Oven Fried Chicken

I have a confession: I love fried chicken. KFC is a slight weakness of mine...of course, it is a real blessing that up here in Canada they don't have the biscuits (love that hot, crumbly goodness) which means we never go. My waistline thanks me.

In an effort to assuage my craving I have been trying a few baked, or oven-fried, chicken recipes. I tried a few with bread crumbs which were good, but just didn't compare with the taste of fried chicken.

Then Rookie Cookie pulled through (like always).

Her recipe uses cornflakes which stay crispy and help fake out your mouth to thinking you are crunching away on fried chicken.

I also love the idea of having the cornflake/spices mixture already mixed up so dinner can be thrown together quickly.




OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN

3 1/2 lb chicken, legs or thighs or both

Kosher salt and pepper

3 cups corn flake cereal

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp butter, melted

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine corn flakes, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Process until corn flakes are coarse crumbs. Pour corn flake crumbs into a pie plate and set aside.

In another pie plate, combine eggs and milk. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Set up your breading station. In order, line up seasoned chicken, egg mixture, corn flake crumbs and a greased rimmed cookie sheet. With one piece at a time, dip the chicken in the egg, then into the crumbs (coating well) and then onto the sheet pan. Repeat until all chicken is breaded. Drizzle each piece with a little bit of the melted butter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature is 165-170 degrees.

{Recipe from Rookie Cookie}

Banana Muffins

For lunch today, we had grapes and banana muffins. And of course big glasses of milk.

I threw a few chocolate chips in the batter to liven things up but the flavor of the muffins was delicious either way.
**Healthy option: I have substituted whole-wheat flour for flour and buttermilk for half the oil with delicious results!**

Banana Muffins

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

3-4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Set the oven to 325 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend.

Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana.

Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

{Recipe from Rookie Cookie}

Bagels

OK, you might just want to stop what you're doing right now and go make these! Seriously! I've always been a little intimidated at the thought of 'making bagels' but when I came across a recipe I thought I might be able to handle, I decided I'd take the challenge. I even changed the recipe around a bit and they still turned out fabulous! No, seriously. Go make them and then tell me how you liked them!

Ingredients:

1 1/8 C. warm water (110 degrees)

1.5 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

3 C. bread flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 Quarts boiling water

3 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs cornmeal

2 Tbs. melted butter (or 1 egg white)

1/3 C. sugar

1 Tbs + 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine warm water, yeast and 2 Tbs. sugar in mixer and let sit for about five minutes. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until good dough consistancy.

Turn dough out onto a roul'pat if you have one-if you don't...you NEED one! (or floured surface). Divide dough into eight equal parts (yes, I have a scale because I'm ocd so I got them pretty equal, but it doesn't really matter). Roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten the balls and poke a hole in the middle and twirl the dough around your finger to enlarge the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth and let sit for about 30 minutes.

While bagels are sitting, bring the 3 quarts water to boil. Stir in 3 Tbs. sugar and prepare your pan.

I baked my bagles on a silpat and perforated baking sheet (without cornmeal). If you have these items, use them! If you don't, then sprinkle cornmeal on an ungreased baking sheet. Transfer bagels to boiling water. Boil for 1 minute on each side. Drain breafly on a clean towl. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. With baking brush, brush the tops of each bagel and top with preffered topping. I used cinnamon sugar. I actually coated with butter and then dropped each bagel in the cinnamon sugar mixture to cover completely.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until well browned.

Other alternative toppings:

Honey Wheat: Use honey instead of sugar (omit the cinnamon), and use 2 c. whole wheat flour and 1 C. all purpose flour. Top with Oats.

Poppyseeds

Dry Onions

Add 1/2 C. cheese (Agiago, or Parm, or other) to dough and then sprinkle on top as well.

Chicken Corn Chowder

We ate this for dinner tonight and were scraping the bowl by the end. Delicious. Such great flavors and so great for a chilly winters day. Or any day if you live in Canada. I'm so ready for winter to be over.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I found that the olive oil all rose to the top when the soup was done and made it look more unappetizing, hence no picture, so I would try less)
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor - but doesn't add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
1/4 cup thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat.

Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth (I had a difficult time getting my cream cheese to completely whisk into the milk so my soup had some minor small lumps but next time, I'll soften the cream cheese until almost melted in the microwave). Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

{recipe from My Kitchen Cafe}

Lemon Chicken

Looking for an easy main dish? That is delicious? This fits the bill. Of course, I am a lemon nut. But my husband, who thinks my obsession is a little over-the-top, loves these as well.

Lemon Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 to make thinner
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper
2-4 T butter
1 lemon

Once chicken breasts are cut, pound to make as thin as you can. Pound in the flour and salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the chicken. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Pour out all but 2 T. of the butter/juice (I like to leave any bits of chicken/flour in that may have come off). Add juice of 1 lemon to pan. Stir. Bring to boil. Add the chicken back in. Flip and cover with the sauce. Serve. And enjoy.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Confession: I made these cinnamon rolls way back in...November. And I'm just now getting around to posting it. I don't want to lose this recipe because, believe me when Fall rolls around again I WILL be making more. Many more.

My friend Jessica entered this delicious recipe in a contest for Utah Valley Magazine and won. Try them and you will see why.




Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
original recipe by Jessica CrApo


DOUGH:
1/4 c. warm water
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
1/3 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
5-6 c. flour

FILLING:
1/2 c - 2/3 c. canned pumpkin puree (to your preference)
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 T cinnamon
*optional: 3/4 c. raisins, 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 T butter

1/2 tsp vanilla
2 - 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine warm water, yeast, and teaspoon of sugar in small bowl. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until froth doubles.
2. In mixer fitted with dough hook, combine milk, eggs, pumpkin, margarine, the 1/2 c. sugar, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Mix until smooth.
3. Add 4 cups flour to mixing bowl. Pour frothed yeast mixture on top of flour. Knead about 5 minutes, adding flour 1/2 c. at a time until dough barely begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. Dough should be smooth and moist, but not sticky.
4. Spray a bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover with wet towel, or plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Allow to raise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. While dough is raising, prepare filling. Place room temperature butter and pumpkin puree in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth. In another small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon, set both bowls aside.
6. Pour dough out on slightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle 16x21 inches, dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the pumpkin/butter mixture over rectangle. Next, evenly spread the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top, slightly pressing it into the dough.
7. Roll up long side of dough, forming long tube. Cut tube with sharp knife about every 2 inches, making 12 rolls. Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

9. Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to make frosting. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Marble Brownies

1/2 cup margarine

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate (or 5 TB cocoa)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine margarine, water and chocolate (or cocoa) in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in combined flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add eggs and sour cream; mix well. Pour into greased and floured 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll pan.

For cream cheese mixture:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing until well blended. Blend in egg. Spoon over chocolate batter. Cut through batter with knife several times for marble effect. Sprinkle with 6 ounces of chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until tests done.