Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix well. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly coat meat with the BBQ sauce. Place the meat on the grill. Set remaining BBQ sauce aside to use for basting.

Cook the chicken about 8 minutes per side, steaks starting at about 4 minutes per side and pork steaks about  until a meat thermometer reads the desired temperature Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Baste remaining  BBQ sauce on meat and serve.

Alternately, the chicken can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes

Pesto Grilled Chicken

Recipe courtesy of 71toes.blogspot.com

Mix:

1 c. pesto

1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar

Pour into a ziploc with chicken breasts.  Let marinate as long as you can in the fridge.

Grill and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

I'm always on the look out for fast weeknight meals.  This recipe is perfect for days that are crazy and I don't have much time in the kitchen.  The original recipe came from 365 Days of Slow Cooking, but I copied it from Six Sister's Stuff.  Both great food blogs.  Enjoy!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders*

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.

Recipe adapted from: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

*The original recipe said not to use chicken breasts, but I don't love chicken thighs, so I went ahead and used them and this dish turned out fine! So either kind of chicken will work great for this recipe.

Also, the red pepper flakes give this dish a little heat and a lot of flavor, so I highly recommend using them!

Mongolian Chicken

A really simple and delicious Mongolian Chicken recipe.

2 boneless, chicken breasts

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2-3 tsp. ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. water

Cut the chicken into thin slices (easiest to do when it's still slightly frozen).  Place in frying pan over low heat. 

While chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan combine oil ginger and garlic and cooke for 30-60 seconds.  Add soy sauce, water, and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.  Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry and then add to sauce.  Add sauce mixture to cooked chicken and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is thick.  Serve and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

A recent favorite and crowd pleasure.

Recipe courtesy of browneyedbaker.com

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time: 1 hour

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.

4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.

6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

image courtesy growneyedbaker.com

SPICY CHICKEN RIGATONI

This is a copycat recipe from the menu at Bucca Di Beppo.  It is delicious and spicy, but can easily be toned down by adjusting the red pepper flakes.

1/4 cup oil
1/2 T. crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 T. chopped garlic
6 ox. chicken, sliced
3/4 cup Marinara sauce
1/3 cup Alfredo sauce
2 tsp. butter
1/4 cup peas
1 lb. Rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package directions

1.  In saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper and garlic and sauté just long enough for the garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor into oil.  Add sliced chicken and sauté to coat in spices and garlic.

**I would decrease the amount of red pepper for the first time cooking this recipe, and then add more in the end if you want it spicier after tasting the sauce.  It's easier to add more later than have it too spicy to begin with.**

2.  Add Marinara sauce and then Alfredo sauce and bring to simmer.  Cook until sauce thickens and chicken is fully cooked.  Turn off flame and add butter and peas.

3.  Mix cooked pasta and sauce and serve.  I served it with fresh grated parmesan and more crushed pepper flakes.

Crispy Honey Chicken

This is a copycat recipe for PF Changs Crispy Honey Chicken.  My kids loved to eat this at the restaurant and they especially love the Honey Chicken so I went looking for the recipe.  This is a great recipe and very close to the original.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield:

  4   4.0

4

bowls

Units: US | Metric

• 1 lb chicken breast , boneless skinless cut into medium sized chunks
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• 2 green onions , finely minced

Batter

• 4 ounces all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 ounces cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 6 ounces water
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Chicken Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Sauce

• 1/2 cup sake or 1/2 cup rice wine ( I substituted chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 ounces rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. 1
   To make batter: mix ingredients till just combined. Let rest in refrigerator for a couple of hours. Coat chicken well with seasonings and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients, mix thoroughly and reserve for serving.
2. 2
   Pour vegetable oil into fryer or heavy bottomed sauce pot. Heat slowly to 340-350 degrees. Put 1/4 of the marinated chicken in a clean bowl and pour enough better over to coat. Remove a few pieces at a time from the batter, using slotted spoon or large fork. Shake off excess batter. Carefully lower chicken into the hot oil. Suspend the chicken until the batter "sets," 20-30 seconds. Chicken is done when golden to light brown and crisp. Remove to platter with paper towels to drain. Repeat for all the chicken. Remember to check the oil temperature, it must remain hot.
3. 3
   To finish the sauce, heat it in sauce pan, bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add cornstarch slurry, a little at a time.The sauce will thicken, let it come to a thickness of "loose honey." Let cook for a minute or two.
4. 4
   Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in a wok and add some minced garlic, red bell pepper and scallions and stir-fry briefly. Add 1/3 to 1/2 of the chicken (depending on pan size) and stir-fry briefly. Add enough sauce to just coat chicken. Stir-fry again briefly. Serve over noodles or rice.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

A great grilled chicken recipe

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs ( I used breasts, because that's what I had on hand)

2 cups soy sauce 

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 (13.5 oz) can of coconut milk

Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil and coconut milk.  Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at low heat so marinade doesn't burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done.

