recipe: chicken thighs with couscous and kale

taken from: Eating Well 

changes: added onion powder and additional chicken broth, otherwise cooked as written

ingredients list: 
- 1 & 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 & 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups thinly sliced kale
- 2+ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

recipe: individual chicken pot pies

taken from: Food Network

changes: 1) halved the recipe since I was only making 2 mini-pot pies, 2) used puff pastry for the crust, 3) added extra seasonings (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, seasoning salt)

photo taken from MarthaStewart.com because
i can never remember to take one

ingredients (for 2 pot pies)

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1/2 a medium onion, finely diced

- 1 medium carrot, finely diced

- 1 stalk celery, finely diced

- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

- 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

- 1/8 cup dry white wine (or addt'l chicken broth)

- 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast

- 1/8 tsp tumeric

- 1/4 tsp ground thyme

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1/4 tsp white pepper

- 1/4 tsp parsley

- 1/4 tsp oregano

- fresh ground black pepper, salt & seasoning salt to taste 

- 1/8 cup half & half

- 2 5"x 5" squares of puff pastry

- 1 egg white

to make: 

lightly grease the insides of 2 ramekins and set aside. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. melt butter over a large skillet over medium-high heat, ten add the onion, carrots, and celery. cook, stirring veggies around, until the start to soften, about 3 minutes. sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth and wine, stirring to combine. let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes. 

stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric, thyme, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, and salt/pepper. add more broth if it seems overly thick. turn off heat and let the filling cool to room temperature. 

divide the mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins. lay the puff pastry over each of the ramekins, pressing the edges slightly so they seal in place. mix the egg white with 2 tsp water, and brush it on the surface of the crust. cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.

add crusts to a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is nice and toasty and the filling is bubbly. 

results: delish! much easier to assemble than I expected, consistency of filling & flavor was great. i could definitely taste the tumeric and i gave it a slightly-Indian-tasting vibe -- easy to leave out if you want a more traditional flavored p-pie. 

recipe: chicken and wild rice soup

taken from: Taste of Home

changes: added minced garlic; added extra seasonings: seasoning salt, white pepper, paprika extra chicken bouillon; sauteed veggies before adding in broth mixture; reduced time for broth simmering from 30 to 20 minutes. 

result: was exactly what I was looking for, and a little creamy without having to add a lot of cream. would make again. 

ingredients (makes 14 servings): 
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped (i used white mushrooms)
- 1 cup finely chopped celery

- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (+ a few dashes more as needed, to taste)
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 can (10 & 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: artichoke chicken in white wine sauce

dinner last week -- i didn't follow the recipe exactly and might have made this an extra lemony and briny, so it had a little extra zing than i think it was supposed to, but regardless was really, really good. not to mention quite easy! the recipe was taken from thekitchn.com -- i ended up adding in extra liquid from the artichokes b/c there was not enough liquid in the pan (part of my extra zing), but i've re-scaled the recipe below which should avoid that issue.

ingredients list: 
- 2 cups (1 can) canned artichoke hearts, quartered
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup flour
- salt and black pepper
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cups dry, light white wine (s/a chardonnay or sav blanc)
- 1/2 lemon
- fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

recipe: habanero and honey chicken

dinner last night, inspired by the monster chicken breasts thawed in the fridge & small bag of habaneros sitting on my counter. i never know how spicy things are going to be when i add spicy peppers so i usually cook cautiously, but this could have handled another pepper (or few) for a lil extra kick. that said, it was still pretty yum, and easy for a week night dinner since i had prepped the marinade the night prior. boom!





- 2 large bone-in chicken breasts, split
- 3 habaneros, seeded & deveined (mine were very small)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup mango peach juice (orange would work too - this was all I had on hand)
- 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp honey, divided
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp garlic oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- cayenne pepper to taste

recipe: chicken pad thai II

so i was on the hunt for a pad thai recipe, forgetting that i already have one that i've beaned about. maybe it was a good thing i found my last recipe forgettable though - this one turned out to be good - REALLY good - and better than any pad thai i ever remember making. i used a recipe from See Brooke Cook, which i found through old trusty foodgawker.com. i added chicken to mine but outside of that followed the recipe mostly verbatim otherwise - it came out pretty damn close to tasting like a Thai restaurant version. can't ask for anything more than that!

ingredients list: 
- 1 chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 7-8 oz rice noodles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter, microwaved until just melted
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1 cup cilantro (i had no cilantro so tossed in a bunch of fresh basil instead)
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

recipe: Thai sweet & spicy chicken

i took out chicken drumsticks for last night's dinner but had no good recipe in mind. we ended up doing a throw-together Thai chicken that actually came out REALLY good. savory, tangy, sweet, lil spicy, lil cilantroy (because i'm not sure there's an adjective for that)... it really had a lot goin on.

