Long John Silver's Copycat Planks

Is your town lucky enough to have a Long John Silver's? I never knew this was a luxury until I moved to North Carolina and discovered the nearest one was over an hour away! Now, I love me some LJS, but I'm not going to drive an hour for fast food, even if I'm seriously craving that delicious, battered and deep-fried chicken served with sweet, doughy hush puppies, crispy french fries, tangy coleslaw, and if I'm lucky, a pile of crunchy, fried batter splatter (Yeah, I made that name up all by myself. I don't know what LJS calls them, all I know is they're my favorite part.)

I tried the local alternative, Captain D's, but it was NOT THE SAME AT ALL. So what's a girl to do when a craving hits? Find a copycat recipe, that's what! I've tried a couple similar versions, but a few extra spices makes this one my favorite. This batter fries up so perfectly golden brown and delicious, you'll swear ole Long John Silver cooked it himself!

LJS Copycat Planks

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 10 min

Serves 4

Canola or Peanut oil for frying

1 lb chicken tenderloins (or cod filets)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup water

Preheat oil in a pan or deep fryer to 360°F.

Meanwhile, whisk all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in the water. 

Dip your chicken (or fish) into the batter and fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Make sure the chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature. A probe thermometer is the best way to check.

Lay cooked chicken on paper towels in a single layer to soak up excess oil. Serve immediately.

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

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!

Garlic Alfredo Chicken

Don't you just love it when things fit together perfectly? I get a ridiculous thrill whenever it happens. Like a brand new Rubik's Cube or Russian nesting dolls. Or like yesterday--I bought a pair of rose-colored jeans on a whim, and when I got home I discovered that they matched several of my blouses! You know if I'd taken all those shirts to the store and tried to find a pair of pants to go with them, it never would've happened.

If you've ever been to Olive Garden and dipped a garlicky breadstick into their creamy Alfredo sauce, you know how great those flavors go together. (If you haven't, I highly recommend it!) Well, this recipe takes regular Alfredo sauce to a whole other level by combining it with the hearty flavor of garlic--lots and lots of garlic! You can serve this with fettuccine noodles, but it's also great over mashed potatoes or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks.

Garlic Alfredo Chicken

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 40 min

Serves 6

For The Chicken:

4 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs butter

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 Tbs flour

4 Tbs finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

For The Sauce:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 Tbs fresh parsley, minced (if desired)

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl pan to coat evenly.

Meanwhile, Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and parmesan cheese. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture; shake off excess.

Fry 3 chicken fillets at a time until golden and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes each side, depending on the thickness). Transfer to a plate. (I like to keep mine warm in a 250° oven.)

Wipe pan clean with a sheet of paper towel. Repeat with remaining oil, butter and chicken breasts. Once all breasts are cooked and removed, add one more tablespoon of oil to the pan drippings.

Reduce heat to medium. Sauté the onion in the remaining oil/juices in the pan until softened.

 

Smash 6 cloves of garlic and leave the others whole. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits and let simmer and reduce to half, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the parmesan cheese. Continue cooking gently for about 2-3 minutes until cheese melts, stirring occasionally.  

Add the chicken back into the pan and let simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce to your liking. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

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

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

While I'm perfectly happy with a plateful of hip-sticking carbs, my husband doesn't consider it a meal unless there's at least a pound of meat involved. That makes it a little tricky since it's Lent, which means meatless Fridays. The hubs doesn't care much for seafood, either, so cooking satisfying meals for my giant eater can be a challenge, to say the least!

I found this recipe recently and was pleasantly surprised with how yummy and satisfying it was, even without any meat. I guess three kinds of cheese makes up for it. Of course, you could easily add some ground beef or Italian sausage to your spaghetti sauce, if you like, but I doubt you'll miss it if you leave it out.

I served this with some crusty garlic bread and roasted asparagus, both of which I baked at the same time--super convenient!

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

Prep time: 20 min Bake time: 35 min

Serves 5

20 jumbo shells

1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

1½ cup cottage cheese

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella, divided

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Cook pasta shells according to package directions, about 15 minutes. Stir gently while cooking to avoid tearing the shells. Drain.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat spaghetti sauce in a medium saucepan till bubbly. Pour half the spaghetti sauce into prepared pan, reserving 1/2 for later.

Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasoning. Stuff cooked pasta shells with cheese mixture.

Place stuffed shells on top of sauce in baking dish. Spread reserved sauce on top of stuffed shells. Sprinkle with reserved mozzarella.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until heated through.

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