Sesame Chicken

There are few times that I make something that tastes just like it would in a restaurant, but this recipe hit the nail on the head. I'm shocked, too because I rarely deep fry. The last time I deep fried a meal was a disaster, and we had to eat "Plan B" from a box. This recipe was easy and amazing... probably because the chicken pieces were so small. Aubrey ate a nugget before I put the sauce on, and he said it tasted like a Chick-Fil-A nugget. I may have to remember that for another meal (maybe nuggets on top of a salad).

Flawless Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
3 whole boneless chicken breasts

Marinade
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
3 drops sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (or more)
1 garlic c love, minced

Frying
peanut oil (4 cups)
Serving
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients (the first 9 ingredients listed) and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce:
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients (the LAST 9 ingredients beginning with water). Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken:
Add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then place chicken in warm oven (130 degrees) while you continue frying. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken. Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.

Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice.

Recipe adapted from Recipezaar

Chewy Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

My sister came to visit us one night this weekend on her way to the beach. I wanted to make a treat for her to take down to share with the rest of the crew, so I made these blondies that I've had saved for a while on my "to bake" list. I saved a few of the side pieces for Aubrey, my mom, and me to try. I'm glad I didn't keep the whole batch because I don't think I have that much self control. These were so good. They were a good mix between a chocolate chip cookie and the Girl Scout samoa cookies (not sure if I spelled that right).

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

For drizzle and garnish: (optional)
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 tsp. butter or shortening
Sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8- by 8-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt; set aside. In another mixing bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until they have been incorporated.

Add the shredded coconut and chocolate chunks to the bowl, and fold in with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center but still soft. Do not over bake. Let the bars cool slightly before drizzling.

To make the drizzle, combine the chocolate chunks and butter or shortening in a small, heatproof bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic bag with a very tiny piece of the corner cut off and drizzle over the bars. Sprinkle with additional shredded coconut before the chocolate sets, if desired. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats.... originally from About.com

Fried Green Tomato BLTs

My mom came to visit this weekend, and I wanted to make something that I knew she would like. I found a recipe for BLT sliders, but I wanted to twist the recipe a bit since we had some green tomatoes. We made fried green tomatoes to go on top of a turkey bacon and green leaf lettuce on a roll. We also had some fresh red tomatoes. They were so good, and the rolls turned out perfectly. I'll probably use this roll recipe for dinner rolls, too! We're even having these sliders for lunch today.

Ingredients:
BLT Sliders
Kitchenaid 60-Minute Dinner Rolls (recipe below)
Red or fried green tomatoes
Green Leaf lettuce
Crispy Bacon
Hellmann's Canola mayonnaise
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Fried Green Tomatoes
In a ziplock bag, mix up white corn meal with salt and pepper. Peel the green tomatoes, and place them in the ziplock bag to cover the tomatoes. Fry for a few minutes on each side in oil.

BLT Assembly
Put mayo on both sides of the roll. Layer lettuce, 1 piece of bacon (cut in half), and tomato in the roll.


Kitchenaid 60-Minute Dinner Rolls
makes 24 rolls

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter
7 teaspoons instant yeast (roughly 3 packages of dry active yeast)
1 1/2 cups warm water
6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
In a small saucepan, stir milk, sugar, salt and butter together. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool until lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast and a pinch of sugar in warm water in a warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour to yeast mixture, and using a dough hook, mix on low speed for about 1 minute. With the mixer still going, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 1 1/2 minutes, or until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Knead on low speed for about 2 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic – the dough will still be slightly sticky to the touch. If needed, knead by hand for an additional minute to make sure all ingredients are well combined and do is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover the dough with a clean, dry dish towel, and let it rise in a warm place, free from draft, for about 15 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 24 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball, and place in two greased 9x13 pans. (I'm sure you could also bake these on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet as well.) Cover the pans with dish towels, and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes.

Bake at 425ºF for 12 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter (2 tablespoons is perfect for 24 rolls), then return them to the oven for an additional minute. Remove the rolls from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

Once completely cool, store in an air-tight container. You can also freeze the rolls, if desired. Place them on baking sheets in the freezer until hard, then place them in a zip lock bag and return to the freezer for up to a month (trust me, they won't last that long). These can be quickly and deliciously reheated straight from the freezer by heating in the microwave on high for 20 seconds-30 seconds.

