Chinese Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs, if desired), tenderized

Sweet tea

Soy sauce

Cornstarch

Self-rising flour

Kinder's Japanese BBQ seasoning blend (or equivalent)

Canola oil

Bottled sauce of choice

Sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Cut chicken into large bite-sized pieces.

2. In a medium bowl, mix two parts sweet tea with 1 part soy sauce, enough to cover chicken (chicken does not have to be floating in liquid, only enough to coat chicken is needed).

3. Add 1 Tblsp. seasoning blend to marinade and whisk to combine.

4. Add chicken to marinade, and toss to ensure all pieces of chicken are fully covered with marinade.

5. Cover chicken and allow it to marinade for at least an hour. Longer marinating is acceptable, but put chicken in fridge if needed.

6. In a large Ziploc bag, mix 1 cup flour with 1/2 cup cornstarch and 4 Tblsp. seasoning blend. 

7. Taste flour mixture. If you cannot taste the seasoning blend, add more, then add salt to taste. Ensure that flour mixture has seasoning and cornstarch fully incorporated.

8. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place it in the Ziploc bag.

9. Seal the Ziploc, and work the chicken around in the flour mixture through the bag until each piece is coated.

10. In a non-stick skillet, put enough Canola oil to cover chicken pieces. Heat on high until a piece of chicken placed in the skillet sizzle slightly.

11. Fill skillet with chicken pieces. Let them brown slightly for a minute, then turn heat down to medium-high.

12. Fry chicken pieces, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until done (usually 5-7 minutes).

13. Remove chicken from skillet, shake a little salt on them, and drain on paper-towel-lined tray.

14. Continue frying until all chicken pieces are cooked.

15. In another skillet, heat the bottled sauce with a little water, whisking to incorporated.

16. Add chicken pieces, and toss to coat. Remove from heat.

17. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds.

18. Serve over aromatic rice. Can sauté sliced onions, colored peppers, broccoli, spinach, green onions and other vegetables with seasoning blend and serve alongside, as well.

Steph's Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderized

Whole milk Greek yogurt, plain (no sugar)

Steph's Greek seasoning blend

Pickle juice, pepperoncini or banana pepper juice, lemon juice, or oil/vinegar-based dressing

Preparation:

1. Place 1/4 cup Greek yogurt per chicken breast (unless chicken breasts are small) into a mixing bowl. The goal is to have an amount of Greek yogurt that will generously coat each piece of chicken on both sides.

2. Add 2 Tblsp. juice or dressing per 1/4 cup yogurt, and stir together with whisk.

3. Taste mixture, then add seasoning blend to taste. Mixture should be strong in flavor, but not exceptionally salty.

4. Whisk mixture until seasoning is evenly distributed.

5. Coat each chicken breast in the yogurt mixture, massaging the mixture into the chicken. 

6. Place into a container with a lid that can seal tightly, and pour/spread remaining mixture into container. Nestle chicken down into remaining mixture. There should be an excess of the mixture to surround the chicken.

7. Close container, and place in fridge for at least 4 hours. Chicken can stay in the yogurt mixture safely for several days.

8. When ready to cook, heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat.

9. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off (do not wipe) excess, as the extra yogurt will coagulate when cooked.

10. Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and a generous amount of the dry seasoning blend.

11. Place chicken in hot skillet to sear, then flip and sear other side.

12. Turn heat down to medium. Place a cast iron press on top of chicken (if available), and continue to cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is done.

13. Remove chicken from pan and let meat rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing.

14. Serve with dill/tzatzeki dip, hummus, lemon, black beans, aromatic rice, olives, grilled or sautéed peppers, pepperoncini, brined red pepper slices and pita, as desired.

Steph's Greek Seasoning Blend

Ingredients:

6 parts Tone's rosemary and garlic seasoning blend

6 parts Tone's lemon pepper

2 parts dill weed

2 parts parsley

1 part basil

1 part garlic salt

1 part marjoram

1/2 part nutmeg

1/2 part thyme

1/2 part mint

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients together.

2. Place in spice blender, and pulse until mixture is halfway ground - leave some "big" parts.

3. Store in airtight container.

Vicki's Pickle Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened

3-4 Vlasic Farmer's Garden Kosher pickle spears, diced

1/3 cup pickle juice from pickle spear jar

1 tsp. garlic powder or garlic salt, or to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix pickle juice and softened cream cheese, and stir until smooth.

2. Add diced pickles (can add some of the red pepper pieces from the pickle mix, if desired) to cream cheese mixture and stir.

3. Add garlic powder/salt, as desired.

4. Continue adding pickle juice, if desired, until dip is at preferred consistency.

5. Serve with chips or crackers.