Country Fried

My son loves cowboys.  Loves!  So, it's a good thing he has his own personal cowboy:

His Lolo and Grandpa Chuck live on a ranch about 2 hours away.  We went there to visit last weekend and he was in Heaven.  Horses, donkeys, peach trees, a new puppy, and acres of land to run and play on.  Grandpa was working late so my mom wanted to surprise him with his favorite meal.  AKA she wanted her chef daughter to make fried chicken for her husband since she usually feeds him cereal.  So I fried up the chicken with potato salad and homemade pickles.  It was crispy, moist, delicious, and he polished off half the batch with a huge smile on his face.  It's sure to satisfy even the hungriest of cowboys!

Big K's Fried Chicken

Serves 3-4

3        Each          Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
6        Each          Chicken Legs, Skin Removed (you can leave it but skin freaks me out)
3        Each          Large Eggs
1        Tbsp          Kosher Salt
1        Tbsp          Granulated Garlic
1        Tbsp          Poultry Seasoning
1/4     Tsp            Celery Seed
1/4     Tsp            Dried Ground Thyme
1/4     Tsp            Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2        Cups         All-Purpose Flour
1        Tbsp         Paprika
1        Tbsp         Kosher Salt
2        Cups          Vegetable Oil

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Grab a large skillet and place one cup of oil in it.  Place it on your stove, but don't turn it on yet.  In a large zip top bag combine the eggs, 1 tbsp salt, garlic, poultry seasoning, celery seed, thyme, and pepper.  Shake it all about until combined, then add the chicken and coat it well.  Let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.  Meanwhile take a second zip top bag and mix thoroughly the flour, paprika, and second tbsp salt.  Once the chicken has marinated I start with the breasts.  Preheat your skillet on medium-high heat.  I flick a couple drops of water onto the oil to make sure it sizzles and is ready.  Dredge the legs in the flour until well coated, then place them into the hot oil for about 8-10 minutes on each side.  A thermometer should reach 165 degrees.  Once they are done, place them in a baking dish and place them in the warm oven to keep hot.  Next repeat the same thing again with the second cup of oil and the breasts, they take about 6-8-minutes.  Grab the legs out of the oven and serve them up.  I served mine with potato salad and homemade pickles.  Enjoy!!

The Gift of Food

When you are good at something, people seem to catch on.  For example, my sister can sew and quilt.  She makes the most awesome stuff.  Needless to say my house is full of blankets, throws, purses, and anything else she can sew.  She in turn, has me cater to her food needs if her work has a potluck or someone needs birthday cupcakes. Many of my other friends have caught on as well.  I am making party food or cupcakes for my friends festivities almost every weekend.  I like it because my cake decorating has gotten better with all the practice and I can make a casserole with the best of them.  I recently had a friend that had volunteered to bring casseroles to a new mom just home with her baby.  AKA she wanted me to make casseroles for her friend that just had a baby.  She doesn't really like to cook.  Weirdo.  I was happy to help, so I whipped up an Italian pasta dish for her.  It wouldn't all fit in the dish so I ate the extra and it was delicious!  I love when easy to throw together foods seem like it took you hours slaving in the kitchen.  You gotta try this one, it's great for a family dinner or to take to a friend or neighbor.

Italian Rotini Bake

Serves 10-12

1         Pound            Rotini Pasta

1         Pound            Italian Sausage

1         28 oz Can      Crushed Tomatoes

1         15 oz Can      Tomato Sauce

2         Tbsp              Olive Oil

1         Tbsp              Fresh Garlic, Minced

1          Each             White Onion, Chopped

1          Tbsp             Italian Seasoning

1          Tsp               Crushed Red Pepper

1          Tsp               Salt

1          Cup              Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2       Cup              Parmesan, Freshly Shredded

2          Cups            Shredded Mozzarella

1/4       Cup              Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you plan on eating right away.  Spray a 13x9 disposable baking dish with cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add in the ziti and boil for 8 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In a large skillet brown the sausage with the onions and garlic.  Drain, then add back to the pan, turn to medium heat.  Add in the tomatoes, sauce, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt, and cream.  Simmer for about 10 minutes then turn off the heat.  Fold in the parmesan and parsley.  Toss the sauce with the noodles and pour into your dish.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.  If you want to take it cold so it can be heated later, don't bake it.  Cover with foil, refrigerate, and reheat at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Food Trickery

I was thinking the other day about my culinary apprenticeship days.  Those days inspire a lot of my blogs.  I was surrounded by amazing chefs, people from all different places, and tons of amazing food.  My mind wandered to the tricks we used to play on each other.  When around the same people every day you bond, and become like family.  The best part of having a family is having fun.  Like the time I told a waitress that wasabi was pistachio ice cream, or the time Chef Jay rolled and deep fried a towel to look like a chimichanga, then topped it with queso and a dollop of guacamole, and gave to the wait staff as a treat.  Watching them hungrily try to cut it and eat it was priceless!  I also had some tricks played on me.  A cook put citric acid in my water, it won't hurt you but it's insanely sour.  My fellow apprentices (all boys of course) put a whole sandwich and boiled eggs in my knife box a time I left it unlocked.  The final trick was on my last day of the apprenticeship program I got a goat cheese pie in the face.  I look back on that with fondness.  It was all in good fun.  The recipe I have today is kind of a trick in itself.  It looks harmless but it has good kick to it.  I make this recipe often and my family loves it.  It's a delicious chicken salad with jalapenos and crushed red pepper to give it a kick.  Great on croissants for sandwiches, or on a bed of spinach.  Give this one a try!

