Mini Fried Chicken

I must admit that I have always been a little intimidated by fried chicken. That big pot of hot oil combined with a platter of cut up chicken waiting to be fried equates to a splattering mess in my mind. But deep fry just about anything, and it tastes good. Mini Fried Chicken is no exception.


To overcome my fried chicken phobia, I decided to bread and fry chicken wings. These smaller chicken parts are easy to handle, fry up in about 12 minutes and are fun to eat. They offer the same crunchy coating and tender, juicy meat as the larger chicken pieces do, but in a more compact package.


My Mini Fried Chicken is perfect for little hands or is a welcome addition to a football buffet. A big batch can be made ahead to party or dinner time and served at room temperature or reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

I am now a frying fool because of this recipe.


Mini Fried Chicken
makes 50 pieces

1 cup flour
1 cup seasoned, fine bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
50 chicken wing segments
canola oil

In a large, shallow bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Dredge the chicken, a few pieces at a time, in the flour mixture making sure to shake off any excess flour. Place on a large baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour. Coat the chicken a second time with the flour mixture before frying.

Heat about 3 inches of canola oil in a large, high sided stock pot to 375 degrees. Deep fry about 8 - 10 pieces of chicken at a time for about 12 minutes, turning once. Drain on a wire cooling rack placed in a large baking sheet.

Serve immediately or cool completely and store in the refrigerator in a ziploc bag. Serve cold or reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Beef -- What's for Dinner Wednesdays -- East Meets West Burgers

A couple weeks ago I was contacted to be one of the ambassadors for a weekly recipe challenge entitled Beef - What's for Dinner Wednesdays. For the next 3 weeks I will be one of the bloggers preparing a recipe from the Beef It's What's for Dinner website. But not only are we making these great beef recipes; you too can join in and have a chance to win some great prizes too. Just visit the Beef - What's for Dinner Wednesdays Facebook Fan Page for the weekly recipe. After you make the recipe, post your results on the Beef It's What's For Dinner Facebook page for a chance to win some foodie prizes. You will be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket which includes The Healthy Beef Cookbook, a set of Crate & Barrel Grilling Tools, Sur La Table mini steak button thermometers, a reusable shopping bag and other items to help you shop for and cook healthy beef meals. These drawings are happening each week (with several winners chosen each week) so why not join in the fun?

This week's recipe was for East Meets West Burgers. I am always up for a good burger and this one did not disappoint. The juicy, grilled burger was topped with a soy sauce mayonnaise and an Asian-inspired slaw. I added a 1/2 cup of chopped cucumbers to the slaw instead of the red cabbage as the recipe called for because I didn't have any on hand.

With summer quick coming to an end, this recipe is fantastic to make for one last barbecue celebration. Heck, don't wait for a party to make this recipe. It is so quick and easy that it would be perfect for any dinner.

Check the other blogger ambassadors reviews of this recipe:

Kristen – Dine and Dish

Aggie – Aggie’s Kitchen

Tiffany – Eat at Home

Andy – Dinner’s On Me

Kate – Cooking During Stolen Moments

Heidi - Tried and True Cooking with Heidi

Patsy - Family, Friends and Food

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken

We had a few days of cool and rainy weather which prompted me to dust off my crock pot and search for some new recipes. My slow cooker usually gets the summers off, but I may be enlisting it more often after our latest dinner. Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken was ridiculously easy to prepare and received high praises all around.

"I could eat this every night," said My Oldest.

It was a very quiet dinner which is usual at our house. But the reason for the lack of conversation was that our mouths were constantly full.

"I am eating too fast, but that is because it is so good," I finally blurted out.

"The garlic is my favorite part. Let's just make a whole crock pot full of garlic next time," commented The Husband.

Garlic cloves ready to be spread on sourdough bread

My dinner prep started at about 10:30 in the morning. Into the crock pot went a sliced onion, a 7 pound chicken, 30 cloves of garlic, some wine, chicken stock, and seasonings. About 6 hours later, the entree for for dinner was ready. We also had Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, and a loaf of sourdough bread. The garlic cloves, which mellow after hours in the crock pot have a subtle but rich flavor. It is delicious spread on a crusty slice of bread.

