Cashew Chicken with Broccoli & Mushrooms

I've learned a lot during my four years in Buffalo.
- Never expect a snow day.  Expect snow.  Every day from December through March, maybe even April or May.  But don't expect a snow day.
- Wind is evil.  And everywhere.
- Taking food photos in the winter when you can't afford studio lighting gets...complicated.
- "Buffalo wings" = wrong.  "Wings" = right.
- Tim Hortons' Roll Up the Rim month will make you spend waaaay more money than you mean to spend.  But hey, you could win a car!!  Or a free donut.
- If you live in the Buffalo area, you're a Bills and Sabres fan.  Even if you hate either football or hockey.
- Paula's Donuts are heaven.  HEAVEN, I tell you.

And this one I find particularly important to anyone who grew up in DC or NY:

- Thai food in Buffalo is brilliant.
Japanese food in Buffalo is awesome.
Chinese food in Buffalo SUCKS.  With a capital SUCKS.

I love Chinese food.  But I have not even tasted a single truly good batch of Chicken Fried Rice since I got to UB - the flavors are off and all you get is egg, bamboo shoots, a few chunks of chicken, and HUGE pieces of virtually raw onion.  I'm sorry, but if the Chinese place you're ordering from also delivers pizza and wings...don't order from them.  I beg you.  Save yourself.

If I ever get a craving for Asian flavors, I stick with Thai, hibachi, or I just make my own mock Chinese food.   I always have a bottle of low-sodium soy sauce in the fridge for those nights when dangit, nothing but stir fry will cut it!

And this recipe has officially cut the line to the top of my list of favorite weeknight recipes.

Not just Asian-style weeknight recipes.  Weeknight recipes, period.

It's that good.

The combination of flavors and textures is just such a win.  Don't bother letting me explain in detail - make it for yourself the next time you want takeout!  It'll be ready just as fast, and your wallet and tummy will thank you :)

Cashew Chicken with Broccoli and Mushrooms
Source: adapted slightly from Cheeky Kitchen
Serves at least 4

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp garlic powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
4-6 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/3-1/2 cup water (use less for a thicker sauce, more for a thinner sauce)
2-3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
1/2 cup salted cashews
Rice or noodles, for serving

Directions:
In a wok or large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Toss in the chicken pieces and stir fry until cooked through.  Add the mushrooms and allow to cook briefly.  Sprinkle the mixture with the garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and desired amount of soy sauce.  Whisk together the water and cornstarch in a measuring cup and pour over the chicken and mushrooms, stirring to coat.  Add the broccoli florets, cover the pan, and allow to cook until the broccoli is bright green.  Toss in the cashews and serve over rice or noodles.  Enjoy!

Pecan Crusted Chicken

So, remember how I told you that I was a scatterbrain and left my camera-to-computer cable in VA?
And remember how I was waiting for the package with said cable inside to arrive at my apartment?
And remember how I posted two recipes sans pretty pretty pictures?  And how that made me sad?  And led to profuse apologies?

Turns out my package could've been in the mailroom at my apartment complex for days.  I finally nabbed someone who works in the office and they had to scour the back room for it...only to find that it was there, but had never been recorded.  No sign-out slot.  No package slip.  Nuthin'.

Long story short: rawwrrrrrrr.  But we have photos again!

...but I apologize for the less-than-great photo for this.  It makes me sad, cause this was delicious.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

I created a recipe!  With amounts and everything!

Pardon me while I take this moment to do a proud-of-myself happy dance.

Okay done.  Anyway, I'm always trying to find new ways of making chicken.  I eat it so often that I really can't afford to get bored with it!  A few days earlier, my parents and I ate dinner at Carabba's, where I had the best piece of fish I've ever had.  One of the things that made this tilapia so spectacular was the hazelnut breading, so I was inspired to try some nut-based breading solutions of my own.  This particular day, I also reeeally did not want to go grocery shopping.  For anything.  A grocery store run sounded like the exact opposite of fun to me.  Thus, the obvious choice was a pantry meal.

