Baked Buffalo Chicken Breasts - Attempt 1

Background
Sometime early in the day, I took out chicken breasts to thaw.  Tossing them in the microwave - the one place we found we can let meat thaw without cats getting at it - I made a mental note, "at some point today, I should figure out what to do with this."  And then, magically, it was 5:30.  Crunch time.  Having recently being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, recipes have become a bit more restricted, but I felt confident I could come up with something using my tried-and-true "rummaging through the fridge" technique.  What was that?  Some Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic sauce, and what do you know, it had a very, very small amount of carbs.  Bingo!  I set to work, thinking about several other recipes I'd made in the past and combined things to come up with this one.

Thing is, it didn't turn out as awesome as I would have liked.  But I think it's important to admit that to you, and to myself.  It's all part of the process of cooking.  Sometimes we're not awesome, folks.  And it's really okay.  How not awesome was I?  Well, I lost most of the spicy garlic buffalo taste, so fairly.  Not to worry, we still ate it and it was still delicious with a tangy aftertaste, just not what I intended.  Dipped in additional sauce, it was outstanding.  I will include some thoughts on modification below the recipe.

Ingredients
1 whole boneless, skin-on chicken breast, cut in half
2 T. Buffalo Wild Wings Spicy Garlic sauce (or other favorite buffalo sauce - this one is dairy-free)
1T. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 C. bread crumbs
Italian seasoning
Tarragon
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash chicken breasts and pat dry.  In a bowl large enough to dip each breast in, whisk buffalo sauce and olive oil together.  On a small plate, mix bread crumbs and seasonings (to taste - I added the tarragon for sweetness… I actually wanted basil, but was out - how did that happen??).  Dip both sides of each chicken breast into the sauce mixture and then dip skin side into bread crumbs.  Place in baking pan, skin side up.  If you have extra bread crumb mixture, sprinkle or pat onto chicken breasts.  Bake in center of oven 20-30 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken breasts), until juices run clear and meat is cooked through (no pink).

Accompanied with Easy Garlic Aioli (below)

Notes
As mentioned above, I lost a lot of buffalo flavor in the cooking process.  The next time I make this dish, I will try one of the following:
• omit mixing the olive oil with the buffalo sauce.  I did this because I thought it would coat better, but I fear it just diluted the flavor
• poke chicken breasts with a fork and let them marinate in the buffalo sauce/olive oil mixture for a few hours before dipping in bread crumbs

Easy Garlic Aioli
1/2 C. light mayo
1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic (I used the jar stuff because I'm simply exhausted)
1 T. lemon juice (or juice from one lemon from our tree - which are somehow super potent)
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper (or both seasonings to taste)

Mix ingredients together, cover and let sit in fridge for at least half an hour.

Salsa Chicken

Background
I found a good sale on tomatoes in the grocery store, so brought a bunch home.  I never know what I'm going to do with them when I find them, but given the tomato consumption rate in this house, I never worry they'll go unused.  So, I decided to make salsa.  The first night, it accompanied fajitas, but even with second-trimester hunger on my side, we had a bunch left over.  The next night, I longed for something more hearty and eyed the chicken breasts and potatoes I had awaiting my culinary spin.  Sure, let's toss it all together, I thought.  Lo and behold: an easy, yummy, filling dish that I would deem good year-round!

Ingredients
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 lb. potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1 - 1.5 C. homemade salsa (recipe below - can be made ahead of time)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
This will be short and sweet, folks!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place skin-up in a 9x13" baking dish.  Place diced potatoes evenly around chicken.  Spoon salsa over potatoes and a bit of the juice over the chicken.  Sprinkle top of chicken with salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear; the skin of the chicken should have a lovely golden-brown color.

Salsa Recipe
2 C. finely diced tomato
1/2 - 3/4 C. finely diced onion
1 finely diced pepper, serrano or jalapeno - depending on heat preference (optional)
1 heaping t. minced garlic
juice from 1 lemon or lime
olive oil
salt and pepper

The quantities I specify are subjective and anything that does not have a quantity (olive oil, salt and pepper) really should be added to taste.  If you really like onion, add more; if not, add less.  If you love a super spicy salsa, omit the serrano and jalapeno and go full-on habanero!  Honestly, I do the whole thing by sight and taste.

Please also remember that as your salsa sits, the flavors will come out more.  I made a salsa once with a good friend early in the day.  When we tasted, we felt very little heat, so added more pepper.  By the time we ate that night, our eyes were watering.  Lesson learned!

Fast Food Made at Home: Chicken Nuggets

Background

I love chicken nuggets. Seriously. If you put a McDonald's chicken nugget in front of my face, I will smile (not as big as if you put a kitten in front of my face, but for different reasons...I'm not going to eat a kitten for cryin' out loud, you people are sick!  I digress). However, if you've never read the ingredients in a McDonald's chicken nugget, don't. Save yourself the feeling that your stomach is turning over and over and instead take a gander at the following recipe.

Aside from overall quality, there are three big differences between the processed, conveyor belt nuggets that are handed out that drive thru window and the ones produced in this recipe. First, I use a breadcrumb coating. Second, these nuggets are baked, NOT FRIED. And third, they are easily seasoned according to your tastes using spices, not sugary, salty, fatty sauces. Note: if you choose to use additional sauces, more power to you, I'm just providing the base here.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast, preferably fresh from a butcher
3/4 C. bread crumbs (I like Progresso Italian Seasoned)
Seasonings to taste

(yep, it's that simple, folks)

Directions
Cut the chicken breast into 1-2" squares, trying to keep the pieces relatively similar in size for even cooking. This is where a fresh chicken breast is much nicer. The frozen chicken breasts have often been pounded flat (as you would to make a roulade) and therefore cut into more of flat disks rather than chunks. In a small bowl, or ziplock bag, pour breadcrumbs and seasonings. If using a bowl, use fingers to coat each chicken piece and then place them on a baking sheet (I put them directly on the sheet, no oil and haven't had sticking problems, but if you're worried, I'd try using foil before adding fat :)). If using a ziplock bag (much more kid friendly), simply dump the pieces into the bag, seal with some air inside and shake to coat (it's Shake 'n' Bake, Daddy!). Bake pieces in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on size of pieces) until cooked throughout.

Let's talk seasonings. This is the fun part, especially if you have children and a variety of spices. I find that at our house, we tend to get in a rut of flavor, using the same spices over and over. So why not try something new? Let your kids smell the different spices you have in your cupboard to see what they might like. Themes we've used and liked:

Taco: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt
Italian: garlic powder, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper
BBQ: Mesquite Grillers BBQ seasoning, salt

I might also suggest an Asian theme using ginger, garlic and pepper
Perhaps an Indian theme using turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and garlic

The sky's the limit really and it's all about having fun as a family cooking together. Try a few different combos and have a taste test panel! See who can guess each family member's favorite! And by all means, if and when you do, let me know how it turns out.