Sweet and Sour Chicken (restaurant style)

This really tasted as good as what I get at an Asian food restaurant. Yum.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Adapted from this blog

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:

• 8 chicken breast
• 2 cup cornstarch
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

• 1.5 cups sugar
• 8 Tablespoons ketchup
• 1 cup white distilled vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 Teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

1. Clean the Chicken from fat and dice to medium sized cubes.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with some salt and pepper, coat evenly with the cornstarch and dip into the eggs.
3. Add oil to a pan and heat it up, add the chicken and roast it evenly until it starting to brown.
4. Transfer to a baking pan.
5. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients and blend it well.
6. Spread it on the chicken.
7. Heat oven to 350F for and bake for 30 minutes  – Make sure to mix and turn the chicken couple of times during the baking to insure even cooking.

Slow-cooked Lime Chicken Tacos

Slow-Cooked Lime Chicken Tacos
Adapted from this blog

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup chunky salsa

12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Stir in corn and salsa.
3. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired. Yield: 12 tacos.

Sesame Noodles

Whaaaaat?!?! A new post?! I know. My life has been bouncing around this country in single parent fashion for about a year. Now I am settled, husband is home for a while, and I have normalcy. That does not mean I haven't been cooking REALLY GREAT FOOD! Get ready to be buried in delicious recipes.

This particular recipe was super fast, delicious (I ate a serving or two before it actually made it to the table. I couldn't stop!), and it tastes like you're in a good chinese restaurant. We ate it with some grilled teriyaki chicken. Justin grilled it in a foot of snow.

Sesame Noodles

adapted from this blog

• 12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
• ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
• ½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Hot Water
• 4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Notes: I used Sriracha for the hot chili sauce, I chopped instead of minced the garlic, and I wish I'd have minced it. I also did not find Thin Noodles, or "soup noodles" so I just used linguine and it did great. 

Coconut Chicken Poppers

Inspired by this recipe. I changed the original enough that I just rewrote the recipe.

Coconut Chicken Poppers
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix eggs, coconut milk, and salt in one medium bowl. Mix panko crumbs and coconut milk in another medium bowl. Dip chicken pieces in the egg mix, then the crumb/coconut mix, being sure to cover the chicken entirely with the mix. Lay the chicken on a baking sheet (I cover mine in foil). Bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the coconut is toasted.

NOTE: I served this with a sweet chili sauce I made with agave and sriracha - wonderful. I tried turning the chicken halfway through to get an even bake, but the coconut just stuck to the tin and I stopped. The chicken still tasted fine without turning it.

I also mixed the leftover egg mix with the leftover coconut/crumb mix and baked them in a muffin tin and it made a yummy coconut treat.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Justin requested this twice in one week. A tip I learned recently: to make the perfect shredded chicken, bake the chicken and then put it in the kitchen aid using the flat beater. Let the mixer work it for a few seconds, watching for your desired consistency. For these sandwiches I like it a little chunky. It only takes about two seconds to go from chunky to finely shredded so you have to watch closely! Finely shredded is not bad either, Justin actually prefers it to chunky.
I can't call this a recipe, really, more of an equation, since I just use Lefty's Spices, LLC BBQ sauce. It's our favorite here in DC.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

shredded chicken + bbq sauce + hamburger bun = happy husband.

Easy Peasy

Spicy Roast Chicken

Always looking for new things to do with a chicken breast-- Justin liked this a lot. I changed a few things from another recipe.

Spicy Roast Chicken

• 24 ounces whole cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups), stemmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 4 bone-in chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 can of diced tomatotes
  

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Add diced tomatoes.

2. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken, arranging the tomatoes in a single layer on the sheet around the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes are blistered, about 35 minutes.

3. Transfer the chicken to plates. Spoon the tomatoes and juices over the chicken. Serve.

Note: I added the diced tomatoes to make it more saucy. I would like this without as well.

Smothered Chicken n Bacon

I made this tonight when I didn't think about dinner until after 6pm. I just threw this together with what I had on hand and Justin really liked it. Not the healthiest, but yummy. I used chicken that had already been grilled and then frozen tonight, but I'm writing the recipe as if I started with fresh chicken.

Smothered Chicken N Bacon
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

• Chicken Breast
  
• Sriracha Chili Sauce (or other favorite hot sauce)
  
• Ranch Dressing
  
• Bacon
• Cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 375. Grill chicken breast. Lay grilled chicken on pan (I cover my pans with aluminum foil to reduce cleanup.) Put small amount of hot sauce on chicken. Squirt quarter-size amount of ranch dressing on top of that. Tear one strip of bacon in half and lay the halves side-by-side over the chicken. Cover chicken with cheese. I used shredded mozzarella tonight. Cook for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bacon is cooked.
Notes: Bacon bits can be substituted for bacon for more color on top of the cheese. I added a strip of bacon on the side of the pan to help me know when the bacon was fully cooked since I couldn't see it under the cheese.

