Chicken!

Here's to that popular food, chicken. Today's offerings include Szechuan Peanut Chicken and Lemony Roasted Chicken Wings. Enjoy!

BBQ CHICKEN BURGERS WITH SLAW

This is from Rachael Ray of The Food Network show 30 Minute Meals.

Total: 30 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 20 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

1 small red onion, 1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it

1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken

1 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick brand) a palm full

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons honey, eyeball it

1 lemon, juiced

3 rounded tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 cups shredded cabbage mix

Salt and pepper

4 cornmeal Kaiser rolls, split

Directions

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onions, garlic and tomato paste and sweat them for 5 minutes to soften and sweeten. Sprinkle in sugar and remove from heat. Cool in a bowl, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste mixture, Worcestershire, hot sauce to bowl and combine. Add chicken to the bowl then grill seasoning and combine the burgers well to evenly distribute the flavors and form 4 patties. Wash up.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties 6 minutes on each side.

Combine the honey, lemon juice, and remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Add relish, cabbage mix and sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Toss the slaw to coat and reserve.

Serve burgers on bun bottoms topped with slaw and bun tops.

SZECHUAN PEANUT CHICKEN

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “Pace® Picante Sauce provides the flavor punch to this peanut sauce seasoned with soy, ginger and garlic. Stir-fried chicken and spaghetti are tossed with this Szechuan-inspired sauce for an out-of-the-ordinary dinner dish.”

Serves: 4 servings (2 cups each); Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

3 green onion, thickly sliced (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 of a 16-ounce package thin spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 4 cups)

green onion, thickly sliced

Directions

Stir the chicken, soy, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until it's well browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken mixture from the skillet and set it aside.

Stir the picante sauce, peanut butter and onions in the skillet. Return the chicken mixture to the skillet and heat until it's hot and bubbling. Serve over the spaghetti. Sprinkle with additional onions.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

This comes from Rachael Ray, star of The Food Network show 30 Minute Meals.

Total: 30 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 20 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup frozen corn kernels

Salt

8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market

2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack

2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

LEMONY ROASTED CHICKEN WINGS

This is from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “These meaty out-of-the-ordinary roasted wings are infused with lots of lemon, garlic and rosemary, then roasted on a bed of fingerling potatoes. Use a large roasting pan that's at least 3 inches deep, or a big earthenware gratin dish, or a couple of Pyrex lasagna pans side by side. The lemony chicken and potatoes are delicious hot and crisp, but just as good at cool room temperature.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: About 1 1/2 hours.

This was featured in “Lemony Chicken Wings, Soaring Above the Rest”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 pounds very small potatoes, such as fingerlings, whole, or use medium-size yellow-fleshed potatoes, cut in halves or wedges)

3 pounds chicken wings, preferably drumettes

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes, to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 small lemons, cut into 1/4-inch thick half-moon slices

6 large rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped

8 garlic cloves, minced, or 1/2 cup chopped green garlic shoots

1 cup dry white or rosé wine

Pinch of dried oregano (optional)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse potatoes with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Spread chicken wings out on a baking sheet or cutting board in a single layer. Season both sides of wings generously with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with red-pepper flakes as desired.

Transfer seasoned wings to a large bowl. Add olive oil, lemon slices, rosemary and garlic and toss well with (plastic-gloved) hands so everything is evenly coated.

Place potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan. Arrange seasoned wings over potatoes in a single layer. Add wine and cover pan tightly with foil.

Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes, until potatoes are done. Remove foil and return the pan to the oven and bake about 20 minutes more, until wings are nicely browned. Using tongs, turn wings over and bake for another 20 minutes to brown the wings’ other side. Sprinkle with dried oregano, and serve hot or at room temperature.

ORANGE CHICKEN STIR-FRY

This comes from Linda Larsen on The Spruce Eats. Linda wrote, “This easy five ingredient recipe for Orange Chicken Stir-Fry is packed full of flavor and color. And because you use frozen peas and cashews, there's no chopping. Dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes.

“You can prep the ingredients for this wonderful recipe ahead of time. In the morning before you go to work, or the night before, cut the chicken into thin strips. Measure out the cashews and put the baby peas in the fridge so they can thaw. Then when you get home, measure the sauce ingredients, put the sauce together, heat the wok, and make the recipe. Easy!

“When you stir fry, it's important that every ingredient is ready and waiting to go into the skillet or wok. You can't stop in the middle of stir-frying to measure something or prep an ingredient. Once all of the ingredients are prepped, this cooking style is very quick.

“You can certainly add more ingredients to this recipe. Think about adding some sliced bell peppers (prep them the night before too), some sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash, or some green beans or asparagus. Something green would be a nice contrast to the orange sauce and pale chicken.

“Because the chicken is cut into thin strips, it should cook through to a safe temperature during the cooking process. If you're unsure, use a food thermometer to check the chicken. It should be at least 160°F.

“Serve this dish over hot cooked rice or noodles or over a rice pilaf. It's also great served over mashed plain or sweet potatoes for a change of pace. Add some nice white wine, a green salad tossed with grape tomatoes and sliced mushrooms, and dinner is ready.”

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Cook Time: 8 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs, cut into thin strips

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed

1/2 cup cashew pieces

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.

Add the chicken to the wok.

Stir fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the chicken in the skillet or wok along with the thawed peas.

Stir fry for 2-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Then stir in the cashew pieces and serve immediately over hot cooked rice or noodles.

PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH TOMATO AND BASIL AND POTATOES WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS

This comes from Rachael Ray, star of the Food Network show 30 Minute Meals.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 27 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced

4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Coarse salt and pepper

2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get shredded cheese, not grated

4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice -- chiffonade

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.