Oven-fried Coconut Chicken

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

OVEN-FRIED COCONUT CHICKENCoconut Chicken
*This recipe could be used for chicken wings as well*

  • 1-1/2 cups (loosely packed) flaked coconut
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 lb of chicken pieces

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. Melt butter in oven in a rimmed cookie sheet (line cookie sheet with aluminum foil & spray with cooking spray.
  2. Mix coconut and bread crumbs in a shallow dish
  3. Beat eggs until foamy in a separate dish
  4. Dip chicken in egg one piece at a time
  5. Roll in coconut mixture
  6. Arrange chicken skin side down in pan
  7. Bake for 25 minutes
  8. Turn chicken and bake for 20 minutes longer or until tender and lightly browned outside.

Chicken Wings: Honey, Barbecued, Mexican, Parmesan and Buffalo !!!

Appetizers January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

chicken wingAre you having a party? The Superbowl is right around the corner – – – lets do some Chicken Wings. Below are recipes for honey,  barbecued, Mexican,  Parmesan and buffalo chicken wings. Great for appetizers or even a main meal.

Hint: For easy cleanup – line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil and  use cooking spray to spray your foil  before cooking.  Also, did you know to make crispy wings – you should use a lipped cookie sheet rather than a deep baking dish otherwise your wings will steam rather than “bake.”

Hint:  Remove the disjointed and tip to get to the meat of the wing – and it will look like a “chicken leg.”

HONEY CHICKEN WINGS

  • 2 pounds of chicken wings
  • Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. Season chicken liberally with pepper
  2. Place wings in a large baking dish
  3. In a small bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, oil, ketchup and garlic until well blended
  4. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 minutes or until chicken is well done and sauce is thick.

 MEXICAN CHICKEN WINGS

  • ½ cup corn oil
  • ¼ cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 12 ounces tortilla corn chips
  • 1 pound chicken wings

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, chili powder, oregano, and cumin to blend well
  2. Pulverize the tortilla chips in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, pour into a shallow bowl
  3. Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned oil; then dredge in the ground chips until covered
  4. Set on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until browned and crisp outside and tender inside. Serve hot

 PARMESAN CHICKEN WINGS

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh)
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted
  • 1 pound chicken wings

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees

  1. In a bag combine cheese, parsley, paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper
  2. Pour melted butter into a shallow bowl
  3. Dip chicken pieces into butter, then place in bag and shake to coat
  4. Place chicken on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot

 BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup hot pepper sauce
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 15 chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
  • Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
  1.  Melt butter in a small saucepan
  2. Add hot sauce and remove from the heat
  3. In a large frying pan or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees. Fry wings in batches without crowding until golden brown, about 10 – 15 minutes.
  4. Drain on paper towels
  5. Brush wings with spicy butter and serve warm with blue-cheese dipping sauce

BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

  • ¾ pound blue cheese; Roquefort or Gorgonzola
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • Several dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste
  1. In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese, leaving some small lumps. Whisk in the mayonnaise until blended. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to blend well.
  2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

BARBECUED CHICKEN WINGS

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press or grated
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chicken
  2. Mix to blend well.  Add the chicken and toss to coat
  3. Marinate at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  5. Arrange the wings in a single layer in a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake, turning once for 30 minutes.

Biscuits ‘n Gravy

Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

This is not a “Weight Watchers” recipe or anything “cooking light” it is not something that should be consumed more than once or twice a year preferably after your physical – HOWEVER, being the nutrition freak I am, there are ways to cut back the fat. I use turkey sausage and skim milk for the gravy – still yummy, but if you want the “real” thing, use pork sausage and whole milk or heavy cream – ouch.

Moving forward –  I’d like to show you how to make a very important cowboy staple: Biscuits and Gravy.biscuitsgravy

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces hot bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 12 ounces mild bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 gallon milk or cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Biscuits, store bought or homemade

 Directions

  1. In a large skillet, add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.
  2. Drain the grease into a cup and remove sausage from the skillet into a bowl.
  3. Return 2 – 4 tablespoons of grease and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour to the grease.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the grease turns into a roux (paste)
  5. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden in color – adding flour if mixture is not thick (pasty)
  6. Begin to add the milk one cup at a time and keep whisking to prevent lumps, stir until the mixture is bubbly and smooth, adding milk a cup at a time until gravy consistency.
  7. At this point, you can start add back the sausage or if you made sausage patties, break a few up and throw into the gravy.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve over biscuits – homemade or store bought.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Bread, Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – (Medium ease)

Nothing like the taste and smell of homemade biscuits.  Here are a few tips & hints to help you biscuitsalong;

  • Do not over-bake.
  • The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
  • The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
  • I have been told that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there’s less chance of over mixing.
  • If not using a food processor – Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry – do not stir to mix – just “fluff” together
  • Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit, use your hands to pat the dough out
  • You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze freeze them, place in plastic bags when frozen for up to a month.
  • When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk ( approx) * You can make your own buttermilk: Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. (if possible use whole milk or heavy cream). Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
  3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal, using a pastry dough cutter or two knives.
  4. Add the buttermilk and using a fork mix JUST until combined, do not beat.
  5. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be wet.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
  7. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use flour to dust the board or counter if dough is sticking.
  8. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
  9. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
  10. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
  11. If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
  12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

What do do with the biscuits when they come out of the oven; drizzle with honey, biscuithoneyspread butter, or jam on your biscuit, eat naked, or squirt some whipped cream on each half and add fresh fruit on top.  Or my fav, Biscuits and Gravy – post to come.

Hint; Never cut a biscuit with a knife, always break in half.

