Battered Chicken or Fish

My Venture into Goodbyes

In the last 14 months, I've posted over 100 recipes. Over 700 people subscribe to my blog and my recipes have been printed more than 40,000 times. I've had a great time doing my blog but it is an ever-increasing drain on my time. As many of you know, I do enjoy cooking but, most of all, I enjoy new recipe development. I've been really busy at work and I haven't had much time to work on new recipes (or even cook for myself!). After weeks of thinking about it, I've decided to quit doing my blog. Sniff!

Before I sign-off for the last time, I wanted to let you know my Top 5 Recipes over the last year. They are:

#1 – Southwestern Eggrolls (a clone of Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls)
#2 – Slow-Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy
#3 – Catherine's Sweet Potato Mousse
#4 – Clone of Taco Bell's Baja Sauce
#5 – Beef and Potato Tacos

The following posts were the most read (probably because they all contained a funny story):
#1 -- Nacho Cheesy Chili
#2 -- Klingon Chicken
#3 -- Fluffernutter Bread Pudding
#4 -- Tacos al Pastor
#5 -- Dill-icious Potato Rolls (formerly known as Hong Kong Potato Roll Thingies)

Today, I am posting my final recipe. It's a clone of the batter used on Long John Silver's Chicken Planks or fish. I used the ingredient list on Long John Silver's website as a guide to make my own version. I actually like my version of the batter better than the real thing! This batter can be used for chicken, fish, shrimp, onion rings, or even Fried Frito Pie. What?! Fried Frito Pie?! Has he gone mad?! It's state fair season so I wanted to a posting related to foods at state fairs. One of the must-try foods at our state fair was the Krispy Kreme Hamburgers. It's a hamburger with Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the buns. I didn't try this concoction but it sounds really disgusting to me.

The 2010 winner of the Texas State Fair's Big Tex Choice Fried Food Award was a recipe for Fried Frito Pie. Gosh, it seems like they're frying everything nowadays: Fried Oreos, Fried Twinkies, Fried Butter, Fried Beer… Frying Frito pie was an interesting choice so I decided to try making some using my batter recipe. As you all probably know, Frito Chili Pie is traditionally made by ladling chili over Fritos and topping the mixture with cheese (and sometimes onions). Very yummy. How would this work if the chili pie were coated in a batter and fried? It was great! In fact, the photo at the top contains a few nuggets of Fried Frito Pie (as well as a couple of my Chicken Planks). I'll probably never make Fried Frito Pie again but it was fun to try it once.

This is a sad farewell for me. I've really enjoyed and appreciated all of your wonderful comments and support over the last year. I wish I didn't have to work for a living so I could spend more time on my blog! I encourage all of you to keep cooking and trying new foods and flavors. The next time you try a new, funky food, think of me. I'll miss you Blog Buddies! Best wishes – and happy cooking!

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Battered Chicken or Fish
A clone of Long John Silver's™ Chicken Planks or Fish
(Printable Version)

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders or a mild, white fish (such as cod)
Salt to taste
Flour for dusting

For the Batter:
1 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP corn flour (not corn meal)
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp Accent (MSG), optional
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 c water plus more as needed
1 tsp vinegar

Oil for frying

Dry the chicken tenders (or fish) well. Salt the chicken tenders (or fish) and set aside. For the batter, whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of water and vinegar and whisk smooth. Set aside.

Add about 3" of oil to a medium pot over medium-high heat. The pot needs to be deep enough to hold the oil plus leave plenty of room for the oil to expand when frying. Heat the oil to 350F. While the oil is heating, preheat the oven to 200F.

When the oil is approaching 350F, whisk the batter again. If it has thickened too much, add another tablespoon of water and whisk. Toss 2 to 3 pieces of chicken (or fish) in some flour (dredge the number of pieces that will fit in your pot without crowding it). Shake off all excess flour. Dip a piece of chicken (or fish) in the batter, allow most of the excess to drip off, then slowly add to the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining piece(s). Fry until deep brown. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack inserted into a sheet pan and place the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm until all of the chicken has been fried. Allow the oil to return to 350F before adding more pieces.

Texas Fried Frito Pie
1 recipe of the batter (see above)
1 can of prepared chili (no beans)
1-2 TBSP finely chopped onions, optional
4 oz cheddar cheese
Frito Scoops
Combine the chili, onions (if using), and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Use a spoon to add a small amount of the chili mixture to a Frito Scoop. Place on a small cookie sheet. Repeat with as many scoops as you want to fry. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Freezing the scoops will make it easier to dip them in the batter.

While the scoops are chilling, make the batter and start heating the oil. When the oil is nearly at 350F, pull the cookie sheet out the oven and drop a chili-filled scoop into the batter. Use a form to coat the scoop with the batter. Using the same fork, pull out the scoop – allowing the excess batter to drip off. Add to the hot oil and repeat with additional scoops. Don't overcrowd the pot. Fry until deep brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in an oven set at 200F.

Individual Chicken Casseroles

My Venture into Motherhood
To be celebrated properly, Mother's Day needs to be a lot longer than a single day! After all, for many of us, your mom was there to fix you dinner, keep your house clean, hug you when you were sad, teach you right from wrong, be your #1 fan at sporting events, and protect you from the monsters that lived under your bed. Cardinal Mermillod once said "A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take." Truer words have never been spoken.

Today's recipe is quick and easy-to-make. It's really tasty and nice to serve in individual gratin dishes. Don't make this for Mother's Day. It's not special enough. Instead, as a surprise, make it for Sunday dinner sometime when she's least expecting it just to remind her that you still care.

I am blessed to have such as great mom who inspired me with her great cooking. I hope you've all been equally blessed and have wonderful memories from your childhood. I know I do! One thing that many of us can agree on is that we love our mothers but they can be a little nutty sometimes – my mother being no exception. I'm sure we all have tales of the crazy, little things our mothers did when we were growing up. For today's post, I came up with a list of things you can do to prove you're a good mother.

You know you're a good mother if you can…
1) Gracefully smooth things over when grandma asks "Now who's that nice young man you brought with you today?" while pointing to your daughter's lesbian girlfriend.
2) Spin your head around like that girl in the Exorcist while driving down the freeway and, in a possessed voice, threaten your son with bodily harm if he doesn't stop bugging his sister.
3) Give your husband the look of death when he asks you to come change the channel since he can't find the remote control for a TV that's 10 feet away.
4) Scream from the bathroom "%$^&#!!! Who left the &@#$% toilet seat up?!" – not realizing a priest is standing in the living room after having just arrived for an unexpected visit.
5) Resist buying something at the store unless it's double-coupon day at the Piggly Wiggly.
6) Guilt your kids into doing something by reminding them that you were almost ripped to shreds after 36 hours of labor that required a 5-stitch episiotomy.
7) Remind your kids on several occasions that, 35 years ago, you ruined her priceless collection of records by using them to skate across the basement floor.
8) Yell loud enough to be heard at a friend's house down the street because somebody ate the last %&#$@ can of fruit cocktail.
9) Smack your husband for allowing your daughter to shave the cat with your leg razor while he calmly watches the nightly news.
10) Maintain your girlish figure while taking care of 4 young kids and subsisting on a diet of entirely Pepsi and cigarettes.

