A while back, I don’t even remember how long ago, my husband asked me to make stir-fry. I have tried many different stir fry recipes and we loved this one adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. But it takes too long. I like short cuts, I really do. I have a rice cooker because I would burn rice if I cooked it on the stove. I take all kinds of short cuts to get dinner on the table and despite that, sometimes dinner arrives on the table at 9pm (or gasp! even later).

Besides not being able to get dinner on the table until 9pm, I have another confession to make, I don’t eat rice dishes with chopsticks. I can’t and I won’t. There I said it. I only use chopsticks for noodle bowls and sushi.

This stir fry recipe is very easy and is an adaptation of an adaptation. Try saying that 5 times without twisting your tongue. I use a store bought stir fry sauce and I usually make this recipe with sirloin beef filet. It works well with both chicken or beef, actually.

The last time I made this, there were no leftovers. I held a grudge for about a week because he (my husband) ate it all! I was looking forward to having leftovers for lunch one day at work. I love leftovers, don’t you?

Another one of my short cuts is I buy a bag of already cut up stir fry vegetables in the produce department at my grocery store. I buy the blend that has broccoli, snow peas, carrots and red cabbage. I separate the broccoli out and I actually cut them down so they are uniform in size.

You can use whatever variety of vegetables you want. I add to that one medium onion rough chopped. Sometimes I add Napa cabbage. I use fresh minced ginger and garlic. Add that to 1 Tbsp of oil and set aside.

I cut up the chicken in almost bite size pieces so I don’t need a knife for this meal. If you’re using beef, use about a pound and slice it thinly as possible against the grain.

Season the chicken and cook on medium heat with 1 Tbsp of oil. I add 1 Tbsp of the stir fry sauce to the pan right after I add the chicken. Remove the chicken after cooking for 5-7 minutes (8-10 minutes if you’re cooking beef).

After removing the chicken, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and add the broccoli. Cover and steam for about 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the broccoli. Remove the broccoli and add to the plate or bowl with the chicken.

This is the part that makes the house smell so fragrant. After adding the other stir fry vegetables to the pan with 1 Tbsp of oil and letting it cook for 2-3 minutes. Move the vegetables to the outer edges of the pan and add the ginger-garlic-oil mixture to the middle of the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds, smashing it down with a wooden spoon.

Mix the ginger and garlic with the rest of the veggies and add the chicken and broccoli back to the pan. Add 4 Tbsp of the stir fry sauce. Mix together thoroughly and cook on low until chicken and broccoli are reheated.

Serve with Jasmine rice. I buy the huge bag of rice at my local warehouse club, it lasts us forever. Forgot to mention, the first thing I do is set my rice to cook in the rice cooker before I start anything.

(Easy) Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

3-4 cups Jasmine rice, prepared in a rice cooker
2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 1/2 Tbsp
2 small sections of fresh ginger, minced, about 2 Tbsp
12 oz. bag of fresh stir fry vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, carrots, cabbage)
1 medium onion, rough chopped
1 - 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 1 pound sirloin beef, filet)
5 Tbsp stir fry sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Prepare rice and start cooking in the rice cooker or on the stove.

Add garlic and ginger to a small bowl with 1 Tbsp of oil and set aside.

Separate out broccoli from the rest of the vegetables, if you using different combination of vegetables, be sure to separate harder vegetables that will need to be steamed, such as sliced or baby carrots.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium for 3-4 minutes in 9 or 10 inch skillet (I use my enameled cast iron braiser) or a wok. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Add 1 Tbsp of stir fry sauce and mix in. Cook on medium for 5-7 minutes (for beef 8-10 minutes). Remove chicken and add to a plate, set aside.

Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and add the broccoli and any other harder vegetables. Cover and steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove and add to plate with chicken. Remove any excess water and wipe skillet with a paper towel.

Add 1 Tbsp of oil and the remaining vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Move all vegetables to the outer edges of the skillet, creating a circle. Add ginger-garlic-oil mixture. Cook for 90 seconds while smashing down with the side of a wooden spoon. Mix ginger & garlic thoroughly in with the rest of the vegetables.