i didn't make the sauce until right before we made the chicken, but if i let it marinate a few hours before cooking i think the flavors would be even deeper. i might opt to blend the sauce ingredients first before marinating to get the chili pepper just all up in the sauce. yumz.

ingredients list:

- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 1/4 cup fish sauce

- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

- 2 tsp garlic oil

- 1 tbsp hoisen sauce

- 1 (heaping) tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp sweet & sour sauce (i used leftover takeout packets... this was a true throw together dinner)

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- a few dashes of salt

- 1 red hot chili pepper, finely diced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp and 3 tbsp (roughly) cilantro, divided

- 6 chicken drumsticks (or whatever kind of chicken you want to use)

recipe: slow cooker honey garlic chicken

so i haven't been on here in forever... moved to a new coast, with endless amounts new restaurants and new burgers (and a city full of food carts... aaah!) in all the chaos not a lot of cooking as happened, except for the last few weeks as i finally start to settle in here. 

i tried the Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe from justataste.com, found after i was searching for a delish but easy Asian slow cooker recipe. i adapted it slightly, but found that the original amount of hoisin sauce in the recipe was a bit too much (1/4 cup)... if i make it again i'll decrease that amount to help the honey and garlic flavors balance out a bit more (the recipe below reflects a decreased amount). it doesn't taste like standard Chinese take out, but it is really good especially considering how quick it is.

ingredients list: 
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup blackberry jam
- 1/8 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Asian 5-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (omit if you don't want spicey)
- 1 tsp chili oil (also omit if you don't want spicy)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- sliced scallions
- toasted sesame seeds

recipe: chicken satay & spicy peanut sauce

last night i was still motivated to keep cooking - knowing i'd have 0 time on a week day to prep, i had prepped the marinade and sauce for this the night before.  the intention was to use skinless chicken thighs and use them for traditional chicken satay, however this plan went a bit south when i realized they were bone-in thighs - turning it into essentially a un-kababed version. grilled bone-in chicken is so damn good it kind of worked out for the best -- this marinade make the chicken super juicy and had an awesome flavor -- i want to re-make it again using chicken wings served in the spicy peanut sauce. i love kabob satay, but i kind of like wings even more and think it would be a fab fusion. 

both of these recipes were taken from Serious Eats - they have a nice kick to them, so if you like spicy they will be on par. 

ingredients list: chicken (adequate for 4 pieces of chicken)

- 1 stalk lemon grass, roughly chopped (or prepared minced lemongrass if you can't find fresh)

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp fish sauce

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh)

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

- 1 tsp ground turmeric

- 1 tsp ground coriander (i did not have any so used a dash of cilantro)

- 1 tsp Sriracha

to make: place lemongrass, oil, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, turmeric, garlic, coriander and Sriracha in a blender, and blend on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

place chicken in a large resealable bag and pour in marinade - leave in fridge and marinade 1-2 hours (i left mine for 24).

when ready to cook:

- if doing skewers, slice into long 1-inch strips and thread onto soaked wooden skewers

- or - just keep it whole. 

grill until juices run clear -- fairly quickly (5 min) for skewers, about 20 minutes over medium high heat if using bone-in chicken.

ingredients list: spicy peanut sauce:

- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

- 1/4 cup hot water

- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp Sriracha

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp rice vinegar

- 1 tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh)

- 1 tsp minced garlic

- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

- 2 scallions, thinly sliced

- kosher salt to taste

to make: in a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter and hot water. stir in all remaining ingredients. it can be used immediately, or stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

chicken & waffles

after a week of no sleep, this is the breakfast that happens after sleeping straight until 2p in the afternoon (a feat that i have been not able to accomplish in at least 1-2 years). this was kyle's brainchild, having most of the from-scratch beer-infused waffle batter and chicken batter prepped by the time i got out of bed. once i snag the recipes i will post... the chicken was fried perfectly & the entire thing was re-donkulous. MMMMM! the only thing that could take this thing and bring it totally over the top of fatty fat breakfast would be the pour the whole thing under sauce gravy... aaahhh! (syrup, as you can note from the picture, is not an option - ACK!)

recipe: chicken and potato bake

i had taken drumsticks out with the intention of making some red chicken curry tonight, but it's so nice and fally out i wanted something a lil more comfort-foody today. i couldn't find any recipes that spoke to me and decided to just free-ball this one and throw some chicken and potato-friendly things in a pan. i had zero expectations, but this actually had a ton of flavor and was yum city (even if the picture doesn't look so yummy : ). super easy too which i'm always a fan of during the week.

