Glossy Asian Wings

Serves 4

These are so simple, and the longer you marinate them the better… I suggest you whip this up in the morning, throw 'em in the fridge, then they'll be tender and perfect to cook when you get home from work.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs raw chicken wings

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 green onions, white & light green parts, chopped fine

• Toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat broiler

2. In a large bowl combine brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil – mix well

3. Put the wings and most of the marinade (save about 1/3 for basting) in a zip lock bag and refrigerate an hour up to overnight

4. Place skin side up on backing sheet & put under broiler about 4-5" from the element and cook 10 minutes, flip and cook until done – about another 10

5. Plate wings, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds

(Shortcut version: You could make this with frozen raw wings, just coat with sauce then cook according to packaging)

Leftover Celery & Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 2

A stir fry is one of the greatest ways to use up leftovers - so use this merely as a guide, and throw in anything you have.

Ingredients

• 6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 raw chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1-2 cups shredded cabbage (any kind really)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• Fresh rice for serving

Directions

1. Heat wok till almost smoking then add oil and chicken - cook about 3 minutes or until just cooked through - set chicken aside
2. Heat wok again (don't clean it) add oil and the celery and cook for 1 minute, then add cabbage, onion & stir fry about 3 minutes or until softened
3. Push veggies to the side, add the ginger and garlic to the middle with a splash of oil and wait till it gets super fragrant - about a minute
4. Then add chicken back in with the vegetables, the sesame oil and soy sauce
5. Stir well to combine everything and serve on the rice

Wonton & Noodle Soup

Serves 2

If a Jewish & Chinese grandmother got together and made a feel-good soup, this would be it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1" fresh ginger, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed & roughly chopped

• 6 green onions, white & light green parts cut in one inch lengths, with the dark green parts chopped finely for garnish

• 6 frozen chicken pork or chicken pot-stickers

• 4 baby bok choy, root end cut off & leaves separated

• 1 pack instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning pack, don’t need it)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

Directions

1. Bring broth, ginger, garlic & green onions to a simmer in a medium sized pot - simmer 5 minutes

2. Add pot-stickers and cook for 5 minutes, then add noodles and bok choy

3. Cook until noodles are softened, then stir in soy

4. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and green onion

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Makes one 10 inch pizza

This has all the great taste of those spicy little chicken wings except in a pizza and with no bones.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (one of those deli roasted ones perfect)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces hot sauce
• 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing, any kind but chunkier is better
• 1-10" ready-made pizza crust like Boboli, or fresh pizza dough spread out to be about that size
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Melt butter with hot sauce in small pot, remove from heat
3. Add chicken to the sauce and set aside
4. Spread dressing on crust, then chicken mixture - it will be messy
5. Top with mozzarella
6. Bake until bubbly, brown and awesome looking - about 15 minutes

Asian Wings

Once again those frozen chicken wings I told you to keep in your freezer are coming in handy - and you thought I was crazy. Listen to your mother...and listen to me.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 12-18 chicken wings, frozen even

Directions

1. Mix soy and brown sugar well in a bowl
2. Pour mixture over wings, coat well and allow to marinate up to 30minutes - but if you only have 5 minutes...go with that
3. Place under the broiler for 15 minutes, flip and cook for another 15- try to baste 2 or 3 times on each side
4. Serve on a platter and sprinkle with thinly sliced green onion tops

BBQ Chicken Packs

Makes 8

Delicious little packages of BBQ chicken and cheese and you don't even have to wait until your b-day to open them!

Ingredients

• 1 tube refrigerator biscuits (the big ones are easier)
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove biscuits from package and flatten with your hand
3. In the middle of each biscuit, place some chicken, some barbecue sauce and some cheese - I say "some", because you want to be able to fold them over once the stuff is inside and the amount depends on what size biscuit you buy
4. Fold biscuit over 'stuff', seal edges well and place on cookie sheet
5. Bake at 350 until brown

Hot Sweet Wings

Makes about 2 dozen wings

Make them on a moments notice by keeping a bag of wings in the freezer - you don't even need to defrost them. Just yank 'em out and throw them in the oven, it's a piece of cake.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup butter

• 6 ounces Louisiana-style hot sauce

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• good size pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat broiler

2. Place wings on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until done - about 10 minutes a side - more if frozen

3. While they're cooking, put remaining ingredients in a small pot and simmer for about 15 minutes

4. When wings are done, mix them in batches with the sauce in large bowl

5. Place wings in serving bowl with some of the sauce

Sweet Hoisin Wings

Makes 2 dozen

Hoisin is sort of an Asian bbq sauce. You'll find it in the Asian aisle at the supermarket

Ingredients

• 24 small chicken wings, frozen even
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili paste, optional

Directions

1. Mix hoisin, honey and garlic (and chili paste if using)
2. Place wings in zip lock bag and add hoisin mix - keep a little out for dipping after
3. Place bag in fridge, making sure the wings all get covered with sauce - the longer they marinate the better, from 30 minutes to 24 hours
4. Grill until cooked through and browned - serve with extra sauce

Christy

There are no exact measurements for this great tasting salad. You decide how much of each item to add. When they make it at the cafe, they add the toppings in little groupings on top of the lettuce, sort of like a Cobb salad.

