Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings

I've really been trying to behave myself the past few weeks since the wedding is next month. I bought my dress back in January, a few pounds lighter than what I am now.

Of course, as soon as I put my mind to eating healthier, I instantly crave all things obnoxious. Soda, cheesy meals, things covered in gravy, and deep fried anything.

So when I saw Ally post these Boneless Buffalo Wings I knew I hit the jackpot and bookmarked them right away!

Baked chicken is on the healthy end of the spectrum, but boneless wings with the finger licking sauciness would seem like I was indulging in a sinful meal!

I made a much larger quantity, and I had to change a few things due to what I had on hand.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~3 cups flour (Don't ask me how a box of Bisquick disappeared since we moved in- I know I unpacked it and put it in the cabinet under the microwave.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Buffalo sauce (I used Texas Pete extra mild)

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk. In a second large bowl, stir together the flour, cheese, garlic powder, and paprika.

Cut the chicken into little 1" chunks. Soak in the egg bowl, then move the pieces into the flour bowl and toss to coat. Spread out onto two greased baking pans and bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.

Once cooked, put the hot chicken chunks into a large bowl. Pour the buffalo sauce over top. Fold with a large spoon to coat everything evenly.

Plate with celery sticks and bleu cheese or ranch dressing. Serves 6.

I didn't know it beforehand, but both Lyn (our company) and Johnny are not big fans of buffalo wings or bleu cheese. They both ate and ate and ate multiple servings of this, praising it highly.

This recipe is definitely a keeper. Quick, easy, and painless. Plus a lot of veggie-munching goodness!

Baked Chicken Enchiladas

Long time readers might remember Johnny's surprise Fiesta birthday party last summer!


We made a whole variety of tasty Mexican treats, including some chicken enchiladas. My boss Linda was at the party and loved them so much, she's been asking me for a year to make them!

When I moved back in June it was the first thing she mentioned to me and I just haven't had the time until now to make them for her.

Just like the party, I made a really big batch. Enough for a pan to go to Linda and enough for us to have for dinner. Please feel free to cut the recipe down if you're just making it for a normal dinner. Otherwise make a pan for now and freeze a pan (before baking) for later!!

2 pkgs McCormick enchilada sauce mix
10 oz. can of tomatoes with green chiles
3 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
4 cups shredded cheese (I used a reduced fat blend)
~6 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 can black beans, drained
2 dozen 8" flour tortillas

In a large high sided skillet mix together the sauce packets, tomatoes, and water. Cook over medium high heat until bubbly. Stir in the sour cream until smooth and let simmer a few minutes to thicken.

Shred chicken into a large bowl. Add 1/4 of the sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and the drained can of black beans. Toss everything until well mixed.

Spray two large baking pans with non stick spray. Fill each tortilla with a thin strip of the mixture down the center, wrapping to close. Place fold side down into the baking pan.

Pour the remainder of the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 400° oven for 30 minutes. Serve with extra sour cream.

Beer Can Chicken

Edited to add: This is my 500th post!

This is also known as Beer Butt Chicken for obvious reasons!

I've wanted to try this forever, but never got around to it until now.

I started with a 4.5 lb. fryer and added:

2 cans small whole potatoes
carrots, chopped
celery, chopped
1 can/bottle beer of your choice (I used Polish)
salt
pepper
paprika

Because my beer was from a bottle, I scrubbed one of the potato cans clean after ripping off the wrapper and poured the beer in that. I placed the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The chicken received a generous rub-down of salt, pepper, and paprika. Carefully slide the chicken's cavity over the can and place it in the center of your roasting pan.

Make sure your oven racks are low enough to fit the pan in your oven. I ended up having to remove a rack. Roast at 200° for about 2.5-3 hours, depending on your chicken's weight. Finish under the broiler for a few minutes to toast up the skin if that's your thing!

This was SO juicy! I really enjoyed the flavor the beer injected into the chicken from its steam. It wasn't very "beerish," but it was still delicious! I'll definitely be adding this to the rotation of chicken options after seeing how easy it was!

The next post will from NC. I'll show you the rest of the renovation photos and moving pics!

