Sweet Soy Glazed Chicken and Onions

I've put this item on my menu for several weeks now and honestly, my menu planning has gone to pot lately.  We've done a lot of eating out lately, but darn it, the buck stops here.  Literally.  I'm the one usually who wants to go out to eat, mainly because I don't want to cook or because I'd rather relax in a restaurant with my family than stress in my kitchen about whether or not my kid is going to eat what I so lovingly prepare for him.  So, anyway, I'm getting back on the wagon.  I make dinner.  And I'm coming to grips with how a toddler behaves at mealtime...slowly...and as long as what he winds up eating is healthy (and yes, I consider a bowl of Life cereal with milk healthy enough for me), I'm okay with it.  At least I'm trying to be!

Anyway, I have to say, this recipe smelled so good when I made it that all thoughts of picture-taking went out the window when it came out of the oven.  Not only did it smell awesome, I was thrilled with how easily it came together.  I served the chicken and onions on top of some egg noodles, with some steamed broccoli, and it was a delicious dinner.  Even the Picky Toddler (my son's new nickname, fully unoriginal but also fully accurate) tried some of it, which I really was impressed with.  I will definitely be making this one again.

Sweet Soy Glazed Chicken and Onions
from Crepes of Wrath

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2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 an onion, sliced thinly

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line and/or grease a 13x9 baking pan and add the cut-up chicken and sliced onions. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and water until completely smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined, bring to a simmer and allow to cook until thickened, about 8 minutes. Make sure you keep stirring everything so it doesn't burn while it cooks.

3. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to make sure everything is well coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes until everything is cooked through. Serve or rice or noodles or with steamed vegetables.

BBQ Chicken Bacon Wraps

Bacon really does make just about anything better, doesn't it?  It sure does, in my book.  Apparently, not so much to Toddler, though.  He was not a fan of this dish.  In the interests of full disclosure, though, he's not particularly interested in any food that's not yogurt, applesauce, fruit, pancakes, waffles, or cheese at the moment.  I try not to take it personally.

Sometimes my creativity in the kitchen pays off.  Not so much when I was a kid and attempting to create things that logically seemed like a good idea (hello, chocolate water, anyone?), but this time, creativity paid off in a big way.  I had some chicken breasts lying around, a bottle of barbecue sauce and some bacon, and I needed to come up with an idea for dinner, as it was already 5 o'clock.  I thought quickly, and tossed this dish together.

This a great dish to make on a night where time isn't on your side, or as an appetizer for your next party.  Stick some toothpicks in your chicken bacon wraps, and voila, an easy appetizer!  I served these for dinner, alongside some garlic roasted potato wedges and broccoli.  The dish took no more than 5 minutes to prepare and toss in the oven, another 25 to cook, and then dinner was ready.  It was awesome!  I will definitely be making these again.

BBQ Chicken Bacon Wraps
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1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (or make your own!)
20-30 strips of bacon

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Find a 13x9 baking pan and set out on counter.
2. Cut chicken into strips.  Not too thin, you don't want the chicken to dry out.  But not too thick either, because you want to make sure the bacon and chicken cook at the same speed.  Aim for whatever length you like, but no more than 1/2" thick.
3. Wrap one slice of bacon around each chicken strip, and lay in your baking pan.  Do this to each chicken strip, and don't worry if they're all touching, it's okay.
4. Brush each wrap well with BBQ sauce.  Put pan in the oven, and bake for 13-15 minutes.
5. Take pan out of oven and flip each wrap over.  Brush each wrap again with BBQ sauce, then return to the oven for another 13-15 minutes.
6. Remove pan from the oven and immediately move wraps to a serving plate or platter.  You can brush again with BBQ sauce, or serve sauce on the side with your wraps.  Enjoy!

Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

I like balsamic vinegar. I didn't always know this about myself, but since I've been cooking more in the last two years, I've learned that I really do like the tangy flavor that balsamic vinegar tastes (though I can't stand the way it smells). It was just the right ingredient to make some boring old chicken breasts taste a heck of a lot more exciting.

Picture it: I was in my kitchen, staring at a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trying to figure out what to do with them. I drew a blank.  I went to Food Network's website, and searched through over 20 packages of chicken recipes before I came across something that sounded good that I had all the ingredients for...until I found this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis. All the while, Toddler was tugging on my leg, begging for dinner, so I was super relieved when I found this recipe. I am happy to report that even Toddler ate a good portion of this chicken, even though he's barely touched meat of any kind lately. Thank you, Giada!!