Mango Chicken Curry

Yum Yum Yum. Found this on the internet and I don't know where. The person didn't say where they got it from either. I was trying to find Tofu recipes and I found this instead. The way I made it was very different from this recipe... but still good.

Mango Caribbean Chicken Curry

• 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. lime or lemon zest
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 12 oz. chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 tsp. cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 c. sliced red onion
• 2 cups chopped, peeled mango or papaya
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• lime peel strips

For sauce, in a small bow stir together broth, lime juice, lime zest, brown sugar, curry powder, and cornstarch; set aside.
Rinse chicken; pat dry, cut into bite-sized pieces
In a large skillet/wok, heat oil until very hot. Stir fry garlic for 30 seconds. Add onion slices; stir fry for 3 minutes. Remove onion from wok or skillet.
Add chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Push chicken into center of pan.
Stir sauce mixture. Pour sauce into center of pan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return onion to work.
Add mango or papaya. Stir ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook 2 minutes or more until mixture is heated trough.
Serve over rice, garnish with lime peel strips.

Makes 4 servings.

NOTES: Okay, the way I made this was way different due to circumstance, but I wanted to have the original in my records to try another time. Today, I wanted to slow cook this. I did not have a lime, so I just used lemon juice. I only had bottled Mango, not fresh. I also wanted to try to use some Tofu (my first time!). I added a whole block of tofu and three chicken breasts and increased the ingredients a bit. I just browned the chicken, dried the tofu, dumped all the ingredients together in a crockpot and cooked it on high for three hours. I took out some of the juices and added cornstarch to make a gravy in a pan, but this time my gravy was runny. How do you master that?! I think I've only made gravy well one time! EVER! We have this divine mango coconut chili sauce that we drizzled on top for fun after a few bites. I didn't tell Justin there was tofu in it till the end, and he hadn't even noticed!

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken

I made this tonight with chicken, but pork works well too. Justin kept commenting on how delicious it was throughout the meal. I felt like a cook tonight.

Mom's Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken
from the kitchen of Carol R Cheesman

• 6-8 pork chops or 4-5 chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 can of water (or chicken/beef stock)
• 1 can mushrooms (optional)
• 1 large green pepper, sliced
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/3-1/2 c. brown sugar (I used 1/2. I was going for taste, not health this time.)
• Pineapple chunks (optional)
  

Brown meat in electric fry pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Simmer for 2 hours or put in Dutch oven and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (Carol's preference). Add pineapples if desired. Serve over rice.

Chicken Parmesan

Also from Cook This, Not That!, Justin loved this one. It was fast and easy, also.

Chicken Parmesan

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 c bread crumbs (I used Panko. Awesome)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 4 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella (I just used pepperjack. It changed the flavor, but oh well)
• fresh basil leaves (optional)

Pound chicken until it is uniformly 1/4" thick.
Season with salt and pepper
Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning on a large plate.
Dip each breast into the egg whites to coat both sides and then into the crumb mixture, patting the crumbs so they fully cover the chicken.
-Option 1: Fry in skillet --
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on the first side before turning. (The crust should be deeply browned and crunchy.) Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.
-Option 2: Bake in oven (what I did)
Bake chicken breasts in a 400 degree F oven until the crust is golden and the meat is firm, about 15 minutes.
-With both options:
Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken pieces, then top with the cheese and place underneath the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted an bubbling. Serve garnished with basil (if using).

I served this over spaghetti with some of the tomato sauce mixed in. The book suggests garlicky sauteed spinach. Probably not going to do that yet.

Chicken with Whole Cranberries

I've made this a couple times already. Everyone's liked it who's tried it. It's good for a Sunday when you want to throw something together quick in the morning and have it be ready at the end of the day.

Chicken With Cranberries
from southernfood.about.com

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (I froze mine. Still great)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar or honey (honey for me)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

Place all ingredients, except flour-water mixture, in a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until chicken is tender. Add flour mixture in the last 15-20 minutes and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust servings.
Makes 4

Kate's Cranberry Chicken

I have a few different cranberry chicken recipes. I wanted to eat it one night but didn't have time to let whole cranberries cook down. So I found this one to use my cans of cranberry sauce that I didn't use at Thanksgiving. It was yummy!

Kate's Cranberry Chicken
from Cooks.com

• 1 whole chicken, cut up. (I used a few chicken breasts)
• 1 -15 oz. can whole or jellied cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter; add soy sauce, lemon juice and cranberry sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, basting frequently the last 1/2 hour. Excellent over noodles or rice.

Pretend Chicken Marsala

I don't usually keep marsala wine on hand, so I just substituted white grape juice instead. I love this new book...

Pretend Chicken Marsala
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 272

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform 1/4" thickness
• 1 cup flour
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz prosciutto, sliced into thin strips (I used bacon. They look the same)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced. (don't know which I used)
• 3/4 cup Marsala wine (white grape juice)
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley

Season the chicken with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and add the chicken; coat evenly, shaking off any excess flour.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken (don't overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if need be) 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked all the way through. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
Add additional oil to the pan if needed, then saute the prosciutto for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing until well browned. Stir in the Marsala/juice and broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley, and pour over the chicken.
Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Fingers

Justin said these qualify for "Brooke's Top Ten." I don't know what the other nine are. . .
Super Easy, super fast. And heathy! Sort of. I didn't plan ahead for this one, so I had to substitute a few things.

