Adventures in the Kitchen» Chicken

Orange Chicken with Vegetables

Cheri — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:15:40 +0000

The days seem to be fly together, today is Palm Sunday and April1. Doesn’t it just seem like we were celebrating New Year’s? Usually we are having warm balmy days here in Southern California but it has been cold and rainy of late.

I’ve been baking a great deal so I was craving protein and vegetables. I made a simple Spicy Orange Chicken Stir Fry. Orange chicken is one of my favorites meal at Chinese restaurants but that frying thing makes it less healthy. This gives you the taste of orange without all the calories.

The peas came in a CSA basket I got last week for another project. Have you tried that? It is a Community Supported Agriculture basket that supports your local farmers. I spent the weekend trying to figure out how to use it all. So be prepared for recipes to start coming your way.

This stir fry came together in the time it took the rice to cook. The key to making stir fries is preparation, have everything chopped and diced before you turn the heat on. If you work, chop the night before and then when you come home it will be ready to go. I am always happy when I did the prep the night before.

I started organizing my boards over at Pinterest. I worked on a Breakfast board this weekend. You can check it out here and follow me if you’d like.

My friend Angela released the first issue of Parisienne Farmgirl, a new magazine. I am pleased to share that a few new recipes of mine are included in her inaugural issue. If you subscribe you will find my a yummy pea soup recipe, a goat cheese tart inspired by my favorite french restaurant in New York and these yummy Gougeres served with a Jalapeño Jam. You can sign up here.

Orange Chicken with Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

220

1.7

Recipe for Orange Chicken stir fry, a healthy alternative to traditional Orange Chicken.

Ingredients

2 large chicken boneless, skinless breasts of chicken, cut into strips

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup orange pepper, chopped

1/2 cup snow peas

2 teaspoons cashews, chopped

2/3 cup orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

3 teaspoons soy sauce

1-2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

Instructions

Mix orange juice, soy sauce, chili sauce and cornstarch in a bowl.
Heat a pan over medium high heat with a tablespoon of canola oil. Place the garlic an chicken in and cook 4 minutes; add vegetables and cook another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle cashews in and cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce and cook until thickened. Serve over rice.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Pretzel Chicken with Mustard Dressing

Cheri — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:39:15 +0000

It’s Friday, let’s all do the happy dance. Have you adjusted post time change? I am loving the longer days. It is nice to get home and still have it be light.

For the last year I have wanted to try a pretzel coated chicken. Now I am wondering what took me so long. The salty pretzel crumbs coat the chicken and is served with a tart and tangy mustard sauce. I baked it but think it would be even better sautéed in a pan. I think the color and texture would be darker and crisper. This however, is much lower in calories, which is a huge plus as start moving towards spring and the return of the bathing suit.

For the pretzel crumbs, I used hard pretzels I found at Cost Plus . They have so many fun things. Each time I go in there I have to resist the urge to buy more. But back to the pretzels, I placed them in a food processor and then stored them in a plastic bag until ready to use.

I placed the chicken in a bag with the marinade and just before dredging, I flattened with a mallet. Great way to release a little stress.
The chicken turned out very moist in side with a crunch coating not the outside. The dressing is delicious, I could have licked the plate clean, of course I resisted that urge, but it paired so well with the crunchy and salty chicken. Cut into strips and bake chicken strips for the kids. They love to dip things and this is a healthy alternative to the fried strips.

Make this and set aside another cup of pretzel crumbs for a refreshing dessert I will share next week.

Pretzel Chicken with Mustard Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast

Recipe for a pretzel crusted chicken served with a sweet and tangy mustard sauce.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

2 cups pretzel crumbs (1/2 box of hard pretzels)

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Mix marinade in a small bowl.
Place chicken breasts in plastic bag with half the marinade. Let marinade for an hour or up to 8 hours. Pound with kitchen mallet to flatten prior to dredging.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with canola oil.
Dredge the chicken in the pretzel combs until well coated on both sides. Place in the baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with the remaining marinade as a dipping sauce.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Forty Cloves Garlic Chicken

Cheri — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:09:54 +0000

What happens when you mix forty cloves of roasted garlic with chicken stock, a splash of cognac and white wine? This amazingly delicious chicken. I was trying out recipes for a new digital magazine I am excited to be a part of, Parisienne Farmgirl. It is coming out April 1 and Angela, will be joining us here later this month to share about the magazine.

I was researching french bistro food and have always wanted to make this dish. It seemed like the right time and I finally did – why did wait so long?

You start with roasting the garlic. Brown the chicken, after dredging it with flour, salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and cook for 10 minutes. Add the stock, cognac and white wine and return the chicken to the pot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Take the chicken out, add a roux of flour and water and finish with a splash of cream. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat in a over at 350 degrees.

You have a few more days left to enter the giveaway for a Zoku Quick Pop Maker.

Are you on Pinterest? Follow me and see the recipes I am making elsewhere as well as new ones I hope to try here. I’d love to see what you are pinning. Now go and make this dish! Let me know if you do.

Forty Cloves Garlic Chicken

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

4-6 servings

The forty cloves of garlic is the base for a bistro dish that coats the chicken in a smooth, flavorful and luxurious sauce.

Ingredients

3 heads of garlic, skins removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 3 ½-4 pound chicken, cut into eighths

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons cognac

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Heat olive oil heavy pan over medium high heat.
Mix flour, salt and pepper together and put on a plate. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken in the fat, working in batches, until the chicken is brown on both sides.
Remove to a plate. Drop garlic in to the oil and sauté. Reduce heat to medium and cooking until evenly browned.
Add the chicken stock, wine and cognac and bring to a boil; scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is cooked.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour together and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat to medium, add the cream and boil for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Cheri — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:29:07 +0000

A few weeks ago I decided to make chicken stock. To do so I needed a chicken, so I roasted a chicken and then used the bones to make a stock. It was so easy I am not sure what took me so long. But back to the roast chicken. There is something comforting about it. It is the quintessential Sunday supper.

A few weeks ago my niece and nephews lost another little friend, Beck, to cancer. He was four years old. They have lost two friends in the last 10 months to cancer. I stared at a poster she had made listing 5 people she knew with cancer and three of them had died. One of their friends dad’s died from cancer and their grandmother has battled cancer the last few years. It was a sobering moment.

This week they had a ponytail-a-thon to raise money to decorate kids rooms fighting cancer. The donated hair will go towards wigs for children. Today there is a 2nd grade class with most of the girls sporting little bobs and looking like Kit Kitteredge. The same day they celebrated Beck’s life attending a beautiful beach side service with everyone paddling out as they released his ashes. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw this picture on my sister-in-laws facebook page.

Food is a comfort in painful times. We sit around the table and share meals with those we love. We talk about life and share our dreams. My niece and I had one of those conversations last weekend. I find myself wanting to guard her young heart from the pain that this world can bring. They have been so brave and compassionate, bringing encouragement and company to their little friend until days before his death.

In the midst of this, with a bag of meyer lemon’s sitting on the counter I thought about a lemon garlic chicken. Earlier this week I shared how to roast garlic . Well, I took part of that garlic and turned it into a roasted garlic butter that I rubbed the entire bird with. Using my fingers I massaged the butter under the skin and over the entire bird.

If you haven’t tried roasting a chicken, go buy a bird and give it a try. Invite your family to join you, remember those in your life that have gone and be thankful each day for the days God blesses us with. Cherish every moment with those you love. Celebrate the everyday with a feast around your table.

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 onion

1 meyer lemon, sliced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 head of garlic, roasted

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mash the garlic cloves with the butter, lemon juice and sea salt.
Place chicken in a roasting pan. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Take half the roasted garlic butter and with your hands spread in under the skin of the chicken.
Place onion, lemon and thyme inside cavity of chicken; using kitchen twine, tie legs together to enclose.
Transfer roasting pan to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.
Let sit for about 15 minutes before cutting.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Directions

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Cheri — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:16:25 +0000

I had a craving for Buffalo Wing something so I started looking around for inspiration. I saw this and then this and decided to give it a try. I made Buffalo Chicken Nachos for Two. Of course, you can upsize for a crowd with the Super Bowl this coming weekend.

In my college days we would go to TGIFriday’s and eat chicken wings along with other not super healthy food. I don’t have chicken wings very often these days but had a surplus of shredded chicken. It seemed like a good idea. It is a nice snack or light meal.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Looking at these pictures I think it’s time I get a new pan!

Then add the hot sauce. I used Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce.

Mix together to create the sauce.

Layer the chips. One of the recipes used Ranch tortilla chips but I used the regular chips I had in my pantry.

Place in the oven for a few minutes and dig in. Serve Ranch on the side. They really do capture the flavors of hot wings onto nachos.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

2 servings

Recipe for Buffalo Chicken Nachos for two served with ranch dressing.

Ingredients

2 cups tortilla chips

1 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

1/2 cup shredded chicken

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 stalk celery, sliced

2 tablespoons bleu cheese crumbles

Ranch dressing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan melt butter, add hot sauce and chicken. Stir and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Add in half the bleu cheese and stir.
Place 1 cup tortilla chips across the pan you are going to use to bake in and sprinkle half the cheddar cheese. Add half the chicken mixture and top with half the celery. Repeat. Top with remaining bleu cheese.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with ranch dressing on the side.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

It’s All About the Bees and Honey Chipotle Chicken

Cheri — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:06:23 +0000

Last weekend at my niece Olivia’s party we learned how honey is made. It was so cool. Her grandfather has four boxes of bees that Fernando is harvesting. As I write this I am positive I should have taken better notes so I could share the whole process, but the pictures will have do. These pictures are by Leanna Creel of Creel Films.

I wish I could give you a sample so that you could taste this beautiful honey. The honey is delicious and has a hint of eucalyptus. We learned the honey takes on the flavor of the trees around the bees. It tastes so much better than what you buy at the stores. Once you have tasted this you can’t have anything else. My sister-in-law was telling me disturbing info about the honey we buy in our grocery stores. I want to look into it before I share about that.

Honey has medicinal qualities and eating honey from your area is supposed to help with allergies.

He had a smoker that makes the bees sleepy. When you have 10 little girls and a little boy running around, sleepy bees are good.

He took out the frames from the boxes and even showed us the Queen bee. Each frame had 5 to 8 pounds of honey.

He pulled out these honeycomb frames which were bulging with honey.

He scraped it off and put it in this spinner. The girls were put to work!

At the end Fernandopoured the honey into these cute little bear jars and the girls got to take a taste home.

My job was to make these little thank you tags to go around the jars.

Truth is I have been hoarding the jar Joy gave me a few months ago. Why? I decided it was time to start enjoying this local nectar. I made Honey and Chipotle chicken. It is a quick and easy meal. Basically you saute your onions, add the chicken, a bit of chicken stock and garlic. After browning on both sides you add a mixture of chipotle and honey. The skillet goes into the oven for 8-10 minutes and you are ready to eat.

I served the chicken with a twice baked goat cheese and chile potato. The creamy potato was a nice compliment to the sweet and spicy chicken. I’ll have to be share that one with you soon! Sorry for the poor photos of the chicken! My flash was not working and these winter nights are killing me.

Are you on Pinterest? I love it and would love to have you join me. Follow me and I will follow you. My boards are a blend of ideas for food, home and crafts along with the work I am doing for Pillsbury and Betty Crocker.

Honey and Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half

salt & pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 chipotle pepper, minced

2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

In a small bowl mix 1/2 the chicken stock, chipotle and honey together. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a ovenproof skillet. Place the red onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Add garlic and half the stock. Let cook 1 minute.
Add the chipotle mix to the skillet and mix together. Place in oven for 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Baked Coconut Chicken with Spicy Orange Sauce

Cheri — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:37:53 +0000

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with special times with family and friends.

By New Year’s day I am ready for healthy food. The sweets and rich food, even when you try to watch it, can get the best of you. I find my body starts craving healthy and fresh.

Today, I made Baked Coconut Chicken with a Sweet and Spicy Orange Sauce. It is super easy to make and I think it a dish the kids will like too. Sorry about the not so great photo! These can be a meal or an appetizer at a party. For an appetizer I would cut into smaller pieces. They have 6 points on Weight Watchers Points Plus 2012.

You start by mixing the corn flakes, coconut and panko together in a bowl.

Place the egg white it one bowl and the flakes on a plate next to it. Dip each chicken strip in the egg whites and then in the crumbs. Make sure they are well coated.

I spray my baking sheet with canola and then spritz the top of the chicken strips too. This makes it a little extra crispy and helps brown.

In a small bowl mix the orange marmalade, chili sauce and soy sauce.

To kick off 2012 I am giving away a set of Food For Talk by Julianne Smith. This set of conversation starters will give your family ongoing conversation at the dinner table this year.

To win leave a comment below sharing one of your goals for 2012. For additional entries like Adventures In The Kitchen on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. Leave comments back here.

I will pick a winner Wednesday night. Come back here and see if you are a winner or subscribe to get regular emails. For more low fat recipes check out my other site, Skinny Chick Recipes.

Baked Coconut Chicken with Spicy Orange Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

4 servings

Serving Size: 3 strips

247

6.5 grams

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken strips

1/3 cup corn flakes, crushed

1/3 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

1/3 cup panko flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

1/2 cup sugar free orange marmalade

2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil.
Mix corn flakes, coconut, panko and salt in a bowl. Place on a plate.
Place egg white in a bowl.
Dip chicken strips in egg and then in crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and spritz with canola oil.
Bake 14 -16 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Mix dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with chicken for dipping.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Grilled Mexican Chicken Bowl

Cheri — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:02:26 +0000

It is August 1st and I am going back to work after a lovely 4 month break. This weekend was the launch of AIK radio and thank you to all who tuned in. It has been a bit busy around here but one night last week I recreated my favorite chicken bowl from Chipotle!

I love the grilled chicken, layered over cilantro rice and topped with crisp salsa topped vegetables. It is healthy, quick and spicy, depending on the salsa you use. You can make it for your family and use mild salsa for the kids and spicier for the adults. You could add beans as an additional layer for even more nutritional value.

This week we have a new giveaway. You can enter to win a $25 gift certificate to the Tom Kat Studios and a copy of one of Cathe Laurie’s favorite books, The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer.

Sign up for my new Adventures In The Kitchen newsletter for one entry. For a second entry like my Facebook page and leave a comment here. Share “Check on the Tomkat Studio giveway and listen to Adventures In The Kitchen on KKLA 99.5″ on twitter or Facebook for a third one and leave a comment.

Grilled Mexican Chicken Bowl

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

2 teaspoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 pasilla pepper, seeded and sliced

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced

1 orange pepper, seeded and sliced

1 clove garlic

1/2 onion sliced

Favorite Salsa - i used Frontero's Chiptole Salsa

Instructions

Mix oil and cumin with chicken breasts in a plastic bag. Marinade for at least one hour.
Grill on a grill pan or barbecue. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
In a non stick pan over medium high heat add garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes, add vegetables and cook until slightly charred but still firm. Toss with salsa.
Layer the rice, chicken and vegetables in a bowl or on a plate.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

2011 Cheri Liefeld

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tostadas

cheri — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:20:31 +0000

I have a confession to make. I never had a tostada before. Really most Mexican foods. It’s almost a crime living in Southern California. I have cooked up some tasty Mexican meals but that old picky eater thing kept rearing it’s ugly head. Well, recently I took a step to overcome that.

I created these after seeing this Chipotle Lime Salsa. I love the combination of chipotle and lime but needed a dish to partner with the salsa. I panfried the tortilla’s, grilled the chicken breast, pepper and tomato’s and then mixed them with a bit of salsa I had on hand. I had left over cabbage from this so I decided to mix with lime and cilantro for a sweet, tart slaw for the base of the tostada.

I ended up folding it over and eating it more like a taco. Either way, I loved my foray into Mexican and am already planning my next experiment. I’d love to hear what your favorite Mexican dish is.

I am in the midst of a blog remodel, so please excuse the little things that might be out of place. I hope to finish it up tomorrow.

2 chicken breasts
1 red pepper
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
Bottled salsa
4 flour tortillas

Lime Cilantro Slaw

Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup white cabbage
1/2 cup red cabbage
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons canola oil

Mix together in a small bowl.

Chipotle Lime Salsa

2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Honey, if needed

Mix together in a small bowl.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Five Favorite Recipes for Grilled Chicken

cheri — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:21:03 +0000

With barbecue season upon us I thought I would share my five favorite recipes for grilled chicken. If you prepare the sauce and salsa the night before you can come home and throw these on the grill for a quick family meal. Grill some of your favorite veggies to accompany the chicken.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Adventures in the Kitchen» Chicken

Orange Chicken with Vegetables

Pretzel Chicken with Mustard Dressing

Forty Cloves Garlic Chicken

Meyer Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

It’s All About the Bees and Honey Chipotle Chicken

Baked Coconut Chicken with Spicy Orange Sauce

Grilled Mexican Chicken Bowl

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tostadas

Five Favorite Recipes for Grilled Chicken

1. Hoisin BBQ Chicken with Tropical Salsa

2. Pineapple Glazed Chicken with Jalapeno Salsa

3. Grilled Firecracker Chicken

4. Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peach Sauce

5. Grilled Chicken with Mango Pineapple Salsa