Sandra's Easy Cooking

It is a long weekend over here, so Happy Labor Day everyone! Let us start on Friday with fried chicken.

I love it, but I tend to stay away from it as much as possible. Well, I feel always so guilty after eating it, but I keep repeating everything in moderation and it will be okay. I am working hard to burn those calories off so I can eat more yummy things.

It makes me happy though when I bite my teeth into crunchy skin; it is like all the worries go away, the sun shines, you can hear “aaaaa” and I feel that comfort… comfort of happy moments from my childhood.

Chicken recipes are incredibly popular and versatile for family meals for several reasons. First and foremost, chicken is a lean and affordable source of protein, making it a healthy option for any meal.

Additionally, chicken has a mild flavor that pairs well with a variety of ingredients and seasonings, allowing for endless possibilities when it comes to flavor combinations.

Chicken is also incredibly versatile in terms of cooking methods. It can be grilled, baked, roasted, sautéed, or like in this recipe, fried. Each cooking method imparts its own unique flavor and texture to the chicken, allowing for a wide range of culinary experiences.

It can be used in a wide range of cuisines, making it a great choice for families with diverse tastes. Whether you’re craving Italian, Mexican, Asian, or Mediterranean flavors, there is a chicken recipe to suit every palate.

From classic dishes like roasted chicken and chicken noodle soup to more adventurous recipes like chicken curry or chicken enchiladas, there is a chicken recipe to satisfy every member of the family.

Click Here For More Tasty Chicken Recipes

Recipes using chicken are often quick and easy to prepare, making them a practical choice for busy families.

Whether it’s a simple baked chicken breast or a more complex chicken curry, most chicken recipes require minimal time and effort. This Double Fried Chicken is simple and satisfying. Serve it with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes for the best effects. Trust me! It is one of my family’s favorite meals.

I have many recipes on my blog using chicken but what is one more recipe, right?! We don’t eat a lot of fried food but when we crave it I make this tasty friend chicken.

I hope you try making my double friend chicken, and if you do, please tag me on Instagram, interest, or Facebook using tag @sandraseasycooking

Happy Cooking!

Amazon Affiliate links:  You can use WOK to fry chicken or get a pro fryer. 

Yield: 8

Double Fried Chicken

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Ingredients

• 1 3 4 lb. Chicken cut into 10 pieces,
• 1.5 cups Corn Starch
• 2 Large egg
• 2.5 cups All-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper or Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
• Oil for frying, read notes

Brine:

• 1 gallon Water
• 1/2 cup Salt
• 5 Garlic Cloves crushed
• 1/2 Onion roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Wash and cut chicken into about 10 pieces, cut any fat or even skin if you prefer. Fill a large pot of water and stir in salt, garlic, and scallions; mix so the salt can get dissolved. Place chicken in and cover. Let it brine for 15 minutes at room temperature (If you plan to cook it later, do not let it brine over 15 minutes on the countertop, it should be placed in the fridge to brine because of the bacteria).
2. Drain water through a colander, then, wash chicken just a bit with cold water. Use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken.
3. Use three bowls or plates, in one corn starch, in the other one beaten eggs, and in the third one flour (with corn starch, Cayenne pepper or Chili Powder, salt, garlic powder)
4. Toss chicken to coat on all sides with corn starch, and place on one plate until ready for the next step.
5. If you have an oil thermometer, heat oil to 300 to 325 degrees F, if you do not use a little cube of white bread, then drop it into the oil if it browns in a minute, then the oil is ready; Also choose a deep, or very heavy skillet to fry food if you do not have a deep fryer (I used Wok, but it’s up to you). Add oil to the cold pan, leaving a head-space, or space at the top of the pan, of at least 3-4 inches. This allows a safety margin when the oil bubbles up as the food is added.
6. Now, dip coated with corn starch chicken into the egg mixture, then in flour. Shake a bit to remove excess flour and drop carefully into hot oil.
7. Cook chicken until golden and cooked about 70 percent through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a wire cooling rack and continue with the remaining chicken
8. To make it extra crispy you will drop the chicken again to fry. The second time heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Carefully drop chicken again to fry and should take until chicken is completely dark golden brown, about 3 minutes per side and the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees.
9. Remove onto paper towels and serve immediately. It can be also placed in a warmed-up (200 degrees F) oven to keep the chicken warm until ready to be served. The best if you place it on the cookie wire rack over a baking pan, and then in the warm oven.

