ORANGE CHICKEN

So my mom had this idea to have an assigned category every month and have everyone post a recipe during the month. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or exciting, it could even be something you cook every week. I would love some new recipes to try as I often feel that I am cooking the same things over and over again. So if everyone is interested then I thought this month we could make it easy and have everyone post a chicken recipe.

My recipe is one that Doug's family cooks a lot and so we have had it often since we have been married. They call it "Orange Chicken" but I think that is more because of the color then the flavor.

Orange Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts (I usually just use enough for our family to eat and I cut it into smaller pieces)

garlic salt

black pepper

beaten eggs

flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Let stand for 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dip chicken in beaten egg then flour. Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with the following sauce: Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken broth, ketchup, and soy sauce in sauce pan and heat. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Turn chicken over once or twice while cooking.

Real Italian Calzones

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.
"This is real calzone, because there is no tomato sauce INSIDE of it! We eat it at least once a week. Have a bowl of tomato or spaghetti sauce on the table for people to top their calzone with, if desired."

INGREDIENTS:
1 package active dry yeast
1cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 egg beaten

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes or until almost doubled.
2. To make filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese (we used mozzarella), pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Cheesy Broccoli & Potato Soup

This is a very easy soup to make, and it is very yummy. I got it out of Parents Magazine.

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 onion
1 medium potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups broccoli chopped
3 cups low-salt vegetable stock (GF)
1 cup reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. In a large stockpot, heat oil and saute the onion for 5 to 7 minutes over low to medium heat. Add potatoes, broccoli, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender when pierced with a for.
2. Remove the mixture from stove top; allow to cool a bit. Pour the mixture and cheese into a blender; puree. (Or use a handheld blender to do it right in the stockpot.) Serves 4.

I had to use chicken stock because my grocery store did not have vegetable stock. But I don't think you can tell the difference.

The Best Beef Jerky

The recipe that we use for the beef jerky is actually for Korean Short Ribs (Khalbi). For the jerky don’t add any oil.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cup soy sauce

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. oil

4 cloves crushed garlic

½ finger crushed ginger

¼ cup chopped green onions

Mix together and soak meat for 1-2 hours turning meat often (we usually soak jerky at least overnight, the longer the better). For ribs broil or grill meat. For Jerky place on a dehydrator until done.

Lots of different kinds of meat can be used for jerky; the best are lean meat with little or no fat. London broil, brisket, etc.

Chicken Katsu Recipe

From Recipezaar.com:

This is a simple recipe of a dish that is widely popular at local restaurants in Hawaii. The key component of this dish is the sauce, which could be bought at an Oriental Foods store as tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sauce. But I have included a recipe for it here. I searched over years to find a recipe for the sauce, then finally modified one to match what can be found in Hawaii. I think its perfect now, so I hope you like it. The sauce is best if made a few hours in advance and refrigerated. If you can't get the panko flakes, you can just use flour or some other breading, but it won't be as crispy.

40 min 20 min prep

SERVES 3 -4

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Japanese-style bread crumbs (panko flakes)
• garlic salt
• oil (for frying)

sauce

• 3 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon cooking sherry
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. For the Sauce:.
2. Add sauce ingredients to a bowl one by one, mixing in between.
3. For the Chicken:.
4. Place flour, eggs, and panko in separate bowls.
5. Lightly salt chicken then dip in eggs, then in flour, then in eggs, then in panko.
6. Deep fry or pan fry at medium heat until lightly brown.
7. Serve with sauce and hot rice.

© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Chicken Enchiladas

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2/4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can enchilada sauce green or red (we like green) (I like the bigger can)
3 - 4 cups cheese grated
1 can green chilies
4 oz. cream cheese (I usually add more)
olives (optional)

Mix cream of chicken soup, chicken, 1/2 can enchilada sauce, half of the cheese, 1/2 of the green chilies, cream cheese cubed, and olives. Pour half of the remaining enchilada sauce on bottom of 9 x 9 pan. Fill tortilla shells with filling, roll closed sealing ends. Roll in sauce on bottom of pan and arrange in pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top, cover with remaining cheese, green chilies and olives.

Cook covered in microwave (vented) for 8 min. on high and let sit in microwave for two minutes or cook in oven on 350 for 30 - 40 minutes.

Okonomiyaki

Here's the YouTube Video of how it's done:



Official Ingredients (If you have a Japanese Store nearby):
(serves 2 people)

- Batter -
100g Soft Wheat Flour (3 1/2 oz)
140ml Dashi Soup (5 oz)
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tpsp Grated Yamaimo (Japanese Mountain Yam)
A Little Bit of Salt

200g Cabbage & Welsh Onion (7 oz)
50g Boiled Octopus (1 3/4 oz)
8 Deep-Water Shrimps
Sakuraebi (Dried Pink Baby Shrimps)
Tenkasu (Bits of Deep-Fried Tempura Batter)
Beni Syoga (Pickled Ginger)
2 Eggs
100g Slice Pork (3 1/2 oz)

- Toppings -
Okonomiyaki Sauce
Long Green Onion
Mayonnaise
Dried Bonito Frakes
Aonori (Green Laver)


Kurt's Modified Ingredients (not as tasty, but probably more palatable and definitely easier to find ingredients for):
Serves 2

- Batter -
100g Soft Wheat Flour (3 1/2 oz)
5 oz water
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
A Little Bit of Salt
Chopped 1/2 lb of Chicken, Beef, Seafood or Pork
200g Cabbage & onion (7 oz)
sprinkle in some Panko
2 Eggs
5-6 Slices raw bacon

- Toppings -
Okonomiyaki Sauce
Chopped Green Onion
Mayonnaise