Chicken Fingers
from Cook This, Not That! 2010, p. 86

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 Egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used crushed Stovetop instead)
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper puree (optional- didn't have it on hand, but I want to use it next time)
• 1 Tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs, being sure to coat fully.
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes, (I did 15-ish with fries baking at the same time) until the crumbs have browned and the chicken is firm.
Combine the mustard, chipotle, and honey in a large bowl. toss the cooked chicken tenders in the mixture so they are all evenly coated with spicy-sweet sauce.
Makes 4 servings.

Penne Pasta with Spinach, Bacon, and Chicken

Got this recipe from Disney Family Food's website. I have no idea how I stumbled on it. The recipe does not call for chicken, but I wanted to make it the main dish.

I just copied from the page:

Prep Time:	10m
Cook Time:	15m
Ready in:	25m
Yield:	4 servings

Ingredients
	1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 6 slices bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place bacon in the skillet, and cook until browned and crisp. Add garlic, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until heated through.
3. Place the spinach into a colander, and drain the hot pasta over it so it is wilted. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and toss with the remaining olive oil, and the bacon and tomato mixture.

Chicken N Pepper Stir-fry

We like this. Muchisimo.

Chicken N Pepper Stir-fry
Recipetrove.com

• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T ketchup
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic -- finely chopped
• 3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves -- thinly sliced (3/4 lb)
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 6 green onions -- cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper -- thinly sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper -- thinly sliced
• 4 cups hot cooked chinese noodles

Mix soy sauce, ketchup, ginger in resealable heavy-duty plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat with marinade. Let stand 15 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in 10-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add green onions and bell peppers; stir-fry until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add chicken; stir-fry 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Stir in bell pepper mixture. Serve with noodles.

Sweet N Sour Chicken Wraps

Not the healthiest. But quick and yummy. Everything is yummy wrapped in a crescent roll.

Sweet N Sour Chicken Wraps
Cooks.com

• 1 c. chopped cooked chicken
• 2 T chopped green onions, including tops
• 1 T crushed canned pineapple, well drained
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 t mustard
• 1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 t sesame seed

Heat oven to 375. In small bowl, combine chiccken, green onions, and pineapple; mix well. In another small bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce and mustard; blend well. Pour over chicken; stir to coat.
Separate dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Cut each rectangle in half crosswise (to make 8 squares). Spoon 1 rounded tablespoonful chicken filling onton center of each square. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of filling; twist ends and pinch seams to seal. Brush wraps with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Notes: I used dried onions instead of green onions. We couldn't taste them. The rolls taste amazing, but they overpower the taste of the filling. It was still a good eat. Oh- I thought the rolls were done since the egg turns brown, but you really need to wait until the whole roll is deep golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Glazed Chicken

I wanted something, light, fruity, and easy. This hit the spot! Justin liked it too!

Apple Cinnamon Glazed Chicken
by Linda Larsen, About.com

• 2 T applesauce
• 1/3 c. apple jelly
• 1 T honey
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Prepare and preheat grill. In small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken breasts and stir to combine. When ready to cook, oil grill rack. Brush apple mixture on chicken and place on grill 4-6" from medium coals. Cook 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing frequently with jelly mixture.

Notes: I made a lot more of the sauce and served this over rice. I also baked an apple with butter and cinnamon and sugar to serve on top of the chicken and rice.

Poppy Seed Chicken

My first casserole.

Poppy Seed Chicken
inspired from the Blessings cookbook, p 203

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz. sour cream
• 1/2 c. cream of chicken soup
• "a little chicken broth" that is not helpful. 1/4 c.?
• 1/2 stick Ritz crackers (or any other crackers. . . we used olive & rosemary Triscuts)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tsp. poppyseed

Brown chicken. Place browned chicken on bottom of a medium dish. Cover with soup, sour cream, and broth. Top with crushed crackers, sprinkle poppyseed over top. Pour melted butter over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with wild rice or mashed potatoes.

Notes: This is actually half of the original recipe, but we are only two people. I put in more than "a little chicken broth" because it was a bit soupy. The triscut crackers tasted awesome. Justin liked this one a lot.

Chicken Spaghetti

I make chicken a lot. Justin loved this one. It's very filling. Not very healthy.

Chicken Spaghetti
inspired from a recipe in the Bountiful Blessings Cookbook, but changed by me

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 box spaghetti
• 6-8 oz. pepper jack cheese, cubed
• 8 oz. shredded cheese of choice
  
• 1 can mild rotel tomatoes, drained (diced canned tomatoes with green chilies)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
  
• Salt and Pepper

Boil water with chicken, broth, and onion for 5-10 minutes. Add spaghetti noodles. When noodles are done, drain. Pour into a baking dish. Add pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, soup, salt, and pepper. Cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.