Add the chicken and broccoli back into the skillet. Add 4 Tbsp of stir fry sauce. Lower the heat level to low. Mix sauce thoroughly in with vegetables and chicken. Cook until chicken and broccoli are heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Jasmine rice.

Dinner on the table in 30-40 minutes. That’s the way I like it. Do you have a favorite stir fry recipe? I would love to hear about it.

(Easy) Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

To say that we love buffalo chicken is an understatement. In fact, we had it earlier this week again for my husband’s birthday dinner. When I was asked to develop a recipe with celery, I immediately thought of my boneless buffalo chicken recipe. I always serve it with celery.

The folks at Duda Farm Fresh Foods have just been so awesome. Their products are sold under the brand Dandy Fresh and I just love that a lot of the celery I buy is grown right here in Florida. Before I even worked with Duda Farm Fresh Foods, their celery has always gone into my shopping cart just about every week. We are always cooking with celery and I can pretty much guarantee you that there’s always a bag of Dandy Fresh celery in my crisper. We have it with cream cheese and paprika for an appetizer and whenever I’m putting a chicken or a roast in the slow cooker, celery goes in there as well.

This recipe is very simple to make and you can even simplify it even more by using store bought boneless fried chicken and/or store bought buffalo wing sauce.

I always chop all of my vegetables before cutting up raw meats. So the first thing I do is cut up the celery and start the buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce is really quick and easy to make as it utilizes store bought hot sauce (I prefer Frank’s hot sauce).

Before cutting up the chicken into strips, I slice and then crumble the blue cheese so that’s all ready. Put this back in the refrigerator before you go onto the next step.

After frying the chicken, I chop it up on a completely different cutting board (a clean one). Place chopped up chicken into a large bowl and mix in the buffalo sauce. Now you’re ready to arrange your lettuce wraps.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Celery and Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

Sauce Recipe
1 stick of margarine
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp red pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
11.5 oz hot sauce, or more to taste (I prefer Frank's red hot sauce which ends up being 1/2 a bottle)

Chicken
2 cups flour, all-purpose, unbleached
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne red pepper
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 - 3 eggs
1 1/4 pound chicken breasts, cut into cutlets and then into fingers, whatever sizes you prefer
vegetable oil for frying

Lettuce Wraps
3 celery stalks, chopped
2-3 oz. blue cheese, sliced and then crumbled
12 Boston or bibb lettuce leafs, separated, washed and dried with a paper towel

Directions:

Sauce

1. Melt margarine in sauce pan with all seasonings, then add hot sauce.
2. Leave covered on warm heat setting while preparing chicken.

Chicken

1. In frying pan or skillet, add enough 1 1/2 to 2 inch layer of vegetable oil and heat on low.
2. Prepare plastic zip bag with all dry ingredients. Close bag and blend together ingredients with your hands.
3. Place eggs into a shallow dish and beat them. Add 1-2 tsp of beaten egg to plastic bag, close and blend together with your hands.
4. As you're cutting up the chicken, add to dish with eggs. When finished, add to plastic zip bag and close. Blend chicken with flour mixture with your hands making sure each piece of chicken is evenly coated.
5. Adjust heat of pan up to medium or medium-high. Brown chicken pieces for 4-6 minutes on each side. Cook in batches if needed.
6. Drain on plate with paper towels. Allow to drain for a couple of minutes before cutting cooked chicken on a clean cutting board into bite-sized pieces.

Lettuce Wraps

1. In batches, put some pieces of chicken into a glass mixing bowl and add 1/4-1/2 cup of the sauce mixture. Toss gently with tongs.
2. Make lettuce wraps by adding chicken, celery and blue cheese. Serve on a platter or place ingredients on platters to allow everyone to make their own.

Notes: You can use butter as I have before but I prefer margarine for this recipe.

Recipe for buffalo sauce came from a friend.

