Buffalo Chicken Tacos

We're 2 for 2 this week folks. Another one that's hitting the regular rotation list. I spotted these on Foodgawker thanks to Mrs. Regueiro's Plate. I modified it just slightly, but I'll note what I did differently below in purple. Both Carl and I loved these, and it was a quick process. This is a great weeknight dinner!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ⅓ cup flour
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

Toppings:

• Shredded butter Lettuce
• Diced onions mixed with cilantro- 1 small onion with about 2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro
• Avocado slices- I omitted
• Ranch dressing
• Green onions, sliced thinly
• Blue Cheese Crumbles- how do you not have blue cheese with buffalo?? You don't! :)

Preparation:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

Use the skillet from the chicken and fry up the tortillas on medium for about 10 seconds a side.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Chopped Autumn Salad

You know when you find a recipe, and you think "Oh my goodness, I'm making this every night!"? Yeah, that happened tonight. I won't actually be making it every night, but it most certainly will be making it's way into our regular rotation.

Little story before we get to the recipe though, you can skip it if you don't like reading. I don't mind. Something really weird happened with this recipe/website. When I meal planned on Friday, it included chicken. But today, when I went to make it, gasp, no chicken. My dinner went from a main dish to a side dish, poof! :/ Oops. But no fear! I just sauteed a chicken breast seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, sliced it and laid it on top. We'll call that a main course. Delish! (I'm still trying to figure out how I thought there was chicken in this salad...)

Ingredients
*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Instructions
*On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese. Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing: 70 percent poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette) If you prefer your salad to have more dressing, feel free to experiment with the combination.

*I did not edit any of the recipe write up from the original source, however, I agree with all that she said. The only difference was that I only needed about 3/4 cup of dressing- 1/4 balsamic and 1/2 poppy seed. I also swapped dried cherries and walnuts in, just because that's what we usually use and had on hand. The chicken was most certainly a welcome addition, but it's delicious either way. I used 8 cups of romaine, and there was enough for 4 entree sized salads.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Uh yeah. If you like buffalo sauce, go make this. I'm not saying anything else.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken, warm
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon mayo (optional)
• 1 tablespoon carrot, grated
• 1 tablespoon celery, sliced
• 1 tablespoon green or red onion, sliced or diced
• 1 tablespoon blue cheese, room temperature, crumbled
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, room temperature, grated
• 1 tablespoon butter.

Directions

1. Mix the chicken, hot sauce, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a small bowl.
2. Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Notes: I omitted the celery and mayo. I also used a butter substitute for the bread.

Source

Pesto Veggie Manicotti topped with Fire Roasted Marinara

I've mentioned it on here before that I am not a huge fan of meat in my pasta. I am, however, a huge fan of pesto and veggies in my pasta. I saw this dish on foodgawker and it was screaming my name, especially since I had just made some pesto last week. It uses a fresh fire roasted marinara sauce, which is another one of those "why didn't I do this sooner" types of pantry items.



Need:

• 15oz ricotta cheese
• 1 box of manicotti noodles (1/2 box of large shells works too!)
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/4 cup of grated carrots
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded parmesan/romano cheese
• 2-4 tbsp of pesto (adjust intensity to suit your tastes!)
• mozzarella cheese for topping (go lean or go cheesy!)
• to taste: black pepper, salt, parsley, oregano, thyme & garlic powder.
• 16 oz fire roasted marinara, or your favorite red sauce (recipe to follow)
  
  

Do:

Preheat your oven to 350. Gently boil shells for approx 11min or until tender/al dente. Drain & arrange cooked noodles in a glass baking dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Fun fact: if you roll the noodles in the red sauce it will help prevent them from sticking/wilting! Dice and sauté, onions and garlic together with shredded carrots and 1/2 tsp of olive oil. In a large bowl, fold ricotta, parm/romano cheeses, pesto, and torn spinach together with all your herbs and spices. Next, add your veggies to the mix. You are free to use your fingers, but putting the stuffing in a bag with a hole cut in the corner and squeezing is muuuch easier =) Stuff the noodles gently and pour a generous pile of sauce on top. Top with sliced or grated mozzarella/parm cheese and bake for approx 20-30 minutes at 350F

Fire Roasted Pasta Sauce:

• 
  
  
• Need:
• 28 oz can diced/crushed tomatoes
  14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  approx 4 oz of tomato paste (controls the thickness)
  1/2 tsp garlic powder
  1/4 tsp salt
  1 tsp dried oregano
  1 tsp dried basil
  1-2 tsp dried parsley
  3 bay leaves
  1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Do:



In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes and blend for just a few seconds, until tomatoes look more crushed than diced. Pour tomatoes into your crockpot, season, and walk away! Set crockpot to low if you'll be leaving the house and high if you'll be around the house. No crock pot? Simply add to a sauce pot and cook at low to medium-low on the stove-top.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

I needed something to pair with the previously posted mushrooms. My original plan was to do some simple lemon, garlic shrimp on the grill, but at the last minute, I changed my tune and wanted to do a scampi of some sort. A quick search brought me to this recipe, Baked Shrimp Scampi. It's an Ina recipe, so, folks, grab your butter! There are a lot of ingredients, but it came together quickly, and would certainly impress your guests! I would love to see this paired with a simple oil and basil spaghetti like I made a few weeks ago. The flavor was so rich that it just needs a simple pairing.

