Crispy Honey Lemon Chicken

For Christmas this year, I was spoiled and received many kitchen gadgets. One of them is an all-purpose kitchen kettle. I have actually thought about getting a deep-fryer and was pleasantly surprised by this multi-use appliance. It can steam vegetables, it can make rice, and you even make soups with it. I might stick to using it just as a deep-fryer though.



But with this appliance, I don't have to pan fry every little piece of chicken and wait five hours for all of it to finish cooking. I might be exaggerating a bit but when you're the one standing at the stove cooking all of the little pieces, it sure can feel that long. Plus, my stove gets super greasy with all the oil splattering everywhere and deep-frying the chicken makes it that much easier and cleaner for me. I have been avoiding this recipe for a while just because of the fact that I'd have to pan-fry the chicken, but last night I was able to make this with ease.



The juice of two lemons seemed like quite a bit to me when I was making the marinade but it was the perfect amount. The chicken had just the right amount of lemon-y tang to it. I didn't dip the chicken pieces into the honey and lemon zest dip that the original recipe provides. I just drizzled a little honey on top along with Sriracha hot sauce and ate it like that! It tasted great.



Deep frying has a bad reputation that it doesn't really deserve. Yes, all that oil is definitely not good for you, but it's all about moderation. Have some deep fried food once in a while -- it won't hurt. Pan-frying can be just as bad if you don't do it the right way. Both the deep fryer and the pan must be hot and ready to go before adding any food. Otherwise, the food will just absorb the cold oil, excess oil that you don't need. I know my impatience has gotten the best of me sometimes and I have added stuff to a pan filled with cold or lukewarm oil plenty of times. With a deep fryer, for some reason, I always make sure the big ol' pot of oil is ready to go before adding anything. Plus, anything made at home has better taste and ingredients than what you might find eating out. You know where your oil's been too!

Crispy Honey Lemon Chicken
Adapted from How Sweet Eats

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
2 large lemons, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp honey, all the lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Whisk ingredients together, then add chicken pieces to a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over top. Let sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

When ready to make, add flour, cornstarch, 1 tsp lemon zest and the remaining salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix well.

Heat your deep fryer to 350F. Wait until it is very hot and ready to go (you do not want the chicken to absorb more oil than necessary). Fill your deep fry basket with a single layer of chicken and place into the oil when ready. Let it fry for 5 to 6 minutes. When ready, take the basket out of the oil and let it drain for a bit, then place on a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken in batches.

If you would like to pan-fry your chicken, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat, and once it is very hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Coat chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then add to the skillet and cook until each side is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and set chicken on a paper-towel covered plate. Cook remaining batches, adding more/less oil if needed.

Serve with rice and a few tablespoons of honey mixed with lemon zest for dipping or drizzling.

Red Curry Chicken

On a weeknight, something easy is the way to go for me. I rely on curries a lot because they're super easy to make and, served alongside rice, they're super filling! I can't make my own curry sauces so I like to buy the Golden Curry cubes and Thai Kitchen's red curry sauce. I grew up on Golden Curry cubes, but red curry is new to me and I love it. Coconut milk is so delicious in this curry -- I really could eat this all the time.



I used different vegetables than what the original recipe used, so you can put in whatever you like. Instead of bok choy, snow peas, and sweet potatoes, I used regular potatoes, sweet onions, and carrots. Brown rice might be better for you, but white rice is a must for me when it comes to a dish with a wonderful sauce.

Once it's a good time to get fresh mussels, I will have to post a recipe for Red Curry Steamed Mussels. It is amazing and the leftover sauce is good to just eat with rice once all the mussels are in your belly.

Always keep this red curry paste in stock. You'll find yourself making this often.

Red Curry Chicken
From Eat, Live, Run 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tbsp coconut oil [I used vegetable oil]
3 cups coconut milk, light or regular [Definitely go regular!]
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp red curry paste
2 baby bok choy, chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1″ knob ginger, grated
1 cup chopped snow peas
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ thick pieces
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt

Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. When hot, add the ginger and saute until fragrant — 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and sear until not quite cooked through. Then, add the curry paste. Mix the ginger, chicken and curry paste together and continue to saute over high heat for another two minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk and water, then add in the vegetables. Bring curry to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Stir in the fish sauce, salt, lime juice and sugar. Continue simmering over medium/low heat until veggies are soft. This will take about 10 minutes.

Serve curry over rice or quinoa!

