Chicken and Dumplings

When the weather starts to change, there is nothing like good old comfort food.  I will admit as a kid I hated chicken and dumplings.  I don't know if I had an undercooked dumpling first try and decided it wasn't for me, but I had to give it a go for myself.  It just looked delicious in the picture.  So it had to taste good, right?  They did not disappoint.  Scrumptious!

Be sure to double the batch.  You will be happy that you did.  Even now I am trying to figure out how to hide the leftover in the fridge so that I can have it all to myself.  What's great about this recipe is that with a few substitutions (pasta or rice), you can have a whole different soup!  

I didn't have parsley on hand, so I used the leafy top of the celery.  It worked and tasted great.  My boys gave it the two thumbs up and are ready for me to make it again.  

This recipe came from my Everyday Food Magazine (October 2012).  

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, diced medium
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and green beans and season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Make dumplings: Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in milk. Drop heaping spoonfuls batter on top of chicken mixture. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve topped with additional chopped parsley.
   
   serves 6
   

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I absolutely LOVE the Skinny Taste website!  There is always something healthy, easy, and delicious waiting for me to put together!  This was no brainer for me since I LOVE buffalo wings and blue cheese.  Don't like blue cheese?  Switch it to ranch.  Do what you like.  I thought this was perfect as is!

The first thing you do is put the chicken breasts into a crock pot with celery, onion, garlic and chicken broth.  It cooks for  4 hours, then you add then you shred it.  I was dreading this part because it can take forever to shred meat.  But then I read you could put the cooked meat in a kitchen aid mixer on low and let it do all the work for you!  Well, that was my plan...but this just falls apart as you are taking it out of the crock pot, so I just used forks. 

Then you put the shredded chicken, some broth and hot sauce in the crock pot and cook another 30 minutes.  

Prepare your toppings and dressing while you are waiting.  The Low Fat Creamy Blue Cheese dressing is super easy and delicious!  Just click the link for the recipe.  There is also a skinny ranch recipe on the website.  

Use bib lettuce!  We used this red leaf for leftovers and they tear easily, so you want  a sturdy leaf to wrap up this goodness!  I made this for bunco and the girls loved it.  We had leftovers and the family loved it too!!  It's a winner and it feeds a lot of people!  I especially love the carrot and celery garnish, very creative and adds a crunch.

Hope you try it.  It is a nice switch on a classic hot wing dipped in blue cheese.  I will make these again soon!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Do you watch "The Chew?"  I love that show!  It cracks me up.  Nothing like watching people having a good time sharing recipes and laughing...lots of laughing.  LOVE IT.  I dvr it daily and catch up when I can. Sometimes my husband watches with me.  That was the case when this came on the show.  It was actually a viewer recipe!  We were both ooo-ing and ahh-ing over it, so I made it that same week!

The recipe can be found here:  Chicken Parm Burger

Here is how I made them:

Mix the chicken and seasonings together, then dip into breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese mixture (I used regular instead of panko).  Put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. 

Cook about 5 minutes per side in a large skillet.

Cook in batches.  Place them on a sheet pan as you go.

Top with marinara (I use homemade), then freshly grated mozzarella cheese.

Place under the broiler until golden brown.

Put it on a bun and eat!

Inside shot of my chicken sandwich.  YUM!  I did double the recipe so we could have it for leftovers.  Cut it up and put it on pasta, eat it on an open face sandwich, or have another burger!

Smokey Applewood Beer Can Chicken on the Grill

Here's my bird.  He almost didn't make it!  At one point I looked out at the grill and it was smoking an awful lot.  I lifted up the lid and he was on fire!  I put the fire out early enough that our dinner was spared thankfully.

Super easy to make (just keep an eye out for flames!).  I used my new beer can chicken pan from Pampered Chef.  Although I didn't use beer since those of you who know us know we are beer snobs and most of the beer we drink comes in a bottle.  So I suppose I should have titled this Ginger Ale Can Chicken, but you get the idea.  The pan has a removable can holder so that you can use it for other things too, bonus!  

So you combine your canola oil and seasoning (I used Smokey Applewood), separate the skin from the meat with your fingers, and use a basting brush to brush all of that delicious flavor under the skin.  Then you season the chicken on the outside with more rub.  (This is where I think I made a mistake because I put more oil and seasoning and brushed it on the outside.  This may have caused the flames to flare.)  Put your can in the can holder, put your chicken on top, and place it on the grill.

You use indirect heating to cook the chicken.  Preheat the grill on high, then turn it down to medium on either side, but turn off the middle burner.  Watch that it stays around 400 degrees.  Keep the lid closed...I know that seems logical to most, but someone always asks. Turn it half way through so that it cooks evenly.  Keep a spray bottle handy for flare ups!

The bird was cooked perfectly and so juicy in about 1 hour and 15 minutes (5 lb bird).  I cut it up and served it with a fresh salad, roasted brussel spouts, rice and beans, and bakery sliced bread.

Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Roasted Brusssel Sprouts and Oven Fries

I love that you can make chicken breast 3 times in a week and it can taste totally different each time.  Tonight I went with an old favorite:  Chicken Cordon Bleu.  That is just fancy talk for chicken with ham and cheese rolled inside, you know.  It's supper easy too.

