Orange Zest Chicken Cutlets with Orange & Arugula Salad

You can't go wrong with Chicken dishes.  Keep in mind, you don't just have to have those boring ol' potatoes and some type of veggie as a side.  You can step it up.  I am all about having fun with my food and giving it some color!!  Let's add some citrus to this one...

[TO BUY]
Panko Bread Crumbs (1-1.5 cups)
Parmesan Cheese (grated/shredded, 1/2 cup)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves (small handful, finely chopped)
All Purpose Flour (1 cup)
Eggs (3, lightly beaten)
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts (1-2 lbs depending how many you're feeding)
Salt/Pepper (to taste)
Olive Oil/Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Oranges (2, Large, seedless)
Zest of 1 Orange (you will zest 1 of the 2 oranges in this recipe)
Yellow/Orange Tomatoes (1-2 seeded & diced)
Small Red Onion (1/2, finely diced)
Arugula Leaves (1-2 handfuls)
Oregano (fresh or dry to sprinkle in-OPTIONAL*)
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (1-2 tablespoons)

Here's the end result.  And here's how you get there:

Gather up your ingredients.

Zest 1 Orange.

*Zest is the skin of a citrus fruit. Its can be used as flavoring.

(You can grate it with a cheese grater)

Combine Panko Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Orange Zest, and Parsley. Mix those all together! (I didn't have Parsley on hand, so I diced up a small handful of Arugula Leaves as a substitute.  It has a nice peppery taste)

You want a line up in this exact order: Flour, Egg Wash, then Bread Crumbs.

(sorry my picture is backwards!!)

At this point, heat 1/2 inch of Frying Oil in a large skillet over Medium to Medium-High heat. 

Now, Butterfly each piece of Chicken.

BE CAREFUL.

*Butterflying is cutting into a piece of meat and across horizontally.

It helps if you use one hand, palm side down, to hold the chicken firmly as you cut across*

Now, you want to lightly pound the chicken between wax/parchment/plastic to flatten it out.  I didn't have a meat pounder, so I used a jar of pasta sauce.  Hey, it was heavy and had a flat bottom. Worked great!

Coat in Flour.

Then, Coat in Egg Wash.

Lastly, Coat in the Bread Crumb mixture.

*To know when the Oil is ready for frying...get something wooden and dip it into the oil. If rapid bubbles form around and away from it, you are good to go!*

CAREFULLY place the chicken into the oil.

I swear the oil always attacks! Beware of the oil sparks haha!

Depending on how hot the oil is, frying time may be more or less.  Just keep an eye on it.  Maybe about 1 min (using a long handled stainless steel utinsil) check underneath to see how brown it is.  

To be on the safe side, if it looks light brown-just flip it over.  Its better to flip it a couple times to get it to a dark brown, rather than letting it sit to a super dark brown cause it may burn! 

Once you're done frying the chicken, place it on a cooling rack.  It'll also help if you place the cooling rack over a pan to catch any extra oil dripping.

Cut/Peel the skin off the oranges, then dice them up!

(I placed the orange in a strainer.  I didn't want the extra juices from it!)

When you "seed" something, it means you remove the seeds.  I just sliced them out--If there is more left over, you can scrape it out.

Dice them up!

(I only used 1 tomato because I wanted more flavor to come from the Oranges, but you can use 2 tomatoes if you'd like)

Then dice the Red Onion--add in as little or as much as you'd like.

Combine the diced Orange, Tomato, and Onion.

Add in Salt & Pepper to taste.  If you have some Oregano [I used the dry kind in a jar] you can add that too for extra flavor-(OPTIONAL*)

Then drizzle in ~2 tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. MIX TOGETHER!

When you are about to serve up the dish, add in a handful of the Arugula Leaves. MIX it up!

 (adding the leaves right before serving helps it stay crisp and not get soggy)

Top the Chicken with a nice pile of Orange & Arugula Salad*

ENJOY!

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with a Balsamic Glaze

Who doesn't like good ol' homemade Meatloaf?!  I've made meatloaf a lot in my time..but just the "regular" kind, I guess.  This time, I wanted to spice up the "regular" recipe. 
I LOVE PINTEREST.  It's extremely addicting.  But thank goodness for that addiction, because I came across a "PHAM"tastic Meatloaf Recipe.  Shout out to Jana Laurene!  Loved it!  (I changed some stuff added something extra to the recipe, but either way...super yummy!!)  I introduce to you...

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with a Balsamic Glaze.

[TO BUY]
Meatloaf:
Lean Hamburger Meat (1 lb)
Sweet Italian Ground Sausage (1 lb)
Panko Bread Crumbs (1 cup)
Lipton's Onion Soup Mix (1 package)
Carrots (finely diced, your choice amount)
Celery (finely diced, your choice amount)
Small Onion (finely diced)
Garlic (fresh, or in a jar. I used the pre-"Minced" Roasted kind. about 2 table spns)
Parmesan Cheese (grated or shredded, 1/2 cup)
Balsamic Vinegar (2 tblspns)
Ketchup (1/2 cup)
Worchestshire Sauce (1 tblspn)
BBQ Sauce of Your Choice (2 tblspns)
Butter (1 tblspn)
Cooking Oil (2 tblspns)
Eggs (2 large)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Cilantro (Optional)
Glaze:
Balsamic Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Ketchup (1/2 cup)
Worchestshire Sauce (1 tblspn)
BBQ Sauce of Your Choice (1 tblspn)

Here is your end result.  And here's how you get there:

Gather up your ingredients.