Do you have a favorite dish or appetizer that you make with celery? I want to hear about it. If you have a link to your blog or your favorite recipe, please share!

PS You should head on over to their facebook page, they are giving away Vidalia onion prize packs. They are awesome, I just received one in the mail this week. Can’t wait to share with you what I’m making with them.

Disclosure: Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a sponsor of mine. Opinions are always my own and I only share with you my favorite products and brands.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Celery and Blue Cheese © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Seriously, the most amazing grilled chicken sandwich ever!

I recently received Guy Fieri’s new cookbook in the mail, it’s called Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It. I’m going to have to be honest with you, I flipped through it and then put it down. My husband however, picked it up, flipped through it and bookmarked the page for the Red Rocker Margarita Chicken recipe and then persuaded me over several weeks to make it. Well, I’m glad I did. This is one moment I can say, honey, you were right with a straight face.

The book is huge, it’s over 400 pages long with over 150 recipes. Guy laces different stories with each recipe, which makes it kind of neat. The Red Rocker Margarita Chicken is a sandwich inspired by Sammy Hagar, I think that’s really cool! I love the show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives but I really thought this book wouldn’t be my kind of thing but I was wrong. There are some other dishes I want to try in the book including Chicken & Seafood Paella, Steak Diane and Fire-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail.

Dry Ingredients for Marinade

This tequila marinated chicken sandwich is an easy dish to make. Marinate the chicken in the seasonings, cilantro, roasted red bell peppers, tequila, etc. for 4-8 hours and you end up with a very moist grilled chicken.

Tequila Marinade

I placed the zippered plastic bag in a casserole dish before adding the marinade.

I put the bag in a casserole dish to be cautious, just in case the bag leaked or just in case I spilled the marinade.

Chicken Marinating

The chicken after marinating for 5 hours

The marinade smelled so good! This is the first time I cooked with tequila and it won’t be the last!

The chicken is very moist and the pop of flavor from the fried roasted red peppers makes this sandwich a winner!

I can’t wait to make this tequila-marinated grilled chicken sandwich again! The flavorful marinade and the fried roasted red peppers were so good! I got yelled at for eating too many of the fried roasted red peppers before we put our sandwiches together. They are addictive, the tequila flavor popped in your mouth when you bit into it.

Have you cooked with tequila before? I want to hear all about it if you have.

Red Rocker Margarita Chicken

Ingredients:

2 jalapenos, cut into thin rounds
3 Tbsp cilantro leaves
1/4 cup tequila
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 cups canola oil
4 kaiser rolls
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 green cabbage head, very thinly sliced
4 oz. thinly sliced provolone

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the jalapenos, cilantro, tequila, minced garlic, chili flakes, cumin, oregano, lime juice and 1 tsp of salt. Place the chicken and bell peppers in a resealable 1-gallon plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining 1 tsp salt and the granulated garlic.
3. Preheat a grill to high. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade. (Leave the roasted red peppers in the marinade.) Grill the chicken until cooked through, turning several times to prevent burning, about 12 minutes in all. Cover the cooked chicken and let sit for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the chicken across the grain.
5. Remove the roasted peppers from the marinade, dredge them in the flour mixture, and fry in the oil until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes, working in batches as needed. Drain on paper towels.
6. Split and lightly toast the rolls. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom halves. Stack each roll evenly with the cabbage, onion, chicken breast, fried peppers and cheese.

*Roast bell peppers over an open flame or under the broiler, turning to char on all sides. Skin and seed them.

Notes:

• I cheated a little and used jarred roasted red bell peppers.
• I ended up using 3 limes
• We toasted the kaiser rolls on the grill just for a minute or two on each side so they didn't burn.

From Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It by Guy Fieri, 2011. Reprinted with permission from William Morrow (an Imprint of Harper Collins).

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher. I was not asked to post about it but after making this dish, I just had to! There are affiliate links in this post.

