Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw

This recipe comes from an article in the Deseret News about the 2009 National Chicken Cooking Contest put on by the National Chicken Council. The winning recipe: Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw. The reviews were astounding so I knew I had to try it. Fast forward two years and I finally made them. This recipe was a bit intimidating to me for two reasons. 1: I don't like cooking with ground chicken, and 2: there are a lot of steps.

Well, I discovered cooking with ground hcicken isn't so bad and the recipe itself wasn't all that time consuming. Even better, it was delicious! Even better, my kids loved them because they thought they were eating regular hamburgers.

Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw

2 lbs ground chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
1/3 cup sliced scallions
6 hamburger buns with sesame seeds
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
sliced scallion

Sriracha Lime Mayo 
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 limes, juice and zest of
2 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce

Rainbow Sesame Slaw

2/3 cup julienned bell peppers ( red, orange, yellow or any color combination)
2/3 cup julienned snow peas ( strings removed)
2/3 cup julienned jicama
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In large bowl, mix together ground chicken, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, lemongrass and scallions. Divide the mixture into 6 patties and set aside.

Place a grill pan over medium heat. Spread softened butter on hamburger buns and place on grill pan until light brown. Wipe grill pan with paper towel and brush with vegetable oil.
Place chicken patties on grill pan and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 7 minutes per side. During last few minutes of cooking, baste each burger with 1 tablespoon of the hoisin sauce.
To assemble, place 1 tablespoon Sriracha Lime Mayo on each bottom and top bun. Place chicken on bun bottoms and top each with 1/3 cup Rainbow Sesame Slaw. Serve with any remaining slaw and mayo on the side. Garnish with scallions. Enjoy!
Makes 6 servings.
 

Sriracha Lime Mayo:
In small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, zest and juice of lime and Sriracha chile sauce. Set aside.
Rainbow Sesame Slaw:
In medium size bowl, mix together bell peppers, julienned snow peas, julienned jicama, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, Sriracha chile sauce, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad. I also have been intimidated by it... who knows why because most recipes are super easy! In a recent issue of Food Network magazine, they featured several different pasta salad recipes with ingredients were listed, but not the amounts of each ingredient. I like this idea because it allows you to put in a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The ingredients for the pasta salad I chose where: Fusilli, Asparagus, Corn, Sun dried Tomatoes, and Creamy Parmesan Dressing. I will try to guesstimate the amounts I used, but take some time and have fun at making it your own!

Asparagus Pasta Salad

16 oz package of Fussili or other corkscrew pasta
1/2 lb of asparagus (fresh or frozen)
6 oz of corn
8 oz container drained and chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 bottle of creamy Parmesan dressing (which I could not find so I just used a creamy cheese dressing)

Cook pasta in salted water, drain and cool. Meanwhile, broil asparagus brushed with olive oil for 7-10 minutes until crisp. Let asparagus cool, and cut into 1 inch pieces. After pasta has cooled add all ingredients together and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat! I also added some grilled chicken to mine to make it more of a meal than a side dish.

First Annual Cougar Board Charity Cook Off

This past weekend our family attended the First Annual Cougar Board Charity Cook Off. What is cougarboard? Well, it is not a place where I prowl on boys half my age. It is a message board for all that is BYU sports and more, much much more. My husband is addicted to it, and I may admit I am too. The people who run the message board decided to do a cook off and chairety event to support a cancer support group. Since our family is all about food, we decided to enter ALL FOUR CATEGORIES. This consisted of: meat, hot wings, chili and dessert. I was in charge of the hot wings, my husband was in charge of everything else (this was all his idea by the way).

Starting at 4am, My husband was out attending to his smoked pork shoulder, and through out the day we simmered chili, constructed a dessert and fried up some wings!

I cannot say the competition was fierce, but there was some great food there. In the end, we came out pretty well.

The husband placed 3rd with his smoked pulled pork. Honestly, he was up against ribs and brisket.  The judges did not bother to try his amazing secret bbq sauce either, so pulling out a third place with plain smoked pulled pork was pretty awesome.

