Honey Garlic Chicken

After a trip to MEAT, a new barbecue restaurant in Edmonton, I went looking for a fried chicken recipes I could

From: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• sea salt 
• pepper
• 1 cup panko crumbs

Honey Garlic Sauce

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T soya sauce
• 1 t sriracha
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped

Method

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them with a fork to combine the egg whites with their yolks. Pour the panko crumbs into a second bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then the panko crumbs and place on the baking sheet. Once all of the chicken has been breaded, place the chicken in the fridge to allow the pieces to set. Heat the oven to 400F. When the oven is ready, remove the chicken from the fridge and bake it for 30 minutes.

To make the honey garlic sauce, whisk the honey, garlic, soya and sriracha together in a saucepan on medium heat. Combine the water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture in with the sauce, mixing well.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from oven and toss the chicken in with the sauce.

Spicy Potato Hash

I drove from Calgary to Edmonton yesterday afternoon and from jacketless to parka weather in just over 300 km. I'll never get over the unpredictable weather this province offers. So, while I mourn the loss of warmer temperatures, I will try focussing on the perks of winter: mainly, comfort food.  Here come the cozy stews, casseroles and hearty meals. Oh, and the wine! I look forward to the full-bodied reds that will accompany my weekend dinners.

This one-dish meal offers one a chance to use up those vegetables lurking in your fridge. If you've got leftover carrots, herbs and/or celery, adding them to the hash can only lead to good things. I added chilis too but if heat's not your bag, just omit them. I also threw in some eggs to use up the few I had remaining. I've got a soft spot for yolks that ooze over food and this casserole was a good platform for yolky eggs.

Adapted from: http://www.twogreenpeas.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 t canola oil
• 2 medium yukon gold or white potatoes, diced
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 3 cups of chopped vegetables of your choosing (I used yellow and red peppers)
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 2 green chilis, diced

Garnishes (pick a few)

• 1 avocado
• 1 jalapeno 
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 green onions, chopped
• lime wedges

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large cast iron skillet or pot if, like mine, your skillet isn't large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the onions, stirring well until they become translucent; about 5 minutes. Once cooked, mix in the spices until they are well combined with the onions. Toss in the potatoes and cook for about 10-15 minutes until they are edible, but not so soft that they can be mashed. Add a little oil or water if the potatoes start to stick to the base of the skillet. Once the potatoes are golden, add the beans, chilis, vegetables and a tablespoon of water and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. If you've used a skillet, transfer it to the oven to bake for about 10 minutes. I poured the hash from my pot to a large casserole dish before transferring it to the oven. After 10 minutes, remove the hash from the oven and crack a few eggs over the surface of the hash. Return the casserole to the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the eggs have had a chance to cook to your desired consistency.  Serve with some of the garnishes noted above.

Roasted Cauliflower with Mushrooms

Side dish or entree: you pick. Add some sun dried tomatoes in olive oil for a touch of sweetness or swap out the watercress for cilantro to give the curry a bit more punch. There are any number of ways to modify this dish, but frankly, it was delicious without any additional ingredients. I served this as a side dish with a filet of cod and give the pairing two thumbs up.  


From: http://thesmoothielover.com

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 t olive oil
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• handful of watercress leaves
• 1 t curry paste 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a bowl, add the tablespoon of olive oil, salt and cauliflower, tossing until the all cauliflower is coated with the oil.  Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet and roast until golden; about 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms in and toss until coated in the oil.  Saute the mushrooms for about 4 minutes and then set them aside. When the cauliflower is roasted, remove from the oven and combine it in a large bowl with the curry paste. Add the mushrooms, cashews and watercress and season the dish with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.