My mother must be a GREAT mother because she's done several of the above things. I love you Ma and Happy Mother's Day!

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Individual Chicken Casseroles
(Printable Version)

2 TBSP softened butter
1 bunch of scallions (white and light green parts), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) low-sodium cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules or Better than Bouillon (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz softened cream cheese
1 3/4 c sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese, divided use
1 c cooked cubed or hash brown potatoes (I use Simple Potatoes brand in the refrigerated section of my supermarket)
2 c cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces (I used leftovers from a roasted chicken)
25 butter crackers (such as Ritz or Townhouse), roughly broken into small pieces
2 TBSP butter, melted
1 c french fried onions (optional)
Garnish with chopped scallions and finely diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter. After the butter has melted, add the scallions and cook about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the soup, milk, bouillon, paprika, and black pepper and stir to combine. Heat until the mixture is hot then add the cream cheese and 1 cup of cheddar cheese (reserve the remaining cheddar cheese for the top). Stir until the cheeses melt. Fold in the potatoes and chicken. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into 3 individual gratin dishes (or an 8x8" baking dish) that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 c of cheese on top of the chicken mixture in each dish.

In a medium bowl, break the crackers into small pieces (about 1/2"). Do not pulverize into crumbs. Add two tablespoons of melted butter and stir to combine. Top each gratin dish with 1/3 of the crackers. Place the gratin dishes on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the casseroles are bubbling around the edges. If using french fried onions, add to the top during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Garnish with chopped scallion tops and finely diced red bell pepper.

Southwestern Eggrolls

My Venture into Unconventional Eggrolls

My friend Denise got me hooked on Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls many years ago. They are SO good! I have to admit, these taste a LOT like the real thing (with a couple of twists of my own).

The ONLY reason I fixed them this week is because I'm experimenting with a completely separate recipe that requires frying. Because I rarely fry anything, I hate to throw out the oil after using it only once or twice. So, since I had the oil for the other recipe, I thought I would go ahead and share my recipe for Southwestern Eggrolls.

When I was a vegetarian, I fixed these often but baked them in the oven. I left the chicken out, of course, and bumped up the veggies. This is a GREAT way to get your kids to eat their vegetables…and there are a lot of them in this recipe! Vegetables, that is…not kids. Feel free to play around with the filling as you see fit. Try using cheddar instead of pepper jack. Try adding a little salsa. Try chorizo instead of chicken. Do whatever you want. This is more of a method than a recipe.

Before any of you ask, I've never tried reproducing Chili's Avocado Dipping Sauce. It's wonderful but I've never taken the time to replicate that recipe because I prefer to dip these in spicy ranch dressing instead. Yes, I know. I need help.

I fully planned to cut one of them open and taken a picture so you can see the inside. With the black beans and spinach, they look a little sinister but I don't mind. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera gave out in the middle of taking pictures. I think I said something like "Gosh, darn it! These stupid rechargeable batteries give out at the most inconvenient dang times! " That's kind of paraphrased. Let's put it this way, if I were on TV, I probably would have been bleeped. Anyway, the eggrolls were getting cold and I was hungry so I ate 'em! Then the guilt set in… Oy. I should not be eating fried foods.

I hope you guys try this recipe. They're tasty! Next week, I'm doing a give-away!!! You're going to love the prize. Enjoy – and happy eggrolling!

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Southwestern Eggrolls
(Printable Version)

1 TBSP oil
1 1/2 bunches scallions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 of a cooked chicken breast, roughly chopped
3 TBSP heated frozen spinach, drained
1 small handful of fresh cilantro
1/4 c water (or more, if needed)
1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
Black pepper to taste
2 TBSP frozen corn
2 TBSP red bell pepper
2 c pepper jack cheese, freshly grated
8 7" flour tortillas
Oil for frying

Heat a skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the scallions and minced garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the scallions are soft. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne (if using) and stir to combine. Cook one minute longer then scrape the mixture into a food processor.

To the scallion mixture in the food processor, add the drained and rinsed black beans, chicken breast, spinach, water, salt, and some pepper. Pulse a few times until the mixture is roughly chopped. Set aside.

Wipe out the skillet you cooked the scallions in, add a little more oil, and set the pan over medium heat. Cook the corn and red bell pepper for a couple of minutes then dump in the bean mixture from the food processor. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. The mixture should be thick but if it seems rather dry, add another tablespoon or two of water. I usually end up adding more cumin and chili powder (and sometimes a little more salt) because I like my filling to have a rather robust flavor. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. After the mixture has cooled, add the pepper jack cheese and stir to combine.

Warm the tortillas per the package instructions. Spoon the filling into a 1/3 measuring cup and gently pack the filling. Dump the filling onto a warm tortilla and mold the filling slightly into an oblong shape. Fold in the sides and roll it up as if you were rolling a burrito. Insert a toothpick to keep the eggroll closed. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling.

Begin heating about 3" of oil (peanut oil works great) in a deep sauce pan. Begin preheating the oven to 200F. Insert a wire rack into a sheet pan and set aside.

Once the oil reaches 350F, add 2 or 3 eggrolls (depending on the size of your pan) and fry for about 5 minutes – turning often. The eggrolls are done when the outside is brown and crispy. Transfer the eggrolls to the rack in the sheet pan and place in the oven to keep warm while you are frying the rest of the eggrolls. When finished, serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Note:
Feel free to bake them. Check out my Oven-Baked Chimichangas for instructions on baking.

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Wings

My Venture into Airplane Wings
Back in the 1980's, I was flying from south Asia to the U.S. on an airline I've flown many times. I don't want to negatively influence your opinion about this lovely airline so, for this particular post, I'm going to refer to it as Acme Air. To get back to the U.S., I had to connect in Europe before heading home. During this era, there were still a few airlines that permitted smoking during the flight. Some international airlines, including this one, bent over backwards to accommodate smokers since smoking was more commonplace than it is today. They always reserved a certain number of rows in the back of the aircraft for smokers. When needed, some of the last rows of non-smoking would suddenly become smoking if there were more smokers than average for a particular flight. On that segment, I happened to be in the last row of non-smoking and the airline needed additional rows for smokers so I was not amused to discover after I boarded that the smoking section had, at the last minute, grown to include my row of seats. And, for the cherry on the cake of my day, I was in… a middle seat. Good times.