Pound out the chicken with a meat tenderizer, add seasoning (I used salt, pepper, and paprika), one large slice of ham, freshly grated cheese of your choice (I used smoked provolone), roll it up, dip it in egg whites, and roll in breadcrumbs.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

Oh, and I sprayed them with olive oil to make them brown a little in the oven.  Yummy.

I also roasted brussel sprouts and oven fries the last 15-20 minutes.  Just drizzle with olive oil and then add salt and pepper.  When they come out grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top!

Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Asian Noodle Bowl

The Asian noodle bowl went over very well with the family.  The boys only question was, why are my noodles so dark?  I usually use whole wheat noodles, which are lighter than Soba noodles.  I have always substituted whole wheat pasta for Soba in the past because I couldn't find them.  I finally found them at Meijer, in the Asian isle.  I wasn't looking for the right packaging!  Now I know and will definitely use these again.  They cook fast and really authenticate the dish!

As I stated in my post about the Tri-color pepper steak recipe.  When cooking Asian food, have all your prep work done in advance.  It makes the cooking process super quick and easy!

I'm putting this picture in here for those of you wondering what ginger root looks like.  Fresh ginger is so fragrant.  To peel the skin off (thin brown layer), you can use a spoon and just scrape it right off.  It is very easy to do.  Break off a piece of the ginger (however much you need for your recipe) and store the rest of the root in the fridge.  As you see in the pic, the inside is yellow.  I minced it for the recipe.

I have found with many of Ellie's recipes, it just doesn't have enough flavor.  I used Asian Seasoning (Pampered Chef) and Sazon (Goya) on the chicken before cooking it.  The meat was juicy and flavorful!

These are soba noodles.  Of course, you take off the fancy paper that holds them together before cooking!  :)  These are great because they only take about 3-5  minutes to cook!

I love my wok, and use it whenever I can.  If you don't have one, don't worry.  You can use a large skillet and accomplish the same thing.  Have all of your ingredients sliced and in prep bowls so that when it is time to add you can do it right away.  With everything prepped, the dish takes no time to cook.  

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family.   Have some fun and use chopsticks if you like!

ASIAN NOODLE BOWL
by Ellie Krieger from the  So Easy cookbook

8 oz soba noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
2 tsp canola oil
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), sliced (save 1/4 C for garnish)
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 15-oz can baby corn, drained
1/2 lb broccoli florets (about 3 cups)
1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the noodles or pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

Heat the canola oil in a wok or very large skillet over medium heat.  Add the scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. 

Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes.  Add the baby corn, broccoli, mushrooms, pepper slices, broth, and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender and the peppers are crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. 

Add the noodles and sesame oil and toss to combine.  Divide among bowls and garnish with the reserved 1/4 cup of scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Easy Parmesan Risotto and Parmesan Chicken

This is so much easier than it looks and sounds.  I love risotto, but I don't love to make it.  The constant adding liquid and whisking has kept it off my table for years.  When I got Ina Garten's latest cookbook, How Easy Is That?, I stumbled upon an EASY recipe for risotto.  You dump everything in the pot and let it do the work.  I made it with Parmesan chicken.

Parmesan Chicken (also by Ina Garten) is a favorite at my house.  It is also extremely easy.  So if you want a dinner that looks and tastes delicious, but doesn't take all night, this is your winner.  The chicken is super easy.  All you do is take however many chicken breasts you need for your family and pound them to 1/4 inch thick.  Be careful to do this evenly so that your chicken will cook evenly.  You are going to dip them into a flour/salt&pepper/grated Parmesan mixture, then into egg wash, then into Italian bread crumbs.  Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Once it is melted, place the coated chicken breasts into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Add more oil and butter and cook additional chicken breasts.  That's it! (recipe at the end of this post)

I cooked the Risotto in my Deep Covered Baker.  Use whatever casserole type dish that you have with a lid on it.  IT HAS TO HAVE A LID.

Give these a try and let me know what you think. 
Easy and delicious!!

Easy Parmesan "Risotto"
Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?" cookbook

Ingredients
* 1.5 cups Arborio rice
* 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade, divided
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt and pepper, and stir vigorously for two to three minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.

Parmesan Chicken 

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts

Bangers and Mustard Mash

These "smashed potatoes" as my Marcus calls them were awesome!  He will not eat potatoes unless they are smashed.  I took a gamble with making Mustard Mash, but it was a winner!  Thanks to Ina, again!  What was not a smash, was the chicken sausage I tried to sneak in there.  I get them all the time when the boys want brats.  I don't eat many brats or hot dogs, so I get chicken sausages.  In all fairness, these were a little spicy.  I got the Italian chicken sausages...should have gone with plain.

Instead of dismissing this recipe as a fail...I think you need to use your favorite sausages and it will be fine.  I had seasoned, like I said, that did not make any of the men in my house happy.  BUT I enjoyed it and I know for next time what NOT to make them.

Served it with steamed broccoli.