Chicken and Barley Soup

In light of the PFP Challenge, I've been making every effort to make our meals more healthy. I wholeheartedly agree in splurges and indulgences, but in moderation. My weight started to creep up when I let indulgences become an everyday thing.


I've turned to cookbooks like these. I have a bunch in my arsenol from thrift stores. Even though I'm not a real recipe-follower, I still own many cookbooks for their inspiration. I like using their recipes as a "starting point" to then add my own to the recipes.


Chicken and Barley Soup
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Low Fat Meals)

2 quarts stock (I used my homemade, unsalted version)
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
4 stalks celery, chopped (include leaves)
4 carrots, chopped
1/4 small green cabbage, chopped
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
~3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 leftover baked potatoes, cubed

Add the liquids and raw vegetables to a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, and barley. Cook for about 10 minutes until the barley is tender. Add any pre-cooked ingredients (the chicken, potatoes, and any other veggies on hand you want to use up) and let come up to temperature.

Makes about 6 quarts - you will have lots of leftovers and some to freeze!


This was a delicious, comforting dinner. The tomato broth was a turn from our usual soups. I loved that it was packed with a ton of veggies, it made it filling without being heavy.

One Crust Pot Pie

I heard about this idea from Beth (aka Biz) and have been meaning to make it for a couple weeks now!

First, I roasted a whole bird. Nothing fancy, just rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It was a 4-5 lb. fryer and took about an hour in a 350° oven. I used just the breast meat for the pot pie. The rest of the bird I'll use for something else and the carcass for stock.

In an 11 x 17" baking dish I put:

1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
2 small onions, chopped fine
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper, to taste
~5 cups gravy (I used stock thickened with a flour/water mixture)

The crust came from a recipe I found in a low-fat cookbook:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cooking oil of choice (I used vegetable, but canola would be better)
3-5 Tbsp skim milk

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix oil and 3 Tbsp milk and add to the bowl. Use a fork to mix everything until dough forms a ball. Add up to 2 Tbsp more milk if necessary. Form into a ball. Roll out onto wax paper and then transfer to the top of your baking dish. Cut a few slits in the top and bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

This made a LOT! I'd say serves 6, easily. One note: I got nervous about the gravy level, so I had added a bit more water at the end. This was a mistake because it ended up really, really watery.

So, we ate it in bowls with the crust scooped over top. It was still delicious, and I adjusted the recipe above to reflect the new gravy amount I'd recommend! I liked the crust, it was tender and flaky. I'd never made a crust like this before. Usually I cut in lard or butter!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sorry, this isn't the golden fried chicken nuggets and bright red, sugary sauce of Chinese take-out's familiar sweet and sour chicken (as pictured below).

(Source)

Below is my attempt at a healthy version. I was really pleased with it, personally. I liked it better than the too-sweet take-out version.

Johnny's partial to the "real deal," since this is his favorite menu item. But as a healthy substitute, he admitted it was good, too.

3 thin sliced chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice not syrup! (reserve juice)
1 green pepper
1/2 cup ketchup (read the label and avoid added sugars)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups cooked rice, white or brown

Cook your preference of rice according to package instructions.

In a medium stock pot, add the pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder, whisking to combine. Wash and cut the green pepper and add to the pot. Bring to a simmer, and cover.

Salt and pepper your chicken breast and cook until done. A little sear on the outside will add an extra layer of flavor to the dish. Cut into bite sized pieces.

Thoroughly combine the corn starch and cold water. Slowly whisk into the sauce, avoiding any lumps. Add the pineapple tidbits and return the cover, letting it return to a simmer to thicken.

Serve the chicken and sauce over the rice. Make sure to scoop plenty of the peppers and pineapple pieces over top, too. Serves 4-5.

As I said above, I preferred this version because it was more savory. The ginger, garlic powder. and rice vinegar added some great depths of flavor to the sauce and the only sweetness you get is from the pineapple's inclusion. There's a bit more "tang" than "sweet," which is how I think it should be.

A great weeknight dinner to replace a night you would have had take-out. Save yourself a few (hundred) calories and make this version!

Chicken Tacos

As part of my meal plan this week we had chicken tacos. It's no secret that we love Mexican food, so this was a nice way to have it without all the extra fat and calories of beef.