update 10/7: made this again, but swapped out the rosemary for dried sage and baked at 400 degrees (the higher temp roasted the potatoes a tad more and made the sauce even thicker). even better!

ingredients list (serves 2)*:
- 4 chicken drumsticks, skins removed (thighs or breasts would also work)
- 3 medium red potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 small onion
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp (roughly) olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- salt & pepper to taste
- cornstarch

*mushrooms would also be yumz in this if you had them on hand.

to make: preheat oven to 375 degrees. place potatoes, onion, chicken and garlic into a small baking dish. pour in wine, lemon juice, and drizzle with olive oil, then season with thyme, rosemary and salt & pepper. bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. half way through baking, flip chicken and stir potatoes, and remove some of the liquid to make a cornstarch slurry. stir cornstarch mixture back into the dish and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. by the end of the hour, the cornstarched wine sauce should be thick enough to be a nice gravy.

recipe: chicken tikka masala pizza

i love love the chicken tikka masala recipe from allrecipes.com - it is AMAZING (esp with homemade garlic grilled naan... aaah). i'm surprised i haven't posted it on here yet, but better late than never. the recipe is great as-is without tweaks (aside from cutting back on the salt), so it's posted just about verbatim.

since i'm still waning off of my DIY pizza kick, i was inspired to make a tikka masala pizza. the chicken recipe is HOT, so having the dough/cheese to mellow it out seems like a match that was just made in heaven.

ingredients list: (note: i halved the amount of chicken / chicken marinade, but kept the amount of sauce the same as the original recipe. if you were making this as a dish and NOT a pizza, more chicken & marinade would be needed)

- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1 recipe for pizza dough or fresh store-bought
- 1/2 a red onion, diced
- 1-1.5 cups sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups mozz cheese
- pinch salt
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

to make:
marinade: in a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black papper, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. stir in chicken, and marinate for a least one hour (i let it sit overnight).

sauce/chicken: preheat grill for high heat. thread chicken onto skewers, then lighly oil the grill grate. grill chicken about 5 minutes per side, until fully cooked through.

melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. saute garlic & jalapeno for 1 minute. season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika, and 1 tsp salt. stir in tomato sauce and cream. simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. add chicken, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

pizza: while sauce is simmering, mix 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. heat grill to medium heat. preheat oven (with pizza stone in oven also) to 450 degrees.

roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface. lightly flour the hot pizza stone, then carefully transfer the dough to the stone. spread the finished tikka masala sauce, chicken, mozz cheese, onion & mushroom over the dough. bake in preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes.

you can fully cook the pizza in the oven for a total of 14-16 minutes, or if you want to grill it, carefully transfer it to the preheated grill and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the bottom of the crust starts to get a nice char to it. brush the crust with the garlic olive oil mixture within the last few minutes of cooking, then garnish with the fresh cilantro. allow to cool at least 5 minutes before eating. YUM!

hattie's restaurant

a few weeks ago me & my sister did a ladies day in Saratoga NY. my sister is a southern food fiend, so it only seemed appropriate that we hit up Hattie's Restaurant for brunch, a place known for it's renowned fried chicken. it's been featured on Throwdown w/ Bobby Flay and has a good all-around rep. we both ordered the chicken & waffles and i had a orange martini on the side. 

the chicken was baaangin and the waffles were SO good. i expected the waffles to be a background item to the chicken (usually waffles are yummy but never memorable), but they held their own and had this delish sweetness to them - almost tasted like a malt in the batter? (i would love to know). the serving was big enough for 2, and i housed it.

the martini was made with fresh-squeezed orange juice which was a pleasant reminder of how much more amazing pure OJ is (i have been since on the lookout for an antique glass orange juicer). pure OJ + vodka... aaah lovely. entire meal was a perfect start to the day (and the restaurant itself is down-home charming... very cozy & adorable).  

recipe: chicken marsala

tonight's din din - a yummy but a quicky using what we had on hand.

ingredients list: 
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1 egg
***
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 chicken thighs (pounded chicken breasts would also work)

- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup marsala wine

to make:
mix flour, salt, black & white pepper, onion powder & garlic powder in shallow bowl. beat egg in a separate shallow bowl. dip each piece of chicken in the egg, then dip in the flour mixture to coat. reserve flour. heat olive oil & butter in skillet over medium high heat. after it gets hot, add chicken & sautee 5-6 minutes per side until chicken is fully cooked through and is a nice golden brown. remove chicken to a warm plate. lower heat to med-low, and add mushrooms and onion to skillet, sauteeing until onions are soft and golden. add minced garlic for the last minute of cooking. mix a bit of the leftover flour into the marsala wine and pour mixture into skillet. return chicken to skillet, & simmer for 10 minutes until sauce is nice & thick.