I placed second with my hot wings. Please do not ask how many competitors their were. It will make my second place win be more like last place... I don't think the judges were quite ready for the hot part of my hot wings. I used Bobby Flay's recipe for hot wings and blue cheese yogurt sauce. I used peppers that we grew in our garden, which may have possibly made it a bit to spicy for most palates. However, I thought they were delicious! I also won some pretty awesome BYU beenies so all is good.

We did not place in the chili portion. However, my husband made some pretty awesome chili. He took the recipe for our favorite beans, and made a chili out of it by adding some tomato paste and other ingredients.

Husband also placed third in desserts, and EVERYONE agreed he was robbed. He lost to two desserts that looked like they were made from a boxed cake mix. I was not a judge but I tried all the desserts and only one even came close. It was a Key lime cheese cake, and they didn't win anything! But, that is how it goes. I loved the dessert so much that I want to share it with you

Carmel Fudge Cake

Take your favorite recipe of yellow cake
Good melting caramel
favorite chocolate ganache recipe
whipping cream whipped yo to perfection

Bake your yellow cake in two 8 inch cake pans. After cooking, cooling, and de-panning, pick the cake that came out the best and cut it in half (like a layer cake). Fill the middle with melted caramel, replace the top part, cover it with more caramel. Refrigerate it for a bit, the cover the top with chocolate ganache and sever with the whipped cream.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wraps

This another quick and healthy recipe. Unfortunately it was a fussy evening for baby, so I was not able to snap picture. These were really good, but a little too spicy for my kids, and they like spice. They did eat at least half of it though. My husband and I enjoyed them A LOT. I will be making these again, but maybe just for lunch for me.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wraps
from The Foodees

Sauce:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. finely chopped seedless cucumber
1 T. honey
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
ground black pepper to taste

Chicken:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
1 c. thick and chunky salsa
1 T. honey
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

Mix together the mayonnaise, cucumber, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat, and cook and stir the chicken breast strips until they are beginning to turn golden and are no longer pink in the middle.

Stir in the salsa, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.
Stack the tortillas, 4 at a time, in a microwave oven and heat until warm and pliable, 20 to 30 seconds per batch.

Spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise-cucumber mixture, top with a layer of baby spinach leaves, and arrange about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture on the spinach leaves.
Fold the bottom of each tortilla up about 2 inches, and start rolling the burrito from the right side. When the burrito is half-rolled, fold the top of the tortilla down, enclosing the filling, and continue rolling to make a tight, compact cylinder. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

Keep trying to motivate myself to cook during this pregnancy. It is sorta working. The key is to find recipes I really want to try out, like this one! Honestly, I would probably eat anything out of a bread bowl. However, this is very delicious, and my husband loved it! The key is baking the bread bowls before filling them, it makes it warm and crispy. We left the broccoli out, but if I was the only one eating, I totally would have put it in!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Note: if you don't have apple juice on hand, you can omit the apple juice and increase the chicken broth to 1 3/4 cups.

Serves 4-6

For the Chicken and Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts)

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup apple juice

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2-3 cups broccoli florets

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:

4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls 

8-10 thin slices smoked ham

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn't cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.

Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

Creole Chicken Wraps

These were delicious! I this recipe in my all time favorite Food Network magazine, and created one of my favorite food networks stars, Guy Fieri. These were very easy to make, and I was able to make them kid friend too! We all loved them and I think we need to have them again soon.

Creole Chicken Wraps

For the Rub:

    * 2 tablespoons paprika
    * 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    * 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    * 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    * 1 teaspoon chili powder
    * 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Wraps:

    * 1 cup mayonnaise
    * 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
    * Vegetable oil, for the grill
    * 4 pieces flatbread    
    * 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    * 4 plum tomatoes, sliced
    * 1 Maui onion, thinly sliced
    * 1 small red onion, sliced
    * 8 romaine lettuce leaves

Make the rub: Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

Prepare the wraps: Whisk the mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the rub in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Toss the chicken with 3 tablespoons rub. Oil the grill; grill the chicken until marked, about 6 minutes. Turn and grill until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Wipe the grill clean and brush with more oil. Lay the bread on the grill, then brush with the spiced mayonnaise and top with mozzarella. Grill until the bottom is marked, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Cube the chicken and arrange down the center of each piece of bread. Top with the tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Roll up and wrap with parchment paper or foil to seal.

