Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks

Perfect appetizer served warm or cold!

2 full stalks of celery- Washed! I like to go ahead and devein or dethread my celery stalks for easy eating! This step is absolutely not necessary! But, I feel like you can bite into it without having those stringy celery hairs in the way! Oh well, whatever you decide they will be incredible!

Boil 4 chicken breasts in a pan of hot water until fully cooked.
Drain off water and let cool - Just a bit!
Once chicken is still warm place in your kitchenaid or your mixer.
This is the quickest fastest way to shred chicken! 🙌

 Stir in Texas Pete or Baby Rays Buffalo Wing sauce.
You can add in a little salt and pepper for flavor and then you are ready to stuff your celery stalks.

Once stalks are stuffed you are ready to cut them into bit size pieces and drizzle ranch dressing over the tops and garnish with chives! Our chives are fresh clippings from our garden!!

A few of your star ingredients!

Crock Pot Catalina Chicken

CROCK POT CATALINA CHICKEN

5 min prep 5 hrs cook time serves 6

1. cup Catalina dressing
2. 1pkg onion mix
3. 1/2 cup peach or apricot preserves
4. 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
5. 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
6. 1/2 tsp or add red pepper seasoning to taste

Spray crock pot with cooking spray and lay 6 breasts down
Mix all ingredients except for corn starch and pour on top of chicken
Mix corn starch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water and stir into liquid and cook for another 20 minutes.
Serve over rice or noodles.

**I added 1/2 tsp cornstarch to the recipe prior to cooking and used ONLY 3 boneless chicken breasts. I took my hand mixer and blended the chicken so it would SHRED!
Once it was finished cooking I added a full TBL spoon of cornstarch and this took up all of the gravy or moisture and made it more like a BBQ. (I intended to only add 1 TSP) I then added the rest of the peach preserves jar and the rest of the Catalina dressing mixed with a little water to get it out of the bottle and let it sit in the crock for an additional 20 min. - just to warm!
 WE LOVE IT!! 3 shredded boneless chickens yields to a lot of meat!


Recipe was adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Coconut Curry Chicken

A few friends from work have been trying different ethnic cuisines each month. We have tried Indian and Thai foods. This is an Indian dish that I particularly liked and tried to duplicate. After surfing the net through various recipes. I came up with one that I like. I am still working on how to make a more pugnent coconut flavor. In this recipe there is just a tease of the coconut flavor.
I found my recipe from Allrecipes.com and foodgawker.com

The saddest thing about this dish. Is my card got corrupted and I lost all my pictures. At least I have the final product but the picture does not do this dish justice!
I did this over the stove top in a skillet but to save time you could brown your chicken pieces and then toss everything in covered dish and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until chicken is super tender. Make sure your dish is covered with a lid or foil.

Coconut Curry Chicken
2 to 3 of pounds chicken (I had a whole chicken cut in pieces) I took most of the fatty skin off but left some for flavor.

1 can coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

Cayenne Pepper to taste (our family likes it hot, I used 1 to 2 TBsp)

Curry Powder to taste Start with 2 TBLsp, (I used 2 1/2 and a few more dashesTBLsp)

Cumin Powder to taste ( I used 1tsp)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 TBLsp crushed garlic or if you have garlic powder you can add 1-2 tsp.

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tsp vanilla, (this enhances the flavor of the coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Wash and lightly dry the chicken. Put 1 TBLsp butter in hot skillet and add chicken pieces.

Brown the chicken seasoning it with salt and pepper. Add crushed garlic to pan.

Add the chicken broth and coconut milk.

Then sprinkle the rest of the spices and ingredients over the chicken and broth.

On medium to low heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Cover skillet with lid and allow chicken to tenderize and bake in sauce.

Remove lid and stir the coconut around. (this will clump some)

Continue to simmer on stove for another 30 minutes or so UNCOVERED until chicken is completely done.

Once chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add 1 TBLsp of butter and bring the sauce to a full boil. Whisk til smoothe and reduce.

I took 1/4 cup of the broth mixture and added 2tsp of cornstarch. Stir until dissolved.

Add to remainder of broth in skillet. Continue to whisk over medium heat.

Taste the sauce to make sure that it is seasoned enough to your liking. If it needs something extra add it here.

We loved it. It was good.
Serve over rice and homemade naan!


***********Baking directions*****************************

If you were to bake. Oven 375
Add your chicken pieces to a 9x13 pan.
Pour broth and coconut milk.
Add all seasonings
cover dish with lid or heavy duty foil.
Allow to bake for 45 minutes.
Stir sauce around to mix coconut mixture.
Bake another 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and pour sauce into a skillet.
Add 1 TBLsp butter and bring to boil.
thicken, you can add more seasonings and some cornstarch to thicken sauce slightly.
Cook your rice and naan and ENJOY!