We got belted in and, almost immediately, a Polish lady seated to my left started talking – and didn't shut up until the plane landed hours later. I'm guessing she had just come from a garlic-eating contest because her breath was so bad it could have melted plastic. She kept griping about not being able to light up a cigarette or get a glass of scotch until after we got in the air. I couldn't help her with those things but I really wanted to give her an onion to chew on to make her breath smell better. She told me her name but I can't remember it because 1) I didn't care, and 2) I was looking for something to slit my wrists with.

To get a breath of fresh air, I turned to the 400-year old lady to my right and said "hi." She looked up from reading the dinner menu and dryly said "No English." I was suspicious she was lying since the dinner menu was printed in English. Anyway, I was thankful to not have gabbers on both sides of me. I was kicking myself for not using the "No English" excuse when the Polish lady started talking to me. Since that flight, I have to admit that I've used the "No English" excuse on SEVERAL occasions. No more having to sound interested when somebody is telling me about their collection of dried egg shells or how they got so many scars.

Right before takeoff, the flight attendant approached our row and handed me a dry washcloth. I asked her what it was for and she pointed up and said, "There's a leak above your seat." She then turned and walked away. I leaned over toward the old lady and jokingly asked, "What? Are we expecting rain or something?" She just looked up and said, "NO ENGLISH!" Sigh.

After take-off, I felt something drip down on my head. I'm not sure what it was. It was probably something unimportant. You know, like, hydraulic fluid or something. Anyway, I held the washcloth above my head while the Polish lady was telling me her life story – and she was only up to age 3. When one arm got tired, I switched to other arm. After an hour of this, I was sick of constantly having one arm in the air so I just laid the wash cloth on the top of head and stared at the back of the seat in front of me while the Polish lady rambled on and on. Drip. Gab, gab, gab. Drip. Gab, gab, gab. Drip. Oy! Every so often, a flight attendant would take the wet wash cloth and carefully place a dry one back on top of my head.

When it was time to serve dinner, my mood improved considerably. The flight attendant asked if I wanted chicken or fish and I opted for the chicken. Guess what cut of chicken they served? Chicken wings! Yes, chicken wings! See what classy meals people get served in steerage? I'm sure the people in First Class were getting their choice of prime rib or cornish hen with beluga caviar on bellinis. Those of us in the Hooters section of the plane got wings and fish sticks. How does one gracefully eat chicken wings with tiny sets of silverware? I looked around and saw other people using their hands so I decided to do the same. Luckily, I had a damp washcloth resting on the top of my head which I could occasionally reach up and wipe my fingers on.

One bite into that chicken and I felt like I was in First Class. It was lemony but not too tart. It was garlicky but not like my neighbor's breath. It was moist. It was soft. I was succulent. It was GOOD! Unfortunately, they gave me only 2 wings. I sucked the meat off those puppies! I'm glad they only gave me two because I could have eaten a dozen.

When I got home, I tried and tried to recreate those WONDERFUL wings I got on Acme Air. After several attempts, I finally came up with a reasonable facsimile of their lemon-garlic chicken wings. You HAVE to try them! Oh, and by the way, the next time you complain about a bad flight you've had, trying being a non-smoker in the smoking section in a middle seat in Economy Class next to a woman with bad breath while you're being waterboarded by the airline! Enjoy – and happy flying!

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken Wings
(Printable Version)

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings, separated into flats and drumettes
2 tsp kosher salt (1 tsp table salt) or to taste
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP flour

Lemon Glaze
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (I usually add 4!)
Pinch of kosher salt
Pepper to taste

1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Set your oven to BROIL at 425F. If your oven does not allow you to specify a temperature for broiling, bake at 425F instead (the results will be different but still good). Make sure the oven door is closed while the broiler is preheating.

If needed, cut the wings to separate the tip, flat, and drumette sections. Discard the tips or freeze them for the next time you make chicken stock. My supermarket does not sell chicken wings that are already cut up for me. Therefore, I have to buy 3 pounds of chicken wings to end up with 2 1/2 pounds of useable wings since I use the tips for chicken stock later.

While the broiler is heating, add the chicken, salt, lemon pepper, olive oil, and flour to a medium bowl – tossing very thoroughly after the addition of each ingredient. Insert a rack into a foil-lined sheet pan. Place the wings on the rack in one layer, leaving at little room between the pieces.

Also while the broiler is heating, mince the garlic with a good pinch of kosher salt. Use the blade of the knife to really smash and pulverize the garlic – getting it to an almost paste-like consistency. Place the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and some pepper in a good size bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Later, you will be tossing the chicken in this bowl so make sure it is large enough.

Add the chicken to the oven and broil for 20 minutes (with the oven door closed). It's not going to get very brown but don't worry. After 20 minutes, flip the chicken and broil 20 minutes longer (with the oven door closed). Remove the wings from the oven and move the oven rack to the second-highest position. Turn up the heat to full broil (around 500F on many stoves) and close the oven door while you are getting the wings ready for the next phase.

Whisk the glaze then immediately add the hot wings and toss to coat. Wait about 10 seconds and toss again. Continue doing this for about 2 minutes or until most of the glaze has been absorbed by the wings. Using tongs, transfer the chicken back to the rack in the sheet pan. If there is any liquid or garlic left in the bowl, spoon it on top of the chicken. Place the sheet pan in the oven and broil about 5 minutes WITH THE OVEN DOOR OPEN. You want to get some color on those wings. Flip the wings over and broil about 5 minutes longer (with the oven door open). Transfer the wings to a serving dish and top with chopped parsley. Serve piping hot.

Butter Chicken

My Venture into Butter Chicken
The holidays are coming up and it's getting harder to find time to make a decent dinner and keep up with my blog. This dish is perfect because it is 1) FAST to make, 2) EASY to make, and 3) CHEAP to make. This recipe is perfect for 1 to 3 people. Leftovers are great the next day. You can easily double it for a larger family.

I always buy chicken when it's on sale. It got the chicken for this recipe at half price so it was particularly inexpensive. I got the crackers for 50% off, too. I had the butter and eggs on-hand already. I spent a total of about $3.50 for three large breasts and the crackers. I'm a big believer in making dishes using what's in season and what's on sale. I see nothing wrong with pinching a few pennies at the store! Even better – I had this on the table in less than 15 minutes!

I call this "Butter Chicken" because I use buttery crackers and real butter when sautéing the breasts. I used reduced-fat crackers so I wouldn't feel as guilty eating them. Why not save a few calories here and there?!

After I pan fry these, I like to eat them plain (or dip them in ranch dressing) or add them to the top of a salad. However, my absolute favorite way is to eat them in a sandwich with some toasted bread, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. It's so good!