Asian BBQ Chicken

This recipe is simple and easy, my favorite. Just make sure you buy chicken thighs and not chicken breasts like I did. It was still good, but I think the flavor would be so much deeper with the dark meet of the chicken thighs! I served it with white rice and peas cooked in sesame oil. Altogether it was very delicious!

Asian BBQ Chicken
from Our Best Bites
1/4 C packed brown sugar1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the marinade in a small bowl and place the rest, with the chicken, in a zip-lock bag. (If your chicken pieces are extra large and you feel like you need a little more marinade, you can always add a bit of water to stretch it.) Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is best.

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.
 

Curry Coconut Chicken

This is a recipe we have had for several years, and it is a family favorite. I we love curry's and rice a lot, plus I find it easy to hide vegetables in it! I have been known on occasion to make this a little spicy, so be careful when putting in the red pepper flakes, you probably will not want to use the whole amount it asks for.

Curry Coconut Chicken

1 1/4 c cocnut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper
1 1/2 tbps minced garlic
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts

Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces or strips, cook in olive with salt and pepper, then set aside. Combine coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a wok or large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add red pepper, minced garlic, and curry powder (this is also when I throw in extra veggies like peas, carrots, broccoli) and stir fry for 15 sec. Add coconut milk mixture and chicken to garlic mixture and cook until sauce is thickened. Serve over noodles or rice.

Hot-Pepper Wings

This is a great wing recipe, and delivers a different flavor then your typical hot wings recipes. These are easy to make, mostly because you bake them. Also, it turns a fun green color, which can be cool or unappetizing depending on how you look at it. Oh, and be careful about which kind of green pepper sauce you buy. I accidentally bought green habenero pepper sauce, and all though they tasted delicious, they were super spicy!

Photo Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Hot Pepper Wings

Season 3 pounds chicken wings with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F until golden, about 40 minutes. Melt 4 tablespoons butter with a 2-ounce bottle of green hot sauce. Pour over the wings and bake 15 more minutes. Toss the wings with 1/2 cup each chopped cilantro and scallions. Top with sliced pickled jalapenos.

Carolina Shredded Chicken

This is a fun recipe, but please note:

1. chicken thighs are fatty, so WATCH your grill, or they will catch on fire.
2. And your grill might catch on fire.
3. If it does catch on fire, you will be spending sometime scraping off the chard part on the chicken
4. And even then the chicken will not be a beautiful orange color when you serve it, it will be blackish brown and a little unappetizing.

However, if this all does happen to you, do not fear! It still tastes delicious!

Not that this happened to me, but that may be the reason why there is no picture to go with this recipe.


Carolina Shredded Chicken
from Family Circle June 10

6  bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2 pounds)
1/2  teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4  teaspoon paprika
1  tablespoon vegetable oil
1  small onion, diced
2/3  cup vinegar
1/2  cup ketchup
1/4  cup packed light-brown sugar
1  tablespoon spicy brown mustard
6  sandwich buns

  Heat gas grill to medium-high or charcoal grill to medium-hot coals. Chicken: Sprinkle chicken on all sides with seasoned salt and paprika. When grill is ready, place chicken on grill grate. Cook, turning once, for 18 minutes, or until thigh registers 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Meanwhile, prepare Sauce: Heat oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove chicken from grill and allow to cool slightly. With two forks or your hands, shred meat from bones. Add shredded chicken to sauce and heat through. Divide chicken evenly among sandwich buns, a heaping 1/3 cup on each. Serve with Coleslaw.

Ranch Wings

If you haven't noticed yet, we are big fans of hot wings. I love trying out new recipes, and the Food Network Magazine seems to have a new one every month! I found this recipe in the June 2010 issue. It is great because they are not spicy! Instead, the dipping sauce is spicy, so that way everyone can eat them, and those who enjoy a kick, can just dip them! My kids loved these, and we will be making them again!

Ranch Wings

2 pounds chicken wings,split at the joint, tips removed
3 1-ounce packets ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup honey


Toss the wings with 1 packet dressing mix in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Whisk the flour, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 packet dressing mix in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, 2 tablespoons water and the remaining packet dressing mix. Dredge the wings a few at a time in the seasoned flour, then dip into the egg mixture and return to the flour mixture, turning to coat. Transfer to a rack.
Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Fry the wings in batches until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Whisk the hot sauce and honey in a bowl. Serve with the wings.

Almost-Famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The Food Network Magazine has this awesome section in every issue where they share a "secret" recipe. So far it has always been a dish from a restaurant I love. In the June 2010 issue, it was a knock-off recipe for PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps! The best part is that the recipe come pretty close to the real thing, and it is simple to make!

I apologize for the pictures. It was late and I was hungry.

Almost-Famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For the Chicken:

    * 1 large egg white
    * 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    * 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
    * 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
    *

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

    * 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
    * 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
    * 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
    * 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
    * 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    * 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    *

For the Noodles:

    * 2 bundles cellophane noodles
    * Peanut oil, for frying
    *

For the Stir-Fry:

    * 4 tablespoons peanut oil
    * 3 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
    * 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
    * 4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
    * Kosher salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    * 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms,stemmed and diced
    * 3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
    * Small lettuce leaves, for serving
    * Soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, the rice wine and sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until dissolved.

Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.

Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

Thai Chicken Sesame Noodles

I mentioned in a previous post, I have been searching for a good asian noodle dish. I am excited to announce, I found one! This recipe was e-mailed to me several months ago, and I finally dared to try it. This one is a keeper. I was a little hesitant with the whole peanut butter thing, but it worked! My husband suggested that we add halved cashews next time, and I believe that will make it outstanding.

Thai Chicken Sesame Noodles:

1 C prepared Good Seasons Oriental Sesame salad dressing (divided) (I just bought kraft asian sesame dressing and it worked fine)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
2 Tbs. each of chunky peanut butter and honey (I didn't use chunky)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
8 ounces spaghetti cooked and drained
1/4 C each shredded carrot and sliced green onions
1/4 C chopped cilantro

Pour 1/3 C of dressing over chicken in medium bowl, toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to marinate.  Drain, discard dressing.  Mix remaining 2/3 C dressing, peanut butter, honey, and pepper, set aside.  Cook chicken in large skillet on medium high heat about 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Mix chicken, spaghetti, carrot, onions, and cilantro in large bowl.  Add peanut butter mixture, toss to coat.  I also added some peas, but you can be creative and add other fun veggies too!
 

Taco Wantons

This is a great summer recipe. It requires few ingredients, and minimal cooking! This recipe is originally an appetizer recipe, but at our house we eat appetizers for meals sometimes, that's just how we roll.
This time around I made the wantons with ground beef, but you can also use chicken.

This is a great one for the kids to help with! 

Taco Wantons

12 wanton wrappers
1/2 package taco seasoning
10 oz of ground beef or 10 oz of chicken ( I used 8 chicken breast tenders)
ranch dressing
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 12 count cupcake pan. Place one wanton wrapper in each cup.

Beef method: Cook ground beef with taco seasoning. Remove from heat and mix in the ranch dressing to taste (you want it to be moist, but not runny).

Chicken method: Boil chicken in a sauce pan until cooked. Place chicken in a mixing bowl and shred. Add taco seasoning and ranch dressing to the chicken. Add dressing until mixture is creamy, but not runny.

