Kung Pao Spaghetti

CPK’S KUNG PAO SPAGHETTI

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Yield4 servings

A copycat recipe that you can make right at home in less than 20 minutes. And it tastes even better than the restaurant version!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
FOR THE SAUCE
• 2/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons red chili paste with garlic, or more, to taste
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Watch BBQ Expert Rod Grey Talk BBQ.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, dry sherry, red chili paste, sugar, red wine vinegar, cornstarch and sesame oil; set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces; set aside.
• Add garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in pasta, chicken, peanuts and green onions.
• Serve immediately.

NOTES

Adapted from Blog Chef

Chinese Orange Chicken

CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN

Prep Time40 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Yield4 servings

Not even Panda Express can beat this homemade orange chicken!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
FOR THE MARINADE
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Watch BBQ Expert Rod Grey Talk BBQ.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

• To make the marinade, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl.
• In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade; marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
• Heat remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 1-2 minutes; keep warm.
• Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs, then dredge in remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing to coat.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Working in batches, add chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
• Serve chicken immediately, tossed or drizzled with the marinade, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.

NOTES

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs

BACON WRAPPED TATER TOT BOMBS

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Yield4 servings

The most amazing tater tots ever, baked to crisp bacon-perfection. It's so good, you'll want to double or triple the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups frozen tater tots, at room temperature
• 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
• 4 slices bacon, quartered
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

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INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
• Working one at a time, wrap each tater tot and cheese square in a piece of bacon. Repeat with remaining tater tots, cheese squares and bacon pieces. Dredge each tater tot in the brown sugar, pressing to coat.
• Place tater tots seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, using metal tongs to turn at halftime.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

NOTES

Adapted from Made From Pinterest

Parmesan Tortellini Bites

Parmesan Tortellini Bites

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Yield 6 servings

Crisp, crunchy, parmesan-loaded tortellini bites - so good, you won't be able to stop eating these!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup Panko*
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated three cheese tortellini
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

Instructions

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; set aside.
• Working in batches, dredge tortellini in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
• Add tortellini to the skillet, 8 or 10 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve immediately with marinara sauce, garnished with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Notes

*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

2.6

http://damndelicious.net/2014/09/29/parmesan-tortellini-bites/

The post Parmesan Tortellini Bites appeared first on Damn Delicious.

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours, 10 minutes

Yield 6 servings

The easiest wings you will ever make. Just throw everything into the crockpot and you're set for the most tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken wings!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the sauce
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, Sriracha, ginger powder, pepper and onion powder.
• Place wings into a slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
• Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff

2.6

http://damndelicious.net/2014/10/01/slow-cooker-sticky-chicken-wings/

The post Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings appeared first on Damn Delicious.

Easy Lo Mein

Easy Lo Mein

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Yield 6 servings

The easiest lo mein you will ever make in 15 min from start to finish. And it's so much quicker, tastier and healthier than take-out!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lo mein egg noodles*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 3 cups baby spinach
For the sauce
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce, or more, to taste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and Sriracha; set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling water, cook lo mein egg noodles according to package instructions; drain well.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in snow peas and spinach until the spinach has wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in egg noodles and soy sauce mixture, and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

*If lo mein egg noodles cannot be found, spaghetti can be substituted. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4 to 6

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, to serve

Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt until the chicken is evenly covered with spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.

→ If you have the time: Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup yogurt for up to 6 hours. Shake to remove excess yogurt before transferring to the slow cooker.

→ If you have the time: Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until softened, then stir in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices until fragrant. This will give your tikka masala more depth of flavor.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Taste and add more garam masala or salt to taste.

Serve over rice with fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top of each serving. The tikka masala can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

• Chicken breasts can be substituted for the thighs, though I find thighs hold up better over the long cooking and breasts tend to fall into shreds. Still delicious, though!
• For a little of that smoky, tandoori flavor, try using smoked paprika and roasted tomatoes.