Homemade Cheese Danishes

I'm an aunt!!! Not by blood but by undeniable love for two of the most wonderful people and their amazing little boy. Baby Dyson was born February 17 and he couldn't be more adorable..... and sweet and tiny and soft and precious and ugh so perfect! Sooo what does this have to do with cheese danishes? I'm not exactly sure, but I decided to make them and bring them as a treat to my favorite new parents basically to distract them as a ploy to steal Dyson. Unfortunately it didn't work but that doesn't mean I'm giving up just yet. Gaaaaaa just look at him!

So...Homemade cheese danishes - they are chewy and tender and flaky and delicate and making them from scratch rather than using lame store bought puff pasty is the best decision I've ever made. This is a New York Times recipe (best recipes ever) I first made for my boyfriend's birthday in August and was waiting for the perfect excuse to make them again.... newborn baby is it!

They are pretty much the best dessert ever....their comforting, ambrosial smell while baking (easily one of the greatest smells ever, trust me), the feel of the pillowy-soft yet flaky, buttery dough and the silky smooth creamy filling topped with strawberries bursting with sweetness or embedded with warm cinnamon and brown sugar... whatever tickles your fancy. One bite is seriously just pure bliss.... it's sweet & cheesy Danish food porn.

Please Google search that.

It's fairly safe to say that most people don't often have homemade danishes. If you do, you're damn lucky and I applaud whoever makes them for you on the regular because they do require a bit of preparation. They're not complicated, they just take some time to let the dough rise and roll it/fold it multiple times.... not something you can decide to make a few hours before the party. This just means there is so much more love put into them so they're that much more special. These steps are necessary because it is what gives you that flaky yet tender dough.

I have made them with a plain cream cheese filling topped with strawberries and with a cinnamon-brown sugar filling as well. Both are fantastic, it just depends on what you're in the mood for (and if strawberries are worth buying out of season). 

Whether it's a birthday dessert, new born baby celebration or just to treat yourself for Sunday brunch, these are sure to be a crowd pleaser. I suppose I'll have to make them again when Dyson can actually chew.....and definitely multiple times before then, too! 

It's by far one of my favorite dessert recipes on earth and totally worth the prep time! I've included recipes below for strawberry and cinnamon-sugar danishes.

Homemade Cheese Danishes (two ways!)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 sticks cold, unsalted butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup whole milk

For cheese filing w/ strawberry:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tbsp whole milk

For cinnamon-sugar cheese filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp powdered sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp melted butter

Directions for dough:

• Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a food processor. Roughly chop the butter (make sure it's cold) and add it to the flour and pulse it quickly a few times until the butter is pea sized chunks. 
• In another bowl whisk together 1 of the eggs, 1/4 cup milk and two tbsp of water. Slowly fold this mixture into the butter mixture until it is just combined and evenly moistened. It will be a pretty shaggy dough. Use your hands to place the dough on saran wrap and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
• Lightly flour the counter and roll the dough out to approx 8-15 inch. With the dough in portrait orientation, fold the dough into thirds like a letter, the bottom third folded up then the top third folded down on top of it. Rotate the dough, roll it out and repeat it again. Dust with flour to prevent sticking to the counter if necessary. Tightly wrap it in saran wrap and place back in the fridge to rise for another hour. 
• Repeat the same rolling out and folding process as above and wrap tightly and refrigerate at least two hours. 
• To make the danishes, roll the dough out into a 12-13 inch square. Cut into nine squares. Brush the corners of the squares with the other beaten egg and fold corners into the center. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or 2 if they are too crowded because they'll spread and rise). Now they are prepared to be filled!

