Weeknight Dinner: Corn Flake Crusted Chicken with Spinach and Roast Cabbage

Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum...and Yum!

This recipe is a keeper.  Had it last night for dinner and I couldn't wait to post about it!  Honestly, as a meal, this is one of the best things I've cooked in a while (Bana was involuntarily "Mmmm!"ing).

Check it out!



The Concept: A great-tasting, hearty weeknight dinner that's easy, serves 4, and comes in under $20 total.

The Ingredients: 
For the Corn Flake Crusted Chicken (originally from Six Sisters' Stuff):
4-5 cups corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2-3 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
2 tbsp. olive oil

For the Spinach: (Sorry! I forgot to snap a picture...I was hungry! Geez.)
1 bag fresh baby spinach or 1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium shallot
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper

For the Roast Cabbage (originally from Martha Stewart):
1 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
1 large head cabbage, rinsed, outer-layers removed
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. caraway seeds (See WIdTOT #2)

The Process:
Roasted Cabbage:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the root off the bottom of the cabbage (don't worry about de-coring it, see WIdTOT #1).
3. Cut the cabbage into 1 inch slices, starting parallel to the root and working forward to the crest.
4. Brush 1 tbsp olive oil over the bottom of a sheet pan.
5. Arrange the cabbage slices in the sheet pan.
6. Brush with remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender and golden.  Don't worry, the outside edges will burn a little bit, but the center will be cooked perfectly. Enjoy!

Corn Flake Crusted Chicken:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Set up three cake pans/bowls/plates/etc.  Put cornflakes in one, flour in another, and milk and egg in the third (beaten together).
3. Dredge the chicken breasts first in flour, then the milk mixture, and finally the corn flakes.
4. Arrange carefully in the skillet and cook about 5 minutes per side or until outside is golden and crispy.
5. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and rest 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Spinach:

1. Cut the shallot lengthwise into rings.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Saute shallots in the skillet until wilted, but NOT browned, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the baby spinach and saute until wilted. Enjoy!

Wish-I'd-Thought-Of-Thats (WIdTOTs):

1. No need to core the cabbage - unlike boiling, roasting the cabbage tenderizes the core and makes it completely edible.  It's actually one of the tastiest parts!
2. No caraway seeds - the best thing about this meal is that it only needs two seasonings: salt and pepper.  I wasn't a fan of the caraway seeds on the cabbage.  KISS; just use salt and pepper.
3. The Kicker: this whole meal feeds 4 and comes in under $20 - If You're looking for a low budget meal that tastes like it was catered, this recipe is for You! It's hearty, filling, and if I may be so bold, &@%! tasty.

The Finished Product:
Cheap. Tasty. Easy. Hearty. Filling.  What else could you want in a week night meal?

Enjoy!
-Cade 

CadeMade Two-for: Gameday Favs - Fried Pickles with Jalapeno Ranch Dip

What goes with beer, football, and wings?  Fried pickles? Uh, yes!  With jalapeno ranch dip? Nailed it!

Thanks to Ben and Jocelyn for letting me blog about this recipe.


The Concept: Gameday restaurant fare from Your very own kitchen.

The Ingredients:
For the Jalapeno Ranch dip:
Jalapenos
2 packets ranch seasoning
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sour cream
Cilantro

For the Fried Pickles:
Flour
Cajun Seasoning
Egg
Milk
1 jar crinkle cut pickles
Oil for frying

The Process:

For the Jalapeno Ranch dip:

Starting with one jalapeno: dice, then combine with remaining ingredients and a pinch of cilantro in a blender.  Blend and taste.  Add jalapenos (to increase the spiciness) and cilantro to taste.

For the Fried Pickles:

1. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet.
2. Combine flour with cajun seasoning, about 1 tbsp cajun seasoning per 1 cup flour.
3. Combine milk and eggs, using 1 egg per 1 cup milk.
4. Dredge a pickle slice in flour, then in the milk mixture, and back into the flour.
5. Fry in the skillet until golden brown.
6. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to dry.

Wish I'd Thought Of Thats (WIdTOTS): Not one.

The Finished Product:
Crispy. Spicy. Tasty. The Fried Pickles with Jalapeno Ranch dip were definitely a hit in Our Gameday fare.