Essence Chicken Tenders

3 Qts Peanut Oil

10 pounds chicken tenders

2-4 cups cornstarch

4-8 Tbls Essence, recipe follows

1 Tbls salt

Essence:

by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

2 1/2 Tbls paprika

2 Tbls salt

2 Tbls garlic powder

1 Tbls black pepper

1 Tbls onion powder

1 Tbls cayenne pepper

1 Tbls dried leaf oregano

1 Tbls dried thyme

Combine thoroughly and store in an airtight container. Yield: 2/3 cup

To make the tenders:

Heat oil in a large deep pan to 375 F.

In a large ziplock bag combine 2 cups of cornstarch with 4 Tbls Essence, mix well. Rinse chicken tenders and pat dry, then shake a few at a time in the cornstarch mixture. Shake off most of the cornstarch and drop tenders a few at a time into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes, and then place on a paper towel lined pan. Sprinkle with salt and keep warm while frying the remaining tenders.

These are good as they are, or finish with the Orange Glaze recipe posted seperately here.

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Balls)

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Balls)

16 oz ground chicken

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbls sugar

4 Tbls chicken broth, divided

2 Tbls soy sauce, divided

1 egg

1/4 to 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs

2 Tbls veg oil

3 1/2 Tbls water

Soak the onions in water and squeeze out moisture. Combine the chicken and onion with the sugar, 2 1/2 tbls chicken broth, 1 tbls soy sauce and the egg. Mix well. Add enough bread crumbs to be able to work with the meat mixture. Roll into bite size balls (or use a 1" scoop).

Heat the oil in the pan; brown meatballs on all sides. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 15 - 20 minutes or until cooked through. Return tsukune to the skillet you used to brown and keep warm.

Combine the water with remaining 1 1/2 Tbls chicken broth and 1 Tbls soy sauce. Add to the Tsukune and cook over med heat until almost evaporated.

At this point the Tsukune is ready to eat, or you can finish it off with the Orange Glaze recipe posted seperately.

Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

6 to 8 large chicken drumsticks. Boil in a skillet until cooked through.
2 medium onions or one large onion, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 medium to large size green bell peppers, cut into large cubes.
1 bottle of sticky finger bbq sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce

When chicken drumsticks are finished cooking remove from skillet.
Heat skillet with 2 TBL oil and add onions and peppers to skillet. Toss and cook until onions are translucent. Add 1/3 cup water and cover skillet with lid for 2 minutes. Remove lid and continue to saute'.

Coat chicken drumsticks with sticky finger barbeque sauce and place on baking sheet. Turn oven to broil and broil until slightly carmelized and brown. Turn chicken peices over. Coat with more sauce and broil again for 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken and place in skillet and toss onions and peppers with BBQ sauce over chicken peices.

Serve over a plate of rice or noodles. You could add watered down BBQ sauce to skillet to make a bit of a rue and reduce it down over medium heat and pour over rice.

Chicken Cattiatore

I have had chicken cattiatore a few times and it should be made in a slow cooker. This is a perfect dish for company or on a busy night. A sure crowd pleaser.But, rushed the process and it came out Fan-tab-ulous!
I had the basic ingredients:

4 to 5 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 cans tomato paste 2 cans water
4 cans stewed tomatoes
2 TBL spoons or season to taste (roasted garlic bell pepper seasoning blend) It is buy Mccormick and it comes in a spice jar
1 med to large onion, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper finely chopped
2 small cans of mushroom peices or 6oz. sliced mushrooms
2tsp. oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp celery powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBLS. olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 Cup dry white wine

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low heat for 7 to 9 hours or high heat for 3 to 4 hours.

If you need to rush the process. Place chicken in a pot of water and bring to boil until done. Drain water and remove chicken.
In same pot add olive oil,onion, green pepper, mushrooms and white wine and cook until onion is translucent but slightly firm. Add all of the tomato sauces and paste and 2 cans water. Add all of the remaining ingredients and chicken and bring back to a simmer. Serve over steaming rice or pasta.

Cheesy chicken quesadillas

I found this wonderful recipe on Cynthia's blog. Cynthia and I have very similar taste buds!
Her pictures are better than mine and definitely more appetizing so please check her out for her pictures alone. This takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

*****DISCLAIMER*******
This recipe calls for a can of Campbells Southwest Style Pepper Jack condensed soup but they have discontinued making this soup. If you can find it follow the recipe. If you can not find this hot commodity please follow my improvised recipe.
"original"
CHEESY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS: I found the recipe here.

1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cubed 1 can (10¾ oz.) CAMPBELL'S Condensed Southwest Style Pepper Jack Soup ¼ cup water 8 flour tortillas (8-inch), warmed Pace Chunky Salsa

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until done and juices evaporate, stirring often.