Ingredients

• Fresh lettuce (iceberg, red leaf – you decide)
• Blue Cheese crumbles
• Sliced apples
• Sliced avocado
• Candied walnuts
• Grilled chicken, sliced
• Poppy seed dressing

Directions

1. Place salad on plate
2. Add as much of any topping you like
3. Add dressing and eat, or
4. Or just go to the Julian Cafe and order it there – it's easier

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Serves 6

This is usually made with pork that is slowly cooked for something like 6 hours. That doesn't work for me, but this does...

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 cups of the ‘ready-to-go’ cole slaw with dressing, mixed
• 12 onion rings, cooked
• 6 good crusty rolls

Directions

1. Mix chicken, bbq sauce and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside
2. Cut open a roll and put some of the chicken, the cole slaw and then top with warm onion rings - it's messy but you're gonna love it

Sesame Chicken Tenders

My friend Stephanie turned me on to these. It's the perfect picnic item. We use those already tender-shaped tenders from the store. You could easily use breasts or thighs - chicken that is.

Ingredients

• 12 chicken tenders, or 3 boneless skinless breasts
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup bread crumbs - I like the Japanese kind, panko
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Mix sour cream, lemon juice, celery salt, Worcestershire and garlic in a bowl
2. Add chicken, coat well
3. Allow to marinate anywhere from 1/2 an hour to overnight - longer is better
4. Heat oven to 350
5. Remove chicken from marinade and cover in crumbs - place on a greased baking sheet
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and drizzle with butter
7. Bake 40-45 minutes
8. Serve with any kind of dipping sauce - plum would be good. Stephanie mixes apricot jam and horseradish.

Chimichanga

Makes 6

Baked or fried, these are so delicious and rather impressive looking when done.

5 chicken thighs, or about 2 cups once cooked

Kosher salt & ground pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1-4 ounce can diced green chilis

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, plus extra for serving

½ teaspoon each garlic powder, cumin and chipotle chili powder

1 – 15 ounce can refried beans, optional (they shouldn’t be, but I get it)

6 flour tortillas, burrito size

1 tablespoon oil (for baking)

¼ cup neutral oil (for frying

1 cup red enchilada sauce

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

• Cook thighs in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, set aside

• Add a little more oil to the pan, and put in onion and red pepper – cook until softened, about 5 minutes

• Shred or cut chicken into small pieces and put in a bowl with the onions and peppers, chilis, cheese and spices – mix well

• Heat the tortillas just a bit to make them a little more pliable - microwave or non-stick pan is fine

• If using, add a layer of the beans to the center of each tortilla, then spoon some of the chicken mixture onto each

• Roll up restaurant style - bottom over the filling, sides in then roll away from you

  To Bake

• Preheat oven to 400

• Place chimichanga on a greased baking sheet and brush tops lightly with neutral oil

• Bake until golden, about 20ish minutes

  To Fry

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil to skillet and place chimichangas seam side down. Turn lightly every 2-30 seconds until lightly golden on all sides

  To Serve

• While they cook, warm enchilada sauce, and when done spoon some enchilada sauce on a plate, lay chimichanga on top, and garnish with sour cream, a little more cheese and cilantro

Chicken on the Can

I'll be the first to admit that this looks funny. A chicken with a can of beer shoved, I mean inserted in it's...I mean up it's...oh hell - you know what I mean. It might look goofy, but it sure is good, and moist.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds) - remove bag of 'stuff' inside
• 1 can of beer
• 4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3 tablespoons garlic, roughly chopped
• olive oil
• Kosher salt & pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Rinse chicken well and pat dry with paper towels
3. Mix rosemary & garlic together
4. Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt & pepper
5. Rub rosemary/garlic mixture well into chicken - all around
6. Any extra garlic or rosemary can be put into the can
7. Pour half of the beer into a roasting pan then push the chicken down onto the beer can so that the can goes into the umm, cavity
8. Stand the chicken on the pan, with the bottom of the can and the two legs making a sort of triangle support
9. Roast chicken for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 and continue roasting for an approximately 20 minutes per pound
10. Chicken is done when you can poke it and the juices run clear - or it reaches a temperature of 180 degrees
11. Carefully remove can and let sit about 15 minutes before drinking, I mean eating

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Drunken Chicken - Orchard Hill Country Inn

Perched on the top of a hill overlooking Julian (just so you know, I've never used the term 'perched' in a sentence before), Orchard Hill is one beautiful place to visit. Great rooms, great food and great people - what else do you need?

