Unique Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Dip

This past week I made several recipes from "Cooking For Isaiah". 
The author has put together  great recipes especially for people
who are intolerant to gluten and dairy.  After trying several of the recipes
and making them my own by adding or changing some of the ingredients
I can tell you that you will really enjoy her style of cooking and recipes.


Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dip
adapted from "Cooking for Isaiah"

Olive Oil
6 cups of corn chips, Fritos
 *(I only used 3 cups of Fritos  because I used Panko for the other 3 cups)
salt and pepper
3 large eggs
1 1/2 lbs of chicken tenders
*dash of cayenne pepper ( I added this to the batter).

Honey Mustard Dip
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs. Dijon mustard
2 tbs. honey
1 tbs. lemon juice

This recipe directs you to turn on the oven to 425 and lightly grease a baking sheet with oil.  I cooked my chicken tenders in a frying pan with a little peanut oil.   I took the Fritos and Panko and put them in my nut grinder under they were finely crushed.  Pour this mix into a bowl and added the salt, pepper and cayenne.  Beat the eggs in a different bowl.  Take your chicken and dip the pieces in the corn chip mix, then in the eggs and then back in the corn chip mix one more time. You can bake them on the baking sheet for 20 minutes or unitl lightly browned or you can fry them in a frying pan with a little oil until lightly brown and crispy.

To make the dip mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt.
Serve the chicken fingers with this dip. 

                                     YUM! Kids and adults will love these chicken fingers! 

Firebird Chicken Pasta

I have seen this recipe posted online by a few different people. 
Each time I looked at the ingredients I thought it sounded interesting
but I hesitated making it a week night recipe because of the number
of steps involved in the recipe. 

Since the weekend allows for a little more time to cook dinner I finally
gave this recipe a try.  I have to admit that this pasta dish is" packed full of flavor. 
It is not a hot dish but it is a little spicy.


Firebird Chicken Pasta

* I did not have a Chili Rub so I just mixed the ingredients the recipe has listed  to make
my own adding more of the chili powder, paprika and cajun spices and just a pinch of
the cayenne pepper, salt and sugar.

* This recipe is for 2lbs of pasta so if you are making less you may want to make less of the cream sauce.

Cream Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil


1/3 cup chile rub (ancho chile powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar and salt)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

Roux (Whisk 2 Tbsp flour with 1/2 cup of chicken stock to make a paste)

1 1/2 cups asiago cheese, grated

3 tbsp basil, roughly chopped

Firebird’s Chicken Pasta

2 lbs penne pasta

4 chicken breasts, grilled

4 slices apple wood-smoked bacon, cooked

3 cups chile asiago cream sauce (see recipe)

3 tbsp green onions, chopped

1 large fresh tomato, diced

Parsley

Sauce:
Heat the oil in a sauce pan on medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook
about 5-7 minutes.  Add the chili rub.  Mix well. 
Add the wine and cook on medium / high until reduced by half.  Add the chicken stock
(the half cup that is left after you made the roux) and bring to a simmer. 
Add the heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the roux ,  asiago cheese and basil. 
 
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. ( I seasoned my chicken with a little bit of the chili rub).
Cook on medium high. Set aside .  Cook the bacon, set aside.
 
Cook the pasta.
 
While the pasta is cooking dice the green onion and tomato, chop the cooked bacon, and slice the chicken.
 
Drain the pasta.  Place it back in a big pot.  Add the cream sauce over the pasta and stir well.  Add in the green onions, bacon, tomato and stir.   Serve with a little parsley or basil on top.
 
 

 
 
                                            Yummy pasta dish ~ packed full of flavor.