chicken Archives | Mama Harris' Kitchen

20 Minute Caprese Chicken PLUS a Circulon GIVEAWAY!

October 5, 2017 by MamaHarris 90 Comments

Special thanks to Circulon® for sponsoring this recipe for 20 Minute Caprese Chicken and the opportunity for one lucky winner to receive a Circulon® Momentum™ Cookware Set!
#CirclesForLife #SimpleGourmet

I know, I know. It’s already October. I still find it hard to believe! Where I live school starts right in the middle of the official “Summer” months, so I get thrown off with my seasons those first few months. It also doesn’t help that September had a majority of triple digit weather days, and even in October we’re still sitting comfortably in the 90’s. Honestly from summertime to the fall season I’m looking for quick and easy recipes to make for dinner, because I simply don’t have the time!

This past summer I created this AMAZING 20 Minute Caprese Chicken, complete with a simple salad and served over buttery seasoned noodles. Tomatoes are still in season right now in my part of the world, so I thought that this would be a good time to share this recipe with you too! The chicken is seasoned to perfection then browned on the stove-top before adding mozzarella slices and moving it to the oven for the cheese to melt. There’s a simple balsamic glaze that is drizzled over the top of the chicken before sprinkling with the basil and tossing in the halved grape tomatoes.

Although this recipe is super quick and easy, it’s also so flavorful and mouthwatering delicious. The right cookware is important with these types of recipes, because going from stove-top to oven can be tricky with the wrong kind of pan.

For years I’ve built a collection of various pots and pans, usually just buying something as I need it. I remember when I was 19, I had my first apartment and got this all-in-one set of various pots and pans for super cheap. They were non-stick pans, and this is where I practiced some of my very first meals. The pots and pans didn’t last long, they were non-stick, but I didn’t know how to properly care for them and the coating ended up bubbling up and peeling off. Since then I’ve collected pieces here and there with a variety of different shapes and sizes of pots and pans, and I never had a complete set of one sole brand.

Once I received this Momentum 11 piece set from Circulon, it was like a whole new world opened up! If you don’t know, Circulon has a unique and innovative collection of cookware and kitchenware. Their aim is to streamline the cooking process from start to finish, including prep and cleanup! Circulon cookware is one of a kind ultra-durable hard-anodized aluminum, with a raised cooking surface that is actually a series of raised concentric circles then triple coated with premium-quality nonstick on the interior. This results in super durable, high quality pieces of cookware. What I love is that this particular set is dishwasher safe and can go from stove-top to oven, at up to 400 degrees!

The Circulon Momentum Cookware set comes with 11 pieces; that’s 4 lids and 7 pots/skillets. This is really the basic set that provides essentials for the daily home cook (aka Mealtime Engineer). Everything is non-stick and heavy duty, but light enough for daily use. These cleaned up like a dream, even after boiling the glaze and melting cheese, a few swift wipes and these babies were good as new! Here’s what’s included in this well-rounded set:

1-Qt Pouring Saucepan
2-Qt Covered Saucepan
3-Qt Covered Sauté
6-Qt Covered Stockpot
10-Inch Covered Skillet
8-Inch French Skillet
11.5-Inch French Skillet

When making the chicken I melted the butter and olive oil in the Momentum 11.5-Inch French Skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken first, then add to the skillet to brown.

Preheat the oven to 400, then once the chicken is browned add the mozzarella slices and pop the skillet in the oven to melt the cheese.

While the cheese melts, start boiling the water in the Momentum 6-Qt Covered Stockpot to make the fettuccine noodles. Once cooked, drain then toss them in butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and parsley.

Prepare the glaze in the Momentum 1-Qt Pouring Saucepan over medium heat,. Once the chicken has cooked, sprinkle the halved grape tomatoes on top, then drizzle with the glaze and sprinkle with fresh basil.

I could devour this any time of year! Tomato season or not, it’s just too good!

Get all of the ingredients plus the recipe on the Circulon website here!
——————————————————————————————–
Enter the Circulon Momentum Hard Anodized 11 Piece
Cookware Set Giveaway BELOW!

Are you as excited about this set as I am? I’m giving away a Circulon® Momentum™ Hard Anodized 11 Piece Cookware Set – a value of $400 – to one lucky person!

Here’s how to enter:

Prize: One (1) Circulon Momentum Hard Anodized 11 Piece Cookware Set.

Giveaway runs through the evening of October 30th.

Eligibility: Winners are limited to the continental United States and must be 18 years of age or older. See full contest rules in the rafflecopter form. You will be notified via the email you used in the rafflecopter form if you win, and you will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. You can sign into the form with Facebook, or you can use your name and email address. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Mango

September 28, 2017 by MamaHarris 6 Comments

Special thanks to National Mango Board for sponsoring this Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Mango recipe as a part of the #MeetYourMango campaign. As always, all opinions are my own.

Now that my kids are getting older, I’ve been thinking a lot about family traditions. When my children have their own families, I’d like them to look back at their childhood memories with love. I’d like them to be able to recall specific traditions from their memories and build their own with their families. I didn’t have too many in my own family. For holidays we would gather at my aunt’s house. On certain holidays, we’d have very specific meals, and Christmas dinner was always more important than whatever we had that morning. Other than that, there weren’t too many specific traditions in place, and there really weren’t specific meals that were passed down for generations. In the interest of tradition, I’ve placed a heavy amount of importance on my husband’s cultural heritage.

We make it a point as a family to create points of reference and build upon those. So we might take some of the recipes Mr. Harris grew up with and build on them with new, surprise ingredients or different cooking methods. For holidays, I like to create some of the more traditional meals he grew up with and add my own spin to it. Then, instead of the buffet style casual dinner, we’ve created a more traditional sit-down meal that is a lot like our own traditions intertwined.

With all of this in mind, I’ve created a traditional shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo, adding mango as a surprise ingredient. Not only are mangos a powerhouse nutritionally, they are also used in many cultures and in a variety of traditional recipes. Gumbo is a traditional comfort food with a good amount of heat to it, so I thought that adding sweet mango to it would not only build on the flavor, but also lend a great balance to the spiciness.

When I first met my husband I remember I would love to hear all of his stories about his family and his early years of life growing up. We met in our late 20s and we both already had children; so we had this thirst to get to know each other’s lives, but also our family’s history. Although we both shared in common the fact that we were only children, the differences in how we were raised really showed through with our extended families. He has many memories with grandparents, aunties and uncles and so many cousins. I would love to listen to his stories and memories and see how his eyes would light up when he spoke about his grandmothers.

Now that our littlest kids are getting older, I’m getting to hear those same stories once again, as they’re being told to our children. Both of Mr. Harris’ grandmothers have passed on, but their warmth, love and generosity is timeless as their stories continue to be told. I’ve shared quite a few memories and stories of Big Mama, Mr. Harris’ maternal grandmother, because I knew her and loved her dearly. However his paternal grandmother passed a few years before we came into each other’s lives, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to have met her. However, the many wonderful stories I have heard about her warm my heart, and I wish I had the pleasure to have known her.

