In A Nutshell

I don't have any idea what Old Bay is made from but I'm in love with the stuff- it's magical. I'm not usually a huge fan of chicken wings but these are crazy good! The baking time can vary and I don't really have any explanation of why this happens-- you will have to keep an eye on them and if they don't look good and brown, simply bake them longer before tossing them with the sauce. Adapted from Food and Wine. 2 lbs chicken wings 2 T flour 1 T Old Bay seasoning 1 t salt 3 T Frank's Red Hot sauce 2 T unsalted butter 2 T Worcestershire sauce Preheat the oven to 500º and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, preferably the non-stick foil but if you are using regular foil, spray it with cooking spray. Combine the flour, Old Bay and salt and toss the chicken wings with the spice mixture. Spread out on the baking sheet and spray the wings with Pam (canola cooking spray). Bake for a total of 45-50 minutes or so turning them wings over at the...

Great cold-weather food! I have adapted the recipe from Food & Wine magazine and I keep tweaking it all the time. It is delicious served over rice with an ice cold beer. 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 flour 1 large onion, chopped 1 large celery rib, chopped 1 large green pepper, small-diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup tomato paste 6 cups chicken broth 1 bag frozen, sliced okra meat from 1 rotisserie chicken 1 lb sausages (andouille, kielbasa or whatever you have on hand), grilled 1-2 T cajun seasoning (to taste) 1/2 T mild or hot paprika 1 bay leaf chopped hard boiled eggs chopped scallions hot sauce of your choice filé powder In a large heavy pot, heat oil and sauté all the vegetable except for the okra for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Add the flour and cook until golden; stir in the tomato paste and spices and cook for a minute or so. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil-- then add the sausage and okra and let this simmer for about 20 ...

This is another modified Rachel Ray recipe. You feel like you're eating buffalo wings but much healthier! If you want to unhealthy it a bit, serve with Fritos, sour cream and a beer!!! 1 T olive oil 2 T butter 2 lbs ground chicken 1 large carrot, finely diced 3 ribs of celery, finely diced 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T smoked mild paprika 1 bay leaf 2 t kosher salt 1/4-1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce (to taste) 1- 15 oz. can tomato sauce 1- 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 bunch cilantro, chopped Toppings: blue cheese crumbles shredded lettuce shredded carrots sliced celery sour cream? Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large pan and add the chopped vegetables; I cook those for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Add the paprika and stir to coat the veg. Add the chicken to the veg and increase heat to high; cook the chicken, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add both types of canned tomatoes, s...

This is adapted from Chrissy Teigen's book  Cravings ; my daughter got me this book for my birthday last year and I really really wanted to hate it!  A Sports Illustrated swimsuit model??? Really??? But I have to admit I love the recipes and she is just a damn hoot! This is delicious- low carb but you don't miss the carbs, I promise! For the Sauce : 3 T Thai sweet chili sauce 3 T hoisin sauce 3 T soy sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (depending how hot you want it) 2 T veg oil 1 t sesame oil 1 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar 2 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (I used the paste in a tube from Trader Joe's- awesome invention BTW) Combine ingredients. For the Filling : 2 lbs ground chicken 3 T veg oil 1 bunch scallions, white and green separated 1 T minced garlic 1 T minced ginger (again, I used the paste) 1/2 cup finely diced water chestnuts 1 sweet red pepper, finely diced Heat the oil in a skillet; add the white part of the green onion, the garlic and red peppe...

This recipe is adapted from an awesome little cookbook my kids got me called  The Sriracha Cookbook ; I love the stuff! It was amazingly fragrant and flavorful and paired perfectly with beer. As a side dish, I sauteed spinach in some olive oil and lots of garlic- it was the perfect complement to the chicken. 2 lbs chicken breast or thigh, cut into cubes Marinade : 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1/8 cup Sriracha 1/8 cup lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1 t allspice 1 t cinnamon 1/2 T kosher salt freshly ground pepper Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken cubes; refrigerate overnight. Sauce : 1 T butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 T cumin 1/2 T coriander 1/2 T garam masala 1/2 T sweet paprika 8 oz. canned tomato sauce 1-2 T Sriracha (to taste) 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper chopped cilantro Melt the butter and add the garlic- cook until fragrant and add spices for about 30 seconds. Stir in...

