Bang Bang Chicken

Don't you just love it when a recipe surprises you with how good it is?! I've seen Bang Bang chicken on restaurant menus and various recipes floating around the internet, but I never considered making it because I'm not a fan of spicy things. I guess I finally saw it often enough that I got inspired to give it a try tonight, and I'm so glad I did!

I decided to leave the hot sauce out of the batter because I figured I could eat the chicken plain if the sauce was too spicy for me, but the sauce turned out to be just fine, even for my sensitive palate. You can always add more or less hot sauce to suit your own tastes, of course.

The chicken itself was absolute perfection--moist and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Even picky kiddos would happily scarf down these homemade nuggets. The secret is the panko breadcrumbs; they're the crispiest!

I served the whole thing over some white rice, and it rivaled any restaurant dish. I'll definitely be making it again and again!

Bang Bang Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

BATTER:

1/2 cup buttermilk*

1 Tbs hot sauce (if desired)

1 egg

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 lb chicken breasts

salt & pepper, to taste

1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 green onions, sliced

SAUCE:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

2 Tbs hot sauce (or less, if desired)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbs honey

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Heat oil in a deep fryer or on the stove to 350°F.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the batter ingredients. Add the chicken to the batter and mix well to cover each piece. Then coat each battered piece of chicken in panko.

When the oil is hot, carefully drop in chicken pieces. Fry till golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

 Drizzle the fried chicken pieces with sauce, sprinkle with green onions, and serve immediately.

*You can make homemade buttermilk by adding 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup milk then let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.

515 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Crunchy Peach Coffee Cake

My absolute favorite time of year is spring. The weather is perfect here in NC, and every week there's a new flower ready to bloom. I just love to see colorful blossoms! 

A few years ago, my husband wanted to plant a new tree in the yard to replace one that had died. My only request was that he come home with something that flowers in the spring. I wasn't too picky because I love all the flowering trees--redbuds, cherry trees, crab apples, dogwoods, even Bradford pear trees. My husband, being practical as ever, came home with a peach tree the size of a twig that looked half dead. I'm pretty sure he found it on the clearance rack.

The first year, we got no flowers and no peaches. The second year, we got a few pathetic blossoms, and a handful of inedible peaches as small and hard as golf balls. The next year wasn't much better. I was unimpressed to say the least.

But this spring, the whole tree was covered with tiny but beautiful blossoms, and soon after, peaches! We waited impatiently while they grew from hard, green knobs to large, peachy globes. Much to my delight, the first one I picked was soft, juicy, and totally delicious! Right away, I started browsing peach recipes. This one looked the best, so I couldn't resist making it first. It turned out just as amazing as it looks, and it is great for breakfast, dessert, or anytime snacking!

Crunchy Peach Coffee Cake

Prep time: 20 min Bake time: 45 min

Serves 20

BATTER:

4 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)

1 1/3 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

4 cups peaches, peeled and diced (about 6 peaches)

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1 1/3 cups baking mix

1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled, diced 

GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs milk or cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13” glass baking dish. (This barely fit in my pan after baking, so use as tall of a dish as possible!)

In a large bowl, mix batter ingredients: baking mix, milk, sugar and eggs. Stir just until smooth.

In another large bowl, mix streusel ingredients: baking mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Top with half the peaches. Sprinkle half the streusel topping over the peaches. Repeat layers. Sprinkle pecans or walnuts over top.

Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients: powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

322 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!