Recipe adapted from That Winsome Girl

The Daring Kitchen June Challenge

Bakewell Tart...er...pudding

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I really enjoyed making this month's challenge. I bought some cherry jam from a local Farmer's Market, and it paired perfectly with the almond flavor. Since I don't have a tart pan (it's on my wish list), I just used a muffin pan and made mini tarts. I also halved the recipe because the good Lord knows I don't need all of these tarts sitting on my thighs and rear.


Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

Tart Assembly Ingredients
One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour for dusting
1cup jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful of whole almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimated for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart.


Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.
When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, frozen
2 egg yolks
½ tsp almond extract
1-2 Tablespoons cold water

Directions
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane
Ingredients
4.5oz unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup ground almonds (I used almond meal)
¼ cup all purpose flour

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in color and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle, but don’t panic. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow color.

Parmesan Chicken Burgers

This will be a meal that we'll eat again and again. I thought it was going to be messy since the pasta sauce was underneath the cheese, but it stayed together quite well. This really does taste like Chicken Parmesan.... only on a bun. ... And it's a "plus" that it's a lot less fat than the beef burgers.

Ingredients:
Burgers:
1 lb. ground chicken breast meat
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 shallot, finely diced
salt and pepper

1/2 cup pasta sauce
4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded)
sauteed mushrooms (optional)
4 buns, toasted

Directions:
Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties, and let sit about 30-40 minutes ahead of time to let the flavors meld a little bit.
Preheat & a little oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook the burgers on medium-high for about 4 minutes on each side. Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place in the oven under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through. Top with mushrooms, if desired. Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

Recipe is from Elly Says Opa

Summer Risotto

I have a little obsession with Risotto. If you haven't ever tried to make it, please, please, please give it a try. You will be very impressed.
This Risotto that I made tonight is absolutely the best Risotto I've ever had. Amazing!!! The zucchini and basil give this dish the perfect taste of summer. I'll definitely make this again. It is a great recipe for a whole meal or side dish.


Risotto with Pancetta, Zucchini, Basil & Parmesan

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped roughly
1 large garlic clove, crushed
½ cup thinly sliced pancetta, chopped roughly
1 1/3 cups Arborio rice
2 small zucchini, grated coarsely
¾ cup dry white wine
4 cups hot chicken stock
8 basil leaves, chopped roughly
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat the butter and oil together in a saute pan over medium heat on the stove top. Add the onion, garlic, and pancetta. Fry gently, stirring continuously, until they just begin to color.
Stir in the rice and cook until all the butter and oil are absorbed. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 minute. Move the Wide Oven away from the heat, add the wine and 1 cup (250 ml) of the hot stock, together with the basil leaves and seasonings.
Return the Wide Oven to the heat, stir well and leave to simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the hot stock and continue simmering and stirring for 10-15 minutes longer. Repeat this process until all the stock is used. After the last addition, stir frequently. The consistency should be very moist and creamy with the rice grains soft, but remaining whole.
Remove the saute pan from the heat and stir in three quarters of the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top as it is served.

Recipe is from Le Creuset

Fish Tacos with Homemade Flour Tortillas

We're still munching on the fish that Aubrey and my dad caught a couple of weeks ago. Last night we ate with Aubrey's parents, and they had leftover black beans and pico de gallo, and I knew exactly what I wanted to make for supper tonight. These tacos were absolutely amazing! They were actually easy to pick up and eat like a regular taco even though it looks packed full of stuff. I barely even had to use a fork to pick up the droppings.


Tortillas
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
3/4 cup hot milk

In a stand mixer, mix up the flour, baking powder, salt, and vegetable oil
Add in the hot milk and mix till the dough pulls together, then let it knead in the mixer for another 4-5 minutes.
When it’s nice and smooth, divide the dough into 12 pieces, about 2 ounces each.
Pat them into little discs, then roll out as thin as possible.
Fry on a very hot pan, about 30 seconds each side.


Fish
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish. Pan sear the fish in a hot pan coated with olive oil until cooked through and flaky. Transfer to a plate and shred into pieces.

Assemble the Taco with:
homemade tortillas
cooked fish
black beans
shredded cheese
pico de gallo
cilantro

Recipe adapted from One Particular Kitchen

Happy Father's Day

Hamburger Cupcakes and French Fry Cookies

Bakerella had these on her website, and I knew I had to make them for Father's Day. They actually look like real hamburger sliders and french fries. They would be super cute for a cookout dessert this summer if you really want to impress someone.

Not only are they cute, but they taste delicious, too!

For the cupcakes:
You can use yellow or butter flavored cake mix. Make cake according to the package directions. Let cool; then cut in half to make the buns.

