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Chicken

Chicken Penne with Mushrooms

Chicken Penne with Mushrooms

On the menu tonight – Chicken Penne with Mushrooms!

If you are looking for a meal that doesn’t have too many ingredients, the preparation is quick and easy, and feeds a crowd – this is it!

You probably have most of the ingredients in the house already. I took a shortcut by using a rotisserie chicken. You will need some pasta, 1 pound package is perfect. While I used penne pasta, you could use rigatoni or any other variety you have on hand.

To bring a little heat to the dish, most similar recipes call for crushed red peppers. I wanted to try something a little different and used pickled Fresno chilies. The experiment was a big success! With the peppers chopped, they bring an even heat throughout the dish.

I hope that you will try this dish and let me know what you think.

Print Recipe

Chicken Penne with Mushrooms

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Dinner – American
By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 8-10

Chicken Penne with Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1 pound chicken thighs (or cooked rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 pound mushrooms - use what you like. I used a blend of trumpet, cremini, and shiitake
  • 1 Vidalia onion, diced
  • 1 28-ounch can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp hot paprika
  • 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper chili flakes
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup pickled Fresno chili peppers, chopped
  • Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2

Add the pasta and cook to package directions.

3

Reserve one cup of the pasta water before draining.

4

Preheat a large heavy skillet over med-high heat.

5

Add the chicken and season with Kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

6

Stir occasionally until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside. (If using rotisserie chicken omit this step. Just chop the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces).

7

After 6-7 minutes of cooking, use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and set aside.

8

Add a little more oil and add the chopped mushrooms.

9

Season the mushrooms with Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, cook for 4-6 minutes, then add the Fresno chilies, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and paprika.

10

Bring it to a simmer and let the sauce thicken, 5-6 minutes.

11

Add the chicken and any juices along with the cream to the skillet.

12

Remove the skillet from the heat.

13

Add the pasta and Parmesan cheese, stir until the pasta is well coated.

14

If needed, add some of the pasta water to get the consistency you want.

15

Garnish with parsley and a little red pepper flake if you want a little spicy heat.

August 30, 2026 By
Asian-inspired/ Chicken/ Soup

Thai-Inspired Chicken Ramen

On the menu tonight – Thai-Inspired Chicken Ramen!

This Thai-inspired chicken ramen started as a quick pantry meal and turned into something worth making again. The broth combines chicken stock with Golden Mountain seasoning sauce and fish sauce for savory depth, while ginger, Thai herb paste, and makrut lime leaves give it a fragrant Southeast Asian character. Sriracha brings the heat, and a squeeze of lemon at the end wakes up the entire bowl.

This isn’t traditional Japanese ramen, nor is it intended to be an authentic Thai noodle soup. It’s a quick fusion-style noodle bowl that borrows techniques and flavors from both—and it comes together in about 20 minutes.

Print Recipe

Thai-Inspired Chicken Ramen

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Lunch – Thai
By Patrick Dulmage – Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes – Total Time: 20 minutes

A quick, deeply savory chicken ramen with Thai seasonings, ginger, makrut lime, chile, and a bright finish.

Ingredients

  • • 2¼ cups water
  • • 1½ teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
  • • 2 teaspoons Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce (yellow cap)
  • • ½ teaspoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • • 1½ teaspoons Gourmet Garden Thai Seasoning Stir-In Paste
  • • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
  • • 2 makrut lime leaves, lightly torn or bruised
  • • 1 teaspoon Sriracha, plus more to taste
  • • 1 package instant ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
  • • ½–1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed

Instructions

1

Add the water and chicken base to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the chicken base has completely dissolved.

2

Add the Thai seasoning paste, ginger paste, and makrut lime leaves. Gently simmer for 4–5 minutes.

3

Avoid a hard boil. This short infusion gives the ginger and herbs time to flavor the broth while the bruised lime leaves release their intensely fragrant citrus oils.

4

Stir in the Golden Mountain seasoning sauce and ½ teaspoon fish sauce.

5

Taste the broth. It should be assertively savory at this point, since the noodles and egg will soften the overall intensity. If necessary, add a few additional drops of fish sauce, but resist the temptation to add too much—the fish sauce should deepen the broth without dominating it.

6

Stir in the Sriracha.

7

Add the ramen noodles directly to the gently simmering broth. Cook according to the package directions, usually 2–4 minutes, gently separating the noodles as they soften.

