Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 1/2 pound asparagus
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 6 to 7 sprigs
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, eyeball it
2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup white wine, eyeball it
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (available on soup aisle in paper boxes), divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grainy, stone-ground mustard
1 1/2 cups, about 1/2 pound, seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups couscous


Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.


Trim tough ends of asparagus and save for soup. Place asparagus in a large bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and roast 10 to 12 minutes until the asparagus is tender and crispy at the tips.


Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge the tenders in flour and add it to the pan. Cook chicken 7 to 8 minutes until browned. Add wine and scrape up browned bits as wine cooks down and bubbles, 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet. Combine cream and mustard and add to stock. Add grapes to the pan and turn chicken and grapes to coat and combine with the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat.


Bring remaining 2 cups chicken stock and remaining tablespoon of fresh thyme to a boil in a small pot. Add couscous. Put a tight fitting lid on pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.


Serve tenders and grapes on couscous alongside asparagus.

From: foodnetwork.com

Crunchy, Oven Baked Chicken Toes

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 cup corn flakes
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice - the SECRET ingredient
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders, 2 packages, cut into 2-inch pieces by GH (Grown-up Helpers)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup honey mustard (recommended: Gulden's)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce


Directions

Have your GH (Grown-up Helper) turn the oven on to 375 degrees F.


In a pie pan or other shallow, large dish, pour out the corn flakes. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, sugar, salt, pepper, and allspice - your SECRET ingredient. Do not tell anybody what your secret ingredient is - ever! If they ask how you make your special chicken toes, tell them about everything EXCEPT the secret.


Drizzle about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil evenly over the breading, tossing and turning it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed-up corn flakes. Have the GH pour the oil out slowly. A vegetable oil bottle has a big opening so, 3 tablespoons will pour out pretty quickly, probably by the time you can count to 5, so watch the GH closely and count really loudly!


Have your GH cut the chicken fingers into toes, 2-inch pieces. Turn the chicken in flour, eggs and then in the special crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet. Make your GH go and wash their hands. Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook 15 minutes or until crisp and brown all over.


Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Serve hot chicken toes with honey mustard and barbecue sauce for dipping.

From: foodnetwork.com

The Only Pizza You'll Ever Want Again: Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato, Broccoli, Ricotta, Mozzarella and Basil

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings, 8 slices

Ingredients

Crust:

1 (16-ounce) package pizza dough, brought to room temperature
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Toppings:

1/3 pound broccoli from trimmed broccoli bin in produce section, 1/3 head
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 cloves cracked garlic
1/2 pound chicken breast cut for stir fry or chicken tenders
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
10 sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, available on dairy aisle
12 to 15 leaves fresh basil, torn or stacked and thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

On a 12-inch nonstick pizza pan, stretch out your dough and form the
pizza crust. Drizzle 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil on crust and
spread it with a pastry brush over the dough to the edges. Sprinkle
crust with 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

In a small covered saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Separate
broccoli tops into florets, discarding lower stalks or reserving for
soup. Salt water and add broccoli florets. Cook covered 3 to 5
minutes. Drain broccoli and set on cutting board. Chop broccoli
florets into small pieces.

Heat a small nonstick pan over medium high to high heat. Add oil,
cracked garlic and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken
breast cut for stir-fry or tenders until lightly golden all over, 3 to
5 minutes. Chop sauteed chicken and garlic on a cutting board into
small pieces.

To assemble pizza, dot crust with chopped broccoli bits and cooked
chopped chicken. Dot crust with spoonfuls of ricotta and spread
ricotta gently with the back of your spoon. Add sliced sun-dried
tomatoes, scattering them around the pizza to the edges. Complete the
assembly with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella, about 1 cup. Place
pizza in oven on middle rack and lower heat to 450 degrees F. Bake 12
minutes, until cheese is deep golden in color and crust is brown and
crisp at the edges. Remove pizza from the oven and let stand 5
minutes. Top with lots of torn or shredded basil. Cut pizza into 8
slices using pizza wheel and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Parmigiano and Herb Chicken Breast Tenders

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 BIG servings

Ingredients

* Olive oil, for frying
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water

Breading:

* 2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
* 1 cup shredded Parmesan
* 6 sprigs or stems fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped, 2 to
3 tablespoons
* 6 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, 3 tablespoons
* 2 handfuls chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* Simple tomato sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a nonstick cookie sheet in oven
with a tin foil liner.

Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over
medium to medium high heat.

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Wash hands. Place flour
in a shallow dish. Beat eggs with water in a second dish along side
the flour. In a third dish, combine the breading ingredients. Coat
chicken in flour, then egg, then bread and cheese mixture. To keep
your hands clean, ask for plastic gloves at the butcher counter. To
ease your clean up, try using disposable tin pie tins for the flour,
egg and bread crumbs.

Cook chicken until deeply golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer to cookie sheet in preheated oven and finish off for another
5 minutes cooking time. Cook chicken 5 or 6 tenders at a time in a
single layer, adding additional oil if necessary. If the chicken
begins to brown too quickly lower heat slightly. Serve chicken hot or
cold with green salad or, complete as a Parmigiano.

Simple Tomato Sauce for Chicken Parmigiano:

* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 small white onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (14 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 1 cup chicken broth or stock
* A handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
* Coarse salt
* 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Set water on to boil for pasta and prepare according to package
directions for al dente. Before coating chicken, add oil, onions and
garlic to a saucepan to cook medium low heat. Stir occasionally for 10
minutes while you are working on the chicken. Add both cans of
tomatoes and a cup of chicken broth and bring sauce to a bubble.
Reduce heat to a simmer until ready to serve. Stir in torn basil and
season sauce with salt, to your taste.

Place a little of the sauce on the chicken tenders, top with the
shredded provolone and Parmigiano. Place in oven or broiler to melt
the cheese and then serve. Coat the hot, cooked pasta lightly with
sauce then serve.

Enjoy!

From: foodnetwork.com