Often when I’m preparing our own meals, I will ask Mr. Harris about his own memories of certain foods that were a comfort to him growing up. Dev and RoRo will listen intently and ask questions while they help stir, mix or chop ingredients with me. I love creating our own memories while learning about our family history. It really bridges the gap and my kids get to learn and experience their own cultural history.

Some of my husbands’ favorite memories growing up are centered on spending time at his grandmother’s house in Missouri. He speaks often about the wonder that was her home. It was custom built in the 60s with a converted basement that had a kitchen, plus two kitchens in the main part of the house. His grandmother was Creole and Puerto Rican. She was born in Mississippi; but her family was from Louisiana’s French Quarter, and the food she made reflected that. Mr. Harris would visit in summers and be outside raking leaves or watering his grandmother’s garden only to be served crawfish, gumbo, catfish, fried chicken or any other number of traditionally southern meals.

I’ve made it a point to learn how to recreate these meals for my own family so our children can get a taste of their history and have a point of reference of what dad is talking about when he tells his childhood stories. I wish I had met his grandmother E. She had the biggest heart and was a philanthropist in her community. She was all about community, and the fact that she also raised foster kids in addition to her own large family speaks about the kind of woman she was.

For many years I wanted to try my hand at making gumbo; but it’s one of those meals that can be a bit overwhelming, and I didn’t want to get it wrong. For years I would read how to make it in various cookbooks, learning about Cajun vs Creole versions or seafood vs meatier versions. Mr. Harris would tell me certain ingredients that his dear grandmothers would use like chicken, sausage and shrimp. So taking all of that into account I put together my best version of the dish, with a fresh little twist. In addition to using the trinity (celery, bell pepper and onion) and okra (skipping the file seasoning), I also added two mangos to the dish. What I love about mango is that it is an ingredient used by many cultures, so why not add it to a big pot of gumbo for some extra texture, color and sweetness? It turned out to be such a hit with my family and it really added to the depth of flavors. My gumbo is a bit spicy, so if you prefer it less spicy you can cut back on some of the cayenne pepper and hot pepper sauce, or add a bit more sugar (or another mango!).

My kiddos can be adventurous with spices, so they liked it. Depending on how much rice you add to each bowl it can also tame the spice a bit. I know that mango can be a bit tricky, especially when figuring out how to cut or slice it, so here’s a little video to help you out.

How To Cut a Mango:

Once the mango is cut and diced, just sauté it with the trinity before adding the okra. I decided to lightly sauté the okra to get rid of the stickiness that can be a turnoff for some with okra. The roux is probably the trickiest part. If you don’t have the heat high enough you can be stuck there stirring for upwards of 2-3 hours before getting it the deep, dark color you want, so try to watch the heat. It’s okay to turn it up and turn it down just a bit. As long as you don’t get any black flakes in the roux then it’s not scorched. You definitely want a dark roux for gumbo though. It really adds to the flavor and depth of the dish, and it’s just not the same without getting that deep, dark color!

Comfort food to Dev is soups and stews, so I knew that he would enjoy making a big pot of gumbo with me. He’s also the kid that chooses between 5 different hot sauces every day for dinner, so I knew that he could handle the spice in this. The mango really does add some depth and flavor to the dish too. Although a good pot of gumbo is so classic that sometimes it just doesn’t need to be messed with, and I may get some opinionated comments, but trust me. Try it!

Although a good pot of gumbo is truly a labor of love, it is so worth it in the end. This makes a lot of food, so be ready to save at least half of the pot for another rainy day. It’s definitely something that can be frozen and reheated at a later time, which is perfect for meal prep for our busy family! This is something we make on a Sunday morning to let it cook all day, and then we can eat it throughout the week or freeze in batches and reheat on chilly autumn evenings. Serve with prepared rice and maybe a wedge of cornbread for some delicious feasting that truly does warm your soul.

Garnish with a bit of sliced green onion and chopped fresh parsley for a bit of freshness and color, then dive in!

5.0 from 5 reviews

Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Mango

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 15 mins

A traditional shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo made with a dark brown roux - with a mango twist that your taste buds will love!

Author: Mama Harris' Kitchen

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: Cajun / Creole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon salt, divided
1½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large mangos, peeled and diced
1 lb fresh okra, ends clipped and sliced
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup bacon drippings
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 lb Andouille sausage, sliced
2 quarts water
6 cubes beef bouillon
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
½ tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14 oz) can Ro*Tel tomatoes, don't drain
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 lbs. peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp
white rice
green onions
parsley

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter over medium heat.
Once warmed and sizzling, add the pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Add minced garlic and ½ teaspoon salt plus half teaspoon of pepper with ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika to both sides of chicken thighs. Brown all sides, then remove from heat and set aside.
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and bring the heat to medium. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic, and sauté until the onions begin to soften. Add the diced mango and sauté another minute, then add the okra. Continue to stir and sauté until the okra is no longer ropey (the insides of okra tend to be sticky and you will see it stick to the other vegetables until it's cooked through). Remove from heat.
In a large stock pot or larger Dutch oven, create a roux with 1 cup flour, ¼ cup bacon fat, and ¾ cup butter. Whisk over medium-low heat until the roux is smooth, then continue to whisk over medium-low to medium heat. The roux will begin to thin and become more liquid, continue to whisk adjusting the heat as needed and ensuring there are no burnt spots. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour for the roux to become the color of dark chocolate, while whisking continuously. Once it has reached the desired color, remove from heat, while continuing to whisk and let it slightly cool.
Add the sliced sausage while continuously whisking the roux, then the sautéed veggies. Add water and bouillon and stir consistently until blended together.
Add sugar, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, tomato sauce and browned chicken thighs. Stir together well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, lower to simmer, uncovered, for an hour. Stir every so often.
Remove the chicken thighs and roughly shred them, then add back to the pot. Add Worcestershire sauce and stir. Continue to simmer for another 45 minutes.
Add the uncooked shrimp about 5 minutes before you're ready to serve. Stir it in well and remove from heat once the shrimp turns pink and starts to curl.
Serve with prepared white rice and garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley.
Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 5 days, if any is left uneaten, freeze!
Enjoy!

What are some of your soul warming family favorites?

I’d love to read your stories! You can find more delicious mango recipes and information and tips at Mango.org. Check out this video for mango selection and storing tips, in order to get the freshest, best tasting mangos!

