April 5, 2011: Cornflake Crusted Chicken Strips Recipe

This recipe is actually a conglomeration of one my mother used to make and my own fresh spin on it. As my son was growing up, he loved chicken nuggets and chicken strips – it was his favorite dish to order any time we went out to eat.

I wanted to make chicken strips for him at home that were healthier than the deep fried version served in restaurants and fast food places. The following is the recipe is what I came up with – and my son absolutely loves these (my picky husband, too)!

Note: This is a bone-in, skinless chicken thigh crusted with cornflakes instead of chicken breast strips... still yummy!

Cornflake Crusted Chicken Strips

2 – 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large or 3 small)
Garlic salt
Pepper
Paprika
1 cup flour (approximately; add more if you run out)
2 eggs, beaten slightly with a sprinkle of water
2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
2 T. olive oil

Cut the chicken breasts into strips about one inch wide. Season both sides with the garlic salt, pepper, and paprika. Put the flour on a paper plate and coat both sides of the chicken strips.

Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Place the crushed cornflakes in another dish or paper plate. Dip the flour-coated chicken strips first in the eggs, then into the cornflakes crumbs. Let rest for about half an hour.

Pour the oil into a large, shallow baking pan. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and place the oiled pan in it; let heat for about 5 minutes, until the oil is warm. Swirl it around the pan so it covers the entire surface. Place the chicken strips on the pan and return to oven. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip the strips over; bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes until done (total cooking time depends on how thick the chicken breasts are).

Serve with ranch, barbecue, or honey mustard sauce for dipping.

March 5, 2011: Chicken, Broccoli, and Black Bean Soup Recipe

Several years ago I visited a friend in San Diego with a group of women for a little weekend getaway. We were there to watch our friend, Connie, perform in a play, go shopping, eat great food, and have fun. It was a beautiful late February weekend and we spent Saturday in and around La Jolla.

At lunchtime, Connie suggested we sit on the ocean view terrace at George’s at the Cove restaurant and enjoy the sun and breeze. And so we did, drinking glasses of wine and dining on one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Smoked Chicken, Broccoli and Black Bean Soup. We were dutifully impressed by this rich, flavorful soup and our waiter presented us each with a printed copy of the recipe (I visited their website and found that the restaurant is still in business and still providing this soup recipe to patrons).

I’ve held on to that recipe for years, never making it because I was daunted by the long list of ingredients.

I finally decided to roll up my sleeves and give this recipe a try recently and found it was not really as hard as I thought it would be to reproduce the wonderful flavors in this soup. It’s the perfect entrée for a blustery March night, served with hot, buttered biscuits or cheese wafers – and a great way to use an entire (small) head of broccoli. Here is the recipe at was written; my tips for substitutions are included afterward.

George’s at the Cove Smoked Chicken, Broccoli and Black Bean Soup

½ c. unsalted butter
½ c. diced carrots
½ c. diced onions
½ c. diced celery
1 c. broccoli stems, peeled and diced
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried sweet basil
¼ c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken stock, hot
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
½ t. Tabasco sauce
1 c. diced smoked chicken
1 c. cooked black beans
1 c. broccoli florets
2 c. heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 T. cornstarch mixed with a small amount of warm water (optional)

In ¼ cup of the butter, sauté carrots, onion, celery, and broccoli stems for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano and basil; sauté 5 minutes more. Add wine and deglaze pan. Add hot chicken stock and reduce by one-third (Note: this takes a good hour or so). Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, smoked chicken, beans and broccoli florets; simmer 5 minutes. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes more and season to taste. Thicken with cornstarch if desired. Drop in remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted. Serve immediately.

Smoked Chicken:
On a covered charcoal grill or smoker, slightly smoke boneless chicken pieces, cooking to medium rare (about 30 minutes). Do not allow the grill to become too hot. Use wood chips to add flavor.

Tips and Changes: For one thing, my barbecue grill is still covered to protect it from snow so I wasn’t able to smoke my chicken. What I did was use an indoor, plug-in grill and plop two boneless, skinless thighs on it. They turned out really nice, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside – but didn’t have the signature smoky flavor this soup is supposed to have.


For the pan, I would suggest a heavy dutch oven. I used a regular stainless saucepan but it wasn’t good for deglazing.


Although the recipe calls for unsalted butter, there’s no reason you can’t use regular butter; just taste before seasoning so the soup isn’t too salty.


I’m not a big fan of thyme, so I used one teaspoon of thyme and doubled the amount of basil.


I omitted the white wine, because I didn’t have an open bottle. I just used the chicken stock.


I added the broccoli florets midway through the reduction process (keeping the broth at a low boil) so they would be softer, as my husband prefers. Black beans, drained and rinsed from a can, work perfectly fine if you don’t want to cook the dried beans ahead of time.


I did use cornstarch to thicken the soup. Even though it reduced, the broth was awfully thin. If you have the time, I would suggest reducing it further than a third – to at least by half.

February 10, 2011: Jasmine Fried Rice Recipe

Recently I started using jasmine rice instead of the plain old white variety and boy, is it ever scrumptious! I never would have guessed how much difference the type of rice could make but there’s simply nothing as fragrant and delicious as jasmine rice – and it makes a truly delectable fried rice, one of my husband’s favorite dishes.

The bad news is that jasmine rice costs more than regular white rice. Fortunately, I had a coupon and found a big bag of it on sale at the grocery store so I didn’t feel like I was blowing my food budget.

My fried rice is meant to be a side dish rather than an entrée but you could certainly add meat or tofu to this recipe to make a complete meal-in-one. As a side dish this recipe will serve 4 to 6 people and with added protein as a main dish will serve about 3 to 4 people.

Jasmine Fried Rice

2 (dry) cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions
2 t. water
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
Oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 t. freshly grated ginger root
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup frozen or fresh green peas
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce

Prepare the rice earlier in the day so it has enough time to cool completely before making the fried rice. Sprinkle with the water right before adding to the frying pan or wok.

Place the carrots in a microwave-safe dish and cover with water. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave on high until the carrots are softened, about a minute or two.

Use a wok or a large saucepan. Heat it to medium high and add oil just to cover the bottom (about 1 to 2 tablespoons). Add garlic and ginger and sauté for half a minute. Add the dampened, cooled rice (it should sizzle when it hits the oil). Stir frequently with a spatula until it starts to get crispy. Add the cooked carrots and stir, followed by the green onions, and then the peas, stirring with the spatula after each addition (if you’re making this a main dish, add cooked meat such as shrimp, pork, or chicken now). Heat the vegetables through.

Make a well in the center of the wok or saucepan by pushing the rice mixture up the sides. Add another tablespoon of oil in the well, then break the two eggs into it. Scramble the eggs with a spatula so the whites and yolks are incorporated; cook just until they are slightly set. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir the rice into the eggs, mixing well. Sprinkle with soy sauce to taste and stir once more before serving.