Special Occasion Chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce
1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
Place browned chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce, then spoon on salad dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Almost KFC Chicken

• 6 cups of oil for frying
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 4 tbsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• 2 chickens with skin (cut the into 8 pieces each)

Ideally, to make this chicken taste like the real KFC original recipe, you’ll need to use a pressure cooker. If you can’t get your hands on one, just a regular home kitchen deep fryer will do, although your temperature might have to be different.

Pour the oil into the pressure cooker and heat it to around 400 degrees. While this is happening, combine the egg and milk in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and MSG.
Dip each piece of the chicken into the milk mixture until it is fully coated.
Then roll each chicken piece in the flour mixture until that’s coated.

If you’re using a pressure cooker, drop a few pieces in, shut the lid and wait for steam. Once steam is shooting out, set a timer for ten minutes and wait. When your time is up, remove the chicken to drain and start again.

Obviously, the deep fryer method won’t give you exactly the same end result, but it should be close. And even if you’re close to KFC’s Original Fried Chicken, you can’t be disappointed with that.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 cups instant brown rice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
6 cups bite-size pieces of vegetables, such as snow peas, broccoli and bell peppers
1 (5 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Prepare rice according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch and apricot preserves in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink on the outside and just starting to brown in spots, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add vegetables, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in water chestnuts and the chicken. Whisk the reserved sauce and add to the pan. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute.

Serve with the rice.