Breaded Buffalo Chicken Tenders

This meal deserves the title "Make Your Own Take Out." Rachael Ray would be proud of me. :) Crispy, juicy, tender and spicy, you will definitely want to make these Chicken Tenders for dinner this week! The best part of this recipe is the heat level is completely in your control. In fact, if you're not a fan of hot sauce, just skit the last steps. 

I hope to put this dish in our regular meal rotation--it's that good! 

Breaded Buffalo Chicken Tenders
recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com
Yields: 2 large portions (easily doubled)

Ingredients

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1 egg 

1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) Italian bread crumbs

1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) corn meal 

1 Tbsp milk 

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp black pepper

1/2-1 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp Italian seasonings 

1/2 cup hot sauce (your favorite brand/variety) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. 

Using a meat mallet or a heavy bottomed pan, pound the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Slice into desired chicken tender sized strips. 

Pour the flour in shallow bowl.  

In a second shallow bowl, beat together egg and milk.

In a third shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. 

Working in assembly-line fashion, dip each chicken strip into the flour to coat, then the egg, then the seasoning. Arrange strips on the baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until juices run clean.

Remove baking sheet from the oven. Pour the hot sauce in a small bowl. Use kitchen tongs to dip the chicken tenders into the hot sauce--coat thoroughly. Place chicken bake on the baking sheet and cook another 4 minutes, turn over chicken and cook for a final 4 minutes.

Serve alongside Zesty Potato Wedges. 

Beef Stir Fry

Stir fry (done right) is one of the healthiest, easiest meals anyone could make. There are no "rules" just a general destination in mind. You can use whatever ingredients you have on hand--broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, onions, meat or no meat at all. The options are endless! 

From the moment I started the rice and defrosted the steak, to the moment we sat down to eat was just 25 minutes. Not too shabby! 

Kevin and I could eat a version of this stir fry at least once a week and be absolutely thrilled--not to mention skinnier! :D 

Ingredients

Canola oil

1-2 pounds New York Strip Steak, thinly sliced

Ground black pepper

Garlic powder

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/2-1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced

1-2 carrots, thinly sliced into strips

1 cup mushrooms, chopped or sliced

Dried Thyme

Dried Ginger 

Light Soy Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

2-3 cups cooked brown rice 

Directions

Being rice cooking. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Drizzle with oil. Place steak strips evenly across the pan and sprinkle generously with black pepper and garlic. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove strips from pan and set aside. 

Return pan to the burner. Drizzle with a small amount of additional oil. Place all vegetables except mushrooms into the pan and cook until crisp-tender. Stir in mushrooms. Add soy sauce with 5 or 6 generous turns of the pan. Add teriyaki sauce with 5 turns of the pan--more or least to taste. Place steak strips back into the pan and cook everything together for 2-5 minutes. 

When rice is cooked, make a well of the grain on a large plate. Spoon the stir fry in the center of the rice and serve with soy sauce on the side. 

Apple Cinnamon Bread

I need you to know I have a seriously love for all things apple cinnamon--candles, lotions, oatmeal, breads. This recipe fits perfectly into my idea of an amazing apple-cinnamon combination. I'm so glad I saw the recipe appear on both twopeasandtheirpod.com and browneyedbaker.com. I knew that meant it was a winner. 

I highly recommend you make this bread as soon as possible. The spices are spot on, the crunchiness of the topping is perfection, and the apples keep the inside wonderfully moist. Yumalicious! 

Recipe adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces (about 1½ to 2 apples)

Topping

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan or two 6-1/2x4 inch loaf pans.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves. Set aside.

In the large bowl, beat the eggs on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in the oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix until smooth. Next, add the sugar and mix until well-combined.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until the flour is just barely combined. Gently fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the loaf pan. For the 9x5 inch loaf, bake for 50 to 55 minutes. If using two 6x4 inch pans, bake for 35-40 minutes. Bake until the loaf is golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a dull knife around the sides of the loaf and turn it out on a cooling rack and place right-side up. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap leftover loaf in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Crunchy Almond Granola

I love granola--particularly the homemade variety. You can pick and choose the perfect ingredients for your granola, controlling the amount of sugar as you go. The potential mix-ins for granola are almost limitless--chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, other dried fruits, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, et cetera. So good. 

I have made Peanut Butter Banana Granola and Pumpkin Granola many times and I love both recipes (especially the peanut butter one!) But alas, it was time for something new. I looked up gads of granola recipes, combined the elements of my favorites, and developed this crunchy mixture. 

It's perfect--chock full of nutrients from the oats, the almonds, the sunflower seeds and the flax seed. And the sugar level is relatively low. I cut a quarter cup of brown sugar out the recommended amount and this is still quite sweet.

I hope you enjoy!

Crunchy Almond Granola

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

yields: 8  cups

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole raw almonds

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp whole flax seed, ground

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey 

2 tsp vanilla 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (or neither!)

In an extra large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax seed, cinnamon, and salt. Combine completely. 

In a separate small bowl, stir together brown sugar, oil, honey and vanilla. Pour wet mixture onto the dry ingredients and use a large spoon to stir, stir, stir until thoroughly incorporated.

Spread the granola onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir gently. Bake another 10 minutes. Stir gently. If granola is not browning yet and seems to be extremely moist still, bake another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Granola will still be slightly moist. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Granola will be perfectly cooked and crunchy!

Serve atop a dish of yogurt or straight from your hand to your mouth. Yum!