serve with rice or over pasta (i used angel hair for tonight).
***
solid 7er *******. simple, yum!

recipe: stuffed roasted red pepper chicken

this was one of the first recipes i ever made, back in the hayday of our old apartment. it's super easy, but looks very cute when done. i don't think i've made it in over a year (or two?) so yesterday seemed like time to give it another run when i was feeling like making an italian din din. it's the Stuffed Chicken Valentino recipe from allrecipes.com, and looking back i think i made it verbatim from the original.

ingredients list:
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 3/4 tsp dried italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (6 oz) jar roast red peppers, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 4-6 tbsp mozzerella cheese, shredded
- salt & fresh pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, leaving the halves attached on one side (open and laid flat, the chicken should now resemble a butterfly. i always have a horrible time slicing this and am lucky when it doesn't look like a butterfly with holes in it :-/ ) place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound flat.

combine parm cheese with italian seasoning and chives, and sprinkle over chicken breasts. at one end of each breast, place 3 strips of roasted pepper. top with 1-1.5 tbsp shredded cheese. roll each breast up, starting on the side with the peppers & cheese. insert a toothpick in each roll to prevent unrolling. place in prepared baking dish. season with salt & pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

bake for 20 minutes, then set oven to broil and continue cooking for an additional 5 - 10 minutes. allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
***
this one is always yum. i use a little less italian seasoning than the recipe calls for since it's such a strong flavor, but i think even if that was switched out for garlic & onion powder and some paprika concoction that would be yum. rating 6.5******~ (it's delish, but not the MOST flavorful recipe ever. just a solid old go-to).

recipe: fiesta chicken

this was a throw-together meal of its finest. i was lacking ingredients, but had to had to use the chicken tenders thawed in the fridge and headed down a mexican path...

ingredients list:
- 8 chicken tenderloins
- 1/2 a red pepper, diced
- 1/2 a (small) onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
- 1/2 garlic powder
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- dried cilantro

to make: sautee chicken in vegetable oil over medium high-heat, flipping once. after chicken has been 'flipped', add the onion and red pepper and cook until the pepper and onion are soft. add garlic, chicken broth, green chilis, garlic powder, cayenne, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until broth has cooked down. add sour cream and salt & pepper to taste, and cook until the mixture has thickened. sprinkle with cheddar cheese and a few dashes of cilantro before serving. 
***
i don't always have luck with throw-togethers, but this was yummy. i wish i had rice to serve it with b/c that would have been perfect. i think... 6.5 ******~. it's a bit spicy, so if you're not into that i'd cut back on the green chilis. for me it was just enough kicker.

recipe: red curry chicken

love red curry... we tried Robert Irvine's Spicy Red Curry Chicken recipe from foodnetwork.com tonight for din dins. since i had just had red curry from the new Thai place down the street just 2 week ago i knew exactly what i was hoping it would taste like... and it was pretty damn close. i followed his recipe verbatim, except used bone-in chicken that i baked for the first portion:

ingredients list: 
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste (note: we used 3, but i still wanted it spicier. i like curry to reach runny-nose heat, this was just a small zing)
- 1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skins removed (or boneless breasts... whatever works)
- salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (his recipe calls from shiitake, i used baby bellas)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup water
- green onion, cilantro, or toasted peanuts for garnish

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat a large pan over medium-high heat, adding in 2 tbsp vegetable oil. season chicken with salt & pepper, then saute until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. remove chicken from pan, and place in a baking dish to cook at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

while chicken is cooking, in a small bowl whisk the coconut milk with the curry paste and fish sauce until combined. add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet, then sautee the mushrooms and red pepper until golden, about 5 minutes. stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. add the cooked chicken, red curry mixture, and water and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, ensuring chicken is fully cooked through.

garnish with green onion (or whatever you like), and serve with rice or rice noodles.
***
we both really liked this. it did not have as much heat as i would have liked, so next time i will add additional curry (it may have been taken down a spice notch b/c i added a bit of cornstarch - i like a slightly thicker sauce). other than that, the flavor was on-point and tasted exactly like red curry should: yummy. it was hard to cook a robert irvine recipe without picturing him yelling at my kitchen skills, but i think just watching/reading/or thinking about him is supposed to be stressful ("i milked a whole coconut with my BAHHH hands and have FRESH milk in the amount of time it took you to open that caaaahhnnn of gaaahbadge!!! raaawwwwwrrr"). 7 *******.

