Perfect Baked Chicken

  

On occasion I will bake a whole chicken and then, since it is just my husband and myself, we will eat on it all during the week.  It took me several years to be able to bake a perfect chicken.  This recipe will surely become one of your favorites!


Perfect Baked Chicken

1 whole chicken, skin on
1 cup real butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. basil
2 Tbsp. Badia Seasoning 

Remove bag from chicken and place in a roasting pan with deep sides.  Using your hands, rub the entire chicken, both sides, with the butter and place about 1 Tbsp. inside.  Put the remainder of the butter into the pan.  Yes, it sounds like a lot of butter, but your chicken will be juicy and delicious.

In a bowl or cup, mix sea salt, ground pepper, basil and Badia Seasoning.  The Badia Seasoning is what makes this so good.  You can buy it at Aldi or Big Lots, lots of places.  Sprinkle the seasoning all over the chicken, on both sides. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 2 hours.  Every 30 minutes, using tongs, turn the chicken so that it bakes evenly.  Your chicken will be golden and delicious!

Enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

With winter quickly approaching, this is one soup you will want to have on hand.  It can be made quickly in a pinch, or you can put it in the crockpot and cook it slowly.  You will love this one.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. butter

In a large stock pot, chop up the chicken breasts and saute' them in the 2 Tbsp. of butter until done.    Add 1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, the can of cream of mushroom soup + 1 can of water, and seasonings. 

Stove top:  Boil on medium heat for approximately 40 minutes, or until rice is tender and done.  Stir often to prevent sticking.  You can add more water if rice isn't done, and it becomes too thick.

Crockpot:  Place all ingredients into the crockpot, (make sure you have sautee'd the chicken first) and turn on low.  Cook for about 3 hours, stirring often.  As above, add water if necessary and continue to cook until rice is done.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Goulash!

This meal is cooked completely in the crockpot.  It not only saves time, but is delicious!

Crockpot Goulash!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup macaroni - uncooked
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chunks of Velveeta cheese
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. Basil

Place ground beef, onion and bell pepper in the crockpot.  Cook on high for 1 to 2 hours, or until ground beef is cooked through.  Open periodically to break up the ground beef.  Add remainder of ingredients and cover.  Cook for approximately 2 hours until all is combined and the mixture has started to thicken.  Check about every hour to stir.

Enjoy!

Apricot Steak Marinade

I made some Ribeyes the other night and threw together this marinade.  It ended up being the best marinade I have made.  Definitely try this one!

Apricot Steak Marinade

2 to 4 Ribeye Steaks (or your favorite cut of meat)
3 heaping Tbsp. Apricot Jelly
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. Basil
2 cups water


Mix all of the ingredients above and place steaks in an oven-proof skillet.  Pour the mixture over the steaks and add 2 Tbsp. real butter into the pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour (or to your desired doneness).  Turn once during cooking time. 

Serve and Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Wrap / Lemon Almond Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad Wraps are one of my favorite quick-fix lunches.  You can use store-bought chicken salad or make your own.  Here is how I make mine:

Chicken Salad Wrap

2 to 3 large wraps (spinach or regular)
1/2 cup chicken salad per wrap (see recipe below)
1 Tbsp. Ranch dressing per wrap
Shredded lettuce

Lemon Almond Chicken Salad Recipe:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded into pieces
1/4 small onion, finely diced
1/4 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1/4 cup almonds (optional), chopped
1 Tbsp. lemon rind
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix well and place about 3 heaping Tbsp. per wrap.  Add Ranch dressing and lettuce.  To roll, tuck in one side of the wrap around the chicken salad and pull toward you.  Bring in the sides and tuck in, then roll.  Cut in half and serve.

Enjoy!

Fish Bites with Homemade Tartar Sauce

These little fish bites will be a great hit with the kids.  They are juicy inside and crispy outside and oh so easy to make!  The homemade tartar sauce is easy and the Dijonnaise gives it just the right amount of tartness.

Fish Bites

3 - 4 fillets of your favorite white fish (boneless)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sea salt + more
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 cups evaporated milk
oil for frying

Cut fish fillets into small bite-sized chunks.  In bowl 1, add the evaporated milk, salt and pepper.  In bowl 2, add flour, cornmeal and cornstarch and mix well. 

Dip fish into the flour first, the milk and then back into the flour, pressing down to make sure pieces are coated well.  I suggest breading all of the fish filets first because they will cook quickly.  Set them aside on a plate.

