Crispy-skin Sous Vide Chicken Breast

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 sprigs of fresh thyme - optional
3 tbsps of vegetable oil

Mix together the olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Carefully place the chicken breast in a bag then pour the mixture over top and rub it in. Place one sprig of thyme on either side of each breast.  Carefully submerge for two hours at 150F.

Heat pan on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Pat skin dry, then sear in a pan sear with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on all sides. After searing the chicken the temperature will come up to 165F.

Cheesy Buffalo Bites

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup of Philadelphia cream cheese 
2 cups of grated old cheddar cheese
1 cup of full fat feta cheese
3 heaping tbsp of Renee's Caesar dressing
6 tbsp Frank's buffalo wing sauce or to taste

Let the chicken come to room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Chop chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

Soften cream cheese in microwave for about 20 seconds.

Mix everything together in a mixing bowl. 

Spread evenly on to a large baking pan or casserole dish.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the bites reach an internal temperature of 165° F  or 75° C.

Serve with nacho chips as a dip, or I like to put them in tortilla wraps with some crunchy lettuce.

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs

4 bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each)
3 tsp vegetable oil
kosher salt and pepper
garlic powder 

Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Pat chicken dry with some paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Season skin side generously with salt and pepper. Flip and season the meat with salt and pepper and any additional spices you like (if you decide to stick to salt and pepper, your chicken will still be delicious).

Heat cast iron skillet for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add oil to coat the bottom of the pan (if you have excess oil in the pan, carefully wipe it out with a paper towel).

Once the oil is hot, place chicken skin side down in the pan and set your timer for 3-6 minutes. You want to brown the skin to a golden brown color. The chicken will easily release from the pan when it is done.

Flip the chicken and pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

3 pots
1 cup diced carrots
2-3 cups of broccoli florets
3 cloves minced garlic cloves
1 diced cooking onion
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup flour
6 cups water
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup lynchs stock or to taste
1 cup milk
1 cup 35 % cream
1 cup grated high quality old cheddar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste


Dice carrots, boil until soft in its own pot. Drain.

In a separate pot, add broccoli to boiling water, cover 5-10 mins, or until there's a soft bite. Drain, rinse in cool water, let air dry.

In another separate pot, your main big pot, sautee onion with salt, 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, for 10-15 minutes on medium low, then add garlic for 2 mins, do not let the onions or garlic brown.

In your main pot, add and melt remaining butter, then add flour in with onions and garlic. Cook on low for 2 minutes, then add water and stock, bring to a boil. Reduce for a few minutes. This will be your base. Add milk, cream.

If you find you like your soup more runny, add more water, if you find that the base could be thicker,
take out some of the base before you put the cheese in, put it into a cup with a bit of flour in it,
whisk it until it's blended and add it back to the base in the pot.

Add carrots to the big pot of base. Adjust salt and stock, add pepper. Blend with an immersion blender.  Then at the very end add broccoli.

Greek Pasta Salad

Boil penne rigate or rotini until perfectly al dente. Let dry well.

1 green pepper, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup - 1 cup of crumbled full fat feta,
1/2 a round of cubed feta
Small container of grape or cherry tomatoes chopped in half

Dressing
3/4 cup high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of lemon
5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 teaspoons of fresh oregano, but you can use dried oregano as well, just use less.
Whisk.
Salt to taste.

Mix all together, refrigerate for a couple hours.

Dad's Chicken Creole

1 spanish onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1/4 lb butter
2 cans Campbell's mushroom soup
1 large can whole tomatoes
2 chicken breasts
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup liquid chicken bouillon
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce

Melt butter in large frying pan.
Sautee diced onions and peppers.

While the sautee is underway, put the mushroom soup and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mix together (use your hands), making sure to break up the tomatoes.

Add 1/3 cup water to the chicken bouillon in a cup and mix to dissolve the bouillon. Then add to the mushroom soup/tomato mix.

Add tabasco sauce and worcestershire sauce to flavour as desired.

Mix in the sauteed vegetables.

Put the mix into a casserole dish, or crock pot.

Lay the two chicken breasts into the mix and make sure they are covered by it, to the extent possible.

Cook at 300 degrees for a couple of hours. Or on low in crock pot for a couple hours.

Serve over rice.

Breaded Panko Chicken

2 cups panko
1/2 cup shredded Emmentaler, Swiss or Gruyère cheese, shredded on the small holes of a box grater (about 1 ounce)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to oil the wire rack
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole milk
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

Let the chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and fit it with a wire rack. Lightly oil the rack and set aside.

Place the panko, cheese, and measured oil in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and use your hands to combine evenly. Place the mayonnaise, milk, and thyme in another shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Set both dishes aside.

Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise. Place 1 piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness (about 1/2 inch) with a meat mallet or the bottom of a frying pan. Place on a large plate or second baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dip 1 piece of chicken in the mayonnaise mixture and turn to coat. Then dip it in the panko mixture, turn to coat, and press the mixture onto the chicken to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces, leaving at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space between the pieces. 

Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. 74 C or 165 F

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 if you used salted butter

3 cups ROLLED OATS -- NOT quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Bake for 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.