Notes

OILS for frying: Canola, refined (Neutral flavor, good all-purpose oil) Canola-olive oil blend (Convenient for cooks who like olive oil but want higher heat tolerance)
Almond, refined (Clean, neutral flavor and a high-heat wonder)
Grapeseed, refined (Clean, neutral taste. Emerald green color).
* source: www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/
You can use this method and brine for chicken breast fillets or wings if you do not wish to make the whole chicken.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

SCHOOOOOLLLL!!! Is starting tomorrow for us!!! Don’t know if I hate it, or like it…HA!!! Who am I kidding? I love it!!! Doing my happy dances all day…

I know I will miss our mornings soon, but as far as of right this moment, it is a happy day indeed for “moi”…

Like I said before I started planning and testing recipes with my kids. So far it’s been good, and they loved each of them. This one was a winner today, so I thought to post it.

My daughter, Anna loves when I make funny faces for her lunch boxes, and I’m planning to post soon something more for boys.

My oldest one loves these, but he would never ever take it to school. Instead, I mix rice and peas, with few sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds and drizzle of sesame oil and he is a happy camper.

That’s when they step into the teenage stage…nothing cute could be offered!!! 

Again, I have to say that you DO NOT have to make the same exact lunch box. I started with this to inspire and motivate others to start, because school lunches are…ahhh~ how to put it, hm! Well, they are pretty disgusting!

Click here for more lunch box ideas

There, I said it again out loud! But it’s the truth, and I get so mad at myself when I don’t make a lunch box for them. Usually, I bring later to school and around lunch time, if I forgot to prepare night before.

I guess I can say that I am lucky one that can work on her own pace, so I do always have time to enjoy lunchtime with kids at school.

Q: What Box is safe for me and my child?
A: Look for the boxes that have clear written label that they are BPA FREE just in case if they are plastic- BPA stands for bisphenol. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s.

Seeking out BPA-free products may not always be easy to do. Some manufacturers do label their products as BPA-free, but some do not. If a product isn’t labeled, keep in mind that most aluminum cans or bottles have linings that contain BPA, while steel bottles or can do not. Polycarbonate plastic is generally hard, clear, lightweight plastic. It often has the No. 7 recycling symbol on the bottom. (source Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.from Mayo-clinic)

◾ When you are making food at night for the next day lunch boxes make sure about the box like mentioned above. Always preheat food after taking it out of the fridge, let it cool down a bit then close the lid. 

◾ IF you are using seasoned PANKO bread crumbs, be careful how much seasoning/salt you are using on chicken. If your breadcrumbs are plain to make sure to season it. TASTE and see!!! 

◾ For this, I used long grain rice, but it is best if you use short grain premium rice. The best results.

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Lunch Box: Oven-Baked Panko Chicken

For 2 Lunch Boxes

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp. Oil
• 1 1/2 Cup Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/3 tsp. Chili Flakes *optional
• 1 Tbsp. heaping Grated Parmesan
• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1-2 Eggs
• Salt or another seasoning just a sprinkle

Other ingredients used:

• A dip of your choice ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.
• 1 Cup Cooked Rice for each lunch box -for the facial features: seaweed  bologna, eng. cucumber skin, toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup of cooked Peas
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes cherry
• Cucumber
• Watermelon/Blueberry or any other fruit