For the brownies:
Make brownies according to the boxed directions. Let cool. I cut out 24 circles from a 2-inch biscuit cutter for the "meat."

Assemble the hamburgers:
Sandwich a brownie patty between 2 cupcake buns. Before you put the top bun on, you need to squirt the lettuce, ketchup and mustard on the patty. You can make the icing if you wish, but I opted to buy the already made icing since I was in a time crunch.

Place the top bun back on the hamburger. Gently brush the top of the bun with water, and sprinkle a few sesame seeds on the buns.

For the Sugar Cookies:
Betty Crocker makes a good mix if you don't want to make your own.
Mix the ingredients according to the back of the package. Roll out the dough.
Cut the dough in thin strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter and then a long cut down the center. The varied lengths are fine because you don't want all your french fries exactly the same size.

Remove the alternating strips so it won't bake into one giant blob. (Reserve dough strips and repeat) Sprinkle sugar on top of the dough. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

These spread out a little bit when cooked. Just take your knife or pizza cutter, and cut each "steak fry" down the center for "skinny fries."

Do this right when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle more sugar on top while they are still warm, too. Lightly rub it on to make sure it sticks good.

Grilled Red Snapper with Mild Red Thai Curry Sauce

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! I absolutely loved this sauce because it's so different from the norm. The recipe is originally for Mahimahi, but we have a ton of Red Snapper that we need to use up. As the recipe name implies, it is "mild." My dad was in town visiting when I made this, and he really doesn't like spicy foods. Next time I may add some red pepper just to give it a little kick since we like a little heat.


Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato puree
2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
4 Red Snapper Fillets (8 ounces each)... or whatever fish you have available
Olive oil for grilling
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Prepare grill. Measure all ingredients, and have them ready by the stove. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic ginger, and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and add curry powder, curry paste, paprika, and cumin. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Raise the heat back to medium, and add soy sauce, tomato puree, brown sugar, and coconut milk, whisking well after each addition. When small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, simmer very gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not allow it to boil. Brush the fish fillets with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Source: At Blanchard's Table by Melinda and Robert Blanchard

Simple Cole Slaw

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light. It was the perfect side item for the sloppy joes tonight. I was a little concerned that Aubrey wouldn't eat very much because this is one of those foods that he is really picky about (I am too). To my surprise, he finished it off really quickly.
I've never used the canola-based mayo before, but it will be my "go-to" mayo from now on. It's so much healthier than the regular mayo, and the taste isn't even sacrificed. Now I can have my cake and eat it too!


Ingredients:
1/3 cup canola-based mayonnaise
1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups packaged cabbage-and carrot coleslaw

Directions:
Combine canola-based mayonnaise, sugar, pepper, salt, and dry mustard in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add coleslaw, tossing well to combine.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light. I don't think I've had a sloppy joe since I was a kid. This brought me back to childhood, but this one was different. I love the taste of the chiles and the green pepper. The caramelized onions were the perfect addition on top of the meat sauce instead of inside.


Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 1/2 cups Vidalia onion, sliced
3 ounces green chiles, diced
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
5 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour some olive oil into the pad. Add onion to pan; cover and cook 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan. Add beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in chile, tomato paste, and next 3 ingredients (through tomato sauce); cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon 1/2 cup beef mixture over bottom half of each bun, and top evenly with onions and top half of bun.

Nutritional Info (per 1 sandwich serving):
Calories 273; Fat 6.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.3g); Protein 23.3g; Carbohydrate 32.1g; Fiber 3.4g; Cholesterol 48mg; Iron 3.7mg; Sodium 724mg; Calcium 84mg

Red Snapper with Chowder Sauce

My dad came up this week and he and Aubrey went fishing for Red Snapper (the season started Monday). The product of their trip is in the picture below. Wowza! They caught several of these suckers, so we'll have lots of fish and sauce recipes to follow.


This recipe is adapted from Frank Sitt's Southern Table cookbook. He is a famous chef that has a couple of resteraunts in Birmingham, AL (where I'm from). His recipe is actually "Flounder with Clam Chowder Sauce," but we had red snapper, and I took out a ton of his sauce ingredients. The sauce still tasted like a chowder, but without clams, potatoes, etc.

Ingredients:
4 filets fresh fish (we used red snapper)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely minced
Several thyme sprigs
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Grill the fish about 7 minutes on each side on a medium-hot grill, or until flaky.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the shallot and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are slightly softened and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream; stir and keep warm. Take the sprigs of thyme out of the mixture.
Serve on top of the fish.