24

Jan

Crispy ‘chik’n’ strips with fries

I do try to eat well, I really do. I never crave a burger, but I do love chicken strips. How to make them a little healthier and without a stomachache after devouring them?

TOFU + OVEN!
My ‘little’ cousin, Dusty, has always loved chicken nuggets, more than anyone I know. He’s a little older now (and not so little at over 6 feet tall), so his obsession with the famous dippers has subsided but the memories are still there. Truly, if he couldn’t eat/order chicken nuggets, chicken tenders or even chicken wheels (don’t ask) during the first 8 years of his life, I’m not sure he would’ve survived. I suppose there are always french fries…
which is another thing. French fries. I don’t care what you say, I’d like to not extinguish these from my life forever. But we need healthier ways to eat these little jewels.
In comes the oven. Using a combo of recipes from others, I made crispy ‘chik’n’ strips and fries (Idaho  and sweet potato) for dinner while watching the double matinee of football games. (Okay, Matt watched, I cooked.) If tofu kind of freaks you out, this is a nice introduction. The strips are flavorful, not slimy, and really tasty, actually. Hope you enjoy.

Crispy Chik’n Strips
 (adapted from Oh She Glows and Growing Up Veg)
Makes 8 strips–serves two to four adults
I’ve put the ingredients and supplies in bold to make it easier. 

1 pound extra firm tofu
kitchen towel
2 heavy books
step one (prep the tofu): Drain the tofu from the package and wrap in a towel. Place 2 heavy books on top of it to drain out all of the moisture. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Line/spray 2 baking sheets, one for strips and one for fries.

1/2 cup breadcrumbs or cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 t. of each: kosher salt, cumin, chili powder, and 1/4 t. of cinnamon & cayenne (or a dash of red pepper flakes)
step two (make the breading): In a large bowl, mix the above ingredients. Crush the cereal before adding, if you have cereal. Preheat oven to 400!



1/2 cup milk
1 TB cornstarch
1/2 t. of each: kosher salt, cumin, chili powder, and 1/4 t. cinnamon & cayenne (or a dash of red pepper flakes)
step three (make the dipper): In a medium bowl, whisk the above ingredients.





1 Idaho potato (Dash: sea salt, garlic powder, chili powder)
1 sweet potato (Dash: sea salt, cinnamon, chili powder)
2 TB olive oil
step four (prep the fries): Cut each potato into fry shapes and toss in the spices and 1 TB olive oil. Do one potato at a time (garlic on sweet potatoes seems ick). Spread the fries onto one of the baking sheets, taking care to make sure they don’t overlap.

 
step five (bread ’em): Slice tofu into 8 long strips. Dip each tofu strip in the liquid and then into the topping. Place breaded strips onto the 2nd baking sheet. Repeat ‘dip and top’ process for all of them.

step six (bake): Put the strips on the top/middle rack of the oven and the fries on the bottom rack. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip strips and fries. Bake another 15-20 minutes, watching carefully toward the end so you don’t scorch the fries. The strips should be crispy brown but not overly dry.

I am sad to report that we had NO leftovers…devoured. Done.

**These recipes easily double, triple, quad, depending on the size of your group.

Aioli in the middle

The Dips
I served with 3…
-ketchup
-chili aioli
-bbq sauce




Chili Aioli
1/4 cup mayo (vegan, reg, lowfat, whatever)
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
Dash kosher salt
Dash red pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon slice (optional) 


Mix all together and serve cold. Dip away.

Now one last thing…
Happy 92nd birthday (Thursday) to my grandmother. In memory of a long, fruitful life of loving God and loving people. 
I mention her influence on my love for food and cooking quite regularly here, but she touched all areas of my life for the better. What a lady. I must admit, she only liked the crispy-not “soggy”-fries, so we ate lots of crispy ones in her honor. I love and miss her dearly. My parents gifted our home church with these flowers Sunday morning in memory of her birthday. Beautiful…thanks for that. She was a pink flower girl, with a splash of purple.  

Happy eating and happy living!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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24

Jul

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I‘m completely puzzled by the British TV show, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, now aired on TLC. 16 year old Irish Travellers (negatively labeled “gypsies”) marrying boys their age and preparing for a life of cooking and cleaning, beginning their domestication with the most outlandish, over the top wedding celebrations. It’s a fascinating culture of scantily clad young women with traditional Roman Catholic values and male dominance as breadwinners, as well as prejudice and ostracization by their neighborhoods (the “country folk”). Watch it sometime–I’m warning you, though, it’s a mind warp, but still interesting.

