Brittany's PantryCheeze-It Chicken
Brittany wrote this on 7 June 2011
chicken, dijon mustard
Yup! Its a bright orange dinner.
Years ago, as I was paging through the now extinct magazine, Gourmet, I came across a recipe that consisted of brushing chicken with mustard and dredging it in crushed Cheez-It crackers. There was more to the recipe-I think spinach might have been involved somehow-but those three ingredients are what I took away from the article. Of course, I was mildly surprised that a magazine like that would include a recipe with ingredients that could be found in a frat house kitchen. But when a food combo is good, well, it is just good.
This recipe, if you can even call it that, reminds me that food doesn’t always need to be taken seriously. Sometimes fast, fun, and tasty are exactly the traits I am looking for when cooking for my family.
This is inexpensive and fast to throw together. Enlist the help of the kids or a spouse to crush up the crackers. Or better yet, do it the night before and save yourself a step when you are trying to get dinner thrown together. Either way, if you are making this for one person, or ten, it is equally easy. And you will have the satisfaction of knowing that somewhere out there, the elite chefs from the Gourmet test kitchen are getting neon orange crumbs all over their kitchen floor too.
Cheez-It Chicken
Just for the record, I would just like to say, I don’t like Cheez-Its. And don’t panic if you don’t like mustard. It is the combo of the two that makes this good. They balance each other with subtle notes of salt and…Oh heck. Who am I kidding. Its crackers and mustard. Just try it. This serves two adults and two munchkins with a bit leftover.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips, or the same amount of chicken tenderloins
1-2 T Dijon mustard
2 c Cheez-It crackers, crushed
In a small bowl, toss the chicken and mustard together until well coated. If you really love mustard, go ahead and add a little more. Dredge chicken in cracker crumbs. Bake on a parchment or foil (sprayed) lined sheet pan at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until just done. Small strips of chicken will cook fast and dry out if overcooked so don’t leave the kitchen for long. For this recipe, I test the chicken by using a secret method that has been passed down through my family for generations and generations. I take a fork and cut one in half.
How To: Freeze Berries
Brittany wrote this on 5 June 2011 blackberries, blueberries, gluten-free, How To, raspberries
Berries! Specifically, blueberries! Tis the season for these healthy, antioxidant rich fruits to hit the shelves of your local market in abundance. And while I know we all love to enjoy them fresh and right out of the container, it is definitely worth it to save some of that goodness for those times of the year when summer berries are a distant memory. When food is in season, any food, it has better flavor, is less expensive, and in some cases, even has more nutritional value. The environmental impact is less as well when you are buying fruits picked a few days prior from the next county(or if you are blessed enough to have a local farmer’s market nearby, that same day) instead of the grapes you buy in January that are shipped in from Peru.
I am generally a big fan of freezing foods for future use, but I really love to freeze berries. I fold them into muffins and coffee cake all winter long and their superior flavor exudes summer when I dump them into a smoothie while the snow falls out my window.
So plan ahead! You will be so glad you did. Follow these steps and avoid the block-o-berries that may result if you just pop them in the freezer as is. This is how you do it.
Pick over the berries as soon as you get them home. Toss or compost any that are moldy or crushed. Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries work the best and there should be no need to wash them first. As always, buy organic if you can. Due to their thin skins, berries absorb pesticides more than other fruits, but that is a lecture for a different day.
Dump the berries onto a dry sheet pan in a single layer. Freeze for several hours or overnight. The berries will move freely and become individual little ‘rocks’ that won’t stick together.
Transfer the fruit into resealable freezer bags and label. I like to make sure I know at a glance which ones are the oldest in my freezer so the phrases ‘use first’ and ‘use last’ are often scribbled on the bags somewhere.
Enjoy!
My sister-in-law must be psychic. I made these scones just when she requests a recipe for anything coffee flavored. I didn’t want to waste any time posting this for her, and well, all of the rest of you that are just a little bit addicted to the brew! I don’t blame her one bit, but usually prefer my coffee, in any form, accompanied by chocolate. Truthfully, I prefer just about anything accompanied by chocolate…hence, these scones.
Yes, for those of you who follow this blog regularly, this recipe was part of my ‘scone phase’. My husband especially was beyond thrilled when I started to develop a recipe for a coffee pastry, but I surprised myself by dreaming about them in my sleep. If I was a fan before, I am a down right stalker now! Everything changed when I decided to add cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and my test testers (and a few lucky ladies at the local salon) agreed. Honestly, I feel like there may still be something missing with them, but I eat them too fast to really contemplate changing the recipe any time soon. And once I came up with a combo that worked, I stuck with it. These are moist, decadent, and the perfect treat to serve with brunch. I wonder how well they would ship to my sister-in-law in MN…
Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
Recipe modified 7/24/12
The key is to work the dough as little as possible, and you will have a tender scone. However, this recipe is pretty forgiving so don’t stress out about it. If you find the dough a little dry at first, let it rest a minute to allow the liquid to absorb some of the flour and then continue.
2 c flour
1 T cocoa
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c chocolate chips
1 1/4 c c heavy cream
1 tsp instant coffee powder
In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the cream and instant coffee. Set aside, stirring occasionally to dissolve the powder. In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Pour the cream and coffee mixture in (I scrape the cup with a rubber spatula to get every drop!) and stir carefully with a fork, just until clumps start to form. With clean hands, gather the dough together in a ball, turning and pressing to mix it completely, but as gently as possible. Put the dough onto a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and flatten into a large disc about an inch and a half thick. With a knife, cut the dough into 8 pie shaped pieces and separate evenly on the pan. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until raised and evenly golden brown. *Optional: Before popping the pan in the oven, brush the tops of the scones with a bit more cream and sprinkle with sugar.
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