During the next couple of weeks, I may not be able to spend as much time as I would like on my blog since I will be doing a lot of holiday baking. Therefore, I apologize in advance if my posts are not as entertaining and long-winded as usual. I hope to post a few of my family's favorite holiday recipes! Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Butter Chicken
(Printable Version)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp water
1 sleeve of buttery crackers (such as Club Crackers), very finely crushed
2 to 3 TBSP butter

Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" thick. Thoroughly dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. The coating sticks better to dry chicken breasts. Generously sprinkle the breasts with seasoning salt and pepper. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a shallow dish and add 2 teaspoons of water. Beat the eggs.

Add one sleeve of buttery crackers to a large resealable bag. I prefer Club Crackers for this dish but you can certainly use your favorite brand. Use a rolling pin to crush the crackers into very fine crumbs.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan as it is heating.

When the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, you are ready to add the chicken. To coat the chicken, dip each piece (separately) into the eggs and then into the crushed crackers. Make sure the chicken is well coated on all sides. Add to the skillet and repeat with the remaining breasts. Fry the breasts until golden brown on the first side – about 3 minutes. If the breasts are browning too fast, reduce the heat. When golden brown, flip the breasts. If the pan is pretty dry, go ahead and add another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of butter. It's called "Butter Chicken" for a reason! Fry until brown – another 2 to 3 minutes.

I like to dip the chicken in a little ranch dressing with some sautéed vegetables on the side. However, my absolute favorite way to eat them is in a sandwich made with some toasted bread, mayo, lettuce, and tomato – particularly yummy. I've also used chicken tenderloins before and added them to the top a big salad. The options are endless.

Oven-Baked Curried Chicken

My Venture into Oven-Baked Curried Chicken
I love curry! I know what you're thinking. This recipe sounds spicy. It's not! In fact, I normally use mild curry when I make this chicken (even though I love spicy food) and it was not spicy-hot AT ALL.

I've been experimenting with this recipe for years. I've even tried frying the chicken in oil in a skillet on the stove top – and that was a culinary disaster! The spices in the curry burned very easily so it turned out to be a blacked chicken mess – with very little curry flavor. When baked in the oven, it may not get as crispy as deep frying but the flavor is a thousand times better. On top of that, it's healthier and much easier to clean up.

I've done this recipe with chicken wings, breasts, and thighs. However, I don't like to mix those cuts and bake them all at one time because they cook at different rates. I usually buy a pack of, for example, chicken breasts so I don't have to worry about the varying cooking times of white and dark pieces (or big and small pieces). If you decide to bake a mixture of different cuts all at one time, you'll have to watch them carefully to make sure that they are all cooked to the proper internal temperature (170F for dark meat and 160F for white meat).

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, requires very few ingredients, can be inexpensive to prepare, and is on the table with very little effort. You will love the smell of the chicken as it bakes but you will like it even more when you taste it. Your taste buds will thank you. This recipe is perfect for curry lovers who want to try something a little different – without burning your mouth on that spicy curry at your favorite Indian restaurant. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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(Printable Version)

8 - 10 pieces of chicken (skin-on and bone-in)
Salt and pepper
Oil for spritzing or brushing

Mixture for Dredging:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup curry powder (mild or spicy)
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

About six hours before baking the chicken, liberally salt and pepper the pieces of chicken. Place the chicken on a sheet pan in a single layer and place the pan in the refrigerator.

After about six hours, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sided sheet pan with some heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray the foil with some cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, curry powder, 3/4 tsp of table salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Thoroughly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and place the chicken on the sprayed sheet pan – skin-side up. Spritz just enough oil on the top of each piece of chicken to slightly moisten the flour.

Alternatively, you could lightly brush or dab on some oil on the top of each piece of chicken. Once the oven has preheated, bake the chicken for about 50 minutes for thighs (less for breasts and even less for wings).

Special Notes:
I prefer to use the same cut of chicken when making this recipe. For example, I prepared this recipe using all chicken thighs (as pictured here) and they cooked in 50 minutes (to an internal temperature of 170F). If you use all chicken breasts, they will take about 40 minutes (to an internal temperature of 160F). Chicken wings taste GREAT but only need about 30 minutes. I do not like using mixed pieces of chicken (breasts, thighs, wings, etc) because they cook at different rates and that makes it harder to not overcook or undercook some of the pieces.

If you are thinking of frying the chicken in a skillet, don't! The curry powder will burn in the oil and you'll have blackened chicken before it is cooked through. This recipe was not designed for shallow or deep frying.

Chick-n-Caboodle

My Venture into Comfort Food
I've been making this dish for years but I've never considered it "blog worthy" enough to post. I happened to make it last weekend for my mother and sister because they thought it sounded good. Because I use reduced-fat milk in this recipe, it tends to curdle easily when heated – a common problem when heating milk with lower percentages of milk fat. As such, I assumed that many of you would not like the look of the finished dish – even if you really liked the taste. I, therefore, had never considered posting the recipe.

I was a little worried about making it for my mother, in particular. She loves things flavored with chicken but is not fond of chicken meat itself. She doesn't like biscuits and she tends to prefer dumplings, etc, with LOTS of broth and this dish is not soupy at all. In fact, there's very little liquid remaining after it has cooked because the biscuits absorb most of the soup – making the finished product oh-so-good. For all of the above reasons, I really didn't think this dish would be up her alley. I was surprised. She and my sister both LOVED it! Trust me. They'd tell me if they didn't like it. My mother thought I was over-reacting about the curdling issue since she could barely see what I was talking about. This is no comfort coming from a woman who wears trifocals. I explained that I didn't want to lose people's respect if they cooked it and the milk somewhat curdled after it was heated. She assured me that the curdling issue could not possibly make people respect me any less. You know, I'm beginning to think that was an insult. Guess who's getting a little ex-lax in her brownies this weekend?!

If the curdling bugs you, as it does me, it can be reduced in a number of ways. In this recipe, you could easily use evaporated milk or heavy cream – both of which would curdle much less than fresh milk. I don't know about you but I'm certainly not going to use over 5 cups of heavy cream in this or ANYTHING. My patootie is big enough already!

My mother and sister asked me where I got the name "Chick-n-Caboodle" from. As you know, I'm horrible about naming recipes. After experimenting with this recipe over the years, I came up with the version I'm posting today. When I got it just right, I almost ate the whole kit and caboodle in one sitting! Chick-n-Caboodle is just a play on that expression.

This recipe is great on any cool day. It's always warm and comforting. This is another mom-approved recipe! Enjoy – and happy caboodling!

