Sweet & Sour Chicken

I'm the kind of girl who would literally make a new recipe every night of the week.  Partly to try new things and partly because my husband is incredibly ambivalent towards most things.  If you ask him "did you like this?" his reply will most likely be short and sweet and 1 word, "sure".  Well that tells me nothing so off I go on a quest to find a recipe that wows him.

This recipe for Sweet & Sour Chicken wow'ed him.

This recipe for Sweet & Sour Chicken wow'ed me.

It was so tasty I've already made it two more times.  That's saying something ;)

It's the right mix of sweet and tangy with a nice crust on the chicken.  I served it over Trader Joe's Frozen Brown Rice at the suggestion of a friend who first made this and it was a good accompaniment and super easy to make (hello 3 minutes in the microwave!).  This last time I steamed up some fresh broccoli to add to the bulk and veggie intake and it was a success too.

This recipe is easy enough to throw together for a weeknight supper but fun enough to serve for guests, it's a recipe I will make again.  (I had to put that in print so the husband can hold me to it ;)).

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken
(adapted from Made It. Ate It. Loved It.)

Chicken:
3 chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil

Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes. season with salt and pepper.
Mix cornstarch, flour, salt & pepper together.
Mix eggs and milk together.
Set up a breading station and dip chicken into flour-cornstarch mix, then eggs, then back into the flour-cornstarch mix.
Heat oil in large skillet and cook chicken until browned.
Place browned chicken into a 9x13 baking dish.

Sauce:
3/4 cups sugar
4 Tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Pour sauce evenly over chicken and turn the pieces so the sauce gets on both sides.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
At the end of 15 minutes, turn chicken and then cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve over rice with a side of steamed broccoli.

Kung Pao Chicken

I'm a huge fan of Kung Pao Chicken - the spice, the crunchy peanuts, the thick, rich sauce. You name it, I'm all in for it!

I stumbled across a recipe for it on AllRecipes.com and knew I had to adapt it and give it a whirl! I had read how other reviewers had doubled the sauce for a better texture and taste for the dish so I headed their reviews and did the same. I also added in broccoli so this essentially became a one pan meal.

Enjoy!

Kung Pao Chicken
(adapted from allrecipes.com)



1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast - cut into strips
5 tablespoons white wine
5 tablespoons soy sauce
5 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
5 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 5 tablespoons water
2 ounce hot chile paste
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
5 teaspoons brown sugar
4 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounce can water chestnuts
1 cup peanuts, chopped
1 pound broccoli florets, blanched

To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 4 tablespoon wine, 4 tablespoon soy sauce, 4 tablespoon oil, 4 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken and broccoli to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

All those in favor of tasty & quick Mexican flavored soup say "Aye"!

Aye Aye!

I love Mexican food... so much so that I dream of visiting Chicago one day just to go to Rick Bayless' restaurant!

I adapted this recipe from one I found on a website that is put together by the local Nest board and it is certainly a great resource for all sorts of deliciousness!! I'm always looking for good slow cooker recipes since I work late and the husband's idea of cooking a good meal is calling for takeout.

Enjoy :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 
  

  1 pound shredded, cooked chicken

  
  


• 
  

  1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

  
  


• 
  

  1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

  
  


• 
  

  1 medium onion, chopped

  
  


• 
  

  1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

  
  


• 
  

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  
  


• 
  

  2 cups water

  
  


• 
  

  1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon chili powder

  
  


• 
  

  1 teaspoon salt

  
  


• 
  

  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  
  


• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn


• vegetable oil

Directions

1. 
   

   Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with chili powder, salt, pepper. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

   
   


2. 
   

   Serve with a dollop of sour cream and avacado slices.

   
   

Balsamic vinegar is love.

This past weekend we had my hubby's sister and her husband over for dinner and some Trivial Pursuit on the Play Station.

While recipe planning a few weeks back I came across a recipe on a local recipe site for Balsamic Chicken with Angel Hair. I decided that that was a fine jumping off point but I knew I wanted to change the recipe up a bit and come up with my own concoction.

It turned out so well that my non-cook of a sister in law even asked for the recipe! Delicious!

Enjoy :)

Balsamic Chicken and Angel Hair with Zucchini



Ingreidents

4 chicken breast, boneless skinless
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 medium, quartered and sliced zucchini
1/2 of a small red onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 - 8 leaves, fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1 - Begin cooking angel hair pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water; reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.

2 - Cube chicken breasts & season with salt & pepper. In a fry pan coated with olive oil, saute onions & garlic until soft; remove from heat.

3 - Add chicken to same pan & sauté, do not cook through yet. Add onions and garlic back in. Stir to combine then add sliced zuchinni. Cover and simmer on low heat.

