Less than 2 years ago, knowing about the unique symptoms that women can experience during a heart attack, is what prompted me to go the hospital and then receive the cardiac catheterization and angioplasty that saved my life!
Those lifesaving procedues gave me an incredible opportunity just two short months ago in December, when I was able to be present at the birth of our first grandchild. And with God's Grace, an amazing team of world class physicians and an even better understanding of how best to take care of my body and to manage my ongoing health issues (like Lupus), I hope plan to be around long enough to watch my grandson grow into an amazing young man and to maybe even have the opportunity to hold our first great grandchild just as close to that same strongly beating heart.
Heart Disease is the number 1 killer of women in our world today. It's symptoms can vary greatly from those of a man in the same position. If you would like to learn more about those symptoms and how to best help prevent them from ever happening to you, just click on the link in my sidebar. (or if you're viewing this on a mobile device click HERE.)
I'll be wearing my RED today!
Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!
Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the"Print Friendly"button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!
When I make my Easy Crispy Chicken Fingers as a meal, I always like to serve something to go along with them. And what goes better with chicken fingers than fries? Well, this can be a bit of a problem, if you attempt to make a batch of traditional "fried" fries, because you have to do one of two things... you'll have to either use two large skillets that are half filled with hot oil on your stove top at one time, or if you have one of the stand alone deep fryers, you have to cook one thing first and keep it warm in the oven, while you cook the other.
My solution? I bake my fries in the oven! And trust me, you won't miss out on the contrasting textures of a crisp, yet tender potato, (which let's face it, are the best part about fried potatoes) by doing it my way. They still come out crispy, brown and delicious on the outside and have the same tender creamy, potato-y goodness on the inside. (If potato-y is even a word? lol)
I promise you... once you've made a big batch of my seasoned oven baked fries this way, I think you'll want to continue to make them this way, again and again.
Seasoned Oven Baked Potato Wedges (serves 4)
4 Large Russet Potatoes
2 Tbls Vegetable of Light Olive Oil
2 Tbls All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tsp Garlic Powder or 1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt w/Parsley
2 Tsp Kosher Salt, divided
1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash your potatoes well under cold water and pat them dry with some clean paper towels.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then slice each half into wedges. Depending on the size of the potatoes, you can usually get roughly 6 wedges out of each half. You certainly don't have to measure them, but you do want to keep them as close to the same size as you can, just to make sure that they cook at an even rate.
3. Place your potato wedges in a large pan or bowl and drizzle them with the oil. Toss them well with your hands, so that all of the wedges are coated with it. If there's any oil that has puddled or accumulated in the bottom of the dish, pour most of that off. You want the potatoes coated well, but not swimming in the oil.
4. Season the potatoes with your salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and toss them well again to make sure the seasonings are well distributed. (If using the Garlic Salt with Parsley, use only 1/2 Tsp)
*Tip:Fresh ground black pepper is so much more flavorful than the pre-ground options that have been around all these years. Even small diners and mom & pop sandwich shops, are putting pepper grinders (often similar to the one above) on the tables these days. Many pre-ground peppers state clearly on the label that they contain fillers, but they don't ever list exactly what those fillers are. Foodie "insiders" have speculated for years, that one of the more popular fillers that manufacturers use is... sawdust. Now, I don't know how much validity there is to that, but if you do a side by side taste test, the pre-ground stuff has no flavor at all, when compared to the fresh, so...?
*Tip cont'd:You can use any combination of seasonings that you like. I just kept mine simple, because I didn't want the potatoes to compete with (or overshadow) the rest of the food. I wouldn't recommend using fresh herbs prior to cooking, though because they can burn and become bitter. But, if you want to add a little bright, fresh flourish to them, you can chop up and sprinkle on a bit of fresh parsley, chives, etc., shortly after the potatoes come out of the oven.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and toss them again, making sure that each wedge has a thin coating of the oil, flour and seasonings on it.
6. I let the potatoes sit for 2 to 3 minutes and then give them another good toss. I do this maybe 2 more times, just to make sure that the oil, flour and seasonings thicken up a bit as it all sits together. It doesn't add much time to the overall process, but it ensures a more even coating on your potatoes.
