Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps Made Easy

(NAPSI)-The right recipes can help add an unexpected flair to your next get-together.

For instance, Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps are an easy way to make finger food that's great for a brunch, a lunch or as an appetizer at an Asian-themed dinner.

The healthful, fun-to-eat treats are made with fat-free California golden raisins for just the right hint of sweetness and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Thai-Style Lettuce Wraps

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

11/4 pounds ground chicken

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup Sun-Maid Golden Raisins

1/2 cup peanuts

1/4 cup sweet red Thai chili sauce

4 teaspoons lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

24 Bibb lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add ground chicken when oil is shiny, and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken using a spatula to break into small pieces.

Add chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add Golden Raisins and peanuts. Stir in sweet Thai chili sauce and lime juice; heat through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Form a single lettuce leaf into a cup and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture into lettuce cup to serve.

Makes 6 main-course servings or 12-18 appetizers.

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Chick-fil-A Celebrates New Year with FREE Chicken Biscuits

/PRNewswire/ -- Chick-fil-A(R) restaurants nationwide are ringing in the New Year by offering customers a free taste of the chain's signature Chick-fil-A(R) Chicken Biscuit, the menu item that first introduced quick-service customers to the concept of eating chicken for breakfast.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Chick-fil-A customers will receive an invitation for a free, made-from-scratch Chick-fil-A(R) Chicken Biscuit with any purchase. The promotion is both a celebration of the chain's signature breakfast entree and a response to competitors' recent attempts to enter the segment with their imitation chicken biscuit offerings.

"While some of our competitors are touting a trend of 'change' toward chicken as the new meat choice for breakfast, it's something our customers have known all along," said Woody Faulk, the chain's vice president of brand development and director of Chick-fil-A's menu strategy. "We pride ourselves on making our biscuits from scratch every day, not the 'homemade tasting' biscuits being advertised elsewhere. The fact is, our pioneer products will likely continue to be imitated, but they will never be duplicated. We encourage everyone to sample the original breakfast chicken biscuit as a satisfying way to start 2009!"

The Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit giveaway will be advertised during the Chick-fil-A Bowl broadcast, which airs nationally on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 31. The invitations will be distributed at participating Chick-fil-A restaurants beginning Jan. 1 (while supplies last), and can be redeemed through March 28, 2009.

With the homemade chicken biscuit that Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy developed as the chain's flagship breakfast offering, Chick-fil-A introduced its full breakfast menu in 1986 as the chain began expanding outside shopping malls and started opening stand-alone restaurants, which catered better to breakfast business. Today, breakfast accounts for approximately 17 percent of the chain's overall sales, but Chick-fil-A continues to see the morning day part as a promising opportunity to further grow the business. The original Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit remains the best-selling breakfast item.

"Breakfast has become our fastest growing day part in terms of sales-percentage increase," Faulk added. "It is an extremely habitual day part, especially during the work week. People typically travel to and from work the same way each day and they also tend to have a list of stops, such as gas stations, ATMs and other stops which they frequent during the week. We continue to see huge opportunities where Chick-fil-A can be established as part of these morning routines, but in order to do that, we have to continue to seek new and innovative menu items that will appeal to our customers. And, while others are asking their customers to 'change' their breakfast habits to include chicken, we're pleased we can say 'stay with the original' through our free chicken biscuit offer."

Over the last several years, Chick-fil-A has steadily focused on maximizing the breakfast day part with a variety of menu enhancements and promotions. In 2004, the chain began a two-phased breakfast menu expansion that included four new entrees and a premium coffee line. Looking forward to 2009, the chicken biscuit giveaway will kick off a three-month promotional campaign Chick-fil-A will leverage to heighten awareness of its breakfast offerings.