Strawberry Cheese Danishes:

• Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt until smooth and set aside. 
• In small saucepan combine sliced strawberries, 1 tbsp sugar, water and cornstarch over medium heat, slightly mashing the strawberries and cook a few minutes until thickened. Set aside.
• Take the cream cheese filling you made, put it in a plastic bag and cut one of the tips to pipe a few tbsp into the center of each danish. Loosely cover the danishes in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for an hour. 
• Preheat oven to 425 and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375, rotate the pan and let cook for 5 minutes or so longer until they are nice and golden brown. 
• Mix together the remaining ingredients for the icing - 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tbsp of milk. Add the second tbsp slowly to make sure the icing isn't too watery. Let the danishes completely cool before drizzling icing over them.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cheese Danishes:

• Beat together cream cheese, brown sugar, powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until smooth and put in plastic bag and cut one of the tips to pipe a few tbsp into the center of each danish. Loosely cover the danishes in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375, rotate the pan and let cook for 5 minutes or so longer until they are nice and golden brown. 
• Mix together the 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp melted butter. Let the danishes completely cool before drizzling the icing over them.

The dough recipe is verbatim New York Times danish dough. The filing recipes have been adapted based on what I've done. 

Thai Salad w/ Spicy-Sweet Peanut Hummus Dressing

My family has a place on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH where we are fortunate to spend a lot of time during the summer. To me it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and holds so many childhood memories. It's a place to relax on the dock with a drink, swim to the island, cruise around in the boat or jet ski, kayak, paddle board, nearly die tubing, fish for bass, spend time with family and friends and of course eat a lot of delicious food.

There are some classic Sedler dishes you'll always find at my camp in the summer. These include spicy peanut noodles, Mexican bean salad, guacamole, egg salad, grilled onions and potatoes, teriyaki chicken and always a medley of deli meats, cheeses, hummus and a big house salad. Last summer I made this Thai salad and it easily moved to the top of the "favorite camp foods" list.... I've been making it ever since!

It has Thai flavors from sweet chili sauce and peanut butter with fresh cilantro, basil and a squeeze of lime. It's all tied together with roasted garlic hummus for an amazingly flavorful, creamy dressing that is filling and nutritious to boost your energy for camp activities.....even if it's just drinking beers floating in a tube. That can be exhausting!

This is a great camp recipe because it stays well in the fridge for a few days and you can serve it with avocado, grilled chicken, shrimp or pork for an easy lunch or dinner, or serve just the salad as a great side dish. Everyone who eats this salad absolutely loves it. The veggies hold a great crunch and with the creamy dressing it's insanely addicting and easy to eat an entire massive bowl.

Although I'm labeling this a camp recipe, this salad is perfect year round (hence why I'm blogging it now). I love making this and having it as a work lunch during the week, or a healthy dinner after the gym. It's nutty, sweet, spicy and creamy and the fresh herbs and slightly bitter greens make it a perfectly balanced salad.

Trader Joe's is the best place to go for this salad but of course any grocery store will have these ingredients. Trader Joe's has these organic ingredients prepackaged at affordable prices. I use their broccoli slaw (with shaved cabbage and Brussels sprouts), packaged kale and shredded carrots as the base and it saves a few bucks. Their hummus, peanut butter and sweet chili sauce are also cheaper but still great quality. They even have packaged grilled chicken that is delicious and super easy if you're looking for a 5 minute dinner after a long work day. Trader Joe's for the win!

Make this salad to get help get you on track to get in shape after winter hibernation (I'm still eating Christmas chocolate.....), boost your energy and load up on your vitamin C to help finish off the winter feeling healthy! This is one of my favorite salads I've made and I'm 100% sure you'll love it.

This recipe makes enough for 3-4 dinner sized salads or 6-7 side dish salads.






Thai Salad w/ Sweet Peanut-Hummus Dressing

Ingredients:
10 oz broccoli slaw (one with cabbage, brussels sprouts & kale is great!)
5 oz kale, thick ribs removed, chopped thin
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup roasted garlic hummus
1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sriracha (or more to taste)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Sunflower seeds to serve
Avocado to serve
Grilled chicken to serve (or pork or shrimp)

Directions:

• Mix together hummus, sweet chili, peanut butter, lime juice, vinegar and sriracha until smooth. 
• Mix together slaw, kale and carrots. Toss with dressing and herbs and mix thoroughly to uniformly coat the veggies.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve with sunflower seeds (or chopped peanuts), avocado slices and grilled chicken.

