Baked Orange Chicken

I made this the other night for the first time and it was SO yummy!!!  My pickiest eater LOVED it!!  It's absolutely delicious, with a tangy, fresh flavor!  It was great leftover too!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

BAKED ORANGE CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups cornstarch

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

Orange Sauce:

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Zest of 1 orange

1)    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2)    Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken pieces.

3)    Add chicken pieces to a gallon sized Ziploc bag (or you can use a bowl) and add the cornstarch.  Close the bag and shake to mix it together and coat the chicken pieces.

4)    Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork.

5)    Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6)    Take a handful of cornstarch coated chicken pieces and place in the egg.  Coat both sides of each piece and place in the hot oil.  Let cook for 2-3 minutes per side.

7)    After frying, place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel, then transfer to 9 x 13 dish.

8)    Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all chicken pieces have been browned in the oil.

9)    Combine all the ingredients for the orange sauce into a small bowl and stir with a whisk until mixed.  Pour over the chicken and stir to coat all of the chicken pieces.

10)  Bake uncovered for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes to make sure it stays coated in the sauce.

11)   Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

NOTES:

~Since many soy sauces aren't gluten free (they contain wheat), I used Liquid Aminos.

~When you fry the chicken pieces in the oil, you aren't cooking them through, you are just getting the outside brown and crispy.

~To test the oil for readiness, take a pinch of cornstarch and toss it in the oil.  If it sizzles, it's ready.

~One recipe of the sauce makes enough to coat the chicken, but it's not super saucy and there is barely enough to put on the rice.  I didn't mind it this way, but if you want extra sauce for the rice, I would double the sauce recipe.

~The recipe says to cook for an hour.  I check the chicken by cutting a piece open after 30 minutes, and it was cooked through, so I took mine out at that point.

~I used a large naval orange for the zest.  Whatever you use, just make sure you wash it before zesting!

Crispy Baked Chicken Legs

These are so easy and so delicious!!  Flavorful, crispy skin outside and tender, juicy meat inside!  Best part, kids just love eating them!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN LEGS

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds chicken legs with skin on

1)  Preheat oven to 425F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2)  Mix spices in a small dish and set aside.

3)  Lay chicken legs on greased foil and brush each leg with olive oil.

4)  Sprinkle the seasoning mix over each leg.

5)  Bake 40-45 minutes or until browned and meat thermometer registers 165 degrees or higher.

6)  Cool for at least 10 minutes and serve with your favorite sides.

NOTES:

~I always use Kosher salt when I'm cooking.

~Sometimes I throw a little garlic powder in with the spices too.  You can change it up if you like!

Best Ever Italian Meatloaf

A friend gave me this recipe years ago (sorry it took me so long to post it) and it is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES!!!  It's so flavorful, delicious and simple to make!!  I am confident you'll love it as much as I do!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

BEST EVER ITALIAN MEATLOAF

2 large eggs

1 onion, quartered

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the kind with the green label)

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

For The Sauce:

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Topping:

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.

2)  Add the first 9 ingredients to a food processor or a good blender.  Process well for a minute or two until the mixture is smooth.

3)  Add this mixture to the meat in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and mix together thoroughly.

4)  For the sauce, just use the same food processor/blender, you don't even need to rinse it.  Add the 7 sauce ingredients to the food processor/blender and process until smooth.

5)  Pour half of the sauce into the baking dish with the meat mixture and mix well.  Press the meat out flat and pour the remaining sauce over the top, then top with the mozzarella cheese.

6)  Bake 50 minutes.

7)  Cool 10 minutes, then cut into squares and enjoy!

NOTES:

~The meat loaf will shrink up as it bakes and it will release a lot of juices.  I usually get rid of about 1/2 of the juices and keep half to pour over the pieces as you serve them.

~After storing any leftovers in the fridge, the fat will come to the top and solidify.  I discard it and just use the juice that remains underneath.

~You can leave the sugar out or add a bit more if you like it a little sweeter.

~This recipes goes well with a nice tossed salad and some garlic bread!

Tanghulu

This treat originated in China!  Believe it or not, my 13 year old son saw it on Tik Tok and was dying to try it. We did, and it was super yummy and super easy too!!  We did strawberries the first time and they were delicious.  We learned a few tricks in the process that I will share with you.  We made it again and tried cutie orange segments and grapes in addition to the strawberries.  My son loved the oranges, I thought they tasted a little weird, but weren't horrible.  The grapes were delicious and of course the strawberries are probably the favorite!  What a great crunch and so fun to eat!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

TANGHULU

Fruit of your choosing (strawberries, grapes, orange segments)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1)  Lay out some wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Spray the paper lightly with coconut oil cooking spray.  Rub it with your hand to spread the oil out thinly and evenly, you don't want too much.  Set aside.

2) Pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan.  Do not stir it.  Just give it a little shake in the pan to combine the two slightly.

3) Put over medium heat until the mixture becomes bubbly and golden brown. DO NOT STIR!

4)  As soon as it turns golden brown, turn the heat down slightly and quickly dip your fruit and set aside on the prepared wax paper.

5) Place the tray in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes so the fruit can cool.  Then pop them in your mouth and enjoy!

NOTES:

~We used fondue forks to dip, but you could also use skewers, or even toothpicks, but be careful, you definitely don't want to get this on you!!  I wouldn't let young children dip, since the mixture is sticky and very, very hot!!

~Dip quickly so the mixture doesn't burn!

~This coats maybe 10-15 pieces, depending on the size.  Double the recipe to do more fruit!

~If you don't wait for it to brown, it won't harden, so be patient! Turning the heat up too high will only burn it, not make it go faster!

~I recommend cutting the leaves off the strawberries so you can just pop them into your mouth when they are done!  If you bite into it, the coating can easily break apart and fall off.

Southern-Style Barbecue Ribs

I tried this recipe for the first time last night and it was SO INCREDIBLY YUMMY!!!! 💛  I was shocked that all of my boys liked it too!  Even my pickiest eaters!  It is so juicy and tender, it just melts in your mouth!  So much flavor too!!  You're gonna LOVE this one!!

Enjoy!

Kirsten

SOUTHERN-STYLE BARBECUE RIBS

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or more to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne or more to taste

5-6 pounds southern-style (country-style) pork ribs

1)  Stir together the first 5 ingredients (onion through vinegar) in the slow cooker crock; set aside.

2)  In a separate bowl, stir together the next 10 ingredients (brown sugar through cayenne).

3)  Generously coat the ribs with this mixture and set them in the crock pot.  Sprinkle any remaining spices over the ribs.

4)  Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.

5)  To serve, transfer ribs to a serving platter and cover with foil.   Skim and discard any visible fat fro the surface of the cooking juices.  Stir the juices and spoon some of the juices over the ribs before serving.

NOTES:

~With this pandemic going on, I couldn't find the tapioca at my grocery store, so I just made it without it.  I was going to use a little cornstarch or gelatin instead at the end if needed, but I didn't feel like the sauce needed thickening at all.

~I did not add more chipotle or cayenne than the recipe says and it had a nice heat to it!  If you like things really spicy, I would add more!

~I served the ribs with baked beans, mac n' cheese and a salad.

Grilled Chicken Skewers

I made these for the first time this week and everyone in my family LOVED them!!  I didn't add any "heat" to them, but I think they would be even better with a little cayenne added for some background heat!  I hope you like them as much as we did!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

1)  Wash and trim excess fat from chicken thighs.

2)  Cut chicken into 2-inch strips.

3)  Combine chicken strips and all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Stir until well blended.

4)  Cover and refrigerate.  Let marinate at least 20 minutes.

5)  Place chicken slices on individual skewers.

6)  Place skewers on grill over medium heat.  Cook thoroughly on each side until done.

NOTES:

~I always use kosher salt in my recipes.

~I used bamboo skewers.  If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before you add the meat and put them on the grill!

~I served this with white rice and a side salad.  Everyone said that it went really well with the rice!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts

Hi friends!  I tried this recipe a couple of nights ago and it was so yummy!!  Most of my kids loved it.  A couple of them didn't like the taste of the crispy Parmesan coating, but they just scrapped it off.  I am a big proponent of making the kids eat what I make, but if they really don't like something, I'll make slight alterations to accommodate them, like leaving the sauce off or not putting seasoning on.  So next time I make this recipe, I'll probably just do a more traditional seasoning for the ones that don't like the Parmesan.

My husband and I loved it, as well as a few of the boys!  It's a very simple and quick recipe as well, so that's a plus!

I hope you enjoy it!
Kirsten

PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

2 ounces Parmesan cheese (about 2/3 cup grated)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1)  Coarsely grate the Parmesan cheese.

2)  Put the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound it out to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch.

3)  Rub the top side of the breasts with half the mustard, then sprinkle with half the cheese, pressing lightly so it adheres, and season with half the pepper.  Flip the chicken pieces over and repeat on the other side.

4)  Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook, without moving it, until the cheese on the bottom forms a deep brown crust that releases fairly easily from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.  Flip and repeat on the other side, cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

NOTES:

~I used the grated Parm in the green can and it was great!  Instead of sprinkling it on, I put the cheese in a dish and laid the chicken in it and pressed down.

~I doubled the recipe and did 8 breasts, since my family is a bit on the large side!