Guy Fieri’s Red Rocker Margarita Chicken © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

To say my husband loved this recipe is an understatement. This recipe will definitely become a regular in our house. He was really excited for me to make it and even came up with the idea to add rice noodles to it. If you want to make this recipe as more of a meal, add the rice noodles. If you’d like it to be more an appetizer, I would leave out the rice noodles.

We used both kinds of lettuce because we wanted to see which one would be the best…the answer is, we like them both!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp walnut oil
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar - I can never find this so I used rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 to 2 green onions, slice at an angle thinly
salt & pepper to taste
12 leaves Boston Bibb or butter lettuce

Directions:

1. Separate lettuce leaves, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Add 2 tsp walnut oil to a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Cook the thoroughly which can take from 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Whisk remaining walnut oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil together until thoroughly combined.
4. Add to the sauce the chicken, carrots and almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve on top of lettuce leaves and garnish with sliced green onions.

Adapted from the National Honey Board

Disclosure: I was provided with a honey gift pack from the National Honey Board. I was not compensated for this post nor was I asked to post about this recipe. The opinions are my own.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Anyone have an awesome chicken pot pie recipe? I have never made one before...

January 21, 2011 8:38 pm via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@TheLittleKitchn

Julie Deily

@thelittlekitchn ive got a turkey pot pie recipe that could easily be modified. Tasty and simple! Make it in ramekins.

January 21, 2011 11:18 pm via Twitter for iPadReplyRetweetFavorite

@loveandoliveoil

Lindsay Landis

The only problem was that I didn’t have a whole set of ramekins nor do they match. But oh well, that didn’t stop me. I had to go out and get two more ramekins and it ended up working out. The recipe she used is based on Chef Emeril’s recipe for turkey pot pie but it was easily changeable to be a chicken pot pie.

After we had the slow cooker chicken recipe, I took the rest of the chicken left over and cut into smaller than bite size pieces and put into a plastic container – you need about 2 cups. This chicken pot pie was so amazing. It’s going to be our regular after we make the slow cooker chicken recipe, always.

As I'm writing this post, I really wish I had a ramekin or two of this chicken pot pie right now!

Sauteeing the onions and celery

Making the roux

After adding the chicken broth

After adding the half and half

Filling is done! Have a taste of the filling (it's so good, I could have just eaten it like this) and season with salt and pepper.

Filling my mismatched ramekins. This recipe makes a ton!

I used the actual containers to cut out the pie crusts before filling the ramekins. I also used a blossom flower cutter to cut out the vents.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp unsalted butter - I used Kerrygold
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped yellow onions - approx 2 small onions
1/2 cup chopped celery - approx 1 celery stalk
6 Tsbp all-purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 cup half and half (or soy creamer)
1 cup peeled and diced red potatoes, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes & then drained (approx 1 large potato)
1 cup diced carrots, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes & then drained (approx 3 medium carrots) - next time I will boil the the carrots and potatoes together to save a little time.
1 cup sweet young peas, fresh or frozen (defrost if frozen, place into a bowl and leave on the counter while preparing the other ingredients)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken, white and dark meat
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (I omitted this ingredient and it was fine)
2 pre-made pie crusts, room temperature (mine was store bought)

Directions:

1. Turn on oven to preheat at 400 degrees. If using a baking pan (such as a 9x9x2), grease it. Or if using ramekins, ready your ramekins (I used 7 of various sizes). Place baking pan or ramekins on a baking sheet covered in foil (the ramekins do not need to be greased).
2. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery as well as salt and pepper. Allow the onions and celery to for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add flour and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes to make a blond roux.
4. Add chicken broth while stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil then turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow it simmer until the sauce thickens, about 4 to 6 minutes.
5. Add half and half while stirring. Allow filling mixture to cook for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the rest of the vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas), the chicken and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and make sure all vegetables and chicken are incorporated well.
7. If using a baking pan, line it with one of the rolled out pie crusts. Pour the filling into the prepared pan or divide equally into ramekins.
8. If using a baking pan, cut vent holes and place the second crust on top of the filling. If using ramekins, cut out dough (I used the ramekins, flipped them upside and used them as a cutter) and cut out vents (I used a Wilton flower blossom cutter). Tuck in crust(s) into the pan or ramekins and crimp the edges.
9. Place into oven on covered baking sheet.Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes (18-20 minutes if using ramekins). Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:
Preparing the filling on the stove doesn't take that much time, the prepping of the ingredients does though. So it's very important to prep everything before you heat the pan on the stove!