Chicken Marsala

My sleep schedule has been weird this week. Not really sure what's causing it, but I have a suspicion that it might just be plain paranoia. Last week, I overslept and woke up an hour later than I usually do. I like taking my time to get ready and eating my breakfast so I hated having to get ready in such a hurry. The good thing was that I wasn't late because I usually get to school an hour before we have to anyway. Still, I felt pretty frazzled and I hate that feeling, especially to start off the day.

The next couple mornings, I kept waking up an hour or more before my alarm, reaching straight for my phone to check the time and make sure I hadn't overslept. I try to go back to sleep but it's not good sleep. I wake up tired and spend the whole day tired.

That's why I found it surprising that I had the energy at the end of the day to make this dinner when I got home. Chicken Marsala has always been something I wanted to try, but I never really walk towards the wine section at the store. I would also not know what to do with the rest of the wine. Yes, I could drink it, but I really don't drink when I'm alone at home, so it would just sit for a while until I made Chicken Marsala again.

Last year, though, I was cooking with a friend and we needed Marsala wine so I caved and got it. I haven't used it since and decided to get it out this week. This was so good that I might actually make it once a week and then I'll actually be finishing the bottle at a decent pace. I liked eating this over rice as the rice soaked up the sauce and ended up with more flavor. I hope I have the energy after a long day of school to make this again soon!



Chicken Marsala
From Gourmand Recipes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
3 tbsp oil
7 oz button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup single cream or half and half (optional)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season the flour with the salt and pepper. (You can also season the flour with paprika and dried oregano but it is not necessary as they may overpower the flavor of the Marsala wine.)

Use the meat mullet to slightly flatten the chicken breasts. Lightly coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium high heat. Fry the chicken breasts until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Fry the mushrooms using the remaining oil over medium heat until slightly browned and softened. Add the Marsala wine and let it simmer and is reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Add the cream and mix it through with the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the chicken to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve immediately over pasta, rice, polenta, or with a side of veggies.

Slow Cooked Chicken Adobo

Boy, am I glad for the three-day weekend! Having today off was great. I went up to Lexington to watch a basketball game and visit my friend whom I haven't seen since before Christmas break. It was fun, even though I was there for only a short time. I hope this week flies by since it is a four-day work week.

I also liked being able to use my slow cooker today. Normally, I don't use it during the week because I don't feel safe leaving it on while I'm at work. I also don't like the smell of something cooking while I'm trying to go to sleep since I don't have a door that separates my room from the kitchen. I made Chicken Adobo, an easy recipe that I can put together in minutes, forget about it for hours, and devour within seconds. And have enough leftovers for the week - the best part.

Only two more midterms to go and then back to a normal bell schedule! I'm going to miss the three-hour planning periods though ;)



Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
From 52 Kitchen Adventures

1 lb chicken thighs, skin removed
1 lb chicken wings, skin removed
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Mix together the soy sauce and vinegar, then pour over chicken. Sprinkle garlic over everything. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high 4 to 5 hours (until meat is cooked through). Serve with rice.

Fried Buttermilk Chicken for Christmas Dinner

Merry Christmas, everybody!

This year's Christmas isn't as well planned as last year. Presents for my family? Bought 'em yesterday. Kind of. My sister's is on delay, but at least I know what I'm getting her. Christmas dinner? Planned and went grocery shopping yesterday. I didn't even think about dessert until I was at the store. Unbelievable! Decorations? Nada. Not that we were big decorators to begin with. It didn't help that I've slept away this whole week due to being sick.

Besides lacking time and energy, I think this year I am especially lacking in spirit. It's sad, but maybe it's the fact that there's no snow? It usually helps, but I've seen no snow at all so far. I did get into the spirit when I went to see A Christmas Carol, but it ended when the play ended. But whatever day it might be, I am happy that I get to spend this time with my family. It's a rare and fine moment when all four of us are eating at the same time.

Instead of having a "traditional" Christmas dinner, I went for a KFC theme: fried chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw with steak fries and sweet potato fries. Yum! I was craving all this after I watched Kitchen Nightmares at Blackberry's, a Southern soul food restaurant. And apparently, my dad was craving some, too, after he saw fried chicken on TV. Perfect!

When I first told my mom and my sister about the ingredients in this recipe, they were very skeptical about the buttermilk. But I told them to trust me, they would not taste it in the chicken. It's just supposed to make the chicken tender and that it did. The crust tasted different from what we're used to, but I loved that it wasn't full of salt unlike fast food fried chicken.

I tried this Mac and Cheese recipe with Gouda cheese instead of Cheddar. I thought my parents would prefer this because they are usually not a fan of anything cheesy and Cheddar is especially strong. We thought it was okay. I'm definitely going to stick with Cheddar though. It's just not Mac and Cheese without it.