8

Begin checking them early. The noodles should be tender but retain a little spring; they'll continue to soften in the hot broth after cooking.

9

Once the noodles have finished cooking, remove the pan from the heat and discard the makrut lime leaves.

10

Stir in ½ teaspoon lemon juice and taste.

11

Add additional lemon juice a little at a time if the broth needs brightness. The goal isn't necessarily to make the soup taste strongly of lemon; the acidity should sharpen the chicken, chile, and aromatic flavors already present.

12

Taste one final time and adjust with Sriracha for heat, Golden Mountain for additional savory seasoning, or a few drops of fish sauce for deeper fermented umami.

13

Transfer immediately to a bowl and garnish as desired.

Notes

Makrut lime leaves: These are sometimes sold under the older name “kaffir lime leaves.” Tear or bruise them immediately before adding them to the broth to help release their aromatic oils. Unless very finely sliced for a preparation specifically intended for eating them, the whole leaves are generally removed before serving. Watch the salt: Better Than Bouillon, Golden Mountain seasoning sauce, and fish sauce all contribute salt. Start conservatively and make final adjustments only after tasting. Don't overcook the noodles: Remove the soup from the heat as soon as the noodles reach the texture you want. They'll continue absorbing liquid and softening while you finish and serve the bowl. Adjusting the broth: If it tastes flat but already salty enough, try additional lemon before reaching for more seasoning. If it tastes weak rather than flat, add a small amount of Golden Mountain. For more heat, add Sriracha; for additional fermented depth, add fish sauce a few drops at a time.

August 29, 2026 By
Chicken

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs Over Angel Hair Pasta

On the menu tonight – Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs Over Angel Hair Pasta!

This recipe definitely delivers on the lemon and garlic flavors. It calls for a half cup of lemon juice and two HEADS of garlic. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but in the end, the garlic is mellowed out from the slow braise.

I absolutely LOVED how tender the chicken was with this dish. Between the chicken and the pasta, this is a really hearty meal. I hope you will make it and let me know how your version turns out!

Print Recipe

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs Over Angel Hair Pasta

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs Over Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients

  • 8 Chicken thighs, bone-in and skin (about 3 1/2 lbs
  • Kosher salt to taste - season the chicken thighs really well
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 2 heads of garlic - peel and smash all the garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (the touch of heat is really nice)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 lb angel hair pasta
  • 3 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley, plus a little more for garnish
  • 3 Tbsp butter

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2

Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper

3

Put the flour in a shallow baking dish or pie pan

4

Dredge the chicken in the flour and set aside on a rack over a baking sheet

5

In a large saute pan with 2-3 in sides, heat the oil over med-high heat

6

When you see the oil shimmer (if it's smoking, it is too hot), add the chicken thighs , don't crowd the pan or the chicken skin won't brown well

7

Cook the chicken on both sides, about 6 minutes, remove and set aside

8

Add the onions to the oil and cook while also stirring up the brown bits from the chicken

9

After about three minutes, add the garlic, crushed red pepper, some salt, and the bay leaf

10

Cook all that for another minute or two

11

Add the lemon juice and the chicken broth along with the browned chicken

12

Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover tightly, and put in the oven

13

Bake for 20 minutes and remove the lid

14

Bake for an additional 15 minutes

15

Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through and nice and tender

16

While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta according to the pkg (you want al dente)

17

Drain the pasta well and put in a large bowl

18

Toss the pasta with the parsley and butter (don't be afraid to add a little more butter if the pasta needs it)

19

To serve, place a portion of pasta in the center of the plate along with one or two chicken thighs

20

Drizzle some of that delicious lemon-garlic cooking liquid over the chicken and pasta (don't leave out those scrumptious pieces of cooked garlic!)

21

Garnish with a little freshly chopped parsley and serve

Notes

This chicken would also be fantastic with either mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes instead of pasta.

June 20, 2026 By
Chicken/ Chinese

Sesame Chicken with Jasmine Rice

On the menu tonight – Sesame Chicken!

Whenever we order Chinese take-out, the place we order from would offer an order of free Sesame Chicken if you ordered a certain amount of food. It’s so delicious! The chicken was fully coated with a delicious sauce and it was a little crunchy from being fried.

Sadly, that place burned down and I had to figure out my own version of that dish. I tried Jet Tila’s version of Sesame Chicken and it is FANTASTIC! Now, anytime I’m craving Sesame Chicken, I have a go-to recipe.