Looking forward to Summer in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Creamy Chicken & Charred Veggie Chili

Maine has taken a beating from recent snowstorms and there has been a serious need for comfort foods. I want a hot bowl in my hands and I want it full of spicy, creamy, heart-warming food packed with protein and nutrients and I want it to taste damn delicious. This recipe knocks each and every one of those things out of the park....

This chili starts with slow cooking chicken thighs in salsa to create tender, flavorful shreds of meat. Then you add roasted poblanos and charred corn and peppers for some smokiness, beans for the classic chili texture and finish it off with a bit of cheese for creaminess and lime juice for some acidity and zest. Talk about perfection; alllllll the comforting flavors you love.

There is slightly more work to this recipe than just dumping everything in a crock pot but the flavors you develop from a little extra TLC goes a long way. It's worth it, it's worth it, it's worth it!

It's spicy and creamy and the veggies really shine because they've been blackened slightly to bring out their natural flavors and some smokiness. I swear no one you serve this recipe to will be disappointed. Healthy, loaded with flavors, textures and colors - the perfect chili!

You can add more or less spice to your preference or to please the people you're serving it to.... and you can dump it on nachos for the ultimate snack...






Creamy Chicken & Charred Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs (or breasts)
3 cups salsa
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if desired)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 poblano peppers
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno
1 14 oz can sweet corn, drained
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese & sour cream to serve

Directions:

• Mix together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and set aside.
• Trim fat from chicken thighs and place in crock pot with half of the salsa, 1 cup of the chicken broth and half of the seasoning mixture. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or high for about 3-4 or until chicken is tender and you can shred with a fork. Shred the chicken and leave in with all the juices.
• Towards the end of the slow cooking time, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook without stirring so they get a nice char (4-5 min), as seen in the photo above. Remove from pan and repeat the same step with the jalapeno and corn.
• There are two ways to roast the poblanos. If you have a gas stove, turn it on medium-high so you have a decent flame and use tongs to roast the peppers directly over the flame until all sides are charred, like picture above. The blacker the better! The other option is to broil them - heat the oven to broil and place the oven rack just a few inches from the top. Place the peppers directly on the rack and broil until they blacken, flipping over to get all sides. It will take just a few minutes. Either way you do it, the next step is the same. Place in a bowl and cover with saran wrap. This will allow them to steam and it makes it super easy to use the back of a knife to strip all the black skin off and chop the peppers to add to the soup.
• Add the charred veggies, corn, beans, lime juice, remaining seasoning mix and cream cheese to the crock pot with the shredded chicken. Stir and add some of the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth if necessary to reach your preferred consistency. 
• Cook through and let flavors settle, about 30 minutes. 
• Serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream. 

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Creole Jambalaya w/ Brown Rice

So I was supposed to spend a long weekend visiting a friend in New Orleans with my sister, but it didn't quite turn out that way. Because of all the stormy weather, (even though Friday was a perfect bluebird day) all the flights out of Boston were screwed up. We sat on the plane for hours before they told us anything, missed our connecting flight and found out that all flights to New Orleans were booked up until Saturday night, and even those weren't a sure bet. So a long weekend started to get shorter and shorter until it was pointless to fly out. Just our luck, right? (My phone also broke on the way walking into the airport...icing on the cake.) We drove back from Boston, picked the dogs back up from daycare and went straight to the grocery store for multiple bottles of wine and ingredients to make a fabulous dinner (unreal steak salad, will blog later!).