Not only did I substitute ground chicken in place of ground beef, but I also threw about two cups of fresh spinach in with the meat mixture to wilt and add a touch of green.

Then we just topped with the usual cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce accessories.

We used fat free cheese, fat free vegetarian refried beans, and fat free sour cream. Ordinarily I hate fat free products, but I have to say I didn't notice this dinner was missing anything.

I highly recommend Breakstone's sour cream if you're going to go the fat free route. Instead of being watery and thin, it is still really thick like Greek yogurt. We have purchased regular, low fat, and fat free versions of Breakstone's over the years and I swear I can't tell a difference between the three!

Christinafied Chicken Salad

Remember earlier last week I showed you how to butterfly a whole 3 1/2 pound chicken? Well, the day after eating said chicken for dinner Johnny got sick (unrelated to my food thankyouverymuch). So, that left little ole me with a little more than half a bird of leftovers to eat by myself the days he was out of commission. The first few days there was a lot of dark meat left (which I prefer) and I was happy just eating it as is, cold or heated up.

Then I got to the last breast (Johnny had eaten the other, he prefers white meat) and I wasn't so inspired to eat it anymore. I had a few nibbles and became disinterested, but didn't have the heart to waste it.

I did the next best thing and decided on making chicken salad with it. It was a last minute cold dinner late at night after finishing some homework. I had zero intention of telling anybody I ate a cold chicken sandwich for dinner, let alone blogging about it. But one thing lead to another and before I knew it I had created this really tasty chicken salad that was interesting enough to snap some photos of and share!

1 cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 rib of celery, chopped fine
1 scallion/green onion chopped fine
1 hard boiled egg, sliced both ways with an egg slicer
~1 inch from a block of sharp cheddar cheese, cubed in 1/4" pieces
~2 Tbsp mayonnaise (I used the olive oil kind)
large dash of black pepper
dash of paprika

Mix the ingredients together well until the egg yolk is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. My chicken had been marinated in a jerk style seasoning so it was really tasty to begin with, you might need to add salt or other flavors for your tastes. Yields enough for 2 sandwiches.

How to Butterfly a Chicken

I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but last summer was the first time I bought a whole chicken because I had no idea what to do with it. Before that, I always just bought the neat little packages of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Now, don't get me wrong - I still buy chicken breasts, but I think when you only buy them you tend to disconnect that you are eating chicken. Since cutting my first whole chicken I realize the importance that we all need to know where our food is coming from.

Not even 100 years ago our predecessors didn't have a supermarket to go to. If they went to a general store it would have had very little offerings of flour, sugar, and some canned items. Advancements are great, but I do find it almost a pity that in just two generations we now give no thought to the idea of where our food comes from and the work that is put into it.

How many of us know how to cut down a chicken? How many of us know how to can and put away our own food? Centuries of human experience went into the knowledge of curing, salting, and canning food for preservation. In less than 100 years that knowledge is all but lost.

Your thoughts on the subject?



Buy a whole chicken. Preferably one that hasn't been pumped full of preservatives, hormones, or other funky stuff. You'll notice immediately that the price is a fraction of that charged for pre-cleaned breasts. This four and a half pound chicken was a little over $4 and is enough to feed a family of four.

Open the package and remove the little parcel of giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Usually the chicken's neck, heart, liver, and gizzards are included. These can be saved for other recipes such as stuffing, gravy, or stock. I usually cook mine up in a small skillet with a lid on for my pets to enjoy. This way no part of the chicken goes to waste.

Place the chicken on your cutting board with the spine facing up. Using a sharp knife cut along either side of the spine. When you get to the breast area, it will be a little tougher because of the rib cage. After making the initial cut through the meat, I actually prefer to use kitchen shears for the rest of the cutting. Once the spine is removed this can also be used for stock or gravy too.

Flip the chicken over after the spine is removed. Grab either side of the chicken, by the wings and pull outwards. This will pop the breastplate which can then be removed with a little tug. At this point your chicken is butterflied.

If you wish to separate the chicken in two halves, slice through the center of the chest between the two breasts. You can cook the chicken this way, or freeze half for later if you are a smaller household.