Add water and soup and heat through. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture on half of each tortilla to within ½-inch of edge. Fold over and seal. Add 1 TBLsp oil to hot skillet. brown each side. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa. Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 8 quesadillas

****************************IMPROVISED RECIPE***************************************

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 large can of breast of chicken 12.5 oz can or 2 lb. boneless chicken breast.
1/4 of a block of pepper jack cheese (cubed)
1 Tbl spoon red pepper flake add as much or as little to preference.
Heat ingredients in a pot on stove. Once cheese is melted then spoon on to flour tortillas and fold. Add 1 Tblsp oil to hot skillet. Add flour tortillas to skillet and brown. Flip and brown the other side. Remove and cut into wedges or eat whole with a dollop of sour cream and salsa on the side.

Chicken Ring

This is a fabulous dish and the fam just loves it! I found this recipe through Pampered Chef. But, I changed it up a bit, because that's how I roll.

Chicken Ring
1 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons Grey Poupon, ( I just squirted til I thought it was sufficient)
2 stalks celery
1 tablespoon onion chopped
3 to 4 chicken breasts cubed
4 slices bacon, crispy cooked, chopped or a 2 handfuls of bacon bits.
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded cheese (any)
2 packages of refrigerated crescent rolls (16)
or 2 large refrigerated crescent rolls (12)
I had 1/2 cup of craisins and it gave it a really nice sweet surprise.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles,
arrange triangles in a circle onto the 13-inch round stone,
with wide ends overlapping each other in the center and the points toward the outside.
Have a five inch diameter opening in the center of the stone. Scoop the chicken mixture evenly across the widest end of the triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (filling will not be completely covered).

Bake ring 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

One Dish Chicken & Creamy Rice

One Dish Chicken & Creamy Rice

1 Tbls oil

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 tbls sour cream

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups instant rice (like Minute Rice), uncooked

Heat oil in pan and brown chicken breasts, until cooked through (about 4 minutes per side). Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Add to same skillet the soup, sour cream and chicken broth. Cook and stir until well combined and bring to a boil. Add rice, mix well. Top with chicken; cover. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes or until rice is tender.

Makes 4 servings

HOOTER WINGS

Coated chicken after 30 minutes

Chicken in skillet with hot oil

Perfection

Mmmm...Mmmmmm....

GOOD!!!


5 lb. bag of chicken wings
1 bag of HOOTER wing bredding (found in grocery aisle)
1 jar of HOOTER wing sauce of your choice (found in grocery aisle)

Thaw bag of assorted chicken peices. Rinse and drain.
Dip chicken in milk.
Empty contents of bredding in large bowl or a large zip loc bag.
Place chicken peices in bag and shake or place in bowl and coat.
Set bredded peices of chicken aside in large bowl or pan.

When all peices have been thoroughly coated, set in fridge for 15 to 30 minutes.
If there is any bredding left over re-coat chicken peices before dropping in hot oil skillet or deep fryer.

Oil should be 350 degrees. Drop peices into hot skillet and let cook on one side for 15 minutes. Do not turn until then. Turn peices of chicken over and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. When peices are cooked all the way through drain on paper towel and then coat with HOOTER sauce.

These are sooo good!!

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:
4/5 chicken breast
3 to 4 cans of chicken broth
4 tsp. lemon juice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 tsp. parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
White rice

Directions:

Bake chicken in 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp. lemon juice
Cover with foil 350 for 45 minutes.

In Dutch oven add 2 cups water, broth, cream of chicken soup, 2 tsp. lemon juice, parsley flakes and salt and pepper. Simmer on low while chicken is baking.

After chicken has baked shredded and add to soup mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes

Make 1 1/2 cups of rice to 3 cups of water. Add rice and simmer for 5 minutes...Enjoy!!!

Pictures to come...I just wanted to get the recipe typed in!!!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Me or my family really enjoy enchiladas. Bill and Spencer are the only ones who usually order these. I have tasted many enchiladas before and none of them have me raving or dying to try another one for at least a year! EXCEPT for these!! My entire family loved them and we look forward to eating them again!I prefer the sour cream sauce as to the tomato base. One of my biggest griefs with enchiladas were they were soggy and the texture!. This one is a FIVE STAR in my book.



Chicken Enchiladas in Sour Cream Sauce
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup minced finely cut onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies

In a large bowl, combine cheese, onion, 1 can chilies, 1 cup sour cream and chicken. Set aside.
Fry tortillas in large skillet, one at a time in hot oil for 5 seconds, each side.

Drain tortillas in between paper towels as you cook them. Spoon a good size portion of chicken mixture onto all tortillas, rolling them and placing them seam side down in large greased baking dish.

In sauce pan, melt butter then blend flour into butter to make a roux. Add chicken broth and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and 1 can green chilies. Be careful not to boil.

Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Immediately,set oven to BROIL and cook for another 5 minutes (be careful not to burn)Enchiladas are done when sauce in the center is bubbling. Serve with side of rice or beans.

CHICKEN WRAPS

OK, so every time I go to Chik-fil-A, I almost always get their chicken Caesar cool wraps I have a very addictive personality. I was addicted to Starbucks and then to jambajuice, and then to chocolate factory, Lowe's Hot dogs or hot dog stands in general, you name a place I probably have had an addiction to it, where I just can't satisfy. I even have addictions to certain cleaning products that I have to have or have to use. The whole reason why I like Chik-fil-A is because they serve CAFFEINE FREE diet coke. I hear they are phasing the caffeine free and will no longer sell it. When I can master my favorite food item or drink from a restaurant I no longer feel the need to go.
I made my own. They are very easy to do and so much cheaper too! So, you got rid of your CF diet coke. I have to say thank you because my wallet is fatter! Here is my spin on a fabulous wrap. The picture shows just a wrap with out any chicken. We were out today, but they taste just as fabulous without! Give it a try. My children have requested these in their lunches.

Xtra large flour tortillas
a package of leafy green lettuce or romaine
Asiago,Parmesan and Romano cheese
Caesar dressing
Rotisserie chicken cubed or chicken breast seasoned and grilled.

Microwave your tortilla for 30 seconds or brown in pan on stove.
Add a handful of greens to your tortilla
sprinkle shredded Parmesan, Romano and asiago cheese liberally onto lettuce
add a small handful of chicken and pour Caesar dressing on top.
Tightly roll tortilla and slice on the diagonal. Perfect, just like the real thing.

Chicken Cream of Mushroom Sauce

This is my go to meal when we have very little in the freezer and not a lot meat. It is our budget meal and is very quick to prepare as well. It is so good!


Ingredients

Boil chicken

RICE COOKER

THE SECRET to perfect rice. Measure to the first line on your middle finger.
Your finger should just barely touch the top of the rice and add water to your
first line, of the middle finger.

Perfect rice, every time.


shred or cube rice or plate as an entire chicken breast.



Directions:

3 to 4 chicken breasts, rinsed. I boil the chicken breasts in a skillet on the stove. If you have white wine available, after your chicken is near done. You can shred the chicken to make your dish stretch or you can cube the breasts or serve one breast per person. If you have white wine, add 1 cup. Continue boiling chicken, until the liquid is reduced.adding 2/3 cup white wine again. Add 1 large can of cream of chicken soup. Add 2 cups milk or if you have whipping cream. Add 2 cups whipping cream. Allow to simmer. If you have fresh mushrooms, slice and add to mixture. Or add a small can of mushrooms to the sauce. Allow this to simmer, stirring occassionally for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not burn.

cook rice and serve this over rice. If you choose to serve as individual chicken breasts. Pour some sauce on bottom of plate, add chicken breast and spoon additional sauce on top. Serve with rolls and a vegetable.

I didnt have any cooking wine available. I cooked using only water. You could use fat free campbells soup, and skim milk for reduced calories. This is really good and lends to such a creamy texture. It is comfort food for our family.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Hmmmmm...Hmmmmmm.... Goood


Ingredients

Whenever one of us is sick I always request or make chicken noodle soup. The children would never eat soup when they were younger so I thought if I threw in some big bow tie noodles they would eat it. It worked! The love it. It is a simple recipe but a great one.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

4- 32 oz. swanson chicken broth
(you can make your own stock or use the bouillon cubes)

1 lb. bow tie noodles

8 stalks celery sliced

6 large carrots sliced

5-6 chicken breasts

Boil chicken breasts and carotts together until cooked and tender.
Pour broth and pasta into stock pot and cook until tender. When noodles are about 5-7 minutes from being done add chopped celery and leaves to pot. Finish cooking. Remove celery leaves and toss. Drain chicken. Let chicken cool slicely. Dice or shred chicken to bite size pieces. Add carrots and chicken to stock pot. Dish is ready to serve. Serve with toasty bread or with soup crackers.
There should be no need to season. Serve with toasty bread or soup crackers.

Chicken Lo Mein/ Stir Fry

My family loved this. M was craving chinese food and I found this recipe. It was a hit. Aden even loved it. Kai is allergic to peanuts so we did not add peanuts to hers. The dressing is a bit tangy but adds an awesome flavor to the chicken. I added a bit too much soy sauce and that was easily remedied by adding a pinch of sugar. Be careful not to add too much.



8 oz. angel hair pasta.
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

( I cooked with whole wheat pasta for a healthier dish. I also add seasonings to taste. I did not measure. Add to your preference. If you do not like any of the ingredients just substitute or delete). If I had carrots and zuchini I would have added those sliced on the bias. This can be a very health conscious tasty meal

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 to 3 minutes.

DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into four serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Makes: 4 servings, 2 cups each