SWEET AND STICKY CHICKEN

This recipe is one of picky-picky husbands all time favorites. There are several steps, but none of them are hard and the end result is oh so tasty!!

Yes, it IS very sweet (after all it is called "Sweet and Sticky Chicken"), but it is a real crowd pleaser and any leftovers are excellent for lunch on day two!!

You can use white or dark meat chicken, but we LOVE it made with boneless and skinless chicken thighs (and we don't usually eat dark chicken), but the thigh meat in this recipe stays very moist and flavorful (and some times, chicken breast meat, cooked like this, can be a little dry.

Cut 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs into 1" cubes. Marinate the cubes in the following mixture:

2 tablespoons cooking sherry (see substitution note below)
1 teaspoon powdered chicken bullion (or one cube crushed)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1  1/2  teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Toss cubed chicken in the above mixture and chill for about an hour.


Now, to bread the chicken:

In bowl #1, put:
1 cup flour

In bowl #2, mix
2 large eggs

In bowl #3, put
1 cup cornstarch


Toss the cubed and marinated chicken in bowl #1. Toss them around until well covered.

Shake off all excess flour mixture and put the meat into bowl #2. Stir them around until well moistened, then but them into the cornstarch in bowl #3, toss to coat well. 

Shake off excess cornstarch and fry in 1" vegetable oil (I use my electric skillet for this step).  Fry until lightly golden and well done. Drain on paper towels.

While the chicken is frying....make the sauce:

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce (see note below)

Put the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and simmer GENTLY for about a minute or two (don't boil hard or it will turn into candy).

Drizzle the sweet sauce over the cooked chicken. Toss to coat well.  Keep hot till serving time.

We like this served over rice.



NOTE:  We are very shy when it comes to spicy foods, so I  use one tablespoon of Sun Luck brand sweet chili sauce in this recipe and the final sauce has next to NO heat, but its a great addition to the flavor.  If you like spicy, then I'd suggest you use something with more heat.

 

 

NOTE:  I never seem to have cooking sherry around, so in this recipe I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla + enough water to make 2 tablespoons. Sounds weird I know, but trust me, it works well in this recipe.



NO WEEP MERINGUE

We love lemon meringue pie, but since we are "empty nesters" it takes us several days to eat the pie, and by then my meringue starts to "weep" a clear liquid that makes everything.......well, we throw it away when that happens.

Recently, I found a recipe online for a "No Weep Meringue" and it truly is, just that, it doesn't weep!! Not only does it taste excellent, but the pie has been in the fridge for three days now and not a DROP of liquid has appeared!! 

For the life of me I can't remember where I found this recipe, so I apologize to the original author. Where has this recipe been all my life!?!?!?

NO WEEP MERINGUE

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cold water

Bring this to a boil (whisking all the time) and cook until it gets very thick.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl (NO PLASTIC) beat three egg whites until they are thick and foamy (they shouldn't hold a peak yet).

With mixer on high, add 6 tablespoons sugar (one tablespoon at a time) beating well in between each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + a pinch of salt and beat until stiff and glossy.

With mixer running, add the lukewarm cornstarch mixture and beat on HIGH for 3-4 minutes.

Spread on filled and cooled 9" lemon pie.  Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until meringue peaks begin to turn golden.

Keep finished pie in fridge.

SUPER EASY-PERFECT FROSTING

I've decorated cakes for decades and I've tried a ton of basic vanilla frosting recipes. Today's frosting is BY FAR the fastest, easiest and tastiest vanilla frosting I've ever used. It is light, fluffy, super easy to work with and it TASTES REALLY GOOD!!

BASIC VANILLA FROSTING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup UNSALTED butter (see important note below)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1-4 tablespoons cream  (milk will work in a pinch)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This frosting will taste terrible if you use regular salted butter; well, maybe that is a little misleading. Let's just say I DISLIKE this frosting when regular salted butter is used (it just tastes weird). So, use UNSALTED BUTTER !!

With an electric mixer (I like my stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this), beat the ROOM TEMPERATURE unsalted butter + sugar + extracts + 1 tablespoon of the cream until well mixed. If it seems dry, add another 1-3 more tablespoons of cream (1 tablespoon at a time) and  once you get the spreading consistency you want...beat it for a couple of minutes more, or until light and fluffy.

That's it!! It's so easy and pipes well through a bag and tip or spreads well with a knife. Sounds too simple, but try it, you'll love it.
 

ENJOY !!

SWEET BABY RAYS BARBECUE SAUCE CLONE

We love thick and sweet barbecue sauce, and our favorite (for years) has been Sweet Baby Ray's brand.  Recently, I did an panic-internet search for something similar to SBR barbecue sauce because I had one of those "I forgot my grocery list on the kitchen counter again" days at the market and dinner was planned around grilling.

Well, I found this recipe on a ton of web sites, all crediting www.halfbakedharvest.com, so I thought I would give it a try and we were thrilled with the results.  I hope you like it too.