As for the coleslaw, this KFC copycat recipe was definitely a hit. I put in a whole lot less sugar though because my mom always thinks KFC's is too sweet even though she likes the taste. I love this recipe and gives me more ways to use buttermilk!

I hope everyone had a great day with family and friends :)

Fried Buttermilk Chicken [Makes 6 servings]
From Dishing the Divine

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided
Salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder, divided
1 tsp paprika, divided
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Dash hot sauce
3 1/2 lb bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed*
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

A whole 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, can be used instead of the chicken parts. Skinless chicken pieces are also an acceptable substitute, but the meat will come out slightly drier. If using large chicken breasts (about 1 pound each), cut each breast into 3 pieces. If using smaller breasts (10 to 12 ounces each), cut each breast into 2 pieces. A Dutch oven with an 11-inch diameter can be used in place of the straight-sided sauté pan.

Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, pinch cayenne, and hot sauce together in large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400F. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, remaining 3/4 tsp garlic powder, remaining 3/4 tsp paprika, and remaining cayenne together in large bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with fingers until combined and small clumps form.

Working with 1 chicken piece at a time, dredge in flour mixture, pressing mixture onto pieces to form a thick, even coating. Place dredged chicken on large plate, skin side up.

Heat oil in 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until it registers 375F. Carefully place chicken in pan, skin side down, and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain oil at 375F.) Carefully flip and continue to fry until golden brown on second side, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack and bake until breast pieces register 160F and/or thighs and drumsticks register 175F, 15 to 20 minutes. Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from the oven as they reach correct temperature. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooked Taco Chicken

When my mom visited me a couple of weeks ago, I asked her to bring down the slow cooker I left back home. My mom uses it very rarely, so she didn't mind. I didn't even know how much I would be using it--I just really wanted to make some barbecue pulled pork or chicken. While I haven't gotten around to that just yet, I've made a few other recipes and have fallen in love with my slow cooker all over again. There are now at least 5 recipes queued up so don't be surprised if the next couple posts are slow cooked...



I usually don't like recipes that have salsa in it. Not sure why, but it might have to do with the acidity from the tomatoes. In this recipe, however, I do not mind at all because this recipe is simply awesome. The flavor is great and the chicken is soooooooo tender. The meat just fell apart at the slightest poke when I was shredding it. I was amazed because my chicken breasts end up dry most of the time. I might just slow cook plain ol' chicken breasts to add to salads or sandwiches. It's so easy and yummy! To change it up, I might use mango salsa instead of plain. Beth at Budget Bytes suggests serving this over rice, which I skipped, but it would definitely be a filling meal. This chicken would also be great in wraps or buns or even as tacos.



Slow Cooked Taco Chicken [Makes 6 servings]
From Budget Bytes

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
16 oz jar salsa
15 oz can black beans, drained
8 oz frozen corn
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Cracked pepper, to taste

Add everything to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily).

Honey Sesame Chicken

I always planned my meals ahead to save time and to keep my eating habits under control. But sometimes, they were never what I wanted at the moment, but I had to eat them as I had nothing else prepared. It's never good when I'm "forced" to eat something. So off I'd go searching for whatever my taste buds thought they were missing.

Lately, though, I've been really good with my self-control. I finally figured out that all I need to do is listen to my cravings. Why it took me this long to realize this, I don't know. Maybe it's an obvious fact to everyone else, but I guess I just had to make the discovery myself. Even just a moderate amount of whatever I wanted satisfies me and I don't go searching for more food. Win!



Yesterday, I really wanted some bad Chinese take-out. Instead of buying, I found this recipe and made it for lunch today. (And saved myself some money, too!) It doesn't take much time to prepare, yet it tastes delicious as if from a restaurant. I prefer the coating that cornstarch gives the chicken pieces to that of flour. You could probably fry the chicken, too, but that takes too much for me and I wanted to keep it a light meal.



I still plan at least my lunches and keep frozen foods in stock as back-up. But for the most part, I leave it up to my stomach to decide what's for dinner. A happy stomach of mine equals a happy me :)

Honey Sesame Chicken
From Full Measure of Happiness

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 egg [I omitted]
1/4 C cornstarch
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Slice the chicken into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Mix the egg and cornstarch, and pour over the chicken to coat. (Or just coat the chicken in cornstarch.) Meanwhile, combine the honey, soy sauce, and sesame seeds and set aside.

Warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Lay the chicken in the oil and cook through, turning once or twice (about 7 to 10 minutes). Add the sliced scallions and the sesame mixture over the chicken, and cook until the sauce thickens, just a few minutes.

Serve with rice and/or steamed vegetables.

