Easy, Kid Friendly Fish Sticks or Chicken Nuggets

Like any other kid, my boy loves him some fish sticks and chicken nuggets. When he first started eating meat, I would buy him the bags of breaded fish sticks or chicken nuggets from the freezer section of the supermarket. Even though I always baked them for him, they still felt so greasy whenever I'd cut them up. So I decided it couldn't be that hard to make my own version. I recently discovered Panko bread crumbs (I know they've probably been around forever) and I'm in love. They make everything so crispy, like it's really been fried. Don't get me wrong, he gets the real thing every once in a while (he's even had McDonalds's once or twice). I just feel better about giving him these from day to day.

1 to 1 1/2 cups Panko Japanese Style bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 pound fish filets (I used tilapia) or chicken breast, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season raw meat with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine flour and spices.

In a separate shallow dish, combine Panko bread crumbs and melted butter.

In a third shallow dish, beat eggs.

Dip meat, one piece at a time, into flour and shake off excess.

Dip in egg and then press into bread crumbs, coating all sides.

Place coated meat on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat is coated.

Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. The chicken usually takes a couple of minutes longer than the fish. After they have cooled, you can put them in a ziploc bag and store in the freezer. I put them in the toaster oven or microwave straight from the freezer and they're ready in just a few minutes. (Pay attention to the chicken when you microwave it; it's easy to get rubbery chicken if you nuke it too long.)

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is one of the best comfort foods. And you don't have to feel that bad about eating it. After all, there are lots of veggies. And chicken is low fat. Right? Anyway, it's the only way Matt will eat peas. But it must have a little sprinkling of Tony Chachere's. Enjoy responsibly.

2 large potatoes, diced
1 tsp butter
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1-2 ribs celery, chopped
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth (2 tsp chicken bouillon + 1 cup warm water)
1 cup peas
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup light cream

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I use a rotisserie chicken)
2 prepared pastry crusts, unbaked

Boil the potatoes until just soft. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Heat to med-high and add celery and carrots for about 3 minutes.

Add the onions and continue cooking until carrots are brightly colored and just starting to soften. Stir frequently. If the veggies begin to stick to the pan, add a few spoonfuls of chicken bouillon.

Sprinkle flour over top. Stir until evenly blended.

Stir in seasonings, peas, remaining broth, and drained potatoes.

Add milk and cream, heating slowly and never allowing it to boil. Stir often, letting it thicken slowly.

Add chicken and stir well.

Roll out the pastry crust and place in a pie dish or round cake pan. Pour chicken mixture into pastry crust.

Cover with second pastry crust. Make a few slits in the top crust to allow for the release of steam.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from Kari's Savory Chicken Pot Pie at Bon Appétit!

Robyn's Chicken Salad

This is one of those recipes that is more 'a little of this and a little of that' than actual measurements. My sister-in-law Robyn made it one summer when we were at the beach and I was hooked. I like it better than any chicken salad I've ever had. (Sorry, Mama.) I ate it all the time while I was pregnant because I was hot and it was cold. Yum. Too bad Matt doesn't like it. Poor guy ate turkey sandwiches most of my pregnancy. And the occasional gourmet meal when I got a craving. I made it shortly after Bryce was born except I left out the onions and the pecans had gone bad (now I know why my mom keeps her pecans in the freezer). It was gross. My poor mother-in-law was visiting at the time and was gracious enough to eat it anyway. She also swept and mopped my floors. And cleaned my bathroom. And made Matt gravy. Twice. I love that woman.

2 cups shredded chicken (Robyn uses 2 cans white chicken but I use a rotisserie chicken since we can't get canned chicken here)

1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 to 2 stalks celery, chopped

1 stalk green onion, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans

salt and pepper to taste

The directions are pretty simple here. I like the chicken really shredded, not chunky. You can also adjust how much you use of each ingredient, especially the mayonnaise, according to your taste. Other than that, you just mix it all up in a bowl and put it on some white bread. Or if you're my mom, you put it on some bread that looks like someone spilled bird seed in the dough. To each his (or her) own.

Bayou Chicken Pasta

*Warning: This dish is NOT low fat by any stretch of the imagination. It can also be quiet hot. It is also addictive. Please enjoy responsibly.

1 pound pasta, your choice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning, recipe follows
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño or habañero pepper, depending on your heat tolerance
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion and pepper to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, pasta and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the Parmesan, green onions and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

*If we could get good seafood in Prague, I would love to try adding some fresh shrimp or crab meat. I'm thinking it would be delicious!

Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (I only use 1/2 tablespoon to keep the heat down)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

*Borrowed from Emeril on Food Network

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Interesting Factoid about my husband #38475: Matt loves pesto!!

I had no idea. Apparently he has always loved pesto and has just been waiting for me to fulfill his pesto desires. Oops. Anyway, my basil plant went crazy growing lately and so I needed to prune it. Who knew pruning could yield such delicious results? Here's a quick meal I whipped up. I thought Matt was going to lick every bowl in the kitchen that had once contained pesto. I guess that means it was good.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast
3 cups cooked pasta, your choice (I like something with a little texture, so the sauce clings to it)
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts if you can't find pine nuts)
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and brown in hot oil. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Add a little less than all of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. At this point, you can put half of the pesto in a freezer container and drizzle remaining oil over the top because the recipe makes twice as much as you need for this meal. You can freeze for up to 3 months,then thaw and stir in 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese for the next meal.

The remaining half, transfer to a bowl and stir in cheese.

Toss hot pasta, chicken and pesto. Serve topped with additional parmesan.

Pesto recipe from Food Network.

Chicken Parmesan

Cooking spray
4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt to taste
2 large egg whites
6 tablespoons dry Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 to 5 teaspoons olive oil
your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cutlets with the salt. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper. Spread the flour on another sheet of waxed paper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides into the flour, shaking off excess.



Dip each piece into the egg whites, shaking off excess, and then press both sides into the breading to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the chicken, in 1 layer, to the baking dish.

Spoon about half of the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Chicken and Veggie Tostadas

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels or 1 can corn
1 cup prepared fresh salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 cans refried beans
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar





Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine onions, bell peppers, corn, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet.





Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add chicken, stir to combine, and continue to roast until warmed through, 5 minutes more.

Transfer chicken and vegetable mixture to a serving bowl, discarding foil.

Arrange tortillas on sheet. Dividing evenly, brush with remaining tablespoon oil; top with refried beans, then cheese.



Bake until edges are golden and cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.

Dividing evenly, top tortillas with chicken-vegetable mixture and remaining 3/4 cup salsa.



Serve with sour cream and guacamole. Makes 8 servings.

Can also be served as a filling for tacos/fajitas.