This was the result, and it was the best pantry meal I've ever made.  Finely chopped pecans are mixed with whole-wheat breadcrumbs to form the breading for the tender breast pieces, which are then baked quickly in a searing hot oven to seal in all the moisture.  This chicken is perfect to serve with virtually anything: with sauteed vegetables and quinoa, with pasta alfredo, or sliced over a salad - or figure out your own accompaniments!  Regardless, I hope you make this and enjoy it as much as I did!

Pecan Crusted Chicken
Source: a Dancer Bakes original!


Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
2 cups pecans, finely chopped or coarsely ground
1-1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475˚F.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.
Place the flour in a shallow dish.  Mix in salt, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger.  Set aside.
Combine egg and egg whites in a wide bowl and beat together with about 1 tbsp of water.  Set aside.
Mix together breadcrumbs and pecans in a shallow dish or on a sheet of wax paper.  Set aside.
With each piece of chicken, dredge first in the flour mixture, then dip to cover in the egg, then finally coat with the pecan breading.  Lay flat on the baking sheet and repeat till each piece of chicken has been breaded.
Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until no pink remains and each piece is firm to the touch.  Serve as desired.  Enjoy!

Chili Lime Chicken Thighs [Guest Post]

Hello friends!  I'm so pleased to have my first guest post on The Dancer Bakes - my friend Jim!  He cooked the Throwdown dinner that went along with the Derby Pie I posted, and today he'll be sharing his recipe.  This one's for those times when you just need big flavor, and it's one that should be a hit with any guy in your family!  Enjoy - I certainly did!  Thanks, Jim!

 

Chili Lime Chicken Thighs (Modified with less thunder)

As a guest blogger, I first want to thank Angela for even allowing me a spot on her baking blog, when first, I am not a dancer, and second, my recipe has nothing to do with baking. But, for those that have been following “The Dancer Bakes,” you knew that a guest blog was coming shortly.

So…a quick about me? I am a 25 year old college graduate that met Angela back in high school, but it wasn’t until I left for college that we became close friends. My family is Pennsylvania Dutch, so I love vinegar and molasses (I’m trying to get Angela to bake me a Shoofly Pie someday), and I went to school in North Carolina. It was during my 5 year double-major tenure at East Carolina University that I learned to cook my specialty, anything in the meat section.

I have cooked meals from pulled pork to chicken curry, from beef brisket to pork ribs, from Cornish Game Hens to bison burgers. Needless to say, I love my protein! I’m not exactly a “one trick pony” as I can cook other things (and I can complete a meal with fruit/veggie/starchy sides), but I prefer anything meaty. It’s how I roll, it’s what I cook, and Angela can (hopefully) attest that I’m far from a slouch, even though I am still learning and expanding my repertoire.

I will make one note before I start listing the ingredients for my Chili Lime Chicken Thighs. I don’t measure things out when I cook. To me, the essence in cooking a meal is based on artistry and feel. Today, I may want my chicken packed with heat. Tomorrow, I may want it mild. I can use the exact same recipe, but I will balance ingredients differently for different tastes, while still having that Chili Lime flavor.

During our throw down, I packed everything into a 3 hour window, so I mixed the dry rub into the marinade. If I were truly preparing these Chili Lime Chicken Thighs, I would dry rub the chicken 24 hours in advance, marinade 6 hours prior to cooking, and then cook-n-serve.

So here’s the basis of my recipe

Dry Rub:

-Paprika

-Chili Powder

-Cayenne Pepper

-        Depending on the desired heat, focus on one of these spices. The desired heat level should outweigh the other two spices 3/2

-Garlic Salt (1 moderate sized pinch for each thigh)

-Oregano (Optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Rub on each thigh thoroughly and let sit overnight in the refrigerator in a sealed bag.