Slightly modified, thanks to Lindsay for posting recipe based on Chef Emeril's recipe

I just adore this recipe for chicken pot pie and it’s going on regular rotation in our house. It’s one of the perfect comfort foods. So what do you like to make with your leftover chicken when making recipes like the slow cooker chicken, roast chicken or rotisserie chicken?

Chicken Pot Pie © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

So when I was on the hunt for a slow cooker recipe, I googled and found this one. It’s incredibly simple and the chicken goes into the crockpot in minutes. I added my own twist to it and guess what? The chicken is wonderfully moist and it’s very simple. After the chicken is done, you can throw it in your broiler to crisp up the skin. Carving the chicken is so easy because it just wants to fall apart. The breast comes right off the bone and is very easy to cut up. The chicken is really tender and flavorful and much easier than roasting a chicken in the oven.

I use a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound chicken and it fits just fine in my slow cooker. I added the carrots and vegetables and the chicken rests nicely on them. Also, I added garlic and lemon. My favorite roast chicken recipe calls for garlic and lemon inside the chicken so I do the same when I make it in the slow cooker.

This makes a wonderfully easy meal you can serve with mashed potatoes or rice and your favorite vegetable alongside the carrots and celery if you wish. And  wait until you see what I make I make chicken pot pies with the leftover chicken.

Add the rub to the outside and inside of the chicken.

I put the vegetables in the slow cooker first before laying the chicken on top.

I use turkey lifters to remove the chicken from the slow cooker carefully. Place chicken in an oven safe dish or roasting pan & in the broiler for just about 4-5 minutes.

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 10 min

Ingredients:

Rub Ingredients
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken
1 cup chopped onion, approx 1 medium to large onion
4-5 carrots, scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
4 celery stalks, cut in thirds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 lemon quartered

Directions:

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Add quartered lemon to the inside of the chicken.

Place onions, carrots and celery inside the slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. (When I used a 4 lb chicken, it took about 6 hours. The time will depend on the size of the chicken and your slow cooker.) Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for.

Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Modified and adapted from food.com.

I have made this recipe so many times now that I can’t even count. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to blog about it. Be sure to check out next week what I do with the leftovers!

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

I’m also trying to balance training for the Susan G. Komen Tampa 3-Day for the Cure®, work and my volunteering for Komen Central Florida. It’s been tough but completely worth it. Training has helped to focus on a goal throughout all that’s happened. You can follow my training on www.whateverjulie.com and if you’re so inclined to donate , please submit a donation online here.

So I was talking about getting dinners on the table! This is a really, really easy dinner that you can get on the table in under 50 minutes (I think). This has got to be one of my husband’s favorite dinners right now. We had it for dinner tonight and he paid me the hugest complement…he said, “if I had a restaurant, this would be on the menu.” Awww, sometimes he really knows how to make a girl blush.

The black beans recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on Cooks.com. I use yellow rice from bag, my favorite brand right now is Vigo and I don’t follow the instructions exactly.

Black Beans and Rice con Pollo

Just to give you an idea of how the size I chopped the onions for the black beans.

Here's the onions and garlic for the chicken.

Cooking the black beans, this is right before they get mashed.

All done!

