Chicken

Easy Corn and Chicken Quesadillas

Easy Corn and Chicken Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a Perfect Food. Crisp and fluffy at the same time, full of stretchy cheese, and whatever ingredients you’ve got in your fridge at the time. There was a great time period in my life where I routinely kept flour tortillas and shredded cheese in my kitchen so that I could make quesadillas at any moment – but since I also have very little self restraint, I try not to keep them within arm’s reach at all times. Towards the end of summer, fresh corn is widely available and delicious on the grill. This week’s recipe combines sweet charred corn and leftover shredded rotisserie chicken. I love repurposing food from previous meals into something new and quesadillas are the perfect vehicle for that. The Mission Tortillas Street Taco Flour Tortillas are incredible - pillowy and delicious when the edges get hot and toasty. They’re also the perfect size for individual quesadillas. Serve these with the simplest Mango Salsa ever!

Lazy Oyakodon

Lazy Oyakodon

Oyakodon, or ‘parent and child’ donburi is a homey Japanese rice bowl dish of chicken, egg, and onions are simmered together in a fragrant stock of dashi and is clung together with softly cooked egg. It’s a comforting meal packed with umami. The traditional recipe calls for dashi, soy, mirin, and sugar to flavor the dish, but today I’m going to show you the cheater’s way to satisfy your Oyakodon craving with ingredients you can find at TJ’s or already in your kitchen. This is by no means supposed to try to be a classic Oyakodon; rather an alternative for weeknight dinners just in case you don’t have the classic ingredients on hand. Enjoy :)

Hemp Crusted Chicken Tenders

Hemp Crusted Chicken Tenders

Today I'm sharing a really fun way to get hemp seeds into your families' diet. I am never one to turn down a chicken tender. Seasoned almond flour and hemp seeds are the perfect crust for baked chicken tenders - they turn out deliciously crisp on the outside and are great for dipping. Watch the video recipe below and let's get cookin :) 

Lazy Chicken Wings for One

Lazy Chicken Wings for One

I'm going to let you in on one of my tried and true 'recipes', which is totally just a little trick I've been doing since high school whenever I'm really lazy and REALLY hungry. I love chicken wings - and here in Hong Kong, grocery stores sell bags of frozen mid-joint chicken wings. These are my favs - don't get me wrong, I like drumsticks too, but I really love just the wings. In my little HK kitchen, I don't have a proper oven (just a toaster oven). This method of cooking chicken wings on the stove-top is quick, fail-proof, and super flavorful. 

Sometimes you don't have time to go grocery shopping, but you can bet that there'll be some frozen chicken wings in your freezer. You can make these wings with virtually any sauce or marinade that you have in the kitchen, making this the perfect lazy meal! There are simply 2 steps, and 3 ingredients. Simmer the chicken in chicken broth until they're nice and plump (my trick to knowing when they're finished is when the blood clots come out :) and then tossing them in sauce in a skillet. 

Spiced Chicken with Creamy Chili Herb Sauce

Spiced Chicken with Creamy Chili Herb Sauce

You can never have enough chicken recipes in your arsenal! Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not too big on spicy food. But I love this recipe! Smoky, spiced chicken thighs are grilled and topped off with a bright, fresh sauce made of parsley, lime juice, jalapeño, and a drizzle of half-and-half for a little body. Both the spice rub and the herb sauce take minutes to whip up, so this is a great option for weeknights!  Let's get cookin!  

Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

One of my favorite "junk food" indulgences has always been chicken nuggets. The options out there aren't that healthy; most of them are deep-fried, and heavily breaded. Sometimes we don't even know if the nuggets are made of actual chicken! Chicken nuggets are easy to make at home, and with this recipe, I'll show you how you can replace extra breading with yummy quinoa!

Quinoa is actually a seed that is very high in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, and more. It's also gluten free. Quinoa has a sweet, nutty flavor and is delicate in texture. In recent times, it's been known as a substitute, but quinoa is so versatile, it can easily be a main! 

Making Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets is as easy as a 3 step breading process and throwing them in the oven! They're baked, not fried. I love putting a twist on classic junk food by simplifying the ingredients and making them more straightforward. It's important to know what you're putting in your body. These nuggets get a little superfood boost from quinoa, while tasting just as good as your favorite fast food joint. Let's get cookin :) 

Perfect Fried Chicken

Perfect Fried Chicken

Crispy, seasoned skin, and tender, flavorful meat. One of my favorite indulgences is simple fried chicken. However, I find that sometimes fried chicken has really yummy skin, but is dry and flavorless inside. So I set out to come up with the perfect recipe for flawless homemade fried chicken with the following criteria in mind: easy, not too time-consuming, and yielding a great golden crust with well seasoned meat. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and techniques and have come up with a recipe that I’m really happy with. The steps are simple and there’s little hands-on time in the kitchen. I learned the secret of using Old Bay Seasoning from Melissa Gilbert of what else but Little House On The Prairie, and incorporated a really important step - brining the chicken overnight. 
The other night I used the same recipe on lil nuggets of chicken and tossed them in Chinese white pepper right out of the frying oil. Fantastic. I love a good base recipe that makes it easy to doctor up and experiment with. Read on to find out how to make the best fried chicken you’ll ever make. 

Chicken Thighs and Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

Chicken Thighs and Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

Simple, tasty weeknight dinners are so clutch! This one takes minimal prep, uses a bunch of ingredients you already have in the fridge, and yields the tastiest meal. Tender, juicy chicken thighs and crisp Brussels are glazed in a tangy, savory sauce that takes minutes to come together. Let’s get cookin :)

BBQ Chicken Without The Grill

BBQ Chicken Without The Grill

My cravings for chicken are often and they are strong. Forget Tuesday, I’m down for Popeye’s any day of the week. Fried, braised, roasted, pan-fried… all of it is good in my book but sometimes there is nothing like some good ole BBQ Chicken. The problem is, there aren’t a ton of spots where you can just get BBQ chicken… so the last time I was having crazy cravings, I decided to just wing it and make my own. The problem with BBQ chicken is that you generally need a grill. Let’s face it, not everyone has a grill, and even the people with a grill don’t always want to fire it up. With #MemorialDay coming along soon, I’ve got a great solution for yummy BBQ chicken without the grill! I loooove Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce - SO cheap and really great balance of sweet and tangy. You can get a huge bottle for about $1.99. I love making drumsticks (for some reason it screams the epitome of BBQ chicken to me haha) and what’s awesome about that is that drumsticks and dark meat in general is so affordable. This recipe is so easy - takes a bit of attentiveness, but makes the juiciest, most delicious chicken ever.

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

These suckers went fast in my house. A zesty marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper is a quick way to inject a ton of flavor into any cut of chicken. It’s baked in the oven, which helps cut down on extra oil, and comes out tender and juicy, ready to be finished off with fresh lime zest and chopped cilantro. Because this recipe is really for a simple marinade, it can be used to dress up chicken in almost any dish… chop it up for over a salad, serve it over pasta, rice, quinoa, or throw some pieces into some tacos for a fun weeknight meal. 

This marinade is made of ingredients that are super affordable, and often, all you need to head to the store for is for fresh limes and cilantro. Limes are often on sale at produce markets for fairly cheap prices - this week Safeway had them on sale at 3 for $0.99! You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken - breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. I prefer thighs, even though breasts are healthier and have more protein. If you’re just starting to play with different chicken recipes, I’d suggest cooking up some chicken thighs! You can hardly mess them up :) So let’s get cookin, this one’s a fun one.