Kung Pao Shrimp (or Chicken)

I went to dinner at PF Chang's with a group of girlfriends last weekend. Two friends ordered Kung Pao dishes. I tried a bite of both dishes and now I am in love with the chili, garlic flavor of Kung Pao! Not only do I have a new favorite dish to eat THERE, I have a new favorite recipe to fix at home. Give it a try:

1/2 c soy sauce

4 T water

1/2 t hot chili sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)

1 t balsamic vinegar

2 t brown sugar

1 t cornstarch

1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed and drained

            (or chicken breast cut into small chunks, seasoned with salt & pepper)

1/2 c cornstarch

6 T coconut oil

2-3 t ground fresh chili paste (found at asian market) or Sriracha

1/3 c onion, large diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

handful of dry roasted peanuts

2-3 green onions, chopped

Steamed rice for serving

Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl, whisk and set aside. This is the slurry that will make the sauce.

Combine coconut oil (warm it up to liquify if needed) and chili paste in a small bowl and set aside.

Place shrimp (or chicken) in a large ziplock bag with 1/2 c cornstarch, toss to coat and shake off excess in a mesh strainer. You want a light coating of cornstarch on the shrimp (or chicken) to give it a little bit of crunch after frying.

Warm 2 T of coconut chili oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Toss in half of the shrimp and fry lightly until pink.. just a couple of minutes. Spoon out onto a plate and keep warm while you fry the other half in another 2 T of chili oil. If you're using chicken just make sure it's cooked through but not overcooked (that makes sense, right?), also in two batches. You don't want to crowd the skillet :)

After all meat is fried and set aside, add the last 2 T of chili oil to the skillet (you don't need to rinse the skillet). Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes, until soft. Pour in the slurry. Cooking about 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until it's thickened and glossy. 

When you're ready to serve, toss in shrimp (or chicken), peanuts and green onions and stir to coat. Serve immediately atop steamed rice. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

This meal is a crowd pleaser! I found the original recipe on www.thepioneerwoman.com years ago and have adjusted the portions to feed 2 people (plus leftovers). This is definitely one of Drew's most requested dinners.

6 chicken breast tenderloins, pounded flat

1/2 c flour

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 c olive oil

2 T butter

1/2 c onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c red wine

28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 T sugar

1 T dried parsley

1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (buy the chunk and grate it yourself!)

1/2 pound thin spaghetti, cooked

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl and dredge chicken pieces. When skillet is hot, fry three pieces of chicken at a time until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and stir gently for 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping any brown bits from pan, and cook down to reduce wine by half (about 3 minutes). Add crushed tomatoes, stir well, add sugar, and salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil your pasta and drain just before serving. Once sauce is ready, stir in parsley.

Lay chicken breasts on top of sauce and top with grated cheese. Put the lid on the skillet and simmer on low until chicken is heated and cheese is melted. 

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken on top and serve. Serves 2-3. Enjoy!

Swiss Cheese Chicken & Stuffing

My friend Jennifer made this for a Christmas party a few years ago and we loved it so much I had to get the recipe! It's an easy way to have Chicken and Dressing any night of the week. I usually serve it with green beans and hot rolls.

8 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
Lawry's seasoned salt and black pepper
4 slices baby swiss cheese, halved
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1/3 can milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 c warm water
1 small box Stovetop Chicken stuffing mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in pan and season to taste with seasoned salt and black pepper. Top each tenderloin with a 1/2 slice of cheese. Combine soup and milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour soup over chicken to cover tenders entirely. Combine melted butter and Stovetop in a small bowl (moisten a little more with more warm water if it seems too dry) and scoop over top of chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas

At the request of several friends: Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas! As usual, it's a combination of a few different recipes that I've used over the years. I like to add spinach to boost the veggie rating :)

10 corn tortillas 
3 T vegetable oil 
6 pieces chicken breast tenderloin 
1 T olive oil 
1/2 c onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped 
3 handfuls fresh spinach, roughly chopped 
1/4 t salt 
1/4 t ground cumin 
1/4 t chili powder 
1/4 t black pepper 
1 c shredded cheddar cheese 
1 c sour cream 
2 T butter (not margarine) 
2 T flour 
1 1/2 c chicken broth 

Fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil, about 15 seconds per side, and drain on papertowels. Pour extra oil from skillet and set aside. In a med saucepan, cover chicken pieces with water, bring to boil and cook over med heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. While chicken cooks, heat olive oil in skillet over med heat and sauté onion about 3 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno and spinach to skillet and sauté another 3 minutes. Transfer cooked veggies to mixing bowl. 

Once chicken is cooked, shred into small pieces and add to veggies in mixing bowl. (I usually lay the chicken on a cutting board one piece at a time and shred it using two forks, pulling in opposite directions). Season the chicken and veggies with salt, cumin, chili powder and pepper (I eyeball it with my spices but 1/4 t is a good place to start.. add more to your liking.. add a dash of cayenne if you like things spicy). Add in 1/2 c of shredded cheddar and 1/2 cup sour cream and mix well. Assemble echiladas by scooping 1/4 c (approx) into the center of each tortilla. Roll over and place seam side down in a greased (or sprayed with Pam) 9x13 pan. 

In a small saucepan, melt butter over med heat. Add flour and stir well, cook about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and bring to boil. Once the broth has thickened remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c shredded cheddar and 1/2 c sour cream until smooth. **If you want to make this part easier on yourself you can always substitute a can of warm Cream of Chicken soup mixed with 1/2 c sour cream.. it eliminates the butter, flour, broth step.

Pour sauce over enchiladas (sprinkle with a little more cheese if you have it) and bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly. 