Bacon wrapped Shrimp coated with

BBQ Sauce and Baked

 

 

1  1/4 cups regular ketchup
1  cup dark brown sugar (gives much better flavor than light brown)
1/4  cup molasses
1/4  cup pineapple juice
2  teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
2  1/2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2  teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1  1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (not fine table salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Put everything into a saucepan and whisk it together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to slow simmer and simmer 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how thick you want it to be.

You can use this immediately or store in fridge for a week or so or portion it out and freeze it for future use. 

NOTE: If you don't have kosher salt, you can use regular table salt, just use LESS, since kosher salt and table salt measure very differently.





 Happy Grilling!!

CROCK-POT CHICKEN PARMESAN

This is a quick and easy "cheater-recipe" for chicken Parmesan. YES, I KNOW, technically it's not fried and crispy chicken Parmesan, but it IS delicious and it IS quick and easy...you just throw everything into the slow cooker and 4 hours later its ready to devour...comfort food at its best, trust me.

 

 

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
1 jar meatless marinara sauce (about 25 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mozzarella cheese

Coat the bottom and sides of your slow cooker with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Coat the chicken breasts with beaten egg, then roll in the crumb-cheese mixture and place the meat in your slow cooker in a single layer.

In a bowl, mix the marinara sauce, onion flakes (see note), oregano, basil, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the coated chicken, DO NOT STIR.

Set your slow cooker on low for 4 hours, do not disturb chicken. About 45 minutes before it's time to eat, put a nice thick layer of Mozzarella on each chicken breast and spoon a little of the sauce over the cheese and continue cooking.

NOTE: All crock-pots cook at different temperatures, so keep that in mind when you set your timer. I usually cook 2 chicken breasts, so I cut the breading in half, but I DO NOT CUT DOWN THE SAUCE. My chicken is done (nearly fall-apart tender) in 3 1/2 hours on LOW. If you cook all 4 chicken breasts, you'll need a larger slow cooker and you'll have to adjust the cooking time a little (about 4-4 1/2 hours) just keep an eye on it the first time you make this recipe.

NOTE: If you want to use fresh onion in this recipe, rather than onion flakes, just sauté them in a little butter before adding.

NOTE: Use whatever commercial marinara sauce you enjoy. Personally, I use an inexpensive brand (like Ragu) because the extra onion, oregano, basil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper jazz up the marinara nicely.

NOTE: This would be a fantastic recipe for a potluck dinner if you quarter the chicken breasts.

FRUIT JUICE JIGGLERS

“Fruit Juice Jigglers” are a fun treat to serve your children and grandchildren when the weather turns warm because they are cool and refreshing. Better yet, they require NO cups/spoons/napkins; they don’t melt in those hot little hands AND they are nutritious!!

Jigglers are super quick and easy to mix up and after a 3 hour chill in the fridge, they are ready to snack on or take to a potluck (adults love them too!!)

 

2 cups your favorite fruit juice (divided)
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin powder

You will find it on  

the regular Jello aisle

 

Measure 1/2 cup COLD fruit juice into a bowl. Sprinkle TWO envelopes of UNFLAVORED gelatin over the juice and stir it a little. Set aside for about a minute or until it becomes fairly solid.

 

Once it becomes solid, pour 1 1/2 cups BOILING fruit juice over it and stir until everything is completely dissolved.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and stir it again.

 

Pour this mixture into an ungreased 9x9 dish and let it chill for three hours.  Cut into squares and serve.

 

NOTE:  The dish size is not crucial: smaller dishes will give you thicker jigglers, larger dishes will give you thinner jigglers.

 

NOTE: I have only ever done this with clear (no pulp) juices, so I don't know how it would turn out with a heavy pulp juice.

 

NOTE: I use a sharp knife to cut the squares, then I use a 2" (narrow) spatula to help release them from the pan.

NOTE: You can use any flavor fruit juice or fruit juice blend.

 

 

ENJOY THE SUMMER FUN !!

OLD FASHIONED BANANA SPLITS

It is finally barbecue season!! So, why not finish off your cookout with a good old-fashioned classic banana split, complete with home made toppings? Your family will love them!!

Below you will find the recipes for three excellent ice cream toppings. They last up to a week in the fridge, so go ahead and make them ahead of time.



FUDGE TOPPING

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 2/3 cups white sugar
1 and 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the cocoa, sugar and milk. Bring it to a boil (stirring) and let it boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Tastes good warm or cold.
STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TOPPING

1 pound ripe strawberries (washed and hulled)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop the strawberries into medium size pieces (I use the food processor) and cook them in a heavy bottomed sauce pan with the water and sugar until it gets nice and thick. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and chill.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR


PRALINE TOPPING (this one is sinfully delicious!!)

1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, marshmallows, syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for one minute. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, nuts and vanilla, mix well. This is good warm or cold.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

ENJOY !!