Everyone loves these lettuce cups, very quick and easy to make, everything is cooked in one skillet. Such a complex, delicious flavor with just the right amount of crunch. You’ll make these over and over! I’ve also included a recipe for dipping sauce.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 lb of ground chicken
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of Hoisin sauce (sold in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
• 2 Tbs of soy sauce
• 2 Tbs of rice wine vinegar
• 1  Tbs of brown sugar
• 1 Tbs of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp of chili paste (also in the Asian section)
• 1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
• 3 green onions, white and pale green parts, chopped
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
• chopped peanuts for garnish
• Bibb lettuce leaves for the “cups”
• bean sprouts for garnish – optional
  

  Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, add in the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, then add in the garlic, onion, Hoisin, soy, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and chili paste. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the water chestnuts, green onions, and the salt and pepper, stir well to combine. That’s it! Ready to eat! To serve, place 2 lettuce cups on each plate, spoon on the chicken and top with the cilantro and the chopped peanuts.
These are delicious as is but if you’d like to serve with a dipping sauce, here’s the recipe

Dipping Sauce: Just stir together, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbs of minced fresh ginger, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tsp of sesame oil and 2 Tbs of honey.

This dish has an interesting provenance, it’s named after Marengo Italy, where Napoleon fought a battle with the Austrians and his private chef, french of course made this for him after the skirmish, using whatever Italian ingredients he could find and he came up with this masterpiece. Napoleon liked it so much, he requested it after every battle. It’s simply exquisite! This is only an adaptation of that recipe, originally it included shrimp and a fried egg on top. This is how I make it, feel free to use any parts of the chicken you like. I used my canned garden tomatoes, but store bought are absolutely fine.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper

• 1 1/2 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs of butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 – 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes, drained, reserve the juice
• 1 Tbs of tomato paste
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of oregano
• 1/2 tsp of thyme or a few fresh sprigs
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1 Tbs of flour
• 6 oz of button mushrooms, sliced
• 10 olives of your choice, green, kalamata or both
• 2 Tbs of Brandy or Cognac
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Start by mixing the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow dish and lightly dredge the chicken, shake off the excess.Heat the oil and butter over medium/high heat in a large, heavy skillet, cast iron if you have it. Brown the chicken, it takes about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.Transfer the chicken to a plate, add a little more oil if needed and saute the onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and saute 1 more minute.Add the white wine, deglaze the skillet, scraping up all of the little bits at the bottom. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon cube, sugar, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle in the flour.Cook for a few minutes, stirring to combine, then nestle in the chicken, Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour, it should be fork tender. Add the mushrooms and the olives and cook another 15 minutes. Add the Cognac or Brandy in for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Note to cooks:
I like to serve this over spaghetti and with french baguette pieces fried in a little olive oil. You’ll see why Napoleon loved it so much!

I can’t even begin to tell you how good this is! Chicken thighs baked with wine, shallots, herbs, chicken stock and bacon?! Try it, you’ll love it….and it’s easy!

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 4 pieces of bacon
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tsp of dried marjoram
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 thyme sprigs and 2-3 sage leaves ( if you prefer, you could use 2-3 teaspoons of herbs de provence)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°

In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt, pepper and dried marjoram.
Cook the bacon until crispy in an oven-proof skillet or dutch oven. Remove and set aside.
Now, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. In the bacon drippings, over medium-high heat, brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes total and remove to a plate.
Now add the shallots to the same skillet and over medium heat, saute for about 3 minutes.
Add the wine and scrape up all of the little bits from the bottom.
Add in the chicken stock and cook over medium heat until slightly reduced about 5 minutes.
Now add the herbs, nestle in the chicken and add the bacon.
That’s it! Just bake for 40 minutes and spoon the sauce over the chicken twice while baking. Fish out the herbs, place the chicken on a pretty plate and pour over every bit of that glorious sauce! Serve with crusty french bread to soak it all up!

The best buffalo chicken sandwich you have ever had! So easy to make, the combination of flavors is unbeatable and the kale adds a nice crunch!