For both: Place a spoonful of meat mixture into each wanton. Top with cheese and stick in a 350 degree oven until cheese is thoroughly melted (put the wantons on the lowest rack, so the bottoms have a chance get firm. If you don't cook it long enough, the bottom of the wantons can get soggy). Top with salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Roll-Ups

Another great recipe from my mother-in-law. I loves these because they are simple, the kids love them, and you can freeze them for later!

Chicken Roll-Ups

2 tbsp onion chopped (or green onion)
8 oz of cream cheese
1/2 c melted margarine
1 1/2 c cubed chicken
2 pkg. refrigerator biscuits or crescent rolls
Bread crumbs or stove topped stuffing (I used panko mixed with some poultry seasoning)

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix onion, cream cheese, butter and chicken for filling (I left the butter out, to make it healthier, and haven't noticed a difference). Flatten out biscuits. Place heaping tablespoon of chicken filling in the center of the biscuit and fold biscuit over and pinch shut. Dip or roll in butter and then bread crumbs. Bake at 325 for 30 min or until lightly browned. If you want, you can serve with heated cream of chicken soup and a sauce.

Uncle Bubba's Wings

This is yet another wing recipe from the January/February Food Network magazine hot wing section. This recipe is from Paula Deen (my favorite food network star!). This was a good recipe, simple and straight forward. This is a little like the Bobby Flay recipe, but not quite as good unfortunately. My favorite part is the dipping sauces, so be sure not to leave them out!

Uncle Bubba's Wings

    *  3 pounds chicken wings
    * 1 1/2 cups hot Sauce
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun spice
    * 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
    * 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
    * Oil, for frying
    * Buffalo Sauce, recipe follows
    * Thai Dipping Sauce, recipe follows


Combine hot sauce, and Cajun spice, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well and cover wings. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep sided pot to 350 degrees F.

Remove wings from marinade and drain off excess moisture. Add wings carefully and in batches to hot oil, it splatters. Cook until crispy about 10 minutes. Serve with dipping sauces.

Buffalo sauce:

8 tablespoons softened butter

8 tablespoons hot sauce

Combine butter and hot sauce. Whisk until blended.

Thai Dipping Sauce:

1 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (available at Asian Markets or in Asian aisle of supermarket)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Mix chili and soy sauce until well blended.

Pat's Spicy Fried Wings

This is another hot wing recipe from the Food Network Magazine Wing section. I really liked these wings,  but my husband and I both agreed that Bobby Flay's were better! These are pretty good, but they were not as spicy as I was expecting. These are dry wings, meaning you don't toss them in a butter/hot sauce mixture.

Pat's Spicy Fried Wings

Spicy Chicken Seasoning Ingredients:

    * 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
    * 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
    * 2 teaspoons black pepper
    * 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
    * 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
    * 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper
    * 12 whole chicken wings, cut in 1/2 at the joint

Spicy Chicken Batter:

    * 2 eggs
    * 2 tablespoons hot sauce
    * 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
    * 1 teaspoon black pepper
    * 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour
    * Vegetable oil, to fry
    * Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

In a small bowl whisk together seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning, and lemon pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons in a separate bowl.

Rinse chicken wings in cold water and place into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the wings evenly with the seasoning, and let them marinate, covered and chilled, for 1 hour.

Whisk eggs, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a medium size mixing bowl. Reserve. Put the flour into a shallow dish or pie plate.

In a large deep-fryer or large Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F on a deep-fat thermometer.

Dredge chicken wings into the egg mixture then into the flour. Place wings 3 at a time into the hot oil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Make sure oil returns to temperature before adding the next batch. Sprinkle the wings with the reserved seasoning for extra hot wings.

Serve with dipping sauce.

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

    * 1 cup sour cream
    * 2 tablespoons horseradish
    * 1/4 tablespoon chili sauce
    * 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Tiki Masala and Flat Bread

 I love Indian food, but sadly this is my only Indian food recipe. I do not even know how authentic it is, but is is very good, and can be very spicy if you want. For the flat bread, I have tried a few different recipes and have not liked the results. This one I tried for the first time and is now my new favorite. It is not a traditional flat bread you would normally get at an Indian restaurant, but it is very good, and goes well with this dish!

