Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings

You can never get enough chicken recipes, and, especially if they’re like this one….finger lickin’ good. These Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings remind me a lot of Buffalo wings, but, instead of being just spicy, these are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Well seasoned wings, baked until crispy and golden, then tossed in a sauce of honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice. Hands down, these are the best wings ever! Mike was hesitant to try them at first, because he’s not a fan of “overly” spicy food. But, after one taste, he was hooked and couldn’t stop eating them. He said these are his new favorite. I made 4 pounds of them; and they disappeared in no time. You don’t have to be concerned about leftovers with this recipe, because there won’t be any. There’s really only one word to describe these wings….scrumptious!

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with a little olive oil. 

Split wings and remove tips. 

Dry chicken wings with paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine oil, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. 

Add wings to mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.

Place wings, in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until browned and crispy. I wanted mine crispier, so I cooked mine for an extra 1/2 hour; but you can get the same results by placing under the broiler for a few minutes at end of cooking time.

Note: Quite a bit of grease will accumulate in pan as chicken cooks. About 15 minutes before chicken was done, I drained off some of the excess grease (using a turkey baster).

Just before chicken is done, prepare the sauce. In small pot, melt butter. Add honey, Sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

Remove wings from oven and transfer pieces to a large bowl. Pour sauce over wings. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

BAKED HONEY SRIRACHA CHICKEN WINGS
Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing baking pan
• 4 pounds chicken wings, split, tips removed
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt

Sauce:

• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup pure honey
• 1/4 cup Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• Lime wedges, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with a
    little olive oil.
2. Dry chicken wings with paper towels.
3. In a large bowl, combine oil, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add wings to
    mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.
4. Place wings, in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until browned and
    crispy. If more crispiness desired, place under broiler for a few minutes at end of cooking time.
5. Just before chicken is done, prepare the sauce. In small pot, melt butter. Add honey, Sriracha, soy
    sauce and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately remove
    from heat and set aside.
6. Remove wings from oven and transfer pieces to a large bowl. Pour sauce over wings. Toss well to
    coat. Serve immediately.
7. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Panko Chicken Nuggets

Although I understand the reason for the popularity of Panko bread crumbs, until now, I've never really been a big fan. Don’t get me wrong, I love the unique crunch it gives to food, but I find it to be so bland. Although some claim that it absorbs surrounding flavors, I never really found that to be the case. So, whenever I want to add a little texture, I generally combine Panko with seasoned bread crumbs. This way, I get the flavor from the seasoned crumbs, with some added crispiness. When I came across this recipe for chicken nuggets, however, I considered giving Panko another try. Why the change of heart? For two reasons: 1) Panko is ideal for frying. It absorbs less grease, making fried food less heavy and oily. 
2) The Panko is seasoned in this recipe, taking into account the bland characteristic. I love a crispy chicken nugget, but I also want the taste to “wow” me. It worked. By combining the Panko crumbs with dry ranch seasoning, the breading not only had a light and airy texture, but it also had sealed-in flavor. The kids will love the crunch of these nuggets, but, more important, the grown-ups will appreciate the taste. I just may start keeping Panko as a staple in my pantry. 

Trivia: Did you know the bizarre method in which Panko are made? They're not baked; they're "electrocuted." Check out Alton Brown's video to see the process.

Prepare Ranch Dressing (for dipping):

In small bowl, combine dry ranch seasoning mix, sour cream, mayonnaise and milk. Whisk to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Prepare Chicken Nuggets:

In Dutch oven, or deep fryer, heat oil to 360° F. 

Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and cut into bite-sized cubes.

In large, re-sealable plastic bag, combine dry ranch dressing mix with panko. Shake well to combine.

Transfer seasoned Panko to a breading dish.

In another breading dish (or bowl), whisk together eggs and water.

In a third breading dish, add the flour.

Dredge chicken cubes in flour, then dip in beaten egg. Dredge chicken, a few pieces at a time, in seasoned Panko crumbs. 

Fry chicken nuggets, in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, or until done. 

Serve alone (as finger food) with ranch dipping sauce; or, serve in a warmed roll with lettuce, tomato and a topping of ranch sauce for a crunchy chicken nugget sandwich.

