Oven Fried Chicken

I recently bought a bunch of chicken drumsticks and I was craving some good ol' fried chicken. As I was searching online for ideas, I came across many mouth watering recipes and pictures. But I found myself just passing through the traditional "buttermilk, flour, egg, deep fried" recipes. I didn't want to turn my kitchen into a greasy mess and I'm desperately trying to eat healthy and lose some LBs. However, I had a craving, and I was determined to satisfy it.

I really wanted to use the oven as opposed to frying. So I decided to just lightly coat the drumsticks in Panko crumbs to make the chicken a little crispy and then season it a bit to give it a little flavor.

1. Preheat oven to 360
2. Coat each drumstick with melted butter
3. Roll each coated drumstick in bread crumbs
4. Place drumsticks onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper (no stick & easy clean up)
5. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper (and any other seasoning you prefer: I like garlic powder)
6. Bake for approximately 60 minutes

I had no idea how these were going to turn out. In fact I was bracing myself for the drumsticks to turn out blah, but I was pleasantly surprised! They were lightly crispy and flavorful from the seasoning. They were even better as a cold snack the next day! That might sound weird to you, but I love cold chicken drumsticks! The best part about it, was that they were baked and not fried and clean up was a breeze. Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice

I had recently cleaned out my fridge because Husband and I were going to be gone for a few days. When we returned, I did not have a chance to go to the market and I had to whip up something for dinner. I had some frozen veggies and leftover rotisserie chicken, so I decided to make some chicken fried rice. Both of our moms often made fried rice when we were growing up and in our home we still look at it as comfort food. It is easy, a little greasy and you can customize it to your taste. 

It really is so simple to make. 

I start off with a little oil in a pan or wok and first saute my veggies. I first cook chopped onions with a little bit of fresh garlic.When the onions become soft, I add in the other veggies. You can use carrots, corn, peas, etc. This time I used frozen Organic Foursome from Trader Joes. I also threw in some chopped shiitake mushrooms. Yum! When the veggies are cooked, I remove from the pan onto a plate with a paper towel to drain the oil a bit. 

I then cook my meat. This time I used leftover rotisserie, but you can use beef, sausage or even tofu if you like. 

When the meat is heated, I add the veggies back in. At this time, I add in the rice. If you ask anyone who makes fried rice, almost everyone will say that "old rice" is better to use in fried rice. If it is a few days old, the rice is a little hard and it works really well with this dish. I like to push the rice towards the outter edge of the pan and let it sit there and get warm and crispy, while I mix everything else in the center. Then I add in an egg for a little extra color and flavor. Mix the egg around so you get little bits evenly distributed.

When the rice seems to be warmed, I then mix everything together. Then I add a little soysauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Then we are done!

It is so easy and you can really put in whatever you like. If you make it at home, it is considerably less greasy than buying it at a restaurant. If you use frozen veggies, there really is no prep time. It's great for when you want to whip together a quick but hearty meal.

Salted Caramels

I am currently obsessed with salted caramels. I have always loved the salty/sweet combination but usually that craving was satisfied with eating two items simultaneously. My favorite being McDonald's french fries dipped into a McDonald's soft serve vanilla ice cream cone. But now with this huge salted caramel movement that is going on, I can get both tastes in one bite. After returning from Paris, I have been scouring LA to find the perfect salted caramel. I have been sampling the salted caramel french macaron, the salted caramel ice cream flavor, fleur de sel, sel gris, and I have yet to find the perfect treat. I prefer a caramel without chocolate and one where the salt is not too strong yet still detectable. I am coming close to making my own at home, but making candy at home is a daunting task. But I do want to try it eventually. Doesn't this look amazing?

So, I am still on the hunt for the most perfect marriage of salty and sweet, but until then I have really been enjoying the Sea Salt Caramels from Little Flower Candy Company and the award winning Celtic Sea Salt from Béquet Gourmet Caramel.

Summer! - Part 1

 

I love outdoor concerts and picnicking in the summer. Along with some snacks prepared at home, we picked up some goodies at Bonchon Chicken for spicy Korean fried chicken, M Cafe for some macrobiotic healthy side dishes and Tender Greens for some grilled goodies. Good food and good music make for a perfect evening under the LA stars! Good company makes it even better!

Very Very Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, you know how I love my cookies? Well I am always searching for the best recipe out there. I like traditional good ol' fashioned chocolate chip cookies. I don't particularly like nuts in them, nor do I like cookies that are too chocolatey or fudgey. I like them to be soft and chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges. Is this asking too much? What is funny is that you can put a plate of cookies that are nothing like the above description, and I will still eat them. Haha. But I still want to have a good basic recipe up my sleeve and in my freezer at all times. So I started searching and I came across this great blog Savory Sweet Life. The writer, Alice, had a post that was called The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe EVER! But everyone thinks their recipe is the best ever right? But I was intrigued by her sea salt ingredient. I am currently on a sea salt + sweet combination kick. Actually, she had me at "EVER". Something about those caps...

Arroz Con Pollo

I've just recently begun to twitter (you can follow me via the link on the side) and it has actually made my life easier. I'm still learning all the tools and techniques, but after I have begun following other foodies, I am never at a loss for meal ideas. I get 20-30 recipes delivered to me daily. This one was from the Martha Stewart Show and it was pretty easy to recreate. I finally got to use my precious saffron that I had been hoarding for some time!

Arroz Con Pollo (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Serves 6 

Ingredients

1 cup dry white wine

Pinch of saffron

6 chicken thighs (6 ounces each)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)

1 large tomato, diced

2 dried bay leaves

4 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, plus more if needed

3 cups short-grain rice, preferably Valencia (kalustyans.com)

1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives 

Directions

Combine wine and saffron; let stand until ready to use. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large braiser or heavy-bottomed, straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium, and cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomato, and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Stir in wine-saffron mixture, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the bay leaves. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Add chicken, stock, rice, and olives; bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, stirring halfway through, until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. (If rice is not done, add more stock, cup at a time.) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.