Chicken Piccata

Yeah, yeah, I know. It is Cinco de Mayo and I am posting an Italian recipe.  Sorry - I didn't plan well enough ahead. Can I make up for it by telling you this is delicious and fast? Whew, thanks.

Chicken Piccata

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
all-purpose flour, about 1 cup
6 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 c brined capers, rinsed
1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped

1. Gather all ingredients, chop parsley, rinse capers, squeeze lemon juice, set aside. In a small dish (or cake pan in my case) combine flour and salt and pepper.
2. Butterfly chicken breasts, then cut in half. If needed, pound chicken so even thickness.
3. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shake off excess flour

4. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
5. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to cookie sheet or plate. (Can place in warm oven to keep warm, or cover with foil).
6. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
7. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add salt and pepper if needed. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Place chicken on plates. In skillet add remaining butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley and sliced lemon.

Tips:

If you have leftovers, cut chicken into strips and serve on a salad.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

So an ingredient I have never tried before - Pomegranate Juice. Have you ever tried it. Seems to be one of the new hot things in antioxidants. I liked it, the taste reminds me somewhat of cranberry juice.

I was trying to think of something original to make with the juice, so I made a Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

In the salad was 1 large chicken breast (I just seasoned with lemon pepper and a little salt, then sauteed in a non-stick skillet), a few tiny bell peppers, about 1/2 c feta, 1 large tomato, and the vinaigrette. Pretty simple, but tasty!

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/2 c pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
1/4 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/2 garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
about 6 grind black pepper

Place all ingredients in a curette and shake shake shake. If you don't have one, just put it in a bowl and whisk. (If you are making my above salad, this is way too much dressing - save some for another yummy salad. Keeps well in the fridge. )

Don't forget to enter to win! Current open giveaways:
Sweet Nature Designs

*POM Wonderful sent me some pomegranate juice and asked that I make up a recipe using it. It was a fun and delicious experiment!

Salsa Chicken

Need a simple, delicious dinner idea? Here you go! You're welcome. Actually, you can thank my friend Katy. Mmm. This one is so good. I think I need to make it again this week.
Katy usually serves this with mashed potatoes or rice. I thought it went deliciously with Spaghetti Squash. Do what you wish.

Salsa Chicken

adapted from Katy L.

2 large chicken breasts
1/4 c salsa
1/4 c honey
1/8 c apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/8 cup molasses or honey BBQ sauce
4 pieces bacon

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine salsa, honey, vinegar, mustard, and molasses(or BBQ sauce). Fry bacon until brown, but not crispy. Place chicken in a Dutch oven or casserole dish and pour mixture over chicken. Place bacon pieces over chicken(or slice breasts and place bacon inside) and bake in oven until chicken is done(about 30 minutes, depending on thickness). Spoon mixture over chicken every 15 minutes.

*Katy's Tip: For a variation, slice a pocket in the middle of each chicken breast and fill with cheese and pepperoni.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food for me. For some reason I used to think it was hard and time consuming. Really, it isn't that bad - and totally worth a few extra minutes to make your own noodles.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 6-8
Soup:
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c carrots, diced
1 1/2 c onion, diced (about 1 med onion)
1 1/2 c celery, diced (about 3 stalks)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 c parsley divided
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces.
8 cups chicken stock

Noodles:

2 1/2 c flour
2 eggs
pinch salt
1/4 c milk
1 Tbsp olive oil

Coat bottom of large stock pot with olive oil (a few Tbsp), heat over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and celery (add more olive oil if vegetables start looking dry but aren't softened yet).

Saute until vegetables are softened and onions are transluscent. Add thyme, garlic bay leaf, salt and pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Season chicken peices with a little salt and pepper.

Add to pot. Let brown on both sides (will be about 1/2 way cooked - it doesn't matter if it is cooked through).

 Sorry this picture is a little blurry - but I wanted to show you that it doesn't have to be cooked fully.

Add chicken stock, bring to boil. Taste broth, adjust seasoning as needed. Let simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile - make the noodles.

On your counter, form flour a volcano shape. In a small bowl mix eggs, salt, milk and olive oil. (I didn't mix my ingredients before, you don't have to but it makes it easier.) Pour into center of volcano. With hands mix with your hands until fully combined, knead until dough is fairly smooth. (see how there is some flour left? You don't have to use it all, just until dough is dry.) Roll out and cut into desired size. Remember that noodles are going to double in thickness so roll them thinner than you think. (I like mine thicker than normal, I showed you how thick mine are.)
Bring soup back to a boil, add noodles, cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through (will depend on how thick your noodles are).

Tips:

Cut chicken while slightly frozen, it makes it easier.
Cut noodles with a pizza cutter. You may want to cut yours shorter than mine. I wish I did, they were harder to eat with a spoon
If you don't want to make your own noodles, cook seperately. That way they won't get super soggy when you store your leftovers.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Have you ever had Hawaiian Haystacks? If you live in Utah, you probably have, its a classic. It is a favorite recipe of my husband's. I know, it may sound strange, but it is delicious. Fun for your kids too- they get to put on whatever they want.

Hawaiian Haystacks

3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sour cream
salt
pepper
Cooked Rice
Desired Toppings

Boil chicken until just done. Cut into cubes or shred with two forks. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Add cooked chicken. Heat until warm. May need to add more stock if sauce is too thick. Spoon over cooked rice (we like Jasmine in our house).

Top with the toppings you like. Serves 4.

These are some of the ones we like:
Chow Mein Noodles (these are a must!)
Cheddar cheese
Craisins (or raisins if you like that sort of thing)
Peas
Pineapple
Tomatoes
Other things you can add:
Celery
Broccoli
Olives
Anything you are trying to empty out of the fridge... well, almost.