Pardon the total lack of artistic merit in this photo - it was one of those moments where the kid's screaming for dinner and you're rushing to get everything on the table, so I'm lucky to have gotten a picture at all!

Giada's Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

adapted from FoodNetwork.com

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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and ground pepper

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1. Combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire, Dijon, salt, and ground pepper in a small saucepan and stir until all ingredients are well blended and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until reduced by about 1/3.

2. Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brush lightly with BBQ sauce with a pastry brush. Place the meat on the grill. Place remaining BBQ sauce, still in the saucepan, over low heat to warm.

3. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce during cooking. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

4. Alternately, you can cook the chicken in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375, and place the chicken in a baking dish, spoon some barbecue sauce over them and cook for 25 minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven and spoon some more barbecue sauce on them and put them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the chicken is 180 degrees.

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

I don't have a picture to show for this recipe, but what I do have is some full tummies. Husband and I very much liked this stir fry. Even Baby liked it, though he didn't love it quite as much as some of the other things I've prepared stir-fry-wise. This was super easy to put together, and definitely very flavorful as well. Makes a great weeknight meal. I served it over some fresh egg noodles, but rice would work just as nicely.

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

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1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil divided

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 16-oz package frozen broccoli or stir-fry vegetable blend

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil. Add the honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same pan, stir fry the vegetables in the remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Return chicken to the pan, mix well. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into the chicken mixture. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 1 minute until thickened. Serve over rice or lo mein noodles.

Beer and Brown Sugar Marinade

I like red meat. It just screams "dinner" to me. Chicken's okay, don't get me wrong, and I like fish, but for some reason they don't say "dinner" in quite the same way. I can't quite explain it, but there's something about having a hunk of steak for dinner that just feels good. As you all probably also know, I'm a big fan of teriyaki. Love it. My steak teriyaki is one of my favorite meals, both to eat and to prepare. When I spotted this recipe on Allrecipes.com, I couldn't skip over it, I had to print it out to try it. The only change I made was doubling the marinade ingredients, and it was definitely a super yummy meal, and quite easy to put together. So thank you, Craig Jones, wherever you are, for this one, it's awesome.

Beer and Brown Sugar Steak Marinade

adapted from Allrecipes.com, courtesy of Craig Jones

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2 16 oz beef sirloin steaks (I used thinly sliced NY Strip steaks, and they were awesome)

1/2 cup dark beer

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I used some of my own teriyaki sauce)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp seasoned salt (think Lawry's)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat grill, or grill pan on stove, for high heat.

2. Use a fork to poke holes all over the surface of the steaks, and place steaks in a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix together beer, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar. Pour sauce over steaks, and let sit about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with half of the seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder; set aside for 10 minutes. Turn steaks over, sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder, and continue to marinate for 10 more minutes.

3. Remove steaks from marinade. Pour marinade into small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for several minutes.

4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks for 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. During the last few minutes of grilling, baste steaks with boiled marinade to enhance the flavor and ensure juiciness.

Orange Honey Glazed Chicken

This was definitely a tasty recipe, though quite similar to the Crispy Skinned Orange Chicken I made not that long ago. This had its differences, from the lengthier prep time and cooking time, for instance. I also used boneless chicken breasts rather than bone-in, skin-on split breasts, but I think it worked out just as well this way. Husband definitely preferred the Crispy Skinned Orange Chicken recipe, but I thought this was quite good. It would make a good recipe for company, since all you do is take the chicken out to rest and finish off the glaze in order to put it on the table.

Even Baby finished every bite of this that we put in front of him, and he sure has gotten picky these days. I'd definitely say this met with his seal of approval.

Orange Honey Glazed Chicken

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

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1 1/2 cups orange juice plus an additional 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces each), ribs removed, trimmed of excess fat and skin (see note above)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk 1 1/2 cups orange juice, corn syrup, honey, mustard, vinegar, pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in medium bowl. Place flour in pie plate, then season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Working with one chicken breast at a time, coat chicken with flour, patting off excess.

2. Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. (NOTE: Don't have an ovenproof skillet? Brown the chicken breasts and reduce the glaze as instructed, then transfer the chicken and glaze to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and bake and don't wash the skillet. When the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a plate to rest and scrape the glaze back into the skillet to be reduced.) Add chicken breasts skin-side down; cook until well browned and most of fat has rendered from skin, 8 to 14 minutes. (If after 3 minutes you don't hear definite sizzling, increase heat to medium-high. If after 6 minutes chicken is darker than lightly browned, reduce heat slightly.) Turn chicken and lightly brown other side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate.

3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pan. Add shallot and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase heat to high and add cider mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup (heatproof spatula should leave slight trail when dragged through glaze), 6 to 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and tilt to one side so glaze pools in corner of pan. Using tongs, roll each chicken breast in pooled glaze to coat evenly and place skin-side down in skillet.

4. Transfer skillet to oven and bake chicken until thickest part of breasts registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes, turning chicken skin-side up halfway through cooking. If the glaze looks dry during baking, add up to 2 tablespoons of juice to the pan. Transfer chicken to platter and let rest 5 minutes. Return skillet to high heat (be careful, use an oven mitt - handle will be very hot) and cook glaze, stirring constantly, until thick and syrupy (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon glaze over each breast and serve, passing remaining glaze at table.

Pan Fried Chicken Mom's Way

Growing up, Mom's Pan Fried Chicken was one of my favorite meals. Maybe it was the delicious smell of chicken frying. Or the cream gravy that we'd douse our biscuits with. Whatever it is, this was one of my favorite meals growing up. I've not made it a lot as an adult, but often, when my mom comes to visit, she brings her heavy-bottomed fry pan and makes this chicken for us, which is always such a treat, because she really is the Gravy Queen. This is really a meal that doesn't take rocket science - it's relatively easy to prepare, though messy, and always super tasty.

This was probably the first time I truly felt like I prepared the chicken as well as my mom always did. And my cream biscuits were pretty darn awesome, too!

Mom’s Fried Chicken

A whole fryer chicken = 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts, 2 wings; cut the back off; save chicken fat (instructions for butcher)

1. Melt ½ stick margarine in frying pan over medium high heat. Turn heat down between medium and medium high.
   
2. Get piece of wax paper and mix flour (~1 cup) with 3 tsp Accent and 2 tsp salt. Pat chicken dry, and bread chicken
   
3. Put chicken fat (if any) in frying pan.
   
4. Legs and thighs take longer to cook – cook first. Boneless pieces should be cooked absolutely last – they will cook faster than bone-in chicken. Boned pieces should be ½ done when you put boneless chicken in. Thicker pieces of meat should be placed closer to the center of the pan, where it’s hotter.
   
5. Don’t walk away – you don’t want them to burn.
6. Turn after 10-15 minutes – chicken should be browned.
7. May need to turn pan around to distribute heat better.
8. Throw away chicken fat when it browns – it’s just for flavor.
9. When chicken is done, take out of fry pan. Put on platter and place in warm oven to keep warm.

Gravy:

1. Estimate amount of fat in pan, or pour off to measure.
   
2. Aim for approximately 3 tbsp fat + 3 tbsp flour + some Accent. You will add one can of Campbell's chicken broth to this, but not yet.
   
3. Stir over heat, smash lumps until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in one can of broth. Add 3/4 cup of milk and stir while adding.
   
6. Heat to boiling, stirring, constantly.
7. Boil and stir 1 minute. Taste - this is important! Does it taste good? Also, is it too thick? If it is, add some milk until the gravy is the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

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Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Beef. It's what's for dinner. I was a big fan of those commercials, and not just because I liked the Aaron Copeland music it used. I am a big fan of beef for dinner. I try not to have it too frequently, because I know red meat is best in moderation, but it's absolutely one of the best things for dinner in my book. When I found this recipe, I had a hunch that it was right up my alley. I've recently learned that I'm a huge fan of red wine pan sauces (hello brown sugar pork with red wine sauce!), so I knew I had to try this.

This was a good recipe - I'm not a master yet at pan-searing steaks, but all in all, it turned out well. Baby was less than interested, but that's not abnormal. I made crispy roasted potatoes to go with, which he enjoyed dipping in his red wine sauce. I would probably make this again, but I would double the ingredients for the pan sauce, except for the shallot. I like to have lots of sauce with my meat, but that's just me. Enjoy!



Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
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2 boneless 8-oz ribeye steaks or top loin steaks, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick, thoroughly dried with paper towels

Table salt and ground black pepper

1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 cup dry red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 1/3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat heavy-bottomed 10-inch skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper.

2. Lay steaks in pan, leaving 1/4-inch of space between each; reduce heat to medium-high and cook without moving until well-browned, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip steaks; cook 4 minutes more for rare, 5 more for medium rare, and 6 more for medium. Transfer steaks to large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Off heat, add shallot and sugar to empty skillet; using pan's residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned and sugar is melted, about 45 seconds. Return skillet to high heat, add wine, broth and bay leaf; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3 tbsp, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and mustard; cook at medium heat to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened and glossy. Add thyme and seasont o taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf, spoon sauce over steaks and serve immediately.

French Onion Soup

I love French Onion Soup. It's one of my favorite things to eat. I especially love dipping bread in it. Super yum! I first started making this soup last winter, and I've been so anxious for the weather to finally cool off so I could make this soup and share it with you all. Trust me, this is a soup you need to make. It's awesome. Not only that, but it's easy - well, outside of the face that cutting the onions will totally make you cry. This is a perfect recipe for fall and winter, and oh so tasty.

French Onion Soup
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

2 tbsp unsalted butter
5 medium red onions (about 3 pounds), halved and sliced thin
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
Salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
Pepper
Baguette, sliced 1/2" thick
8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme, and 1/2 tsp salt. cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are dark and sticky, about 30 minutes.
2. Stir in the vinegar and scrape the browned crust from the pot. Stir in the chicken broth, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and discard the bay leaves.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange oven-sade soup bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and ladle the soup into them. Top each bowl with 2 baguette slices and sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake

Chicken with Mustard Pan Sauce

I made this recipe a few years ago, when I first picked up How to Boil Water, which is a pretty great beginner's cookbook. I wasn't a very good cook at the time, my idea of cooking was heating up from frozen chicken for dinner. I wanted to learn to cook, badly, but I spent very little time trying, so I wasn't good at all. I recall this being a particularly bad dinner that we had. It was bland, it was boring, not tasty at all.

I thought it'd be fun to try to make this dish again, which sounded promising when I first read it, and see if my skills have really improved. I'm pretty sure they had, but I figured this would be a good test, especially since the recipe didn't seem like rocket science. Plus, I'm a big fan of pan sauces these days.

Sorry about the complete lack of pictures, I could have sworn I took some, but apparently I must have forgotten. This whole time change thing is really messing with me! Anyway, this was an easy dish to prepare. I didn't love the flavor, which was my fault (not the recipe) because I didn't have any whole grain mustard just dijon mustard, but Husband thought it was quite tasty, so maybe it's just me.

Chicken with Mustard Pan Sauce
adapted from How to Boil Water

4 boneless chicken breasts, preferably with skin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup white wine or dry white vermouth
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the hot pan and swirl around to evenly coat. Lay the chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down, and cook without moving them until the skin crisps and browns, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking dish, skin side up, and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the wine into the hot skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Boil until almost all the wine evaporates and it gets a little syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
4. Mix the flour and water together to make a thin paste called a slurry. Then whisk the slurry and mustard into the broth and boil until the sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Swirl in butter, to give the sauce a little richness; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add any collected juices from the chicken to the sauce. Put chicken on a plate, pour sauce on top and serve.

NOTE: You can also use 2-4 tbsp heavy cream instead of butter for a cream sauce; skip the slurry, then and just boil until thick. Pork chops can also be cooked this way instead of chicken.

Click here for printable recipe

Crispy Skinned Orange Chicken

Husband and I are big on Food Network these days, especially the food-related reality shows. We are currently into "The Next Iron Chef" but I much preferred "The Next Food Network Star." Their cooking skills weren't quite as intimidating, and they worked with ingredients that I have heard of. Anyway, Melissa D'Arabian was this seasons's "The Next Food Network Star" winner, and she cooked something toward the end of the season that sounded really easy and yummy - a crispy-skinned orange chicken. She said her children really liked it, so I thought it was worth a try for us.

This was definitely a tasty dish. It was also a big mess - but thankfully, I'm not the one who does dishes in the family. I think that's why I make such big kitchen messes. Anyway, I had a tough time getting all of my chicken done, because my pieces were all different sizes, really.

Baby seems to be on a meat strike, so I don't think he managed to eat a bite. But Husband and I both enjoyed this a lot. He gave it an 8 out of 10. I think I'd agree. I served this with some sweet potato fries and corn, and it sure was a pretty meal. The chicken was super moist, I just wish that the flavor had seeped more into the chicken itself, not just the skin. I will definitely make this again, though. It's officially in the rotation now.

Crispy-Skinned Orange Chicken
from Melissa D'Arabian (Food Network)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 skin-on bone-in chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tablespoons honey

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken breast halves. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken, skin side only, until brown and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice concentrate, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste, over medium heat, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. Turn the chicken over and brush each piece with the glaze. Turn the chicken skin side up and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, brushing on more glaze halfway through, about 15 minutes in total. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove the chicken breast from the bone and slice the meat on the bias. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

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Mandarin Chicken

I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy this dish wound up being. I'm not sure what I expected, but what this recipe delivered was basically a very similar taste to the Mandarin Chicken at Panda Express. Except way tastier. Way more fresh tasting, and way more fulfilling because I made it myself. Unfortunately, Baby was not too into this meal. Husband and I loved it and snarfed down every last morsel, but Baby was not interested. I'm not sure why that was, but I'm going to chalk it up to him still recovering a little from the swine flu, so hopefully we'll be able to try this dish again and have him really like it next time around.

One thing I did differently is that I didn't actually use a grill for grilling the chicken - I used my Calphalon grill pan that someone bought me when I got married (can't remember who anymore!), that I'd honestly never used in the three and a half years since I got married. It was totally worth it for this. It made beautiful grill marks and worked like a charm. I will definitely be using it again, now that I mostly know how!

So add this one to your menu next week, you'll thank me for it. It's way easy, and way tasty!

Mandarin Chicken

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

Mandarin Sauce-
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
¼ cup water
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Pound chicken breasts with a mallet to an even thickness and season both sides with sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Grill chicken 4-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink inside.

2. Remove from grill and cut into bit sized strips. Set aside.
3. In a bowl combine sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and ginger. Pour into a wok or sauce pan. Heat the mixture until almost at a boil. Combine cornstarch and water. Once the sauce starts to boil add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.

4. Add grilled chicken to the wok and coat with the sauce. Simmer until heated thoroughly. I served it over cooked rice.

Click here for printable recipe

Oven Fried Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

I was pleasantly surprised at how crispy these little chicken fingers turned out to be. And totally shocked that even my swine flu addled munchkin ate every bite that was put in front of him. That was perhaps more because of the honey mustard, or "special sauce" as we call it. Either way, I was super excited to see him eat all of his chicken for once. Especially given the circumstances.

This was really easy to prepare. Quick, not too messy, and it tasted darn good. Next time, I will do two things differently - I will spray the wire rack with Pam and I will also sprinkle some Lawry's Seasoned Salt on the fingers instead of salt, to see if that adds a little bit more flavor. That was the only thing that was mildly lacking in this recipe. Otherwise, I would totally recommend this one hands down. Way better than any other oven fried chicken recipe I've seen!

Oven Fried Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

For the chicken:

1-2 pounds chicken cutlets, pounded thin and cut into strips

2 egg, lightly beaten

2 cup panko

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp salt

For the honey mustard:

2/3 cup mayo

4 tbsp mustard

4 tbsp honey

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Dig out a large baking sheet and a wire rack, just like what you would use to cool cookies or cupcakes on. Spray your wire rack with Pam or other nonstick spray to make cleanup easier. If you don't have a wire rack, just place the chicken directly on a baking sheet, but you will need to turn them halfway through baking.

2. Place the beaten egg on one plate (pie plates work great!) for breading, and the panko on another plate. For each chicken strip, dip it first in the egg and then in the panko, and place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic powder and salt across the chicken fingers.

3. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes, and then increase heat to 450 and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until browned nicely. Serve hot, with honey mustard on the side.

4. To make the honey mustard, whisk together the mayo, mustard, and honey and serve immediately, or chill until ready to use.

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Chicken Lo Mein

I love Chinese food. I really do. I especially love lo mein noodles, and since Baby is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba's red character, Muno, who loves noodles, I figured now was a good time to introduce lo mein to him. I did make some omissions in the recipe, based on my family's preferences, but I left the recipe in tact, in case you happen to enjoy snow peas, mushrooms and bell peppers.

I wasn't thrilled with this dish, and neither was my family, admittedly. The chicken was cooked well, but bland and kind of boring. The noodles were OK, I suppose. Perhaps all those things I omitted would have made the dish more flavorful - if you try this recipe and find that's true, let me know! I think for now, I'll stick with my garlic noodles and teriyaki chicken.

Chicken Lo Mein

from Annie's Eats

6 oz lo mein noodles

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup chicken broth

Pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 tbsp canola oil

1 medium chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1 cup snow peas

4 oz sliced mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp sesame oil

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the lo mein noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through. Add in the vegetables, each a few minutes apart, starting with the onion and bell pepper and ending with the mushrooms. Cook until just tender-crisp. Add in the garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the sauce to the pan, then the cooked lo mein noodles. Toss the mixture well to coat everything. Drizzle with the sesame oil and toss once more. Serve immediately.

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Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff wasn't a recipe I was familiar with until I grew up. I always knew it as noodles and mushrooms as a kid. It was actually one of my favorite things to eat back then. And, interestingly enough, I didn't even have the mushroom version. My parents did, but my mom would make a separate pan for me without the mushrooms - I've never been a fan, even as a kid. It's the texture that creeps me out. I don't hate the flavor they give, but I definitely don't want one in my mouth. Husband's the same way, so I skip the mushrooms when I make beef stroganoff. If one mushroom were to happen to wind up on his plate, I think he'd never forgive me, so my beef stroganoff isn't quite as tasty as my mom's was. Oh well.

Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds top round steak or London broil (should serve 4-6 people)

3 medium-sized yellow onions and a tbsp of olive oil

1 carton button mushrooms (I always skip these!)

1 container sour cream (not the smallest - but the one just larger)

2 Knorr beef stock cubes and half a cup of water

Egg noodles to serve with

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Slice onions and fry on medium heat in a large pot with a tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt for about five minutes. Set aside.

3. Slice beef into thin strips about 2 inches long.

4. In small portions, put beef in hot pot; sear and set aside. Repeat until all beef has beef has been seared (2-3 minutes, tops!).

5. Slice mushrooms in half.

6. Turn heat off your burner. Combine all onions, mushrooms and beef in pot.

7. Heat up about half a cup of water in the microwave and dissolve the two Knorr stock cubes in the water. Add to pot. Add four heaping spoonfuls of sour cream and mix it all up.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Don't be tempted to add any more water; it may look dry, but a lot of water is going to come out of the onions, mushrooms and steak.

9. Cover with lid, put in oven, and cook for about an hour in a half. When it's done, stir in two more heaping spoonfuls of sour cream and you're done!

Serve atop hot egg noodles and enjoy!

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Crisp Mustard Glazed Chicken Breasts

This was one messy meal to prepare. It was definitely tasty, and Husband especially enjoyed it, although Baby despised it and actually pried it out of his mouth after he tried it. I liked it, but I didn't love it, so I don't know that this will be making it into our regular meal rotation. The addition of the breadcrumbs was awfully tasty, even though I was out of thyme and used sage instead. This dish reminded me a lot of a recipe I tried quite some time ago that called for making a mustard pan sauce. I wasn't very good at pan sauces then, so maybe I ought to try it again. It's all one skillet, and no prep bowls, so it would certainly make fewer dirty dishes...

Crisp Mustard Glazed Chicken Breasts

adapted from MarthaStewart.com

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little more

Coarse salt and black pepper

4 tbsp butter, softened

2 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

3/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs (think stuffing)

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped fine

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Rub chicken breasts lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine 2 tbsp butter with the mustard. Reserve 2 tsp and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt the other 2 tbsp butter; mix with breadcrumbs and thyme (or sage - I was out of thyme and used sage). Season with salt and pepper.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Sear chicken skin side down until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Smear with mustard mixture, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Turn skin side up; sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

4. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

5. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Add stock and cream to skillet over medium heat, and stir with wooden spoon until creamy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved mustard mixture. Strain through a fine sieve and serve with chicken.

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Brown Sugar Barbecued Chicken

This was insanely easy dinner to put together, which came together really quickly and tastily. The barbecue sauce was very good, and I will definitely be making it again, although next time I will try chicken breasts instead of drumsticks because it took me forever to get all the chicken off the bone - which I did because that's how Baby eats it, and if he sees something different on our plates, we're usually in store for some kind of meltdown. It's the path of least resistance, if you will.