recipe: chicken mole ole

this was din last night, inspired by the delicious Lindt Chili Chocolate Bar i've been snacking on in my car (car chocolate - one of the many perks of winter). the recipe i used was from Show Food Chef, just removing the dried cherries (reminds me of raisins in stuff... no thanks). make sure you read the verdict after the recipe before trying this one... 

ingredients list:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cups tomato sauce or seasoned tomatoes (i used Hunts Fire Roasted Diced)
- 1 cup water or chicken stock
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (canned), chopped
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 large chicken breasts


to make: add all ingredients except the chicken in a slow cooker and stir until fully combined. add chicken, and cook on low for 5-6 hours.


when done, use 2 forks to shred the chicken and blend into the sauce. serve on buns, tortillas, or over rice. 
***
verdict: didn't love this. it has a ton of yummy ingredients, but somehow when they are all together they all compliment each other too well to the point that it becomes one flat flavor. all i tasted was smokey adobo, and realized i don't think i really like adobo that much. kyle felt the same. it's not insult to the author of the orig recipe, just personal taste preference that i won't be making it again. 3***. if you do like adobo-ish stuff, you'll probably love this.

recipe: honey mustard chicken pot pie

i had this Chicken Honey Mustard Pie saved in my allrecipes.com folder forever... i was poking around the folder last night & it seemed like a good lil din for the chicken boobs i had taken out. i pre-chopped the veggies last night and prepped the ramekins during my lunch break today, so it was a quick-fix for din (modified a lil bit from the original).

ingredients list (for 4 servings):

- 4 pillsbury garlic & butter cresent rolls

- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 cup onion, diced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 1/2 cup julienned carrots

- 1/2 cup celery, chopped

- 3.5 tbsp honey

- 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard

- 1 tsp dried parsley

- salt to taste

- black pepper to taste

- 2 tbsp cornstarch

to make: mix soy sauce and chicken, and set aside. lightly grease 4 ramekins, and set aside (you could also put this in a pie dish w/ pie crust if you want a full sized pie... i prefer the minis).

preheat oven to 350 degrees. saute onion, garlic, potato, and celery in olive oil over medium heat until soft but not yet brown. turn heat to medium-high, and add chicken, sauting until chicken is cooked through. stir in chicken broth, carrots, honey, mustard, parsley, salt, and pepper. mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry and add to the pan. cook until the sauce has thickened to a gravy-like consistency, stirring frequently and adding more cornstarch if needed.

pour mixture into the ramekins, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes, remove foil, and cover each ramekin with a sheet of the cresent dough, slicing little vents in the top of the dough for heat to escape. return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until toasty. allow to cool before serving as these lil B's are HOT.

***

YUMMMZ. like a lil mini dose of comfort food. i love the idea of pot pies but never eat them b/c i really hate the veggies in them (peas, green beans, high doses of carrots, massive celery)... this was a perfect hit for a green veggie hater (yes, i understand i can also MAKE pot pie w/o the green veggies, but i've just never -happened- upon one with out it). 7*******.

recipe: general tso's chicken

so after a lunch of a traditional italian pizza, it only seemed appropriate to cook up some chinese food. day 2 of 2012... apparently 2012 will not be the year for healthy eats, but a year to get my lady assets to grow back haha. i adopted the recipe off of Tracy's Culinary Adventures - i didn't research tso's recipes much, but hers was the prettiest picture on foodgawker.com so that's what we went with.

ingredients list:

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

- 3 tbsp ketchup

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp chili oil

- 1.5 tsp Sriracha

- 1/2 cup water

- dried chili peppers (i used about 5)

- 1/4 cup cornstarch

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

- 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

to make: mix together the first 9 ingredients (through the dried chili peppers) and set aside.

 

in a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, garlic powder, and cayenne. dredge chicken in the cornstarch mixture. heat vegetable oil in large skillet, and saute chicken until golden brown. remove chicken from pan and set aside. drain the oil from the pan, reserving 1 tbsp.

 

fry the ginger in the reserved oil for about 1 minute, then pour in the sauce mixture. bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. add the chicken back to the skillet and cook until the sauce starts to get nice and syrupy. sprinkle on the green onions before serving.

***

loved this! the only thing it was missing as compared to chinese take out was the very thick fried coating since this was pan-fried, but with a little egg dip action that could be adjusted. the flavor was great, and it had juuust enough heat to it. with a lil jasmine rice it was a perfect din. 7*******.