The next time you are thinking about ordering Chinese, consider making it yourself. It isn’t the quickest meal to make, but it sure is worth the effort.

Print Recipe

Sesame Chicken with Jasmine Rice

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Sesame Chicken with Jasmine Rice

Ingredients

  • Sesame Sauce:
  • 2 Tbsp ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dark oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chicken powder
  • 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water to make a slurry
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
  • Chicken:
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chicken powder
  • 1 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 quarts oil for frying (peanut oil or any neutral oil)
  • To Assemble:
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil (avocado or peanut)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch piece ginger, minced
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1

Make the sesame sauce:

2

Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken powder, cornstarch slurry, and vinegar in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

3

The Chicken:

4

Add the chicken to a large bowl along with 1/2 cup of water.

5

Add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chicken powder.

6

Massage the chicken for about 30 seconds to work in the seasonings.

7

In another large bowl, mix the cornstarch and flour together.

8

Dredge the marinated chicken a few pieces at a time in the cornstarch/flour mixture.

9

Once fully coated, place the chicken pieces onto a large sheetpan with a rack.

10

Let the chicken rest least 10 minutes.

11

Reserve the flour mixture. (I found after the 10 minutes, the coated chicken looked moist, so I re-dredged my chicken. Jet's recipe doesn't call for this, but it worked out great for me)

12

Pre-heat your frying oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet (or a deep-fryer if you have one)

13

Start frying the chicken in batches taking care to watch the oil temperature. (Oil temperature will drop as you add more chicken)

14

Fry for 4-6 minutes per batch. (Jet's recipe says fry until golden brown. His video says to fry for a shorter time and it doesn't need to be golden brown. I only cooked mine about 2-3 minutes as it is going to cook again in the wok. Since the pieces are only about an inch, they will cook quickly. I didn't want to over cook the chicken)

15

To Assemble:

16

Pre-heat your wok or large cast iron skillet over high heat.

17

Add the oil

18

When you see the whisps of white smoke, stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the sesame sauce and bring to a boil.

19

Stir and scrap down the sides until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

20

Stir in the fried chicken, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

21

Fold until the sauce completely coats the chicken.

22

Serve hot either over rice or with the rice on the side.

23

Enjoy!

Notes

I found cooking the chicken a shorter amount of time during the initial fry still completely cooked the chicken and it resulted in a much more tender bite than cooking the prescribed 4-6 minutes. Test and see which you prefer. If you do go with the shorter cooking method, test and confirm the chicken is cooked through. Even though it will cook more in the wok, make sure your chicken is fully cooked.

June 14, 2026 By
Chicken

Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

On the menu tonight – Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry!

This dish was inspired by trying to use up things in the refrigerator but still making a cohesive meal. We had some rotisserie chicken, asparagus, tofu, and a few other things and I decided to use the wok to make a stir fry. Stir fry meals cook really fast, it takes more time to prep than it does to cook.

I start by making the sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger and minced garlic. Set that aside to let the flavors come together, then prepare the tofu. I used extra firm tofu. Pull it from the container, put it on a paper towel-lined plate. Put another, folded paper towel on top and put another plate on top of that to help gently push some moisture out.

If it isn’t already prepared, pull the rotisserie chicken off the bone and shred or chop it to bite-sized pieces. I had some asparagus that I cut into 1 in pieces. After de-seeding the bell pepper, I cut it into strips.

For some additional crunch, I rough-chopped some roasted peanuts.

If all this sounds like a lot of work, it isn’t. It probably took 15 minutes to prep everything. Now that everything is prepped, fire up the wok! If you don’t have a wok, you could use a cast iron braiser, or a big cast iron Dutch oven. You want something that will get screaming hot.

Read the rest of the instructions to put this together for some of the most delicious stir fry you’ve had!