Instructions

1. few minutes, until golden on medium temperature. Set aside.
2. Cut chicken into long thin strips; season it just a little with salt or any other seasoning that you like(I used about few pinches of Kick’s Chicken® Seasoning on all)
3. Mix eggs and dip each chicken strip into mixed eggs. You can also dip on all sides into all-purpose flour (if you desire) before dipping it into mixed eggs, but I skipped that part -you are more than welcome to do it.
4. After dipping into mixed eggs, roll the chicken strip into the toasted breadcrumbs. It should be coded on all sides.
5. Place chicken into well greased baking pan/nonstick baking pan/or lined with parchment paper.
6. Place a baking pan into a fridge for 15 minutes or 10 minutes into a freezer. (it could be also in the freezer overnight, just make sure to place it in airtight ‘freezer’ safe container)
7. Preheat the oven on 350°F-375°F-depending on your oven (180°C-190°C/4-5 Gas)
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until food/chicken thermometer reads 160-170°F (according to by food safety.gov)
9. Take it out and cover with a paper kitchen towel until ready to be packed. Also, it could be placed in a container with a fitted lid, and in the fridge after it has been cooled down.

Recipe Notes

• For the rice apple face, I had molds but you can use any mold if you have it, or you could make a rice ball too. For the facial features, I used dry seaweed for the eyes, bologna for the cheeks, and nose. Tomato for the lips.
• Toasted sesame seeds for the freckles. For more tips on how to make rice for fun decorative bentos CLICK HERE
• My Amazon Store with Fun Items HERE

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Even though I did not have cabbage in my garden to make Cabbage and Barley Rice Soup I was still so excited that my garden produced beautiful veggies.

Still, it was fantastic to pick some fresh produce and cook with it for my family.

Those green monsters, as well as bunnies and birds, ate a lot of it.

I guess that’s okay, next time I will be more prepared as this was my first real-real garden.

Most of the ingredients that you see in the pictures are either from our garden or organic. By the way, those yummy red tomatoes are from my neighbour.

TAP HERE FOR MORE TASTY SOUP RECIPE IDEAS

They have the sweetest and juiciest tomatoes ever, so he always brings us during summertime. Don’t I have the best neighbour?

I just wish mine turn out like that. Seriously, they are so good that I eat them like an apple.

I really hope you give this simple soup a try because it is delicious, but I understand that it is not everybody’s cup of tea.

I need something spicy with it for example to give more heat and flavour, my daughter loves it with onions and boys to dip bread in and eat it with pickles.

If you are a cabbage lover, this soup is for you, plus it is very healthy and light.

On the other hand, you CAN add bacon, smoked sausage/meat in it to give you that smoky flavour.

We love it like that too, and it is not bad at all however since we try to have sometimes clean meals, I omitted bacon or any meat.

CHECK OUT OTHER CABBAGE RECIPES

So it is truly very healthy soup. However, you may add any meat that you wish. These few days have been a little colder than usual.

Actually, it’s very unusual to have a temp in 70’s F in mid of July so comforting soup is just what we needed.

Now, if you don’t like barley rice, you can add few cubed potatoes, brown rice, lentils or rice, but we love barley so that’s why I am adding it most often.

If you get inspired and make Cabbage and Barley Rice Soup, please tag me on Instagram. @sandraseasycooking with hashtag #sandraseasycooking. Thank you!

Yield: Serves 4

Cabbage and Barley Rice Soup

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Yummy and easy Cabbage and Barley Rice Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/2 Onion chopped (any onion will do)
• 2 medium carrots sliced
• 1 celery rib chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 lb Cabbage Head sliced
• 2 cups of Beef broth/vegetable or chicken
• 2 cups Water
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 {Beef} Bouillon Cube
• 1 tsp. Red Hot Chili Pepper Flakes Korean gochugaru
• 1 cup Barley Rice
• 1 dried Bay Leaf

Instructions

1. In a large pot add oil and saute chopped onion for few minutes, then add carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute all together for additional few minutes.
2. Add Sliced Cabbage, and pour broth and water, stir.
3. Add seasonings; salt, pepper, bouillon cube, chili pepper flakes.
4. Put in Barley Rice and stir well.
5. Cover and let it cook for 20 minutes under the lid, then stir again and place lid halfway open.
6. Let it cook until barley rice is completely cooked. It will still be chewy but after 45 minutes should be completely cooked. Serve hot!

Notes

This soup can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can add more vegetables, such as peppers, peas, green beans, potatoes etc. OR instead of rice, you can add lentils.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest