Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Ranch Sauce

This is my second try at this one. I've been meaning to redo this one for a long time! Here's the original link. You can tell by my photo, this one went much better. :)

Ingredients
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup refrigerated sour cream ranch dip
2/3 cup chopped green onions
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
¾ cup buffalo wing sauce
12 tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix soup, dip and 1/3 cup of the onions. In large bowl, mix chicken and buffalo wing sauce until coated. Spoon 2 tbsp soup mixture down center of each tortilla. Reserve ½ cup cheese for garnish. Top each tortilla with about ¼ cup chicken mixture and scant ¼ cup cheese. Fold sides of tortillas over filling; place seam side down in baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup cheese and remaining 1/3 cup onions. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes long or until cheese is melted.

I still didn't have green onions this time. And I didn't have enough extra soup mixture to put ontop, so I opened a can of cream of chicken and dumped it ontop. (I was out of ranch dip, or I would've mixed them together.) My buffalo sauce was still a little hot, but it was tolerable with the extra sauce on top. I'm assuming if you know your buffalo sauce isn't too hot for you, you'll be in good shape. A tasty enchilada. I ate all the leftovers for lunch the following week. :)

Denny's BBQ Chicken Sandwich

This is a Top Secret Recipe. I actually had this at Denny's and so I wanted to try this recipe. It was pretty darn good.

Sweet Hickory Spread Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 cup minced onion
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp hickory salt

2 skinless chicken breast fillets
vegetable oil
salt
ground black pepper
2 hamburger buns
2 tbsp melted butter
2 leaves green leaf lettuce
4 tomato slices
2 slices cheddar cheese
French fried onions

Prepare sweet hickory spread by melting 3 tbsp butter over medium/low heat. Add 1 cup minced onion and sautee for 7 to 10 minutes or until the onions start to brown. Add 2 tsp flour and stir until the flour is mixed in. Let this cook for a minute or two, then add molasses, water, vinegar, and hickory salty. Simmer sauce for 3 to 4 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and cover.

To cook the chicken, preheat a skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Pound your chicken with a kitchen mallet so that it has a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch, then trim any excess meat away that would hand off the sandwich. (Pretty sure I didn't trim anything. No wasting here!) Rub each chicken breast with some canola oil, then sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Grill chicken for 4 to 6 minutes per side until done.

As your chicken cooks, spread a little butter on the faces of your two hamburger buns and toast on another skillet or griddle. Build each sandwich by first spreading some of the sweet hickory spread on the face of the bottom bun. Tear a leaf of lettuce to fit on the bottom bun. Arrange two tomato slices on the lettuce. Stack the grilled chicken breast on the tomato slices. Place a slice of cheddar on the chicken breast. Stack a handful of french fried onions then top with the hamburger bun. Serve with bbq sauce on the side.

Yummy. Makes me hungry writing about.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This is another Pillsbury recipe. I really liked it. But anything with french fried onions is usually great in my book.

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 pckg (8 oz) sliced fresh baby portabella mushrooms (I bought these and was so excited about them, but they got moldy before I used them. Sad. So I just used canned mushrooms.)
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (standard mustard for me)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 lb. frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
1 can  (8 oz) sliced water chesnuts, drained (I'm not a fan, so I left these out)
1 cup shredded American-cheddar cheese blend (4 oz)
1 can french fried onions (2.8 oz)

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned. In large bowl, mix soup, milk, mustard, salt, thyme and pepper. Stir in mushrooms, chicken, broccoli and water chesnuts. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle french fried onions over top. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes longer or until mixture is hot and bubbly.

Here's my son's plate. He's always asking me to take a picture of his food when I do this. So this time I did. This meal is pretty child friendly I think. Except that my kid has broccoli issues. And occasional mushroom issues. But I really liked it and thought it was very yummy.

Applebee's Chicken Fajita Rollup

This is another Top Secret Restaurant recipe. Yummy.

Marinade Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp ground chipotle pepper or 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp hickory smoke flavoring
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper

4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-Ranch Dipping Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp diced tomato
1 tbsp buttermilk
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp canned chopped mild green chiles
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch dried dill weed
pinch ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper

Pico de Gallo Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 large tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shreded Monterey Jack cheese
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

The chicken needs to marinate for 2 hours, so make the marinade first by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Add four chicken breasts to marinade, cover and chill for 2 hours. Don't let the chicken marinate for much more than that or it could get tough.

While the chicken marinates, prepare the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well then cover and chill. This will allow all the flavors to develop nicely while parked in the fridge.

The pico de gallo will also develop nicely in the fridge. Combine all those ingredients, then cover and chill it as well.

When you're ready to make your roll-ups, preheat your grill to medium/high heat. Grill the chicken breasts for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until done.

Build each roll-up by first laying a large flour tortilla in a large skillet over low-heat. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the combined cheeses over the surface of the tortilla while it heats up in the pan. When the cheese begins to melt, remove the tortilla from the pan. Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded lettuce in a strip across the center of the tortilla, followed by about 3 tbsp of pico de gallo. Slive one grilled chicken breast into bite size chunks and arrange the chicken on the lettuce. Fold the ends of the tortilla over the filling, then roll the tortilla from the bottom. Make a diagonal cut across the center of the roll-up and serve with a small dish of the dipping sauce on the side.

I just poured dipping sauce right in mine. Super tasty!

Chili's Chicken Crispers

These are from Top Secrets Restaurant Recipes. I really love this recipe. I think it's just as good as McDonalds, and I made them at home! It does require a deep fryer.

Ingredients

Batter

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup self-rising flour (I don't have that, so I used all-purpose)

6-10 cups shortening or vegetable oil. (We used oil.)

10 chicken tenderloins (We cut ours up into smaller nuggets)

1/2 cup flour

Heat shortening or oil in fryer to 350 degrees. Combine beaten egg, milk, chicken brother, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk for about 30 seconds to dissolve salt. Whisk in 1 cup flour. Let batter sit for 5 minutes. When you are ready to fry the chicken, coat each piece with dry flour, then dunk the chicken into the batter. Let a little batter drip off the chicken and lower it into the hot oil and fry for 7 to 9 minutes or until it's golden brown. Depending on the size of your fryer, you should be able to fry 3 or 4 tenderloins at the same time. Drain fried chicken strips on a rack or paper towels for a minute or so.

These were great!

Chicken-Vegetable Chowder

This one is a Pillsbury Annual Recipe. I've used a lot of theirs. Mostly they include crescent rolls. But this one doesn't. I made it while in the middle of pregnancy, so I wasn't really digging it. But Aaron said it was good, so I might have to make it again once my gag reflex is in check.

Ingredients

1 lb chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup carrots (chopped or baby carrots sliced in half)

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I used canned)

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp thyme

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

3 tbsp flour

1 box (9 oz) frozen broccoli

In slow cooker, mix chicken, carrots, mushrooms, onion, water, garlic powder, thyme and broth. Cover; cook on low heat for 7 to 9 hours. About 35 minutes before serving, skim fat from slow cooker. In small bowl, beat soup, milk, and flour with wire whisk until smooth. Add soup mixture and broccoli to chicken mixture. Cover; cook on low heat setting 30 minutes longer or unti broccoli is tender.

I think you could easily adjust this to stovetop cooking if you didn't have time to start it early.

Cheez-it Chicken

This recipe came from a good friend's mom.  I'm not sure if she made it up or got it from somewhere, but we it's really simple and we all liked it.  

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cheez-Its

Sour Cream

 Directions:

Put your Cheez-Its in a food processor or blender and run until they're coarse crumbs.   Put sour cream on one plate and the Cheez-Its on another.  Dip each chicken piece in sour cream and then the Cheez-Its, making sure to coat all sides.  Cook at 350 for 1 hour.

The taste of the chicken and Cheez-Its together was unexpectedly fun.  Next time, though, I think I'll use chicken tenders or nuggets instead of the breasts so there's more cheezy goodness in each bite.  If you do use smaller pieces, adjust your cooking time since they'll cook faster.

Roast Chicken with Fiery Lemon Glaze

I got this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens January 2010 issue.  I've only made it once but I love it.  I'll give you the recipe as is and then tell you the changes I'll make next time.

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb whole roasting chicken

4 to 6 small lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup honey

2 to 3 small lemons, halved or quartered (optional)

Remove giblets from chicken, if present.  Place chicken in plastic bag set in shallow dish.  Slice 2 of the lemons; add to bag.  Finely shred 2 tsp peel from the remaining lemons; set aside.  Squeeze lemons to yield 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons juice for glaze.

For marinade, in bowl combine the 1/2 cup lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.  Pour over chicken; turn to coat.  Seal bag.  Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours; turn occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375.  Let chicken stand at room temperature 15 minutes.  Drain chicken and set aside lemon slices; discard marinade.  Pull neck skin to back and fasten with skewers.  Tie drumsticks to tail.  Twist wing tips under back.

Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Cover with lemon slices.  Arrange lemon halves or quarters on rack around chicken.  Roast on lowest rack, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine honey, shredded lemon peel, the 2 tsp lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.  Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, set aside.

Cut string between drumstick and reposition any lemon slices that have slid off of chicken.  continue roasting 30 to 60 minutes more, or until drumsticks move easily in their socket and chicken is no longer pink, (180 degrees), occasionally brushing with some of the honey mixture during the last 20 minutes of roasting.  If lemons begin to darken, tent loosely with foil.  Remove chicken from oven.  Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.  Pass remaining honey glaze.





 I forgot to put the quarted lemons around the chicken while cooking, so I added them at the table for eye candy.

The glaze.

Now, when they say "Fiery" Lemon Glaze, they mean it.  Next time I will probably take the cayenne in the glaze down from 1/2 tsp to 1/4, maybe even 1/8 if I'm not in a spicy mood.  Other than that, this was a delicious chicken.

Chicken and Broccoli

This is one I did a while ago, so I don't remember what I seasoned this with. So sorry! But the basics are still there, and you can easily season it in a way that you prefer. So heres' the basics.

Ingredients

1 bunch of broccoli

Probably 2 chicken breasts

Cut the chicken into small bites, and prep your broccoli. Put the chicken in a pan and start cooking. You can marinate it beforehand or just add some seasoning as you cook. We probably just used a combination of sauces, like we always do. I'm pretty sure we did the broccoli in a separate pan, just pan frying it/steaming a little. It was still pretty al dente, which I liked. Then when both were done cooking, we combined them and stirred well. I think we ate this with rice, maybe.

This was quite a while ago, I've been really slacking. But hopefully you'll appreciate the idea behind the meal. It really tasted awesome. It was just like beef and broccoli from a chinese place, but it was chicken instead. I imagine you could substitute the chicken with some type of beef strips and it would taste equally awesome.

Ramen Fried Rice

So this is one that we kinda made up when we were first married.  You can really add whatever floats your boat and change it however you want to. Here's the bare bones.

Ingredients

Top Ramen (no seasoning packet)

Chicken breasts

Eggs, scrambled

Carrots, grated

Any other vegetables you want

Cook the ramen by the directions. Scramble your eggs. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, cook on the stove. You marinate the chicken beforehand if you want to. Combine all the ingredients in your large saucepan and heat through. I don't remember how we seasoned this one. It might've been a marinade. But in the past we've just used some soy sauce or something simple. Or if you use a marinade, you can use the leftovers to season the dish, just heating it all thoroughly.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I first had Hawaiian Haystacks at a luncheon at church put on by a lady who lived in Hawaii most of her life.  I have come across a few recipes since then for the sauce, and this, by far, is most like Sister Watanabe's.  It's really easy to make and is just scrumptious.

If you've never had them before, here's how they work.  You start with a pile of rice, topped with the sauce.  You then add a variety of toppings that suits your taste.  I've also heard them referred to as chinese sundaes.

Ingredients:

2 c. chopped green pepper (or one can Ortega green chilis)
1/2 c. margarine or butter
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. flour
2 cups milk or evaporated milk (I've never used evaporated)
2 cans chicken chunks or 2 boiled chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Instructions:

Saute green peppers in butter in the bottom of a pot.  Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper.  Whisk flour in slowly.  Add milk.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken. 

Now, a lesson to be learned here is that whenever you use flour or cornstarch to thicken a sauce, you MUST let it come to a full boil.  It will never reach it's full thickening potential without it. 


As far as toppings, go, there are a few things that are kinda considered essentials for every haystack.

• Grated cheese
• Pinapple
• Something onion-y; chives, green onions, or diced purple onion are good choices
• Something ham-y; bacon bits, diced ham, or crumbled bacon

Let your imagination go from there.  I like raisins.  My husband likes coconut and crispy chinese chow mein noodles.  I've seen corn, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges, slivered almonds, and peanuts.  Just use your imagination and whatever you have lying around the house.

The best thing about this dish is that everyone can personalize it to their own tastes.  It is easy to please even the pickiest eaters with this dish.

Here was my evening's creation with the sauce, cheese, raisins, pineapple, bacon bits, and some chives from my garden that you can't see but are really there.  I usually put corn on mine too but we were out.

Teriyaki Chicken with Cabbage

Hi again.  My wonderful sister Julie has invited me to be a regular contributor to her blog.  Well; she didn't invite as much as I asked.  As I've expanded my repertoire in the kitchen I've realized how much fun it is to cook and now have a desire to share that with everyone else.  And so here I am. 

I'm going to start with one of my favorite easy recipes.  I know what you're thinking after reading the title.  "Are you serious lady?  Uh-uh.  No way.  Chicken and cabbage do not belong in the same dish."  Well, that was what I thought, too, the first time my sister-in-law served this.  And now I love it.  It's one of those dishes that's not really an exact science.  You take the ingredients and cook however much your family needs.  So I'm not giving quantities, just ingredients.

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces.  I prefer thighs; tonight was breasts
Teriyaki Sauce
Cabbage
Vegetable Oil
White Rice

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken in teriyaki sauce.  The original recipe says to marinate for 2 days, but let's be serious here...  I rarely think about my meals that far in advance.  I've marinated it for as little as 2 hours.  The flavor isn't as rich, but it's still good.  Cook the chicken in an oven-safe casserole at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

Put some white rice onto boil.  I like to rinse it first when doing this recipe because I like the sticky texture it gets.  Everyone has a method for making perfect rice, and here's mine:  Add 1 part rice and 2 parts water to the pan.  Cover it, and start the flame on high until boiling, then turn it down to as low as it will go.  When pocks form in the rice, turn it off and let it sit until you're ready to eat.  I like using my glass-lid pot for making rice.  That way I don't have to keep lifting the lid to tell if I have pocks yet.

Next, cut your cabbage into strips.  (I do about 1/4 -1/3 an average cabbage for my husband and I; the kids refuse to eat it.)  Put a little oil in the bottom of a frying pan.  Add the cabbage.  Add salt and pepper.  (I tend to be liberal with the pepper.)  Cook it down until the cabbage is wilted but still has a little bite.  It will continue to soften after you take it off of the heat, so don't let it cook too much. 

When your chicken is done, shred it with two forks. 

Serve with the rice on bottom, then the cabbage, and then the chicken. 

I forgot to take a picture until the end of dinner; hence the haphazard look to the pile of food.  I had been trying to convince my son that it really is chicken, which he loves, and that he can eat the chicken without eating the green.  But no such luck tonight.

Since I only used about 1/3 of the cabbage tonight, I'll be sharing another cabbage recipe soon.

Applebee's Santa Fe Chicken Salad

The credit for this amazing dish goes completely to my husband. He made it while I was in Spokane, but there was enough to make it the next day, so he made me a whopping plate full. I ate the whole thing. This is amazing!  It comes from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2.

Ingredients for Marinade
2 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp ground chipotle pepper (or 1 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper) - I used cayenne pepper
2 tsp hickory smoke flavoring
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless chicken breast fillets

Ingredients for Mexi-ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp diced tomato
1 tbsp buttermilk (feel free to substitute with milk)
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp canned chopped milk green chiles
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch dried dill weed
pinch ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper

Ingredients for Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Remaining Ingredients for Salad
8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
8 cups chopped romaince lettuce
1 cup chopped red cabbage (We only had iceberg and romaine)
1 cup fancy shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup fancy shredded Monterey Jack cheese (We only had cheddar)
4 handfuls tortilla strips or chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole (We didn't have sour cream or guacamole, but I know they would've been amazing additions)

You want to marinate the chicken for 2 hours in advance, so make the marinade first by combing all the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Drop the chicken breasts into the marinade, then cover and chill for 2 hours. You don't want to marinate for much more than 2 hours or the chicken could get tough.

While the chicken marinates, make the Mexi-ranch dressing by combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill so the flavors will develop as the chicken marinates.

You'll also make the pico de gallo in advance so that it can rest a bit in the fridge. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, then cover and chill this as well. When the chicken has marinated for 2 hours, fire up the grill to medium/high heat. (We just used a skillet) Grill the chicken breasts for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until the chicken is done. Take the chicken off the grill then let it rest for a bit while you prepare the salads.

Build each salad in a large bowl by first tossing 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce and 2 cups chopped romaince lettuce with 1/4 cup chopped red cabbage and about 1/4 cup of the dressing. Combine the shredded cheeses and then add, about 1/2 cup to each salad on the lettuce. Sprinkle a handful of tortilla strips or crumbled chips on next.

Slice each chicken breast into strips and arrange each one on each of the salads. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of pico de gallo over the top. Finish off each salad by adding a 2 tbsp scoop of sour cream on one side of each salad, then a 2 tbsp scoop of guacamole on the other side.

We didn't construct our salads nearly so mechanically, but I wanted to give you the original recipe. You can easily loosen up the construction, etc. to suit your needs. But let me just add again that this salad was absolutely delicious! There's a lot involved, but it's worth the work. We've already had it like 3 times since he made it in May. Soo good!

Rice Balls

This is a new idea for me, but I love it. This post is done by a guest author, my talented sister Heidi. She wanted to make this recipe and I hadn't yet. So we figured it would be a great opportunity for her to guest-blog! Enjoy her wonderful recipe!

~ Julie

Like many moms of young children (mine are 18 months and *almost* 3) I often struggle with what to make for lunch. I find myself in the same rut: mac & cheese, pb&j, grilled cheese, and quesadillas. I like chicken nuggets (as do my kids) but after watching an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where he shows how chicken nuggets are made (ewwww) I can't ever do that to my children again. So I set out on a mission, to find easy but healthy food to feed my kids. Of course, the first thing I turn to is Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious. I thought the Rice Balls looked easy and wondered if I made a double batch, would they freeze well. I called my baby sister Julie and discussed the possibilities. She invited me to try it and then do a guest post on her blog. And here I am.

The recipe is as follows:

1/2 cup short grain brown rice (or 1 cup leftover cooked rice) - I have come a long way in eating whole grains and whatnot, but when it comes to rice, I will never cross over to the dark side. It was long-grain, nutrient-lacking white rice for me, which was leftover from dinner a couple of nights before.
Nonstick cooking spray
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 pound chicken cutlets, rinsed and dried - I made boneless skinless chicken breasts for dinner the night before and just cooked up a couple of extra then.
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese - Frankly, I think reduced fat cheese is almost as much of an insult to all that is yummy as american cheese is. Yuck.
1/4 low fat buttermilk - I didn't have buttermilk so I used plain whole milk.
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup spinach or broccoli or butternut squash puree - I used butternut squash
1 1/2 cup whole wheat cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs
*Her recipe didn't call for flax seed meal, but most of her breaded recipes do so I threw in a couple of tablespoons just for good measure

Instructions:

1 - Place the rice in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and cook until the rice is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. You can also use your rice steamer.

2 - Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and the pepper, and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

3 - Cut the chicken into chunks and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the sweet potato puree, cheese, 1 tsp salt, and the buttermilk, and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cooked rice.

Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

4 - In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and vegetable puree with a fork. Put the crumbs (and flax seed) in the bowl. One at a time, dip the rice balls in the egg mixture, then roll them in the crumbs to make sure it has an even coating.

**This is where I deviated from the recipe. I stuck them in the freezer on cookie sheets until they were frozen. then I put them in freezer safe bags and waited for a few days to see how they would work as a frozen food.

5 - Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the rice balls and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally and spraying with cooking spray until browned and crisp all over. Serve warm.

I found that they did very well going straight from freezer to pan. You just need to make sure that when you cook them, the pan isn't so hot that you burn the outside before the inside is warm.

Now, for the purposes of full disclosure, when I put this in front of the kids, my younger one dug right in. She even picked them over the strawberries. My older one, on the other hand, ate a few strawberries then took a bite of the rice balls and immediately declared them "icky". Of course, at that point, the little one heard that big brother had called them icky, so the little monkey-do had to call them icky too and now neither kid will eat them now. But I would comfortably say that your standard kid is really going to like them.

Italian Chicken

This is another "spice up this recipe so dinner's not so boring" recipe. 

Ingredients
Chicken - I cut mine up into tenders
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp Alpine Touch (all-purpose seasoning with salt, pepper, onion, garlic)
2 tsp italian seasoning
sprinkle of paprika

Honestly, I'm not sure exactly what I put in this. I wanted something light, and it was. I recall being pleased so I took a picture. But this is the general idea.

Make your flour and seasoning mixture. Coat chicken in the mixture. Spray a pan with cooking spray and put over medium heat. When hot, add a tbsp of oil and toss in the chicken. Cook until done.

We just had a simple light dinner with some butter noodles, chicken and veggies. It's not really overly flavorful. (Although that would be easy enough to change.) But it was something I just put together, and I'm always pleased when something I make up actually tastes good. This breading was my inspiration.

Bam chicken

This is another thing we make on the fly. It's so simple, but I couldn't help but share it because it really does turn out great.

Ingredients
Chicken - However much you have on hand that's thawed and ready to be cooked for dinner
Bam - Use as liberally as you'd like

You can leave the chicken as breasts, or whatever cut you have, or you can cut them up into tenders or smaller, chicken nugget-type bites. Sprinkle Bam on your chicken, coating both sides, then cook in a frying pan with a little oil. Voila.

Excuse the lovely photo. I think we were already done with dinner, when I thought to myself, "I should post our Bam chicken." and took a lovely photo of the chicken serving plate, completely with bam-colored oil and juices. It's so simple and is packed with flavor. A great chicken addition on the fly.

Stir Fry

Or, you can call it Hu-Hot if you want. This is our middle of the line version. We've done it more authentic, but this is a lot easier and simpler to make for a whole family.

Ingredients
chopped carrots
chopped celery
chopped garlic
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper
other options: olives, mushrooms, corn, black beans, broccoli (I highly recommend broccoli. So great in stir fry.)
Chicken, cut in 1-2 inch cubes
*You can really use whatever vegetables you want, and in the quantities you choose. That's the beauty of it.
Cooked rice
*optional: Cooked spaghetti noodles

Sauces: Hoison Sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, General Tsao's, Black bean and Garlic sauce, hot chili and garlic, any sauce you find in your asian foods section at the store. (You can easily sprinkle flaxseed on your plate, or just add it to your sauces.)