Bring oil up to heat.  To test, drop a smidgen of flour into the oil and if it sizzles, then you are good to go.  (appr. 350 degrees).    Drop about 4 or 5 at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan.  Turn once and remove when both sides are browned and crispy.  Place onto paper towels to drain the oil.

Serve with tartar sauce or I like to eat mine with YumYum sauce.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

1 cup Hellmans real mayonnaise
2 tsp. pickle relish
1 tsp. Dijonnaise mustard/mayo blend
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Chicken-Cream Cheese Soup

This has to be one of my very favorite recipes.  It has a little bit of everything I want in a soup!  And, you all know what a soup junkie I am!

Chicken-Cream Cheese Soup

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into very thin small strips
1 can chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk
4 oz whipped cream cheese
4 baby carrots, diced finely
1 stalk of celery, diced finely
2 Tbsp. finely diced onions
1 medium potato, peeled and finely chopped/sliced
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. chopped basil
2 Tbsp. real butter
water


slurry mix:  1/4 cup water + 2 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch

Melt butter in a deep saucepan and add chicken, onions, carrots and celery.  Saute' just long enough to make sure chicken is cooked through.  Add chicken broth and 1 chicken broth can filled with water.  Add salt, pepper and basil.  Boil on medium/high for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. 

Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese and evaporated milk.  Whisk until they are mixed well.  Let cook until milk is hot and then stir in the slurry mixture above.  Stir the entire time because it will thicken quickly.  Remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy!

Good morning friends!  I am back from our 3 week whirlwind vacation across the old west.  I have some great foods and restaurant recommendations to share with you throughout the next week.  I hope you enjoy a bit of our travels!

 

 

As we started our trip, one of the first places we stopped was a truck stop style restaurant called The Iron Skillet.  Ray said his steak was cooked perfectly and his home fries were great.   I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and it came with a biscuit.  I was less than impressed with the biscuit, which had corn in it.  The chicken was a really large breast that was juicy and perfectly cooked and the mashed potatoes were home made.   Now, let's talk about the Gravy.   Whoever cooked that gravy, had a heavy (and I mean HEAVY) hand on the pepper.  It was so very hot that it ruined my entire meal.  What a shame because it could have been fabulous.....  Maybe that's the way the truckers in that area like it, I'm not sure, but Whoa...hold up on the pepper there! 

Well, anyway, I would definitely eat at an Iron Skillet again, but I would probably ask them to HOLD THE GRAVY!

Until next time!  Chow!.....  Debi

BBQ Chicken Legs

MY grandbabies love my BBQ chicken legs.  My mom has made a similar recipe to this one for years and I have, as usual, put a twist on it to call it my own.  These take quite some time to cook, so be prepared.

BBQ Chicken Legs

6 to 8 thawed chicken legs
2 Tbsp. real butter
1 cup ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
4 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. basil

I use a cast-ironed skillet to bake my chicken legs.  Melt the 2 Tbsp. real butter in the cast ironed skillet and arrange the chicken legs.  In a bowl, mix the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and basil.  Using a pastry brush, brush the BBQ sauce onto the legs (covering both sides).  Keep the remainder, because you will brush them again when you turn them the first time.

Bake on 300 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.  Turn the legs over using tongs and brush the other side with the remaining BBQ sauce.  Cook for another 20 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Crispy Ocean Perch Nuggets

I'm not always a big fan of fish, but I do like it if it is crispy.  I actually prefer my fish fresh-caught.  But, this recipe, might just change my mind.  This turned out fantastic and there were even some of those crispy, crunchy bits from the fryer.

Crispy Ocean Perch Nuggets

1 to 2 fillets of Ocean Perch (or your favorite fish)
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup whole milk
Oil for frying (I use Canola Oil)

Make sure you buy a boneless fish and cut it into nuggets about 1" x 1".  Place the milk in a bowl and mix the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper into a second bowl.  Place enough oil for frying into a deep saucepan or deep fryer.  

Dip the nuggets into the milk and then into the cornmeal mixture.  Dip them back into the milk and back into the cornmeal mixture.  Set aside while you do all of the nuggets.  Letting them sit for a second before you fry them gives you a thicker and crispier batter.  Once you have all of the nuggets battered, drop them into the hot oil (about 4 at a time).  Turn once so that both sides are crispy.  Remove to a paper towel and be sure you get some of the crispy crunchies that are left in the oil.

Salt lightly and serve

Enjoy!