Also, if you love this recipe don’t forget to PIN it to your favorite board on Pinterest!
(Just hover over the picture below and click “Pin it”)

Mama Harris’ Kitchen’s Top 10 Recipes for 2016

December 31, 2016 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Another year in the books, folks. This year seemed endlessly long, am I right? 2016 was definitely quite a year. I know many people who can’t wait for the year to be over, and I do understand. We lost many brilliant stars (I am still mourning Prince), this election season was pretty crazy no matter what side of it you were on, and it just seemed so…long. So join me in saying “Sayonara” to 2016 and let’s look forward to great things in the coming year. But first, let’s take a look at the top 10 recipes for 2016 on Mama Harris’ Kitchen.

One of the things I love to do when the new year rolls around is look at the past year for ways I can grow, things I can change, and what’s been working well in my life. A great part of my life is this blog, and I like to take a look back to see which recipes and creations really resonated with my readers. Which recipes received the most traffic, the most shares, the most love. Doing so really helps me see what my readers like to see from me, and what I can create more of. I like to share these results at the end of each year so you can see what the top recipes were for the year, just in case you missed one or two.

Quick and easy is still a trend, I’m sure it always will be. I’m also seeing that classic recipes are always popular, and chicken will probably never go out of style. This definitely helps me going into the new year and planning my recipe calendar, I enjoy giving you what you want more of. So please, if something is missing let me know you’re looking for it and I’ll see what I can come up with!

My wish for you is a happy and safe NYE and a successful and joyous 2017. Let’s make it happen!

Here’s the Top 10 Recipes on MamaHarrisKitchen.com for 2016!

1. Caramel Apple Cake Mix Waffles

2. Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream

3. Savory Crepes with Turkey, Mushroom and Swiss Cheese

4. Quick Pan-Fried Tilapia

5. Crunchy Broccoli-Apple Salad with Creamy Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

6. Cheesy Bean Dip with a Kick

7. Romantic Brunch: Egg, Chicken and Veggie Tartlets with Sexy Sangria’s

8. Quick & Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

9. Herb and Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

10. Rice Cooker Sausage Jambalaya

Did you try any of these recipes over the past year? If so, which was your favorite? If not, what would you like to try?

One Pot Chicken Veggie Spaghetti

October 24, 2016 by MamaHarris 22 Comments

One meal in my house that I make more than any other meal is spaghetti. It’s a universal favorite; my kids love it because it’s tasty and fun and my husband loves it because he’s a creature of comfort. I love it because I know that my family will devour it and ask for more, and it’s easy to make! However, instead of preparing the good ol’ classic spaghetti I’ve decided to switch things up a bit with this classic comfort food. While I do love tradition, sometimes I prefer to make some changes and create a more modern spin on a traditional recipe. Making the spaghetti with chicken or even foregoing the red sauce completely for one of my own creation. Not to worry, there’s still tomatoes and plenty of flavor! For this sponsored post I’ll be using the Foster Farms Simply Raised thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breast fillets for my one pot chicken veggie spaghetti recipe.

This recipe has plenty of fresh ingredients, tons of flavor, and even a little surprising kick of spice. The chicken is seasoned with a few of my favorite spices, or what I like to call my secret arsenal. Lemon pepper, smoked paprika, garlic + salt with some dried herbs. This is a flavor profile I truly love, and this is the comforting and familiar taste that my family loves. Due to the fresh ingredients and lemon flavors this would be a great summer meal, but it’s hearty and comforting enough for the colder months as well. Since this is a modern spin on a comfort food classic, I chose to use vegetable spaghetti for this dish and mozzarella cheese as a garnish since it’s naturally lower in fat than other cheese varieties.

The chicken is the star of the show here. It’s on prominent display in this dish and I chose to use Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets. Foster Farms Simply Raised is locally grown on the West Coast with no antibiotics ever and 100 percent vegetarian fed. It’s the perfect foundation for your New Comfort Food meals. In fact, Foster Farms recently commissioned a national consumer survey to learn more about what people are looking for in their New Comfort Food dishes. What they found is that Americans’ idea of comfort food is moving away from rich and heavy, traditional comfort foods, and toward recipes that are both easier and healthier to make and that include locally farmed, fresh ingredients. What’s even more interesting is that 80% of Americans are turning to chicken as a staple for their comfort food meals and are prioritizing chicken raised with no antibiotics, hormones or steroids. Also, 68% of those surveyed are a lot more concerned than their mother was about what goes into the food they are feeding their families; millennial parents even more so (75%). More than 80% even said that they choose healthier recipes plus more fruits and veggies in their comfort food meals.

Does this mean that traditional comfort foods are a thing of the past? Not necessarily, but there is a change in the ingredients people are choosing. Many, like me, love to incorporate colorful and fresh ingredients into classic meals. The New Comfort Food has evolved from the traditionally heavy and rich foods to feel-good meals that feature local, fresh and premium quality ingredients, produced with no antibiotics ever. The New Comfort Food is no longer an indulgence, but an everyday occasion – it’s a more healthful way of eating.

One Pot Chicken Veggie Spaghetti Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
juice from 1 lemon, divided
1 1/2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups red and orange grape tomatoes, halved
7 basil leaves, shredded
1/2 cup spinach, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 oz (boxed) vegetable spaghetti
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Begin by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter in the pot you will be making your spaghetti in over medium heat. Squeeze half a lemon into the oil and butter as it melts. Trim any fat from the chicken, if needed, then season with the lemon pepper, Himalayan salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Once the oil and butter have melted, add the seasoned chicken to the pot and cook each side, about 5 minutes each until the chicken is golden.

Remove the chicken from heat, place on a plate and cover with foil.

Add the remaining olive oil in the pan and lightly saute the onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil and spinach until the onions begin to turn translucent and the basil and spinach begin to wilt.

Add the vegetable spaghetti noodles and the chicken broth, along with the remaining lemon juice and the salt and red pepper flakes. Raise heat just a bit and bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes. Allow the noodles to soften and the liquid to absorb and thicken, but you don’t want to cook it until the liquid is gone.

Once the spaghetti is almost done, remove the foil from the chicken and slice into small strips.

Serve the spaghetti in a bowl, top with the chicken, add a bit of mozzarella and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

One Pot Chicken Veggie Spaghetti

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

One Pot Chicken Veggie Spaghetti

Dinner is ready in a flash with this one pot chicken veggie spaghetti that's fresh, flavorful, hearty and comforting. The perfect meal year round!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
juice from 1 lemon, divided
1 1/2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups red and orange grape tomatoes, halved
7 basil leaves, shredded
1/2 cup spinach, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 oz (boxed) vegetable spaghetti
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Begin by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter in the pot you will be making your spaghetti in over medium heat.
Squeeze half a lemon into the oil and butter as it melts. Trim any fat from the chicken, if needed, then season with the lemon pepper, Himalayan salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano and parsley.
Once the oil and butter have melted, add the seasoned chicken to the pot and cook each side, about 5 minutes each until the chicken is golden.
Remove the chicken from heat, place on a plate and cover with foil.
Add the remaining olive oil in the pan and lightly saute the onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil and spinach until the onions begin to turn translucent and the basil and spinach begin to wilt.
Add the vegetable spaghetti noodles and the chicken broth, along with the remaining lemon juice and the salt and red pepper flakes. Raise heat just a bit and bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes. Allow the noodles to soften and the liquid to absorb and thicken, but you don't want to cook it until the liquid is gone.
Once the spaghetti is almost done, remove the foil from the chicken and slice into small strips.
Serve the spaghetti in a bowl, top with the chicken, add a bit of mozzarella and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/10/one-pot-chicken-veggie-spaghetti/