Chicken Paprikash

As much as I might complain about how I dislike snow or the cold, I'm jealous that everybody else I know got snow while I didn't. Maybe not quite the snowmageddon that the Northeast got, but just an inch would have been nice. I didn't realize that the storm would end up this epic though. It's not something you expect in October! I wonder what the rest of the winter season will bring...

Thankfully, the temperature in my apartment stays pretty constant, so though it may be cold outside, I'm not! I have a sealed window, so it doesn't open at all. The downside is that I can't get any fresh air. The upside is that I haven't had to turn the heat on at all yet. I forget sometimes that it is, in fact, cold outside, so when I step out in the morning, I'm definitely not wearing enough layers.



To keep myself warm, I like to make stews and soups. Here's a classic dish that I fell in love with three years ago. Paprikash is a Hungarian stew typically made with pork, but I went for chicken. I've tried several paprikash recipes and none have lived up to what I've tasted in Budapest. This one comes close. It's not bland and the consistency is almost there. I changed it up by adding potatoes and omitting the tomatoes. This is also a great way to use up the ridiculous amount of Hungarian paprika I have.



It might be a good thing that it didn't snow down here. We need to save the snow days for later in the season because I do not want to lose any vacation days. Those are much needed.

Chicken Paprikash [Makes 3 servings]
From Tamarind and Thyme

6 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets
Flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sunflower oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian paprika, sweet or hot
2 tomatoes, chopped
350 ml chicken stock
50 to 100 ml sour cream

Heat about 200ml sunflower oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Mix flour, salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl and dust the thigh fillets in this mixture. When the oil is hot, fry the thigh fillets on both sides until browned. When browned (but not necessarily cooked through), drain and set aside.

Drain all but about 1 tbsp of oil in the saute pan and melt the butter in too. Add the chopped onion and fry until softened. Throw in the garlic and continue sauteing until the raw smell of the garlic becomes the mellow sweetness of cooked. Add the paprika and chopped tomatoes and continue frying for another few minute. Pour in the chicken stock and stir thoroughly to combine.

Place the chicken thighs back into the saute pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let simmer for about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Stir through the sour cream (adding little at a time) and bring back to a simmer. Season to taste and serve on top of rice or buttered noodles or with bread.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I did so much cooking on Sunday. It's actually kind of ridiculous. But there was a reason for it all. I mentioned before that, once I get home, I'm literally too tired that I don't even feel like making myself a decent meal. Last week, I had some boring and not-so-great dinners. I decided that I needed to cook a whole bunch of something when I do have time (like during the weekend) to last me the whole week. It's great to be thinking on the drive home about what's waiting for me in the fridge. And it was especially convenient for a day like yesterday when the faculty meeting lasted until 6:15 and I got home at 7, way past food time!

I love soup because I can get a whole week's worth of dinners out of one batch, so that's exactly what I made. The enchilada sauce definitely adds more flavor so that it doesn't just taste like tomatoes and chili powder. The essential veggies and protein are in this soup: black beans, corn, and chicken, but you can mix in whatever else you'd like! I left out hominy because I didn't have it on hand. I also left out the masa harina. It's used to thicken the soup, but the soup was plenty thickened without it. I've read online that finely ground tortillas is a great substitute for masa harina if you do not have that on hand.



Chicken Enchilada Soup
From Babble

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 14.5-oz cans chicken broth
1/4 cup masa harina (fine corn meal)
1/2 cup water
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp oregano flakes
1 15.5-oz can black beans, washed and drained
1 4-oz can green chilies, chopped
1 can white hominy, washed and drained (optional)
2 cups frozen sweet yellow corn
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp cayenne pepper sauce (like Frank’s)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat and brown chicken breasts. Shred or cube and set aside.

To the pot, add onions and garlic; saute for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth.

In small bowl, combine/whisk masa harina with water. Add masa harina mixture to the onions, garlic and broth. Add everything else (except chicken) and bring to boil.

Finally, add chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until thickened. Add more water as needed. Serve with garnish (lime, cilantro, grated cheese, crumbled tortillas, sour cream) and cornbread.

Mediterranean Chicken Skewers

Ever since the cook-out that my housemates and our families held for graduation last month, I've had kebabs on my mind. We were, at one time, in charge of the food so it was one of the ideas flowing through my head until the parents took over, but I still wanted to make them. Today was probably the worst day this week to do just that. It was over 100 degrees this afternoon and humid and sunny. Turning the oven to broil fills our small kitchen with heat so quickly that the AC doesn't even matter at that point. At least it was only for 10 minutes!