Marinade:

-Hot Sauce (I use Cholula or Texas Pete and sometimes a dabble of “Ass Kickin’ Original Hot Sauce” if I want super kick, or “Dave’s Insanity Sauce” if you want to burn your taste buds)

-Jack Daniels Original Number 7 BBQ Sauce

-White Wine Vinegar or White Wine (I prefer Yellowtail Pinot Grigio)

-Lime Juice (Fresh squeezed limes quarters are preferred, but concentrated juice works too)

Use no more than ½ cup of vinegar or white wine per 6 thighs. Also, every 6 thighs needs minimum of 1 lime worth of lime juice. I use a medium sized bottle of Jack-BBQ sauce every 6 thighs and ¼ bottle of hot sauce per 6 thighs. These values all vary, depending on how I feel that day, but this is probably an “average” Chili Lime chicken thigh recipe for me.

About 3-6 hours before cooking, use heavy duty and extra-wide aluminum foil and wrap the thighs in them. If done properly, you can fit 4-6 thighs per package. Fill each package with marinade until the chicken is mostly covered. Take your leftover lime quarters and place them in the foil to cook with the chicken.

You can grill or stick these in the oven. The temperature, depending on your stove/grill should be between 375 (convection oven) and 450 (conventional oven) degrees. The minimum the chicken should be in there is 45 minutes. Please cook until they are cooked through. Times and temperatures are meaningless if the chicken is not fully cooked. Do not take risks with chicken!

After 45 minutes to an hour (occasionally more) the chicken should be cooked through. A knife will slide right through them if they are done (unless you hit bone…), and since they are almost drowned in marinade, they should be super moist.

At this point, if done properly, no sauce should be needed; however, leftover marinade can definitely amplify the chili-lime taste.

Changes: If you’re feeling creative, here are a few tasty suggestions to try, that may spice things up.

-        Remove the lime flavor and go 100% heat

-        Instead of White wine, use ½ the normal amount of vinegar, and try adding some straight Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey to it.

-        Cholula makes a Chili Lime sauce, and if you’re in a crunch for time, it’s a perfect replacement for hot sauce. It helps bring out more lime flavor, when you don’t have time for the marinade to sit. Also, if you don’t use Pinot Grigio, I prefer using this flavor hot sauce.

-        Instead of Lime, replace it with more garlic and go for the Garlic flavor. If you don’t add too much, the garlic comes out and just gives this recipe a whole new flavor.

-        Add some soy to the recipe. It sounds crazy, but adding ¼ to 1/3 cup of soy sauce per every 6 thighs can really give it a different kind of flavor.

-        Don’t be afraid to pile on the dry rub! Just don’t super overload the garlic! =)

Well, that’s my recipe for my Chili Lime Chicken Thighs. It’s not thing super special, but I have had nothing but excellent reaction from these, every time I cook it. I get people who hate eating meat to eat it, and to tell me that if they had that every day, they’d eat meat more often. =)

I hope that this inspires someone to go out and try this. I also hope people get inspired to try some of the “spin-offs” I suggest. Feel free to be creative with this recipe, and let me know what changes you made, and how it turns out!

Enjoy Life, Enjoy Grilling and God Bless

-        The Brousinator

Chicken Parmesan, the lighter way

Honestly, what I post on this blog is not a particularly accurate representation of my diet.

I eat clean the vast majority of the time, especially when I'm at school cooking for myself.  Most of my diet consists of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and I make dessert very rarely.   I feel a lot better when I eat a wholesome varied diet.
That doesn't mean that I want my food to taste like it's insanely healthy.  As a result, I'm on an eternal quest to make healthy comfort food.

A total contradiction, I know, but welcome to my life.  I am, after all, an aspiring professional dancer who loves to bake.  I have to at least try to make healthy food taste like it'll clog your arteries!

One of my favorite blow-my-diet Italian dishes is Fettucine Alfredo.  Another is gnocchi in a tomato cream sauce.  Those are things that you just can't make authentic healthy versions of.  Or even authentic-tasting.
I'm sorry, but using low-fat cream cheese to thicken your alfredo sauce is wrong.  Cream cheese??  
Really??