PANKO CHICKEN NUGGETS
Source: Adapted from Paula Deen
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Ranch Dipping Sauce:

• 1 package dry ranch seasoning mix
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup milk

Chicken Nuggets:

• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
• Peanut or canola oil, for frying
• 2 packages dry ranch seasoning mix
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten with 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (or whatever is needed for dredging)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare ranch dip: In small bowl, combine dry ranch seasoning mix, sour cream, mayonnaise and milk.
    Whisk to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In Dutch oven, or deep fryer, heat oil to 360° F.
3. In large, re-sealable plastic bag, combine dry ranch dressing mix with panko. Shake well to combine.
4. Transfer seasoned Panko to a breading dish. In another breading dish (or bowl), whisk together eggs
    and water. In a third breading dish, add the flour.
5. Dredge chicken cubes in flour, then dip in beaten egg. Dredge chicken, a few pieces at a time, in
    seasoned Panko crumbs.
6. Fry chicken nuggets, in batches for 5 to 6 minutes, or until done.
7. Serve alone (as finger food) with ranch dipping sauce; or, serve in a warmed roll with lettuce, tomato
    and a topping of ranch sauce for a crunchy chicken nugget sandwich.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Was April Fools’ Day rescheduled this year? After a week of temps in the high 80’s, we took a drastic tumble down to the 30’s last night. This recipe for pasta salad has as much of a contrast in temps as the current weather pattern. Imagine a nice cool summer macaroni salad, then pair it with the spicy heat of Buffalo wings. It’s kind of like a roller coaster for your palate. Savory pasta tossed with blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, celery, red onion and cooked chicken. Makes a perfect lunch, side dish, or party-pleasing take-a-along. This is another one of those super versatile dishes. You can cut back on the heat or kick it up a notch, add more veggies (or just change them up completely), substitute ranch dressing (if you’re not a fan of blue cheese), add blue cheese crumbles (or another cheese of your choice), and substitute rotisserie chicken (to save on time). If you love pasta and you love Buffalo chicken wings (and you love easy), this is the salad for you. This is what I call “summer comfort food.”

I usually oven “poach” my chicken breasts. The chicken always comes out moist and tender, without drying out. I just season the breasts with a sprinkling of dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper; add about 1/2-inch of water to the baking dish, cover, and bake at 375° F. until done. 

However, with this recipe, you can substitute cut-up rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, grilled chicken strips, whatever works best for you. 

Dice chicken.

Chop celery and onion (and any other veggies you want to include).

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.

In bowl, combine the whole jar of blue cheese dressing with hot sauce. I added 1 cup of hot sauce, which I felt was a perfect balance of heat for us. But again, adjust the heat to your liking. Fire it up, or cool it down! Similar recipes online call for “3/4 of a bottle of Frank’s Hot Sauce,” but they don’t specify bottle size. I’m assuming a standard bottle size is 12-ounces, so you would use 9 ounces of hot sauce if that’s the case. But, precision is not at all necessary here. Start with 3/4 cup, taste, then add as much as you want.

In large bowl, combine cooked pasta, dressing/hot sauce mixture, celery, onion and diced chicken. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
Source:  Simply Alli
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box (16-ounces) Rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 jar (12-ounces) Marie’s Blue Cheese Salad Dressing, or substitute equal amount of Ranch Dressing
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups Hot sauce, whatever brand you prefer (or adjust amount to your taste)
• 2 to 3 cooked chicken breasts, diced (or adjust amount to your liking)
• 5 to 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 whole red onion, chopped (or adjust amount to your taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. In bowl, combine jar of salad dressing with hot sauce. Start with 3/4 to 1 cup of hot sauce, then
    adjust to taste.
3. In large bowl, combine pasta, dressing mixture, celery, onions and diced chicken. Mix thoroughly to
    combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Thai Chicken Thighs (Crockpot)

When I was pregnant with my twins, I developed an allergy to MSG. Actually, it was a little more severe than that. I would actually pass out in a restaurant if my meal had any MSG in it. Even after coming to, the dizziness would linger for hours afterwards. As much I loved Asian cuisine, I had to avoid it because that had the most devastating effect on me. I was hoping it was just a symptom of my pregnancy and would subside afterwards, but it never did. So, for many years I had to give up one of my favorite “food groups” (yes, it was actually a food group to me; that’s how much I enjoyed it). Fortunately, over time, restaurants became more in tune with “fresh, natural” flavors; and, I was, gradually, able to get my feet wet again by ordering take-out. It’s true what they say, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” My renewed passion for Asian cuisine has now become an obsession, so I’m incorporating that taste into as many home-cooked meals as I can. This recipe for Thai Chicken Thighs is my latest experiment. I say experiment because it is slow cooked in a crockpot. (Hmmmm.) Make you skeptical? Me, too. But, I forged ahead anyway and was not only pleasantly surprised, but actually amazed at how good this turned out. Ok, maybe this isn’t really authentic Thai cuisine; it should probably (more accurately) be described as chicken in peanut sauce. Faux Thai or not, this meal was incredibly flavorful. Although the combination of ingredients seems a bit unusual, it works! The chicken was moist and tender, and the peanut sauce had such a perfect texture to it (not at all soupy as I had expected). Served over aromatic Jasmine rice, this was such an easy and enjoyable dish.

Missing from photo: crushed red pepper flakes

I know what you are going to say, “salsa in a Thai dish?” I thought about swapping out the salsa for chili sauce, but I was afraid the end result would be too spicy. So, I stuck with the salsa and added a little crushed red pepper flakes to add a little heat. The salsa really did enhance the flavors so much more than I expected.

