Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Pinterest Love

I found Pinterest about 6 months ago and fell in LOVE with it! I like being able to keep track of so many different ideas and trying out new things. I know it sounds crazy but I really feel like Pinterest has made me a better person! It makes me want to cook, create, sew, and design more. And I feel like it has made me a better wife and mom with all of the fun ideas and tips for kids and family. I'm so grateful for it! So, I thought I would share a few of the recipes I have found on Pinterest that I really like.

I made these last Monday and they were sooo yummy! Make sure you don't skip out on the sauce otherwise they are kind of bland. I actually halved the original recipe for my family and it was plenty, so here it is if you want to make a smaller batch:)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large egg
1/4 c. coconut milk (opt.)
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c vegetable oil, divided
1/2 c. sweet chili sauce

STEP 1: Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short.

STEP 2: Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut.

STEP 3: Place 1/8 cup of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium/high heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour will sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.

STEP 4: While the oil is heating, dredge the chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in panko and shredded coconut. I find it easiest to coat all of them in the flour then go back and then do the egg wash and panko/coconut for each before moving onto the next.

STEP 5: After breading the strips, the oil should be hot enough. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should only be one layer in the pan and there should be about an inch between each strip. If you over crowd the pan it will get too cold and the strips will soak up a lot of oil instead of frying. Fry the strips for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel to drain and move on to the next batch. After a couple of batches you may need more oil so you can add the second 1/4 cup to the pan. Allow the oil to come up to temperature before frying the next batch (2-3 minutes). Because the strips are thin, they should be cooked through by the time both sides are browned. You can tell by the texture of the chicken; it should be stiff when pressed. If you cut your strips thicker, you will need to bake off the chicken after frying to make sure the insides are cooked through.

STEP 6: When all of the strips are done frying, serve immediately with sweet chili sauce to dip in. I garnished mine with a little bit of chopped cilantro.



 (from kevin & amanda)

4 medium-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup scallions, diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 avocado, diced
mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven, turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side.
Add 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings to a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute about 2-3 mins until softened. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.
Add about 1/2 tbsp butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with chicken, bacon, avocado, and a little cheese. Use tongs to flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding a little more butter for each tortilla as needed. Eat & enjoy!
Makes 4 quesadillas.

These were amazing!!!! And so easy! Even my 3 year old liked them and he is SUPER picky. I'll definitely be making these a lot:)




I was so glad this recipe introduced us to Franks Hot Sauce. We are big fans now! Tony said we should for sure make this a regular meal. They taste just like Wingers, which we have always loved!

Winger's Sticky Fingers Recipe:

1 pkg. frozen breaded chicken strips (We use Tyson brand)
6 Tbl. Frank's Hot Sauce (It has to be Franks Hot Sauce, no other sauce will taste as good)
4 Tbl. water
1 1/2 c. brown sugar

Chicken:
 Prepare the chicken strips as directed on the back of the package.

Sauce:
 Heat hot sauce, water and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved.

Pour sauce over chicken, and enjoy!  Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.

Serves 2-3 people.



This next recipe also uses Frank's Hot Sauce but taste completely different and SO yummy!

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment
1 Tablespoon olive oil
10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
Toppings:
Shredded butter Lettuce
Diced onions mixed with cilantro
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Preparation:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Yield: 5 servings, 2 tacos each

Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did!!! Happy Cooking:)