Enjoy!
-Cade

CadeMade Two-for: Gameday Favs - Homemade Chicken Wings

With the Super Bowl this past weekend, I wanted to make something that screams football and I can't even tell you the amount of times I've watched a game eating a batch of wings (with my favorite frosty beverage, of course!).

They come in all ranges of flavors and sauces, from spicy and tart to sweet and smoky to wet and dry.

I decided to make two batches: Sweet Southern Barbeque and Spicy Cajun Dry.  Wow, was it a long process...but the results were worth it!

Check it out!



The Concept: Gameday restaurant fare from Your very own kitchen.

The Ingredients:
4 lbs of chicken wings (tips removed, split at the joint)

For the Sweet Southern Barbeque Sauce (tweaked slightly, originally from The Neelys on FoodNetwork.com):
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tbsp. ground mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

For the Spicy Cajun Dry Rub (credit unknown):
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. paprika
5 bay leaves (ground)
3/4 tsp. caraway seeds (ground)
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (ground)
3/4 tsp. cumin (ground)
3/4 tsp. coriander (ground)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. mustard (ground)
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. lime juice

The Process (tweaked slightly, but the credit for The Process goes to Alton Brown): Beware! The whole process takes at least 5 hours.

For the Sweet Southern Barbeque Wings:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl; reserve 1/2 of the sauce mixture.
2. Place two pounds of wings in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag and cover with the sauce mixture.  Place in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Place the reserved sauce mixture in a sauce pan and bring to boil.  Reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.  Allow to cool.
4. Remove the wings from the bag and rinse off the marinade.
5. Place wings in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the wings and allow to dry on a cooling rack in a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
7. Replace paper towels with parchment paper and place the wings on the parchment paper.
8. Spread sauce over the wings using a pastry brush (or the back side of a spoon).  Be sure to cover all sides of the wings.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning the wings after 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, serve warm and enjoy!

For the Spicy Cajun Dry Wings:

1. Mix the orange juice and paprika in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag.
2. Place two pounds of chicken wings in the bag. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Remove the wings from the bag and rinse off the marinade.
4. Place wings in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the wings and allow to dry on a cooling rack in a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Replace paper towels with parchment paper and place the wings on the parchment paper.
7. Combine all remaining ingredients, until it forms a paste. If the paste is too thick to spread easily, add 2 tbsp. water or spirits (brandy, whiskey, vodka, etc.) as needed.
8. Spread paste over the wings using a pastry brush (or the back side of a spoon).  Be sure to cover all sides of the wings.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning the wings after 20 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, serve warm and enjoy!

Pat Yourself on the back because You just spent 5 hours making wings!

Wish I'd Thought Of Thats (WIdTOTs): I don't want to kill You with text, so I'll only put the top 3 here:

• The spiciness of the Cajun Dry wings is directly proportional to the amount of cayenne pepper in the rub - I like my wings pretty spicy, but I also like to enjoy my food; so, I stay away from anything that means: "This will feel like you're eating lava."  I'd say the Cajun Dry rub is about what most restaurants would call "Hot."
• Make more of the barbeque sauce and put it in a jar - The sauce is really tasty! Keep it in Your refrigerator and "wow!" Your friends with homemade barbeque sauce.
• The Kicker - The whole process takes about 5 hours - 3 hours if you let the wings marinade over night.  For some people, 5 hours is simply not worth the satisfaction of making homemade wings.  Fortunately, I'm not one of those people!

The Finished Product:
Not Hooters or Pluckers, but definitely better than the mega chains like WingStop.  If you can stand the kitchen for 5 hours, these wings are definitely worth it!

Enjoy!
-Cade

CadeMade Quickie - Skillet Nachos

The Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 potato, diced to 1/2 inch cubes
1 small can green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1 can chili beans in sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.)
Tortilla chips

The Process:
1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet (cast iron is preferred) over medium-high heat.
2. Saute potatoes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.  Add green chilies.
3. Add chili beans and stir until warm and simmering. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove the mixture from the skillet and wipe clean. (DO NOT RINSE.)
5. Arrange tortilla chips to cover skillet bottom.  Spoon the bean/potato mixture over the chips.  Top with cheese.
6. Return to heat and cook until cheese is melted.
7. Garnish with some fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cilantro. Enjoy!

The Finished Product:
Quick. Easy. Vegetarian. Tex-Mex. Delicioso.

-Cade