Stuffed Again

My internet cooking buddies have been into stuffing everything lately (from veggies to meat) with all things decadent, so I decided to hop on the bandwagon and make some Panko coated meatballs stuffed with mozzaralla cheese and bacon. After I made Didi's mozzarella stuffed meatloaf I had some string cheese left over and decided that was a good starting point. By the way I got Didi's recipe off her blog Dishin With Didi (on my blog roll to the right of this post). Check it out, you will be happy you did. I had ground chicken, about 1/2 cup of Rotel tomatoes and 2 slices of cooked bacon in my fridge and figured that was a good starting point. Of course you can use ground beef or turkey, I know this recipe will be delish no matter what you use.

Panko Coated Meatballs Stuffed with Cheese and Bacon
Makes 12 meatballs

1 pound ground chicken
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup Rotel tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic grated
2 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 strips of mozzarella string cheese, cut into 12 pieces
2 slices cooked bacon chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Cooking spray

In large bowl combine fresh bread crumbs, egg, Rotel, oregano garlic onion flakes, salt and pepper.

Now add the ground chicken and combine.

At this point I took an ice cream scoop and portioned out 12 meatballs.

Place the soon to be meatballs in your clean hands, make small indentations and add 1 piece of mozzarella cheese and a piece or two of bacon to each meatball. (Sorry for the blurry picure)

Close the meatball packages up and set aside while you combine the Panko and parmesan cheese and spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray. This would be a good time to pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll meatballs in Panko/Parm mixture and place on baking sheet.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes and your meatballs are ready. Don't be surprised if some of the cheese wants to escape. Don't these look good?

I enjoyed these ooey gooey decadent little bites of heaven with even MORE CHEESE! Yes, I heated up some salsa con queso and placed the meatballs on top. Verrrry satisfying.

More Hot Stuff- Oven Fried Onion Rings

When you're watching your weight and reluctantly going through last years spring/summer clothes and come across a recipe that absolutely makes your mouth water, you either abandon your diet, cry, or stop reading immediately, right? Not so when you have a friend like Melissa Sperka who's one of the best (southern) cooking bloggers I know, not to mention a contributor to the Dash section of Parade on line. Pretty good credentials I'd say. So when she posted her "Firecracker Onion Rings" earlier in the week I was thrilled that they were baked and not fried. Properly baking anything that is normally fried is an art that I have been working on for many years and I must admit, it isn't easy. But when you get it right, you've got to share it with the world, which is what I have to do with these perfectly seasoned, crunchy, delectable onion rings. Let's make her recipe with a few minor changes that happened along the way:

Melissa's Firecracker Onion Rings
Serves 4

1 large sweet onion
1-1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1 T Frank's Hot Sauce
1 T Sriracha Sauce
3-1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning divided
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs beaten
1-1/2 cups self rising flour- I can't find find self rising flour in my regular market so with some help from the internet, I made my own- I took 1-1/2 cups AP flour, 2-1/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt and mixed them together and voila! self rising flour
3 cups Panko bread crumbs- again I had to make an alteration- I only had 2 cups of  Panko so I added 1 cup of yellow corn meal (it worked like a dream)
3 T canola oil

Peel your onion and slice into 1/4 inch strips and separate into rings. Set aside for a minute.

In large plastic bag mix buttermilk, both hot sauces and 1 tsp of Old Bay. Now add the onions.

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes and turn occasionally, to be sure the onions soak up the delicious liquid on all sides.

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spritz liberally with cooking spray. When onions have had their 30 minute bath drain the rings and take 1 cup of the buttermilk liquid and set aside. Discard the rest of the liquid. Place marinated onion rings in large bowl.

We're now going to now set up a dipping station of flour, egg and and panko. To the reserved buttermilk add 2 eggs and whisk.

In a separate bowl place the self rising flour and add 1 tsp Old Bay and black pepper.

And now get another bowl for the Panko/corn meal mixture. To that add 1/2 tsp Old Bay and salt. Add the canola oil and toss with your clean fingertips to combine.

First dip the rings into the seasoned flour.

It was here that I had to recharge my camera, so maybe we're all lucky there are no more step by step pictures to view for a while. Now dip floured rings into egg/buttermilk mixture and then the Panko mix. Place on prepared baking sheets. Melissa had a great tip: place some of the smaller rings inside the larger ones to get more mileage/space out of your baking pan.