Sorry - I had to close this post to comments because I was getting some nasty spam. I would love to hear what you think about this -- but comment on another post! Thanks -Sarah

Popcorn Day

Today is National Popcorn Day. Make everyone in the office go crazy by popping some for your snack. Or, for dessert tonight make caramel popcorn or kettle corn.
Because you can't really make a dinner out of popcorn (although my family would applaud me if I did), we are having this: Popcorn Chicken!

And just for fun - everything is finger food: raw broccoli with ranch for dipping, creole sweet potato fries, and of course - popcorn chicken. Kids love that right?

For the menu:
Popcorn Chicken - I used this technique for the chicken, only cut the chicken into smaller, cube peices. They cooked for about 6-8 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries - My tip, cook them almost all the way, remove from oven. Put chicken in. Then put the sweet potato fries back in under broil. unless you are one of those lucky people who has two ovens. Then I am jealous.

Sweet Potato Fries 

(serves 4)
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into a julienne, cut to the size you like
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-3 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (recipe follows), or more to taste

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, toss until evenly coated. Place a metal cooling rack on top of a jelly roll pan. Place potatoes evenly over cooling rack. (This gives an even heat distribution so one side isn't soggy and the other is crispy). Bake a 400 degrees until almost all the way soft. (for my size, it was 20-25 min) Turn oven to Broil, remove the fries once they have gotten crispy slightly browned. Mmm.

Creole Seasoning 

Thanks Emeril
2 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine all ingredients. Use for recipe, and reserve the rest for delicious things like shrimp, chicken, or more fries.

Chicken Posole

When my husband saw me looking at a Chicken Posole recipe he told me I had to make it. He ate it a lot when he was living in LA and visiting a lot of Hispanic people. This was a common soup served to him. After trying this recipe he said it was very authentic.

Chicken Posole
recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
32 oz chicken broth
28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 dried ancho chili, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
15 oz can hominy, rinsed
1 lime, cut into wedges

heat the oil in a large sauepan over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and starting to brown. Add broth, tomatoes, and chili. Bring to boil. Stir in chicken and hominy and simmer until heated through. Serve with a lime wedge.


Tips:

Those dried ancho chilies are pretty hard to cut with a knife - cut with kitchen shears.
The original recipe says you can substitute 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, but avoid if you can - the ancho gives the authentic taste.

When shredding your chicken, save the skin, bones, and all other "leftovers" to make broth or another soup.
I use the lid of the rotisserie chicken to hold the chicken until I am ready to use it - save me a dish from washing.

Sticky Chicken

I have started cutting coupons to help save a few bucks here and there. It paid off last week - I got free chicken! So I was excited to use my cheap chicks! This is a great combination of flavors - sweet, spicy, sticky, savory.


Sticky Chicken
1.5 lbs chicken drumsticks
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (or less depending on taste)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Collect ingredients. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in small saucepan. Cook until thick and sticky, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, cover in sauce. Return to oven for 20 minutes or until done. (Tip: do not cut into chicken to test doneness, use thermometer or touch method.) Let rest a few minutes and enjoy!

Cop-Out Salad

This is way easy, so easy I probably don't even need to post it.

Tex-Mex Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Black Beans (rinsed)
Tomatoes
Caramelized Onions
Cilantro
Tortilla strips (cut corn tortillas into strips, fry in oil until golden brown)
Chicken

Chicken:
Cut in thin, bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper and salsa verde, saute until just done.

Dressing:
3 Tbsp salsa verde
1-2 tsp sugar
splash of lemon/lime juice
3-6 T olive oil

Assemble and enjoy. I used this prepared salsa for a quick help. You could use anything similar to this.

Waste Not, Want Not

I couldn't just throw out those breaded chicken strips, so here's what I did with the leftovers.

Mini Chicken Parmesan

Reheat chicken in the oven to get the outside crispy again. Place on a bed of cooked spaghetti or other long pasta. Top with favorite marinara sauce, then top that with freshly grated parmesan. (Would be great with mozzarella, but I didn't have any.) Place under the broiler to melt the cheese.
Eat before someone else does!

Oven "Fried" Chicken Strips

My mom used to make oven "fried" chicken for us when we were kids. I just put a little spin on it, making it into chicken strips rather than whole chicken breasts. This is a great healthy alternative to the fast food or even store bought chicken nuggets - where you don't know what part of chicken you are eating.

Oven "Fried" Chicken

In a Ziplock Bag mix cornflakes and your favorite seasonings. I added dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Seal the bag and whack away - kids love to help at this part!
You could also add parmesan cheese, onion powder, curry powder, cumin, or whatever flavor you are in the mood for.

Prepare your assembly line - egg wash, corn flake mixture, chicken breasts cut into strips, and a cookie sheet with a cooling rack inside.
Wipe the chicken with a paper towel to make sure the wet mixture sticks well. Dip into egg wash, cornflakes, and then onto the cookie sheet.
The egg wash is just a couple eggs with some milk, salt, and pepper. You could add hot sauce if you wanted it to be more spicy. You could replace the egg wash with plain yogurt or milk alone if you wanted to cut the calories.

Place on cookie sheet and put in a 400 degree oven for 6-10 minutes or until cooked through. By placing on the rack the air gets all around the chicken. No need for flipping. If you don't have one, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper and flip the chicken half way through.
I ran out of corn flakes and decided to compare it with a bread crumb mixture - same technique just replaced the cornflakes with bread crumbs. (Every other row seen above is bread crumbs.)
You can spray with a little cooking spray for a more browned color.
Eat before someone else does! Great with your favorite dipping sauce - honey mustard, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or honey.

This is the bread crumb mixture.

This is the cornflake mixture. My verdict? The original was much better. The bread crumb mixture needed something a little more - we will see what we can do with it.