Crispy Oven Chicken

In a large bowl, prepare a brine with

• Salt
• honey
• paprika
• onion flakes
• ginger
• water

(Sorry, no measurements this time)

Add chicken pieces (skin on) to the brine and let sit for at least 3 hours.

Drain. Pat chicken dry. 

In a bowl, mix the dry, brined chicken with

• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

(This changes the pH of the chicken so it will crisp up more.)

Place chicken on a rack that allows for air circulation. Bake at 250 for 30 minutes.

Flip chicken. Raise temp to 425 and cook for an additional 40 minutes. 

Green Bean Casserole

I created this recipe because I was tired of not having any "popular" potluck items to bring to family functions.  Everyone loves green bean casserole, however, it is hard to find a recipe that doesn't call for some type of creamy soup.  I brought this to a family get-together a few years ago and everyone loved it.  In fact, they asked me to bring it back the next year.  No more cream of mushroom casseroles!!

Ingredients:

• 2 c. wild rice
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 t. rosemary
• 1 c. sliced mushrooms
• 1 lb. steamed green beans
• Wheat germ

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cook rice in broth until done.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Top with a layer of wheat germ.  Place in a casserole dish and bake until the wheat germ is toasty (approximately 30 minutes).

To make into a main dish add 2 cups of diced chicken to the casserole before baking.

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Chicken Pasta Salad

This is one of those recipes that requires "special" ingredients. I made it today because I had some leftovers of everything listed that also needed to be used up. Listed at the end of this recipe are some links to more recipes for these "special" ingredients.

I adapted this from my dairy-based, egg-based recipe. I've been pretty successful tweaking my own recipes to make them dairy-free. My goal is to make food that everyone can eat and not know it's missing dairy and egg.

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Chicken Pasta Salad

(This is a small serving size of 2 to 4 small servings. You can easily double this recipe.)

1/2 cup pasta, (I use small shells)

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup chicken, pre-cooked

1/2 cup Vegeniase

1/2 Tbsp Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese, plain

1/2 Tbsp Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, plain

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dill weed

1. Boil water and make pasta. Drain.

2. While pasta is boiling, chop veggies and mix in a bowl with chicken.

3. In separate bowl mix cream cheese and sour cream with garlic powder and dill weed. Mix in Veganaise.

4. Mix all together. Let sit in fridge for an hour before serving.

**Recently I made dairy-free, egg-free dill dip with Better than Sour Cream and Better than Cream Cheese. Also, here's a great dairy-free cream cheese frosting. Vegenaise can be used in place of mayo in any recipe or for sandwiches. Tofutti has recipe ideas here under fun stuff!**

Chicken Nuggets

Ok, so this isn't really anything earth shattering, but my boys really liked these and I want to remember exactly how I made them. Nathan (age 3 1/2) ended up eating about 3 helpings of these. "Moe chikn, peez!" :)

My concoction for these originated from Heavenly Homemaker's Chicken Nuggets.

2 - 3 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c unbleached AP flour
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/8 c nutritional yeast
fine sea salt

1/2 c palm oil (or other oil of your choosing)


Combine flours and nutritional yeast in a bowl. Cut breasts into bite-sized pieces and coat in flour mixture. Heat oil over Medium heat in a small pot. (My stove-top tends to run hot, so you may need to use your's on Med-High.) Place chicken in hot oil in a single layer. Cook 7 minutes on each side. Salt while frying.

Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate with paper towels on top to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool to an appropriate eating temperature.


(For those of you wondering... yes, palm oil is red. :) )

Enjoy!

Dairy Free Meaty Gumbo

I found this on recipezaar.com here. This is a fantastic gumbo! I think the original serving sizes shown are wrong, though, because I halved the recipe and it still served 6 - 8 easily. This is the halved recipe shown below. I don't have a pot big enough to hold the full recipe! :)

Also the original recipe calls for a hot smoked sausage or kielbasa, but I know that Carolina Pride Beef Smoked Sausage is dairy free so I used it instead.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
5/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cups chopped celery
3/4 cups chopped green bell peppers
1/2 lb okra, either fresh or frozen and cut into pieces
3/4 lb Carolina Pride Beef Smoked Sausage (it's Dairy Free)
3/8 lb smoked ham, cut into small cubes or ham, nugget cut into small cubes
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 bay leaves
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken meat
1/2 tablespoon Pickapeppa Sauce (found it at Walmart near the other sauces)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bunch chopped green onions
hot sauce, to taste (optional)

2 cups cooked long-grain rice, accompaniment


Directions

You'll want to have everything chopped, diced, measured and ready to go. This recipe takes a little bit of time and some concentration, so have everything ready and nearby before you start cooking.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat and stir in the flour, sprinkling a little at a time and whisking inches. Whisk slowly and constantly for 10 to 15 minutes to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. You'll be able to smell it when it's just before burning, so you have to pay close attention.

If you get black specks in your roux it is burned and you will have to start over.

