Onion Chicken

Whenever we go to California my Mother In Law makes the most amazing food for us. I feel like we are feasting every single day we are there. This last year was a little different because she had to plan special things for just me to eat while everyone else ate the normal deliciousness. But trust me I was not hurting for anything delicious. The food she prepared was so so yummy! The very first night she made me Chicken with Onions. I had never had this before and let me tell you it was my new favorite way to have chicken. So simple and delicious! I asked her how she made it and she told me. I added a little garlic powder and used some cooking wine we had left over and mmmmm yum! It was so good we are having it again next week.

All you need is:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Butter (I used my soy free butter)
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
One onion cut into strips
1/2 Cup Cooking Wine or Chicken Broth

Here is what you do:

Season Chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on each side. I just did a few shakes here a few shakes there type of deal.

Sautee 1 sliced  Onion over medium heat (Slice into strips) in 2 tablespoons of butter until onion is nice and golden and caramelized. Remove onion from skillet but leave remaining butter.

Add the cooking wine or broth to the pan and sauté chicken for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked through turning half way through to brown on both sides. Add the onions back into the pan and serve chicken with onions on top.

Tips from Kj:

I am always game for adding mushrooms to things like this. Adding some mushrooms would be the perfect touch! Or any vegetable really.

Add a little garlic in with the onions! Yum!

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Mandarin Chicken

I love Mandarin Chicken at Panda Express…the only problem is that I have a HARD time with fatty pieces of chicken…or of anything for that matter. Sometimes at Panda the mandarin chicken has fatty pieces. But they are disguised!! So I’ll be happily eating my chicken and then eek I am chewing on a piece of fat. Haha Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t handle that. One. Little. Bit. Instead I die. I am so picky about my meat eating that if we are having KFC Mark picks all of the chicken off of the bone to me and puts only the completely white pieces on my plate. In general if meat has bones in it,  I won’t eat it. It is something I get teased about a lot but it is just part of who I am.
I have mentioned this before I think probably 3 times now that we can’t go out to eat Chinese food because of Jayden’s allergies and Chinese being full of Soy. So yay no fatty panda Mandarin Chicken. I don’t have to worry about it! But if you only knew how much I ADORE Panda Express. Chinese food is my best friend. And I miss it. Yesterday we were craving Chinese and I told Mark to choose one recipe from Panda and I’d try to re-create it.
Enter tonight's dinner. I made enough for us to have this twice. We ate both dinners worth in ONE night. It was amazing, delicious, wonderful, fabulous, and I am making it again tomorrow!

I had to make a home made “soy sauce’ for this and this is how I made it. It actually worked great!

Soy Sauce:
1 1/2 Cups Water
1/8 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp Beef Broth
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Ginger
Shake of Pepper

Mix all together and simmer for about 10 minutes in a saucepan. You can use this in any recipe that calls for Soy Sauce!

Now for the Ingredients for the Mandarin:

2 Chicken Breasts Cut into Strips and Seared (We used our George Foreman Grill but you could brown them in the pan before mixing the sauce)
In a saucepan mix the following ingredients together:
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce (Or your substitute)
1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/8 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Cup Water
2 tsp Corn Starch
2/3 Cup Sugar
Add the chicken breasts and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve with rice, fried rice, chow mien noodles. Whatever floats your boat!

Tips from Kj:

DOUBLE this recipe because you will eat it all the first night. It is that good.

I add mushrooms to everything I think. And I am thinking about adding mushrooms when I make it tomorrow. And probably broccoli. That is one thing I love about Chinese food. Pretty much anything goes!

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Chinese Chicken

A couple of days ago Mark was asking me what we were going to have for dinner and I told him that I wanted CHINESE! He laughed at me and said, "That isn't going to happen" because...chinese food is loaded with Soy Sauce. I have not had an ounce of chinese food in almost 3 months and I was in dire need. You are talking to a girl who normally has a "Panda Express Craving" about once a month.

He was talking to a determined girl and I decided I was going to make it happen! I searched and searched for a soy sauce substitute. To no avail. Not because they don't exist but because I had a lack of ingredients on hand. So I decided to just wing it.

When we were done eating my husband said,"Did you write this down? Because you need to remember it and make it again!"

Lucky for him I did write it down. And it was delicious. And I want to make it every week...for the next 6 months. :)

Here is what you need for the sauce:

1 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tablespoon Balsalmic Vinegar
1 tsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Ginger
1 small can crushed pineapple

1 Tablespoon Oil
2 Cloves Garlic Minced

2 Tablespoons Water + 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch Mixed

8 Small Button Mushrooms Sliced

In a small saucepan heat the oil on medium and cook the garlic until nice and golden and delicious. Then add all of the other above ingredients. (I mixed them beforehand-leaving the water/cornstarch separate until putting it in the pan) Turn heat down so it is just at a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

While that is simmering you need to make your chicken. Defrost 1lb. of chicken and cut into cubes.

Dip in a batter made up of:

2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice

Warm up 1/3 cup of oil and add 1/2 of an onion cut into strips. Fry the onion for about 3 minutes on its own. Once the chicken is coated add it to the oil and onion.
Fry in about 1/3 cup of oil until golden brown and chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice. Smother chicken in the delicious sauce.

I am serious people. Even if you are not Chinese food deprived you will want to eat this again and again. We were so sad when our leftovers were gone.

Tips from Kj:


You could add even more things to the sauce mixture. Mandarin oranges, green peppers, celery, the onion, zucchini etc. Anything you want just think Chinese stir fry and put it into the sauce. Pin It