Honey Mustard Pretzel-Coated Chicken Tenders

After I graduated from Virginia Tech (GO HOKIES!) I spent two years living in Northern Virginia with Eric, one of my best friends from college.  Eric is like a brother to me, but unfortunately neither of us could cook.  Dinner typically came from a can, the freezer or a take-out menu.  There was even an instance where I made a pie, added the filling and put it in the fridge to set all before Eric kindly reminded me I hadn’t actually baked the crust.  Whoops!

While the genesis of our dinners were the same (can, freezer, or take-out menu), the actual food varied quite a bit.  I stuck mostly to frozen entrees like Eggo waffles, pierogies with kielbasa or Bagel Bites with a can of green beans (what, you don’t consider Bagel Bites an entree?). 

Eric on the other hand, has been known to consume a bag of frozen chicken tenders for dinner.  Or a bag of Ore Ida fries.  Or occasionally both!  Sometimes he would polish off a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream as an appetizer.  He was working out a lot back then, so he had the kind of metabolism that would make women weep with envy. 

Eric actually met and started dating his wife during those days and I knew he’d found a keeper when I saw her match him in the kitchen, can of chili for can of chili.

Eric and Shannon tailgating for a Hokie football game

Despite how good those chicken tenders and fries smelled when Eric cooked them, I was never much of a chicken tender fan.  Until I stumbled on these babies.  They redefine “chicken tender” and the honey mustard flavor is unexpected and delicious.  Bonus: they’re from Hungry Girl so they’re healthy! 

The pretzel coating gives it the crunch you associate with chicken tenders without requiring a deep fryer.  Plus the sweetness of the honey mustard flavoring goes perfectly with the saltiness of the pretzels.  The only modification I made to this recipe was that I used a food processor to crush the pretzels.  I served these with a side of fresh broccoli and an awesome spring salad of mixed greens, strawberries, mandarin oranges and Raspberry Walnut dressing. 

Happy Eating!  And if you have any other healthy “fake out” recipes that you’d recommend, share them in the comments below.

*****

Hungry Girl's Honey Mustard Pretzel-Coated Chicken Fingers

6 T. honey mustard
4 T. fat-free liquid egg substitute
10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 strips (or just buy a package of boneless skinless chicken tenders)
salt and pepper
2 ounces (about 20 twists) hard salted pretzels (I use honey mustard wheat pretzels)
4 t. granulated sugar

Mix honey mustard and egg substitute together in a small bowl. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper, then submerge in the mustard-egg mixture.  Set aside to marinate for at least 5 minutes.

Crush pretzels and mix with granulated sugar.  It’s ok if the pretzels don’t all get crushed up.  I actually like it better with some variety.  Spread the mixture out on a plate or in a shallow dish. 

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.  Thoroughly coat chicken strips with the pretzel-sugar mixture, and then transfer to the baking sheet.  Discard the remaining mustard-egg mixture. 

Mist the tops of the strips with non-stick spray.  Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping chicken about half way, until chicken is cooked through.

Note: completely forgot to mist the strips with cooking spray and flip them halfway.  Just know that yours will look even better than the pictures!

Per serving: 349 calories, 2.5g fat, 928mg sodium, 39g carbs, 1g fiber, 13.5g sugars, 37g protein

My New Favorite Snack

I have a new obsession these days when it comes to food - yogurt and berry parfaits with Cascadian Farms oats and honey granola.

Let me tell you, that granola is life changing.  The little clusters of granola have a light coating of honey.  When you add the granola to the yogurt, the honey coating mixes into the parfait and it's amazing!  You can see the beginning of what happens when the yogurt and oats and honey granola start to mix in the bottom of the picture above.  It's so sweet and delicious it's hard to believe it's actually healthy for you (just gotta watch the serving sizes!)  And it's surprisingly filling.

More proof:  Blogger Amanda calls it her favorite desert, snack, and lunch (really, insert any meal here).  She specifically describes it as an every day alternative to cupcakes.  I'll try anything that's described as a fix for supersized sweet tooth cravings.

So in case you're keeping score at home, we've got...
      Delicious
      Healthy and guilt-free
      Filling
      Something that satisfies even my enormous sweet tooth craving 

All that adds up to a winner in my book.  Here's Amanda's original blog post about the parfait.  I switched it up and used Stonyfield organic non-fat vanilla yogurt (trying to avoid the high fructose corn syrup). 

There's really no recipe... just a suggested ingredient list.  Mix it together in a bowl or layer it in a glass.  Below are pictures of everything I use but switch things up so it works for you.  I love it equally with blueberries and raspberries. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Caesar Salmon "Two-fer" with Parmesan Crisps

With the weather warming up I'm trying to switch from my heavy, heartier "winter" recipes to lighter items that go well with this couldn't-be-any-slower-to-arrive spring.  It's partially because with the warmer weather, I just feel like eating fresher, lighter meals.  And partially because hibernation season is coming to a close in the Midwest and I'll have to take this fleece jacket off eventually.