Bake 15 minutes and carefully turn rings over. Bake another 12-15 minutes and serve with a dip or two (or three) of your choice. I served these with a ranch, sriracha mayo, and just plain salsa. All delish. And by the way Melissa, thank you so much for the perfect measurements. Just the right amount of flour, egg and Panko. Perfection!

Crispy Taters

I'm always a fan of baking instead of frying, so tonight I made some mouth-watering, creamy on the inside, crunchy on the outside baked potato wedges that are as delicious (if not better) than their cousins that are deep fried. These are a must try.

Tastes-Like-Fried Potato Wedges
Serves two

cooking spray
1 large Russet potato
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup French's Fried Onions crushed
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside. Cut potato into six wedges.

Mix mayonnaise with hot sauce and spices, then coat potato wedges with mixture.

In separate plate combine Panko with Onion crisps. Lightly coat potatoes with this mixture and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 45 minutes. Serve with salsa, sour cream, ranch dressing or any saucy accompaniment you desire. This recipe is simply too good to not try.

Oven Fried with a Dip

I've been playing with Panko and oven frying again and discovered another tasty chicken recipe I'd like to share. I was in the mood for something Asian. And spicy. I thought of different ingredients in the Asian kitchen and needed something that would stand up to the crispiness of the Panko. I opted for sesame seeds. I'm just recently a fan of these little morsels and have been trying them in various recipes lately. So then I thought about adding some heat. I didn't take the cayenne pepper route but decided a good sized helping of Dijon mustard might work. But the best part (as usual) was the dipping sauce that is Asian all the way and can be spiced up as much or as little as you like. And can be re-mixed until your heart's content.

I originally made this recipe with thin cut chicken breasts. I have now been cutting them into 1-1/2 inch slices and calling them fingers. They are great as appetizers, snacks or even a main course. So let's get cooking. As we did last time with Panko, you'll need to set up a dredging station with 3 dishes- one for the flour, one for the egg whites and one for the Panko.


Sesame Chicken Fingers with Asian Dipping Sauce

1 lb chicken breasts sliced lengthwise into 1-1/2 inch strips
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 egg whites
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup Panko bread flakes
2 T sesame seeds (they can be either toasted or untoasted)
1-1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp kosher salt
cooking spray

Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp "hot" toasted sesame oil
1/2 scallion white and green parts, sliced 1/4 inch

To make the chicken: Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Originally I had been using parchment, but if you don't have the highest quality parchment it begins to brown at about 425 degrees. Foil is safer and cheaper. And I use it now for most of my high temp baking. Anyway, take a wire cooling rack, give it a quick spritz with cooking spray and place it on top of your baking sheet. This is what you'll be cooking your chicken on. Wash chicken, pat dry and set aside.

On to the dredging station. In plate #1 combine flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In plate #2 mix egg whites with mustard and whisk until emulsified. In plate #3 combine Panko, sesame seeds, minced onion, salt and pepper. Now you're ready for the dredge dance. Take your chicken and dredge it in the flour mixture. Shake off any extra flour. Take floured chicken strip and dip in the egg batter. Now dip into the Panko mixture. Make sure Panko mixture completely covers the chicken. Spritz both sides of chicken with cooking spray and place on rack. Continue the dance (I mean the process) until all chicken pieces are coated. Bake in center rack of oven for 12 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

To make the dipping sauce: While chicken is cooking, combine all ingredients (except scallion slices) in a small jar. Shake until incorporated. Pour into serving dish and garnish with scallions. If you've noticed, I've used 2 different kinds of sesame oil here.

One is very hot, enhanced with chili pepper. One is simply toasted. Use the measurements I've suggested and see if this is the right amount of heat for your taste buds. I'm a pretty spicy gal and this combo works for me. If you want it hotter, dip at your own risk.

How about a dip re-mix? Omit the scallions and add some peeled, thinly sliced ginger and chopped cilantro. Or float some sesame seeds in the dip itself. Carry the hint of mustard into the dip by adding a dollop or two and whisk or shake until emulsified. Not everybody's a fan of hot, so if that's you, use the regular toasted sesame oil and omit the other. And if you prefer a sweeter dip, add some honey. One last idea- (I'm trying not to get carried away), add the honey and the mustard at the same time. Play with some ideas and see what you like best.

Panko Madness

Remember that Panko-coated, oven fried chicken I made a few weeks ago? Well, the Panko bread crumbs have taken over my life and become a new obsession. I feel like that guy on the TV commercial that gets a label maker and labels everything in sight. I just can't stop rolling my food in Panko. The good news is- just about everything tastes great with a coating of these crispy little flakes. However I don't recommend using them in meatballs or as a filler in burgers or casseroles. You don't get the benefit of the crunch. But for coating fish, chicken, or vegetables, they are simply perfect.