Stir Fry

Print Recipe

Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

(No Ratings Yet)

Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 1 Rotisserie chicken, de-boned and chopped into 1 in pieces
  • 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 in pieces
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), cut into slices
  • 1 onion (red or Vidalia), halved and cut into slices
  • 1 pkg firm tofu, lightly pressed and drained
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 - 1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
  • Chili-crisp oil (optional)
  • 1 cup cooked rice (you could use a pkg of microwave rice if you don't have any leftover rice)
  • Avocado oil for the wok

Instructions

1

In a medium mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic

2

Whisk the ingredients and set the bowl aside

3

Cut the drained and pressed tofu into 1 in cubes

4

Pre-heat your wok over high heat and about 2 Tbsp avocado oil

5

Once the wok is ripping hot, add the tofu in batches - don't crowd the wok

6

As each batch of tofu is cooked to a light golden brown, pull it out, set aside, and continue until all the tofu is cooked

7

If needed, add a little more oil to the wok

8

Add the asparagus, onion, and bell pepper to the wok. Depending on the size of your wok, you may need to do this in batches too

9

Cook for about 5 minutes

10

Once your veggies look how you want them, add the chicken along with the sauce you prepared

11

Add the cooked tofu and chili-crisp oil (if using) and give everything a good stir to combine

12

Serve over cooked rice along with the roasted peanuts for garnish

Notes

Chili-crisp oil is an Asian ingredient that you should be able to find in the international aisle of the grocery store or order online. A little can go a long way, so test with a little at a time if you aren't familiar using this condiment. For the rice, another option would be to make fried rice. Scramble an egg, add it to an empty wok, cook and then remove. Add the cooked rice along with some peas and carrots, add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce. Add back in the cooked scrambled egg, mix to combine

May 10, 2026 By
Chicken

Chicken Pad Thai

On the menu tonight – Chicken Pad Thai!

I’ve made a few variations of this dish over the years, but think this one is the best.

Pad Thai comes together pretty quickly, once you start cooking, so I highly recommend pre-measuring your ingredients and having everything ready to go for the pan/wok. I used a wok to make this dish. Why? Because of the shape of the vessel, it has different temperature zones – hottest at the bottom of the wok and then progressively cooler up the sides. This is a great advantage to a pan where the flat bottom of the pan is mostly the same temperature. As a result, once one component of the dish has cooked to your liking, you can push it up the side of the wok and put in another ingredient. Depending on what you’re cooking, if you are using a flat bottomed pan, you may need to remove that item to prevent it from overcooking.

Assuming you have all the ingredients, you could easily make this dish in an hour. I really recommend making your own sauce vs buying a pre-made sauce. If you’re just getting started cooking, by all means use a store bought sauce. That said, you’ll probably be happier if you take the time to make your own. Feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking when making the sauce.

Print Recipe

Chicken Pad Thai

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces flat rice noodles (linguini sized)
  • 3 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 Tbsp tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate
  • 1-3 Tbsp sriracha sauce (depending on how hot you want it)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp oil (avocado or any high-temp oil. Please avoid vegetable, canola, and other seed oils - they are the devil)
  • 1/4 cup cubed extra-firm tofu cut into 1 in cubes
  • 6-8 oz chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 in pieces
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts
  • 3 thin scallions, cut diagonally into 1 in pieces
  • 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1

Cook the noodles per the package directions

2

For the sauce:

3

Stir together the fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind paste, sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl until well combined

4

For the stir fry:

5

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat

6

Add the tofu and cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes

7

Push the tofu to the side, allowing the excess oil to drip down into the middle of the wok/skillet

8

Add the chicken and shallots, cook while stirring until the chicken is opaque and cooked through, about 30 seconds to a minute (depending on how small you cut the pieces and the temp of your pan)

9

Add the beaten egg, stir to essentially make scrambled eggs, about 30 seconds

10

Push the egg to the side with the chicken and tofu

11

Add the red bell pepper and cook about 2 minutes

12

Add the cooked noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, and sauce to the skillet

13

Stir to combine everything, ensuring everything gets coated with the sauce

14

Simmer 3-5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken

15

Once finished, put everything on a serving plate topped with the chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves

16

Serve immediately with the lime wedges

January 18, 2026 By
Casserole/ Chicken

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

On the menu tonight – Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole!

If you are looking for a relatively quick meal to put together for your family or party, this one is for you!

For the chicken, you can use a rotisserie chicken (one of my favorite shortcuts!), and for the broccoli, you can use either frozen or quickly blanch a few broccoli heads. This dish also calls for a cup of rice. This is the perfect application for microwave rice as it’s going to get mixed in with all the other ingredients. If you haven’t seen it, microwave rice comes in 8.5 oz packets. To prepare it, you break up the rice in the packet, then tear open a little bit of each side of the top to allow steam to escape during cooking. Microwave for 90 seconds and you’ve got the rice you need! There are several different flavors, so depending on what you’re making, they probably have the type / flavor of rice you need.