Black Beans and Rice con Pollo

Ingredients:

10 oz. bag of Vigo (saffron) yellow rice
2 1/4 to 2/12 cups of water
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans of black beans, undrained
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium or 1 small onion, roughly chopped, chopped larger than the onion for the black beans
1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets
salt and pepper
2-3 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. First, chop onions and garlic. Separate out onto two different plates.
2. Start water boiling for the rice. Boil 2 cups of water. Once boiling, add rice and follow instructions on the bag. As you're cooking beans and chicken, check the rice and mix as needed as well as add more water along the way...a couple of times. I add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on how much I need. If I add all of the water the bag calls for, it seems to come out too mushy for me.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil at medium high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic to large sauce pan or dutch oven. Cook until translucent (don't burn the garlic) for about 5 minutes.
4. Lower to medium heat and drop in 1 can of undrained black beans along with bay leaf and 1/2 tsp of cumin. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans.
5. While the beans are cooking, prepare the chicken and add salt and pepper to taste as well as drizzle olive oil over chicken.
6. Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet, be sure to add a little olive oil and heat for only 1-2 minutes) on medium to medium high heat (for the chicken) for about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the 2nd can of beans and heat on low for about 10 minutes.
8. Add chicken to cast iron skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on each side on medium heat.
9. When the chicken is about ready to come off the skillet, add the raw onions and garlic chopped for the chicken. Using tongs, move the chicken to one side of the skillet and mix the onions around to get cooked. Be sure not to burn the garlic.
10. Remove chicken, onions and garlic after about 2 minutes and allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Inspired by a Cooks.com recipe for Easy Black Beans and Yellow Rice.

I hope you enjoy the dish like my husband did! By the way, he likes to add diced tomatoes and a little bit of hot habanero cheddar cheese on top of the black beans and rice.

I did want to mention one other thing, a fellow blogger, Erika of the Ivory Hut, recently lost her house to a fire and almost lost a family member as well. Her son is a hero, carrying his grandmother out of the house just in time. I don’t know Erika personally and have visited her blog several times but I was moved to donate when I read the posts on twitter about her ordeal. In a little over a week, her friends and fellow bloggers have raised over $10,000! While insurance will cover a lot of her losses, it will not cover the immediate expenses, for example, Erika was the only in her household wearing shoes when they escaped from her burning house. Insurance will not replace her lost wages or pictures on hard drives. Read her firsthand account of what happened and visit the site set up by Maggy and Alice to read more updates as well as donate. Erika’s resolve and bright positivity has motivated so many and inspired me. I hope you’ll visit the blogs to read on.

Black Beans and Rice con Pollo © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Chicken fajitas are so tasty. We love getting them when we go out to eat but I think it’s tastier and probably even healthier to make them at home. This recipe is pretty easy and it’s all about that cast iron skillet which I love! This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine which I modified slightly because we’re white meat chicken fans. Well it’s more my husband so I hardly ever (I mean hardly ever) make any dark meat chicken.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

Mojo de Ajo (Garlic Sauce)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Fajitas
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
1 large green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut lengthwise into cutlets
flour tortillas (about 6 inches), warmed (instructions follow)
Guacamole, for serving
Chopped tomatoes, for serving
Shredded lettuce, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Make the mojo de ajo: Add all ingredients for the garlic sauce into a small saucepan at low heat. Heat until garlic has softened which is about 8 minutes. (The original instructions tell you to add lime juice, salt and crushed red pepper afterwards but I accidentally added all at once, the first time I made this recipe, and have made it using the original instructions, I like making it this way better.)
2. Make the fajitas: Heat a cast iron skillet at high heat. Add salt and pepper to the chicken breasts. Drizzle one tablespoon of oil over both sides of the breasts. Add the chicken to the skillet, turn heat down to medium high and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and place on a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow chicken to rest for five minutes.
3. Add onions and bell peppers to the empty skillet and add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook onions and peppers for 5-8 minutes until browned and both are softened. Make sure to stir the onions and peppers to ensure they don't stick to the skillet. Remove skillet from heat when finished.
4. Slice chicken into strips and add to skillet with onions and peppers. Add the garlic sauce and stir using tongs to evenly distribute the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste (if you would like) and serve with tortillas and condiments.

**Warm your tortillas by wrapping them in wax paper and placing them on a plate and microwaving them for about 30 seconds.

Modified from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine.

