Boneless Buffalo Chicken

I'm getting a little addicted to buffalo sauce at the moment. These are chicken tenders cut in thirds...I'm not a fan of chicken wings. Of course you could try them with the real thing. If this sauce is too hot for you, try something milder. Or, if you want more heat~ go for it! Anytime my 11 year old asks for these, I'm all over it. With homemade ranch on the side, my kind of snack!


1 pound chicken tenderloins, cut in thirds
1 can of beer

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
2/3 cup hot sauce~ I used Frank's Red Hot, use what you like.


Put the cut chicken and beer in a bowl and let marinate, at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the egg and the milk. In a swallow bowl, mix together the flour and the cornstarch. Drain the beer from the chicken and dip into the flour mixture to coat well, then dip into the egg and back into the flour. Put on a plate until ready to fry.

Heat about an inch of oil in a large skillet over medium~high heat. Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Place on paper towels to drain. Add the cooked chicken and hot sauce to a large bowl and toss carefully until well coated.

Serve with celery, homemade ranch or blue cheese.

Potato Salad

This is the potato salad I grew up with. I'm not a mayo, or egg yolk fan...but this is one of the few things I will eat with those ingredients. The quantities are estimates, so adjust to your liking. I make it from memory every time. I tried my best to come up with measurements. It's great this time of year.

About 12 russet potatoes

About 12 eggs, hard boiled. I actually toss about half the yolks when I make it. If you like eggs, leave them in. :)

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced~ you could use whatever onion you like, I like the color of the red.

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1 cup celery, finely diced~ I like to use the heart of the celery, definitely with the tops on. They add so much flavor.

1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

About 1 1/3 cups good quality mayonnaise

About 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

1~2 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

About 2 teaspoons caraway seeds~ I think this makes the salad.

Celery salt to taste

Boil the whole potatoes until tender, take them out of the water to cool. Hard boil the eggs and set aside to cool. When the potatoes and eggs have cooled, peel them and cut into bite size chunks. Add the red onion, red pepper, green pepper, celery, and parsley. Mix together carefully. For the rest of the ingredients, I would add a little at a time until it tastes right to you. Mixing carefully so the potatoes don't fall apart too much. Keep refrigerated.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have been making this soup for years. It goes great with Mexican Caesar Salad, which I will post soon (for all my friends who have been asking for it) :) If you know me, you know Mexican food is one of my favorites. Try this soup with all the garnishes...that's how it's best!

2 large yellow onions, cut into chunks

5 large tomatoes

5 cloves garlic

olive oil

1 pound chicken breast~ boneless, skinless

garlic powder~ just enough to season the chicken while it sautes

taco seasoning~ just enough to season the chicken while it sautes

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 day old tortillas, cut into strips

oil for shallow frying

2 fresh red or green chiles, seeded and sliced

1 avocado

Serve with~

cilantro

sour cream

lime wedges

cheddar cheese

reserved fried tortillas

fried chiles

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the onion, tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet with a little olive oil and roast for about 40 minutes. Roast until the vegetables start to look black and charred. Peel the tomatoes and discard the skins. Puree with the onion and garlic and any bits and juice from the pan in a blender or food processor. I usually break a tomato onto the pan and scrape the pan...this is where all the flavor is :)

While the vegetables are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saute pan. Cut each chicken breast into 3 or 4 strips. Season with the garlic powder and taco seasoning. Saute the chicken a few minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let cool before you shred the chicken.

In a frying pan, heat about an inch of oil to fry the tortillas. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Fry the chiles in the remaining oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, and saute the tomato mixture for a few minutes. Simmer until it has thickened and reduced. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, season with salt and pepper and simmer, covered for 15~20 minutes. Add most of the fried tortillas to the soup. Save a small amount for the garnish. Simmer for about 5 more minutes. Add a cut avocado to the soup when you are ready to serve. I usually add the juice of at least one lime at the end.

Serve with cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, cheddar cheese, reserved fried tortillas, and chiles. Enjoy!

Lemon Basil Pasta with Broccoli

I love fresh herbs! One that I use a lot of is basil. I also love any kind of citrus. I think lemon goes great with basil. I like this pasta because it is a little different than what I normally make. It's also really pretty. I sometimes make this to go along with BBQ chicken. I think I'm trying to make summer come a little sooner with this one!

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound pasta, something that will hold sauce (I used cellentani)
small bunch of fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 1 and a half lemons, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

While sauce is cooking, cook the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This will keep the broccoli very green. Set aside.

Cook the pasta, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium~low heat for about 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed into the pasta. Add the broccoli and combine. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add most of the Parmesan cheese, and most of the basil, cut the remaining lemon into slices and add them to the bowl. Toss well, season to taste, and garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and basil.

Cilantro Sour Cream

A great addition to fajitas, or tacos. Also pictured~ Mango Salsa

1 16 ounce container sour cream
1 cup cilantro, packed
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice, about half a lime
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in a food processor. Process until well mixed.

Mango Salsa

I make this to go along with chicken fajitas. I think it's a great topping, it's also great on it's own.

Also pictured~ Cilantro Sour Cream

1 cup mango, diced

1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice, about half a lime

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Serve with fajitas, tacos, or chips.

Pina Colada~ family style

This one is for you Anne! :) I love the combination of pineapple and coconut. This is a fun drink to make for a party. I also love it with Mexican food or a BBQ.

1 15 ounce can of cream of coconut~ I use Coco Lopez real cream of coconut. It is usually in the ethnic food isle.
12 ounces pineapple juice
6 cups ice
If you have fresh pineapple add a handful

Mix all ingredients in a blender, until smooth. Garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry. The recipe is a little different on the can. I like to add the fresh pineapple and a little extra cream of coconut.