As you can imagine I was extremely excited to visit New Orleans and get a taste for some authentic Creole/Cajun deliciousness. This craving didn't go away when the flight was cancelled so I decided to spend this evening in the frozen, blizzard conditions of Maine cooking a heart-warming jambalaya and pretend I'm soaking up 70 degree sun in Louisiana. Not quite the same but you gotta do with what you can.

Whether this is as good as anything I'd eat in NOLA, I'll never know, but for now I am extremely satisfied. It's super comforting and bursting with flavor - warm Creole spices, tender chicken and smoky andouille sausage nestled in rice and veggies in a creamy, (not actual cream but you know the deal) tomato-y base. I used brown rice for added nutrition and I like the flavor of it in this kind of dish. It's so so sooooo tasty and perfect for keeping warm in the blizzard we're having in Maine.

Andouille sausage is a must for recreating a more authentic recipe. It's a smoked pork sausage that originated in France and was brought to Louisiana and is classic in jambalaya - what you buy at a grocery store here isn't likely the true real thing but it'll be close enough to do the job. You need that good smokey-spicy flavor and you can even find some that have Cajun seasonings.

Also - in case you were wondering the difference between a Creole & Cajun jambalaya, they differ by the presence of tomatoes. Creole has tomatoes, Cajun does not. Creole style food is known as "city food" and Cajun is "country food". This recipe uses tomatoes and is therefore Creole - it's the more popular kind because the city food has become more widespread as people visit NOLA more commonly than the more rural areas of Louisiana.

I didn't use shrimp in this recipe because Maine shrimp are extremely hard (impossible) to come by and I didn't want to use frozen shrimp shipped from Vietnam or somewhere across the world. Once you have Maine shrimp it's hard to settle with something else. Usually the shrimp would be added at the end and cooked in the mixture for 20 minutes or so - you're welcome to add them!






Creole Jambalaya w/ Brown Rice

Ingredients:
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
3 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs chicken, chopped bite size
12 oz package Andouille sausages, sliced bite size
2 small or one large onion, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cup brown rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2-3 tsp hot sauce (if you want extra spice)

Directions:

• Mix together Creole seasoning - ingredients garlic powder through pepper and set aside. 
• Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat.
• Toss chicken in 1 tbsp of the seasoning and add to pot and brown all sides. Add the sausage and stir, cook for a few minutes. Add the chopped veggies and stir to soften, 3 minutes or so. 
• Add tomatoes, remaining Creole seasoning, rice, broth, bay leaves and worcestershire, hot sauce and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes or so until the rice is fully cooked and liquid is nearly all absorbed, stirring once or twice. 

Recipe adapted from The Daring Gourmet

Antipasto Pasta Salad

I'm big on salads because I love a medley of different ingredients, colors, flavors and textures. I'm also big on pasta salads because you're eating a massive bowl of pasta and calling it a salad. You're healthy.

Your same-old-same-old pasta salad does get boring after a while though, and becomes a dish that you don't necessarily get excited about.... especially if it's a store brand pre-made one with tiny little minced celery drowning in mayo, trying to hold their own as the only veg in the salad.

This antipasto pasta salad is the exact opposite as the aforementioned. This pasta salad is perfectly tossed in a sundried tomato & red wine vinaigrette, and loaded with all your antipasto favorites such as olives, cucumbers, peppers, salami, peperoncini, artichokes, pepperoni, tomatoes, red onion and good ol' cheese. What I love about it is that the pasta isn't necessarily the star of the show. There are so many other ingredients that it really is almost a salad - with pasta. I do love my veggies! (And meat...and cheese)

You can use feta like I did or provolone would work, too - depends on if you're feeling Greek or Italian.

It's the best. There are so many delicious flavors and textures and the dressing is fresh, vibrant and bursting with sun dried tomatoes to tie it all together. It's in a pasta salad league of it's own and the others don't stand a chance (though I do make a bacon avocado one that would put up a decent fight).

