Baked Pineapple Chicken

Wow! You are going to love this recipe. Not only is it easy and tasty but virtually fat free. It's sweet, sour and spicy! Serve over steamed or baked rice*. Yummy! Be sure to buy pineapple chunks packed in juice, not syrup, or the sauce will be too sweet!
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Baked Pineapple Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained, reserve juice
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons curry powder
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon water
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish coated lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Add enough water to juice, if needed, to equal 1 cup. Whisk the pineapple juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, curry powder, and Tabasco together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, whisking often, until the mixture has thickened, about 8 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, then whisk into the honey mixture. Stir in the pineapple chunks. Pour the pineapple sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 18 minutes.

* Baked White Rice
1 cup white rice

2 cups boiling water

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1-1/2 qt. casserole with vegetable spray. Add rice and salt to casserole, pour boiling water over rice. Stir with a fork until evenly combined. Cover and bake for 25- 30 minutes until water is all soaked up. Remove from oven and place aside to cool slightly, leaving cover on. Fluff with a fork and serve!

Good Ol' Chicken N Dumplings

Nothing like comfort food to soothe the soul. Try this soup and soothed you'll be! This recipe calls for dry sherry. NOT cooking sherry. There is a difference! You can find dry sherry in the liquor dept. of your local super market. It's worth getting as it affordable and lasts forever in your cupboard.

Chicken and Dumplings
Serve 6 to 8

Stew:
5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used half breasts and half thighs)
salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion, minced
6 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Dumplings:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons reserved chicken fat (or unsalted butter)

For the Stew:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.

Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew.

For the Dumplings:
Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

Marinated Chicken Wings, Baked or Grilled

Heres' a tasty one that I've been making for years. You can either bake them or grill them.

Marinated Chicken Wings, Baked or Grilled
3 lbs. chicken wings
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. molho sauce or chili sauce
4 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (like Tobasco)

Put the chicken wings in a ziplock bag (or a bowl with a tight seal). Mix remaining ingredients and pour over wings. Marinate about 8 hours or over night.

Place wings in large baking pan, reserving the marinade. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes, then turn wings and paint liberally with reserved marinade. Bake 20-30 minutes longer, removing the wings from the oven before they begin to char.
Serve hot, warm, or cold. Serves: 4

To grill:
Place wings about 6 inches above glowing coals and follow the same procedure above except that it's better to paint them several times with the marinade instead of putting it all on at once.
Enjoy!