I used the marinade recipe below for the chicken, but you can use any recipe you'd like. Go for different flavors to spice it up! The possibilities are endless. I had some veggies about to go to waste in the fridge, so I used those to assemble the kebabs. Mushrooms, baby bell peppers, scallions, and onions. I had seen somebody put pineapple on skewers in one recipe so I put some on too. Broiled pineapple tastes amazing! Try it some time. It's so much juicier than when it's cold. Worth the heat. It feels great to eat something other than ham and cheese sandwiches. Kebabs takes a very short time to prepare and cook, so you can get this on the table quick. I want to make all kinds of kebabs now! I can't believe how easy these are. I'll have to try beef next time. I also found a great recipe for salmon skewers.



Thank goodness it's thundering right now. Not so great for my dogs, though, who are trembling and panting from fear. Poor babies. But this will cool down the heat and make the outside more bearable for all of us.

Mediterranean Chicken Skewers
Adapted from Table Talk

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Choice of veggies, cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces

1. Soak wooden skewers in water for an hour. This helps them burn less in the oven.
2. In plastic bag, combine chicken with lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Seal bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Thread chicken and veggies onto skewers. If grilling, grill over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning skewers every 3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. If using the oven, move oven rack 6 inches or so from the top. Broil for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, turning every 3 minutes.

Chicken and Mushrooms with Onion Sauce

Since I came home on Wednesday, I've been eating my mom's cooking. It's nice to eat Korean food again, but I figured I should cook something myself. At the market, I bought some chicken and randomly grabbed mushrooms without thinking of what I would make. There's something about white button mushrooms that makes me want to buy them whenever I look at them. Then this recipe popped into my head. It's been on my queue for a while because it's a simple recipe with a few of my favorite ingredients. I'm glad I finally got around to making this dish. From start to finish it took me about 30 minutes, so it's also a great weeknight meal for when you're too tired to cook something else.



To change it up for next time, I might use white wine instead of chicken broth and add some herbs for more flavor. The original recipe had this served over orzo, but I just went with what I had on hand. Any grain would work: rice, brown rice, bulgur, couscous, etc. I would love to try this over some polenta, too.



Chicken and Mushrooms with Onion Sauce [Makes 4 servings]
From Meg Kat

- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat the oil on medium to medium-high heat and add in the onion. Cook until lightly browned and starting to caramelize (remember to keep stirring it to keep from burning).
2. Add in the pieces of chicken and toss around until lightly browned on all sides. Next add in the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Throw in the flour and stir to coat all the ingredients. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stir, and allow to simmer until thickened (add a little salt and pepper to taste).

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Only a week left in this house. I'm trying to get rid of all the food I have left. Last week, I was craving anything fried, so I really wanted some fries and chicken tenders. I saw the recipe for these baked chicken nuggets and thought it was the perfect way to get rid of the frozen chicken breasts I still had in the freezer. It also satisfied my craving. I know it's not fried, but it's more healthful so I didn't feel guilty eating it and serving it to my friends. Plus, I was feeling particularly lazy and ended up buying frozen french fries and waffle fries instead of making them myself since I couldn't serve just chicken nuggets. Don't worry. I made some Roasted Broccoli as another side dish.



My nuggets did not turn out as brown and crispy as I would have liked. Maybe I should have left them in the oven a little longer, but the breading was still really yummy. We already had plain breadcrumbs in the house, so I didn't want to buy a whole container of Italian breadcrumbs. Instead, I made some of my own by mixing in herbs and spices. I also didn't have panko on hand, so I replaced that with plain breadcrumbs.



I'm doing a pretty good job on getting rid of my food. I still had to buy some basics such as bread and milk, but otherwise, the freezer and fridge is gradually being emptied. It's weird to see our fridge with space! Usually it's so crowded with five people's worth of food.

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
From Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

- 16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or homemade
- 2 tbsp panko
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2. Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
4. Put a few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked though.

Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken

One of the ways my university is unique is the semester schedule. Split into a trimester, the year starts off with a 12-week term, then another 12-week term, and ends with the 4-week term, Spring Term. Spring Term is special in that it involves just one academic course and lots of shenanigans. It's a time to relax, go tubing, party, and for seniors, do everything that's left to do in this town. My housemates and I made a bucket list, but we still haven't gotten started! There are definitely some things I need to make sure I see before I leave, such as Foamhenge. Other things on the list include eating at a lot of the restaurants. Sushi Matsumoto is a great sushi place. They've got the most delicious teriyaki sauce! I'm definitely not trying to copy their recipe with what I'm sharing today, but thinking about their food just made me want to make this recipe.