A few words of advice on this recipe - Martha isn't kidding about using aluminum foil. It makes clean up a breeze for this dish. Also, this recipe also calls for using drumettes - I used actually drums (more meat!), and altered the cooking time by adding 5-10 minutes. Finally, I used a rack on top of my baking sheet, thinking it wold help the skin crisp a little - it didn't. I think it may have helped the chicken cook through a little faster, but next time I will skip it.

Brown Sugar Barbecued Chicken

adapted from Everyday Food

2 cups ketchup

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp cider vinegar

Coarse salt and pepper

6 pounds chicken drumettes, patted dry

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside 1 cup of sauce for tossing raw chicken; use the rest for baked chicken.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

3. Toss chicken drumettes with reserved 1 cup of sauce and divide among baking sheets.

4. Bake chicken until opaque throughout, 30-35 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Toss baked chicken with 1/2 cup of reserved sauce and serve the remaining alongside chicken.

Printable recipe

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork

This was a super easy meal to put together, but in hindsight, I think I would skip the Montreal steak seasoning in favor of some simple salt and pepper. Then again, I'm not normally a huge Montreal steak seasoning kind of person. I was pleasantly surprised as to how flavorful this recipe was. I especially liked the red wine pan sauce that this recipe makes to go along with the pork. I also think I'd try pork chops with this rather than pork medallions, just because it's easier to make the appropriate amount of meat for my family that way. I served this pork with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans, and it went over quite well. I will definitely be making this again!

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork

adapted from Publix Aprons Meals

Ingredients:
3 fresh garlic clove
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup red wine


1. Crush garlic, using garlic press, into medium bowl. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Stir in brown sugar and steak seasoning until well blended.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Cut pork diagonally into about eight 1-inch-thick slices. Place pork slices in bowl and press into mixture. Turn and press again to lightly season both sides (wash hands).
3. Place 1 tablespoon of the butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add pork (wash hands); cook 5–6 minutes on each side or until well browned and internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
4. Remove pork from pan. Stir in wine and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; simmer 1 minute, stirring continually. Serve wine sauce with pork.

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BBQ Chicken on Garlic Toast

I was impressed with this super easy recipe from Everyday Food. It was ridiculously easy to put together, super tasty, and even reheated well when my husband missed dinnertime thanks to a meeting with a client. I would fully recommend this recipe, two thumbs up! Even Baby liked it, which was awesome. He has a thing for eating meat with "special sauce," and given that this was doused in "special sauce," he was quite thrilled. So much so that he didn't even eat all of his garlic toast, which is terribly unusual for him. He's a big carb fan.

I used Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread for my garlic toast. I love that bread. It's so tasty and makes wonderful homemade breadcrumbs. It was perfect for this garlic toast. I was also able to get my hands on a barbecue flavored rotisserie chicken, which probably added to the awesome flavor of this dish. This will definitely be a recipe I use again, especially on a busy night!

BBQ Chicken on Garlic Toast

adapted from Everyday Food

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups (14 ounces) bottled barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 slices white sandwich bread

Directions
1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium saucepan, cook chicken and barbecue sauce over medium until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Spread one side of each slice of bread with garlic butter. Place on a baking sheet, buttered side up. Broil until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes, then turn over, and broil until light brown, about 1 minute longer.
3. To serve, sandwich chicken mixture between slices of bread.

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Steak & Onion Sandwiches

Did you know that Everyday Food is put out by Martha? In theory, it's her more user-friendly recipes, and earlier this year during a trip to Home Goods with my best friend, I picked up their cookbook anthology, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, which so far has yet to let me down. This recipe is one I happened to watch my best friend prepare this last week and it smelled so awesome that I had to hurry up and put it on my own menu.

This was a super easy meal to put together this weekend. We all (except Baby, but then again he's not into meat) really enjoyed it. I used cuban bread for the toasted country bread, and I used yellow onions for my medium onions.

Steak & Onion Sandwiches
Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

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3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
Course salt and fresh ground pepper
4 minute steaks (3 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Toasted country bread

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until browned, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over high heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds on each side; remove. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return the onions to the skillet; toss.
3. Sandwich the steak and onions between toasted country bread. Serve immediately.