Hawaiian Chicken

This family favorite is one from my grandmother's kitchen and the original recipe screams of the 1950s. The tastes of the islands, America’s newest acquisitions, were in vogue. When I was younger I was always excited when my mom made Hawaiian chicken because it used favors that we rarely ate as a family otherwise. Pineapple juice and ginger are what make this dish taste so unique, and an interesting cooking method yields a sticky sweet tangy sauce and moist flavorful chicken. My adaptation adds a few ingredients to round out the depth of flavor in the chicken and further intensify the sauce that the chicken cooks in.

Wicked Good Hawaiian Chicken

I pack boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bunch green onions, whites and greens chopped finely

1-2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled, grated

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or grated

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon honey

Flour to coat chicken

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 6 oz cans pineapple juice plus 1 can pineapple slices in juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, half the green onions, honey, pepper, and sesame oil in large bowl. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat pven to 350 degrees. Heat skillet and olive oil over medium high heat until just shimmering.

Remove chicken from marinade. Reserve marinade for later.

coat each piece lightly with flour and quickly brown both sides in skillet. About a minute a side (depending on thickness of breast) Do not cook the chicken through as it will finish in the oven.

Place chicken in an oven safe casserole or Pyrex. Cover with slices of pineapple.

In skillet, add reserved marinade and pineapple juice to deglaze the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Pour skillet “sauce” over chicken and pineapple in casserole.

Top with remaining green onions and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Serve with rice.

Wicked Good Baked Potato Soup

The Quest For Wicked Good Food....

What is wicked good food? Wicked good food is something that I love. Born and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley, I grew up with no culinary rules. Anything and everything was cooked in my home as long as it tasted good, but my mother tended to stick to more traditional American fare. At a young age I developed a love for all things culinary, and my quest for wicked good food began. As a young college student, I've become what my parents and family call a "food snob" constantly searching for the best way to prepare life's most frequent and enjoyable pleasure, a good meal. I hope you enjoy sharing in my love for delicious cuisine and my quest for the best wicked good food.

Wicked Good Baked Potato Soup

For my first post I thought I'd start with something everyone loves. Nothing warms you up like a hot bowl of soup and this one is a real winner. Everyone has come across potato soup in some form or another, but this recipe has it all: sharp tangy cheese, savory onions, smokey bacon, and rich potatoes all cooked together in a creamy broth. This recipe was developed off the actual Black Angus baked potato soup restaurant recipe. My mom is obsessed with the stuff and after years of asking, she finally received the recipe from a restaurant in Southern California. The recipe uses dehydrated pearl potatoes and other restaurant staples not available to the general public and is on a scale no home cook could manage but also includes a few flavors I wouldn't have thought to add. The recipe below is the result of much trial and error to recreate the famous soup as faithfully as possible (I actually think its even better!) and has become a family favorite and one of my most requested dishes.

4 large baking potatoes

1 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

4 cups milk

4 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp dried basil

4 green onions -- chopped

12 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded

4 ounces sour cream plus enough for garnish

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400°F oven for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add garlic, dice onion and sauté onion until translucent and soft. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook until slightly brown (1-2 minutes), stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and stock in alternating cups, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until all liquid is added. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, basil, 2 Tbs. green onion, the bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.