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Chick-n-Caboodle
(Printable Version)

6 TBSP butter
1 1/2 bunches scallions (white and light green parts), minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
5 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk
2 TBSP (or 6 cubes) chicken-flavored bouillon
Pepper to taste
1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small pieces (I use leftover roasted chicken)
1 TBSP oil
2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into a small dice
About 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (you could use more if desired)
1 16.3 oz can refrigerated biscuit dough (reduced-fat works great)

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Toss in the flour and cook a couple of minutes, whisking often. Slowly pour in the milk while continuously whisking. Add the bouillon and pepper and stir. Bring the soup to a simmer, whisking every couple of minutes.

While you are cooking the scallions, heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 TBSP oil. Add the potatoes and a little salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes then add the peas and carrots. Cook another 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat while you wait for the soup to come to a simmer.

When the soup begins simmering, add the potato mixture, stir, and cover the pot. Allow it to lightly simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. Meanwhile, spray a dinner plate with cooking spray. Open the can of biscuits and pinch off 1/2" pieces of dough and arrange them in a single layer on the plate.

After the soup has been simmering for about 7 to 10 minutes, add the chicken and stir. Next, quickly add the pinched-off dough to the pot in an even layer. Stir occasionally while you are adding the dough. Stir one additional time before covering the pot with a heavy lid. Place the pot in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Stir before serving.

Note: Because I normally use low-fat milk in this recipe, it has a tendency to curdle somewhat when it gets hot. This does not affect the flavor but some people may consider it visually unappealing. If you want to reduce the chance of curdling the milk, you can use either evaporated milk or heavy cream instead of reduced-fat milk.

Klingon Chicken

My Venture into Klingon Space
Anybody who knows me knows three things about me: 1) I love to eat, 2) I love developing new recipes, and 3) I love Star Trek. I'm not insane about my love for Star Trek. Yes, I've gone to a few conventions but rarely dressed up as Spock. Yes, I've seen every episode…multiple times…and every movie…multiple times….and own all of the DVDs – but I'm not one of those nerdy guys who can quote lines from all of the episodes. My love for Star Trek is complex but well grounded. This leads me to my story about Klingon Chicken.

A few years ago, I went to Vegas JUST to see the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Star Trek Experience is now closed so don't go rushing off to Vegas cuz' that starship has already done sailed – and I'm still really bitter about that. Anyway, when I was there, I ate lunch at Quark's – the café inside the Star Trek Experience. While eating my bowl of Qagh (the best Qagh outside of the Klingon Empire, I might add) and taking sips of Romulan ale, I overheard two guys talking at the table next to mine. At first, I thought they were international visitors because they were speaking another language. Their strange-sounding language was very guttural. In fact, it was so guttural, at first I thought they were trying to cough up fur balls or something. After a couple minutes of listening to their angered grunts, clicks, and throat-clearing hocking, I realized they were speaking…Klingon. Yes. Klingon. A completely made-up language for a television show. Oh, I can see their resumes now. Under the "Special Skills" section, they could write "Fluent in Klingon" and then just wait for the job offers to come flying in. I mean, what are they planning to do with this particular skill set? Work in Customer Service for a company that has an automated telephone system that tells callers to Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, and 3 for KLINGON?! Geez. I mean, how many Klingons do they think live on this planet when everybody knows their home world is, like, light years away from Federation space? I couldn't help but sneak a peek at them from time to time as they animatedly chatted with each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed they were sharing a plate of chicken strips with an orangish coating. I wasn't sure what it was but it looked pretty darn good.

Anyway, after I finished eating, I went and stood in the line for my particular show time. I could barely contain myself because I had read so many rave reviews about the Star Trek Experience. Even though I was in public, I tried to subtly floss my teeth because that Qagh was just stuck everywhere and it was driving me nuts. As I was flossing, I heard the unmistakable guttural sounds of a high-pitched voice speaking Klingon from somewhere back in line. I thought, "Oh, geez. Is everybody in this line a freak except me?" I turned and it was those two guys who were seated next to me in the café. Great. I was about to share my Star Trek Experience with two guys speaking Klingon, a woman with three teeth, and a guy who kept angrily smacking his fake tricorder because the batteries had run down. ...and I was worried about flossing my teeth in public.

A guide then lead us inside and I was so excited about being able to experience the show with clean teeth. We walked through the corridors of the Enterprise D and then got onto a turbolift to go to another deck. Suddenly and without warning, the Enterprise came under attack and the only thing I could think of was, "Oh, PLEASE let me fire the phasers!" They wouldn't let me. Stupid jerks.

Anyway, since the Enterprise was under attack, we were ushered into a shuttle craft to escape the fake battle. The special effects were AMAZING. The shuttle craft must have been sitting on hydraulics that allowed it to pivot up and down, left and right. The large windshield in front was displaying what we would have really been seeing had we been in space with enemy ships firing at us. Everything was perfectly choreographed because, each time the shuttle craft was hit by a photon torpedo, you would hear the detonation and ship would violently rock back and forth. Cool stuff.

I was starting to get motion sickness from all of the movement aboard the shuttle craft. I noticed that one of the guys I sat next to at lunch was beginning to look a little green and he had his hand covering his mouth. I no sooner had thought "Oh, that guy looks like he's going to b…" and then he did. All over the place. I'll spare you the details but, rest assured, it was disgusting. It looked like he emptied the inner recesses of his soul all over the back of the toothless woman's seat. Curses!!! That stupid Klingon RUINED my Star Trek Experience!

So what does this have to do with my Klingon Chicken? You might have seen my recent post for Nacho Cheesy Chili. I had some Doritos leftover from that. I also had some Ranch Dip Mix that had been sitting in my pantry screaming to be used and some chicken breasts in my freezer that I wanted to use up. What on earth could I do with all of this food? I smell a new recipe!!! So, after fooling around with the ingredients, I came up with this concoction. After it came out of the oven, I thought "Hey! This looks just like the chicken those Klingon guys were eating when I was Las Vegas a few years ago." And that's how Klingon Chicken came to be.

This chicken is really good and painfully easy to make. Enjoy – and qaPLAH!

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Klingon Chicken
(Printable Version)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tsp Ranch Dip Mix from a 1 oz packet
Pepper to taste
3 egg whites, beaten

Coating:
1 cup finely crushed nacho-flavored tortillas chips (such as Doritos)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (grated finely)
1 1/2 tsp Ranch Dip Mix
Pepper to taste

Oil or cooking spray
Prepared Ranch Dressing (Regular or Spicy)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Use paper towels to pat the chicken breasts dry. They must be very dry in order for the coating to adhere properly. Sprinkle each chicken breast evenly with one teaspoon of ranch dip mix (1/2 teaspoon on each side) and a little pepper. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Lightly beat the egg whites and set aside. In order to make 1 cup of finely crushed Doritos, grab a small handful of Doritos and lightly crush them in your hand so that they lay properly in a measuring cup. Repeat. You will need 3 cups of roughly crushed Doritos. Add the 3 cups of roughly crushed Doritos to a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to finely crush them. When you're done, you'll have about 1 cup of finely crushed tortilla chips. Add the crushed chips to a flat container that has sides. Add the parmesan cheese, some pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Ranch Dip Mix. Use your hands to mix the coating ingredients together. Use any leftover dip mix for another purpose.