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Chicken Fajitas © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

I guess these sandwiches are served with the sauce and served plain. My husband doesn’t like sauces so he eats them out without and adds provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato. He loves these sandwiches. I have even had the grilled chicken (not on a sandwich) but with couscous complete with the sauce.

This dish is in my top 10 list right now. Hope you enjoy them! If you make them, I’ll bet they will rank high on your list too!

Chicken Spiedies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (trimmed)
6 (6-inch) sub rolls

Directions:

1. Mix the oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper and pepper flakes in a large bowl.
2. Take 2 Tbsp of the oil mixture and place into another bowl and set aside.
3. Prick the chicken breasts with a fork all over on each side. Cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks. Add to large (first) bowl of marinade. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 3 hours.
4. Whisk together mayo, vinegar and lemon juice with the 2 Tbsp of oil mixture set aside earlier.
5. Remove the chicken and thread onto metal skewers.
6. Heat your gril for 10 minutes on high.
7. Clean and oil your cooking grate. Place the skewers on the grill, turning frequently. Cook for 10-15 mintues.
8. Remove from grill and allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes.
9. Grill the rolls on grill for a few seconds each. Remove quickly or they will burn.
10. Remove the chicken from the skewers directly on the rolls. Drizzle with mayo sauce mixture.

from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010 Cookbook, published 2009

Spiedies © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Before I got this recipe, we used to make buffalo sauce by melting some butter in a sauce pan and adding Texas Pete brand buffalo wing sauce. Then we met our friends, Crystal and Ron, and they introduced us to what they think is the authentic Anchor Bar wing sauce. Ron is from Buffalo so he should know what he is talking about when it comes to buffalo wings. We call them buffalo wings but they tell me that people who live in Buffalo don’t call them buffalo wings, they just call them wings.

The fried chicken recipe is a recipe I have developed myself over the years. I also make a variation of this chicken served with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy. When I make it with the wing sauce, my husband likes to eat it with Jasmine rice. Or sometimes I’ll cut up the chicken in half and we’ll have buffalo chicken sandwiches. My husband loves it with pepper jack cheese, we got the idea from a local restaurant that serves their buffalo chicken sandwiches that way.

Getting ready for the buffalo sauce bath.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and toss gently with tongs.

I have also had this wing sauce with bone-in chicken wings and it’s very tasty! Ron and Crystal made them for us.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken
2 cups flour, all-purpose, unbleached
1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper
1 tsp each salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 1/4 pound chicken breasts, cut into cutlets and then into fingers, whatever sizes you prefer
vegetable oil for frying

Sauce Recipe
1 stick of margarine
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp red pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 bottle of Frank's red hot sauce
blue cheese dressing, I prefer Ken's Steakhouse
celery sticks, optional

Directions:

Chicken

1. In frying pan or skillet, add enough 1 1/2 to 2 inch layer of vegetable oil and heat on low.
2. Prepare plastic zip bag with all dry ingredients. Close bag and blend together ingredients with your hands.
3. Place eggs into a shallow dish and beat them. Add 1-2 tsp of beaten egg to plastic bag, close and blend together with your hands.
4. As you're cutting up the chicken, add to dish with eggs. When finished, add to plastic zip bag and close. Blend chicken with flour mixture with your hands making sure each piece of chicken is evenly coated.
5. Adjust heat of pan up to medium or medium-high. Brown chicken pieces for 4-6 minutes on each side. Cook in batches if needed.
6. Drain on plate with paper towels.

Sauce

1. Melt butter in sauce pan with all seasonings, then add Frank's.
2. In batches, put some pieces of chicken into a glass mixing bowl and add 1/4-1/2 cup of the sauce mixture. Toss gently with tongs.
3. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks (optional).

I have used butter before when I didn’t have margarine on hand. My husband says he can’t tell the difference but I can, the consistency of the sauce is different and I think it tastes better with margarine. I have heard the authentic sauces are made with margarine and NOT butter.

Can you guess what we’re having on Super Bowl Sunday?

Boneless Buffalo Chicken © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.