But it's so hard. 

To me, those typical winter dishes are the epitome of comfort food.  It's not easy to say "so long" to my favorites like mashed potatoes, pasta that swims in cream, vegetable meatloaf, chili, hearty crock pot recipes and mac 'n cheese masterpieces. 

Enter Caesar Salmon!  It's my transitional crutch.  A two ingredient recipe that goes back and forth between hearty or light, depending on how you serve it.  And because the secret ingredient is fat free Caesar dressing, you can enjoy the indulgent flavors without feeling guilty.  Which is exactly what I need when I'm trying to change my habits back to fresher, healthier eating.

I've included that really hard, really complex, two ingredient recipe below (this is one of those times when a sarcasm font would come in handy).  You prepare the salmon the same way and then serve it anyway that floats your boat.  Here are my suggestions:

For those chilly nights when dessert is a hot chocolate with marshmallows...
Cook salmon according to the recipe and serve with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable or a Caesar salad.  Maybe add in some crusty french bread if you dare.

For the nights when you just want to sit on the patio with a glass of wine...
Cook salmon according to the recipe.  While the salmon is cooking, bake Parmesan crisps to go on the side (see recipe below).  Try not to eat the Parmesan crisps before your salmon is done.  Build a salad of romaine greens and using your hands, pull apart the cooked salmon and spread over the salad.  Top with croutons and Cardini's dressing and add whatever remains of your baked Parmesan crisp to the side. 

It's delicious however you prepare it.  Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

*****

Caesar Salmon Salad with Parmesan Crisp

Baked Caesar Salmon

Salmon fillets
Cardini's fat free Caesar salad dressing

Rinse salmon fillets in cold water and pat dry.  Place in a Ziploc bag or a shallow dish (whatever you prefer) and marinate with Caesar salad dressing for 30 minutes.

Lay a piece of aluminium foil on the counter (about 1' x 1').  Place salmon in middle of foil and fold and pinch the edges on all sides so it makes a little tented envelope or package.  Place on a baking sheet.  Repeat with other salmon fillets. Discard the remaining marinade.

Bake the packages at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the fish flakes.

Baked Parmesan Crisps

1 c. coarsely grated Parmesan Reggiano

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Make 4 flat circles of cheese on the baking sheet.  Make sure the cheese in the circles is spread out a bit so you get the lacy effect. 

Bake 8-9 minutes until cheese is golden and lacy.  Remove and let cool 1-2 minutes.  Loosen from the baking sheet with a spatula.

Note: Stay in the kitchen and watch these cook.  Once they are done, they're done!  I start checking mine after about 5 minutes.

Sopapillas - Spanish for "YUM"

A few weeks ago, a group of volunteers from my company got together to cook dinner for the guests of the Comer Children's Hospital Ronald McDonald house.  We would be feeding 25-30 people (including kids) and RMH suggested if possible, we think outside the box since the guests usually eat things like pasta or burgers and hot dogs.

Our fantastic coordinator put together a Mexican Fiesta.  Everyone signed up to make an item or two for dinner and holy cow did these people deliver!  Homemade cheese enchiladas, steak  and chicken fajitas, tacos with shredded beef, cheese quesadillas and all the essential fixings - salsa, guac, queso and loads of chips.  There were also a ton of desserts, everything from your usual suspects like ice cream, brownies and cookies, to authentic Mexican sopapillas.

Fiesta crew after the cooking and cleaning were all done

 

Sopapilla is Spanish for "YUM".  They are light and puffy and wonderfully sweet with the cinnamon sugar topping. I've eaten them plain, dipped in chocolate and dipped in honey.  It's good pretty much any way you do it.

Given Cinco De Mayo is this week I thought I'd share this recipe in case you were looking for a way to spice up your normal taco or enchilada dinner.  It is a more labor intensive recipe than I usually post and full disclosure - I didn't make these, I just got to eat them.  But the recipe has 127 4+ star reviews so I think it's worth your while if you're interested :)

Happy Eating!

Real Mexican Sopapillas
30 minutes to prep
15 minutes to cook
Makes 24 servings
(this is from allrecipes.com which means you can go here, modify the number of servings you want to make, and have the recipe adjusted accordingly)

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 quarts of oil for frying

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening.  Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth.  Cover and let stand 20 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into 3 inch squares.

Heat oil in large pot until 375 degrees F.  Fry dough squares in small batches until golden brown on both sides. 

Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Serve hot.

Recap: Masters Sunday Party

When I describe a sporting event as a family tradition and akin to America's birthday, like I did when I talked about the Masters golf tournament a few weeks ago, you should assume that food, drinks and a party will ensue.

