Simple Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken has always been one of my favorites. My mom always jokes the she stopped making it because mine always turned out better. It's one of those recipes that people usually request, then can't believe how simple & delish it comes out.

Everybody has different ways of doing chicken. It basically boils down to preference. Some people choose to do a standard breading process (flour, egg, flour/breadcrumbs), which is fine. However I make it even simpler by using just flour with seasonings. Using the egg makes for a thicker crust, where as just flour is light & crispy.

Today, my son asked if he could help, so I decided 2 let him make it. Ever since he was young, he has loved to help me in the kitchen. I enjoy teaching him as it is a memory I have with learning with my mom. I always loved cooking growing up, my mom always cooked from the heart, and that's where I got my love of food. When I turned 18 and got my first apartment, my mom gave me a recipe book she wrote up with all my favorite recipes that even included some family recipes. This recipe is simple and hits home every time.

I served it with french fries, but it also goes great with mash potatoes and corn corn or rice and green beans.

Simple Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
8 chicken legs

Directions

1. Heat oil to 350 degrees (you can tell if the oil is hot enough if you sprinkle a pinch of flour and it bubbles as soon as it hits the grease

2. In a large zip lock bag, combine flour, and
seasonings, mix well

3. Add chicken to flour mixture, seal bag and shake.

4. When oil is hot enough, shake excess flour off chicken and fry up to 3 pieces (make sure not to crowd oil, keep warm in 250 degree oven if needed).

5. Fry 8-10 min, longer if needed. They are done when GBD (golden brown delicious)

Mini Corn Dogs

I love recipes that are simple & delicious. I saw a blog recently for corn bites on The Farm Girl Recipes blog (http://thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/09/corn-dog-bites.html?m=1) and its something I do occasionally but with a few different twists.

This is also a great recipe you can do with your kids since the can help with making them. Recipes like this are great because YOU control how healthy they are. Most store brand corndogs have a lot of preservitives and fillers. I don't know about you, but I like knowing what's in my food.

Many of the foods that we eat and serve our families are full of stuff like this. This is one of the reasons our kids are growing as fast as they are and are seeing a rise in cases of disorders. With going to school, I learned the importance of freshness, and how easy it really is. This is why I started this blog. I want show people how easy it is to have quick, easy & delicious meals, made from scratch or with very few processed items. This recipe is one of my processed recipes, but overall healthier then the store bought.

Mini Corn Dogs

Ingredients
12 Turkey Hotdogs (you can use any kind of hotdog)
1/2 cup flour 1 box Jiffy Corn Bread Mix (made as directed)
Milk (as needed)
1/4 cup sugar
36 toothpicks

Directions
1. Heat 3in of oil in a pan over medium, or preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees
2. Cut the hotdogs into thirds
3. In a bowl make corn bread mix, mix with 1/4 cup sugar, add milk to batter until it is almost pancake thin 4. Put 1/2 cup flour in seperate bowl
5. Stick each hotdog with a toothpick
6. Holding the toothpick, dredge hotdog in flour (shake off excess), then coat with batter (make sure hotdog is covered), place immediately into hot oil.
7. If cooking in pan cook about 1-2 min on each side until golden brown, in deep fryer I used my basket to weigh them down since they float up, fry until golden about 2-3 min.
8. Once removed, dry on a paper towel lined plate, remove tooth picks, or keep in (just be careful of toothpick) and eat like mini corndogs
9. To keep warm, place in 200 degree (warm) oven, until all are done.

I served ours with a Hickory Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce. It was equal parts of Hickory Honey BBQ sauce and Sweet Chili Sauce.

Cooking on a budget

Like most people today, money is tight, so cooking for a family of 3 on a budget is always a challenge. For me the challenge is making sure there is enough meat. So how do I make it work?

Simple, I buy meat when its BOGO (Buy one get one), or meat that has been marked down. Most people steer clear of meat that has been marked down, but you shouldn't. As long as you know what to look for you will be fine. The meat is not bad, it's marked down because it is close to the "sell by date" and stores would rather mark it down than throw it away. This is a great way to save money. I would recommend however cooking it the night u bought it or putting it in the freezer.

Using your judgement when looking at the meat is the next important step. You want to make sure the color is still bright and not dull or browning. With chicken if there is a lot of liquid in the package, its going bad. The more liquid, the further you run. Lol Another great deal I love is BOGO. The stores always "raise" the price per pack, but if you divide that, you can usually get each pack for about 6 bucks. My favorite BOGO is chicken. I always stock up on legs, thighs, and boneless skinless breasts.