I got a little lazy and just bought the pre-sliced Carrots and Celery..but hey, it works!  I finely diced the Carrots, Celery and the Small Onion.

Heat the pan on Medium High heat.  Add in the Cooking Oil & Butter.  Stir the Butter around for a bit until its completely melted.

Throw in the diced veggies, and sprinkle in Salt & Pepper to taste.  You want to saute the veggies for about 5 minutes, or until it softens.  Maybe about 3-4 minutes in, add in the Garlic.. You don't want to overcook or burn the Garlic--yuck! Stir around, then remove the veggies from the pan into a bowl/plate.  Set aside to allow it to cool before adding it to the meat. 

(or you can put it in the refrigerator for a bit to speed up the process)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together two large Eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Then, once the veggies have cooled down, you can start your Meatloaf mix!

Combine to the whisked Eggs: Lean Hamburger Meat, Sweet Italian Ground Sausage, Sauteed Veggies, Panko Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese, Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, Balsamic Vinegar, Ketchup, Worchestshire Sauce, and BBQ Sauce of your choice. 

There is NO time to be shy!  GET YOUR HANDS IN THERE AND MIX THOSE INGREDIENTS!!!

No Meatloaf Pan?  No worries.

You can use a normal baking sheet--works just fine!

Mold the Meat into a loaf (shape).  Hence the name, Meatloaf.

DUH! :o)  Once the oven gets to 400 degress, pop it in.  You want to cook this for 1 HOUR 20 Mins, uncovered. (If you're concered about the "doneness", the internal temperature should be at 160 degrees)

While the meat is in the oven, start on your Glaze!  Combine the Balsamic Vinegar, Ketchup, BBQ Sauce of your choice, and Worchestshire Sauce.

About half way through the baking time (~40 mins), remove the Meatloaf from the oven and pour the Glaze ALL OVER.  Its gonna get messy with that Glaze--I just wiped up any excess on the baking sheet.  Then put the Meatloaf back into the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

*Once you are done, remove the Meatloaf from the oven and let the meat rest for 15-20 minutes so all the juices can collect* You can then cut it up in slices (and maybe sprinkle some Cilantro on top for presentation---but its also VERY tasty with it!)

ENJOY!

Brunch Pinwheels & Hashbrown Casserole

For those who celebrate--Easter is right around the corner! 
Ham is like the "Beyonce" of food's on Easter.  The show stopper. 
But we can't forget about the back-up singers! haha wow, I'm really lame, but you get the picture.  If you are not bringing the main dish, here are some fun ideas to bring as sides:

Brunch Pinwheels and Hashbrown Casserole.
*Thanks Rachael Ray & Loveless Cafe, TN. for the inspiration*

[TO BUY]
Brunch Pinwheels:                                Hashbrown Casserole:
Biscuit Dough..                                           Shredded Hashbrowns (1 lb) 
(Pillsbury has a "Seamless Dough Sheet")       Small Onion (diced, ~2/3 cup)
Bacon (~8 slices)                                        FatFree* Sour Cream (~16-20 oz)
Dark/Light Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)          Shredded Cheddar Cheese (2 cups)
Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar (1 cup)    Cream of Chicken Soup (1 can)
Glaze: (optional)                                        Salt/Pepper (to taste)
Maple Syrup (1 cup)
Grainy Mustard (1/2 cup)

Here are the end results.  And here's how you get there:

Let's start with the Brunch Pinwheels.

Gather up your ingredients.

I prefer to Bake my Bacon in the oven (375 degrees ~15-20 mins)...but you can cook it up how you want.  Just get it nice and CRISPY!!  Let it cool, then crumble into small pieces.  Set aside.

*If you do bake the bacon, keep the oven on 375 for the rest of this recipe*

Roll out the Biscuit Dough.

**Make sure to keep the dough refrigerated up until you need to use it. It's easier to cut when its cold vs. room temp. It gets kind of squishy**

Spread the Brown Sugar evenly over the dough. 

Leave 1" open on the edges.

Spread the crumbled Crispy Bacon over top of the Brown Sugar.

**I Apologize--I made an error on this recipe and forgot to ADD in the SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE** I got too excited taking pictures....     At this point, you want to Sprinkle to Cheddar Cheese over the Brown Sugar and the Bacon.

Fold in the Sides (right & left).

*AGAIN: You should have the cheddar cheese sprinkled on top of the Bacon before folding the sides in.

Roll Up the Dough. 

*Brown Sugar, Bacon, and CHEDDAR CHEESE should all be in this roll*

Try to close up the seam in the dough.