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Louisiana Fish Fry Products Issues Nationwide Allergy Alert on Undeclared Buttermilk in "Chicken & Fish Bake Seasoned Coating Mix"

Louisiana Fish Fry Products of Baton Rouge, LA, is recalling its 6 ounce packages of "Chicken & Fish Bake Seasoned Coating Mix" because they may contain undeclared buttermilk. People who have allergies to milk products run the risk of an allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The recalled "Chicken & Fish Bake" was distributed nationwide in retail stores and through mail orders.
The product comes in a 6 ounce bag marked with a "Best By" date from Jan 1, 2008 thru Sept. 25, 2011.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the buttermilk-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of buttermilk. Production of new product, with buttermilk included in the ingredient statement, has been initiated.

Consumers who have purchased 6 ounce packages of "Chicken & Fish Bake" are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-356-2905 Monday thru Friday between 8:00-5:00 CST.

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Chef's Tip: Sweet Onions Add Flavor And Nutrition While Saving You Bread

(NAPSI)-Stretching your food dollars doesn't have to mean abandoning flavor. That means you can still enjoy cool-weather favorites such as luscious stews, roasted chickens, succulent pot roasts and more, while cutting costs.

The key? Stock up on affordable, hearty root vegetables that add flavor, nutrition and value to the dishes you serve-ingredients that I call "superfoods."

For instance, take the sweet onion. It's even better for you than a normal onion, and, as any chef will tell you, a sweet onion is the ultimate in savory flavor. Plus, adding one jumbo OSO sweet onion-a type of onion grown in the mineral-rich mountains of Chile-can add two vegetable portions to a tuna casserole or your favorite Crock-Pot dish.

Maybe just as important, though, these mildly flavored sweet onions won't make you cry when you cut them and have a longer shelf life than their traditional counterparts. That means putting an end to tossing unused onions that have sprouted green shoots.

Also, anyone with a sensitive stomach will be happy to know that because of their low acid content, sweet onions will not upset your stomach like regular onions.

Cooking With Onions

Add a slice of sweet onion to a sandwich, grilled cheese or hamburger and you'll be instantly eating better. You can also sauté them and add the onions to the mac and cheese you feed your kids to boost flavor and nutritional content, or even toss them in with some canned veggies to help fight off cancer and heart disease.

The possibilities are endless because the onion is used in more cuisines than any other vegetable in the world. Try this delicious dish made with savory sweet onions:

Maple-Balsamic Chicken Thighs

1 OSO Sweet Onion

Vegetable oil spray

6 chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Remove skin from onion and cut into 6 slices. Arrange flat in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and spray with vegetable oil spray. Place each thigh on top of an onion slice. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients and generously brush each thigh/onion combo, covering as much of the chicken and onion as possible. Roast at 400º F in middle of oven for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350º F and roast 30 minutes, basting with pan juices 2 or 3 times.

For more recipes and information, visit the Web site www.sweetonionsource.com.

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Creating A Skillet Dinner That Saves Time And Money

(NAPSI)-Families are starved for time and money these days. We're in such a rush that there's little time to prepare a good meal. And then food prices are at their highest levels since the 1990s. The traditional family is just squeezed.

But you can create a great meal for a family of four for less than $10--and make it memorable by combining textures and flavors. Cleanup is fast and easy, too.

Chicken thighs are economical and full flavored. But we often pass over them in the grocery store because many recipes call for chicken breasts. The frying oil, which is made from a blend of soybean and peanut oil, adds a robust, nutty flavor.

Serve this dish with rice for a down-home meal that saves time in the kitchen. Total cook time is about 30 minutes.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Okra

Ingredients:

⅓ cup LouAna Southern Frying Oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups fresh or frozen (½-inch-thick) sliced okra

1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation and Cooking:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Season chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add okra to pan; cook two minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes and sugar; bring to a boil.

Gently place chicken in tomato mixture. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Remove about ¼ cup hot broth from pan; stir vinegar and flour into broth mixture. Return broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick.

Serves four people.