Fiesta Lime Chicken

This is my favorite Copycat recipe EVER! I love Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken so much I had to search it out on the internet. I've used this recipe for over ten years and it's great. The Mexi-Ranch dressing is the best part.. I like to spoon extra over my rice and dip chips in it too. I could eat this once a week :)

1/3 c teriyaki sauce
1/2 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t liquid smoke
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 12 tenderloins)
1/3 c mayo (not Miracle Whip)
1/3 c sour cream
2 T chunky salsa
1 t Old Bay Cajun Blackened Seasoning
1/4 t dried parsley
a few dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/4 t dill weed
1/4 t cumin
1 c Colby Jack cheese, shredded
2 c tortilla chips, crumbled


For the marinade, combine first 6 ingredients in a one-cup glass measuring cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with water. Pour over chicken in a large ziplock baggie and marinate 3-4 hours in refrigerator. 


For the Mexi-Ranch, combine the next 8 ingredients in a small bowl and chill until needed.


Heat grill to high and oil the grates. Remove chicken from marinade, blot with paper towels to dry and discard reserve marinade. Grill chicken until cooked through. If you use tenderloins they only take 2-3 minutes per side. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. Remove chicken breast to baking pan, top with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce, then cheese. If using tenderloins, place three side by side and top with sauce and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve over crumbled tortilla chips with a lime wedge and some fresh pico de gallo (recipe follows). I usually serve it with Spanish Rice (Uncle Ben's ready pouches are a huge time-saver). Serves four. Enjoy!


Pico de Gallo:


2-3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 c white onion, minced
1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced (or a few pickled rings, chopped)
sea salt to taste
a squeeze of lime juice


Combine ingredients in a small bowl, cover and chill until ready to use.


*The cost to make this dish is approximately $12

Chicken Bryan

If you've never had Chicken Bryan from Carrabba's Italian Grill you are missing out! It's my favorite dish on the menu. I searched online for a copycat recipe and found a few to choose from. I've used different combinations of fresh basil, basil paste (tube of Gourmet Garden found in the veggie section), sliced sun-dried tomatoes or jarred (with herbs in olive oil). This is my favorite rendition:

6-8 chicken breast tenderloins
sea salt & pepper 
olive oil
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 c white wine
8 T cold butter, cut into 1 T pats
1/2 jar julienne sun-dried tomatoes (California brand, 8oz jar)
2 T basil paste (only because it's winter and fresh isn't as available) 
sea salt & pepper to taste
3 oz goat cheese, softened to room temp (Capricorn brand, 6oz logs in the cheese case)


Season chicken with salt & pepper and brush lightly with olive oil. Grill over med-high heat about 3 minutes per side. Set aside to rest and keep warm while you make the sauce.


For the sauce, melt 2 T butter in skillet and sauté garlic and onion a couple of minutes. Stir in lemon juice and wine, reduce heat to med-low and simmer to reduce liquid by half. Whisk in one pat of butter at a time until it's all melted and frothy. Stir in the drained sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and salt & pepper.


To serve, top the chicken with a dollop of softened cheese on each piece. Spoon the butter sauce over the chicken. Serves two plus leftovers. Enjoy!

Chicken Teriyaki

I love Chinese food (yes, even the salty, MSG-filled kind at the mall) but Drew doesn't.. so we never order it. I've figured out that he actually DOES like Chinese style dishes if I cook them, though :) This is a new recipe that I tried recently and it's a keeper! I got the original recipe from www.lakelurecottagekitchen.blogspot.com and tweaked it a little to my liking. I also used her picture because I forgot to take one.. oops!

1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)

1/2 c soy sauce

1/2 c sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t black pepper

2 T cornstarch

2 T warm water

steamed or fried rice for serving

chopped scallion for garnish (optional)

toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Trim chicken thighs of fat (one of the yuckiest things to do while cooking) and cut into large, bite-sized pieces. Place into crock-pot and set aside. Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ground ginger and pepper and pour over chicken. Stir to combine. Turn crock-pot to low and cook 4-5 hours. I like to stir it every hour or so just to make sure the chicken is well-marinated. About 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken from juices with slotted spoon and keep warm. Increase heat to high and bring juices to boil (if your crock-pot won't do this, pour juices into saucepan). Make a slurry with the cornstarch and warm water and pour into juices, stirring until thickened. Add chicken back into sauce and stir to combine. Serve over steamed rice or fried rice (I'll post that recipe soon), topped with garnish. This recipe makes about 2 servings. Enjoy!

Chicken Spaghetti

There are tons of Chicken Spaghetti recipes online but I never could find one that was exactly the flavor I was looking for.. so I just wrote my own! This is one of our family favorites. I like to use a rotisserie chicken because it's got a lot of flavor and keeps the dish from tasting bland. 

1 rotisserie chicken

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

4-5 fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

4 T butter

1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken 

1 can Rotel (I use mild)

1/2 c chicken broth

1 lb Velveeta, cubed

16oz spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces, cooked al dente and drained

black pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

Skin, debone and pull apart chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside. (It's easier to do this if the chicken is chilled. Some grocery stores sell the "cold" chickens at a lower price so look for those in the deli area). Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté mushrooms in 2 T butter and add to chicken pieces. Using the same skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in 2 T butter until tender and add to chicken pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, Rotel, broth and Velveeta and heat in microwave to melt Velveeta, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, veggies, noodles and black pepper until combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish (or two 8x8 pans if you want to eat one and freeze the other) and top with shredded cheddar. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes until bubbly. If you choose to freeze, cover with foil in a double layer BEFORE baking, then thaw in refrigerator overnight before baking. The large pan makes 8 servings. Enjoy!

*The cost to make this dish is approximately $14.00.