I'd recommend putting this in the refrigerator for about 20 mins-30 mins before slicing.

Slice each Pinwheel (~1 inch thickness)

Evenly spread out the Pinwheels on a Baking Sheet.  If you baked the Bacon earlier in this recipe, the oven should still be at 375, ready to go.  If not, get your oven to 375 degrees :o)  Bake them between 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the Pinwheels look nice and fluffy!

THIS PART IS OPTIONAL...but totally recommended :o)

This sauce is a glaze for the Pinwheels.  Heat up Maple Syrup and the Grainy Mustard on Medium heat.  Mix until nice and smooth!!

ENJOY!

Now on to the Hashbrown Casserole.

Gather up your ingredients.

Dice up the Onion.

Throw in the Shredded Hashbrowns, Cheddar Cheese, FatFree*Sour Cream, Cream of Chicken Soup, and Diced Onion.  Salt/Pepper to taste.

Mix Mix Mix!

Before putting this in a baking dish, spray with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, uncovered.

Once it's out of the oven, stir around and sprinkle a little more Salt & Pepper

ENJOY!

Asian Summer Rolls

Great food brings Great people together.
One of my favorite places to eat is, House of Japan.  It's entertainment at a table--It get's people talking and to get involved. 
This next dish does just that.

Asian Summer Rolls.

Such a beautiful Asian dish that is so much fun to make and EAT!
*You will need an Electric Skillet for this dish*

[TO BUY]
Beef (~2 lbs will feed up to 6 people)
Shrimp (~1 lb Frozen-raw-small/medium in size)
Vermicelli Rice Noodles (can be found in Asian Markets or some grocery stores)
Spring Roll Wraper-(its a Round shaped Rice Paper-can also be found at an Asian      Market.  You may see the brand as "Banh Trang")
Oyster Flavor Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Soy Sauce
Ketchup
Cucumber
Mango
Lettuce (Big green leafy kind-see ingredients picture)
Peanuts (Optional)
Cilantro (Optional)
Green Onion (Optional)
Purple Onion
Butter
Garlic Powder/Salt/Pepper

Here's your end result.  And here's how you get there:

Gather up your ingredients.

Slice up the meat.

Marinade the meat.

Combine: ~2/3 cup of Soy Sauce, drizzle in Oyster Flavor Sauce, Season in Garlic Powder/Salt/Pepper to taste.  (Refrigerate at least 1/2 hr)

Thaw the frozen Shrimp.  Submerse in (room temperature) water.  I plugged up the drain in the sink and let the shrimp in the bag rest in the water.  (If it floats to the top, put a heavy plate over it to hold it down)

Peel & Slice Onion.  Set aside.

Cut up the Mango in thin slices.

And also cut up the Cucumber in thin slices.

Like this!

Display it like this :o) 

(Peel each Big Leafy Lettuce in half) Line up the Cucumber, Mango, and Cilantro (optional) in some type of dish/plate.  Set aside.

Heat the stove on High and boil the water first.  Then add the Rice Noodles.  You want to make sure you stir it up quite a bit because they may stick together.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Then turn off the stove and let the Noodles sit for two minutes (cover with a lid)

Strain the Noodles, then run it under COLD water.  Make sure the Noodles get nice and cool.  Set aside.

Take the meat out from the refrigerator and place in a large bowl.  Then add to it, the Shrimp and sliced Onion.

For the Dipping Sauce, combine: Hoisin Sauce and a few big squirts of Ketchup.  Heat up the sauce on Medium.  The sauce will be thick and sort of strong in flavor.  To thin it out--add in water (a LITTLE bit at a time until your desired taste) Keep stirring until the sauce is nice and smooth.

Sprinking Peanuts on top of the Dipping Sauce is great! (I just put the peanuts in a bag and took something hard to smash it into little pieces)

Make sure you ask your guests if they have any peanut allergies first!! 

Set it up on the table.  Make sure the Electric Skillet is plugged in!  Heat that to 350 degrees--Be careful because it gets super hot!

The Rice paper starts off VERY fragile and very thin and breaks apart easily--so be gentle when handling it. To make the Rice paper "wrappable", take a large mouth bowl and fill it with lukewarm water, and just dip the paper in. Make sure all the sides are no longer dry.  No Need to drench it in there-just dip it in for a second.  You can then place it on the plate.  You will see the paper soften.  Now, your wrapping can begin!

With the skillet nice and hot, add in some butter.

Throw in the Beef, Shrimp, and Onion.  Trust me, the meat doesnt take long to cook at all.  Just make sure you flip it! Cook to your desired level of "done".

Feel free to add more butter to the skillet periodically if its looking dry.

Lay out the meat and veggies at the end of the wrap thats closest to you.  This will make it a lot easier to roll. (I also find it easier to take scissors and cut up the Beef into smaller pieces because its easier to bite into)

Wrap the sides in FIRST.

Then roll it all the way up! 

*Try NOT to overstuff the wrap. It'll rip if you do!*

Dip.Eat.Yum.Repeat.

ENJOY!