Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard

My friend Cody and I were hanging out at his apartment one afternoon when we realized we needed lunch. Cody didn't have much in his fridge for lunch making but he had some chicken breasts and some bread crumbs, we also found some honey mustard dressing and a good collection of spices and decided to try our hand at making our own nuggets. I refined the recipe and wanted to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

½ C of honey mustard dressing
1.25 C of unseasoned panko breadcrumbs
2 t of mustard powder
½ t of cayenne powder

¼ t of ground black pepper

Canola oil or other vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Trim the chicken breasts and cut into nugget sized portions, about thumb size. Place in a plastic bag and pour in the dressing, smush the dressing around and make sure that each piece is getting some coverage. Let that marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Now to get everything ready for the frying. In a bowl mix together the dredge of breadcrumbs, mustard powder, cayenne powder, and black pepper. Make sure to mix thoroughly for even chicken dredging. Then, in a heavy bottom skillet, pour ¼ inch to ½ inch of canola oil and bring to a temp of 350-375 degrees. Also, now would be a great time to set up a draining station, some paper towels on a baking sheet will do.

While the oil heats up, start dredging your marinated chicken pieces in the panko dredge. Make sure you get good, even coverage on each piece for even cooking and crunch. Let the dredge set for a minute on each piece before frying.

Fry in small batches, making sure to not crowd the pan. Fry on each side for about 1 minute or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to the draining rig to remove excess oil and to let the breading set so it doesn't just come off in you hands as you eat.

Serve with some of the dressing (obviously not the stuff the chicken was marinating in) as a dipping sauce and enjoy! I like to serve mine with some baby carrots and cherry tomatoes to make a whole finger friendly meal.

Glazed Yeast Donuts

I love donuts and I have the figure to prove it. They are a great comfort food and dessert you get to eat for breakfast. This is not the easiest recipe, but it mostly requires a lot of waiting. While it does take a while, to quote my favorite celebrity chef, your patience will be rewarded.

Ingredients:

Donuts:

½ C water

2 packets of active dry yeast

1 C milk

½ C unsalted butter

2 eggs, beaten

¼ C sugar

1 t salt

1 lb 10 oz flour

Oil for frying

Glaze:

2 C powdered sugar

¼ C of milk

Directions:

Mix the 2 packets of yeast into the ½ cup of water and let it sit for about 10 minutes until a foam forms on top. The water should be between 95 to 105 degrees fahrenheit so that the yeast can wake up without being killed. Warm up the milk and melt the butter into it and allow the mixture to come back to room temp.

Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment and add the milk and butter mixture, the eggs, the sugar, the salt, and half the flour. Mix on low until it comes together then boost the speed and mix thoroughly. Reduce the speed, add the rest of the flour, then mix thoroughly. Put the dough hook attachment on beat at medium speed until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Place your dough ball in a well oiled bowl and let it rest, covered, until the dough doubles in size, about 1-1.5 hrs.

Dump your dough out on a well floured surface, and roll into a ½ inch thick rectangle. Cut out your donuts using whatever method you prefer, I use a pair of pastry cutters. Lay your donuts out on a baking sheet and cover with a towel for ½ hr to allow for a second rise, or proof.

While the donuts rest, heat about a gallon of oil to 365 degrees. Once the donuts are ready and the oil is hot, fry the donuts, 2-3 at a time, a minute per side and then remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet to cool and set for 15-20 minutes.

While the donuts cool, make your glaze by whisking together the 2 cups of powdered sugar with the milk until entirely smooth. If you place your mixing bowl over a bowl of warm water it will help keep the glaze workable.

Dip each donut, one at a time, and let the excess drip off before turning them onto a tray or baking sheet. Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes and enjoy.

Zesty Corndogs

For years I have been longingly gazing at the packages of corndogs in the freezer section of my local mega mart. I decided if I was going to make my favorite local fair concession worth the calories, I needed to make it myself.

Ingredients:

1 C of cornmeal

1 C of AP flour

¼ t of salt

¼ t of cayenne pepper

¼ C of sugar

4 t of baking powder

1 egg

1 C of milk

1 large jalapeño seeded and minced

16 hotdogs

16 wooden skewers (I used disposable chop sticks)

4 T of corn starch for dredging

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep fryer, deep skillet, or dutch oven to 375.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne pepper, sugar, and baking powder in one bowl. Beat the egg into the milk and jalapeño. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry team, and thoroughly combine. Pour the batter into a tall cup; this makes it easier to coat the hot dogs. Skewer the hotdogs on your choice of skewer; I used chop sticks that are still connected because they make it easier to flip during cooking.

Spread the corn starch on a plate and lightly coat each hotdog being sure to rub off any excess. Why the corn starch? The dredge creates a starch layer that will help the batter stick to the hotdog. Either too much or too little and the batter could just sort of slide off after it’s cooked, and then you just have a hotdog on a stick, which, while still tasty, is not the desired result. After the dredge is applied, dip the hotdog in the batter and then straight into the oil.

This part can be a bit challenging, but it mostly just requires you to pay attention. As with all frying, and most cooking, temperature control is essential. Be sure to pay attention to the temperature of the oil. Ride the temperature control to make sure the oil stays around 375. If it gets too hot, the outside will get all burned and greasy before the inside is cooked. If it gets too cold, the outside will get to greasy and won’t get a nice crust by the time the inside is cooked. If you do your job right, the breading will be golden brown and not greasy when it is done.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and then move straight onto a draining rig. I use as paper towel lined baking sheet. Let them rest for a few minutes and then consume with ketchup or mustard.

A note about jalapeños: the capsaicin, what makes peppers hot, is mostly in the seeds. So, if you remove the seeds from them, they lose the vast majority of their heat. But, be careful handling them, the capsaicin will stick to your fingers and washing your hands will not remove it. If you don’t want to experience a new kind of pain the next time you rub your eyes, blow your nose, or go to the bathroom, use latex gloves or dip your fingers in a bleach solution after handling them.