Serve with coconut rice and garnish with green onions.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Casserole

This is a quick weekday meal that I found at Tablespoon.com, but it is actually a Better Crocker Recipe.  I used a whole wheat veggie pasta that I got from Trader Joe's and I substitute roasted bell peppers with sun dried tomatoes because it is what I had on hand, and it was delicious.  Everyone ate it up and it took very minimal prep on my part.

2

cups uncooked radiatore (nugget) pasta (6 ounces)

1/2

cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers (from 7-ounce jar)

1/3

cup basil pesto

1/4

cup fat-free (skim) milk

1

container (10 ounces) refrigerated reduced-fat Alfredo sauce

2

packages (6 ounces each) refrigerated grilled chicken breast strips, chopped

1/4

cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

1. Heat oven to 350°. Spray square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with cooking spray.
2. Cook pasta 9 minutes as directed on package. Return to saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Spoon into baking dish.
3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 4 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

Juicy Roasted Chicken

(picture courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

I've been roasting whole Chickens for a long time now using lots of different recipes. Some covered in bacon or herb butter, or stuffed with lots of veggies, but for some reason this recipe always returns to my kitchen table.  It's simple and really does have a lot of flavor.  The only changes I make from this recipe is I use butter, rather than margarine.  I love to make this for sunday dinner and then use the leftover chicken for burritos, sandwiches, or a casserole the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste
• 1/2 cup margarine, divided
• 1 stalk celery, leaves removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
3. Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Greek Tacos

Another easy one that sounds a little weird, but it's really good.

Pitas
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red Onion
Feta Cheese
Caesar Dressing (I like the more vinagarette-looking dressing for this)
BBQ Sauce (I like Famous Dave's Original sauce, but any sauce would be fine)
Chicken

Here's what you want--cooked chicken with BBQ sauce. So, cook the chicken however you want, just be sure that it's covered in sauce when you're ready to eat.

Dice up the vegetables. Crumble the feta cheese. Slice the pitas in half.

Then just assemble it like a taco. Put your BBQ chicken in the bottom, top with desired vegetables, cheese, and give it a little pour of dressing over top.

That's it! Sounds odd, but it's fabulous!

Cashew Chicken

I found this great new food blog called the Brown Eyed Baker.  There are some amazing recipes and this is definetly one of them.  A very quick and easy recipe with lots of flavor.  I added lots of extra veggies because I like it that way and everyone enjoyed it.

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or cooking wine, or omit)
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
3½ teaspoons cornstarch, divided
Coarse salt
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup unsalted cashews
2 green onions, white and green parts divided and thinly sliced

**I also added chopped zucchini, broccoli and carrots.  You could really add any veggie your family likes.

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the sherry, ginger, and 1½ teaspoons cornstarch; season with coarse salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining chicken (reduce the heat if the chicken is over-browning). Transfer to the covered plate.

4. In the same skillet, add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the cashews, garlic, and green onion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk the sauce again to combine and add to the skillet along with the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Serve over rice or noodles and top with the green onion greens.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

This recipe is from the Recipe Shoebox and I've found lots of good recipes there.  We really liked these enchiladas and I believe there were originally found in the Food Network magazine.  They have such a great flavor and a great little kick.

We went a little over kill of the feta (that was husbands job), but it was still delicious!

1 small red onion, halved
1-1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1-2 serrano chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of sugar
Corn tortillas
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for greasing
3/4 cup feta cheese or queso fresco (I used feta cheese)


Directions:  Preheat the broiler.  Slice half of the onion into thin rings and set aside.  Place the other onion half, tomatillos, and serranos on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7 - 10 minutes, turning as needed.  Transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a blender, add broth and puree.  Season with salt and sugar. 

Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered.  Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese  and chopped cilantro in a bowl.  Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla and roll up.  Place the enchiladas side by side in a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking dish and brush with the 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.

Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  Return to oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3-5 minutes.  Garnish with onion rings, feta cheese, and any remaining cilantro. (NOTE:  We skipped the raw onion rings, since I knew my kids wouldn't touch them.  I don't recommend skipping the feta cheese.  I loved the flavor it added.)  Makes 6-8 servings.   Enjoy!