Big K's Spicy Southwest Chicken Salad
Makes 1 Quart of Chicken Salad

3        Cups        Shredded Chicken

1/2     Cup          Mayonnaise

1/4     Cup          Pickled Jalapenos, Minced (I like the pickled for the briny flavor)

1/4     Cup          Lime Juice

1/4     Cup          Cilantro, Minced

1/4     Cup          Celery, Minced

4        Each         Green Onions, Minced (Green and White Both)

1        Tsp           Crushed Red Pepper

1/2     Tsp           Cumin, Ground

1        Tsp           Garlic Powder

1        Tsp           Salt

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all the ingredients except the chicken.  Toss the chicken in and mix until all coated.  Let sit in the fridge at least an hour, the longer it sits the spicier it gets!  As a tip for the chicken, my sister just buys a rotisserie chicken from the deli and shreds it up.  If you have raw chicken breasts, cover them in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for about  30 minutes, allow to cool before shredding.  Both options work great in this recipe.  Serve as a salad or on a sandwich and enjoy!  Love as always, "Big K"

Summer Time...and The Salsa's Easy

98 degrees at 10am in June.  Welcome to summer in Oklahoma.  Yes, that was me 3 months ago bitchin' about the cold.  I'm never satisfied.  Aside from the blistering heat, there are plenty of things I love about summer such as poolside sitting, cookouts, and margaritas.  I also love to have friends over for food any chance I get.  I like having get togethers at my place so I control the menu!  Yes I am an OCD control freak, but my house is always clean and the food aplenty.....and tasty if I say so myself!  I really like to make a lot of fresh salads and salsas in the summer when it's hot to keep it light and refreshing.  I love a mayo based side as much as the next guy, but not under the hot sun.  I love salsas because they can be a nice colorful addition to your table with all the fresh fruit and veggies available.  The one I make is full of fresh corn, avocado, and black beans.  Perfect by the pool with tortilla chips and that margarita!!

Black Bean Salsa with Fresh Avocado & Corn
Serves 4

2         Ears             Fresh Corn,
1         Each            Large Tomato
4         Each           Green Onions
1/2      Bunch         Cilantro, Leaves Only
1         Each           Jalapeno, Seeded
1         Each            Large Avocado (unless you are inviting my mom over, then use 2)
2         Cups           Cooked Black Beans, Rinsed (If you only have a can around that would work too)
1/4      Cup            Lime Juice
1/2      Tsp             Cumin
1         Tsp             Salt

Get a bowl ready.  Grab your cutting board.  Lay the corn down and use your knife the cut the corn off each side.  Toss in the bowl.  Finely dice the tomato, green onion, cilantro and jalapeno.  Toss in with the corn.  Cut the avocado in half, pull out the pit, then run your knife down and across the avocado to dice it.  Use a spoon to scoop the diced avocado into the bowl, leaving the skin behind.  Toss in the rinsed beans, lime juice, and spices.  Toss all together and serve with chips!  If you want to make this the night before leave out the avocado until just before serving.  Enjoy!!  Love as Always "Big K"

Food Fail #1

When I try to teach someone about cooking, the first thing I say is that cooking is a series of methods.  Once you learn the basics you can add different ingredients to change it up.  Sometimes, even if you know what you are doing, things can go wrong.  I was working at my first job after culinary school and we made a standard muffin mix.  We added a different ingredient each day to make a "muffin of the day".  I loved making up muffin flavors.  Cranberry-orange, raspberry-white chocolate, blueberry-oat, and so on.  One day I had the idea to make cinnamon-pecan muffins.  We had these amazing rum roasted pecans I was going to use.  I took the mix, folded in the cinnamon and the pecans, then popped them in the oven to bake.  Then, I put them in the warming drawer for the servers and went on my way.  A little later, my chef decided to sneak one for breakfast and I heard my name being shouted across the kitchen, and not in a good way.  I came around the corner to "what the H3$# did you put in these muffins!?"  Come to find out, right next to the rum pecans were spicy cajun pecans we used for salads.  So basically, I put cayenne in the muffins.  Not delicious!  Food Fail!  Even chefs have bad food days, but you fix it and move on.  Now, I make muffins at work all the time...hold the cayenne!  I came up with these banana muffins made with applesauce and pecans.  I love this recipe!  Great for breakfast or for a snack.

