Chicken Bryan Copycat

|
By
|
6 comments

Chicken Bryan

Can you guys believe that Valentine’s Day is this week?  We usually don’t do anything big. We open up our Valentine’s box with goodies for everyone inside, I make a heart-shaped meatloaf, and then we’ll enjoy a special dessert that I’ve made. It’s small, but it’s our tradition, and we all love and look forward to it. Valentine’s Day is so overpriced and crowded, the folks who can go out can have it – I’d much rather be at home with the people that I love the most.

So, if you’re on board with that – but want to make something fancier than say…a heart-shaped meatloaf for instance, take a look at this Chicken Bryan copycat recipe from Carrabba’s. I’ve never actually been to the restaurant, which I should remedy that situation, because I think there’s one in Ocean City…but I hear this dish is one of their signatures, and for good reason – because it’s absolutely delicious!

A grilled chicken breast, topped with sliced goat cheese and a delicious sauce comprised of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon, white wine, and butter. What’s not to love in that equation? It was quick, easy, and all of us really loved it. I was thinking the little ones might not be that into it, but again they proved me wrong – gobbling it right up. If you don’t want to grill the chicken outside, you could certainly do it on a grill pan inside, or even just roast it in the oven. I served with a fun pasta shape that I tossed with my super-easy quick marinara sauce, which I added a bit of heavy cream to. I also had about 1/3 of the goat cheese log left, so I crumbled that into the tomato sauce as well. Let me just say that the pasta was so delicious, it could have easily been a meal on it’s own. And probably will in the near future!

Add a salad and a glass of wine onto the meal, and it’s easily something that anyone could make at home for their Valentine – and not have to shell out and arm and a leg, nor fight through the throngs of the masses for…

Which leaves you more time to enjoy each other’s company, which is really what it’s all about, right? I’ll have some more ideas for Valentine’s Day coming up this week, so be sure to check back!

Chicken Bryan Copycat

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 ounces goat cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Combine the kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and basil in a small dish. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness in-between 2 sheets of plastic wrap – so they’re about 3/4 inch thick. Season both sides generously with the spice mixture. Grill until cooked all the way through and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from grill to a clean plate, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To prepare the sauce, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, then add in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute. Carefully add the wine and the lemon juice, and cook to for a few minutes to reduce the liquid by about half.

Combine the cornstarch with about a tablespoon of water to create a slurry and add that to the sauce to thicken a bit, whisking to combine. Slowly whisk in the butter, piece by piece, until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in fresh basil and reduce heat to simmer to keep warm while you finish up the chicken breast.

Place the cooked chicken breasts onto a baking sheet and top with the slices of goat cheese. Place in oven for about 5 minutes to warm the goat cheese.

Once goat cheese is slightly melty, spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and serve immediately. Garnish with more fresh basil if desired.

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

|
By
|
21 comments

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

We rarely eat fast food, once in a Blue Moon. But, I have to admit that I have a soft-spot for a good crispy chicken sandwich. Juicy flavorful chicken covered in a crunchy coating…it’s tough to beat. So, when my latest issue of Cook’s Country came in the mail last week and I saw their homemade version while flipping through the pages – it immediately went on the menu for the week.

I made them on Tuesday night and just couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you guys. It was absolutely amazing. The breading on the chicken was absolutely spot on, and such an easy technique – I’ll definitely be using it for more than these sandwiches in the future. A simple mixture of flour and various spices is combined with just a bit of water to form a crumbly coating. Then, that mixture is pressed onto the chicken breasts and fried – leading to a breading that is thick and crunchy. I just know it would be wonderful on chicken tenders, fried chicken, and even a fish filet.

The other star of the sandwich was the dill pickle mayonnaise. A quick “special sauce” composted of mayo, mustard, chopped pickles, and a splash of pickle brine – I found myself eating the leftovers with a spoon after dinner was finished. It was so good! I topped them with a but of shredded iceburg lettuce for a cool crunch, but I’d imagine a slice of tomato would be pretty delicious on there as well…that is, when you can get your hands on a good tomato again!

While I pretty much despise deep frying, this is one that I know I’ll come back to again – just because we all really loved it. I served with some french fries (hey, I already had the oil out and heated up) and it made for a great crave-worthy dinner that I didn’t have to feel so bad about feeding my family, because I knew precisely what went into it. Homemade is always better, folks!