The sushi restaurant in town also seems to be more conscious about being healthy than using MSG or other unnatural ingredients. I don't trust a lot of other restaurants, however, because I always get a funny feeling in my mouth. This is why I love making a recipe at home that ends up tasting like something from a restaurant. It's so much healthier since I know what went into the dish. This recipe doesn't take very long to make so it can be an easy weeknight meal. Make sure to serve this with white rice. I know it may not be the healthiest option, but I don't think there is another grain that absorbs quite as well as white rice and that's what you want with this sauce.



Spring Term is actually somewhat conflicting for me because I still want to be a good student and get my work done (my professor assigns quite a bit of reading), but then my brain keeps reminding me that this is the last term of my college career! Last weekend was pretty epic, but this weekend and the next is filled with acting so let's see what we can fit in.

Sweet, Sticky, and Spicy Chicken
From Allrecipes

- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger root
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Why is Mother Nature so cruel? When I drove up to Jersey last week, it rained non-stop. When I drove down to Virginia yesterday, it rained for the last half of the trip. At least it wasn't as bad as last week. I got back around 2 p.m. and decided to go food shopping. What would be an easy meal to throw together when I'm feeling oh-so-tired? Burgers! After unpacking and cleaning up my room, it was already dinner time and my stomach was growling at me. Thank goodness all I had to do was throw a bunch of ingredients together.



Honestly, these were somewhat disappointing. The idea is awesome, but the results -- not so much. I couldn't even taste the Parmesan, so I guess I should add a bit more. I'd prefer to leave the breadcrumbs out next time. I went back to the original post and read the comments that people left and nobody else seemed to have this problem. I must have added too little seasoning or too little cheese, but it didn't amaze me too much. Maybe the finishing touches are what really makes this burger taste great. I didn't have any pasta sauce so I left that out, but did sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese on top. I'll have to work on how to improve this recipe before I make it again. Please, if you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you!



Chicken Parmesan Burgers [Makes 4 burgers]
From Erin's Food Files

- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- Salt and pepper

1. Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make them about 30 to 40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.
2. Preheat and spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes.
3. Top each chicken burger with 2 tbsp pasta sauce and a slice or 2 tbsp of cheese. Place back under the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through.

Balsamic Glazed Drumsticks

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but theatre has taken over my life. Thankfully (or unfortunately? Depends on how the show goes...), Much Ado shows this Friday and Saturday and then it's all over! I'll have my evenings open to do whatever I please.

I have been able to leave student-teaching a little early this week because the students have just their semester exams and no classes. Knowing this was coming up, I went grocery shopping with recipes in mind. I realized a few weeks ago that I was out of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I always buy a huge pack, cut them up into single serving sizes and freeze them for later use. When I was shopping this week, however, I realized I didn't have quite enough money to buy a whole pack of chicken breasts. I searched around for other meat choices and my eyes landed on drumsticks. A change in chicken meat seemed necessary so I grabbed a pack and stuck it in the freezer as soon as I got home, knowing I would have to do something with it when I have time.



I've had this recipe in "queue" for a real long while now and I finally gave it a try. It was definitely a nice change from the usual chicken breasts that I eat, so it was exciting. I feel that marinading the drumsticks in the sauce first and then cooking it will give the meat more flavor. Also, that way, the skin stays crispy instead of soaking up the liquid while simmering. The combination of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce is a very familiar flavor for me, so I loved the taste, but I would definitely love to add more pizazz to the dish. I didn't have any hot sauce so I didn't add it, but I'll have to buy it for next time. The idea of eating drumsticks shouldn't be this novel to me, really, but it just is!



Balsamic Glazed Drumsticks
From Skinny Taste

- 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds

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

Mexican Pasta Skillet

Wait a minute. Are there really only 3 days to Christmas?! When did this happen? I'm so not ready. The only part of Christmas dinner that I have planned is dessert, as always. I should probably get everything set tonight so I can go shopping tomorrow and not on Christmas Eve when the stores will be even more crowded than usual.

I finally got into the Christmas spirit when I watched the Christmas episode of Warehouse 13 yesterday. The mushy scene at the end of an episode where everybody is gathered at the table for dinner and having a good time always gets me. Then I proceeded to wrap everyone's present and got so happy when I thought of the faces on my family's faces when they see what I got them!



While I was shopping for wrapping paper at Target, I also did all my food shopping for this recipe. However much I love self checkout, it was much more convenient to shop for everything at one place. I couldn't find any other brand name salsas other than Target's own Archer Farms, so I grabbed the cilantro kind. It took me a while to choose because there were so many choices! I'm happy with the cilantro though because it tastes great (and smells amazing as it simmers). There is a tiny bit of heat to the salsa from the two peppers, but I think it's better than an overwhelming spicy flavor in this dish. This can also act as a great base recipe, but I like it as simple as it is now. It took me just 30 minutes from start to finish.