Stocking your pantry at this time is also a great idea. I've noticed that sales seem to run every 2 to 3 months. For example this week noodles are BOGO, so instead of 1 box for $1.59, I'm getting 2 (each only cost $.80). If I buy 3 boxes (total of 6), it will last me the same amount of time before the next sale. Some of my other favorite BOGO's are potatoe sides, rice sides, & muffin mixes. As with any deal, sometimes its not always a deal. Do the math & see if it is really a deal. It's also a great time to use coupons if you have them, that way you get it even cheaper!

Being Inspired

Inspiration nowadays seems hard to find for many people, myself included. Like most people in the economy today, you work to survive rather then doing work you love. Unlike most people though, I was able to go after my dream and accomplished my goal in May 2012. I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu here in Orlando with my Associates Degree in Culinary. Being in school and going after my dream made me realize I could do anything I set my mind to do.

Upon graduating, I started working in a restaurant. Even though I loved the people I worked with and gained a lot of expierience, I learned it was not the road I wanted to go down. I hated being "behind the scenes". I've always enjoyed the more personal expierience of cooking for someone and seeing or hearing their reactions. With that, I decided the best route for me would be catering/private chef. Although the food truck thing would be great also. The great thing about this profession is it can take you anywhere in life!

On my time off from my office job, I like to read new recipes and watch cooking shows for ideas and new things to try. When I read or see something my brain starts to recreate it. I use these things to inspire me. Sometimes my ideas are great and sometimes they're flops. If I can get my son & boyfriend (who both are the PICKIEST people I know) to eat it, then I know its good. I figured starting this blog would be a great way to share my love of food and recipes that were "winners". Hopefully you try some and let me know what you think!

Andouille Sausage Penne with Marinara

Today was another make something out of nothing day. Surprisingly those usually turn out to be the best meals! Looking around in my bare fridge and cabinets I was able to scrape some things together to make a comforting and filling pasta dish. Its always good to keep a few staples on hand for days like this. A great tip I've found is to keep precut peppers and onions in the freezer. I usually buy them when they are on sale since pepper prices are ridiculous lately. When I bring them home I wash them and slice half of them in strips and dice the other half, that way anytime I need pepper and onions I have some on hand.

Andouille Sausage Penne with Marinara

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 Andouille Sausage links, 1/4 in sliced on a bias
1 tbsp oil
1 can whole tomatoes (pureed in food processor til smooth)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup pepper & onions strips
1/2 lb tri-color penne
Salt & pepper

Directions:
 1. Prepare pasta as directed on box.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet on high.
3. Add sausage and brown,turning as needed, once browned, remove & set aside
4. Lower heat to medium, saute peppers & onions until tender crisp (about 4 mins), season with salt & pepper
5. Add pureed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, sugar, and sausage
6. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally
7. Add drained pasta, simmer another 5 minutes, then enjoy!

Making Memories

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite memories is being in the kitchen making cookies with my mom. It's memories like that which last a lifetime. Being a mother myself, I am happy to be able to finally create some with my son who is 10.

Tonight after dinner came my sons usual question, "What's for dessert"? Being that I don't keep many sweets in the house, I had to do some digging. Lo and behold I found a bag of Betty Crocker Snack Size Chocolate Chip cookies.

I love this product! They are super easy to make (only have to add 1/2 stick of butter & 1 Tbsp of water) and taste yummy! I usually keep walnuts & pecans pieces on hand and add a handful and stir in. I've found a good trick in making snack size cookies (1~2 bites), is using the Tablespoon, makes the perfect bite! After they cooked we enjoyed the "memory" of eating them. :)

Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Parm Chicken Legs

Like most families nowadays, I cook on a tight budget.  Unfortunately it means A LOT of chicken, so sometimes it gets boring and you find yourself wanting something different.  I have seen recipes similar to this and decided to give it a shot.  Using things I had on hand, and being staples in a kitchen, makes it a simple & quick easy dish! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


Crispy Baked Honey Mustard Parm Chicken Legs


Ingredients

6 Chicken Legs (skinless)
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Kraft shredded Parmesean, Romano. & Asiago cheese (in refrigerated section with parmesean)
Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400, lower to 350 when you place chicken in oven
2. In a dish combine mustard, honey, & sugar
3. In another dish combine breadcrumbs & shredded cheese
4. Season chicken with salt & pepper
5. Roll chicken in honey mustard, gently shake off extra
6. Roll in panko mixture, make sure chicken is evenly coated
7. Place on a cookie sheet (I sprayed some Pam on it so it wouldn't stick)
8. Cook 1hr or until cooked through.

Note: Only downside was I didn't flip it halfway and the bottom was not crunchy... Next time I would probably recommend turning halfway through to crisp all sides.

I served this with a pasta salad.. It was a quick, easy, & yummy dinner! Hope you enjoy!


Please feel free to leave your comments if you try, or if you have any suggestions!