This recipe is adapted from EveryDay with Rachel Ray; we were doing a low-carb thing so the sliders are shown without buns but you can imagine them with some nice little pretzel slider buns.... yum!!! For the Sliders: 1 lb ground chicken thigh 1 t salt 1-2 T Frank's Red Hot sauce 1/2 t pepper blue cheese slices OR good blue cheese dressing sliced celery slider buns (or not if you are going low-carb) Buffalo sauce (recipe follows) Mix gently and form into 6 small patties or 8 meatballs. Cook in a pan heated with just a bit of oil for 4 minutes per side over medium heat. Serve with all the fixins' and an ice cold beer. For the Sauce: 1 stick of butter, melted 2 T Frank's Red Hot sauce Mix together and keep warm.

This recipe comes from the Chicago Tribune food section; I altered it a bit mainly by greatly reducing the amount of sugar in the marinade. Leftover chicken is great sliced up in an Asian-style salad. Marinade : 6 T Asian chili paste with garlic 1 T sugar 2 T soy sauce 2 T unseasoned rice vinegar 2 T sesame oil 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed 1 T fresh ginger, chopped in a mini food processor or grated Mix all ingredients and pour the marinade over as many chicken breasts as you want to grill (I used all the marinade for about 3 lbs of chicken breasts). I let this marinade overnight and then grill chicken breasts for 6 minutes per side on high heat (if they are very thick I go 6 1/2 minutes). Note: I like to trim the chicken breasts of fat and gross stuff and then, using a fork, poke a lot of holes on both sides in order for the marinade to be able to penetrate the chicken.

I find that chicken chili recipes tend to be a bit bland and watery; however, I thought this was particularly delicious--the tortilla pieces cooked into the chili serve not only to thicken but also add flavor. It helps to have good toppings as well. This is adapted from the Food Network magazine. 2 T EVOO 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 jalapeño pepper, small diced 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced 1 T ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1 t dried Mexican oregano 1/4 t ground allspice 2 lbs ground chicken thigh 2- 15 oz. cans white navy beans with their liquid 2 cups chicken broth 3 corn tortillas, cut into small pieces 1 bunch cilantro, chopped For toppings: corn salsa or plain corn pickled jalapeño slices shredded cheese sliced radishes avocado lime cilantro sour cream whatever else you can think of that you like Sauté the onion, garlic, both peppers and all the spices for about 5 minutes or so over medium heat. Add the chicken and 1 1/2 te...

This is from Barefoot Contessa Parties ; it's really the best Caesar salad ever. You can sub in kale on occasion for a change of pace. The dressing is so lemony and delicious that you'll never want to buy a bottle from the store again! For the dressing : 1 organic egg yolk, at room temp. 2 t Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, pressed 8 anchovy fillets (optional- I leave this out) 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 t kosher salt freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 cups olive oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil or it will separate) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan In a food processor, place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth (ish). With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the tube and process until thick. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. For the salad : chopped romaine lettuce roasted cherry tomatoes (drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast at 450º for 20 minutes) cooked choppe...

This was so hearty and delicious; I love the smell in the house when something has been cooking in the crock pot all day-- especially on a cold and gloomy day. This is adapted from Food and Wine. It goes with either red or white wine, according to the magazine. I have a crock pot that can be used on the stove top which is very convenient as it then only requires the one pan.  1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or about 5 or 6) 1/2 lb Italian sausage (you can use pork, chicken or turkey) 2 T olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and diced 1 carrot, diced 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 t fresh rosemary, chopped fine 1/2 to 1 t thyme (to taste) 1 1/2 cup chicken stock 2- 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed For the topping : 1/2 cup panko 1 T EVOO 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper; in either a large skillet or a crock pot pan, brown the thighs in the...