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tart apples, cored & peeled & cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt & pepper

Directions

1. Saute chicken breasts in butter and thyme over medium heat until cooked through and golden - remove to a plate and keep warm
2. Return pan to the heat and add the apples, cooking just to soften - remove and sprinkle with sugar
3. Pour the apple juice and brandy in the pan, and allow to simmer gently until slightly reduced
4. Add cream and season with salt and pepper
5. Serve by placing chicken on plate, covering with apples and adding sauce over the top

Thai Chicken Curry

This is the perfect place to use any already cooked chicken - grilled, roasted whatever.

1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced - or even better 3 or 4 red Holland peppers, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1-14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons apricot jam

Chopped fresh basil to garnish

• Heat oil in a medium pot, and add onion - cook a couple minutes then add red pepper and cook a couple more until just softened

• Add garlic, and stir though about a minute then add flour and curry powder together - mix in well, and yes it’ll look really really dry

• BTW, if you want it spicy, this is when you would add the cayenne

• Stir well for a minute, and add the coconut milk, stirring though well and add the apricot jam

• When it’s mixed in, add in the chicken and allow it to warm through

• Serve on rice and garnish with a little fresh chopped basil

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Sandwich

See how sophisticated this sounds? It's really only a chicken sandwich, just made a little differently using the Ciabatta bread. But you could also modify the flavor of this simple sandwich by simply changing a couple of the items. For Asian style you might try using a Teriyaki marinade and leaving out the Rosemary. For a more Mediterranean flavor, you could simply swap the avocado for feta cheese - you get the idea.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Ciabatta bread (available at most supermarkets)
• 4 chicken breasts
• 12 ounces of your favorite Italian dressing
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced medium thin
• 2 avocados, sliced medium thin
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Heat grill
2. Place chicken breasts, 2 at a time in a large ziplock bag and whack with a bottle until evenly flat - about 1/2 inch thick
3. Put dressing and rosemary in casserole dish and add chicken - allow to marinate at least 15 minutes
4. Grill chicken until it's done the way you like (try not to overcook it)
5. Just before the chicken is ready, slice bread in rectangles, and then horizontally
6. Brush each side with olive oil, and place on grill - you're going for those cool grill marks
7. Assemble the sandwich - Ciabatta, chicken avocado, tomatoes, fresh ground pepper, Ciabatta - yum.

White Bean Chicken Chili

We make this every year for Halloween because it's a nice change from regular chili and really delicious. Plus, it's perfect to put in a mug to eat while you are trick or treating - I mean while the kids are trick or treating.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cans Great Northern White Beans

• One 4 ounce can diced green chilies

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3-4 cups chicken broth

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Drain beans

2. In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic with oil until soft

3. Add remaining ingredients - using broth to make it as thick or thin as you like

4. Bring to a low simmer, turn down and heat through stirring well, salt & pepper to taste

5. Serve topped with cilantro

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Orange-Hoisin Chicken

Simple, simple, simple - with a delicious sweet/smokey flavor. And did I say simple?

Ingredients

• Up to 6 chicken breasts or thighs - I like thighs, but you decide.
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (available at any supermarket)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375
2. Rinse chicken well and pat dry.
3. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in ungreased baking pan.
4. In small bowl, combine marmalade and Hoisin and mix well.
5. Brush about 2 tablespoons of sauce over chicken.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. Brush chicken with remaining sauce and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Chicken Breasts with Goat Cheese and Pesto

Serves 4

Sounds fancy doesn't it? It's really only 3 main ingredients. Now that you know you can stuff chicken breasts - go wild and use anything you like. When you cut them open, the inside runs out - yum.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts - big ones
• 1-5 ounce goat cheese
• 1/4 cup pesto
• olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Make a wide slice in middle of each breast to form a pocket
2. Stuff pocket with 1/4 of the cheese and pesto
3. Use a wooden skewer to secure the opening shut
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
5. Grill until done

Yakitori Chicken

Japan is famous for the little shops that serve many incredibly delicious types of charcoal grilled chicken. The 'little' refers to the fact that the shops can be as small as having seats for as few as 6 or 8 people. The 'many types' refers to the many different 'parts' of the chicken they use. For our purposes, we'll stick with just thighs.

Ingredients

• 16 bamboo skewers
• 4 chicken thighs
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons sake
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 green onions

Directions

1. Soak skewers in water for 20 minutes
2. Combine soy, sake and sugar in small pot over medium heat for 5 minutes
3. Cut each thigh into approximately 8 bite size pieces
4. Thread 2 chicken pieces onto a skewer with a piece of green onion in the middle
5. Grill chicken over medium heat until done, basting constantly while they cook until done