Baked Shrimp Scampi
adapted from Ina Garten, Back to Basics
serves 6 (I cut the recipe in half)

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons dry white wine
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko
• lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425.

Butterfly the shrimp by cutting along the outer curve of each shrimp, and opening like a book. Do not cut all the way through, just deep enough to help them stand up.

Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, white wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside while you prepare the butter mixture.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter with the remaining ingredients, through the panko. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and mix to thoroughly combine.

Starting from the outside of a gratin dish or pie plate, arrange the shrimp in a single layer, cut side down, curling the tails toward the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Drop the butter mixture over the top by the spoonful, and bake 10-12 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top, and serve with lemon wedges.

Steak Salad with Bacon, Crispy Potatoes, and Blue Cheese Dressing

Wow. OK, even if you just make the dressing to use on whatever you choose, do it! I used a good Roquefort, and it was Mmm Mmm unbelievable if you like Blue Cheese Dressing.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used turkey bacon)
  
• 8 ounces Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes cut into 1/2 inch wedges
  
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
  
• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick)
• 3 ounces blue cheese (such as Stilton or Roquefort), crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (about 8 cups)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the potatoes to the bacon drippings, season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, scallion, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce among plates, top with the steak, bacon, and potatoes, and drizzle with the dressing.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Broiled Cheesy Tomatoes and Basil Spaghetti

I saw the broiled tomato and basil spaghetti recipe in a Real Simple magazine, but knew I needed to beef...er chicken it up. So I used a Parmesan Crusted Chicken to make a lighter version of Chicken Parmigiana. Ahh...maaaa.....gosh! Delish!!!

Parm Crusted Chicken:

Serves 4

4 large chicken breasts
3 eggs, beaten (I used egg whites as I had used the yolks to make mayonnaise)
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
fresh lemon to serve

1. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling-wrap and thin out with a rolling pin or mallet.
3. Combine the breadcrumbs with the cheese, salt and paprika. Place this in a shallow, wide bowl.
4. Place the beaten eggs in a similar bowl (big enough to dunk the chicken into).
5. To coat the chicken, dunk it first into the egg mixture and then place into the crumbs, coating the chicken well and patting down the crumbs.
6. Place the chicken in the frying pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes per side until the crumbs are crispy and the chicken is cooked through but still moist.
7. Serve hot with fresh lemon.

Broiled Cheesy Tomatoes over Basil Spaghetti:

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 large tomatoes, cut into 4 thick slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more, shaved for serving
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle the slices with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with the tomatoes, additional basil, and shaved Parmesan.

Turkey-Corn Salad with Pan Dripping Dressing

So here is where you need the pan drippings from the previously posted turkey breast. This was also in the Martha Stewart Living August edition. This is a seriously light and healthy salad. So much so that I really should have had some bread with it. But if you are on a diet, by all means, scarf down a huge portion of this, because you can't go wrong!

1-2 cups shredded or sliced turkey from Roast Turkey Breast
1.5 cups corn kernels (3-4 ears) *We grill ours in tin foil on medium for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes
1 tomato, chopped and drained
1 small jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1 small head Bibb lettuce, torn into pieces
3 tbsp fresh cilantro

1. Toss turkey with corn, tomato, jalapeno and onion.
2. Whisk together reserved pan drippings and lime juice. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to coat. Toss in lettuce and cilantro.

The Perfect Roast Turkey Breast

I don't make turkey nearly as much as I should. Finding this recipe in Martha Stewart Living will definitely change that. It calls for a whole turkey breast, skin on, bone in, but my meat market only had 5-6lb birds, so I bought half of one. It was perfect. We ate it sliced the first night and made it into a salad the next, recipe to follow!

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper (I used black)
1 bone in, skin on turkey breast (about 2.5 lbs)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together oil, salt and pepper; brush over turkey.

Roast turkey on a rimmed baking sheet until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 140 degrees and climbing, about 30 minutes. Let rest at least 15 minutes. Slice turkey as needed. (Reserve pan drippings for gravy, or my next recipe)

*I roasted my turkey for about 35 minutes and it climbed nicely to 160 degrees in 15 minutes.