What’s your favorite comfort food to recreate with New Comfort Food type of options?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings

October 19, 2016 by MamaHarris 10 Comments

We’re baaaaccckkkk!!! That’s right, friends. This will be the third year in a row that Mandi from Chewsy Lovers and I share all types of flavors of chicken wing recipes every week for at least one month (we’ve been known to extend this). It’s football season and we like variety, so we like to get creative and SHARE! This week for my very first wing recipe for football season of 2016 I made Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings. If you’ve followed along before you know that I like to come up with a wide variety of ways to make my wings. From baked, breaded, fried or boneless I always have a new technique. I also like to create dipping sauces for these wings, but this weeks wings were tasty on their own. Absolutely no sauce was needed; just tasty, finger licking goodness!

My family loves going to our local Hawaiian BBQ spot, that sweet tangy flavor is unbeatable and I wanted to create something that had the same flavors. For the sauce I just used my favorite barbecue sauce, added pineapple juice and honey with a few other flavorings and did a quick fry of the chicken before covering it with the sauce and baking it. Sticky, tasty wings were ready in no time!

Follow Mama Harris’ Kitchen’s board #ChicksWingIt on Pinterest.

Mandi recently shared her Sour Cream and Onion Chicken Wings that you must check out. You can also check out our Pinterest board that I linked above if you’re looking for more wing recipes. We have a full season ahead of us and we’re just getting warmed up. We love to see our recipes recreated, so be sure to share with us on Instagram and Twitter and tag us with the hashtag #ChicksWingIt so we can cheer you on!

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings Ingredients:

4 lbs. chicken wings
garlic salt
ground black pepper
1 cup corn starch
3 eggs
oil, for frying
1 cup barbecue sauce
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

In a deep fryer (or large pot) heat the oil to 375 degrees. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Begin by seasoning the chicken wings with garlic salt and pepper. Add the corn starch to bowl and the eggs to another, beating the eggs until smooth. Toss the wings in the cornstarch, then dip in the eggs.

Add enough oil to the fryer (or large pot) to cover the chicken, and add chicken to the fryer in batches. Fry just until they begin to turn gold, then remove and let dry on a paper towel.

While the rest of the chicken is frying, add the ingredients to make the Hawaiian BBQ sauce. Choose your favorite barbecue sauce, add pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic. Mix together until smooth, sauce will thicken but be thin enough to brush onto the chicken.

Once all the chicken has been fried, line a cooking sheet with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Dip each wing in the sauce and lay them out on the sheet. Cook in preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Remove the wings from the oven and each piece over, then brush with more sauce. Put them back in the oven to cook for another 20-25 minutes.

They’ll be crispy and sticky. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Garnish with green onions and serve. Enjoy!

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wings are quick fried, then baked and covered in a homemade sweet and tangy sauce that will have your guests cheering YOU on!

Ingredients

4 lbs. chicken wings
garlic salt
ground black pepper
1 cup corn starch
3 eggs
oil, for frying
1 cup barbecue sauce
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

In a deep fryer (or large pot) heat the oil to 375 degrees. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Begin by seasoning the chicken wings with garlic salt and pepper. Add the corn starch to bowl and the eggs to another, beating the eggs until smooth. Toss the wings in the cornstarch, then dip in the eggs.
Add enough oil to the fryer (or large pot) to cover the chicken, and add chicken to the fryer in batches. Fry just until they begin to turn gold, then remove and let dry on a paper towel.
While the rest of the chicken is frying, add the ingredients to make the Hawaiian BBQ sauce. Choose your favorite barbecue sauce, add pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic. Mix together until smooth, sauce will thicken but be thin enough to brush onto the chicken.
Once all the chicken has been fried, line a cooking sheet with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Dip each wing in the sauce and lay them out on the sheet. Cook in preheated oven for about 25 minutes.
Remove the wings from the oven and each piece over, then brush with more sauce. Put them back in the oven to cook for another 20-25 minutes.
They'll be crispy and sticky. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Garnish with green onions and serve. Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/10/hawaiian-bbq-chicken-wings/

What’s your favorite flavor chicken wings?

Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries

October 17, 2016 by MamaHarris 9 Comments

I love to recreate recipes that are childhood favorites. Most of the kids I know love chicken strips (or nuggets) and fries. It’s inevitable! When I was a kid it was also a favorite for me, and I actually know grown adults who will just order chicken strips and fries at every new restaurant they go to. It’s just one of those meals that’s easy and comforting, so I decided to spruce it up a bit! For this sponsored post I’ll be using the Foster Farms Simply Raised thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breast fillets for my honey mustard crispy chicken wrap recipe that I’m serving with sweet potato fries.

The main ingredient for this recipe is the chicken strips. They had to be tasty and juicy, with breading that’s anything but soggy. Since today’s New Comfort Food is all about fresh and locally grown ingredients and healthier techniques, I’ll be baking the chicken strips and adding tons of color to this meal by putting the chicken in a wrap with fresh veggies and a homemade honey mustard sauce. I was inspired by Foster Farms’ Never Fried Chicken Sandwich that uses baked and breaded chicken, served with a delicious kick and lots of colorful veggies. It’s sort of everything I would want in a sandwich, since colorful meals make me ridiculously giddy.

I also used Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets. It’s a premium ingredient that I not only feel great about eating but also feel great feeding to my family. Foster Farms Simply Raised line of chicken products are locally grown right here on the West Coast with no antibiotics ever and are 100% vegetarian fed. This chicken is a great start to all of your New Comfort Food meals!

The key to a good baked and breaded chicken is to toast your bread crumbs. I prefer using Panko bread crumbs because they’re naturally crispier and they provide such a great texture. Season up the buttermilk and let the chicken soak up all of that goodness, then roll it around in some toasted Panko crumbs and sprinkle with some crushed almonds. The result is a tasty, juicy chicken strip that’s crunchy and golden – the perfect star for my colorful wrap!

To me, comfort food first and foremost has to taste good. Seasoned to perfection, melt in your mouth flavor, and visually appealing – that’s what comfort food is all about. This crispy chicken wrap takes a traditional go-to meal of chicken strips and fries to another level by literally wrapping it up in colorful veggies and using a delicious alternative for traditional fries. The sweet potato fries are also baked, instead of fried, and they naturally have such a wonderful flavor. That bit of sweetness is really brought out by using grapeseed oil with a touch of olive oil to bake the fries at a higher heat, and they’re just lightly seasoned with some of my favorite flavors. The honey mustard sauce finishes it all off with a perfectly sweet flavor and a crisp tang that just balances it all so well. The finished product is colorful and tasty, and I feel fabulous feeding my family a meal like this for lunch or even a light dinner. That’s what The New Comfort Food is about to me!

