Fried Chicken

Until about a year ago, the only friend chicken I had enjoyed was the kind from KFC or Chic-Fil-A. I didn't realize how easy (although a tad messy) it was to fix at home. Homemade fried chicken has a moistness and texture that's hard to find in the fast food joints.

Start by selecting the chicken parts you want to fry. Breasts, legs, wings, and thighs all make great choices. You can leave the skin on, or remove it for a healthier meal.

Frying chicken involves three steps:

1. Soaking the chicken breasts/thighs/legs/wings in buttermilk
2. Dredging the chicken pieces through "the batter"
3. Frying the chicken pieces

Start by placing the chicken pieces in a container and cover with buttermilk. Some recipes insist that the chicken sit refrigerated in the buttermilk overnight, but I usually just let it sit for a couple of hours.

When you're ready to start cooking, get a large, heavy frying pan and pour in enough oil so that it comes up 1/8"-1/4". Heat the oil on high for a few minutes as you create the batter and dredge the chicken.

To create the batter, combine flour with a bit of pepper and salt. You can also add additional powdery spices: garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, paprika, and so on. Next, crack an egg or two in a bowl and mix the yolks and whites. Then, remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dredge the chicken through the flour.

One of the main challenges of frying chicken is getting it so that the outside is crispy and the inside thoroughly cooked, yet moist. It is easy to burn the outside and leave the inside uncooked, so it may take a little practice to get cooking just right.

Put the chicken pieces in the hot oil and turn the heat down to medium. Let the chicken cook for about 6 minutes on one side then turn over the chicken. After turning the chicken, cover the frying pan and turn the heat down to low. The cover traps the steam and helps moisten the chicken and ensures a cooked-through bird. After 10-15 minutes, the chicken will be cooked inside, but the batter may not be crisp enough. Remove the lid, return the heat to medium-high, and cook on each side for a minute or two until the chicken is crispy.

Turn off the heat and drain the chicken on a rack (not on paper towels, which can stick to the skin/batter!). Let the chicken cool and then serve!

Chicken Fiesta

Interested in cooking a quick, easy chicken dish that's both filling and tasty? If so, you have to give Chicken Fiesta a try, it's remarkably easy to make and comes out tasting great! The ingredients list is simple enough:

• 1 box stuffing
• Chicken (I typically use 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts)
• 1 can of lite fruit cocktail
• Mayonnaise

This dish is, essentially, just chicken and stuffing, but the twist here lies in how the stuffing is prepared. To start, you'll need to prepare the stuffing per the directions on the box. However, rather than using the margarine and water, substitute in mayo and the syrup from the fruit cocktail.

Once the stuffing has been made, place it at the bottom of a glass pan and then put the chicken on top. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. After the hour, place the fruit from the fruit cocktail on top of the chicken and bake for another 15 minutes.

And that's it! In about 5 to 10 minutes of real work - making the stuffing, loading it in the pan, and clean-up - you'll have a delicious, warm, and filling chicken dinner. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

If you like chicken, rice, and creamy soups, and you think that they taste even better if they're all mixed together, then this recipe is for you! It's amazingly fun and easy to make and, while a little on the salty side, is quite a tasty recipe that we enjoy usually once a month, or so. The ingredients are relatively inexpensive, especially if you opt to buy frozen chicken.

For this dish you'll need:

• 8 to 10 chicken thighs, skin removed (you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you are looking for a healthier, meatier dish)
• 1 cup of uncooked rice (rinsed)
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 1 can of French onion soup
• A pinch of paprika

The goal here is to mix together the soups and uncooked rice and then bake it with the chicken. Start by mixing together the three cans of soup. Save about 1/3 of this soup mixture in a separate bowl. With the remaining 2/3, mix in the cup of uncooked rice.

Pour half of this soup/rice mixture into a 13"x9" pan and then place the chicken thighs on top. Pour the rest of the soup/rice mixture in the pan, filling the gaps. Finally, cover the chicken with the soup-only mixture that was set aside earlier. Lastly, sprinkle with paprika (optional).

Let this baby bake for 75 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees. After cooking, let it cool for 15 minutes or so, then enjoy!