Restaurant Style Orange Chicken

I can never go to a Chinese Restaurant without ordering Orange Chicken. It's pretty addictive right? Sweet, spicy, fragrant. If you love Orange Chicken like I do, you can try this recipe and have restaurant style orange chicken at home. We can share in the addiction. I believe in spreading the love:-)

 

This is a very easy recipe and every bit as good as any Orange chicken you will get in a restaurant. I don't make this very often, but when I do, I always pull out my special chopsticks. It heightens my orange chicken experience:-)

Fresh orange juice and orange peel add just the right amount of great orange flavor. If you are unable to eat dairy, you can modify this recipe by simply omitting the egg. If you are wanting a healthier version of this dish, you can omit the breading altogether and brown the chicken in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet and then let it finish cooking  in the sauce.

Ginger is a key ingredient for adding the spiciness that makes this dish so flavorful

Red pepper flakes is what brings the heat, I also love to use a little hit of Siracha. It works beautifully on its own and combined with the red pepper flakes

 

 And of course plenty of garlic

Ingredients

 2-3 skinless and boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup plus two tablespoons corn starch

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil

 

Orange Sauce

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar 

1/3 cup rice vinegar 

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

Directions for sauce

 

Pour orange juice, chicken broth, sugars, vinegar and soy sauce, orange zest, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes into a medium saucepan. Mix the two tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and set aside. Bring mixture in saucepan to a boil and slowly add the corn starch mixture stirring frequently until thickened. When sauce has cooled, place chicken pieces and 2/3 of the sauce in a gallon ziplock back to marinate.

 

After chicken has marinated in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, drain the marinade and dip chicken pieces into the beaten egg and then dredge in corn starch to coat.

 

Heat remaining sauce until warm and set aside.

 

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok and work in small batches frying chicken until golden brown and cooked all the way through (about 2 minutes). Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve hot and cover with the warm sauce. Absolutely delicious!

 

 Bon Appetit!

Chicken Dorito Casserole

I must confess, there is nothing healthy about this recipe. It is oozing with cheese, layered with nacho cheese Doritos and void of any nutritional value, but I still think you should eat it. Why? Well, it's pretty damn good and you can always balance this out with a green salad on the side. 

This recipe has been in my family for years and was given to me by a close friend of our family. This is perfect on a cold winter day, or when you want to have something cheesy and indulgent. To save time, just shred a rotisserie chicken and in about 30-45 minutes you will have a pretty tasty meal to sink your teeth into:-)

Start with onion and saute until translucent and fragrant

Then the onions get combined with cooked shredded chicken. I always use leftover rotisserie chicken, but you can also poach chicken breasts and shred when they are done

Nacho cheese Doritos are generously layered throughout the casserole

Cheese makes everything better. I like to use a blend of Mexican cheese, but this works fantastic with plain cheddar

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (or more to your own personal taste)

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup cream of tomato soup

1/2 cup milk 

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

1 16 oz bag Nacho Cheese Doritos

Directions:  Saute onions in a small skillet and set aside. In a mixing bowl combine chicken, sauteed onions cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, Rotel tomatoes and taco seasoning. 

In a greased baking 2 quart baking dish, put a layer of crushed Doritos, layer with chicken and cheese, and Doritos, and keep layering until you end with Doritos.  Sprinkle generously with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Note: You can crush your Doritos or keep them whole. I usually crush the bottom layer and leave the rest of them whole. When done, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

Bon Appetit!

Sweet Spicy MotherCLUCKERS

These sweet and spicy chicken slices are mother-clucking good! They are the perfect sandwich to serve at your next party, get together or gathering of friends. The chicken is cooked in the crock pot and is sweet and savory. The pickled onions at great texture and the Serrano peppers really bring the heat. Remove the seeds and you will have a nice hint of heat that does not incinerate your taste buds, but if you like it HOT, leave the seeds in the pepper.

You can prepare the pickled onions the day before or start them in the morning and then you can let your chicken cook in the crockpot while you relax or go run a few errands. 

If you have never had pickled onions, they are absolutely delicious on sandwiches, tacos, as a topping on your favorite meat and poultry dishes and pretty tasty on salads. They are pretty flavorful on just about anything.