Ingredients for Crispy Baked Chicken Strips:

1 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets, cut in half lengthwise
2 cups toasted panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped almonds
olive oil spray

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Dressing:

1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of salt

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Fries:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fry shapes
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pink Himalayan sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Wrap:

1 Sun-Dried Tomato flavored wrap
2-3 butter lettuce leaves
2 tomato slices, halved
1-2 crispy chicken strips (recipe above)
1/4 cup carrot strips
2-3 tablespoons honey mustard sauce (recipe above)

Directions:

Begin by making the chicken strips. Spread the Panko breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and spray lightly with a cooking spray. Toast them in the oven for about 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees. Keep the oven on, you’re going to need it for the chicken too! In a medium dish, combine the buttermilk, flour, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper and dried basil. Mix the ingredients, then place the chicken in the dish, making sure it’s completely covered in the seasoned buttermilk. Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes or so, then it’s time to begin!

Take each strip out of the buttermilk and coat it on the pan in the Panko bread crumbs.

Then place on a baking sheet lined with foil, sprayed with cooking spray (I used Olive Oil spray). Repeat for each chicken strip, then sprinkle the tops with crushed almonds and spray the top of the chicken strips with a light coat of the cooking spray. Bake 13-15 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, combine all of the ingredients for the honey mustard sauce in a bowl. Stir well until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the sweet potato fries. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut lengthwise into strips in the shape of fries. Add them to a dish and drizzle with grapeseed oil and a bit of olive oil. Mix them up so the oil is over all of the fries, then season them up.

Line another baking sheet with foil, and lay all of the fries out individually, adding more seasonings if needed. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then flip over the fries and bake another 8-10 minutes.

While the fries are baking, start preparing each wrap by laying out the tortilla wrap and add the lettuce and tomato. Top with 1-2 chicken strips.

Add a bit of carrots, then drizzle with the honey mustard sauce.

Roll it up, cut it in half, then serve with the sweet potato fries and honey mustard sauce.

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries

Fresh ingredients, colorful veggies, easy recipe! Honey Mustard Baked Crispy Chicken Wrap with Baked Sweet Potato Fries are my kind of New Comfort Food.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Crispy Baked Chicken Strips:

1 1/2 cups lowfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets, cut in half lengthwise
2 cups toasted panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped almonds
olive oil spray

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Dressing:

1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of salt

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Fries:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fry shapes
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pink Himalayan sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Crispy Chicken Wrap:

1 Sun-Dried Tomato flavored wrap
2-3 butter lettuce leaves
2 tomato slices, halved
1-2 crispy chicken strips (recipe above)
1/4 cup carrot strips
2-3 tablespoons honey mustard sauce (recipe above)

Instructions

Begin by making the chicken strips.
Spread the Panko breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and spray lightly with a cooking spray.
Toast them in the oven for about 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees. Keep the oven on, you're going to need it for the chicken too!
In a medium dish, combine the buttermilk, flour, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper and dried basil.
Mix the ingredients, then place the chicken in the dish, making sure it's completely covered in the seasoned buttermilk.
Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes or so, then it's time to begin!
Take each strip out of the buttermilk and coat it on the pan in the Panko bread crumbs.
Then place on a baking sheet lined with foil, sprayed with cooking spray (I used Olive Oil spray). Repeat for each chicken strip, then sprinkle the tops with crushed almonds and spray the top of the chicken strips with a light coat of the cooking spray. Bake 13-15 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, combine all of the ingredients for the honey mustard sauce in a bowl. Stir well until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the sweet potato fries. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut lengthwise into strips in the shape of fries.
Add them to a dish and drizzle with grapeseed oil and a bit of olive oil.
Mix them up so the oil is over all of the fries, then season them up.
Line another baking sheet with foil, and lay all of the fries out individually, adding more seasonings if needed.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then flip over the fries and bake another 8-10 minutes.
While the fries are baking, start preparing each wrap by laying out the tortilla wrap and add the lettuce and tomato.
Top with 1-2 chicken strips.
Add a bit of carrots, then drizzle with the honey mustard sauce.
Roll it up, cut it in half, then serve with the sweet potato fries and honey mustard sauce.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/10/honey-mustard-crispy-chicken-wrap-sweet-potato-fries/

Do you have a favorite meal from childhood that you’ve spruced up?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.

Chicken Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake

September 23, 2016 by MamaHarris 12 Comments

Special thanks to Sprouts Farmers Market for sponsoring this Chicken Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake recipe and the opportunity for one lucky winner to receive a $25 gift card to Sprouts!

It’s officially pumpkin season folks! Yes, even though it’s still hitting the triple digits here in Northern California the nights are a bit chillier and pretty soon the A/C will be turned off for quite a few months. Pumpkin flavored everything is literally everywhere, even here in my kitchen. My lovely friends over at Sprouts Farmers Market sent over a big box full of pumpkin products – which is just a small sampling of what can now be found in their store. Of course, I was inspired to create something with everything in the box!

This wonderful box is full of anything a pumpkin lover could want, and even some things a not so big fan of pumpkin would like too!

There’s Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips, Pumpkin Iced Cookies, Organic Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider, Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, Old Fashioned Pumpkin Snaps, Cranberry Pumpkin Crisps, Maple Pumpkin Butter and Pumpkin Pie Lip Balm! Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere!

Of course, I had to taste test a few things. Since I’m a salty snacker I was immediately interested in those Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips. I mean, chips and dips are my absolute favorite, but this got me a bit inspired. I made a little trip out to Sprouts to grab a few additional items to create what I had in my mind, which was snacks. Pumpkin themed snacks in the form of an appetizer platter to serve my family while I prepare dinner. You could also use this for any type of get together in the Fall season, but during the week my family is famished when they get home – and they will snack on whatever is in sight. So I find that preparing some little snacks for them to chew on while I prepare dinner helps them not completely ruin their appetite.

Once at Sprouts I also noticed there was a Pumpkin Spice Salsa available, and I just had to get it to go with the Pumpkin Seed Chips. The chips are seasoned with sea salt and you can actually see the little pumpkin seeds in every chip. They’re very tasty and not overly salty or too crunchy and they went absolutely perfectly with the Pumpkin Spice Salsa. The salsa is delicious and the flavor is just a little deeper and richer than a normal salsa, you can taste those pumpkin spices in there, it elevates the flavor.