Chicken Parmesan, however, was a bit more redeemable.

Instead of browning the breaded chicken in oil, seasoned Panko breadcrumbs are toasted to make them brown and, well, toasty before they're tossed with grated Parmigiana Reggiano to form the breading.  Panko is extra crispy, so you don't miss the frying, and the chicken is cooked entirely in the oven in about 20 minutes total.  Homemade marinara sauce and part-skim mozzarella get all warm and melty on top to finish a dish that satisfies you without weighing you down.  Serve it with a salad or a green vegetable - like grilled zucchini - and a whole-grain baguette, and you have a well-balanced, healthy, AND comforting meal!

And if you need a testament to it's status as healthy comfort food, just ask Jon - I served it to him and he didn't think it tasted "healthy" at all!  Officially guy-approved :)

Lightened-Up Chicken Parmesan
Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Cook's Illustrated, October 2006

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Italian-seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp. water
vegetable cooking spray
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into halves (4 pieces total)
2 cups marinara sauce, warmed
about 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 475˚F with an oven rack on the middle position.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with vegetable cooking spray.
Toast Panko breadcrumbs in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown.  Set aside to cool.
Place flour in a pie plate or on a sheet of wax paper.  Whisk together the egg whites and water in a shallow dish.  Combine cooled breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan cheese and spread on a sheet of wax paper or a pie plate.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides.  Dredge each piece in the flour, then dip in the egg whites, then cover in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.  Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet and place in the heated oven for 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and feels firm when pressed with a finger.  Remove the chicken from the oven.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce over each piece and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella.  Return to the oven for 5-6 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve as desired with extra sauce and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Stir fry makes me happy.

It plays to my artistic side.  It's colorful, it involves experimentation, and I honestly don't think I've ever made the same one twice.
It's also really easy to throw together as long as you have soy sauce in your fridge and a little time to chop up chicken and veggies.  I'll take easy any day, considering how long my days usually are.

It's the little things in life.

My family whipped this together when my mom got back from a business trip.  After eating out for days on end, all she wanted was a healthy home-cooked meal.  We didn't add a whole lot of oil, and we actually baked the breaded chicken pieces and added them to the skillet near the end of the process, which took a bit longer but tasted great.

I can't tell you exactly what was in this, but here's what I've got:

Asian Chicken Stir Fry
Source: chicken slightly adapted from Secrets of a Skinny Chef by Jennifer Iserloh, the rest created by my personal tastes and experimentation

For the chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cubed
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
2 tbsp fine cornmeal
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

For the stir fry:
1 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
Red, orange, or yellow pepper slices
Broccoli florets
Sliced mushrooms (I used white button but I bet wild mushrooms would be great)
Sugar snap peas
Additional veggies, as desired

For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I recommend low-sodium)
1-2 tbsp honey, to taste
Garlic or garlic powder, to taste
Fresh or ground ginger, to taste
1/4 tsp (approximately) red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.  Coat a metal cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Mix the flour, cornmeal, and cornstarch on a sheet of waxed paper.  Beat the egg whites in a shallow dish and place on the counter next to the breading mixture.  Dredge the chicken pieces in the egg whites, then coat in the breading and place on the baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
Whisk the soy sauce, honey, and spices together in a measuring cup with a spout.
While the chicken bakes, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the vegetables and saute until browned and softening.  Add the chicken pieces and allow them to brown and crisp up.  Pour in the sauce and mix until the chicken and vegetables are fully coated.  Serve immediately atop brown rice.  Enjoy!

Next project: dessert for my family's Fourth of July gathering!  I'm torn between a few options, but I'm excited to have another excuse to bake :)
Oh, right.  And getting through my first week of work.  I love four-year-olds, I really do...but trying to teach them to dance is reminiscent of herding cats...