These peppers really add that extra something to these sliders

Sweet Hawaiian Rolls balance the flavors perfectly, but these are also great on toasted dinner rolls, baguettes or torta rolls. The bread you use is only limited to your imagination.

You can assemble these sliders and serve on a platter, or leave the fixings out and let your guests build their own.

Whether you like a little heat...

or a lot

These  sliders hit the spot. Just one bite and you will say in your most incorrect english: "commere you sweet spicy muthaclucka"

Ingredients

1 Package of Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

1 red onion

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 Serrano Pepper

Sweet n Spicy Pulled Barbecue Chicken (recipe below)

For Sweet n Spicy Pulled Barbecue Chicken 

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 12 ounce bottle barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Italian Salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon Siracha

Directions:

Place chicken in crock pot. combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for three hours. Take a fork and shred the chicken, reduce heat to low and cook for one more hour.

For Pickled Onions

1 red onion thinly sliced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 

Directions:

Whisk together vinegar, water, sugar and salt until well combined and sugar is dissolved.  Place sliced onions in a jar and pour the liquid on top and let sit for 1 hour in covered jar. The flavors are better if you put in refrigerator and wait one day. These will keep for a few weeks in your refrigerator.

To assemble sliders:

Slice rolls in half, top with a generous serving of the chicken, top with pickled onions and sliced de-seeded peppers. 

Servings: 16 sliders or  six regular size servings

Bon Appetit!

Teriyaki Chicken Sliders

 Sliders are all the rage these days and rightfully so. They are small and pack a lot of punch. These are perfect appetizers or a great meal when served with delicious sides and a nice icy drink:-) These are great when entertaining too. Just put on a nice platter and pass around to your guests. These Teriyaki sliders have a hint of sweetness and if you cook them on the grill, a hint of smokiness.

I have tried these sliders with lettuce and tomato, and I have experimented by putting a cabbage slaw on them.  They are absolutely delicious either way. I really love sliders and who can resist something so tiny and cute? 

Ingredients 

4 medium chicken breasts 

1 bottle Teriyaki marinade

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes

fresh pineapple chunks or rings

Cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup canola oil

Green leaf lettuce washed and dryed

Red Onion

Kings Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

Pound chicken breasts until 1/2 inch thick. Cut Chicken breasts in half. Combine Teriyaki sauce, honey and red pepper flakes. Reserve 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Place the rest of the mixture in a bowl or resealable bag. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard marinade. Brush grill with oil and place the chicken directly on grill and cook 5-8 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. Remove from grill and brush with reserved sauce.

To build your slider, simply add sliced red onion, leaf lettuce and tomato and garnish with pineapple.

 The sliders have a great flavor when cooked on the grill. That hint of smokiness and the sweet sauce are a great combo. It is delicious cooked in the oven too, but will not have that smoky element you can only get from cooking on an open flame on the grill.

Bon Appetit!

Sweet Spicy Sticky Fingerlickin Chicken Wings

Can I just say that I love a good chicken wing.  The hot variety that we love to eat with blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery sticks is always satisfying, but these sweet, spicy and sticky wings are the kind that make you lick your fingers and suck the bone. Yes, the sauce is that good. Pour it over rice for a nice meal and  serve with your favorite vegetables, or pile them up on a plate and get ready for some good lip smackin, fingerlickin plate kissin chicken wings. 

The recipe can be adjusted to fit the level of sweet and heat that you prefer.  Most of the time when I cook, I just add a pinch of this, a touch of that until I arrive at the flavor dimension I want, but to make it easy for you to follow, I have some approximate measurements that I know will give you a great result:-)

The sauce burns easily due to the sugar content, so keep a close eye on your wings. The longer these marinate in the sauce, the more flavorful they will be. I like to marinate them in the morning and cook in the evening.

This is one of the special ingredients that make these wings so scrumptious. Oh Honey...

 I promise this is as good as it looks. Just think, you could be eating this in a couple of hours.

Ingredients

3 Pounds Chicken Wings

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Franks Hot Sauce or Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons chile sauce

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate marinating for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange chicken wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for at least 45-50 minutes. Baste wings a few times and turn wings once at half way point. Once Wings have cooked for 50 minutes.  Reduce heat to 225 and cook another 30 minutes. 