I was also very excited to try the Maple Pumpkin Butter and it didn’t disappoint. It’s very delicious, perfect for morning toast or bagels, or on anything really. It would probably have been amazing on those pumpkin bagels I spotted at Sprouts, but instead I purchased a little bag of Multigrain Bruschetta Bread Slices. This was perfect to serve with the Maple Pumpkin Butter on my little appetizer platter. Mr. Harris is not a pumpkin fan but I somehow coerced him to try this and he was hooked, it’s that delicious!

For this appetizer platter, a handful of each item was all that was needed. I did pick up the Sprouts Brand Original Flavor Hummus and some veggies to serve to round out this appetizer platter with some color and fresh choices as well. I have to say it was a hit, the littlest boys loved those Pumpkin Iced Cookies, I loved the Pumpkin Seed Tortilla Chips with the Pumpkin Spice Salsa, and Mr. Harris loved the Maple Pumpkin Butter. The appetizer platter was empty before dinner was even ready. I do have a big family so I don’t recommend this much food if it’s just 2-3 people, but it was perfect for my family of seven!

In addition to the finger foods I also used the Organic Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider to create some warm drinks. I simply added a little caramel sauce to the inside of the glasses and heated up the cider in a pot. Once ready, I poured it into each glass and served it warm. It was delightful and something I’m sure to drink all pumpkin season long!

Now for the dinner I knew I wanted to make something with that pumpkin pasta sauce. The sauce already has a lot of flavors going on, it’s tasty with a hint of tomato and carrots with a gorgeous bright orange color. I picked up some roasted chicken sausage and some shells to create my pumpkin pasta bake, I already had some cheese and spices at home to complete the rest of the meal. Super easy and simple, perfect for busy weeknights. I also didn’t add much else to the pasta bake because the chicken sausage was really tasty and even had a bit of spice to the flavor thanks to the onion and peppers in the sausage.

Chicken Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake Ingredients:

1 jar Sprouts Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
1 package Sprouts Shells Pasta, cooked al dente
1 Package Sprouts Old Tyme Butcher Shop Roasted Chicken Sausage
non-stick cooking spray (I used olive oil)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup of your favorite melty cheese (I used a mix of Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack and Mozzarella)
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 cup bread crumbs (recipe below)

Toasted Bread Crumbs Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning

Directions:

Begin with toasting the bread crumbs. In a small pan, add the olive oil and butter and heat until melted. Add the panko bread crumbs and garlic, cooking over medium-low heat (and stirring often) until golden. Remove from pan, toss with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and set aside. I usually do this step way ahead of time, since I like to have these crumbs readily available for various meals. I make it every so often to have on hand and add to dishes I like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by cutting the sausage in half length-wise, then slicing into bite sized pieces. Spray the skillet with cooking spray, then add the sausage. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is browned.

In a separate pot add the Pumpkin Sauce and the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, marjoram, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat, just until warmed and spices are blended in the sauce.

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta, and then the cooked chicken sausage.

Spray a large casserole dish with non stick cooking spray, then add half of the pasta mix into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the pasta, then top it with the other half of the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, then sprinkle the dried parsley on top. Pop in the preheated oven, setting your timer for 15 minutes (just until cheese melts).

Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake another 5 minutes or so.

Allow to cool, serve and enjoy!

Chicken Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Ingredients

Chicken Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake Ingredients:

1 jar Sprouts Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
1 package Sprouts Shells Pasta, cooked al dente
1 Package Sprouts Old Tyme Butcher Shop Roasted Chicken Sausage
non-stick cooking spray (I used olive oil)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup of your favorite melty cheese (I used a mix of Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack and Mozzarella)
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 cup bread crumbs (recipe below)

Toasted Bread Crumbs Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning

Instructions

Begin with toasting the bread crumbs. In a small pan, add the olive oil and butter and heat until melted.
Add the panko bread crumbs and garlic, cooking over medium-low heat (and stirring often) until golden.
Remove from pan, toss with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and set aside. I usually do this step way ahead of time, since I like to have these crumbs readily available for various meals. I make it every so often to have on hand and add to dishes I like.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by cutting the sausage in half length-wise, then slicing into bite sized pieces.
Spray the skillet with cooking spray, then add the sausage.
Cook over medium heat until the sausage is browned.
In a separate pot add the Pumpkin Sauce and the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, marjoram, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat, just until warmed and spices are blended in the sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta, and then the cooked chicken sausage.
Spray a large casserole dish with non stick cooking spray, then add half of the pasta mix into a casserole dish.
Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the pasta, then top it with the other half of the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, then sprinkle the dried parsley on top. Pop in the preheated oven, setting your timer for 15 minutes (just until cheese melts).
Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake another 5 minutes or so.
Allow to cool, serve and enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/09/chicken-sausage-and-pumpkin-pasta-bake/

#TalkPumpkinToMe

Have a favorite from above in mind? Enter to win this giveaway for a $25 Sprouts Farmers Market so you can pick up some of your favorite pumpkin products!

Here’s how to enter:

Prize: One (1) $25 gift card to Sprouts Farmers Market.

Giveaway runs through the evening of October 9th.

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. You can sign into the form with Facebook, or you can use your name and email address. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sheet Pan Dinner: Chicken, Asparagus, Mushroom and Tomatoes

September 6, 2016 by MamaHarris 19 Comments

Today we’re going to chat about some good ol’ comfort foods. These are the meals you might have grown up with that make you feel good inside. These might be recipes you grew up eating or even things you make that just make you feel warm inside. Recently my husband and I attended an event in San Francisco that celebrated the New Comfort Food and discussed how comfort foods have changed and evolved over the years. It was a fascinating look into culinary trends and I found myself nodding in agreement based on my own tastes and preferences and what I see in search results for people that find their way to my recipes. This conversational lunch was hosted by Foster Farms, and I’ll be sharing the details on that lunch and what I learned. For this sponsored post I’ll be using the Foster Farms Simply Raised boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets for my Sheet Pan Dinner with Chicken, Asparagus, Mushroom and Tomatoes recipe.

So, what does comfort food mean to you? For me, it’s food that brings me great memories like my mom’s chile relleno casserole or my dad’s many different soups. It might even be a simple memory like how every time I would go to my aunt’s house, I would always go straight to her kitchen table to eat a bowl full of strawberries that were freshly picked locally so they were huge and deliciously sweet. Or how my mom and I would always enjoy half an avocado to ourselves in the kitchen with a spoon, happily devouring it. Of course, it may not just be childhood memories. My husband’s grandmother would make a delicious cherry cobbler and my mother-in-law makes a great potato salad that I covet.

I have created my own dishes that have become my own family’s comfort food. For instance, my oldest son spent a lot of his summer in Southern California and he was so homesick for my food. My husband travels sometimes for work and on one of his most recent trips he was having trouble finding restaurants that serve meals similar to mine. So, to me, comfort food feels like home. Comfort food is love too, it’s food that’s made by loved ones for loved ones. Often times through our lives we experience hard times, and making a meal we grew up eating can just make us feel better. This is evident in my comment section for some of my most popular recipes, like my chicken pot pie or my 7-Up cake. Folks want to recreate those warm and safe feelings.