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp water
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 quarts vegetable or peanut oil
4 potato hamburger buns
shredded lettuce, for topping

For Dill Pickle Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup dill pickle chips, chopped fine
1 tsp pickle brine
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients for dill pickle mayonnaise in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, sage, and cayenne in a bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture and set aside. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using a meat pounder, gently pound each chicken piece to an even 1/2-inch thickness between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Season chicken all over with remaining spice mixture.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and reserved 1 tablespoon spice mixture together in a large bowl. Add water to flour mixture and rub together with your fingers until water is evenly incorporated and shaggy pieces form. Place egg whites in a shallow dish.

Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken in egg whites to thoroughly coat, letting excess drip back into the dish, then dredge in flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer chicken to prepared wire rack and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Add chicken to hot oil. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325-350 degrees. Fry until chicken is golden brown and registers 160 degrees – about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to clean wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve on rolls with dill pickle mayonnaise and shredded lettuce.

Source: barely adapted from Cook’s Country, February/March 2014

Roasted Lemon Chicken & Potatoes

|
By
|
5 comments



Roasted Greek Lemon Chicken & PotatoesAndrew, our oldest, just marched off to his first day of kindergarten today. Tears were shed by me, but he couldn’t have been more happy or excited to be going back to school. It’s just hard for me to swallow the pill that he’s not mine to take care of all day anymore. I’m not sure who’s going to miss him more – myself, or his little brother William.

Back to school also means busier evenings with after school activities, homework, and sports all going on simultaneously. So, a one dish dinner – in which everything is thrown together and roasted, is always a great trick to have up your sleeve for a weeknight meal. Ina’s original recipe calls for all bone-in chicken breasts, but my little ones love their chicken drumsticks, so I just use a whole cut-up chicken instead. The white wine and lemon juice, combined with the drippings from the chicken create and awesome pan sauce. And the potatoes and Brussels sprouts just soak up all that delicious flavor while they cook.

And if there does happen to be any leftover chicken, it makes the most awesome chicken salad sandwiches to go into a lunchbox the next day. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Roasted Lemon Chicken & Potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil
9 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
zest from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano (I used 1 Tbsp fresh)
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
2 lbs baby red potatoes, halved
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 lemon
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Pour the sauce into a 9×13 baking dish. Add the potatoes and Brussels sprouts, and season with salt and pepper.

Pat the chicken dry and place them skin side up over the sauce and veggies. Brush the chicken breasts with the olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon into wedges and tuck it among the pieces of the chicken.

Bake uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the vegetables and pan juices.

Source: adapted from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

Sweet & Sour Chicken

|
By
|
6 comments

Sweet and Sour Chicken

We’ve been on a little bit of a seafood binge lately. Between all the crab related dishes, and that bag of clams – I feel like we haven’t had a chance to have any landlubber favorites. So, when I came across this dish on Pinterest last week, I knew I couldn’t wait a whole week to make it – and rearranged my menu plans a bit to accommodate having this for dinner one evening.

I have so many take-out favorites that I make here at home, but sweet & sour chicken was one that’d I’d not gotten around to trying out in my own kitchen. Which is surprising, because it’s one of our favorites to order. But so often it’s disappointing. The dreaded tub of orange sauce and some frozen breaded chicken pieces – and I just paid $8 for this? Ain’t nobody got time for that!

The chicken pieces are lightly breaded in cornstarch (which is great for maintaining crispiness) and quickly fried. They are then layered with red and green peppers and fresh pineapple on a baking sheet, and doused with an awesome sweet and sour sauce that’s made from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The whole thing goes into the oven for a bit to finish up cooking and merry all those delicious flavors together. Served over a bed of rice, with a green vegetable – like snow peas or steamed broccoli, it’s a delicious dinner that you can feel good about serving to your family. And chances are, it also kicks the pants off of any sweet & sour chicken you’ve had in the past!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, lightly beaten
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 green pepper, cut into 1″ chunks
1 red pepper, cut into 1″ chunks
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

For the sauce:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Worstershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish (I like to use pie plates) and place the beaten egg int another shallow dish.

Season chicken with kosher salt and black pepper, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, and then into the cornstarch – moving around to cover the pieces completely.

Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (or another skillet with high-sided walls) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces on at a time, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until chicken is starting to brown. Remove chicken to a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain while you fry the remainder of the chicken.

Remove paper towels from under the chicken, and add the chopped peppers and pineapple to the baking sheet.

To prepare the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour about 3/4 of the sauce over the chicken, peppers, and pineapple. Gently toss to combine.

Place in preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until peppers are tender and sauce has thickened up and is starting to carmalize.

Serve over rice with remaining sauce, if desired.

Source: adapted from The Center Cut Cook