BANGERS AND MUSTARD MASH
by Ina Garten

serves 4-6

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick, diced)
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces creme fraiche (I didn't find this anywhere so left it out)
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (didn't do this either)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds fresh veal or chicken sausages (8 large sausages)

Boil potatoes in a large sauce pan with one tablespoon of salt.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Drain and return to pan.  Add butter, milk and creme fraiche and beat potatoes in the pan.  (Use an electric mixer if you like them creamy.)  Mix in the other ingredients.  Add more milk if you need to.

Meanwhile prepare grill and cook sausages about 5 minutes on each side, until brown and cooked through.  Transfer to plate and wrap with foil.  Allow to rest 5 minutes.

To serve, mound a generous portion of potatoes on the plate and top with grilled sausages cut in half diagonally.

Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill

Found this draft on my recipe list that I never published!  Is that possible?  How did I not post my beautiful grill that I won?  Shameful!  Well, better late than never!  Here it is:

Doesn't it just look amazing on my deck?  Yes, it does!  Thank you a million times to Recipe Girl for having an amazing contest, which is how I became the lucky winner of this $1300 grill!  I still can't believe I won.  It is absolutely AMAZING!  Notice the searing burner, large grilling area, and of course an additional small grilling area, AND rotisserie!  Oh wait, you have to see the side party wagon...

I really do need to take pictures of the inside!  That bottom right door is the refrigerator.  The one on the left is the trash can.  To the left of that is the bottle opener and the little holder to catch the tops.  :)  Oh did I mention the GRANITE counter?  There is also a cutting board there that can be removed and a glass hinged door that goes in its place, where you put ice and drinks into a deep stainless steel well. 

So I am all excited to cook on my new grill after a trip to Ace Hardware (who have the worst customer service...both phone and face to face) to get the tank.  I come home to a phone call from the hubby that he will be late because he went golfing and the kiddos want hot dogs and hamburgers.  What?  On THIS grill?  Uh, okay.  So here is the first meal cooked....but I did throw a couple steaks on there!  I had to!

Look how shiny that stainless steel is....ooooo baby!  (Yes, I know I'm getting all excited over a grill.  It is awesome!  It was FREE!  I won it!  You will have to live with my excitement for the rest of this post!)

Finally, on to the rotisserie chicken!

It was very easy to get the grill set up.  Take out the warming grate on the larger side and plug in the rotisserie motor.  Here is the rotisserie spit and forks.

Here is Mr Chicken all lubed up and ready to get on the forks!  YUM!  I used Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and olive oil.  I wasn't sure if I could fill the cavity like I do when I roast chicken with lemon and thyme, so I didn't add anything to it but salt and pepper.  Next time I'm going to fill it up!

It wasn't hard to figure out how to get him on the spit, but I didn't know how to keep the wings from sticking out so I tied him up with some kitchen twine and did the same for the legs.

Got him on the grill without an issue.  Placed a sheet pan under to catch the drippings.

I can't resist...isn't it awesome!

I was not sure about cooking time, so I checked it after 35 minutes...nope  not ready yet.  Will look in 30 more!

Looking good!

And ready to take off the grill!

My first try turned out pretty good!  45 minutes without preheating the grill.  So next time I preheat and add more flavor!!!!

Give it a try on your rotisserie!  :)  Or come over and share mine!

Chicken on the Grill

I love chicken on the grill, especially my new grill that I won by leaving a comment on one of my favorite blogs.  (I will never get tired of saying that!)  Anyway, I had a whole chicken in the refrigerator and simply cut it in half and grilled it.  

To do this you want to cut the backbone out and then cut right down the middle of the breast bone.  If you have a good pair of kitchen shears it takes just a minute.  (If you don't, I know where you can get a pair! *wink*)

Set the gas grill to medium and season your chicken on both sides very generously both outside and under the skin.  I used olive oil, rosemary seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.  Use what you like. 

 

Then when the grill is ready, put them on the grill.  I also cut up potato "fries" and put them on the grill as well (same seasoning).

   

Let them cook for 25-30 minutes total.  Check on them half way through.  Use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is fully cooked.  Let them set for 5-10 minutes to redistribute the juices.  Enjoy!  Grilling chicken is really very easy.  Enjoy!

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice) is a dish I truly miss from living in South Florida.  I cannot tell you the number of times I have asked my husband to call his mother so that I can make her personal recipe.  The problem with this is...I get a different recipe every time.  So, I decided to give the Goya recipe a try. 

Here is where you will find it:  Goya's Arroz con Pollo

The recipe called for 8 chicken pieces, but this is what I had on hand and used.

Here is the seasoning you use for it.  (I took a picture in case you have never attempted this and are clueless as to what you are looking for.)

Brown the chicken in batches in a large pot.

Set them aside and start the sauce.

Stir onions, peppers and garlic into pot; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add rice, bouillon and sazón to pot; cook, stirring constantly, until rice is completely coated in oil mixture, about 1 minute.

Stir in 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add alcaparrado and chicken to pot. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Take the meat off the bone and add it to the yellow rice.

Stir together and serve with your favorite side.

We like it with fried plantain chips (see recipe on this site).