I loved this salad and enjoyed it until the last bite. It was great to have in the fridge as it stays good for over a week and is a perfect, quick lunch for work.... and you can LOAD UP on the red pepper flakes which is what I do and it's just to dieeeeeee for. Also plenty of cheese :)

I used brown rice pasta to make it wheat free and it flew under the radar which is always good when you're making something gluten free for non-gluten-free people. Whatever pasta you choose will be great!



Antipasto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
8 sun dried tomatoes (from jar - they're usually tomato halves)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp water
8 oz rotini 
4 oz jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
1 1/12 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper
1 cup diced English cucumber
1 cup diced salami
1 cup diced pepperoni
1/3-1/2 cup sliced peperoncini (depending on how much you like those)
1 small red onion
1/2-1 cup cheese (feta or diced provolone works great)
Red pepper flakes to serve

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside to cook. 
• To make dressing, combine sun dried tomatoes, garlic, yogurt, basil, oregano, salt, vinegar, olive oil and honey in a blender to mix. Add water as needed to thin out for appropriate consistency - don't thin it out too much, though. 
• Mix all of the ingredients with the pasta and toss with dressing. 
• Serve with red pepper flakes.

Korean Chili & Soy Marinated Chicken

Ever since I made my honey & gochujang glazed brussels sprouts (here) I've been daydreaming about what else I can use the magical sensational Korean chili paste for. I love it so much I was about ready to fill a pool and bathe with it but I came up with a more socially acceptable idea.

This chicken is spicy-salty-sweet and has a depth of flavor that legitimately makes you drool - not even mouth watering I'm talking full on drooling. I took my first bite and before I was done chewing I was grabbing for more.

I knew I wanted to make a kind of teriyaki sauce with some spice and complexity from gochujang and this absolutely nailed it - not to mention it was so simple. Soy sauce, gochujang, oyster sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic. Talk about umami! The chicken marinates for two hours and then it's baked (or grilled if it's not 15 degrees out where you live) and it takes on a beautiful reddish-brownish color from the marinade and absorbs all the wonderful flavors. It's amazing.

I believe thighs > breasts. Though they're not as uniformly shaped as those plump genetically enhanced breasts, they're generally more tender, flavorful and often cheaper than breasts at the store. Dark meat is where it's at and it absolutely melts in your mouth in this recipe. Of course breasts would work as well, and so would pork or shrimp with this marinade.

With the big game coming up tomorrow, this would be a fantastic marinade for wings as well! Just follow the same directions and possibly reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade to toss the crispy wings in once they're done baking!






Korean Chili & Soy Marinated Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, cut in half for ultimate marinade coating
2 1/2 tbsp gochujang (Korean Chili paste)
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
Pepper
Scallions & sesame seeds to garnish

Directions:

• Whisk all together the chili paste, chili powder, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour in bag with chicken to marinate for 1-3 hours (the longer the better).
• Remove chicken from marinade and bake in preheated 425 oven for twenty minutes on foil lined baking dish or grill for 3-4 minutes each side, until cooked through. 
• Serve with rice or quinoa and garnish with scallions & sesame seeds.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Waffles

Few things make me happier than a plate of waffles. Thick Belgian waffles, crispy on the outside and tender in the center, brushed with butter, soaked with maple syrup and topped with a side of bacon.... or whipped cream and strawberries or banana & peanut butter or fried chicken or whatever you're feelin' like.

Waffles are nostalgic and comforting and the ultimate indulgent breakfast food. They remind me of being a kid and eating like an entire box of Eggo's every day after school..... wait, did you not do that? Eleven and I would have been best buds.

It's been about four years since I *reluctantly* stopped eating wheat. Long story short, I used to get terrible migraines at least 3-4 times per week and cutting out wheat miraculously eliminated them completely. I can't complain because I'd rather omit wheat than suffer from frequent awful headaches, but at the same time it still stinks because basically I want to cook traditional bread, muffins, cakes, cookies, pancakes, pasta, and (duh) waffles.

