Baked Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

My husband loves chicken strips, but since he has to eat gluten-free it's hard to find them on a restaurant menu.  As a treat, I sometimes make them for him at home.  To make them healthier, I bake them in the oven instead of frying them.  This recipe is gluten-free friendly, kid friendly, and super easy with only a few ingredients.  Give it a try!

Here's what you'll need:
1 pound chicken tender strips
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup bread crumbs (I use gluten-free)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (sometimes I use 1 cup if I want them extra cheesy- don't judge!)
olive oil

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Makes 4 servings

Here's what to do:

Put the chicken strips into a bowl with buttermilk and let sit for about 20-30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and brush foil with olive oil.

Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow baking dish.

Dip chicken strips into bread crumb mixture.  Place on baking sheet.

Before putting into oven, drizzle strips with olive oil.  Don't skip this step if you want crispy strips on both sides!

Bake at 500 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until chicken strips are golden and crispy.

Let sit for a few minutes before transferring to plates or a platter for serving.

To make the dipping sauce:  use a whisk to combine honey, mustard, lemon juice and mayo in a small mixing bowl.  If you have leftover sauce, store in fridge for up to a week.  This honey mustard sauce could be used as a salad dressing too.  It really does taste like a restaurant version!  You could use other dipping sauces like ketchup, Ranch dressing, or BBQ sauce.  Or eat them plain!

This recipe is so easy.  My husband loved it.  In fact, he took leftovers for his lunch the next day!  Enjoy!

Stuffed Eggplant

When I go to the grocery store and see a beautiful eggplant, I can't resist putting it into my cart. Last week, I made Eggplant Stackers.  Tonight, I wanted to do something different.  My husband and I love stuffed peppers, so I thought stuffed eggplant would be delicious too.  So I rummaged through the fridge and cabinets to see what I could add into this recipe.  I found exactly what I needed.  Some tomatoes, a little cheese, some ground beef, and a few bread crumbs.  It was so good and easy.  On a scale of one to five yums, this Stuffed Eggplant was definitely a five on the scale!

Here's what you'll need:
2 small eggplants
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 -5.5 ounce can V-8 juice
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
salt & pepper to taste

Here is a great find!  Gluten-free bread crumbs!

For topping:
2 tablespoons bread crumbs (I used gluten-free, see pic above)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Makes 4 servings
(I only needed two servings, so I saved the rest of the beef mixture and will either add it to some pasta or stuff it into some peppers for another dinner).

Here's what to do:
Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat using paper towels.

Cut the eggplant lengthwise.  Scoop or cut out the center part.  Dice the center flesh of the eggplant. Sprinkle both the whole parts and the diced eggplant with salt.  Let sit on a paper towel for about 10-15 minutes.

Add diced eggplant to ground beef mixture.  Cook until eggplant is soft.  Add 1 can Rotel tomatoes with juice.  Add 1 small can V-8 juice.  Stir and let simmer together.

Place eggplant on baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until slightly tender.

Add mozzarella cheese to ground beef mixture and stir.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and  Parmesan cheese.  This will be the topping and get nice and crispy.

Fill eggplant "boats" with ground beef mixture and top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumb mixture.  Put back in oven and broil for about 3-5 minutes until topping is golden and crispy.

That's it.  So easy and delicious.  I served it with a green leafy side salad.  Here's my Eggplant Stackers recipe.  It's delish too!

Beef Broccoli Stir Fry

My wok made it's grand debut tonight.  I have to make a confession.  This lovely wedding present has been sitting in my closet for quite some time.  I completely forgot all about it to be honest.  Who has room for a big wok in their kitchen cabinets??  Not me.  So, it's been in a closet just waiting for me to notice it again. Tonight was the night!  And it all happened because of a leftover veggie tray.  I went to a party last week and had tons of broccoli and carrots left over.  Aha, I thought.  This would be great in a stir fry AND I have a wok! I decided to put it together with a few other ingredients to make this delicious Beef Broccoli Stir Fry.  

Here's what you'll need:

For the marinade:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use a gluten-free brand)
2 teaspoons crushed ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Here are two of my cheats!  I use frozen crushed ginger.
It comes in little cubes that you just pop out and add to your dish.
I also use minced garlic from a jar.  

For the stir fry:
1 pound sliced beef (you can buy it pre-sliced in the meat section of your grocery store)
2 cups broccoli florets (I buy the pre-cut ones in the bag)
1 cup carrots, cut into small pieces
2 cups mushrooms
1 red pepper, cut into slices
1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin slices

For the sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce (gluten-free)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ginger OR two frozen crushed ginger cubes (see pic above)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch

Makes 4 servings.

Here's what to do:

Marinate the slices of beef in the water, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger marinade for about 30 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat up your wok or skillet on high heat.  Add slices of beef along with the marinade to wok.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until meat isn't pink.

Add in onions, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms.  Stir and cook 2 to 3 more minutes.

Add in broccoli.  Stir and cook another 3-5 minutes.

Add sauce and cook until sauce thickens.

For a garnish, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve with rice or noodles, or just plain!
I really wish I'd used my wok sooner!  This was a fun dish to make and  so easy!  Now, we can have Chinese take-out at home anytime we want!!  I'm already planning my next stir fry adventure!