Aside from chopping the rotisserie chicken and broccoli in to bite-sized pieces, there isn’t much else to do other than put it all in a 13×9 casserole dish.

The next time you need dinner in a hurry, try my Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole!

Print Recipe

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

(No Ratings Yet)

Chicken Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 Rotisserie chicken - deskinned, deboned, and chopped in to bite-sized pieces
  • 2-3 broccoli heads (about 20 oz), chopped in to bite-sized pieces (use or don't use the stems, it depends if I feel like chopping the stems down to size)
  • 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, smashed
  • 1 stick of butter, melted
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • dried onions, the kind you would use for green bean casserole
  • 1 cup (approximately) of Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup white rice, recommend microwave rice
  • 1/2 lb of Velveeta cheese, sliced

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2

Chop the rotisserie chicken

3

In a large pot, filled about 1/2-3/4, and bring to a boil

4

While the water heats up, prepare the broccoli (if using fresh)

5

Put the Ritz crackers in a large ziplock bag and smash them into very small pieces

6

Cook the microwave rice per package instructions (about 90 seconds)

7

Spray the casserole dish with non-stick spray or coat with butter

8

Blanch the broccoli for about a minute to 90 seconds

9

Remove the broccoli from the pot and put in the casserole dish

10

Add the chopped chicken and about half the Parmesan cheese along with the cooked rice

11

In a large mixing bowl, combine the crushed crackers with the melted butter

12

Add about half of the butter/cracker mixture to the casserole dish

13

Mix all the ingredients in the casserole dish to combine

14

Top the mixture with the cheese slices and the rest of the butter/cracker mixture

15

Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered

16

Serve and enjoy!

November 24, 2025 By
Chicken/ Chinese

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

On the menu tonight – Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry!

As much as I like to cook, I haven’t tried making too many Chinese take-out favorites. That is – until now! I’ve been trying to make some of our Chinese restaurant favorites. Tonight, Chicken and Broccoli is what I will make.

There are definitely a lot of steps to making this dish, but your efforts will be rewarded. I really loved the way everything came together and it was delicious!

I hope the next time you are craving Chinese food, you will try my Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry!

Print Recipe

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • Main Ingredients:
  • 1/2 - 1 Red Bell pepper, thin strips (approx 1/4 inch wide)
  • 1 small red chili pepper (serrano)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 oz white sesame seeds
  • 3 cups oil (I used Avocado oil)
  • Chicken Marinade:
  • 1 lb chicken (breast or thigh meat), no skin or bone-in
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • Kosher salt to taste, approx 1-2 pinches
  • Fry Batter:
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 6 1/2 Tbsp water
  • 1 large egg (divided, 3/4 and 1/4)
  • 1 tsp oil (Avocado)
  • Sauce Ingredients:
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp oil (Avocado)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Broccoli Ingredients:
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tsp oil (Avocado)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 6-8 oz broccoli

Instructions

1

This is one of those dishes you want to make sure and have EVERYTHING prepped before you turn on the stove and heat up the wok / pan.

2

Prep the veggies, cutting them how you want them.

3

If you are using spicy peppers, make sure you either use gloves or thoroughly wash your hands after working with the peppers. Do NOT touch your face, especially near your eyes, before you thoroughly wash your hands. Ask me how I know. 🙂

4

Make the batter:

5

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch.

6

Add the baking powder and salt, then stir to combine.

7

Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time until all the water has been added.

8

Batter should be loose, but not too thin - about the consistency of pancake batter.

9

Add 1/2 of the beaten egg to the batter and stir to combine.

10

Add the oil and stir to combine.

11

Prep the chicken and marinade:

12

Cut the chicken in to bite-sized pieces, roughly 1" thick cubes.

13

In a large mixing bowl, make the marinade.

14

Add the cornstarch, salt, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, oyster sauce, and water, then mix to combine.

15

Add the chicken to the bowl, then toss to coat all of the chicken pieces.

16

Add 1/4 of the reserved beaten egg and mix thoroughly.

17

Make the sauce:

18

In a small mixing bowl, combine the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and water.

19

Mix to combine.

20

Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

21

Make the slurry:

22

In a small mixing bowl (or a soup bowl as I realize we're using a lot of bowls here) combine the corn starch and about 3 tablespoons of water.

