Panko Crusted Chicken Bites

A few weeks ago this little guy, Nico, was over while his mama was getting some stuff done at their house. Isn't he so cute?? His mama thinks he's especially cute when he's up in the middle of the night. While listening to Nadya and him sing some wonderful tunes this great chicken meal was made! Pretty soon he'll be able to eat stuff off this blog! Can't wait for that! He's already a huge fan of his rice cereal. 


I can go on and on about this cutie but I'll get moving to the recipe...

I always keep panko on hand. I actually favor panko compared to breadcrumbs and usually substitute panko when breadcrumbs are called for in a recipe. I find they taste and work better. This meal wasn't planned but I had all the ingredients in the house and had it on my 'to make' list for quite some time. It ended up being really tasty. Another home run from Martha!  I think the next time I make it, I'll make them buffalo style!These are great for a crowd too.

 

Panko Crusted Chicken Bites: Martha Stewart

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and fit with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Place flour in a large bowl and season very generously with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs in another large bowl with 2 tablespoons water until well combined. Place the breadcrumbs in a third large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat. Stir in cheese and cayenne and mix well.
3. Place chicken pieces in the seasoned flour and toss to coat. Working in 3 batches, shake off any excess flour from chicken pieces and transfer to egg mixture; stir to combine. Transfer coated chicken pieces with a slotted spoon to the breadcrumb mixture and toss until completely coated. Place the breaded chicken pieces on a rack-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Repeat process until all the chicken is breaded. Bake until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I'm sorry to disappoint my loyal readers (all two of you). I know I've been bad and missing in action. To be honest with you, I find myself cooking much more in the fall, winter, & spring months than I do in the summer. It's like I give myself a vacation half way through the summer. A vacation from blogging because I am cooking just not as much. Anyway, here I am. I didn't leave you for too long! 

This recipe might be one of my favorites. It has so much flavor and is so easy to make. I promise you won't be let down especially if you like (love) garlic. If you're not a huge fan of garlic, like my parents, you can just omit the garlic from the recipe.

I came across this recipe while searching on one of my new favorite sites, Pinterest. You can follow my boards if you're on. If you're not on, don't blame me for sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time on this one website. Yes, it's addicting!

I know I've taken a picture of this meal but for whatever reason I can't locate it. It's driving me nuts! So you're just going to have to make it yourself so you can see what it looks like. I promise you're going to love it!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup roasted red bell pepper (fresh or jarred)

1 cup basil leaves

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. penne pasta

¼ cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:

Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add Parmesan, red pepper, basil leaves, salt and pepper.  Pulse until well combined.  With the motor running, add olive oil through the feed tube and process until incorporated.  Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to the pot.  Add the pesto to the pasta and stir to combine.  Stir in heavy cream if desired for a creamier sauce.  Heat until warmed through.  Serve immediately.

No Mayo Coleslaw

Those who know me know I have a strong dislike towards mayo. Really just can't get myself to eat it or anything that contains it. My dislike for it; however, leaves me with little options when it comes to summer salads. I thought, enough is enough I'm going to enjoy summer salads too! After a quick search on the 'internets', I stumbled across this Rachael Ray recipe which got great reviews. It's super simple and a very refreshing take on coleslaw. 

Oil and Vinegar Slaw by Rachael Ray:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, eyeball it
• 1 sack, 16 ounces, shredded cabbage mix for slaw salads
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Salt and pepper

Mix vinegar and sugar. Add oil. Add cabbage to dressing and season with salt and pepper. Toss with fingers to combine. Adjust seasoning. Let stand 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve.

Isn't my sous chef just the cutest??

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I had full intentions of bringing these blondies to my cousin's graduation party; however, after sampling one they slowly started to disappear. They're dangerous to keep around. 

(Sorry they never made it to your party, Aunt T! )

Believe it or not, this was my first time making blondies. I haven't had a good past with  brownies (I'm determined to change that) so I assumed I wouldn't be good at making blondies. Boy was I wrong!  Martha (yes, we're on a first name basis) sends me daily emails with the cookie of the day recipe. I usually get the email while I'm at work and spend about 2 minutes drooling over whatever the day's recipe is before I file it away in the 'cookies to make' folder in my email. There are a lot of cookie recipes filed away. I better start crossing some off my list, especially if they're all as good as these were. 

Blondies are a cookie cake like goodness. The recipe called for walnuts which surprisingly I didn't have on hand so I omitted them. Walnuts or pecans would add a lovely flavor. I'll be sure to add them next time. If you're planning on bringing these to a party, keep in mind this recipe only yields 16. You might want to make 2 batches.

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts.
   
3. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares.

Strawberry Mango Basil Salsa

It's sweet. It's savory. It's delish!

I've made this twice and plan on making it again soon. Yes, it's that good! The first time I made it was for my family barbecue. I loved it so much I decided to make it to bring to a friend's house for dinner which complemented nicely with the fish tacos she made. 

I stumbled across this recipe while reading many many food blogs as I was planning the menu for my family barbecue. This recipe comes from a beautiful food blog called "How Sweet It Is"


The salsa is great with pita chips but I have plans to serve with grilled chicken. I'll keep you posted. After all, who doesn't love a sweet and savory meal? 

Strawberry Mango Basil Salsa

makes about 2 cups

3/4 cup chopped mango

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup chopped red onion

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix, or simply later ingredients in a bowl. Tastes even better after it sits for a few hours! Salsa should stay fresh in the fridge (in a sealed container) for about one week.