Healthified Mexican Pasta Skillet [Makes 5 servings]
From Eat Better America

- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef [I went for ground chicken]
- 16 oz salsa
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni or shells
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese [I omitted]

1. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender.

Wild on Chicken

I used to avoid any recipe that had mayonnaise in it because just seeing the word made me feel greasy under my skin. My body cannot handle heavy foods that wonderfully. But then I discovered a trick: substitute it with yogurt! Yogurt is so good for you! Lots of calcium, protein, and good bacteria to improve your digestive system. I love eating it with honey or pancake syrup drizzled on top.

So when I saw this recipe, even though it had mayonnaise as an ingredient, I bookmarked it. I got it from Gwenyth Paltrow's GOOP newsletter. I'm not a huge fan of her, but I do like finding new ideas for recipes, so I read her newsletter and saw this one. I liked the idea of grapes in this chicken salad. I eat something along the lines of this salad often, but with tuna instead of chicken, ranch dressing rather than yogurt, or curry powder to replace the herbs. I also add shreds of lettuce and stuff everything into a pita for a quick and easy meal. Everything about this was refreshing: the grapes, the lemon, the yogurt! The grapes added a nice, juicy crunch, as did the pecans. The lemon and the herbs help reduce the taste of yogurt, if it's not something you're that fond of.



I ate this chicken salad as is on top of a bed of lettuce, but it would also be great as a sandwich.

Wild on Chicken
From GOOP

- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast (3 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise [I used fat-free yogurt]
- 2 cups red grapes, halved
- 3 tbsp fresh tarragon
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Toasted pecans (optional)

1. To poach chicken breasts, put in stock pot, cover with water and add 2 onions, bay leaves, parsley, cloves, salt & pepper. Bring to boil and poach 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Remove from water and cool before making salad. Cut into bite size pieces, combine with rest of ingredients and serve.

Balsamic Sesame Chicken

I haven't been eating as much meat as I should be these days. I think it's because I don't cook it creatively that I get really sick of eating it the same way every time. I saw this recipe a week ago and have been putting it off, but my body is telling me to eat meat now so I made this for lunch.

The recipe comes from Just Bento, a food blog dedicated to making bentos! This blog is pretty awesome. I've looked through all the archives and read a lot recipes that I found interesting. Just the concept of a bento gives me so many ideas about what I can pack for some of my lunches when I'm back at school. Some days I probably won't have time to head back home after classes for a lunch break, so I knew I'd have to pack something and a bento would keep my lunch exciting with a variety of foods to look forward to.

Balsamic Sesame Chicken
From Just Bento

- 500 grams chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (use less if you don't want it as strong)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (I use less salty soy sauce)
- 5 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Combine the chicken, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and let marinade for at least half an hour.
2. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the chicken (you can drain of the marinade if you don't want to use it). Heat oil in a pan, add the chicken pieces and cook until brown and fully cooked through. Serve with brown rice.

Really simple, isn't it? But it's got flavor. I wasn't sure of how I would like the balsamic vinegar because that stuff can be strong! And the soy sauce that I use is dark and is a lot stronger than soy sauce from other brands. But the two balanced each other and one did not overwhelm the other. It was great!

General Tso's Chicken

When my sister and I were younger, we ate out a lot. We ordered pizza, hoagies, meatball sandwiches, and Chinese take-out very frequently. Although the places we ordered our pizza and hoagies from constantly changed, our Chinese always came from a tiny restaurant called King's Palace. The owner even recognized us and our names because we ordered from there so often. But, of course, we soon began to realize that eating out was costing us way too much and that we should try to be a bit healthier so we stuck with our mom's cooking. Also, after watching Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay, eating out was soon out of the question.

In other words, I haven't eaten Chinese food in a while. I'd rather skip if my only choice was take-out. But I do miss the taste and I wanted to cook for my family so why not try tackling it at home? Initially, my plan was to make just General Tso's Chicken. I picked it because everyone in my family loves it and I can remember all the way back to when we ordered Chinese food at the mall and that was the only thing we got. (Wow, just thinking back to the past, I can't believe I ate some of the stuff I ate.) Then I started thinking that it probably would not be enough for my parents. Since Korean dinners consist of at least 3 side dishes to the rice in addition to some sort of soup or stew, they might feel like something is missing if I serve just chicken and rice. So I quickly looked up the recipes for Chinese Scallion Pancakes and Egg Drop Soup. No extra shopping needed thankfully. I shall post those later.

