I tend to stick with the same lineup of Food Network Chefs, week after week. I DVR the Barefoot Contessa, Rachael Ray and Giada de Laurentiis every day and always turn to their recipes when I’m looking for inspiration. But last week, as I was channel surfing, I stumbled across Sunny Anderson’s Cooking for Real, and let me just say, this girl ain’t messing around. This meal is coming to you courtesy of an episode of Sunny’s show called “Easier than it looks” and it is one of the best pieces of chicken I’ve had in ages— sure to become a staple in my kitchen… for real. 

And it really is easy! I followed Sunny’s recipe pretty closely, subbing in boneless, skin-on chicken breast for her whole chicken. This marinade is outrageous! It’s tangy, it’s got some heat in the background and it created some of the moistest chicken I’ve ever had. 

Recipe from Sunny Anderson

For the side dish, I followed Sunny’s recipe for Tater and Asparagus Toss, using sliced red potatoes instead of fingerling and adding some freshly grated Asiago cheese to the finished dish. I think the cheese really brings everything together quite well. 

Recipe from Sunny Anderson

Cooking for Real just got added to the DVR. Welcome to my lineup, Sunny.

Please go make this chicken right now! Your taste buds will thank you.

Have you guys seen Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day? (I’ve mentioned it before, here) Week In A Day is built around the idea that people who work full-time don’t have enough time to cook dinner every night.  So on Sunday, Rachael teaches you to make 5 make-ahead dishes that you can serve for dinner for the upcoming week. While I’ve never actually made 5 meals in one day, I have made several of the recipes from the show and all with amazing results. Today, I’ve adapted a recipe from Rachael for Chicken Ceasar Mac & Cheese. 

It starts with grilled chicken. 

I actually added some fresh kale to my version, to make it a little more like a salad.

The sauce is amazing— it tastes just like caesar dressing. You start by sauteeing onions and garlic in butter. Need I say more? Just in case, you add anchovy paste (don’t be scared, it’s in all the best caesar dressings). And then you create a roux: add flour, then milk and chicken stock and then cheese, of course. 

I used a sharp Pecorino Romano to give the sauce some bite. Add in your kale at this point. Combine sauce with your grilled chicken and pasta shells (which you’ve already cooked). 

Top with a cheesy, butter panko topping and bake until brown and bubbly. 

Recipe:

What You Need:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1 lb. whole wheat shells
• 1 head kale, roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 c. panko bread crumbs
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. anchovy paste
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 cups freshly shredded Pecorino cheese

What You Do:

• Coat chicken in olive oil and season liberally with s&p. Grill in a cast iron skillet, about 6 minutes per side. Let cool and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente (about 1 minute away from being done)
• In a small skillet, sautee kale in olive oil until just wilted. 
• Melt butter in a large skillet. Pour half into the panko and toss to combine. Then add 1/2 the cheese and set aside.
• To remaining butter, add onions and sautee until soft. Add garlic, anchovy paste and lots of pepper. Stir to combine.
• Whisk in flour and then add stock, milk and Worcestershire. Stir until thick. Then stir in remaining cheese. Add kale. 
• Combine sauce with chicken and pasta and toss to combine. Pour into a large casserole dish and top with panko mixture. Bake at 425 until brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

A few weeks ago, I was inspired by HowSweetEats to make cashew chicken.  Her recipe sounded quite tasty, but I knew I’d have to bump of the veggie content in mine.  And the level of heat.  When it comes to stir-fry, I like mine to be full of flavor, color and varying textures, with a little kick in the background.  And that’s exactly what I got. Check it out:

Start by coating 2 cubed chicken breasts in 2 tbsp. cornstarch (this will help you chicken caramelize and your sauce thicken) and s&p.  In a hot skillet, add 1 tbsp. of canola oil and 1 tbsp. of toasted sesame oil (my secret weapon!).  Add your chicken and sautee until cooked through.  While that cooks, combine 3 tbsp. honey with 2 tbsp. soy sauce and 1 tbsp. sriracha.  Stir together.  Then, add your vegetables of choice to the chicken.  I went with red pepper, bok choy, broccoli, snap peas, edamame, onions and garlic.  Season with s& p.  Stir around a bit.  Add your cashews.  Stir around some more.  Pour your sauce over top.  Stir around again until everything is sufficiently coated.  In a small bowl, add a cup of cooked jasmine rice.  Top with your stir-fry.  

Wow.  That was amazing!  You guys have to try this… right now.  Go make it tonight. So easy and you can’t believe how good the flavor is.  The perfect balance of sweet and spicy, with crunchy cashews and snap peas and savory chicken and onions.  Perfection in a bowl.