Spicy Honey Chicken

This post is for Joe in his new apartment. I'm reluctant to post it because I like to have incentives to entice my children home for visits occasionally. But I also love the fact that they take care of themselves and they are all good cooks.
This recipe comes from the wonderful site that Kali introduced me to: Our Best Bites. I'm becoming a frequent visitor there.

                                 Honey Spicy Chicken

Chicken & Crookneck Lasagna

With a little less cheese and a lot more veggie, this squash and chicken lasagna is my new favorite summer pasta. The layer of fresh basil packs a punch, so don't underestimate that vital ingredient!

2 small yellow crookneck squash, grated

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup cottage cheese

10 oz chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup grated parmesan, divided

1 jar spaghetti sauce

5-6 lasagna noodles

1 small bunch fresh basil, washed

1 egg

1 Tbsp milk

Boil the lasagna noodles two at a time, for four minutes each; set aside.

In a separate pan, saute onion in olive oil for 2 minutes; add squash and garlic and cook until tender. Add ricotta, chicken, and 2 Tbsp parmesan (save the rest of the parmesan for the topping). 

Spray a deep casserole dish with nonstick baking spray. Pour enough spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer: noodles, half of the squash mixture, spaghetti sauce, noodles, remaining squash mixture, whole basil leaves (cover the entire layer), spaghetti sauce, and remaining noodles (if any remain). Add a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the top. 

Mix remaining 1/4 cup parmesan with egg and milk; pour over top.

Bake, covered, at 375* for 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until sides are bubbly and parmesan topping is cooked through.

Baked Krab Rangoon

These delicious little restaurant-style morsels were created for a fun night in with my little bro, Joe. I looked up a few similar recipes, then just threw them out and made my own. These are ridiculously easy and so good!

Ingredients:
1 package wonton wrappers
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz imitation crab, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Combine cream cheese, crab meat, and green onions in a bowl. Lay out wonton wrappers and put a heaping teaspoon on each. With your fingers, wet two adjacent sides of the wrapper and fold it over diagonally, pressing firmly to seal.

Place wrappers on the prepared baking sheet. Spray each with baking spray, then flip over and spray the other side. Bake at 415 for about 12 minutes, or until edges are brown and crisp.

We ate these with one of my favorite dips, Thai sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries

Lately, every night is zucchini night at our house. And I'll admit it Mom, I don't hate it. Zucchini quiche, quesadillas, pizza, bread, burritos, pasta; you name it, we've had it! But these were our favorite! Baked zucchini fries with Parmesan. So good!

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the soft, seedy portion of the zucchini, then cut into thick french fries. 

In three shallow bowls or deeper plates, make three different mixtures:

1. Flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2. Eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
3. Bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt

Working in batches, using one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients, coat fries in flour, shaking off excess. Dip thoroughly in egg mixture, allowing excess to run off. Last, coat in the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange zucchini in a single layer on the pan, without crowding. Bake 15 minutes and then flip fries over to the other side. Bake until bread crumbs are golden and crisp, another 7-10 minutes. 

This recipe came from my friend, Mandy, over at Baking with Blondie. (You should go check out her blog, it's amazing)! She recommends eating these with warm marinara or pizza sauce. Jenny used cocktail sauce with hers, and Ellie and I used homemade ketchup. 

Bon appetit from the Tessem girls!