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A Zesty Chicken Dinner Brings Color To Your Plate And Palate

Fowl is fair--and fairly inexpensive--when you roast a whole chicken in herbs and oil.

(NAPSI)-The U.S. is wrestling with the worst food inflation in nearly 20 years. Combine that with high gas prices and you're talking about a budget buster.

But you can make a savory meal for a family of four and spend less than $10. The spectacular flavor in Herb Roasted Chicken comes from the blend of cooking oil and fresh herbs. (Fresh herbs are sold in individual, small packages near a grocer's fresh vegetables and can be used to create other meals later in the week.)

Vegetable (or canola) oil seals in moisture and keeps chicken and roasting vegetables crispy. The vegetables cook alongside the poultry, saving on cooking time and energy usage.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

½ cup LouAna vegetable or canola oil, divided

1 (4-pound) whole roasting chicken

2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ small onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

8 ounces baby carrots, peeled or unpeeled

8 ounces red-skinned potatoes, quartered

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed

Preparation and Cooking:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Remove giblets and neck from chicken; freeze for future use. Combine and stir sage and ingredients through pepper. Measure out 2 teaspoons herb mixture and mix it with 1 ½ tablespoons oil. Starting with neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks with hands. Rub mixture under skin and over breast and drumsticks. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under. Rub 2 tablespoons oil over outside skin of chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a roasting pan rack. Roast at 450° for 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Toss reserved herb mixture and remaining oil with onion, carrots and potatoes. Add vegetable mixture to roasting pan. Roast an additional 30 minutes at 350°, basting with pan juices after 20 minutes. Add green beans to pan; toss. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Serves four people.

Visit www.louana.com for more recipes and cooking tips.

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Fried Chicken with Goobers

CC Note: Pass the pollo goober, ya'll.

(NAPSI)-Fried chicken may be a down-home tradition during football season, but it didn't begin in the South. Fried chicken was known as pollo fritto in Italy and Ga Xao in Vietnam before it became a culinary habit in the Southern United States.

But with food prices soaring, you can still create a delicious fried chicken dinner for friends and family on game day for less than $10. You can give your fried chicken a kick by using both ground peanuts and a special soybean and peanut frying oil blend.

To save money, your oil can be used several times as long as you don't overheat it. After cooking, cool, strain and store the oil in a cool, dark place for future use.



Peanut Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 gallons LouAna Southern Frying Oil

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup salted, dry-roasted peanuts

2 cups buttermilk, divided

2 large eggs

1 (4-pound) whole fryer chicken, cut into 6 pieces

Preparation and Cooking:

Place oil in a large fryer, Dutch oven or another thick-walled iron cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid; heat to 350°.

Combine 1 cup flour, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk.

Place remaining 1/3 cup flour and nuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. Add peanut mixture to flour mixture, stirring well.

Combine buttermilk and eggs in a shallow dish, stirring well. Season chicken evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon salt; dredge in flour mixture. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture; dredge in flour again.

Fry chicken in hot oil 15 minutes or until golden; move to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Serves four people.

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California Avocados Act As "Nutrient Booster" For Athletes And Non-Athletes Alike

CC Note: One of our caped cuisine fanatics just loves avocados. With that said, please enjoy another recipe she tried and loved. She liked it so much she even brought samples over to our Fayetteville office for the staff. Keep it up. We just love great food!

(NAPSI)-Optimal nutrition is essential for athletes to fuel their bodies through intense workouts. However, the importance of nutrition applies to non-athletes as well. Consuming a diet rich in carbohydrates, lean proteins and beneficial fats is crucial for overall health and an integral part of a training regimen. California avocados can serve as a component of just such a diet, as they provide primary mono and polyunsaturated fats, which are essential for both athletes and non-athletes, and are a healthy substitute when eaten in place of foods rich in saturated fat.

Also, California avocados are naturally sodium-free and cholesterol-free and act as a nutrient booster, by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

An excellent example of a training meal is the following recipe for Cilantro Chicken with California Avocado and Pickled Tomato Salsa, as it combines all the performance nutrition essentials into one delicious dish.