Prepare vegetables and chicken (you can use whatever type of meat you want, or multiple types together.) In one pan, saute the vegetables. In another, begin cooking the meat. When mostly cooked, add your choices of sauce to your meat. It's meant to be saucy, so keep adding! Mix and match, or if you're not familiar with them, try them one at a time. (Meaning, for one meal, use one sauce to get familiar with it. Then when you're more confident, begin making combination sauces.) Let it heat through and combine the sauces if necessary. Then when the vegetables are sauteed to your liking, add it to the meat and sauces and combine thoroughly. I like to go heavy on the vegetables. The flavor is still great, so it's such an easy way to get your veggies. Serve on fresh rice, or with a combo rice and noodles. It's quite good if you've never tried it.

This has easily become a family favorite for us. It's different every time, you use the quantities you want and are comfortable with. You can feel good about it because it's packed full of veggies and it just tastes really good!

Leftover Soup

This is a 100% Denney creation. We had a lot of leftover veggies, one hot dog, a bit of chicken, and decided to make a soup. From the picture, it probably looks way scary. Don't be afraid. This isn't so much of a "cook this recipe" but a "look what you can do if you try." We used this recipe for our basis. We used the same seasonings, and proportions. But we used some chicken, one hot dog, and our vegetables were different. We also chose not to use beans. Our veggies included corn, mushrooms, celery, maybe carrots. Honestly, I'm having a hard time remembering. The hot dog taste was a bit weird, because it didn't really feel right. But the taste of the soup was not bad. We were pretty darn impressed with ourselves. So this is just a testament to experimenting with your tools. You slowly build up an arsenal of recipes you are comfortable and familiar with. Use those as tools and get creative. Sometimes because you just want to be creative and other times because you just aren't sure what you can make with the odds and ends in your fridge. Just don't be afraid to try!

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is another Emeril recipe. It turned out pretty great. A very chicken-noodley-comfort-food feel to it.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Baby Bam
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Bay leaf (I don't have individual Bay leaves, so I just dump some of my crushed bay leaves in.)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (If I don't have this, which is usually the case, and I make it with water and chicken boullion, I leave out any additional salt.)
1/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice (I only had plain rice. Not instant, but not long-grain)
10-12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (until I have a garden, mine's never fresh)

Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add the olive oil and, when hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, Baby Bam, Italian Seasoning, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute for 2 more minutes. (Do not allow garlic to brown.) Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to combine. Cover and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the parsley, stir well, and serve.

I had never made a soup that cooked the meat product like that. I was a bit skeptical, but it worked great. I have since done it a few more times in different recipes and I love this method. This was a great soup. Definitely going to eat it again.

Chicken Nuggets

This is a deceptively delicious recipe. I've made it many times. It really makes a great chicken nugget. They're a little soft (from the puree, and not in a bad way) but have a great flavor. The smaller you make the pieces, the better they cook. You're better off having long strands of chicken, versus small, thick chunks. Just a tip. Even if you don't use the puree, the breading is really yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat, white or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup broccoli or spinach or sweet potato or beet puree (for the first time, I highly recommend sweet potato)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks (tenders are easer to keep them from being too thick. That's the key, not too thick!)
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic, and onion powder and mix well . In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.

Coat a large nonstick skillet cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Check the centers for any pink (of the biggest pieces anyway).

The key really is making them thin. Then they cook fast, and don't get too dark. Mine always end up being a tad dark. And they never fit in the skillet in one shot, so I do them in waves. I don't feel like I've perfected the cooking part, but in the end they always taste great anyhow. I do find that as long as you have a small layer of oil in the pan, you can usually shake the skillet and the chicken will be able to move around on its own. This is good because that means the breading won't come off. I've made the mistake multiple times of thinking I can turn then with tongs or something similar. Don't make this mistake. It only squishes the breading and puree and you end up losing breading. Just keep them loose on the skillet (the oil and shaking mentioned before) and use a spatula to turn them. These are a great recipe we all enjoy. If it takes multiple waves to cook them all, it can be quite time consuming. But in the end I always find it's worth it when there are none left for leftovers.