Advertisements

Tag Archives: comfort food

Healthier Buttermilk Fried Chicken

It’s been a minute since I’ve written a blog post and put my fingers to the keyboard and craft a recipe but I am BACK. Our sweet boy is already 4.5 months and just tried oatmeal for the first time yesterday – to say he devoured it up is an understatement. As a devout foodie this boy is in for it when he starts solids and eating the foods we eat for dinner. I’m so looking forward to having my sous chef in the kitchen with me, taste testing new recipes, helping me remake my grandmother’s Cream Cheese Rugelach (which I’m hoping to get on the blog this Fall), and create memories in one of my favorite places to be.

Who doesn’t love fried chicken? The crispiness of the skin, the breaded and dredge, the juiciness and brine of the chicken paired with greens, potatoes, and MAC. It’s a perfect comfort food and I’ve definitely had my fair share in eating it. I purchased some Organic Valley buttermilk thinking I would make buttermilk pancakes which, still, needs to be tested; instead, I threw chicken thighs into a bowl of buttermilk, salt, pepper, and decided “what the hell, let’s try frying some chicken.” Of course, this recipe wouldn’t be complete without my favorite cassava flour from Thrive Market, which as of July 31st you can get a $20 shopping credit when you purchase a 1 year membership – use the banner on the right! Additionally, I choose to use Avocado oil when I fry chicken cutlets and used it for this dish too because it not only provides a creamier texture due to the fats in the avocado, but avocado oil has a safe and high cooking temperature, whereas other oils when heated over 400* can burn and become not so healthy #themoreyouknow *cue rainbow and theme song.*

Here’s what you’ll need for this delish recipe:

  • 1 pkg chicken thighs or breasts (I used thighs, but I definitely recommend breasts with this too)
  • 2-3 cups avocado oil
  • 1 cup cassava flour
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Salt
  • Pepper

PRE-SOAK YOUR CHICKEN OVERNIGHT! This will help the buttermilk soak into the chicken and marinade it!

In a deep frying pan or 4-5 qt pot, add in the oil and begin to heat it until it gets to 375* (I recommend getting a cooking thermometer for this). Add the chicken to the cassava flour and coat well. You can do a double dredge for thicker breading but I just did a single dredge. Add the chicken to the oil slowly and cook until each side is a golden brown. Remove from the oil and let drip over a cooking rack or dry with paper towel.

Pair with veggies, mac and cheese, potatoes, or your favorite side! This is such a fun take on the traditional fried chicken, and buttermilk makes it that much more delicious.

Advertisements

Classic Breaded Chicken Cutlets

There’s nothing like simplicity in a time like this. Staple ingredients, basic recipes, and home cooking somehow taste so much better and flavorful than complicated and obscure meals sometimes. I can get a little too over-complicated sometimes when it comes to cook, and ESPECIALLY baking, so I am always working to reflect on what I’m doing: how many swaps did I implement this time? What was the measurement of this ingredient? How long should I bake or sear it for? How do I remedy too much salt? Too liquidy? These are some of the questions I am always asking myself when in the kitchen, but with classic recipes like chicken cutlets, the measurements and taste somehow always come out perfect.

I’m not diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance, but I just feel better when I don’t eat a whole ton of bread or gluten. Sure, I can take down a massive french toast, or a large hero sandwich from a deli, but 9 times out of 10 I feel like garbage afterwards, largely because of the bread. That’s not to say I don’t indulge, but I am mindful, and that’s why a lot of my cooking and baking is directed toward gluten-free. However, I will N E V E R say no or turn down a good chicken cutlet. Who doesn’t love a tender, juicy, crispy on the outside piece of delectable chicken?

If you’re a novice cook in your kitchen, this is THE recipe for you. It’s incredibly simple, with standard ingredients, and once you’ve mastered the chicken cutlet, you can ramp it up with chicken parm, chicken cutlet wraps, chicken cutlet salads, and even chicken pasta bakes! Let’s get started…

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and filleted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 4-5 tbsp olive oil, and probably more to coat the pan
  • Cast iron skillet or deep frying pan
  • 3 dinner plates
    • one for the breadcrumbs
    • one for the breaded chicken
    • one for post fried chicken to sit on paper towel
  • Salt
  • Pepper

To start, get your “assembly line” together, meaning: arrange your plates and bowl for the egg-wash. You’ll have a plate (or I use a cutting board) of the filleted chicken breasts, bowl of egg wash (Just cracked and whisked eggs), plate of breadcrumbs, and extra plate to put the breaded chicken before you fry it.

  1. First, rinse and pat dry your chicken breasts. Lay flat on a cutting board and fillet them: you’ll place a hand on the chicken breast, take a slicing knife, and cut the chicken breast horizontally in half from one side to the other, this will make one chicken breast into two thin sliced breasts. Repeat for all pieces (if you have four large breasts, you’ll end up with eight!). Then, season with salt and pepper.
  2. Crack your eggs. Whisk them together and leave as is.
  3. Take your cast iron skillet or your deep frying pan and place onto the stove. Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and add another two tbsp. You want enough oil in the pan so that there’s minimal splatter, and so the oil crackles/fries the chicken enough without sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Begin to make the cutlets. Take a piece of chicken, dip into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides evenly. Place on plate and repeat until all chicken is breaded.
  5. Heat your skillet/pan on medium heat. You may need to play around with the heat so that the cutlets do not burn. Layer two or three pieces of chicken into the pan and let them fry for 3-4 minutes per side. Overcooking the chicken will burn the breading and will also dry out the chicken – our goal here is a golden crust with a juicy bite!
  6. Place the fried chicken cutlets on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat this step until all the chicken is cooked.

