Month: October 2015

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Buffalo Chicken Salad with Bacon & Blue Cheese Dressing

I love me some buffalo chicken wings but was not in the mood for wings and I was not in the mood for frying chicken so I said maybe I can still have the buffalo flavored chicken with out frying and the messy clean up so that is when I said instead of using wings maybe just use chicken breast and pan sear it then put it into the oven. That is just what I did and boy am I glad I did it.  This was the best darn buffalo chicken I ever made without even frying and cleaning up all that mess  plus it is a healthy way of enjoying the taste of buffalo chicken without frying.                

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Buffalo Chicken

Buffalo chicken with toasted slivered almonds, cranberries, homemade blue cheese dressing topped with bacon bits.

Course Main Dish
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 424 kcal
Author Deborah Chapman

Ingredients

for the buffalo chicken

  • 2 chicken breast bone in
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2/4 cup hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
  • 2 tbsp lemon vinagrette dressing (optional) or Italian dressing

for the Blue cheese dressing

  • 3 oz blue cheese crumbles
  • 3 tbsp buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 tsp mayonaise
  • 2 tsp champagne vinegar or white vinegar, white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic I used 3tsp
  • 1 tsp black pepper I used 2tsp

romaine lettuce

  • 2 bunch romaine lettuce chopped
  • 6 strips bacon I used butcher bacon
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds toasted
  • 4 tbsp cranberries (dry) or seedless red grapes

Recipe Notes

  1. Cook bacon in oven on 375 for about 20 minutes or until golden and crisp, I cook mine in a broiler pan that have a drip pan on the bottom. Once cooled chop bacon into 1/4 pieces put a side.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees and season the chicken with the first five ingredients, in the mean time heat a pan with the olive oil on medium heat once pan is hot add the chicken breast skin side down and pan sear it for about 3 minutes or until it is a light golden brown you are not cooking it just browning it a little. Once lightly brown turn skin side up and place into the oven for about 20 minutes.
  3. While chicken is in the oven heat a small pot on medium heat and add the hot sauce, butter and for some extra kick you can add two tablespoons of bottled Italian dressing, (I used a homemade lemon vinaigrette), add it with the hot sauce, butter and cook for about five minutes until it is heated through and the butter is melted then set aside.
  4. In a small bowl add the blue cheese, buttermilk and mashed together with a fork until it is well mixed and resemble cottage cheese then add the sour cream and the rest of the ingredients mix well, if it seems to be to thick add a little more vinegar to thin it out and store it in a mason jar or a bowl with a tight lid, refrigerate until ready to use.
  5. Once chicken is done brush the chicken with half of the sauce and put under the broiler on low with skin side up for about five minutes to brown after five minutes remove from oven and brush with the rest of the sauce and let cool.  Once cooled separate the chicken from the bone and chop into bite size pieces/chunks which I prefer mine about 1/2 thick.
  6. In separate bowls add about 2 cups of lettuce add about 1/4 cup of chicken sprinkle some cranberries, almonds and the bacon bits and top with the blue cheese dressing and enjoy.

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Broccoli Soup

2015-10-07 15.22.32This soup I made today in no time at all it is a very simple and easy with very little ingredients.  I have seriously been in a soup mood and I promised that I would get this simple recipe out today so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Broccoli Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch broccoli cut into florets
  • 3 carrots chopped into 1 inch in thicknes
  • 5 tbsp olive oil divided extra virgin
  • 2 garlic cloves whole
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp parsely (fresh) garnish
  • 2 tsp chicken base
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg (whole) optional
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheeese
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp arrow root (optional) thickening agent

Recipe Notes

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and wash and prepare broccoli by cutting and separating them into florets and set aside, peel the carrots rinse and cut into 1 inch in thickness.  Lay the broccoli onto a sheet pan and drizzle 3 tbsp of olive oil and coat evenly, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper.
  • Lay the carrots onto a sheet pan and the two garlic cloves and drizzle the remainder of the olive oil and coat evenly and season with 1 tsp salt and  1/2 tsp black pepper. 
  • Put both pans in the oven together and cook the broccoli for only 15 minutes remove from oven and take about 1/2 cup of the the broccoli florets and set aside in a separate bowl to be used later and let the carrots remain in the oven for 5 minutes longer a total of 20 minutes.  Once done set aside.
  • In the meantime add the 3 cups of water on low  heat and add the 2 tsp of chicken base and let simmer then add the cook broccoli, carrots and garlic and puree using a hand held blender and pulse until pureed, once pureed add the heavy cream, broccoli florets and let simmer for 5 minutes if the soup is not thick enough you can now add the arrow root in a small bowl and mix with 1/2 tsp of water and add to the soup let simmer for 5  about minutes. 
  • In a bowl add the soup and sprinkle with cheddar cheese,  garnish with the fresh parsley and enjoy.

*If you don't have a hand held blender you may use a blender and pulse until pureed if the broccoli and carrot is dry add about 1/2 cup of water from the pot for the soup and puree.  Once Pureed add the ingredient into the pot along with the broccoli florets that was set aside and simmer for 5 minutes.

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Shrimp Soup

I made this soup on a whim, I was sitting in my kitchen thinking out loud to Buttercup my beautiful Yorkie and said to her I am feeling like soup again Yes I know I just made a cream of broccoli soup and I am just in  a soup mode since August ended. This soup is made from what I had in my pantry and believe me it came together in no time at all.

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Shrimp Soup

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Author Deborah Chapman

Ingredients

  • 12-14 large shrimps deveined, rinse and cut in to 3 pieces
  • 1/3 thin spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 3-4 carrots chopped into about 1 inch in thickness
  • 2 scallions stalks chopped into 1/2 inches
  • 2 tsp chives (fresh)
  • 1 15 oz can beef broth low sodium
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 tsp chicken base
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce low sodium
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Recipe Notes

  • In a pot of boiling water add the spaghetti and cook for about 6 minutes only drain and set aside.
  • In a small pot cook the carrots until done for about 12 to 15 minutes until tender drain and set aside.
  • In medium pot add the beef broth, 3 cups of water and add the chicken base on low heat.
  • In a skillet on medium heat add the shrimps and cook for about 3 minutes only about 1 minute and a 1/2 on each side they will continue to cook in the pot with the broth.
  • once done add the shrimp, spaghetti carrots, scallions, soy sauce and fish sauce into the pot with the broth and season with the salt and pepper to your taste and let cook for about 10 minutes covered.
  • Once cooked serve in a bowl and garnish with the fresh chives.

 

*This soup is good to eat if you have a cold, or if you don't,  it has such a healing effect and such a light and airy soup.  I truly hope you enjoy this soup as much as I did.