(Yes there are plenty of recipes on this blog with wheat ingredients - I don't like to make my loved ones suffer, too! Most of the time I make a glutinous version for others as well as gluten free for myself)

With that being said, sometimes, gluten free goodies can actually taste even better because there is more depth of flavor and texture from the use of different ingredients. Plus if you do it right it's often much healthier and more nutrient dense. These waffles are made from almond flour, oat flour and a gluten free flour blend (which I recommend to be rice flour based). They taste similar to your traditional waffle but slightly denser and with a bit more nuttiness - plus there is actual protein and fiber! My boyfriend and I both agreed they were some of the best waffles we've had. They're also super good leftover with syrup or toasted with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey.

This recipe is perfect for anyone, whether you eat gluten free or not, and you can feel good about eating them. I add vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon for some warmth which also makes them smell fantastic when cooking - but that's optional (but recommended).

Happy brunching :)



PS- I am in the midst of absolutely perfecting my GF pancake recipe and plan on sharing soon! My favorite version is crumbled bacon and chocolate chip.....


Gluten Free Buttermilk Waffles

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend (ideally w/ xantham gum)
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 egg whites

Directions:

• Heat and grease waffle iron.
• Mix together dry ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, wisk together buttermilk, vanilla and butter. Mix into the dry ingredients. 
• Beat egg whites on high until they form soft peaks. Fold into the batter gently until incorporated. 
• Scoop 1/2-1 cup of batter into waffle iron, depending on how large your iron is. Some irons ding when the waffle is done, but if yours doesn't it will take about 5-6 minutes to get crisp on the outside and cooked through.
• The recipe makes about 5 waffles. To keep crisp and warm while cooking, heat oven to 200 and leave waffles on a baking sheet while the remaining ones cook. 

Orange Marmalade Chicken Strips

This recipe is one where you will feel quite inclined to lick your plate when you're done and it's practically impossible not to so damn right you should. Lick your plate like no one is watching....or lick your plate like you're in the Sedler household because that's just following the status quo and it's how it should be.

If you want to just stop reading here and skip to the ingredients and directions now's your chance.

This recipe is great because the ingredients are ones that I have on hand 99% of the time, it takes twenty minutes to make and it's sooooooo good. Chicken strips lightly dredged in flour and pan fried, then simmered quickly in a thickened sauce with caramelized shallots (love!) orange marmalade, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and a pinch of red pepper. It's a super simple recipe that's perfect for a weeknight but you're still developing these fantastic flavors that are sure to make ya smile!

It's tangy and sweet and easily paired with rice, quinoa or potato and steamed vegetables (and maybe some goat cheese?!?!) for a satisfying and well balanced dinner. I served mine over some quick fried rice loaded with broccoli, which is of course another good option!

This recipe is slightly different than an Asian orange chicken because there is no soy sauce, sugar/brown sugar or actual orange juice, but the end results have similar finger-lickin-good flavors. This version is lighter, a bit healthier and probably easier to pair with your everyday side dishes you whip up during the week (plus this one has caramelized shallots for the win).

Basically you can't go wrong with this dish! It's officially one of my new week night favorites.





Dijon Marmalade Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken cut into strips or bite size pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 shallots, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp cornstarch
pinch red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Mix together salt, pepper, flour and paprika. Dredge chicken in the mixture and shake off excess. Cook in heated pan, about 3-4 minutes on each side to crisp and just cook through. 
• Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. 
• Add another tsp of oil to the skillet and reduce heat to low/medium-low. Add in the shallots and cook for a few minutes, until lightly browned. 
• Wisk the broth together with cornstarch and wisk in red wine vinegar, marmalade, mustard, red pepper flakes. Pour into pan with shallots and increase heat to bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Cook for a minute until the sauce is thickened. 
• Add chicken back into the pan to coat and season with salt and pepper.