Dip a chicken breast in the egg whites and then into the crushed chip mixture and press to firmly coat the chicken breast. Place the coated chicken breast onto a sheet pan spritzed with a little oil. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Lightly spray the tops of the chicken breasts with oil or cooking spray. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Serve with some prepared Ranch Dressing.

Breaded Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Gravy

My Venture into Mushroom Gravy
Let me first start by saying, I LOVE THIS RECIPE! Millie, who is a friend of a friend and one of my loyal blog readers, gave me her recipe for Breaded Chicken Breasts. I really enjoy getting recipes from other people – ESPECIALLY when they are written by hand. There's something about getting a handwritten recipe that makes it more personal. Think about your own recipe box. You probably have handwritten recipes from your mother, grandmother, favorite aunts, and good friends. When you flip through your recipes, you can't help but think of that person every time you see their handwriting. If that person has already passed away, a handwritten recipe is a tangible connection to that person and a great reminder of the wonderful times you spent together.

Anybody who has given me a recipe knows that, the first thing I like to do, is think of a way to change it! My mother knows that all too well since I have changed MANY of her wonderful recipes. I don't enjoy cooking because chopping onions and slaving over a hot pot is fun. I like to cook because I like creating new recipes and reinventing old ones. Wouldn't it be fun to work in a Test Kitchen developing new recipes all day long? What a great job that would be!

When Millie gave me this recipe, the first thing I did was make it without any major changes. It was really good. Could her recipe be improved upon? Could it be made differently and be just as good? I wasn't sure but I was very excited to try. After a couple of attempts, I came up with a version I liked just as well as the original. When you have time, check out the original recipe for Millie's Breaded Chicken Breasts. Thank you Millie for taking the time to handwrite this wonderful recipe for me!

I made a few changes to Millie's recipe and am posting my version of Breaded Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Gravy. You can compare it to Millie's recipe to see what I have changed. The picture at the top of the page is from my version of her recipe. If you want, you can click on the picture and a larger image will open up. On the left side of the picture, do you see that little cheese waterfall running into the mushroom gravy? Oooooooh. I loved that! After I took pictures, that's the first place I dug in. These are SO good! It's a must-try recipe.

The next time you want to give one of your special recipes to somebody, take the time to handwrite it. It will be a cherished reminder of your great cooking skills for generations to come. Enjoy – and happy handwriting!

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Breaded Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Gravy
(Printable Version)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasoning salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1 sleeve butter-flavored crackers (such as Townhouse or Ritz), crushed very finely
3 1/2 TBSP butter, divided use
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped into 1/4" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP water
pepper to taste
3/4 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (low-sodium)
6 pieces Provolone Cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season the chicken on both sides with some seasoning salt and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop the onion. I put the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse them maybe 5 or 6 times to get them quickly cut up into small pieces. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Quickly add the onions and mushrooms. Stir to coat (do not salt). Cook the mushroom mixture for about 15 minutes or until they are starting to brown nicely – stirring every 5 minutes or so. After the mixture is browning nicely, add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Add the soy sauce, water, and a little pepper to the mixture and stir – making sure to get any brown bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Cook about 1 minute longer or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer HALF of the mushroom mixture, which will be used in making the gravy, to a medium-size bowl. Reserve the other half of the mushroom mixture for topping the chicken breasts. To the make the mushroom gravy, add the chicken broth, mushroom soup, and a little pepper to the sauted mushrooms in the bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Wipe out the skillet you used to saute the mushroom mixture. Turn the heat to medium and add two tablespoons of butter to the skillet. While the skillet is reheating and the butter is melting, dip each chicken breast in the beaten eggs and coat in the crushed crackers. Saute the chicken on both sides until the coating has nicely browned – about 3 minutes or so per side. Do not attempt to cook all of the way through since the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.

When browned on both sides, place the chicken breasts in an ungreased 9 x 13" glass baking dish. Top each breast with some of the reserved mushroom mixture that you had not used in making the gravy. Place two pieces of cheese on top of each chicken breast (folding each piece in half before placing them on top). Spoon the mushroom gravy around the sides of the chicken breasts. Don’t worry about trying to put the gravy on top of the cheese. It'll just slide off when the cheese melts. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese has browned nicely, the mixture is hot and bubbly, and the chicken is cooked through. To serve, spoon some of the gravy on a plate and place a chicken breast on top of the gravy. Serve with some mashed potatoes.

Chimichangas Blancas

My Second Venture into Chimis
You might remember an earlier recipe I posted for Oven-Baked Chicken Chimichangas. I make Chimichangas a million different ways. The recipe I'm posting today is another oven-baked recipe that is a cheese lover's dream. The filling is quite thick – even after baking. Don't expect a wet or oozy filling even though there's a lot of cheese in it. I've served these both with sour cream and without. The jury is split on which is better. I, personally, am not a huge sour cream fan and prefer to leave it out. Others absolutely insist on having it in there. I'll let you decide. I named it Chimichangas Blancas or White Chimichangas because of the white fillings – white-meat chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, and Monterrey Jack cheese. The filling, of course, has other colors as well but white definitely dominates. If you are worried about the spiciness level because of the jalapeno, don't be! It barely has any heat with that little 'ol jalapeno in it. Trust me. I normally add two or three.

With many of my recipes, I try to fix them at least once with healthier ingredients such as reduced-fat cheeses, less sugar, less oil, etc. I like to compare the taste of the lighter version to the full-flavored recipe (that is, the more-fattening version) because, often times, the lighter alternative does not significantly compromise flavor. If it tastes the same, after all, why eat the extra calories and fat! Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to do that with this recipe yet. If you want to make this recipe healthier, try using reduced-fat cheeses and leave out the sugar, sour cream, and bacon bits. If you make these chimis a more figure-friendly way, leave a comment and let us know how they turned out.

Enjoy – and happy baking!

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Chimichangas Blancas
(Printable Version)

1 cup roasted chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/3 cup real bacon bits (the kind sold in the salad dressing aisle)
1 TBSP oil
4 scallions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp table salt
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream (very optional)
1/2 tsp sugar
8 oz of Monterrey Jack cheese
2 TBSP fine chopped cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or spinach
About 7 Flour tortillas (8-9" each)
Oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 400F. Placed the chicken in a large bowl.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon bits until they are crispier then drain on a paper towel. In the same skillet, add the oil and allow it to get hot. Add the scallions, garlic, jalapeno, red bell pepper, cumin, and oregano. Cook for only 1 to 2 minutes then dump the mixture in the bowl with the chicken. Add the cilantro to the bowl as well.