Ingredients:
Makes 2 -3 sandwiches

• 1 large or 2 small boneless, chicken breasts
• olive oil for drizzling on the chicken
• 1/8 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic for sprinkling on chicken
• 3 Tbs of butter
• 1/2 cup of hot sauce
• 1 Tbs of Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp of granulated garlic, may use garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 Tbs of brown sugar
• 3 cups of kale
• olive oil for drizzling on the kale
• 1 heaping Tbs of Mayo
• 1 heaping Tbs of Blue cheese
• dash of salt and pepper, or to taste
  

  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350°

  Place the chicken breasts on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle the top side with an 1/8 tsp each of: salt, pepper, paprika and granulated garlic or garlic powder. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts, let cool.In a small bowl, combine the hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, salt, and brown sugar, stir to combine.Melt the butter in a large skillet and add in the sauce mixture, stir to combine.Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.Add the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and mix well.Mix the blue cheese, mayo and salt and pepper in a small bowl.Place the kale on a baking sheet, drizzle on a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.Place the buns in the oven with the kale and bake for just a few minutes, til warmed and a little toasty.
  Assemble the sandwiches: Spoon on some of the blue cheese sauce on the bottom bun, pile on the chicken, top with kale and put the lid on. YUM, YUM, YUM!
  Note to cooks:
  You can use a rotisserie chicken, then just make the sauce and carry on!
  Make sure not to crowd the kale on the baking sheet so it gets nice and crispy.

I love fried chicken, I crave fried chicken! This is my answer, a crispy, healthy, incredibly flavorful, baked “fried” chicken and you’ll be surprised how easy it is. The spice mixture is heavenly and the secret to the crispiness is toasting the panko breadcrumbs! Now we can all chow down on our all-time favorite, fried chicken!

Ingredients:
Serves 4 – 6

• 1 1/2 cups of plain Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on or off, your choice

Spice mix:

• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of onion powder
• 1/2 tsp of celery salt
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°

Start by toasting the Panko, this ensures a really crispy coating! Place the Panko in a skillet over medium heat and toast for about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Then place it in a shallow pie plate.
Next, add all of the spice mix ingredients into the pie plate with the toasted Panko and stir to combine.
Pour the buttermilk into another shallow plate. Coat the chicken in the buttermilk and then coat the chicken in the breadcrumbs, pressing with your fingers to make it stick.
Place the coated chicken on a wire rack over a roasting pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the chicken cool down on the rack for about 10 minutes, serve immediately.
You will love this chicken!

This sauce is incredible! It is out of this world on chicken, but would be equally delicious on pork chops or fish, such as Tilapia or on your favorite pasta. Fresh basil is still growing like crazy, pick some up and try this versatile, amazing sauce! All of the work is done in the food processor!

Ingredients:
Makes enough sauce for 4 servings

• 1 1/4 cups of fresh basil
• 1 shallot, rough chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, whole
• 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup of half & half
• 2  tsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 2 – 4 chicken breasts, skin on and boneless

Directions

Place all ingredients (not the chicken of course!) in a food processor, pulse until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes. Don’t let it come to a boil. Give it a taste and add salt if needed.Prepare your grill (or you could bake your chicken) Place all of the coals on one side and season the chicken with salt & pepper and rub with canola oil on both sides. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hot side over the coals and sear for 3-4 minutes, then flip it and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes, then move to the indirect heat and continue to grill with the lid on for about 15- 20 minutes, depending on the thickness. The temperature should be 160 -165°.Remove from the grill, let rest for 10 minutes, then plate the chicken and spoon on that amazing sauce!Note to cooks: For extra decadence, stir 1  Tbs of butter into the sauce, just before serving.

An absolutely delicious combination! You can use a rotisserie chicken and store bought crust to make this very quick and easy, but you must make the Teriyaki sauce, it is the best in the world!

Ingredients:
This recipe makes 1 scrumptious pizza!

Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 5 Tbs of brown sugar
• 1 Tbs of honey

Pizza:

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp of canola oil
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, about 1- 8 oz ball, cut into small pieces
• 1 pizza crust, either store bought or home made
• Optional: 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, reduced by half for drizzling over pizza

Start by caramelizing the onion. Add the oil to a heavy skillet, saute the sliced onion for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove to a bowl. Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Shred the chicken, using two forks, then place it in the same skillet that the onions were cooked in and pour the teriyaki sauce in. Let it simmer until the chicken absorbs all of the sauce, about 10 minutes.
Pre-bake your pizza crust in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle on the chicken, then the caramelized onions and top with the mozzarella.  Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes or so. This is totally optional but so good, add some balsamic vinegar to a saucepan and let it reduce by half, drizzle over the finished pizza before serving.
*I used a pizza crust mix from the grocery store, just add water to the flour mixture, let rest a few minutes, turn out onto a floured board, knead a few minutes, roll into desired shape and place on a floured baking sheet or a pizza stone.