SEMO fair contest offers new chicken recipes

Each year the SEMO District Fair has a sponsor for a chicken recipe contest.

This year there were nine entries and each of those entries are being shared with for your own enjoyment. I hope a favorite or two finds its way into our recipe file.

Chicken in a Biscuit

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

1 can refrigerated biscuits, large size

1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook chicken seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Cut cooked chicken into small pieces. Mix barbeque sauce with chicken in a small mixing bowl. Press biscuits into muffin tin cups and add filling, approximately one tablespoon per biscuit. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve.

Lazy Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 medium onion

8 red dried chilies

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup corn oil

Salt and pepper

Tortillas

Salt both sides of chicken. Pepper one side of chicken, if desired. Cut chicken into thin slices; the onion into a half-moon shape. Rinse the chilies with cold water, cut the stick and put out all the seeds, rinse again with water. Cut them in thin strips. In a 10-inch skillet heat the oil over medium heat, place the onions and chilies, cook for 5 minutes or until onion is transparent. Salt as desired; add chicken and vinegar, lower the heat and cook until chicken is done. Serve the whole breast decorated with the onions and the chilies and use rice as a side dish. Another option is to cut the breast into strips and make tacos placing chicken, onion and chilies into a taco shell.

Best Chicken Casserole

8 ounces bacon

12 slices Provolone cheese

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, skillet simmered

1/3 pound sliced ham

Cook chicken in skillet on low heat with lid on until cooked through, season with salt and pepper. Spray a 9-by-9-inch dish, or one of equal size, and layer as follows: Ham, bacon, cheese, ham, bacon, cheese, chicken, bacon, ham, cheese. Put in oven at 400 degrees, until cheese melts.

Chicken and Asparagus Crepes

Crepes, available at the grocery store

1 pound white meat chicken slices, wafer sliced from the store deli

1 (12-ounce) bottle or can white asparagus

Blender hollandaise sauce (recipe below)

Lay out six crepes. Place three slices of chicken on each. Add 2 to 3 asparagus spears to fill crepe. Roll up and place in casserole dish, seam side down. Heat in 300-degree oven until heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Pour hollandaise sauce over crepes and serve. This dish can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. Two to three crepes will serve one person, and this recipes serves 2 to 3 as a main course. This makes a nice brunch dish, served with a fresh fruit compote. The crepe and filling ingredients are precooked, so this dish can be made in a very short time with a minimum amount of effort, yet is elegant and tasty.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Melt a stick butter or margarine slowly in a saucepan until heated thoroughly and bubbling. Place two egg yolks, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and dash of Tabasco sauce in blender. Pour in hot, melted butter while blending on medium speed. Sauce will thicken as butter is incorporated. Makes about 1 cup.

Country Fair Chicken-On-A-Stick, Asian Style

1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 cup soy sauce

1 lemon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup coconut cream or milk

1 sprig cilantro

1 tablespoon hot pepper or chili sauce

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 lime

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, juice of 1 lemon, ginger, and garlic in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Grill chicken for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. While chicken is cooking, make sauce by combining coconut cream or milk, cilantro, hot sauce, curry powder, and juice of lime in saucepan over medium heat. Cook sauce until thickened and strain. Cut chicken into cubes and place on skewers. Serve with sauce. Roll chicken pieces in crushed peanuts before serving. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main dish. Total cooking time, excluding marinating is 30 minutes.

Zesty Chicken Chili

1 (3 pound) chicken fryer

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 celery ribs

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 quart chicken broth

2 (15.5 ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, mild

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Cook chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, celery and onion. Debone and dice chicken into bite sized pieces. Strain broth and pour into a 4 quart pot. Add chicken and all ingredients together and simmer 30 minutes. Yields: 10 servings.

Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup

1 (4 pound) chicken; deboned and cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can tomato soup

1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 cup rice

1 1/2 teaspoons Watkins Soup and vegetable Seasoning

Mix all ingredients, heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes.

Chicken Romaine Salad

1 heart of Romaine lettuce, cut up

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

8 chicken nuggets, microwave on High for 2 minutes

Cut nuggets into small pieces. Put Romaine into large dish. Add peppers, onions, and nuggets. Garnish with egg. Add light Italian dressing just before serving.

Chicken Emerald Garden

1 oven bag, large size

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken

1 pound small red potatoes, halved

1 (8 ounce) package peeled baby carrots

1 medium onion, cut in wedges

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shake flour in oven bag. Place bag in a 9x13-inch baking pan with opening towards the wide side of the pan. Wash chicken, cut end wing tips off chicken, rub butter onto surface of chicken. Combine oregano, pepper and salt; rub onto surface of chicken. Add chicken to bag. Arrange vegetables around chicken in an even layer, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Close oven bag with nylon string. Cut six 1-inch slits in top of bag; tuck ends of bag in pan. Bake 1 3/4 hours. Serve chicken with vegetables and garnish with parsley.

I am all out of room for this week. I hope you have a terrific week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.