Bon Appetit!

Spicy Fingerlickin Hot Wings

Hot Wings are one of those foods that pack an incredible amount of flavor and hear in a small bite. They are as American as apple pie, but have rock star status all over the world. No football game or gathering of friends and family is complete without a plate of hot wings. These are the perfect appetizer or make a great meal when paired with a great Cole Slaw or veggies to balance the heat of the hot wings. 

These wings have a layer of dry seasoning and are deep fried and topped off with a hot flavorful sauce. Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing and the traditional carrots and celery are great accompaniments, but you can also let your imagination run wild and pair with many other fresh raw vegetables. You can also make this healthier buy baking instead of frying.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning
10 chicken wings
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Franks hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions 

 In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and, garlic seasoning and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving. 

Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl and pour sauce over wings.

Have a delicious day!

Lemon Herb Chicken with Pasta

This dish is bursting with bright lemony flavor. Succulent with the perfect hint of herbs, butter and lemon. This is a slight variation of chicken piccata, but is every bit as delicious and flavorful and can be on your table in 30 minutes! 

Parsley and the fresh lemon make the chicken fragrant and spaghetti infused with lemon and butter is the perfect side for this flavorful chicken.

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

8 ounces spaghetti

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper.In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate. 

Into the pan add the lemon juice, and stock. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley. 

Prepare spaghetti according to directions on package. Drain and toss spaghetti with a little sauce from chicken.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings

Hi Beautiful Ones!  I hope your week is going great so far. Yesterday was not such a great day for me. I turned on my computer and was preparing to update my blog and the whole thing was gone. My whole blog got deleted by blogger with no explanation and no forewarning. I was mortified and spent a very frustrating day trying to get it restored.  Can you imagine waking up one day and your whole blog is gone and you have to start over with nothing? I am so glad that everything worked out.

That taught me a very valuable lesson about how important it is to back everything up. The experience also made me seriously consider switching to Wordpress and I more than likely will in the near future and will keep you posted.  I also want to take this opportunity to let all of you know that if you ever look for my blog and its gone, it might be a blogger glitch, and since they are known for randomly deleting blogs, if it happens again, I will make my switch to Wordpress and take all of you with me:-)

Wooooooh! now that the blogger folks have taken care of that fiasco yesterday. Lets Cook!  This recipe is for lemon garlic chicken wings. I thought this would be a refreshing change from the buffalo wings most of us are used to. This is an easy recipe and if you don't have wings, you can do this with regular chicken as well.

I must warn you that they are saucy and delicious and we all know that there is just not a cute way to eat a chicken wing...LOL

Next week I will begin featuring Thanksgiving recipes and I will post a little more than usual to give you plenty of great recipes and ideas for your Thanksgiving table. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Generously coat wings with olive oil and then combine dry seasonings and coat chicken wings with seasoning. Let marinate for 30 minutes (overnight is even better)

Spray baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray or lightly oil the pan with canola oil. Arrange wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Turn wings over and roast another ten minutes. While wings are roasting combine lemon juice and wine or broth and Roast another 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Note: This works beautifully on a grill.

Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

 I wanted to make an alternative to the pulled pork sandwiches they have at most barbecue joints and I thought this sweet, spicy, tangy barbecue chicken recipe was PERFECT! You can put this in a crock pot and forget all about it and the delicious results are perfect barbecue for sandwiches, served over pasta, rice or any yummy variation you can think of:-)

 Even if you don't know how to cook, or are pressed for time. It really does not get any easier than this. You can literally throw this in a crockpot and go shopping, take a nap, or whatever your pleasure is and this amazing chicken will be waiting when you are done!

 Pulled Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 12 oz bottle barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine barbecue sauce, dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours. Take fork and shred chicken and then reduce to low and cook one more hour.

Doesn't this saucy barbecue chicken look amazing? It is!!!!!!

Of course, baked beans and potato salad are the perfect costars for this sandwich! If you don't have these on hand, chips make a great side for these yummy sandwiches too!