Add the onions, celery, okra and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. The mixture will be pasty and fairly dry.

Add the sausage, ham, salt, cayenne, pepper, and bay leaves and stir well. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock or broth and stir well to combine with the roux mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the chicken and cook just until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, Pickapeppa Sauce and green onions.

Ladle into deep soup bowls over rice.

Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Enjoy!

Tasty Turkey Burgers (Dairy Free)

1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper


In a bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed throughout. Shape into 5-6 small patties and place on a lightly sprayed broiler pan. Broil patties about 6 inches from heating element on LO for 6-8 minutes each side. Switch broiler to HI and immediately broil 2 minutes more on each side.

Chicken Salad

In my humble opinion, chicken salad can contain just about anything in any quantity that tastes good to you. Pickle, grapes, eggs, bacon, carrots, even English peas if that floats your boat! :) But since this is a place for recipes, here's the latest chicken salad I've made:

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp prepared mustard
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Worcestershire's sauce
5 - 8 dashes Tobasco sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 cup mayo (you know I like Hellman's!)
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp pepper
couple shakes dried parsley

Mix it all together and if you can, chill and wait a few hours to let the flavors mesh. Serve on bread or crackers. You may also choose to eat it like my two year old son... with your finger:

Dairy Free Chicken Casserole

I found the original recipe in a church cookbook, but I've altered it so much I suppose I could claim it as my own. Here is my dairy free version:

approximately 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded into bite size pieces
2 cups rice cooked in chicken broth (I use instant rice and the broth from my crockpot chicken)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped in food processor
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped in food processor
2 cups dairy free cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup mayonnaise substitute (like Veganaise)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I use whole wheat)
dairy free margarine

Mix all ingredients except Ritz and margarine in a 9x12 casserole dish. (If you can make this ahead of time and let it sit covered in the refrigerator overnight, the flavors blend wonderfully, if not... it's still great!)

Preheat oven 325. Whether you let it sit for a few hours or not, before cooking sprinkle top of casserole with crackers and place small pieces of margarine on top of the crackers.


Bake 40 - 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Plain Crockpot Chicken

This is exactly what it sounds like. I use this to make my Chicken Stew and Chicken Casserole.

1 whole chicken
2 -3 cups water


Skin the chicken. (This really reduces the calories and grease in the broth). Put chicken in the crock-pot with water. Cook until chicken it is almost falling off the bone (about 5 hours on low). Strain broth to remove any bones.

If you buy a big enough chicken, use part for the stew/casserole and then make chicken salad sandwiches with the rest.

Ritz Chicken (Dairy Free)

I found this at What I'm Eating these days and she's given me permission to share it:


Chicken Breasts (however many your family needs)
Fleischman's UNSALTED margarine, melted (yes, this brand is DF)
Salt and pepper
Ritz Crackers, Crushed (they are indeed, dairy free!)

Dredge Chicken in melted margarine then salt and pepper to taste and roll in ritz crackers. Place in a greased casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 for 1 and 1/2 hours. Uncover and brown top to your liking.

It's good with steamed Broccoli and Lawry's seasoning salt. Or Green beans drained and cooked with beef bullion cubes (check your labels).

Super Soup

This is great for your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. The recipe calls for turkey legs, but I've used anything I had left over and it's great.

From www.allrecipes.com submitted by Melody

Super Soup

• 2 turkey legs
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 pound processed cheese, cubed
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 4 cups water

Boil turkey in water until tender. Cut up meat, and add back into turkey broth. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Boil until tender. Add frozen vegetables, and cook 15 minutes more. Stir in cream of chicken soup and cubed cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts, stirring often.

Grandmother's Chicken Stew (Dairy Free)

I inherited this recipe when I married my husband. This was one of his favorite stews growing up and I love it, too!

1 whole chicken, cooked
3 - 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 large onion chopped
1 can whole kernel corn blended in food-processor (or use cream corn if dairy free isn't an issue)
1 1/2 T salt
pepper to taste
1 T sugar
1 T Heinz Worcestershire sauce (it's Kosher/dairy free)
1 T Tobasco sauce
14 oz can diced tomato, blended


Skin the chicken and cook it in the crock-pot with about 3 cups of water until it is almost falling off the bone (about 5 hours on low). (My MIL cooks her chicken with a pressure cooker, but I'm too "chicken" to use one!)

Remove the chicken when it is done and allow it to cool enough to pick it off the bones. Strain the broth to remove any small bones.

While the chicken is cooling, begin the stew. In a large pot, bring the broth from the chicken to a boil. Put potatoes, onion, and corn in the boiling broth. Add more water or broth if necessary to cover the vegetables. Boil until potatoes are at desired tenderness, about 12 -15 minutes. (While potatoes are boiling, pick chicken from the bones and tear into bite-sized pieces.)

Add salt, pepper, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and Tobasco sauce. Add blended tomatoes and then add the chicken. Simmer at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. So good and it's even better the next day!


(We used to eat this with a slice of Velveeta cheese on toast.)