One of my favorite ways to prepare a whole chicken is on the grill (chicken under a brick). Because the chicken is butterflied, it only takes about 30 minutes! Another way to prepare it is under the broiler, for about 20 minutes on either side. Butterflying a chicken drastically reduces the time it takes to cook the chicken, which keeps it juicy and flavorful. If I were to bake this same chicken whole, it would take 20 minutes per pound at 350°, which means nearly an hour and a half in the oven!

Even if it scares you or grosses you out at first, give it a try. It really is easier than you think and practice will make it a breeze. Not only will your wallet thank you, but you will be proud of yourself for knowing how to tackle a whole chicken! The first time I did this by myself it must have taken 20 minutes with me pausing to look at directions to make sure I was doing it correctly. Now I can do it in 2 minutes flat and it's a great skill to know!

Chicken and Orzo Soup

I make home made chicken soup pretty often. Johnny and I both love it, and it makes a lot so we can have leftovers and lunches. It also freezes well, so you can make 1 big pot and have half for dinner now and half for dinner in the future!

I always use:
~12 cups stock/bouillon of choice
1 deli chicken *see note
1 onion
4 or 5 carrots
4 or 5 celery stalks
2 bay leaves

Depending on mood/what's on hand, the starch will be either:
2 potatoes
1 cup orzo pasta

Begin with your big ass pot and chop and drop the onion, carrots, celery, and potato, if using. Fill with about 12 cups of stock, or water and bouillon. Throw in the bay leaves and bring up to a simmer, letting it hang out about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, remove all the skin and bones from the deli chicken and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. (Note: I always purchase the low-sodium option. Also look to see if your store sells them after a certain hour for a discount. My store puts them in the refrigerated area so they're not shriveling under the heat lamps and marks them down half-price after a few hours. I usually get them for $3.99, which is a better deal than buying a raw one and more convenient!)

If using orzo add once the vegetables become tender along with the chicken. Put the lid on and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the orzo has softened and the chicken has come up to temperature.

This latest batch of chicken and orzo soup was actually really exciting for me! It was the first time I cooked anything using my home made vegetable stock! Because I had kept it bland I did end up adding 1 tsp. of Kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and it was perfect!

Both Johnny and I were really impressed with the flavor. It had tons of depth and character - tasting like it'd been simmering away for hours, instead of a quick weeknight meal!

Orzo

Revisit: Taco Pie

Happy Birthday, Mom!


Source

Yes, that is actually a cake! My mom's been a piano teacher for over 30 years so I thought this was fitting!

---

In July I shared my taco aka firework pie with you. It's still at the top of Johnny's list!

When we cooked the queso fundido I thought it was going to be a lighter meal, an appetizer of sorts, and this pie would be the main course.

Wrong! The queso fundido filled us both up, but luckily I hadn't thrown this pie in the oven yet. I assembled it up to the point of baking, threw plastic wrap on it and left it in the fridge for the next night's dinner.

What a great feeling to have dinner already made the next day. From that point all I needed to do was turn the oven on and pop this pre-made dish in for 30 minutes.

Delicious as ever, served with sliced avacado and sour cream on top. There are enough leftovers for Mexican dinner #3 of the week!

In other exciting news I was a runner up for Pioneer Woman's Vocabulary Quiz #1!

Johnny and I raced through the answers and managed to be lucky comment #166 to win a $75 Amazon gift certificate! We've entered about a dozen of her Smartypants quizzes, only getting all the answers correct for maybe 4 or 5. It was really cool to finally win a prize in one! Now if only I could be so lucky when she's giving away Le Crueset sets or Kitchenaid Mixers!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I'm so glad I saw Biz's chicken cordon bleu earlier today! I hadn't thawed anything for our dinner and Johnny's co-worker was coming over. I was afraid I'd have to go outside in rainy, freezing weather just to grab one or two items at the grocery store. After seeing this, I grabbed chicken from the freezer and knew I had leftover ham in the fridge and cheese from my mom's trip to Italy. Perfect!

