It’s lazy. And it’s chicken.
Ever have one of those nights when you’re too pooped to mess with an elaborate dinner? Or maybe it’s been one of those days and you forgot (again, if you’re like me) to take meat out to thaw in time? Been there. Done that.
Well here’s one solution. I just tried an easy chicken recipe that I found at Tasty Kitchen. It’s called Lazy Chicken, and uses frozen chicken pieces and some seasonings to make dinner stress free. I wrote all about Lazy Chicken over at Tasty Kitchen, where you’ll find a full tutorial on prepping the recipe.
This is easy stuff friends. Definitely one to have in your back pocket. And it’s simple enough for the kids to prepare. For real.
So stop by Tasty Kitchen and check it out. And while you’re at it, you might find some other tasty grub. Tasty Kitchen is a treasure trove of recipes from all kinds of folk. You can even join in on the fun and submit your own recipes too! You know you’ve got a few yummy ones to share. And Tasty Kitchen is free with no crazy hoops to jump through.
Hope to see you over at Tasty Kitchen!
Read MoreGrilled Pork Tenderloin
Grilling season is well underway. Here’s an easy grilled pork tenderloin that’s full of flavor with no major hassle. Many people feel pork tenderloin has little taste, but with a little marinade time prior to cooking, this lean cut of meat will change your mind forever.
And forever is a long time.
Begin by marinating the pork tenderloin(s) in a simple concoction of your favorite pork friendly ingredients. Now here’s where I may lose ya.
We don’t measure for these things. Sorry. We kinda ka-gunk, ka-gunk. You know, a couple of splashes of this and a few shakes of that.
Generally we begin with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and sherry cooking wine (which is an excellent addition, by the way). We’ll then add rosemary (or oregano or basil or whatever herbs are on hand), garlic powder, ground ginger, brown sugar, salt and pepper, to name a few. Not all of those at once, mind you.
Experiment with what combinations and proportions you like. That’s the fun part. It’s like science class, only tastier. Just mix a few ingredients, a little at a time, and taste it every now and then adjusting to your liking. Do not taste the marinade after adding the uncooked meat to it. Did I have to say that? Yes, yes I feel that I did.
Once your marinade is ready, add it (if it’s not already in one) to a zip-top plastic bag, along with the pork tenderloin(s) making sure to coat all sides in the bag. Zip the bag up tight and let marinate, refrigerated, until ready to grill.
When ready to grill, pre-heat the grill to a medium high heat. Place loin(s) on hot grill.
Sear 2 minutes, then turn 1/4 (quarter) turn.
Repeat every 2 minutes until all sides are browned. Turn heat to low, close grill lid or cover with foil and cook until meat thermometer reads 145° F in the thickest part of the tenderloin.
When done, let the meat rest. It needs to y’all. It’s been out in all of that heat. It needs about a 15 minute timeout before slicing.
Slice and serve and taste the goodness. Yum!
Happy grilling y’all!
Grilled Pork Loin
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pork tenderloin(s)
- marinade of choice
Directions:
- Mix all of the ingredients for marinade in a zip-top plastic bag and add the pork tenderloin(s) making sure to coat all sides in the bag.
- Seal bag and let marinate, refrigerated, until ready to grill.
- When ready to grill, pre-heat the grill to a medium high heat. Place tenderloin(s) on hot grill. Sear 2 minutes, then turn 1/4 (quarter) turn. Repeat every 2 minutes until all sides are browned.
- Once all sides are seared, turn heat to low, close grill lid or cover with foil and cook until meat thermometer reads 145° F in the thickest part of the tenderloin.
- Let tenderloin rest for about about 15 minutes before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Do you have any special marinade combos to share? Bring em on!
Read MoreOn the dark side.
Around here chicken makes a regular appearance on the dinner table. To tell you the truth, it gets a little boring after awhile – grilled chicken, baked chicken, sautéed chicken, chicken soup, chicken n’ pasta… But with all that chicken, my family never tires of chicken thighs. We like the dark meat around here y’all. It’s good stuff and pretty inexpensive, too, but use whatever kinda chicken you like.
This recipe is simple to whip up right before cooking or to use ahead of time as a marinade. Although a marinade typically includes an acid, such as a vinegar or citrus juice, you could certainly add either to this recipe. For this recipe you’ll need olive oil, soy sauce, garlic cloves (or garlic powder), ground ginger, honey, salt and pepper. You can easily switch up the ingredients to your liking and taste. A splash of sesame oil would be a nice addition.
Basically, mix all ingredients together in a large plastic zip-top storage bag, add the chicken making sure to coat each piece. Place chicken and sauce/marinade in baking dish or leave in large plastic bag to marinate in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, bake in a 425° oven for 25 minutes with the skin side up. Turn the chicken and cook another 15 minutes. Then turn the chicken again to skin side up and finish cooking for another 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. Cook until internal temperature of chicken reads 165°F.
You can skip all the turning and flipping of the chicken if you’d like, but I think it cooks more evenly helping to avoid one side being too dry. These would be mighty tasty grilled as well.