4 - Toast pine nuts in a dry pan until lightly browned.

5 - Add pine nuts, balsamic, & reserved pasta water to chicken mixture. Continue to cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through; add basil chiffonade at last minute prior to removing from heat.

6 - To serve, spoon mixture over angel hair pasta & top with parmesan cheese.

Hi. I'm Tana, and I'm a coconut-aholic!

Any chance to infuse coconut into a recipe, I am so game for it. when I spotted a recipe in a Food Network magazine a few months back, I dog-eared it because I knew that coconut chicken fingers were in our future.

I served them with a store bought sweet & sour sauce that was a lovely compliment.

Enjoy!

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers

(adapted from Food Network)



Ingredients

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1 - Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2 - Mix coconut, flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in medium bowl. Dip chicken strips into egg, then coat with coconut mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter.

3 - Bake 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.

Chicken a la Tana

This is a staple in my house... so easy to make & so yummy!! Enjoy!

Chicken a la Tana


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin (approximately 1/4 inch)
4 pieces of prosciutto di parma
4 pieces of provolone cheese
salt
pepper
seasoned bread crumbs
tooth picks
olive oil
1 package of baby portobella mushrooms, sliced
white wine
worcestershire sauce
butter

Take your pounded breasts and season the inside with salt & pepper.
Lay one piece of prosciutto in each breasts followed by one piece of cheese.
roll up the chicken, ensuring that the sides are tucked in.
Dredge each chicken roll in bread crumbs & then brown in a skillet that has approx. 2 tbsp of butter melted with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
After the chicken is browned, place into a pyrex baking dish & bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until chicken is firm & cheese is bubbly).
While your chicken is baking, take your mushrooms and place into a deep sided skillet along with 2 tbsp of butter, a couple of dashes of worcestershire sauce, and approx. 1/4 cup of white wine (I prefer pint grigio).
Saute the mushrooms until soft & browned (you may need to add more butter or some salt & pepper -- depending upon your taste).
Dress the chicken with the mushroom sauce & enjoy :)

Oh it's ladies night...

Once a month myself, 2 of my bridesmaids, and my matron of honor get together at one of our homes and do dinner, drinks, and lots of girl talk! Instead of us going out every month, the person who hosts that month, also fixes the meal! Not so shabby!

This month it was my turn and I used Ms. Rachael Ray as an inspiration! I went on my quest to find something quick, easy, tasty to make, and impressive (of course!). I stumbled upon Rachael's Chicken Brasciole that she served with Lemon Pepper Cappelini. SWEET! Then the question was, "what veggie to serve alongside?"... how about some simple steamed squash?! FAB! And to drink... well, even I impressed myself with this one! I dubbed it "Semi-Homemade Sangria". So delish & perfect!

The crowning jewel of my meal was dessert... a Bailey's Irish Cream Cake with Bailey's glaze. O. M. G. SO GOOD. It was such an incredibly simple recipe and absolutely one I will make again.

This meal was incredible from start to finish and I got raves from all three of my lovely gal pals!

Now go... Enjoy it yourselves :)

Chicken Brasciole
(adapted from Rachael Ray)



1/2 cup hot water
Handful raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, a few sprigs, leaves chopped

Pour very hot tap water into a small bowl. Add raisins and plump 5 minutes.
Drain raisins and pat dry. Place raisins, nuts, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, bread crumbs, and cheese into processor and pulse into a stuffing.
Butterfly the chicken open by cutting into and across the breast but not all the way through. Pound out the cutlets and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill the breasts with stuffing, roll and secure with toothpicks.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown the brasciole all over 7 to 8 minutes, remove and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up the drippings. Stir in tomatoes and tarragon, add chicken back, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.


Lemon Pepper Cappelini
(adapted from Rachael Ray)



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 lemons, zested and juiced
Salt
1/2 pound capellini
1/2 cup shredded or torn basil leaves
Grated cheese, to pass at table

Place water on to boil for pasta.
In a large skillet combine olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper and the lemon zest.
Salt water when it boils then cook cappellini to al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a ladle of cooking water to lemon pepper butter and stir in the lemon juice. Drain pasta and toss with lemon-pepper butter and salt, to taste. Add the basil to the pasta and serve a small bundle alongside your entree or serve as a delicate first course.


Semi-Homemade Sangria



2-750 ml bottles of Arbor Mist Sangria wine
Splash of peach schnapps
Splash of Cointreau
Splash of brandy
Fruit of your choice (I used 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 apple, 1 peach, 1 orange and sliced them all into 8ths)


Place sliced fruit into the bottom of the pitcher.
Pour liquids over top.
Muddle the fruit & liquors together & serve on ice.


Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake



CAKE
1 c. nuts
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Jello instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. cold water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of pan. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool cake completely. Remove cake and pour glaze over top and sides.

GLAZE:
1 stick butter
1/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish Cream

Melt butter. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. REMOVE from heat. Stir in Bailey's Irish Cream.

*Note: I poured and repoured the glaze over the cake about 5 times to get it to really soak in. I then took the remaining glaze and put it into a tupperware container and drizzled it over top with each piece I served!

A grilling feast!

After returning home from a week on vacation, on Sunday I decided that I needed to cook! I was having serious with drawls but also didn't want to labor over the hot stove all evening!

The solution... beer can chicken! Mr. Tana-Licious' aunt made something similar to this a few weeks back when we joined them for dinner and we fell in love. So simple & so incredibly yummy! I paired it with some grill packet potatoes (took my Lipton potato recipe and tossed it all together into some aluminum foil and stuck in on the grill!) and some locally grown sweet corn. Yum!

Dessert was no let down either! I kept with the grilling theme and made a recipe I had seen in Cooking Light... Grilled pineapple with a rum glaze! To die for!

But first... let's get to the chicken! I started with a quick rub of extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and garlic paste (peel, smash, an then finely chop garlic - add a bit of kosher salt and mash the heck out of it with your knifes side!).



Then I prepped the chicken and the beer can! I tied the chickens little wings together to keep it all nice and compact. For the beer can, I started by drinking just about half of it (someone has to have the hard job!!) and then I shoved about 4 sprigs of rosemary in and then sat the chicken down over the beer can & onto a cookie sheet (this is optional however, it caught a ton of drippings that would have otherwise went into the grill).



Next step was to slather the chicken in the EVOO/ pepper/ garlic rub. I made sure to drip some down into the chicken and lather him up good!



The chicken then made his trip to my grill where we let him cook for 90 minutes over medium low heat!



At the end of his 90 minutes on the grill, he was looking mighty yummy and smelled fantastic!



I then brought the chicken instead and tented him to keep all the juices inside. Helps make a moist bird even moister...




I would absolutely make this chicken again in a heartbeat... ad you can always switch up the ingredients too. For example, you could use a dry rub instead of the EVOO mix I made... or drop some smashed cloves of garlic into the beer can! Endless possibilities!!!


Onto dessert... My favorite part of a fabulous meal!

Rum Glazed Grilled Pineapple
(adapted from Cooking Light)



1 whole pineapple sliced into 1" thick rings
1/2cup of your favorite rum (I used Cruzan Coconut Rum)
Vanilla ice cream

Start by heating your grill to medium heat and place the pineapple rings onto the grill.
Grill each side of the pineapple 2-3 minutes or until heated through/ grill marks are present.
Generously baste the pineapple with the rum and flip to do the same. Repeat the basting/ flipping process for 3 more minutes.
Serve alone or with ice cream!

*Note: I served mine ice cream sandwich style! The coconut rum that I used really gave a deeper flavor or tropical fruitiness (is that even a word?!). Delish!!!

Pizza Night!

While house sitting, Mr. Tana-Licious and I cooked up a BBQ feat of chicken on the grill, corn on the cob, and some great onion potatoes. As yummy as it all was, we made far too much chicken and ended up with a ton of leftovers... probably about 3 full breasts!

What to do with the yummy BBQ chicken... take it for lunch? Sure. But why not make a BBQ chicken pizza! And so my pizza was born... it was so easy to throw together and tasted great.

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza



3 precooked chicken breasts, cubed or shreded
1 ½ C BBQ sauce
1 precooked pizza crust (suggestion: Boboli)
1 ½ C of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ C chopped scallions

Preheat over to 425 degrees.
Spread ½ C of BBQ sauce on pizza crust; set aside.
Toss chicken in remaining 1 C of BBQ sauce.
Pile chicken ontop of pizza crust.
Sprinkle scallions onto chicken & follow with cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.



Tana-Licious’ notes: I used leftover BBQ chicken that we had made on the grill a few nights prior. It worked out really well & you could taste the smokey grill taste too!

Oh Rachel Ray... sometimes you are a rockstar.

Since I have this unhealthy Obsession with chicken, I'm always looking for new ways to cook it! New sauces, marinades, coatings... you name it, I'm on the constant search for it!

When I saw this recipe on Rachel's show a few weeks ago, I knew it would be the perfect summer marinade for amazing grilled chicken! The recipe calls for fresh herbs, which are of course, more fragrant and vibrant, but I used the dried herbs that I had in my pantry and it worked out just fine! I also added the juice of one lemon into the marinade.