This comes from Rachel Ray magazine; it's deliciousness hinges on the olives you use for the tapenade. I used the spicy olive mix from the Whole Foods olive bar because they are the stuff dreams are made of.... 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3/4 cup mixed pitted olives 2 T EVOO plus 2 T for cooking the chicken 1/4 c chopped parsley (which I happened to forget) 1 T minced shallot 1 lemon, zested and juiced (a small lemon) Mix everything except the chicken in a small bowl. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and any other seasonings that you like. Fry the breasts in the 2 T EVOO for about 4-6 minutes per side, depending upon thickness. Spoon the tapenade over the chicken.

This is adapted from Rachel Ray magazine; it's my farewell to summer dish... For the Chicken : 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts juice from 2 small lemons 8 garlic cloves, chopped fine 1 t kosher salt 1 t Dijon mustard freshly ground pepper 2 T extra-virgin olive oil Mix the marinade ingredients; poke holes in the chicken with a fork and put into a glass dish along with the marinade. Let sit for at least a few hours. Grill over high heat for 6 minutes per side. For the Saute : 3 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half and then sliced crosswise into half moons 2 ears of sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob 1 bunch green onions, sliced 1 Fresno pepper, diced 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped parsley hearty handful of arugula 2 T EVOO 1/2 T butter Heat the EVOO and add the corn; saute over high heat for a few minutes. Add the zucchini, green onion and Fresno pepper and stir over high heat for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and then the butter. When t...

A very flavorful chicken marinade- the leftover grilled chicken works really well chopped up in quesadillas or salad with a Latin flair. This quantity of marinade was enough for 4 chicken breasts. 2 T EVOO 1 T Maggi sauce 1 t chili powder (I used McCormick) 2 T lime juice 1/4 t chipotle flakes 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 t salt Whisk marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Grill over medium high heat for around 6 minutes per side, depending upon how thick the chicken breasts are.

The idea for this came from the Rachel Ray magazine in a segment about chicken salads; I roasted 2 chickens the other day and we only ate one so I decided it would be a good time to try out this salad. It was terrific! So far, my favorite chicken salad ever!!! You can eat it on a pita or naan if you want to have it more like a sandwich. white meat from one roasted chicken, diced 6 radishes, halved and sliced thin 2 Persian cucumbers, halved and sliced 1/2 red onion, small diced 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed chopped cilantro 4 T extra-virgin olive oil 4 T lemon juice 1 t honey 1/4 t sumac 1/2 t salt 1/2 t cumin freshly ground pepper Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, sumac, salt, cumin and pepper with a little whisk. Add the red onion and let this sit while you prepare the rest of the salad to mellow out the onion. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. If you want to have it as a sandwich, heat a large fry...

Saveur did a great theme in their June/July 2013 issue called "Keepers of the Flame"; it's all about various grilling customs in different countries. This recipe is Turkish. I served this with a cucumber salad and rice. It does also call for 2 T of dried mint which I left out but if you like mint feel free to add it to the marinade. 1/2 cup olive oil 1 T lemon juice 1 t crushed red chili flakes 1 T Aleppo pepper flakes 1 T tomato paste pinch of thyme 1 t freshly ground black pepper 1 t salt 1 t Turkish seasoning (from Penzey's Spices) 4 boneless chicken breasts (or you can use thighs if you prefer), cut into chunks Mix all the ingredients and add the chicken cubes. Allow to marinate overnight or at least several hours. Thread onto skewers (I like to use flat metal skewers) and grill over high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

This was delicious; I made extra and added the leftovers to Asian Peanut Noodles the next day. LOVE the return of grilling season! 1/4 cup basil leaves (I used 4 cubes of the frozen basil from Trader Joe's) 1/4 cup cilantro leaves 8 garlic cloves 2 T sambal oelek (or other Asian chile sauce) 2 T Asian fish sauce 1 t lemon zest 1/2 cup veg oil Puree everything in a mini food processor and marinate chicken breasts overnight. Grill over medium-high heat for 6 minutes (6 min. 30 seconds if they are thicker).