Tiki Masala

Marinade
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground red pepper (for less heat, use less)
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ginger
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup whipping cream
1 can of chopped tomatos, drained
¼ c shredded carrots
½ cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For marinade, combine sour cream, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a medium bowl or food-safe plastic bag; stir in chicken, marinate in refrigerator 1 hour.
 For sauce, melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add garlic and jalapeno; cook 1 minute.
Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt.
Stir in tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, carrots and peas. Simmer 15 minutes, stir in cream; simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat pan to medium-high.
Remove chicken from refrigerator.
 Cook chicken either in the oven or in a frying pan over medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Add chicken to sauce
Simmer 5 minutes. Add cilantro.
Serve with rice.
*Garam masala is sold in Indian markets and some specialty stores. I found it at the regular grocery store in McCormick's brand.

Flat Bread
from Our Best Bites

1 c. warm water
2 packets or 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly.
In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, combine 2 c. flour, olive oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Add in yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add in another 1/4-1/2 c. of flour or until a very soft dough is formed. Cover with a clean towel and allow to stand about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Spray a baking sheet and then your hands with cooking spray. Punch dough down and then remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet and spread into a circle about 1/2" thick and 11-12"-ish inches in diameter. Cover and allow to rise another 30 minutes.
While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400. When dough has risen, use your fingers to make indentations in the dough. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining Kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Microwave Taco Chicken

This is another one of my mother-in-laws recipes. We love this, and it is so great to have on those cold winter days (or cold spring days). It is  very easy to make, and you can feed a lot of people (or double it and feed even more people)! We call it microwave taco chicken, but it is not done in the microwave, and I have no idea why we call it this.  Our kids love this too, mostly because of the tortilla chips and the cheese. This is also a great recipe to freeze!

Microwave Taco Chicken

 2 14 ½ oz crushed tomatoes

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

½ kosher salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

3 whole chicken breasts cubed and cooked

1 can green chilies

1 c chicken broth

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 can olives drained and chopped

 Pour tomatoes into a large saucepan. Add salt, garlic, green chilies, olives, and heat. In another small pan, add cornstarch to chicken broth and heat on low while stirring until dissolved. Meanwhile, cook chicken with taco seasoning. Add meat to tomato mixture, and then add broth. Stir until thickened. Serve on top of crushed tortilla chips with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Hot Wings with Blue Cheese Yogurt Sauce

In the Jan/Feb issue of Food Network Magazine there is an entire section with different hot wings recipes from some of the top food network chefs. So far we have tried Alton Brown's and Bobby Flay's. Alton Brown's recipe was a really good basic hot wings recipe, and we really enjoyed them. Just recently we tried out Bobby Flay's. These were amazing! Not too spicy, and just a little bit of sweetness. The yogurt dipping sauce was the kicker, it matched the flavor of the hot wings perfectly!

We are big hot wings fans in our house, so my goal is to make all of the hot wing recipes in the next few months.

Hot Wings with Blue Cheese Yogurt Sauce

For the Blue Cheese Sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Cabrales)

2 tablespoons finely grated red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Hot Wings:

Peanut oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ancho chili powder, plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 pounds chicken wings split at the joint, wing tips removed and discarded

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons pureed chipotle chile in adobo

1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 tablespoons honey

1 stick unsalted butter, quartered

Finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Jicama sticks (instead of celery)
 
For the Blue Cheese Sauce:
Stir together the yogurt, blue cheese, red onion, cilantro and salt and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

For the Hot Wings: 
Heat 2-inches of the oil in a large, high-sided pan until it reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, to taste, 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Season the wings with salt and pepper and add the wings in batches to the flour mixture to lightly coat and tap off excess flour. Add the wings in batches and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Bring the vinegar, chipotle puree, 2 tablespoons chili powder and New Mexico chili powder to a simmer in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the mustard, salt, honey, and butter until smooth. Add the wings to the mixture and toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro and serve with jicama sticks and blue cheese sauce
.