While the bacon is crisping up, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream (if using), salt, sugar, and shredded cheese.

Mix the chicken and cream cheese mixtures together and taste for seasoning.

Brush 4 tortillas on one side very lightly with water then place them in a stack on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around the tortillas. Microwave the tortillas for about 25 seconds. This heats the tortillas enough to make them pliable.

Remove one tortilla from the kitchen towel and rewrap the others to keep them warm. Add 1/3 cup of the filling to the center of the tortilla. Wrap the chimichanga like you would a burrito. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla up over the filling then roll it starting from the bottom to completely enclose the filling. You should not roll the chimi too tightly or the tortilla will tear (or later burst during baking). Place the chimi seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other tortillas – heating additional tortillas in the microwave when needed.

Brush the tops and sides of each chimi with some oil. Bake for 21 to 23 minutes or until the chimis are golden and crispy.

Note: I, personally, am not a big fan of sour cream. In this recipe, the sour cream curdles a little bit when heated which does not seem to bother anybody else – except me. Others tell me that they really like the addition of the sour cream. I'll let you decide. The filling is quite thick in these chimis. You should not expect the inside to be too oozy when fully heated – even when adding the sour cream.

Fried Rice Risotto

My Venture into Fusion Cuisine
Have you ever had risotto? It sounds really pretentious but it actually originated as peasant food in Italy. It's nothing but creamy rice. It has the BEST mouth feel when you eat it.

The traditional liquids used for cooking risotto are white wine and chicken stock. It's often made with mushrooms and finished with some fresh parmesan cheese. Traditional risotto is great so, even if you don't try this recipe, give a classic recipe a whirl sometime. While I really like the use of the wine and chicken stock in traditional risotto, I HATE them in this recipe. They are too overwhelming. My goal was to make a dish with the flavor profile of fried rice but with the creaminess of risotto. The first time I tried experimenting with this dish, the wine and chicken stock took over and you couldn't taste anything else. I then made it without the wine and a liquid mixture of half water and half chicken stock. It was OK but still too strongly flavored (to me) for fried rice. For this reason, I prefer using just one can of chicken stock (with enough water to make 6 cups) or ALL water with no chicken stock. I've also made it with ham and I wasn't too fond of it because the risotto just got too salty by the time it was done simmering.

As pictured, I served the risotto in a cool-looking soup bowl I bought at a factory in Chiang Mai, Thailand a few years ago. That particular factory specializes in "celadon" dishes – using a pottery firing technique that originated in China hundreds of years ago. When fired, the pottery looks liked cracked jade but my amateur photography skills were not able to capture that aspect very well. Sorry – I'm still trying to learn how to use a camera. The dishes were dirt cheap but the shipping cost me two arms, one leg, and the first born of my neighbor's-hairdresser's-first wife's-third cousin once removed (the ugly one with mullet who walks pigeon-toed). The dishes arrived in a HUGE crate – about the size of a refrigerator. At one point, I considered trying to cram the dishes into my carry-on. Wouldn't you hate to have a box the size of a Frigidaire in the overhead bin right above your seat? I'd rather have dishes overhead than a "chatty Cathy" next to me. One time, I was seated next to an older woman on an international flight and, as I was belting myself in, I stupidly said "Hi. How are you doing?" – and she spent the next 10 hours telling me. Oy! She had bursitis, phlebitis, tendonitis, tonsillitis – whatever kind of "itis" doctors had come up with, she had 'em all. She didn't have to worry about the plane crashing because it sounded like she was going to be dead in three days anyway.

Whether you're a fried rice lover or a risotto connoisseur, give this recipe a try one time to see if you like it. It's different – but maybe too different for many people. If you're culinarily adventurous, give it a try! Enjoy – and happy stirring!

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Fried Rice Risotto
(Printable Version)

1/2 lb bacon, cut into pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
5 to 6 cups water (or substitute some of the water with chicken stock)
1/2 cup carrots, cut into a small dice
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup scallions (white and light green parts), cut into 1/4" thick segments at an angle
1 cup cubed, cooked chicken (from, for example, a roasted chicken)
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Scrambled Eggs
1/2 TBSP butter
2 eggs, beaten

Bring the water to a boil in a large, covered saucepan. Turn to medium-low when it starts to boil but keep it covered at all times. As noted in the recipe, you can substitute part of the water with chicken stock. In fact, I often add 1 can of chicken stock and add enough water to total about 6 cups. You may not need all 6 cups.

While the water is heating, add the chopped bacon to a large skillet (and I do mean a LARGE skillet) then set the skillet on a burner over medium heat. Starting the bacon from a cold skillet will help to render more fat. Cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel using a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onions to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Saute the onion for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat. Cook the rice without adding any liquid for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps to give risotto its classic "al dente" bite. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute longer.

By now, your water should be hot. Add 4 ladles of the water (about 2 cups) to the skillet – enough to cover the rice. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and stir to combine. Using a wooden spoon (which helps to keep the rice intact), stir the rice from time-to-time. Do not put a lid on the skillet. The liquid in the rice should be lightly simmering. If it is simmering too briskly, turn down the heat. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, which should take 4 to 5 minutes. Add another 2 ladles of the hot water (about 1 cup) and allow it to be absorbed by the rice, stirring every once in a while – another 4 to 5 minutes.

When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the carrots. Add another cup of the hot water and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed – stirring every so often.

By the time the liquid from the last addition has been absorbed, the rice should have been cooking in water for about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the peas and one last cup of the hot water. It is certainly possible that you may not end up using all of the water – or you may. It depends on your brand of rice, the humidity, how quickly you’re simmering the rice, etc. You should stir the rice more often at this point. After a couple of minutes, I start heating a small skillet for the scrambled eggs. The rice needs to have been cooking in the liquid for a total of about 18 to 20 minutes.

After the water has been absorbed, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the risotto and stir aggressively.

At this point, quickly scramble the eggs by adding 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the small skillet that you've been heating. Add the beaten eggs and scramble until just firm.

Add the cooked eggs, cubed chicken, scallions, and sesame oil to the risotto and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt, soy sauce, and pepper (if desired). The risotto should be nice and creamy. If it is too thick, add a little more water. If it's too soupy, allow it to cook another minute or so before serving. Serve piping hot topped with some of the crispy bacon you fried earlier.

Easy Chow Mein

My Venture into Crispy Noodles
Chow Mein. Americans normally pronounce it like "Chow Main" but it more correctly pronounced "Chow Mee-on" in Mandarin Chinese and is translated as fried noodles. In Hong Kong, it is typically made with noodles that are thin and crispy. In other areas of China, it is made with larger, spaghetti-size noodles, which are served soft. I love either preparation!