Place chicken thighs in crockpot. 

In bowl, whisk together salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. 

Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

As a garnish, I lightly toasted some sesame seeds in a little sesame oil (1 to 2 minutes, until aromatic). 

   
Garnish chicken with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve warm over rice (preferably an aromatic rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati).

THAI CHICKEN THIGHS (CROCKPOT)
Source: JulieVR
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional (for toasting sesame seeds)
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, optional (for garnish)
• Cooked rice, for serving (preferably an aromatic rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken thighs in crockpot.
2. In bowl, whisk together salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, minced garlic and
    crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
3. Optional (for garnish): In skillet, lightly toasted some sesame seeds in a little sesame oil (1 to 2
    minutes, until aromatic).
4. Garnish chicken with toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Serve warm over rice (preferably an aromatic
    rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati).

Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff

 

Have you ever gone on the Internet with one mission in mind, only to end up getting so sidetracked that hours later you can’t even remember what you originally went online for?  I do it all the time. It’s frustrating, but it’s also so rewarding. It’s usually during these times that you make the most amazing discoveries and find things that you probably would have never found otherwise. That’s how I came across this recipe, one sidetracked click led to another, which led to another until I happened upon this gem. And, I do mean gem. OMG, I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this stroganoff is. The fact that it is made with chicken, rather than beef, is what originally attracted my attention. But, after trying this recipe, the taste won me over. Unlike your typical stroganoff, the texture of the sauce is different, it’s thinner, more soupy than creamy. But, it is intended to be served with rice, not noodles, so that’s a good thing. The rice absorbs the sauce and soaks up all the flavor. There’s not a lot of ingredients involved, yet the combination of ingredients work so well together. The chicken is so moist and tender, it literally dissolves in your mouth. This is one of those recipes where each step of preparation adds another layer of flavor. One taste of this dish and you won’t be asking, “Where’s the beef?” Instead, you’ll exclaim, “Who cares, bring on the chicken!” 

Wash and pat dry the chicken. Trim of excess fat. Cut into 2-inch cubes (as pictured above). Season with salt and pepper.

Chop onion. Mince garlic. Clean and slice mushrooms. Chop cilantro (or parsley, if substituting).

In large pot, or Dutch oven, heat 3 Tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the cubed chicken, until all liquid is absorbed and chicken pieces are browned on all sides. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and wait until the pan reduces in temperature. Then add 1 Tablespoon of oil and the onions. (If you add the onions right away, they brown too quickly before softening.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Pour in the wine and let cook until completely absorbed.  Stir in the tomato sauce and the chicken stock. 

Cook, partially covered (see photo below), over medium-low heat for at least 45 minutes (or longer if you wish. I cooked mine longer and it just made it that much more flavorful).

Meanwhile, in large skillet, over medium heat, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and the butter. When butter has melted, add the mushrooms and cook until they are browned and tender. Remove from heat and set aside. 

After the chicken mixture has cooked for at least 45 minutes, add the mushrooms, heavy cream, Dijon mustard and cilantro. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as necessary. Let simmer until heated through. Remove from heat and serve.

Serve with rice. As a variation, it can be served with pasta, but I think the rice adapts better with the sauce, as it is more absorbent. If serving with pasta, I'd recommend substituting sour cream or yogurt for the heavy cream, to get a thicker sauce. Apparently, it’s also customary to serve this dish with shoestring potatoes in Brazil.

 
BRAZILIAN CHICKEN STROGANOFF
Source: Denise Browning, From Brazil to You.org
Posted by:  www.meldingmagic.com

 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 to 2-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast (about 3 breasts)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2-1/2 cups chicken stock, or broth
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 16 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (can substitute sour cream, plain or Greek yogurt or coconut milk)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (can substitute chopped parsley)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Cut into 2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In large pot, or Dutch oven, heat 3 Tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the cubed chicken,
    until all liquid is absorbed and chicken pieces are browned on all sides. Transfer to a platter and set
    aside.
3. Lower the heat to medium and wait until the pan reduces in temperature. Then add 1 Tablespoon of
    oil and the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and
    cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Pour in the wine
    and let cook until completely absorbed.  Stir in the tomato sauce and the chicken stock. Cook, partially
    covered, over medium-low heat for at least 45 minutes, longer if desired.
4. After the chicken mixture has cooked for at least 45 minutes, add the mushrooms, heavy cream, Dijon
    mustard and cilantro. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as necessary. Let simmer until heated
    through. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
5. Serve with rice. As a variation, it can be served with pasta, but I think the rice adapts better with the
    sauce, as it is more absorbent. Apparently, it’s also customary to serve this dish with shoestring
    potatoes in Brazil.