After the ease of making a scrumptious dinner tonight, my crock pot will be a fixture on my kitchen counter for some time to come.

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken
serves about 5

1 whole chicken, about 6 - 7 pounds
1 onion, sliced
30 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup flour dissolved in 1/2 cup chicken stock

Place chicken, onion, and garlic in crock pot. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme over the chicken. Add wine and chicken stock mixture to the crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should register about 165 degrees when it is done.

I kept the chicken in the crock pot about another hour on warm after it was finished cooking. Remove chicken and garlic from the crock pot and serve.

Mustard Chicken with Soy, Ginger and Garlic Glaze

Mustard Chicken with Soy, Ginger and Garlic Glaze

As we head into our second week of school and sports for the fall season, we have yet to eat dinner together as a family on a weeknight. Our after school and evening time is spent on a number of sports' fields, doing homework, and getting to bed early. After a summer of late nights staying up past midnight watching movies and eating popcorn, The Kids can barely keep their eyes open after 10 p.m.

Each school year brings a new set of challenges. No Thank You Boy is more confused by all the folders, notebooks, binders and graph paper needed for school than his actual classes. He would rather be playing football than going to school anyway. My Middle One begins her first year of high school and has decided she has a calling to be a volleyball player. She spends her after school time on the court with the JV team. She admits that a big draw to play was her love of the little, tight shorts they wear. My Oldest has taken to the roads with her driver's permit. She is back for a third year of field hockey and finding the joys of ice packs for sore muscles.

With our self-imposed hectic schedule, dinner time is usually eaten in shifts. At least a couple family members are around at the same time so we are getting some family time.

My days are spent on my personal chef work, leaving about an hour to get dinner made when I get home. Always on the lookout for extremely flavorful dishes with a minimal amount of work, I struck gold with Mustard Chicken with Soy, Ginger, and Garlic Glaze. This quick fix entree yields delicious chicken without having to marinade it. The intense flavors of the ingredients do all the work in this dish. The meal was rounded out with honey baby carrots and tri-color rotini tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

This is one dish that tastes good the day it is made and even better as leftovers. Maybe that was because I doubled the recipe and was glad the family was excited to have this dinner for the next day as well.

Mustard Chicken with Soy, Ginger and Garlic Glaze

serves 5
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
poultry seasoning such as Montreal Chicken Seasoning
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce, I use the low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and spread a thin layer of mustard over each chicken breast.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Pour over chicken. Bake chicken for about 20 - 25 minutes basting 2 or 3 times during the the cooking time. The internal temperature of the chicken should be about 160 degrees when it is done. Because chicken breasts vary in size, it is best to use a thermometer to check for doneness. Remove from the oven and serve with the extra glaze in the baking dish.

Crunchy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

The start of the school year stirs the need in me to bake more cookies. I like the notion of the Donna Reed-type mom who welcomes her children with warm cookies and milk at the end of the school day. I am far from the coiffed and apron wearing 1950s television mom, but I do like to bake up a batch of cookies for my kids.

If my day is not spent cooking 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals for one of my personal chef clients, I am hard at work as a domestic engineer. Not really hard at work, but still doing the cleaning, cooking, bill paying, and grocery shopping just like any other mom. With summer winding down, The Kids are now back to school and we are re-establishing our daily routine. And it no longer resembles the summertime daily schedule of a couple days ago which was really no schedule at all.

Instead of the old standbys of chocolate chip, peanut butter, or oatmeal cookies, I developed a super big, chewy and crunchy cookie. Crunchy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies are ultra thin, slightly caramel tasting treats that are studded with chocolate. The crunch on the outer edges is coupled with a chewy center for a perfect combination.

Even with the hustle and bustle of life today, it is worth the time and effort to bake a fresh batch of cookies.



Crunchy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

makes about 24 (5-inch) cookies

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugars, butter, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer for 4 - 5 minutes or until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Stir in the coconut, chocolate chips, and Rice Krispies.

Using a 2-inch scoop place 6 cookies on each baking sheet. The cookies should be about 3 inches apart because they spread while baking.

Bake for 12 - 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheets for about 3 - 5 minutes and remove to cooling racks.

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