Big K's Banana Pecan Muffins
Makes 36 Mini Muffins

2            Each       Overripe Bananas
1/2         Cup        Applesauce
1/2         Cup        Brown Sugar
2            Each       Eggs
1/4         Cup        Melted Butter
1            Tsp         Vanilla
1 1/2      Cup        All Purpose Flour
1/2         Cup        Old Fashioned Oats
1/2         Cup        Pecans
2            Tsp         Cinnamon
2            Tsp         Baking Soda
1/2         Tsp         Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line mini muffin tins with 36 liners.  Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until incorporated.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, oats, pecans, cinnamon, soda, and salt.  Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Be careful not to over mix the batter because it can cause the muffins to be tough.  Fill lined muffin tins  almost to the top using a small scoop or spoon.  Bake for 15 minutes until tops are golden and bounce back to the touch.  Or you can do the toothpick trick, if it comes out clean they are done.  Allow to cool then I smother mine in butter and eat 5 more:)  Love as Always, "Big K"

Dinner Diva

Chicken.  What do I make for dinner with chicken?  I ask myself that a lot lately.  Since summer is coming and the thought of being a mom in swimsuit is haunting me, I'm on a health kick.  If you have read my blog then you know all about my addiction to Cheetos and Oreos.  It's hard habit to kick.  I mean come on, chicken or cheesy little puffs of goodness.  Not a contest.  So, the point is I have been trying to unborify plain chicken breasts.  I've done stir fry with veggies, served it over brown rice,  whipped up chicken salad made with greek yogurt.  Tonight I wanted something with a tex mex twist.  I had a couple of avocados that were getting soft and wanted  to use those up.  What I came up with was simple, but surprisingly flavorful.   I will definitely be adding that one to the dinner rotation.  My serving only had 350 calories.  Can't beat that!

Cumin Spiced Chicken Tenders with Avocado Pico
Serves: 4

For The Chicken:
1 1/2            Pounds           Chicken Tenders
1                  Tbsp              Olive Oil
1                  Tbsp              Garlic Powder
1                  Tsp                Paprika
1                  Tsp                Chili Powder      
1                  Tsp                Cumin
2                  Tsp                Salt, separated
For The Pico:
2                  Each              Avocados
1/2               Cup               Grape Tomatoes, Quartered
1                  Tbsp             Cilantro, Chopped
1                  Each              Lime, Juice Only
1                  Tbsp             Jalapeno, Minced
1/4               Cup              Red Onion, Minced


In a small bowl mix together the garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and 1 tsp salt.  Take the chicken fingers and sprinkle both sides of them with the spice mix to coat.  Heat a skillet to medium heat, pour in the olive oil.  Put the tenders in and sear for 4 minutes on each side.  Take them out of the pan and set aside.  While the chicken fingers rest, make the pico.  Quarter the avocado and take out the pit.  Peel the outer peel off the avocado and then dice the flesh.  Toss it into a mixing bowl with the tomato, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, onion, and the other tsp salt.  Gently fold it together.  Divide the chicken onto four plates and top each with a fourth of the pico.  Serve hot and enjoy!  Love as Always "Big K"

Picnic Worthy Pasta

Finally!  Warm weather (aside from the fluke snow in April yesterday) has arrived!  Every year when it starts to warm up I take my son to do as many outdoor activities as I can.  The first one we did this year was at the zoo.  I didn't want to get stuck paying 6 bucks for a concession stand hot dog, so I thought it would be nice to pack a picnic.  My lil guy loves picnics!  During the winter we put a giant blanket on the living room floor and have indoor "picnics".  It's our thing.  I like coming up with  fun things to put in my basket.  I have been trying different types of sandwiches and some interesting salads to pack.  My favorite combo was a muffaletta sandwich with a basil tortellini pasta salad.  An italian twist on a picnic day.  I got a dirty look over putting onion in the prince's picnic, but he picked them all out and everyone was happy.  So, plan a spring picnic and pack this along with your sandwiches, add some fresh fruit and you are good to go!!

Tortellini Pasta Salad with Basil Dressing
Serves 6-8 As A Side

For the Salad:
20        Ounces        Fresh Cheese Tortellini
14        Ounce         Can Artichoke Quarters, Chopped
1          Pint             Grape Tomatoes, Rinsed
1/2       Small           Red Onion, Sliced Thin
4          Ounces        Feta Crumbles

For the Dressing:
1         Cup              Fresh Basil Leaves
1         Cup              Fresh Spinach Leaves
4         Cloves          Garlic
1/2      Cup              Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4      Cup              Red Wine Vinegar
1         Each             Lemon, Juiced
1         Tsp               Salt
1/2      Tsp               Fresh Cracked Pepper

Boil 4 quarts of water in a sauce pot.  Put the pasta in  the pot and boil for 5 minutes or until pasta floats.  Drain and rinse in cold water to cool.  In a large bowl toss the cooled pasta, artichokes, tomatoes, onion, and feta.  To make the dressing, put all the dressing ingredients in the blender until smooth.  Toss the pasta and dressing  together and chill before serving.  I refrigerated mine over night and it seemed a little dry.  I tossed in a little more olive oil and tossed it again and it was just perfect.  Give this yummy salad a try!  Love as Always, "Big K"