Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Copycat Wendy's Pretzel Pub Chicken

I have been seeing this ad for the past month and while the sandwich itself didnt get the best reviews(from all I have read that is almost solely due to the content of its components, not the acutal flavor) I had to give it a try myself....it is GREAT!!!!


This photo is a "regular" bun....see GF on the bottom
My Chicken was gluten free as well.




Toppings:

Muenster Cheese
Mixed Greens
Tomato Slices
Mayo
Not included in the original, but everything is better with BACON!

Pretzel Buns: just providing a link for these as I have not changed them a bit!

Regular.....just shape as hamburger buns


Gluten Free...


Cheddar Honey Mustard Sauce:

1 TB butter
1 TB flour OR for gluten free 1 TB cornstarch
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
2 TB yellow mustard
2 TB honey

Heat butter over medium heat add 1 TB flour and stir well to make a smooth roux....add milk, stir and heat until thickened, then add cheese and stir until fully melted....then stir in mustard and honey until well combined...set aside.
If using cornstarch melt butter, stir cornstarch into cold milk then add to melted butter and proceed as directed above.




Chicken Filets:

3 chicken breasts cut in half and pounded to 1/2 inch

Breading:
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
3 TB tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
OR
1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika


1 cup water
2 tsp pepper sauce


Mix all your dry ingredients in a shallow dish

Place water and pepper sauce in a separate dish.


Dip chicken in flour mixture, then into water mixture and back into flour mixture to coat well. Repeat will all pieces and set aside



Heat 1 cup oil in a pan and add chicken frying for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown. (you want a target of 165 degrees in the center)
Drain on paper towels..
 
You could bake or broil these in place of frying for a reduced fat content!



Assembly:

Warm you buns as desired...I warmed my Muenster on the bottom bun. On the top spread some mayo and the Cheddar Honey Mustard.

Place a chicken filet on top of the muenster, top with some greens, tomato and bacon(if using) and place the top bun on......CHOW DOWN!!!!!




This one is with the Gluten Free Bun:


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Chicken in a Waffle Cupcake

Chicken and Waffles made easy!! These would be good with sweet or savory waffle recipes!






Use your favorite Waffle Recipe or here is a Gluten Free Maple Waffle:



2/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup potato starch
4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 TB butter
6 TB 100% maple syrup


Grease several muffin tins(I got 20 cupcakes with the above recipe)
and preheat oven to 400

Sift dry ingredients together, make a well and set aside

Whisk liquid ingredients together, pour into the well in the dry ingredients and whisk briskly until few lumps remain and all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour by scant 1/4 cup-full into greased muffin tins.

Place 1 frozen chicken nugget(Store bought or homemade) gently into each muffin.




Bake for 30 minutes or until nugget is hot and waffles are baked through.









Serve with maple syrup and a side of creamy fruit salad!







Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin Pizza

This was just delicious.....super delicious!! I made a big batch of pumpkin puree from one of my surprise
garden pumpkins today, and I roasted up the seeds too....my son had suggested a pizza with ham so I thought I would try a few things out...... I really had not planned on putting it on here....but like with many thoughts that start like that it was just too tasty to not share! I really thought we would get a little kid resistance but they gobbled it up!






1 unbaked pizza crust

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
6 cloves ROASTED garlic, mashed (roasted is important, dont sub fresh)


Toppings, amounts to taste, dont overload the crust though!
diced ham
baby spinach
caramelized sweet onions
mozzarella cheese
Roasted pumpkin seeds (I only added a touch of garlic powder for seasoning on mine)

Mix the puree with the mashed garlic, allow to mingle for an hour or so.

Spread on the unbaked crust then top with ham, spinach, onions and cheese. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes(depending on the thickness of your crust) until the cheese is toasty and bubbly. Allow to sit for a few minutes before slicing.


Thai Chicken Burgers

Another spin off from my Papa Murphy's Thai Chicken Pizza copycat!




Burger Mixture:
1lb ground chicken breast
1/2 cup bread crumbs(gluten free if needed)
2 green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup(plus or minus) sweet chili sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar

Broiled Toppings:
Thinly sliced Zucchini
Mozzarella Cheese
Red Onions

Remaining Topping Ideas:
Tomatoes
Spinach
Mayo
Sweet Chili Sauce(I mixed it with the mayo!)

Mix all the burger ingredients except the shredded cheese, mix well,










Gently fold in the cheese.












Form into patties and refrigerate 30 minutes.










Broil  or grill approx 6-7 minutes per side, until an internal temp of 165 is reached(still havent got a meat thermometer yet, DO IT!!)


When the burgers are done add thinly sliced zucchini, red onion and cheese.





Place them back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and veggies are heated.









Dress your buns as desired, place the patties and ENJOY!