Parmesan Chicken Breast (easy)

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Ingredients Chicken Parmesan

    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
    • 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
    • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts ( about 1 pound)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In resealable plastic bag, combine cheese, crumbs and all seasonings; shake well.
  3. Place one chicken breast in bag of cheese mixture, shake to coat all sides, repeat with remaining chicken.
  4. Spray cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (Pam)  and arrange chicken in a single layer
  5. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Easy Sauté Chicken

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 6, 2013 Leave a comment

Here is an easy chicken dinner that you can handle any evening after work. All you need butterfly chare skinless chicken breasts, some spices you can pick up at the market or maybe have in your pantry already, i.e. pantry is the place you keep your spices, oils, vinegars etc. J A skillet, and olive oil.

If your chicken breast is frozen, wrap in paper towel and defrost in the microwave using the defrost setting. Do not overcook – chicken breast is easier to slice when slightly frozen inside.

Butterflying the Chicken This next step may be a little tricky – You want to “butterfly” the breast by slicing it through the center – not all the way through, you want to open it up and create a large, thin, flat chicken breast.

Here are some suggestions to sprinkle on both sides of your chicken breast. Pick two or three or use your own imagination.

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • Garlic Powder
  • Thyme
  • Cajon Seasoning
  • Cayenne Pepper (sparingly)
  • Sage (sparingly)

Heat your skillet with two tablespoons of olive oil, when the oil is hot lay your chicken breast in the skillet and cook on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Chicken is done when white inside and firm to the touch.

There you go – easy peezy – serve up with your favorite vegetable, salad or rice.

Note: You do not have to butterfly the chicken – you can cook it as is – it will just take longer to cook. Count on about 10 minutes on each side – slice the thickest part of the chicken after 20 minutes to be sure it is cooked through.

Cabbage Rolls

Dinner Ideas January 5, 2013 Leave a comment
cabbage rolls

cabbage rolls

I grew up with these stuffed cabbage leaves, I consider them a comfort food. Great for a crowd as this recipe makes a lot!

Cabbage Rolls

  • ¾ cup cooked rice (wild or white)
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
  • 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup of milk or half-and-half
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram
  • 1 can of tomato sauce or marinara sauce

     

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Place a nice size cabbage head in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the cabbage leave soften. Remove the cabbage from the water.
  2. Cook rice according to directions.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion until soft. Mix the cooked onion, rice, meat and egg together.
  4. Loosen the cabbage leaves carefully from the cabbage head and fill with about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture, fold the ends in and under to form a pillow. Place in layers in a baking dish.
  5. Pour tomato sauce or marina sauce over the cabbage pillows and bake covered for 1-1/2 hours.

Enjoy

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Feta-Spinach

Chicken, Dinner Ideas January 5, 2013 Leave a comment

Feta stuffed Chicken Breasts Feta stuffed Chicken Breasts[/caption]

  • 1 package of fresh spinach
  • 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled (you can use flavored)
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese (try to use freshly grated)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 chopped onion
  • Salt and Pepper to taste (easy on the salt as the feta will be salty); ¼ tsp of salt
  • 6 boneless chicken breasts

Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Sauté the chicken in equal parts of hot olive oil and butter until lightly browned, about 3 minutes on each side.

In a bowl combine the spinach, feta cheese, parmesan, egg, onion, salt and pepper.

Divide the spinach mixture into 6 parts and stuff each pocket.

Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes covered at 350 degrees

Garlicky Marsala Mushrooms with Pasta

Dinner Ideas January 5, 2013 Leave a comment
Mushroom Stew

Salsa di Funghi
Mushroom Stew

Always try to use fresh herbs purchased in the vegetable section of your grocery store.  They have a remarkable fresh flavor and add such nice aroma and flavor to your dishes.  Most fresh herbs will last at least a week in your refrigerator, or can be put in a plastic bag and kept in the freezer.  If you use dry herbs, you will not need as much as the recipe calls for; dried herbs have a more pungent flavor.

In this recipe you can replace the type of mushrooms used for another variety you prefer.  Always use fresh mushrooms purchased in the grocery store rather than canned.

Garlicky Marsala Mushrooms with Pasta

  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound of white mushrooms – quartered
  • 1 pound of porta bella mushrooms – quartered
  • 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium shallot, thinly diced or small onion mince
  • 1-1/2 tsp minced rosemary (try to use fresh)
  • ½ cup dry Marsala wine
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup of minced green, yellow and red peppers
  • 1 package of frozen or fresh Tortellini or pasta of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced
  1. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over high heat, stirring onion, until the mushrooms are browned all over, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, the shallot or onion, peppers and rosemary and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the Marsala and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in the minced garlic, and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
  2. Prepare pasta according to directions
  3. After draining the pasta return to the pot or a large bowl, stir in the butter and mushroom mixture, stir in the 1/3 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese until melted.

Enjoy

Baked Apple Pancake

Dinner Ideas January 4, 2013 Leave a comment

Image

Baked Apple Pancake

Yes, you bake it in an oven in a skillet.  It is fabulous, tasty and makes a great Sunday brunch.

  • 2 – 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 – 3 cups Pancake batter (instant is fine)

Heat oven to 375 degrees

  1. Melt butter in an 8 inch skillet (oven proof), add the sliced applies and stir until tender
  2. Sprinkle with the sugar / cinnamon mixture
  3. Stir and cook until applies are soft and sugar is melted
  4. Add prepared pancake batter on top of apples
  5. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until pancake is set (knife inserted in center comes out clean) – remove from oven
  6. Invert onto a plate and cut into wedges