7. Spread the potato wedges out, skin side down, onto a foil lined baking sheet. Try not to overlap any of them and if you have more pieces than will easily fit on a single sheet, just divide them up equally between 2 sheets.
8. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes (this will depend on how many you're making and how hot your oven runs), taking them out and turning them once or twice during the cooking process. I find that it's best to use a thin spatula to do this so that you can get under any of the skin that might be starting to stick to the foil. You can also spray your foil with a little cooking oil spray, if you want a little added insurance against possible sticking.
9. Continue to bake, until the wedges are nicely browned and fork tender. Again, check them now & then because oven temps vary. I made these while we were at our daughter's house and her oven took about 5 minutes longer for them to reach the desired color and doneness, than it takes in my own oven here at home.
10. As soon as the potatoes come out of the oven, make sure to hit them with a bit more salt and/or any of the other seasonings you like. For a little kick you can add a little cayenne pepper, or to give them another layer of flavor and texture, a quick grating of a nice sharp Cheddar or a little Parmesan cheese. This will take these potatoes to a whole 'nother level! Be bold! Experiment! But, most of all....
Enjoy!
Mary
Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!
Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the"Print Friendly"button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!
OK... I'll admit it. I'm not a football fan. I never have been. I have however, attended and thrown my fair share of Superbowl parties over the years. Hey! Let's not judge, OK?! I mean, not everyone loves watching sports, but who doesn't love going to parties where you get to hang out with good friends and chow down on all manner of awesome, guilty pleasure inducing munchies? Oh, and the funny or cute, or much loved, three Kleenex commercials that make you smile and cry at the same time. Oh, and there are those spectacular half-time shows that don't exactly stink. ;)
But... let's focus on the food, shall we? For me, there's one particular party food that draws my immediate attention and gets my mouth watering, whenever I see it on a buffet table and that my friends, is chicken. Yum-MEE! And I'm talking about pretty much any form of chicken you can think of. It can be a big pile of sticky, succulent wings, or cheesy, gooey Buffalo chicken dip, or my all time fave... a great big platter of tender, juicy, crunchy chicken fingers and the myriad of delicious dipping sauces that usually accompany them!
There are several ways that you can prepare these golden brown strips of tender boneless chicken and I've tried many of them over the years, but this method is the one that stuck and became my "go-to" recipe, way back when I still had a finicky teen at home who would have consumed nothing but boxed macaroni & cheese and fast food on a daily basis, if I'd let her.
You don't need a huge fry-o-lator like the one they use in restaurants. All you need is a large skillet and a light vegetable or peanut oil to prepare these crunchy golden brown goodies.
Easy Homemade Crispy Chicken Fingers (Serves 4 - 6 as a main course)
4 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Cups All Purpose Flour *see note
4 Large Eggs
2 Cups Plain Dried Bread Crumbs *see note
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Ground Thyme
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Hot Sauce (optional)
A Light Oil, for frying (Peanut oil works best, if you have it)
*Notes: It's hard to know the exact measurements you'll need because it depends on how much chicken you start out with, how much of the flour and bread crumbs is going to adhere to each piece, etc. You might need a little more or a little less, but 2 Cups is a good starting point.
Whenever you're frying food, the very first thing you need to do is to make room for your "breading station". You'll want to clear off a good sized area of your counter top as close to your stove top as your kitchen allows, so that you can line up your chicken, flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. Next, it's time to prepare each one of the things that you'll be using in that process.
1. Cut your chicken breasts into strips of equal (or as close as possible) size and place them into a mixing bowl or high sided dish of some kind. I didn't actually photograph this process, because I wasn't initially thinking about it as a possible blog post. I doubt that I need to show 99.9% of you how to do that, anyway. :)
2. Drizzle the chicken strips with a tablespoon or two of light olive or vegetable oil and then season it with 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme. Toss everything together well, so that all of the chicken strips are coated with both oil and seasonings.
*Tip: If things don't seem to be mixing evenly, you can add a little more oil. Just add it in small increments, until all of the chicken is coated nicely. As it is with so many things, you can always add that little extra, but you can't take the excess away quite as easily.