I swear by this method, and it is pretty standard from what I understand, but I wanted to add this recipe here for anyone who is venturing into the cooking world, for anyone who has attempted cutlets but forgot how much oil or how to fillet a chicken. This recipe will become your backbone of cooking and will virtually take you anywhere when it comes to being in the kitchen. Have fun, stay safe, and happy frying!

Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake

Ever have one of those moments where something comes to you in the middle of the night and you’re almost certain it’s going to work? That’s exactly how I felt when I thought of this French toast casserole, or bake. I have always loved french toast, but had a vision for making this into a bake and caramelize some of my favorite apples to go along with it.

I have fallen in love with apples all over again after I found these SweetTango apples from Whole Foods. They are super juicy, slightly tart, and the perfect amount of sweet. They resemble Gala apples pretty closely, but are not as sweet. As I caramelized them, they held up to the butter and brown sugar, and were very tender when they baked. I was quite pleased. What I also love about this particular French toast bake is that the ingredients are super simple.

Here’s what you’ll need: *edited as of May 17th 2020

  • 4 large eggs
    • I use Organic Valley for all my dairy products, and you can find out why by visiting their website here. They are one of the only farms I know that really lives up to their pasture-raised and organic mission and donate regularly to charities and causes.
  • 1 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 loaf Challah bread, cut into cubes
  • 2 apples, diced into smaller chunks
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Ground nutmeg*
  • Ground cloves*
  • Ground cinnamon*
    • *I actually used Primal Palate’s Apple Pie Spice for the apples as well as added a dash of it into the custard mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375* degrees. Begin with chopping and dicing the apples into smaller chunks. Take two tbsp of butter and melt into a large pan. Add the apples and toss/coat until all of the apples are coated with butter. Let sit and begin to soften on a medium heat. Add in spices and toss. Take 1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar) and add to the apples, this will help the apples brown and soften more. Lower the heat to simmer and set aside after 5 minutes. Be sure to check that the apples are not burning.

In the meantime, whisk the eggs and milk together, adding in the spices, vanilla, and maple syrup. You can let this sit as you cut the challah bread into smaller chunks. Using a baking pan or dish, assemble the diced brioche and pour the egg mixture into the challah, letting it soak up the egg and milk; make sure you coat all of the bread. Once the apples are done, layer the apples onto the bread and fill all open spaces with apples.

Take the remaining butter and brown sugar and whisk together (or by hand) to form a crumble. Sprinkle on top of the casserole as evenly as you can. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until there is no bubbling and all the egg has cooked and set. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream and you’ve got a delicious brunch treat! NOMaste 🙂

Brooklyn Eats: Buttermilk Channel

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn

Cuisine: American, Comfort foods

Living in Brooklyn definitely has a lot of advantages. For starters, I am in the mecca of culinary artists and trendy pop-up coffee shops. I live just on the outskirts of Sunset Park and Park Slope, so I get the trifecta of amazing authentic restaurants. What inspires me most is that on every street, you can find yourself in a melting pot of cultures. Of course, there’s nothing like homemade food to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I cannot think of a better spot than Buttermilk Channel to give me all the fuzzy feels, and a full belly.

Buttermilk Channel is on Court Street, one of the most popular (and populated) streets in Downtown Brooklyn. It’s in the Gowanus area, and has some of the best natural lighting I’ve seen in a restaurant. If you want to risk going for brunch on the weekend, I’d advise to go early, as there will most certainly be a wait. This restaurant can and will get packed, fast, and for good reason. Their food is really delicious, and consistent. I went once for lunch, and a second for brunch, offering multiple opportunities to try various items on the menu, and I barely scratched the surface, so it looks like I’ll be going for a third time. Here’s what I’ve tried:

ABC Grilled Cheese: This was one badass grilled cheese sando. It was layered with bacon, apple, and cheddar cheese smothered together between two pieces of delicious bread. I also won’t complain about the side of bread and butter pickles. #win.

Buttermilk Biscuits: I mean, I don’t know what else to say other than DAMN. These biscuits (first of all are gigantic) were so flaky, moist, and tender at the same time. I want more. ASAP.

Scramble with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions: This was a game-time decision to order, and I am really glad I did. Eggs are a staple at brunch, but this was super delicious, packed with soft scrambled eggs, sauteed peppers and onions, and tender sausage. Plus, it came with a hash-brown. No complaints here.

Ricotta, Honey, and Walnut Toast: EXCUSE ME?! A girlfriend of mine ordered this and it was just heaven. I didn’t think this was going to indulge my tastebuds as much as it did, and now I am craving it. The fresh ricotta paired with local honey and walnuts was the perfect trio of flavors. Definitely getting this bad boy again.

Warm Cinnamon Bun: I can’t explain just how delectable this was. My friend ordered this and we shared it, I ate each bite with such pleasure, that I am sure I pulled a “When Harry Met Sally” moment whilst mid chew. Sorry peeps, this cinnamon bun is legit and is a must order.

I hope these pictures help show you just how great this spot truly is, and made you drool just a tad. Don’t worry, grab a hanky, blot your drool bubble, and head over to Buttermilk Channel asap. Grab a friend, sit at the bar if you need to (say hi to the bartender Lauren for me!) and enjoy one incredible meal.

Powered by WordPress.com.