Busy Day Beef Stew

My husband's birthday rolled around again this year and his special request for his birthday dinner was beef stew.  My mom makes the best beef stew so I raided her recipe box for her easy slow cooker recipe for Busy Day Beef Stew  I LOVE using my mom's recipes, but when she gives them to me- they are sometimes not so easy to understand.  She sometimes just lists ingredients and not amounts.  She'll say, "oh, just use about this much", or "use three or four potatoes, whatever looks good."  So, this is how I learned to cook. A little of this.  A little of that.  Whatever looks good.  More importantly, whatever tastes good.

Below is a copy of her recipe.  As you can see, she lists ingredients, but I have no idea how many potatoes, carrots, meat, or onions to write for the recipe!

I've made it easy for you and listed all the ingredients with amounts.  You're welcome!  But, as always, feel free to do like my mom always says, "do what works and do whatever looks and tastes good!"

Here's what you'll need:

24 ounce bag of tiny yellow Idaho potatoes, cut into small chunks

12 ounce bag of baby carrots (about 2 cups)

1 package beef stew meat, cubed (about 1 pound)

1 yellow onion, cut into chunks

*2 containers mushrooms, clean and cut off stems  

1 cup beef broth

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

* 1 small can tomato paste

* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

*  These are items that were not in the original recipe that I used. 

* You could use any kind of potato- just make sure the chunks cover the bottom of the slow cooker.

Makes about 12 servings.

Not pictured:  tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. 

Here's what to do:

Layer potatoes in bottom of slow cooker.

Later carrots on top of potatoes.

Layer beef stew meat over potatoes.

Layer onions over meat.

Layer mushrooms over onions.

Combine beef broth, tomato sauce, and soy sauce.  Pour over ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on high for 5 hours, or low for 8 hours.

After cooking, I turned to low/warm and added 1 can tomato paste to thicken sauce and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce to give it some "oomph".  At this point taste and see if it needs salt and pepper.

The beef stew is so good and everything just turns out so tender!  So yummy on a cold night and so easy after a busy day.  I guess that's why it's called Busy Day Beef Stew!  Enjoy!

Karen

Smoked Sausage with Red Beans Soup

Here is the lazy cook's version of a spicy, Cajun-style soup.  Who has time to sort through beans and let them soak overnight?  Not me!  So, I cheat and use canned red beans.  This is a quick and easy version of a Smoked Sausage and Red Beans Soup  It's easy and has that Cajun kick.  You can eat it as a soup, or pour it over rice.  I used smoked turkey sausage to make it a little healthier.  

Here's What You'll Need:

1/2 a medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 package (14 ounces) Turkey Smoked Sausage, browned
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (use more, use less...depending on how spicy you like it)
3 cans dark red kidney beans (15.5 ounces per can), rinsed and drained
1 container chicken broth (43 ounces)

Makes about 10 servings.

Here's what to do:

Brown sausage in soup pot. While browning, add in Cajun seasoning.  Remove and set aside.

Saute onions, peppers, and garlic in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.

Once onions and peppers are tender.  Add in browned sausage.

Add in 3 cups of  rinsed and drained beans.  If you like your soup a little thicker.  Take about 1/2 cup of the beans and mash them and add to soup.

Add in chicken broth.

Let simmer about 30 minutes.

I like to serve mine with cornbread. This is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread. 

Enjoy your Cajun kick!
-Karen

Apricot Glazed Meatballs

This appetizer is so incredibly easy.  Put the ingredients in a slow cooker and three hours later you've got delicious meatballs to serve.  

Here's what you need:
1 package frozen meatballs (1 pound bag)
2 jars Heinz Chili Sauce (12 ounce jars)
1 jar Apricot Preserves  (You can use grape jelly also)

I was so happy to find a package of frozen gluten-free meatballs to use in this recipe.
My hubs was happy too because now he was able to eat them!

Here's what to do:
Put all ingredients in slow cooker.  Mix ingredients together.  Make sure meatballs are coated with apricot glaze.  

Cook on high heat for three hours.  Serve and enjoy!  

Enjoy!

-Karen

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Growing up, my grandma always said that we needed to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.  She said it would bring us good luck.  Well, I am never going to turn down an opportunity for good luck OR an opportunity for a delicious soup!  Here's an easy recipe straight from my mom's recipe box for Black-Eyed Pea Soup. It's got a kick to it, so I have noted some substitutions you can make if you prefer something milder.  Happy New Year and may your year be filled with lots of luck!

Here's what you'll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 4-ounce can of chopped green chilies, rinsed and drained
3 cans black-eyed peas (or 4 cups)
3 cups beef broth (you could substitute chicken broth as well)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes (use regular diced tomatoes if you prefer a milder flavor)

Here's what to do:

On medium heat, saute oil, onion and garlic in large sauce pan.  

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Let simmer for about 30 minutes.

That's it!  Your soup is ready in about 30 minutes.  I like my soup with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  I've heard eating ham is good luck too. I'm not taking any chances!  

Here's to a healthy, happy, and lucky 2015!
-Karen