23

Stir to combine (you'll have to give it another stir just before you use it)

24

Blanch the Broccoli:

25

In a medium pot, bring water (enough to completely cover the broccoli, you can't do too much) to a boil

26

Add the broccoli to the pot and cook about 45 seconds to a minute

27

Remove from the pot and put in a large bowl of iced water to stop the cooking

28

Fry the Chicken:

29

Heat the wok on high

30

Add 3 cups oil, I use avocado oil. You want something with a high smoke point. (Please don't use vegetable oil. Google the history of vegetable oil. It is literally industrial waste and it's terrible for you)

31

As the wok is heating up, pour the batter in to the bowl with the chicken, mix to combine.

32

Once the oil reaches 325 degrees, start adding the chicken, one piece at a time to make sure the pieces don't stick to each other.

33

Let the chicken cook at least 90 seconds before touching it.

34

Cook for a total of about 2 and a half minutes and then start removing the cooked cooked chicken from the wok.

35

Continue until all of the chicken is cooked and set aside to cool off a bit.

36

Fry the chicken a second time. Yes, that's right. This will make the chicken less greasy once finished and will be more crispy.

37

The oil should be 375 degrees for the second fry.

38

Work in batches cooking the chicken for about 50-60 seconds and remove.

39

Turn off the heat and put the oil in a heat-resistant container. The oil can be strained and used again.

40

Wipe out any bits from the wok as you are going to use it again.

41

Cook the Sauce:

42

Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok over medium heat.

43

Add the minced garlic and chili peppers, cook for about 40 seconds

44

Pour in the sauce and stir constantly for about 45 seconds.

45

Turn the heat to low, add a little bit of the slurry you made (don't forget to give it a quick stir before adding), then stir to combine.

46

Cook for about a minute and see if you like the consistency. If you want it thicker, add more slurry. Too thick? Add a little water.

47

Once it's where you want it, turn off the heat and add the sesame oil, stir to combine.

48

Put it all together:

49

Add the fried chicken (along with any juices), bell peppers, red chili pepper, and broccoli, and mix well. (If you want the bell pepper cooked a little bit more, you could add the bell pepper with the garlic).

50

Give it a taste and then serve with some rice!

Notes

Toasted sesame seeds would be a great addition to this

November 20, 2025 By
Chicken/ Mexican

Suiza-Style (“wet”) Chicken Burritos

Chicken Burrito

On the menu tonight – Suiza-style Chicken Burritos!

Mrs asked me to make burritos tonight. Mrs gets what Mrs wants!

A little research in looking for burrito recipes, I wasn’t really finding a lot, at least when looking at “authentic” Mexican recipes. I pretty much came up with my own recipe based on things I’ve had at Mexican restaurants that I’ve enjoyed.

Since I knew that I wanted a “wet” burrito, I started with the sauce. I used three different dried chili peppers that I re-hydrated in water along with some chicken bullion powder. I chopped an onion and four cloves of garlic and got those sauteing in a pan. I added some cumin, to bloom it, along with some cayenne pepper for heat.

For the chicken, I took a shortcut and used rotisserie chicken.

I hope the next time you are craving Mexican food, you will give this recipe a try!

Print Recipe

Chicken Burritos

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Chicken Burritos

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken
  • 1 Vidalia Onion, diced
  • 4 oz can Hatch green chilies
  • 8 oz can Rotelle Tomatoes with chilies
  • 16 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 12 8" flour tortillas
  • 1 guajillo, 1 ancho, and 1 pasillo pepper, dried peppers. Cut the tops off, de-seed, and re-hydrate
  • 8 oz grated medium cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz grated pepper jack cheese
  • 2-3 Tbsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Take the rotisserie chicken off the bone and shred it to small, bite-sized pieces

2

Put the onions in a large cast iron pan over low heat

3

Add the cumin to bloom the spices

4

As that heats up, put the dried peppers in a blender with about 2 cups of water along with the chicken bullion powder

5

Blend until you don't see any pieces

6

As the onion cooks, stir it and then add the hatch green chilies

7

Stir to combine

8

Add the Rotelle and fire roasted tomatoes, stir to combine

9

Cook 3-5 minutes, then add about 3/4 of the peppers that you blended (Reserve some to top the burritos)

10

Bring to a boil

11

Add the shredded chicken, mix to combine

12

Cut the heat and let the mixture cool enough to touch

13

While the mixture cools, prepare the refried beans

14

Put the beans in a medium sized mixing bowl

15

Add a ladle of the liquid from the chicken you cooked

16

Mix the beans and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more liquid if the beans seem too thick