Two of my favorite Panko-coated, oven fried veggies so far are zucchini and eggplant. For these two vegetables I used the same coating procedure as I did with the chicken, but I made a few changes in the seasonings. Instead of the paprika and Adobo, I substituted oregano and minced onion. Yeah, minced onion. I'm sure you have some lurking somewhere in your spice cabinet. I know my little jar has been hanging around for years. I admit it was a last minute thought, but it turned out to be a super flavor booster. Another change- I lowered the oven temp to 400 degrees, but stuck with the wire rack to prevent the vegetables from getting soggy. I cut the eggplant in 3/8 inch rounds, but with the zucchini I cut them (1/4 inch) on the bias as well as in rounds. I like the combination of the two shapes piled on the plate.

Oven Fried Eggplant
You can make this recipe using 2 small to medium zucchini- the amount of dredging ingredients will be the same

1 small/medium eggplant cut in 3/8 inch rounds- I semi peeled my eggplant so I had attractive purple stripes running along the sides
1 cup Panko bread flakes
1/4 cup AP flour
1 egg white whisked
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray
marinara sauce

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Set up your dredging station: flour, egg white, and Panko. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the flour and mix. Stir together Panko, minced onion, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Dip eggplant slices in flour, then in egg white and then in the seasoned Panko. This can seem rather tedious, probably because it really is. So when I'm dipping and dredging I keep my mind on the end result, and get through this boring task. Lightly coat the dredged eggplant with cooking spray on both sides and arrange on wire rack. Place the rack on top of a baking sheet (lined with parchment or foil) and bake 20 minutes. Turn eggplant over and bake 10 minutes more.

While the egplant is baking, heat up some marinara sauce for drizzling or dipping. I've been liking Classico tomato and basil. Not just because it tastes good, but it comes in small jars (14 oz) that are perfect for one or two people. Not too much waste.


If you make a double batch of these goodies, you'll probaby have some left over. Cold eggplant doesn't sound very appetizing. But mock pizza does. To your eggplant add a tablespoon or two of marinara sauce and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Microwave until cheese melts (about 1 minute). Instant snack.

Bon apetito.

Crispy

There are very few A-list food products that I haven't tried. And until last week, Panko bread crumbs (or bread flakes as they like to be called) were one of them. I'm embarrased to say that it's taken me 10 years to cook with this lovely product and I'm baffled as to why I was so hesitant. It might have been because I was a sometimes food snob and made my own crumbs. But I think it may have been the price. But everything's pricey these days, so that's no longer an excuse. This week I jumped on the Panko wagon, bought a box and made chicken tenders. Simple, delicious, and oven baked.




If you've never used Panko before, don't waste another minute- they're available at the regular grocery store. Try this simple recipe/technique and you'll enjoy crispy, non-greasy, oven fried chicken that will be gobbled up in no time. Really. I ate 3 times the amount I normally would. They are that good.

You'll be making a dipping/dredging station so you'll need 2 plates (one for flour, one for the Panko) and one bowl (for the egg white). You'll also need a wire rack (I used the rack I normally cool cookies and cakes on) to cook the chicken on. One of the secrets to crispy oven frying is placing your chicken on a rack, since direct contact with the baking sheet will most likely give you a soggy crust. The second must-do is to cook at a high oven temp.




Panko coated chicken tenders

1 pound chicken tenders or thin cut scallopinis
3/4 cup Panko
1 tsp paprica
1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning- you can use salt instead
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 egg white
1/4 cup AP flour
Cooking spray

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat your wire rack with cooking spray and place it on a baking dish that has been lined with parchment or aluminum foil. This makes for an easy clean up. Set aside.

Stir together Panko, paprika, Adobo and pepper. Whisk the egg white until foamy, but not stiff. Set up your dredging station so that chicken dredges first in flour. Pat off any excess flour and dip into egg white. Now dredge in Panko. Lightly coat the dredged chicken with cooking spray on both sides and arrange on wire rack. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn over chicken pieces and bake another 7-8 minutes. Your chicken will be golden, crisp and moist.


I ate my tenders with an Asian dipping sauce that's available in the regular supermarket. I love this sauce with anything fried and crispy. And even though the word chili is in the name, it's mildly seasoned and slightly sweet. But if your dipping tastes run more along the lines of honey mustard, horseradish/sour cream, barbecue, or even ketchup- go for it. You and your tenders will be very happy.