5 thin sliced chicken breasts
1/2 cup provolone cheese, cut in slices
1/2 cup ham, cut in slices
salt and pepper to taste

To start, I layed out the thin sliced chicken breasts on a big cutting board. If you buy regular chicken breasts you could pound them out to be thinner to stuff and cook.

Next I took equal amounts of the ham and cheese and covered half of the chicken (widthwise) with them. I folded the other half of the chicken over and secured the end with a toothpick. They looked like little pillows!

The cheese I used was a provolone. My mom brought it back from Italy and the outside has a hard rind, but the inside is very soft and creamy. The flavor is so much better than American provolone cheese! Christo of Chez What? shared a few tips and knowledge about cheese with me after his cheese post yesterday! It's very interesting and informative if you get a chance to read it.

After seasoning the chicken with a little salt and pepper I put a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet. I seared one side of the chicken on medium high heat for about two minutes and then flipped it and put a lid on. I lowered the temperature to medium and cooked for about five minutes, flipped again and cooked another two minutes with the lid on.

I forgot to get a picture until I'd already started eating and cut into it! At least you can see the inside and the way the cheese melted beautifully.

Anything that fell out the sides I just scooped on top of the chicken. I could have been more diligent in securing all of the edges, but I'm lazy! Served alongside Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe's and fresh steamed broccoli.

Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets

I really have no idea where I got this recipe, but it was an instant favorite and my mom always put me in charge of making it. At the time my cousin lived with us, and her and my brother would gobble this up. I'd make it in 2 lb. batches!

It's been years since I made it, too. But when Alisa asked for holiday recommendations in the categories of: kid-friendly, vegan, dips, and a token German recipe I had to think for a minute and this was jogged from deep within my memory! I already had chicken breasts thawed, so Johnny made it for us that night-- I couldn't wait to relive it!

The original recipe was one of those that had unnecessary details and steps. After many times making it, it evolved into this simple, 3 ingredient, no-fuss dish.


1 lb. chicken breasts
equal parts honey and mustard of your choice
bread crumbs of your choice

Set oven to 400° and spray a baking pan. Cut chicken into thin strips, or small squares, whichever is your preference.

Mix together the honey and mustard, I usually do about 1/4 cup of each and stir until well combined.

Coat the chicken pieces in the honey mustard mixture, then in the bread crumbs (we used panko because it's whey-free) and place on the pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes, flip, and bake another 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the chicken pieces are.


Viola! Tender, juicy, moist chicken that is full of flavor and doesn't even need dip because it's already on it! (This also helps in the messy kid department!) However, if you're like me and can never get enough dip, you can always whip up a separate batch of the honey mustard mixture that was not used to coat the raw chicken in!

Served alongside (first time ingredient alert) polenta, which I picked up in a small, awesome grocery in DC (yes, I souvenior shopped at a grocery store, are you surprised?) and steamed broccoli.

To reheat, simply warm the tenders in a toaster oven until heated through and the coating is crispy.

Buttercup Squash/Kabocha

Sorry for the lack of posts! I have a friend visiting and it's been hard to juggle entertainment, schoolwork, a jobhunt, and updates all at once.

My grocery store started carrying tons of squash for Fall and one was labeled as Buttercup Squash. I did some reading and it is the closest cousin to kabocha. The two taste ridiculously similar, and are suggested to be substitutes for one another if necessary. I'm not 100% sure what mine was, because it looks so similar to the kabocha pics I've seen on everybody's blogs. I'm also not fully secure in my local store's knowledge to label it properly.

The queen of kabocha, Maggie, suggested I roast it. I love roasted anything, so I promptly followed her advice.

Johnny helped me cut it in half, because holy smokes was this unwieldy! Then I scooped out the seeds. The inside smelled sweet, almost like a ripe cantaloupe!

The skin had a waxy film on it, so we chose to peel the outside. Then I cut it into 1/4" slices, tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. They went into a 425° oven for about 25-30 minutes, flipping once.

Served alongside thin sliced chicken breasts, browned in a little bit of olive oil, with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Also roasted radishes (ehhh) and roasted zucchini.

It was surprisingly great. I love squash, and cook with it semi-regularly, but this was a whole new level of good. I couldn't stop eating it! It's my new favorite!