My traditional views of comfort food usually involve cheese, carbs, creaminess – and tend to be heavy and filling. This would be dishes that have a lot of noodles, like chicken noodle soup, or even a good pan-full of homemade macaroni and cheese or some mashed potatoes and gravy. For me though, I also like to incorporate fresh ingredients and seasonal vegetables as well as locally sourced ingredients. This is what makes the new comfort food. I enjoy knowing where my food has come from so I love to go to the Farmer’s Markets or regional grocery stores that get their produce locally. As my kids have gotten older and my family has grown, I’ve tried to incorporate healthier options into their meals. Lots of colorful, fresh ingredients are important to me, and I like a lot of flavor.

This is all in line with how comfort food has evolved. The New Comfort Food has evolved from those traditionally heavy and rich foods to a more healthy, mindful way of eating. The feel-good meats of today feature local, fresh and premium quality ingredients that are produced with no antibiotics ever. Comfort food is now an everyday occasion instead of an indulgence. Foster Farms has seen that preferences and tastes of the consumer are changing, which is why they now offer Simply Raised chicken. Foster Farms Simply Raised is locally grown right here on the West Coast with no antibiotics ever, and is 100% vegetarian fed. Their meats are a premium ingredient that you can feel great about feeding your family and are the perfect base for your New Comfort Food meals.

For this San Francisco event, lunch was prepared by Chef Dean Rucker who specializes in West Coast cuisine with fresh ingredients. Many of the recipes prepared that day can be found on the Foster Farms New Comfort Food page, along with many other creative and beautiful recipe ideas. I have to say that my favorites for the day were definitely the Chicken and Mushroom Risotto with Swiss Chard and the Roasted Apple Chicken Salad with Hazelnuts. The flavors and texture on both dishes was exceptional without trying too hard, and both dishes were filling and light at the same time. My kind of meals!

Between all of the delicious food that was served and everything we’d discussed, I was so inspired that I wanted to share my own version of the New Comfort Food using Foster Farms Simply Raised chicken. I have this delicious spice blend rub that I came up with and love to use on meats. I instantly knew I had to use that on some boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets. This recipe is fairly easy, as I just trim any fat off the chicken and brush it lightly with some extra virgin olive oil and then rub with the spice blend. I then cover and bake it, removing the cover about halfway through. It’s always moist and delicious with a great kick of flavor from the spices. To offset the bit of heat from the spices I like to serve it with a creamy garlic lemon sauce over rice. This will have your taste buds dancing, but instead of making the sauce with heavy cream I use fat free half & half and then serve over brown rice.

I was able to turn this into a sheet pan dinner by using a large baking sheet and lining it with parchment paper. Then I put fresh seasonal vegetables on one side and the chicken on the other. This makes for a great weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup! Since asparagus takes a bit longer to cook than mushrooms and tomatoes, I just added them first and then added the mushrooms and tomatoes halfway through.

This meal definitely has all of the makings of a hearty comfort food meal, but with a few changes like brown rice, fat free half & half and lots of brightly colored seasonal veggies, it turns into a lighter meal that’s not as heavy.

Ingredients for Seasoned Chicken Thighs:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 – 2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Fillets

Ingredients for Oven Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms and Tomatoes:

1 lb asparagus, ends broken off, then cut into half
3 oz baby bella sliced mushrooms
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Lemon Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat free Half & Half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
zest + juice of one medium lemon
salt and pepper

Directions:

Begin by combining all the seasonings for the chicken spice rub. Set aside, then trim the chicken thighs into similar sizes, removing any fat if needed. Brush each piece of chicken with olive oil, then rub each side thoroughly with the spice rub. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully place all of the chicken on one half of the paper, then toss the asparagus in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and place those on the other side of the sheet. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 12-15 minutes.

While the chicken and asparagus are baking toss the mushroom and tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Once the chicken and asparagus are almost done, add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan on top of the asparagus and bake uncovered for another 12-15 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, melt the butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan. Once melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, whisking together, then slowly stir in the chicken broth. Add the half and half, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to simmer until sauce thickens and reduces just a bit. Remove from heat.

Serve as is, or over some brown and wild rice mixed with a bit of the creamy garlic lemon sauce for a full, flavorful meal.

Drizzle some of the sauce over the chicken (and rice), it perfectly balances the heat of the spice rub on the chicken thighs with smooth and creamy taste of the sauce. Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Dinner: Chicken, Asparagus, Mushroom and Tomatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Sheet Pan Dinner: Chicken, Asparagus, Mushroom and Tomatoes

Sheet Pan Dinner with Chicken, Asparagus, Mushroom, Tomatoes, brown rice and skinnier creamy garlic lemon sauce shows how The New Comfort Food has evolved!

Ingredients

Ingredients for Seasoned Chicken Thighs:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 - 2 lb Foster Farms Simply Raised Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Fillets

Ingredients for Oven Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms and Tomatoes:

1 lb asparagus, ends broken off, then cut into half
3 oz baby bella sliced mushrooms
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Lemon Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat free Half & Half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
zest + juice of one medium lemon
salt and pepper

Instructions

Begin by combining all the seasonings for the chicken spice rub.
Set aside, then trim the chicken thighs into similar sizes, removing any fat if needed.
Brush each piece of chicken with olive oil, then rub each side thoroughly with the spice rub. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Carefully place all of the chicken on one half of the paper, then toss the asparagus in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and place those on the other side of the sheet.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 12-15 minutes.
While the chicken and asparagus are baking toss the mushroom and tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Once the chicken and asparagus are almost done, add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan on top of the asparagus and bake uncovered for another 12-15 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, melt the butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan.
Once melted, slowly whisk in the flour.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, whisking together, then slowly stir in the chicken broth.
Add the half and half, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to simmer until sauce thickens and reduces just a bit.
Remove from heat.
Serve as is, or over some brown and wild rice mixed with a bit of the creamy garlic lemon sauce for a full, flavorful meal.
Drizzle some of the sauce over the chicken (and rice), it perfectly balances the heat of the spice rub on the chicken thighs with smooth and creamy taste of the sauce.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/09/sheet-pan-dinner-chicken-asparagus-mushroom-tomatoes/

What’s your favorite comfort food?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken.

Sweet & Savory Drumsticks

June 6, 2016 by MamaHarris 15 Comments

This time of year is a great one to stock up on great sales offered at grocery stores. Between Memorial Day, 4th of July and grilling season, it’s a great time to buy up some chicken. I love to get the picnic packs that have a combination of drumsticks and thighs, and right now they’re always available at a great price.

However, I don’t always want to grill. We have a great barbecue grill, but it’s a charcoal grill which means it takes some planning to get started. We also live in an are where the average summer temperature is over 100 degrees, and well.. I like to stay cool.