This is a great way to use leftover grilled rosemary chicken ; the arugula salad is also great on its own. You can use any remaining bacon-scallion cream cheese as a bagel spread. This recipe comes from the Rachel Ray magazine. 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 1- 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temp. 1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts 3 scallions, chopped 2 pieces of leftover grilled chicken, split horizontally 4 bagels 4 T EVOO juice of 1/2 lemon 1 T white wine vinegar 2 t Dijon 2 t honey 1/2 honeycrisp apple sliced thinly 1 rib of celery, sliced thinly 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1- 5 oz. package of arugula Gently mix the bacon, cream cheese, walnuts and scallions. Mix all the dressing ingredients together and lightly toss the arugula, apple, celery and onion with dressing to taste. Spread the bagels with cream cheese mixture and top with the salad mixture. Arrange the chicken on top of that and enjoy!

I can't begin to describe how delicious this chicken burger was... I ate myself silly! It's slathered with  Gorgonzola butter and has a crisp piece of prosciutto in there as an added little bonus. I love that it's served on ciabatta rolls rather than those spongy hamburger buns. This is another Rachel Ray magazine recipe. 4 oz. Gorgonzola 4 T butter, softened 2 lbs ground chicken 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1/2 t dried sage 1 t salt pepper to taste 4 slices prosciutto 4 ciabatta rolls fresh spinach 1. Mix Gorgonzola and butter; leave out at room temp. 2. Mix meat, garlic, sage, salt and pepper and form into 4 patties (this makes giant burgers- you could do 5 instead if you want them smaller) 3. In a large skillet that is lightly oiled, wilt the spinach slightly; set aside and then cook the prosciutto until crisp; set this aside as well 4. Cook the burgers for a total of 10 to 12 minutes over med.-high heat 5. Toast the buns under the broiler and spread a th...

My mom made up this recipe- she often just improvises with what she has on hand and it turns out delicious! The pan sauce is absolutely awesome- mop it up with some good, hearty bread and you will be in for a treat. The roasted lemon can and should be eaten (peel and all). I made her creation last night and also threw in a handful of peeled garlic cloves and the beet greens. 2 bone-in, skin on, whole chicken breasts 3 beets, peeled and sliced into thin wedges 1 lemon, quartered (try to take out the seeds if you can; they don't taste good) a handful of peeled garlic cloves garlic powder onion powder spanish paprika salt lemon pepper (any seasoning you like can be added) Preheat oven to 350º Season the chicken breasts with everything except the lemon pepper; brown them in a cast iron pan in about 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, turning them on their sides as well to get them browned all over (this took maybe 7 or 8 minutes). Off the heat, add the beets, greens and garlic;...

This is adapted from the Rachel Ray magazine; very easy, quick, delicious and good cold the next day. The recipe calls for 8 oz. of soba noodles but the package I bought had a little over 10 oz. so I just used the whole thing and it turned out great. A handful of peanuts thrown on top probably would have been a tasty addition-- next time..... 1/4 cup chunky natural peanut butter 3 T toasted sesame oil 3 T soy sauce 2 T honey 2 T lime juice 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces and sprinkled with salt and pepper 2 garlic cloves, sliced pinch of crushed red pepper 2 T peanut oil 10 oz. soba noodles 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 green onions, chopped Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Heat the peanut oil in a large, deep skillet; add garlic, crushed red pepper and chicken pieces. Saute for about 4 minutes; move off the heat and cover with a lid. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the soba noodles according to package d...