Honey & Soy Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 4 cloves of garlic; minced (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 pounds (approximately) chicken thighs (or preferred chicken meat)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix first 6 ingredients together in a large plastic zip-top storage bag. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to plastic bag making sure to coat each piece.
- Place chicken in baking dish along with sauce/marinade or leave in large plastic bag to marinate in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, in a baking dish, bake chicken in a 425° oven for 25 minutes with the skin side up. Turn the chicken and cook another 15 minutes. Then turn the chicken again to skin side up and finish cooking for another 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. Cook until internal temperature of chicken reads 165°F.
Enjoy!
Chicken and Rice is oh so nice.
Each of us have those certain dishes that never require following a recipe. The flavors mingle in your mind – they’re just part of you and what you know. Out of habit and familiarity, the dish materializes before your eyes. Kind of like a dance you’ve always danced. You don’t think about it. You just do it.
No precise measuring. No fancy techniques. No strict timers or guidelines. And then it’s complete.
Dishes like these are usually our comfort foods. Food we’ve grown up with. Comfort derived not just from the enjoyment of eating the food itself but from the process of doing something routine, regular and familiar.
This dish of Chicken and Rice is that kind of comfort food for me. Having grown up with it, watching my grandmothers and mother make it, and now being able to share it with my family is a pleasure. It’s special. Not to mention super yummy. My daughter requests this along with the White Bean Chicken Chili regularly. One day she’ll learn to make it for her family too.
Growing up around here, rice was a daily part of our menu. Of course, we now try to keep our carb intake in check but this Chicken and Rice will always be a welcome meal – especially during the winter months.
Chicken and Rice is a regional favorite and there are as many versions as there are different southern accents. Here in the south, particularly in the Low Country, Chicken and Rice may be referred to as Chicken Bog or Chicken Pileau (or perlow, or pilau, or perlieu?). While each may have a slight variation in ingredients – some recipes may include sausage and/or wine – all have two things in common: chicken that’s been cooked in a pot of it’s own broth until it’s falling off the bone and rice added to soak up all the brothy goodness.
I don’t know what the higher ups in all things food would call this version, but we call it Chicken and Rice. And that suits me just fine.
I’ve been cooking this for years, and, as I said, I don’t really follow a recipe. But the last few times I’ve made it I’ve taken notes so it could be shared with you. The recipe follows but please make it your own. It’s a basic rendition but sure to please. The ingredients are simple. A whole chicken, rice, celery and onion are the main ingredients with the addition of a few seasonings. The process is pretty simple as well. I put mine together similar to a risotto.
After the chicken has cooked until the meat is falling off the bone (at least an hour – the mo’ the bettah), remove the chicken and let cool to de-bone. While the chicken is cooling I usually let the broth reduce a bit more. When chicken is de-boned, I remove all of the broth (or use another large pot) and put about 6 cups of broth back into the pot with 3 cups of rice and the de-boned chicken. Add additional salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Stir rice and add another cup of broth, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes. Continue the process by simmering covered and stirring in more broth every 5 minutes or so, until rice is done. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
You should end up with a smooth, creamy and tasty Chicken and Rice. And a wonderful smelling house!
Chicken and Rice Recipe
(serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
- 4 quarts (16 cups) water approx. (enough to cover chicken)
- 1 4 lb. (approx.) whole chicken
- 3-4 stalks celery; rough chopped
- 1 large sweet onion; diced
- 1 teaspoon pepper – divided
- 1 teaspoon salt – divided
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley – divided
- 3 cups long grain white rice
Directions:
- In a large stock pot bring water, chicken, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, celery salt, 1 teaspoon parsley to boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for at least an hour (2-3 hours would be preferable).
- Once simmering is complete, remove chicken to cool in order to de-bone. Let broth continue to simmer and reduce.
- When cool enough to handle, de-bone chicken.
- Remove all broth from pot (or use another pot) and put approximately 6 cups broth back into pot along with the rice, chicken, remaining pepper, salt and parsley. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes stir in another cup of broth. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Continue to add broth, stir, cover and simmer for 5 minutes at a time until rice is done.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps have been a popular menu item around here for awhile. And thankfully a few friends have made their own version that I’ve had the pleasure to test out. So when I started thinking of ways to cut back on calories, but not flavor, lettuce wraps were one of the first things that came to mind.
Lettuce wraps are a good combination of savory, spicy and crunchy that I just love. Plus they’re easy. And I always like easy.
This is a simple recipe for Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps. Top it off with your favorite hot sauce, basil or more cashews and you’ll have a winner for sure. And while most restaurants offer them as appetizers, I think they’re perfect for the main course.
Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps (makes 6-8 lettuce wraps)
Ingredients for Chicken Cashew “Filling”
- 2 chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb. total), diced
- 8 leaves of greenleaf or iceburg lettuce
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cashews, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for stir fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
For stir fry sauce mix all ingredients making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.
Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4-5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender add stir fry sauce, browned chicken and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.
Enjoy!
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