17

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and start assembling burritos

18

Heat three or four tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds - long enough to get them pliable

19

Put a dollup of the refried beans on the tortilla, making a line down the middle. Don't go all the way to the edge as you'll need some free space at the edges to fold and roll

20

Put about a 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture on top of the refried beans

21

Sprinkle some grated pepper jack cheese on top of the chicken mixture

22

Bring the edges on either side of the mixture together, meeting in the middle

23

Bring the bottom edge up and try to bring the mixture in towards you to tighten it all up as you roll the burrito to a close (you may want to watch some videos for how to roll a burrito)

24

Put the newly minted burrito in a baking dish, seam side down ( I put some of the tomato pepper liquid on bottom of the baking dish)

25

Repeat until you've rolled all your burritos

26

Spoon the tomato pepper liquid over each burrito

27

Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top the burritos

28

Bake for about 30 minutes

29

Once the cheese is bubbly, you know they are done

30

Serve with some Mexican rice and refried beans

October 12, 2025 By
Chicken

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

On the menu tonight – Buttermilk Fried Chicken!

This is probably the best fried chicken I have eaten. It isn’t a quick recipe, but your efforts will certainly be rewarded. Plan on starting a day before you intend to cook, beginning with brining chicken. I also recommend you make the batter and the dredge a day ahead too.

On cook day, I’ll take the chicken out of the refrigerator and sit on the counter about 30-45 minutes to take a little chill off. You don’t want to go from refrigerator to fryer right away. Have your dredge station setup along with the sheet pan of chicken that will go in the fryer, AND the sheet pan for the chicken that comes out of the fryer.

Once you’ve fried all the chicken, let it rest at least 5 minutes before serving. I use that time to pat the chicken with some paper towels to let it get even more crispy.

The next time you are craving some fried chicken, I hope you will try this recipe!

Print Recipe

Buttemilk Fried Chicken

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs chicken thighs, skinned and de-boned
  • Brine:
  • 6 quarts brewed, unsweetened tea
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 lemons, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup whole garlic cloves, smashed
  • Batter:
  • 1 stick of European-style butter - unsalted
  • 2 1/4 cups good quality, full fat buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cups whole milk
  • Dredge:
  • 1/3 cup onion powder
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1

Day before your cook:

2

Make the brine in a bowl or container that can be covered

3

Add the chicken to the brine and cover

4

Let it sit for at least 8 hrs but no longer than 12 hrs

5

After brining, remove chicken, pat it dry and return to container (if not cooking same day)

6

Dredge:

7

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk thoroughly

8

Set aside if using same day or store in an air-tight container if using the following day

9

Day of cook:

10

Put chicken in another large bowl and pour the batter over it

11

Move the chicken around to ensure all pieces are completely covered with batter

12

Lift chicken out of the dredge, let the excess drip off, then place in the pan/bowl that has your dredge

13

Press down, on both sides, to ensure the flour clings to the chicken

14

Set the coated chicken on a sheet pan with wax paper while the frying oil comes to temperature (325 degrees F)

15

I use a countertop fryer that maintains the oil temperature. If you don't have that, use a Dutch Oven deep enough that the chicken can be submerged in the oil - 4 1/2 quart or larger will work fine

16

Don't fill the vessel more than half way with oil

17

When the oil comes to temperature, carefully add 1-2 pieces of chicken at a time, but don't crowd the pan. I usually don't do more than 2-3 pieces at a time to help maintain oil temperature

18

Cook the chicken on one side 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook an addition 5 or so minutes

19

Cook until the chicken registers 165 degrees, chicken should be golden brown, but not too dark

20

Once finished, remove the chicken to either a sheetpan lined with paper towels or a cooling rack

21

Let it rest at least 5 minutes - unless you want to scorch your mouth

Notes

The batter could also be used for some really fantastic buttermilk pancakes. You'll only use 1/4 cup whole milk vs 3/4 cup. I recommend letting the batter rest in the refrigerator for at least 20-30 minutes before using. Since you are in frying mode, think of other things you can fry. I have used the batter to make fried pickles as an appetizer. Use your favorite jarred pickles. Take out however many pickles you will use, pat them dry, dunk them in the batter, then fry until golden brown. Don't forget to sprinkle them with a little salt once out of the fryer. YUM!

September 23, 2025 By