This year I was inspired by a friend who had recently cooked us a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's day. Since the Masters tournament takes place in Augusta, GA and because I love bbq almost as much as I love Hokie football and cupcakes... a Southern theme seemed obvious.

I tried to carry the theme from appetizers to dessert but it's kind of hard to serve an entire Southern meal and not have people falling asleep on your couch. We're watching golf after all, it practically begs you to fall into a food coma!

So I modified it a bit. For appetizers I made caprese salad on golf tees, french onion dip with chips and pimento cheese sandwiches (for a bit of Augusta authenticity). The picture below shows the grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls on the golf tees but not dressed with balsamic and olive oil. Forgot to snap a shot after that, whoops!

For dinner I made lazy woman's pulled pork BBQ with 2 sauces, cole slaw, corn spoon bread (a family favorite) and a side salad.

And for dessert... a dump cake, one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make!

Never one to miss any action, Foster stayed front and center for all the cooking, hoping that we'd stumble over him and drop some food. 

 

The food and friends were fantastic and if you watched the final round, you were treated to some great golf (unless you were Rory McIlroy that is). I love nothing more than a race to the finish on the back nine. Except maybe a sudden death playoff. Or BBQ.

Dump Cake - the easiest dessert you'll ever make

If this isn't the easiest dessert you'll ever make, it should land somewhere in the top 3.  In case the name wasn't a dead giveaway, you literally dump the ingredients in and pop it in the oven. 

Ma Rob found this recipe a few years ago and it's been making an appearance at most major family holidays ever since.  It came from Adriana Trigiani who is a fabulous author.  If you haven't read her books, add these to your list immediately: Lucia, Lucia and The Queen of Big Time.

The dessert isn't really a cake, but it's not really a pie either.  It's indescribable.  But it is easy and delicious and it will do a great job of appeasing cake and pie lovers at every gathering.  I like to do this for dinner parties, you can pop it in just before sitting down to eat or just after you finish the meal and the timing will be perfect for a heavenly smelling kitchen right as your guests realize they did in fact save room for dessert.  Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream!

I don't typically do process shots but I had my camera handy when I was making this so I snapped a few so you could see how it comes together.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of a finished piece of cake.  I got busy eating and then forgot.  Whoops!

Dolly Parton Dump Cake

(Adriana Trigiani perfected the recipe while working as a writer on a Dolly Parton television project)

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of cherry pie filling (I've made it using raspberry filling too, just as fantastic)
1 can of blueberry pie filling
1 stick of butter

Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan (or save time and use the Pam spray with flour, woohoo for simplicity!)

Pour the can of crushed pineapple (including the juices) in the pan.  Next, carefully add the cherry pie filling in spoonfuls.  Then add the can of blueberry pie filling. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the top of mixture (don't add eggs, oil, etc, JUST use the cake mix).

left: cherry pie filling on top of crushed pineapple
right: with blueberry pie topping on top of the cherry and pineapple

Slice the butter into tabs and place all over the cake (or use a grater and sprinkle it like grated cheese however watch your hands, I gave myself a nasty gash or 4 doing this).  Freezing the stick of butter beforehand can make it easier to work with. I've also been known to wear an oven mitt while grating the stick of butter.  Unwieldy?  Yes.  But better than the alternative.

looks like cheese but it's really a stick of grated frozen butter

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

finished product, just add ice cream

Note: The original recipe called for you to put the cake mix on the bottom of the pan and then add the fruit.  I had a hard time getting the cake mix at the bottom of the pan to cook all the way through, so I reversed it.  Do whatever sounds best to you.

My favorite part of Boston

I'm in Boston this week running an event for work.  There will be less cooking and more organized chaos in my world until Friday.  There will also be pastry!  Becauase you can't go to Boston and not get some amazing pastry or dessert in the North End.

Seriously, look at that pastry counter!  I think it's physically impossible to leave Mike's Pastry, a North End Boston legend, without some kind of sweet treat.  Last time I was here I grabbed 2 Boston Creme Puffs, intending to take them back to Chicago to share with the Royfriend.

Unfortuantely, only one creme puff made it on the plane.  I plead the 5th on the whereabouts of the second one, although I suspect it disappeared sometime after dinner while I waited for my flight to take off.

I gave the second creme puff to the Royfriend when I got back to Chicago and immediately began cautioning him that it would probably be too sweet for his taste and it was ok if he didn't like it despite that fact that I'd just carried it all the way from the eastern United States. 

By the time I finished my speech and turned around he'd already eaten half of it.  Foster the Monster campaigned for a bite but ultimately had to settle for a dog treat.  It wasn't for lack of trying though!

Be back next week with some new stuff!