On to other things…

We made this the other night, and it’s time to share…Giada’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders. Easy, tasty, versatile. We had this with a side of macaroni & veggies one night, and I’ve topped a bed of salad mix with a few tenders to make a filling/healthy lunch the last two days. You can make a sandwich with it, come up with homemade sauces for dipping, the possibilities are endless!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders 
from Giada

4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 pounds chicken tenders (about 24 small to medium in size)
1 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Cut tenders to desired size and place in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over the chicken and stir a bit. Let soak for 15–30 minutes.

In a large pie pan, combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. One by one, roll and press chicken into bread crumb mixture. Arrange breaded chicken onto a cookie sheet lined with foil (or parchment paper). Brush olive oil on the foil before adding chicken. After sheet is full of tenders, drizzle a little extra olive oil on to prevent sticking and keep chicken moist. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked in the middle and edges are crispy.

Yes, the sweet potatoes took over the plate. Yummm.

Suggested dips:
Homemade honey mustard
Barbeque sauce (Laurel’s)
Balsamic vinaigrette
Ranch dip (Matt’s)
Honey
Aioli
Wasabi ketchup (Ketchup-the restaurant-in LA is closed…we missed the fun dips, but you can prob recreate this one at home)
As a bonus, Matt made sweet potato fries for me. Delicious! Unfortunately, they were a little browner than I meant…I left them in the oven too long, against Matt’s suggestion. Oops. But they were delicious, I do admit. Hope fully attempt #2 will be better (and will merit more pics on here!).

Eat, drink, do be merry!

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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25

May

Oh, This Chicken

I have a (really fun) [but] (slightly annoying sometimes) habit of changing any recipe I come across to make it my own.

No, I’m no mad scientist (okay, maybe a little mad) or even a culinary, educated kook. So, sometimes, I follow a recipe to a tee and do not change/alter/edit/omit/add ANYTHING from it. But it’s gotta be a pretty awesome recipe…pretty perfect…

Giada’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumettes
This slightly sweet and tangy chicken is so delicious, I instantly liked the Giada. (Sure, I want to be jealous of her–sweet, beautiful, talented in the kitchen, Italian–but why? Wouldn’t it be more fun to meet her for lunch instead? …at her house, of course…where she does all of the cooking and I watch and learn.) This chicken is so delicious and, after making it 5+ times, I have yet to screw it up. (Victory!) I’ve added my comments in (parenthesis) if you like to break the rules a little.  😉

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumettes 
Giada’s recipe

  • 3 pounds chicken drumettes (or drumsticks)
  • 3/4 cup pineapple juice (or orange juice)
  • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine (or whatever red is already open)
  • 1/4 packed cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (don’t forget this…it makes the chicken! find it next to the olive oil at the store)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 3)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground arrowroot powder or 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or 1 TB flour)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

step one: In a gallon ziploc bag, combine juice, soy sauce, wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, chili powder, and red pepper flakes until the sugar is dissolved. (Do this by sealing the bag and gently mixing with hands.) Using tongs or hands, put the chicken drumettes in the bag. Remove as much air as you can from the bag, seal it, and stick it in the fridge for 2+ hours to marinade.

step two: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil (or parchment paper) and spray with non-stick spray.

step three: After 2 hours (or even overnight), take the chicken out of the fridge. Using tongs, place each piece on the baking sheet. Do NOT throw away the marinade! Season the chicken with sea salt and bake until the skin is brown and caramelized, between 25–35 minutes. (Keep an eye on it.)

Marinated chicken, ready to cook
Right out of the oven…don’t let the “burnt look” alarm you…it’s tasty!


step four: While the chicken is baking, pour the marinade into a saucepan. Whisk in the arrowroot or cornstarch and bring to a boil over medium heat (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, arrange on a platter or in a large serving bowl. Take a pastry brush and brush the marinade onto the chicken, and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.

Eat. Be merry. One of these days I’ll try one of her pasta dishes…
but for now, this one’s my favorite.

 

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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