Reading through the ingredients for General Tso's Chicken, I realized we have all but two. A lot of the same flavors are used throughout Asia so that was no surprise. I usually would not opt for deep-frying, but I thought it might take away flavor from the dish so I went with it. Actually, I'm a wee bit scared of hot oil so I asked my mom to do that when she got home. From start to finish, making dinner took me about 2 hours. Wow, I was sweating and running around the kitchen. Trying to time things perfectly never works. I'm sure I'll get better as I keep cooking. It was all worth it in the end because my family enjoyed the dinner. I love giving my mom a break from cooking.

General Tso's Chicken
Adapted from My Kitchen Snippets

For the sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 tbsp cooking wine [I used mirin]
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup broth
- 6 dried hot peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 scallions, sliced thinly

For the chicken
- 2 lb chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 tbsp cornstarch

1. In a medium bowl, place the chicken, soy sauce, and white pepper and mix to coat evenly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
2. To prepare the sauce, mix together the cornstarch, white pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, water and broth in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
3. After 30 minutes, add the egg to the bowl with the chicken and stir to coat chicken evenly. Then add the cornstarch and stir again. Now the chicken is ready to be fried. Deep-fry about 4 to 5 minutes and the coat is golden brown.
4. In a saucepan, heat a bit of oil on medium-high heat. Add the dried peppers, garlic, and ginger. Cook until fragrant. Add the prepared sauce and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. Add the fried chicken and toss so that the sauce coats all chicken pieces. Add the scallions.



No need to eat unhealthy Chinese take-out anymore. I felt less guilty eating this homemade recipe and a lot less oily afterward! But it still tastes like the General Tso's you'd get at a restaurant. I've never fried something coated in cornstarch before, but I really like it. It leaves a thin layer and looks a lot cleaner than if I had used flour. The chicken wasn't crispy enough though. I'll have to ask Mom to fry it a bit longer next time or I could face my fears and do it myself! Eventually. Oh, and the picture is pretty horrible, eh? People were getting hungry so I needed to take one quickly.



See? :P

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The first two years of college, I had a meal plan. My school requires us to live on campus dorms as freshmen and sophomores so we had no kitchen to cook our own meals. Scratch that. There is a kitchen in one dorm building, but I really didn't want to use it. My friends and I had dinner parties once in a blue moon and those were the only times I stepped foot in there. Fortunately, our school's cafeteria, or "D-Hall" as we call it, makes decent food. This was before I got into cooking so I got to eat things that I never would have dreamed of making myself. Mexican Wednesdays were my favorite and the baked potato bar and the salad bar and the cereal bar and the ice cream! Oh, and I loved the special dinners for Lunar New Year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali, etc (though, sophomore year we learned to eat elsewhere for those days because people from town would also eat and there is absolutely nowhere to sit). But my number one? The soups. I had a phase when all I ate was soup. I loved all the soups whether it was Potato Leek, Chili, Chicken Tortilla, French Onion, Broccoli Cheddar. The one exception is the Essence of Exotic Mushroom Soup. I've not tried recreating any of them because, for some odd reason, I felt that it would never turn out the same. But thanks to Foodgawker (my favorite site in the whole world), I found a keeper. This Chicken Tortilla Soup is pretty darn close to D-Hall's version!




Chicken Tortilla Soup [Makes 6 servings]
Adapted from Back to the Cutting Board

- 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
- 20 baby carrots
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 10 oz frozen corn
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tbsp dried cilantro
- 3 oz feta, crumbled

1. Add tomatoes, carrots and green pepper to a blender or food processor and mix until blended, but still chunky. Set aside.
2. Cook the cubed chicken until it’s completely cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove from pan and place on a plate or cutting board. Using two forks tear apart each piece of chicken until all the chicken is shredded. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, cook the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Put the onions, garlic and chicken in a large stock pot. Add in all the spices and cook over medium heat for one minute.
6. Add in the tomato mixture, chicken broth, water, corn and beans and cilantro. Simmer, partly covered for 60 minutes.
7. Serve with feta crumbles sprinkled on top.

The feta is reeeeeeeeeally great in there, by the way. It tastes even better the next day. I should really be calling this Chicken Bean Soup since there are no tortillas in this recipe, but Chicken Tortilla Soup sounds better. Plus, at D-Hall, tortillas were optional since we put the strips on the soup ourselves. Next time, I will try with one less cup of broth and a little Tabasco sauce? D-Hall had a clean broth with no blended veggies, but I like that so it's staying. You know, I could just ask the chefs for the recipe. But where's the fun in that?