3. In another shallow bowl or baking dish, crack your eggs and beat them well with a fork, then season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. If you like your chicken with a little added kick, this would be the perfect place to add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
*Tip:We're split down the middle in this house. Hubbs loves spicy, but I don't. Around here and throughout the many years I've been entertaining, I've found that the best way to please everyone's palate, is to put out a few bold and spicy condiments and dipping sauces and a few mild ones. That way, people can add as much or as little kick as they like, on their own plate. Just be sure to label the sauces, so that people know exactly what they're getting!
4. In a third shallow bowl, add your 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups of flour, breaking up any overly large lumps with your clean fingers or a fork.
5. Season the flour with about 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder (or garlic salt, if that's all you have on hand) and give it a good stir. A fork will work just fine, but if you have a small whisk, that works a bit better. Just remember to whisk gently, so that you and your counter top don't end up wearing half of it! LOL
*Tip:You might need a bit more or less flour, depending on how many tenders you're making and how much clings to each piece of chicken as you go through the breading process. If you run out, just add a little more flour and seasoning to the bowl as needed.
6. Pour the breadcrumbs out onto a plate with slightly raised sides or into a shallow bowl.
*Tip:I don't use seasoned breadcrumbs and I don't add any of my own. The chicken itself is already well seasoned from step 1 and the eggs and flour have been seasoned as well, so it really isn't necessary You can add a little salt & pepper if you really want to, but I wouldn't recommend adding any herbs or any more granulated powders, etc., because they can burn and become bitter in the hot oil.
7. Now you can start heating your oil and setting up your breading station. As I mentioned at the start of this recipe, try to get the assorted plates and bowls as close to your stove top as you can and also in the order that you'll be using them.
*Tip: If you don't have a lot of counter space, you just have to use the space that you have. As you can see, my breading station was partially comprised of the side of the stove top that wasn't being used to cook something else. I made these while I was at my daughter's house and most of the counter top closest to the stove had been commandeered for a drying rack filled with freshly washed baby bottles for our new grandson! :)
8. Using tongs (or your very clean fingers) dip each piece of chicken into the flour, turning it several times to coat it evenly.
*Tip: If you do decide to do this by hand, which is perfectly acceptable, just make sure to keep one had "wet" and one hand "dry". As you can see in each of these photos, the breading ingredients have a tendency to build up on whatever tool you are using. With the tongs, I just wiped the ends clean with a clean piece of paper towel after every couple of pieces. I've added a short video, showing how this is done at the bottom of the post.
9. Dip the chicken into the beaten egg mixture, again turning it to fully coat to with the egg.
10. Finally, roll the chicken in the bread crumbs, coating it fully.
*Tip: You can complete these steps with all of your chicken pieces first and lay them out on a clean baking sheet or platter until they're all done and ready to be fried. It's not a bad idea if you have the space, because it gives the coating longer time to fully adhere to the meat. The plus side to that is that helps to keep it from falling off in spots during the frying.
11. Pour enough of your oil into the skillet to come up about 1/2 inch and heat it for 3 or 5 minutes on medium to medium high heat. The oil should be hot, but not smoking. The optimal temperature for frying is about 350 degrees F. If you have a candy thermometer around you can test the oil to see if it's hot enough. Just make sure not to let the silver bulb at the bottom of the thermometer touch the bottom of the skillet, or you'll get a false reading.
12. Place several pieces of chicken into the skillet and let them be for about a minute before you begin turning them. Turn them 2 or 3 times until the chicken feels firm to the touch and the breading is golden brown and crispy.
You can place the cooked chicken fingers in a baking dish or on a large platter or cookie sheet and keep them warm in a 250 degree oven while you are finishing up the batches. If your oven has a "warm" setting, just use that.
On this particular night, I served these chicken fingers as a meal along with my Oven Baked Seasoned Potato Wedges and a tossed green salad, but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, they make an awesome finger food or appetizer on game days or for children's (or adult's) birthday parties.
Enjoy!
Mary
Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!
Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the"Print Friendly"button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!