Cilantro Chicken with California Avocado and Pickled Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 (6 oz.) boneless chicken thighs or breasts, with skin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

4 scallions, trimmed

Pickled Tomato Salsa (recipe below)

2 ripe, fresh California avocados, peeled, seeded and cut in ½-inch dice

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice

Instructions:

1. In a shallow, nonreactive dish, season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and cumin in a small bowl. Brush mixture on scallions and pour remainder over chicken, tossing to evenly coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler or grill. Beginning with skin side toward the heat source, broil or grill chicken until just cooked through, about 12 minutes per side for thighs and about 9 minutes per side for breasts. Grill or broil scallions about 2 minutes per side.

3. Toss Pickled Tomato Salsa with diced avocados and reserve until chicken is cooked.

4. To serve, arrange grilled chicken over a bed of basmati rice. Mound avocado salsa mixture on top of chicken. Garnish with grilled scallions. Serve immediately.

Pickled Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut in quarters

½ bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

2 Serrano chiles, with seeds, thinly sliced in rounds

½ cup white vinegar

2 ½ Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

2 tsp. cracked black peppercorns

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. turmeric

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes with scallions and chiles.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil. Add brown sugar and salt and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and reserve.

3. Measure ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, cracked peppercorns, cumin, cayenne and turmeric onto a plate and place near stove. In another medium saucepan, heat oil over moderate heat until just smoking. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until aromas are released, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar mixture. Immediately pour over reserved tomato mixture. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or several days.

4. Before serving, remove tomatoes from juices, roughly chop, and return to pickling liquid.

Note: To peel tomatoes, remove the cores and score an X on the underside. Blanch for 15 seconds in boiling water and immediately plunge into iced water to prevent continued cooking. Peel with a paring knife.

For other recipe ideas featuring California avocados, visit CaliforniaAvocado.com.

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Healthy Idea: Kick The Kids Off The Couch!

CC Note: Now that the summer vacation time for school aged children in winding down, and it's just gotten plain old hot, be sure to try some easy cooking ideas. This is a great one.

(NAPSI)-Studies show that over the course of a year, children spend more time watching TV than they do in school or participating in any activity other than sleeping. To break the couch habit, you can look for budget-friendly outdoor activities or healthy at-home alternatives.

A few ideas might include a day at the zoo or hiking and swimming. And because activities can work up an appetite, you can “cook up” some recipes that the whole family can create together. Here’s a nutritious recipe that’s modeled after kids’ favorite restaurant foods using Sanderson Farms 100 percent Natural Chicken. It has no added sodium, which is so important to health-conscious families these days:

Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Dippers

Serves 4

6 Sanderson Farms chicken tenders

1 tablespoon canola oil

1½ teaspoons adobo seasoning or any low-sodium seasoned salt

4 8-inch flour tortillas

1 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup prepared mild tomato salsa

1½ cups skim milk

8 ounces processed cheese made with 2 percent milk

Preheat gas grill or grill pan with medium heat.

Preheat oven to 300° F.

In a resealable bag, combine chicken tenders with canola oil and adobo seasoning.

Massage chicken through the bag, evenly coating the tenders with spices.

Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F.

Remove from heat and dice.

Dipping Sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat the skim milk over medium heat and whisk in the processed cheese until the mixture thickens.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat. Cover the cheese sauce with plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the sauce. This keeps the sauce from forming a thin film over the top. Set aside.

Place tortillas on a metal sheet pan; layer half of each tortilla with shredded cheese, diced chicken, salsa and more shredded cheese. Fold in half. Place in preheated oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are light golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into handheld triangle pieces. Serve with low-fat cheese dipping sauce.

For more recipes, visit www.sandersonfarmsrecipes.com.

An active day can lead to creating a dish together that the whole family can enjoy.