For sides, I made steamed broccoli (my favorite veggie!) and my no fail Lipton Onion Soup roasted potatoes! They're always a huge hit!

Enjoy :)


Lemon Herb Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Lipton Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes



Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken
(adapted from Rachel Ray’s recipe)

4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt
2 lemons, zested
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 heaping teaspoon of dried thyme
1 heaping teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 heaping teaspoon of dried parsley
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Grate the garlic onto a cutting board and add a couple teaspoons salt, mash into paste with the flat of your knife.
To the garlic, add the lemon zest, fennel seed, thyme, rosemary, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and some black pepper. Stir with a fork to combine then add chicken pieces and coat evenly.
You can let chicken sit in marinade in the refrigerator to absorb the flavor or cook right away (your choice)
Grill chicken 12 to 15 minutes until juices run clear.


Lipton Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes

1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4-6 potatoes, cubed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil & onion soup mix.
Place potatoes in a singe layer on a 9x13 baking sheet.
Roast for 35 minutes, turning occasionally.

Who says that buffalo sauce is just for wings?

Mr. Tana-Licious & my father went absolutely crazy over this dish! It's chicken... stuffed with everything that makes buffalo wings so fabulous!

The only adaptations I made to the recipe are that I spooned the leftover cheese mixture over the pieces of chicken and drizzled the remaining buffalo sauce on top of that. Gave it a little extra kick!


Stuffed Buffalo Chicken




2 Pound(s) chicken breast halves
4 Tablespoon(s) plus 5 T softened, divided butter
1 Clove(s) minced garlic
4 Ounce(s) bottle hot sauce
8 Ounce(s) room temperature cream cheese
1 Cup(s) ranch dressing
3/4 Cup(s) chopped celery
1/2 Pound(s) crumbled blue cheese
olive oil for frying

Mix together cream cheese, Ranch dressing, celery, 5 T butter and blue cheese. Form into 3" oval patties. Melt 4 T butter. Add hot sauce and garlic. Flatten chicken until 1/4" thick. Arrange cheese mixture on chicken & roll up, tucking in sides to enclose filling. Secure the ends with wooden picks. Dust chicken rolls in flour. Dip in the butter/Red Hot/garlic mixture. Roll in bread crumbs. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over top of chicken. Drizzle remaining hot sauce mixture over top of the cheese. Brown chicken rolls on all sides in olive oil. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Balsamic vinegar is love.

I swear I could drink it straight. I love it on and in everything so when I found this recipe on Robin's blog, Made with love..., I knew I was going to have a winner on my hands! I'm actually eating the leftovers of this yummy Balsamic Chicken
& Sausage Pasta as I blog!

I adapted the original recipe a bit... changing the chorizo to hot Italian sausage and upping the amount of liquid to make more of a sauce. I also added the ladle of pasta water for the sauce effect.

The result was a hearty meal that everyone (including the super picky Mr. Tana-Licious) enjoyed!

Balsamic Chicken & Sausage Pasta



2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 links of hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks
1/3 cup tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Medium onion, grated
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
1 pound pasta, cooked with 1 ladle of pasta water reserved

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

Toss chicken chunks in salt, pepper, and paprika Place 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and toss until almost cooked. Add sausage, onion, and minced garlic. Add balsamic vinegar. Cook until chicken chunks are cooked through and garlic and onions are browned.

While still on medium heat, add the cup of white wine to chicken/sausage mixture to deglaze pan. Make sure to get all of the brown bits on the side of the pan. Add pasta to skillet and toss in meat mixture and resulting "sauce" until well coated and pasta is heated through. Add in the reserved pasta water. Add an extra tablespoon or two or olive oil if you feel you need more of a coating on your pasta.

Channeling my inner Asian goddess

I, for one, love Asian style cooking... anything in an orange sauce or a szechwan style gets two thumbs up from me! I spotted this recipe for Szechwan Shrimp on another blog yesterday and knew I could adapt it for the chicken I was planning to have for this evenings meal. Needless to say, it was incredibly yummy. Lots of kick to it too... Myself and Mr. Tana-Licious' noses are still running!

Not only did I switch the shrimp to chicken, I also added a ton of blanched vegetables to give it a more rounded appeal for a meal... and served it over white rice. Enjoy!

Szechwan Chicken Stir-Fry



8 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
Mixed vegetables, blanched (I used broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green beans, and red bell peppers)
1 lb of chicken tenders, cubed
White rice (follow directions on box for serving size & cooking times)

In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
Brown the chicken and stir in half the sauce.
Once the sauce has thickened, add in the vegetables as well as the remainder of the sauce.
Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened and vegetables are heated throughout.
Serve over white rice.