Oven Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is another summer picnic food.  Since summer is almost over here is a version that you can make in the oven.  I like the white meat and so do the kids so we make this like chicken fingers.  The breading was good and flavorful.  The chicken was moist.  Next time I make it I will try to cut back on the butter.  We didn't even need close to that amount. 

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breast halves, cut into strips or large pieces
• 2 c. buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. Morton's Season All Seasoning Salt (or your favorite seasoning salt)
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 c. Flour
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

Instructions

• Place chicken strips in a large Ziploc bag and cover with buttermilk. Seal bag tightly (squeezing out all the air) and allow chicken to soak for at LEAST an hour (several hours is best).
• In a shallow bowl or pie pan, combine seasoning salt, pepper, flour, and paprika. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray then cut up the butter into pieces and place around the bottom of the pan (doing it this way keeps the chicken from sticking as bad).
• Place the pan in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until the butter is melted and HOT.
• Remove from oven and spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan.
• Shake excess buttermilk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix.
• Carefully place each piece of chicken in the pan.
• Cook for 15 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 15-20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

 

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2012/08/oven-fried-chicken.html

Corn Salad

During the summer we love making this corn salad recipe.  It is a great side to take to a bbq, potlock, whatever.  It is simple and yummy... a great combination.  I can't believe summer is almost over!

For this receip, I like to use fresh corn off the cob but have used frozen corn many time and it is still delicious. I don't have exact measurments.  You just put in the amount that you would like and what looks pretty :)


Corn Salad Recipe

Corn-- approx taken from 6 ears of corn
chopped  purple onion
chopped fresh basil
equal parts oil and balsalmic vinegar
tiny bit of lime juice
tiny bit of hot sauce
feta cheese

mix all together.  Let sit for awhile so flavors soak in.  Serve cold

Yum Yum Sauce

We like to eat hibachi.  It is the only time I will eat shrimp or scallops.  Something about that hot grill, garlic, sake, and lots of butter.  Although I usually get steak and chicken. 

Every now and then we make fried rice and some chicken.  I found this simple recipe for the white sauce, aka Yum Yum sauce that they use at the hibachi places.  It tastes good (not good for you though!).  Make sure you let it sit in the fridge over night. If you make it and use it right away it will just taste like mayo.  You need to let the other ingredients get soaked in.  :)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and keep in fridge over night.

Peanut butter chocolate chip brownies

I love almost anything peanut butter and chocolate.  I had these brownies pinned forever.  We were going to dinner at a friends house so I finally made them.  They were delicious.

The recipe is from bakerella's site.  She makes cake pops.  They are amazing.  She makes any character.  They are so cute.  I tried to make Mickey ones for Amelia's birthday party.  They didn't look anything like bakerellas.  My brownies didn't look like hers either but they still tasted good!


Recipe:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 X 8 pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugars and mix until combined.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread in the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Frosting
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Milk

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar and mix until combined.
• Add the chocolate and peanut butter mixture and mix until completely blended.
• You can add a teaspoon at a time of milk if you would like the frosting creamier.
• When the brownies are cool, spread the frosting on top.

http://www.bakerella.com/peanut-butter-brownies/

Cheesy quinoa mac n cheese bake

Ingredients

Here is a little bit healthier version of mac n cheese. My kids love mac n cheese. They would eat it every day if I let them. While they didn't love this they did eat it. So that is a plus. My husband enjoyed it a lot. I think it needs to be a little creamier/cheesier. I would make it again but add less quinoa or make more of the cheese mixture.  You could easily play around with this recipe and add whatever you would like.  I might add some hot pepper seasoning or a little hot sauce next time. 

     Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping

1. Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes)
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish( or 8 individual ramekins) with cooking spray.Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese.
3. Cook for 30-35 minutes

http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html 

Strawberry Lemonade

My husband loves strawberry lemonade (esp from the cheesecake factory).  For Father's Day I wanted to make some to go along with his dinner.  He enjoyed it and later froze it for a slushy.

(recipe from Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
• Ice
• Mint sprigs, garnish
• Whole strawberries, garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Pasta Carbonara

I haven't posted in a long time.  I haven't been making anything exciting.  I need to start trying more recipes again.

We had family staying with us for a week and I needed something that would please everyone.  So I decided pasta (my kids love noodles).  I went on Giada's (from the food network) site.  My husband loves her, most likely b/c her show is full of her cleavage.  But her recipes have always been good.

I didn't have pancetta so we used thick bacon.  I also added some peas b/c that is how I always have seen it at restaurants here.  Everyone enjoyed the meal.  I served it with salad and the Pioneer Woman's cheesy garlic bread. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pound dried penne
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.