With all of this in mind, I created a delicious and simple recipe for those great priced chicken drumsticks without having to go in the heat to grill or turn on the oven. All you need is a good cast iron skillet, preferably one that’s been broken in and is seasoned because the sauce is a bit sticky. if you need one, look here (affiliate link). The cast iron skillet works well at a high heat and distributes the heat very well, which is necessary for this sweet and savory chicken that’s made right there in the pan on top of the stove. It’s great for a quick meal, served with some simple white rice and an easy seasonal salad. This is a great dinner, or even a lunch! And because there’s no skin to crisp, it tasted just as good reheated for the next day.

Sweet & Savory Drumsticks Ingredients:

8 drumsticks, skin peeled off
salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry ground mustard
1 teaspoon dry ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced thinly

Directions:

If needed, peel the skin off of fresh drumsticks. I find that using a paper towel to better grasp the skin helps make the process much faster. Season all sides of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
Using a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mustard, sherry, lemon juice, vinegar, dry mustard and ginger, red pepper flakes and minced garlic.

Whisk ingredients together and bring the mixture to a low boil.

Add the seasoned drumsticks and let them simmer in the sauce. Cover the pan and flip the chicken to the other side after about 15 minutes.

Once both sides have browned, turn the heat up and remove the cover. Flip the chicken every few minutes until the sauce has thicken.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.

Serve with some white rice and a seasonal salad for an easy and delicious meal. Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Drumsticks

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 2 drumsticks

Sweet & Savory Drumsticks

Sweet and savory drumsticks made easy in a cast iron skillet on the stove top! Perfect for warm weather cooking and great with rice and a quick salad.

Ingredients

8 drumsticks, skin peeled off
salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry ground mustard
1 teaspoon dry ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced thinly

Instructions

If needed, peel the skin off of fresh drumsticks. I find that using a paper towel to better grasp the skin helps make the process much faster. Season all sides of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
Using a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mustard, sherry, lemon juice, vinegar, dry mustard and ginger, red pepper flakes and minced garlic.
Whisk ingredients together and bring the mixture to a low boil.
Add the seasoned drumsticks and let them simmer in the sauce. Cover the pan and flip the chicken to the other side after about 15 minutes.
Once both sides have browned, turn the heat up and remove the cover. Flip the chicken every few minutes until the sauce has thicken.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with the chopped green onions.
Serve with some white rice and a seasonal salad for an easy and delicious meal. Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/06/sweet-savory-drumsticks/

Do you prefer grilling or quick and easy recipes made indoors?

Quick & Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

May 24, 2016 by MamaHarris 15 Comments

When I first started my little corner on the internet almost 4 years ago, I often shared easy dinners for families. To this date, a few of those are still the recipes that are heavily visited on this site. It’s no wonder, no matter how many meals I make or how many recipes I’ve added to my arsenal, sometimes I’m still clueless of what to make for dinner.

Even folks that don’t cook at home have a hard time choosing where to eat dinner at, so of course figuring out what to make is always going to be a never-ending question.

Luckily I do have a few recipes of my own that I keep in rotation when I’m short on time. Recipes like my pan-fried tilapia, my baked boneless chicken, or goulash and garlic bread to name a few. One meal that my family always enjoys is this chicken teriyaki bowl. It’s quick and easy, ready in 30 minutes or less, and it’s tasty and satisfying. Isn’t that what we all love in a weeknight family meal?

I’ve been making this meal for a few years now, tweaking a bit here and there. This recipe is a result of my favorite findings, however you’re able to add any changes. It’s quite adaptable. As written this recipe uses boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, but you could use thigh meat instead. I use whatever we have. Remember, this is not an authentic teriyaki chicken meal, it’s inspired! You can use Oregano or basil in place of the marjoram, and regular salt or pepper in place of the Himalayan pink salt or the white pepper. You can add ground ginger or switch up the veggies with others, it’s totally up to you!

I’ve also used a few brands on teriyaki sauce, but I really enjoy the Soy Vay marinade and sauce. I like that it has sesame seeds in the sauce, but if you have another sauce you prefer then by all means use it!

What I really love about this meal is that my entire family enjoys it. My older boys love it, my husband gets seconds and sometimes thirds, and even the younger boys like it. I make the chicken and veggies in separate pans because my daughter is meatless, so she just used the rice and veggies with a bit of sauce and she’s happy with that too.

Ingredients for a Quick & Easy Chicken Terriyaki Bowl:

2 cups cooked long grain white rice
prepared chicken teriyaki (see recipe below)
sautéed veggies (see recipe below)

Ingredients for Chicken Teriyaki:

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram flakes
1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients for Sautéed Veggies

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long
2 heads of fresh broccoli, stems cut off
salt and pepper
juice of one medium lemon

Directions:

Begin cooking the chicken by adding the butter and oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and stir occasionally.

While the chicken is browning, add the seasonings while continuing to stir as needed.

Once chicken is seasoned and browned, add the teriyaki sauce and make sure the chicken is well coated.

Reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the veggies.

In a separate sauté pan, add the butter and oil over medium heat and add the carrots first. Let them soften a bit before adding the broccoli. Once you add the broccoli, add the seasonings and let stir till the broccoli turns a bright green and isn’t as crunchy. Once broccoli is ready, remove the veggies from the heat as well as the chicken.

Add some of the rice to a bowl, top with a bit of veggies and then the chicken. Spoon a bit of the sauce over the bowl as well, if desired.

Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Serving Size: 1 chicken teriyaki bowl

Quick & Easy Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

This chicken teriyaki bowl is everything you could want in a weeknight meal. Quick and easy, tasty and satisfying and ready in 30 minutes or less!

Ingredients

Quick & Easy Chicken Terriyaki Bowls:

2 cups cooked long grain white rice
prepared chicken teriyaki (see recipe below)
sautéed veggies (see recipe below)

For the Chicken Teriyaki:

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram flakes
1/2 cup Soy Vey Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce

For the Sautéed Veggies:

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips about 2 inches long
2 heads of fresh broccoli, stems cut off
salt and pepper
juice of one medium lemon

Instructions

Begin cooking the chicken by adding the butter and oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken and stir occasionally.
While the chicken is browning, add the seasonings while continuing to stir as needed.
Once chicken is seasoned and browned, add the teriyaki sauce and make sure the chicken is well coated.
Reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the veggies.
In a separate sauté pan, add the butter and oil over medium heat and add the carrots first. Let them soften a bit before adding the broccoli.
Once you add the broccoli, add the seasonings and let stir till the broccoli turns a bright green and isn't as crunchy.
Once broccoli is ready, remove the veggies from the heat as well as the chicken.
Add some of the rice to a bowl, top with a bit of veggies and then the chicken.
Spoon a bit of the sauce over the bowl as well, if desired.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2016/05/quick-easy-chicken-teriyaki-bowl/

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