This recipe is certainly not authentic but it is still good nevertheless. I use good, 'ol Ramen Noodles as a bed for some crunchy veggies. The noodles are boiled like normal then fried like hash browns in a skillet with a little oil to make them crispy on the outside. I get chicken and veggies from a salad bar and quickly cook them in a soy-sauce based concoction and serve the veggies on top of the sauted Ramen Noodles. This is one of those dishes I made in college when I wanted something cheap, quick, and easy-to-make. Today just happened to be one of those days! I needed something quick to make for dinner and the veggies on the salad bar looked particularly fresh so I decided to make my Easy Chow Mein and share the recipe with you all. Enjoy – and Happy Chowing!

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Easy Chow Mein
(Printable Version)

1 package of Chicken-flavored Ramen Noodles
3 cups water
1/2 TBSP butter
1 1/2 TBSP vegetable or peanut oil, divided use

2 cups of chicken and vegetables from the salad bar (such as scallions, bell peppers, mushrooms, snow pea pods, bean sprouts, carrots, water chestnuts, baby spinach – whatever you like!)

Sauce
1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 TBSP rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
Pinch red pepper flakes

Whisk the cornstarch and water together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.

Add three cups of water to a small sauce pan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, start heating a small skillet on a separate burner over medium heat. Add the ramen noodles (but not the seasoning packet) to the boiling water. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes. Turn off that burner momentarily, drain the noodles, and return them to the hot sauce pan. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter and the ramen seasoning packet to the noodles and stir to combine.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the small skillet that has been heating. As soon as the oil is hot, dump the noodles into the skillet and flatten them into a layer about 1/3" to 1/2" thick. Cook the noodles for about 4 minutes or until they are brown and crispy on one side. Flip the pancake of noodles and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil around the edges of the pan and swirl the pan a little bit to allow the bottom of the noodles to get coated in the oil.

Meanwhile, wipe out the sauce pan with a paper towel and return it to its original burner and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add 1/2 tablespoon to the saucepan and allow it to get hot.

When the noodles are nearly done, add the chicken and thicker veggies (such as chunks of carrots, bell peppers, etc) to the hot sauce pan. The veggies may sizzle and pop so be careful. Stir-fry the chicken and veggies for about 30 seconds. Re-stir the sauce because the cornstarch may have settled to the bottom. Add the remaining veggies and sauce to the sauce pan and allow the sauce to come to a boil and thicken – which should happen in only seconds. Stir the chicken and veggies to coat them well. As you will see, there will be no excess sauce to make your noodles soggy. Slide the noodles onto a plate and pour the chicken and veggies on top of the noodles. If cooked properly, the vegetable should still be very crispy. Serves two (or one if you're really hungry).

Ranch Chicken and Potatoes

My Venture into the Outback
I love Outback Steakhouse. They have great food but you walk in a size 6 and waddle out a size 16. The cheese fries with bacon and ranch dipping sauce are out of this world but they are a coronary just waiting to happen. I'm not much of a steak eater so I normally order a chicken or fish dish. They used to serve (and probably still do) a dish called Alice Springs Chicken. It is a chicken breast that has been marinated in honey mustard sauce, topped with mushrooms, bacon, and cheese then baked to perfection. Very tasty but a bit fattening. Add to that the cheese fries, a salad with fat-laden croutons, some of the Bushman Bread bathed in butter, and a delectable dessert and you will have consumed the same amount of calories as the average Ethiopian does in a year.

I came up with this recipe as a way to get some of the same flavor profiles without all of the guilt afterwards. In one dish, you get some chicken, potatoes, ranch dip, mushrooms, cheese, and bacon – with a lot less calories and fat but all of the same great taste. This dish is perfect for small dinner parties. I like to serve it in individual au gratin dishes but it also works great "family-style" in a larger glass dish. The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you need to serve more people. You HAVE to try it! G'day mate – and happy eatin'!

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Ranch Chicken and Potatoes
(Printable Version)

Ranch Dip
8 oz light sour cream (or regular sour cream)
1-1/2 TBSP Ranch Dip Mix (from a 1-oz packet)

Marinade
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp of Ranch Dip Mix
3 TBSP of the prepared Ranch Dip as prepare above

Mushroom Topping
1-1/2 TBSP butter
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 TBSP water
2 tsp soy sauce
Pepper to taste

Ranch Potatoes
2 cups cubed frozen hash browns (such as Ore-Ida Southern-Style Hash Brown Potatoes), thawed
1/2 TBSP oil
The remaining Ranch Dip Mix

Additional Toppings
4 oz 2% sharp cheddar (or regular sharp cheddar), shredded
2 to 3 TBSP of real bacon bits (sold in the salad dressing aisle)
1 scallion (the light and dark green parts), chopped

Prepare the ranch dip by mixing the sour cream with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ranch dip mix.

Add one teaspoon of the powdered ranch dip mix to the chicken breasts and massage into the meat. Place the chicken in a sealable bag and add 3 tablespoons of the prepared ranch dip to the breasts. Seal and use your hands to massage the dip all over the chicken then refrigerate for 3 hours. Cover the remaining prepared dip and refrigerate it until it is needed later. Reserve the remaining powdered mix for use on the potatoes.

After the chicken has marinated for three hours, preheat the oven to 400F. Start the mushroom topping by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the mushrooms and flatten them into an even layer. Sprinkle the shallot over the mushrooms and sauté for three minutes without stirring. After three minutes, reduce the heat to medium, stir, and heat an additional three minutes. After three minutes, stir again, and heat an additional three minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and some pepper then cook for one minute longer. Add the water and soy sauce, stir, and allow the liquids to evaporate (about 30 to 45 seconds longer). Spoon the mushrooms onto a clean plate.
While the mushrooms are cooking, add the frozen cubed potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and heat for two to three minutes, stirring them once during heating. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the heated potatoes and toss. Sprinkle the leftover powdered dip mix over the potatoes and some black pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

After the mushrooms have finished cooking, wipe out the skillet, add one tablespoon of oil, and increase the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken. Add some pepper to the top of the each breast. Sauté on the first side for two minutes, flip, then sauté the other side for one minute longer. Place the chicken into two individual au gratin dishes or two small pyrex dishes (or add both pieces to one 8x8" glass dish). The chicken will not be fully cooked after three minutes but will finish cooking in the oven.

Add one cup of the potatoes around the sides of each chicken breast. Spread 2 tablespoons of the prepared ranch dip on top of each breast. Pile some of the mushrooms on each of the dip-covered breasts. You may have some of the mushrooms leftover. If so, use them for another purpose.

Add two ounces of cheese in a heaping pile to each of the chicken breasts. If any of the cheese gets on the potatoes, don’t worry. Bake for 17 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon bits to top of the chicken and potatoes in each dish. Bake another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish each chicken breast with a dollop of the prepared ranch dip and some of the chopped scallion.