Chicken Breasts stuffed with a BLT??? Absolutely!

I am always thinking about different ways to stuff a chicken breast.  I know that sounds weird, but I really don't like to be predictable, and making something over and over again gets boring!  So, one night I started to think of interesting, different things to use to stuff a chicken breast and came up with the idea of a BLT.  I thought anything tastes great when there is bacon in it, and I could use spinach leaves instead of lettuce.  What the heck....I've got nothing to lose and I won't know if it is any good unless I try it


I basically constructed this dinner as you would a BLT sandwich, except I used chicken instead of bread.  I pounded the chicken breasts nice and thin.












I then spread a little mayo on each one, and added a little salt and pepper.


















Next step is to add the spinach leaves, followed by the cut up tomatoes and crumbled bacon.  Just before rolling it up, I added a little bit of Tarragon.

You might need to use a few toothpicks to keep them rolled up.

Spray each bundle with a little vegetable oil spray and roll in some seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes, add a slice of Muenster cheese on top.  As soon as the cheese is melted, take out of the oven and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Slice and serve.

Everyone raved about this dinner!  There was just something about the flavors of the bacon, spinach and tomato that really worked!  This one is definitely a keeper....

Yes, another Kale Soup

I know I have made kale soup before, but this one came out so unbelievably good and different.  The combination of the smokiness and heat of the chorizo, the wonderfully familiar flavor of sweet sausage, and the wine is what makes this one so delicious.  Here is what goes into it:

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 new potatoes, diced

1 pkg chorizo, diced

3 sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and cooked

1 box baby kale, cut up

1 cup white wine

2 boxes chicken broth

1 can Cannelli beans

In a large soup pot, I begin by cooking the onion, potatoes, and garlic in a little butter.  In a separate pan, I break up the sausage and cook it.  After draining off the fat, I add it to the pot, along with the chorizo and kale.  Let all that cook together for 5-10 minutes.

Now add the chicken broth and white wine and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.  Once the kale has become tender, add your beans and heat through.  Salt and pepper to taste and maybe a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and you're good to go.

Feel free to adjust any ingredients, adding more or less of whatever you would like.  I always keep extra chicken broth on hand, in case I need to increase the amount of soup! 

This blog is all about what I make for a meal each day.  It's not a traditional cooking blog where it is all about recipes, so you are going to find that I might make similar meals.  Hopefully whenever you see something I have made before, still check it out because there is probably a new twist on what I come up with!  Enjoy...

Pasta with Spinach and Ham...it's all about the Caesar Dressing!

This is another one of my one-pan creations with minimal ingredients, that came out really delicious!  It's a great meal to throw together when you are in a hurry.  If you don't have ham, you could use whatever you have on hand.   Here's what I used:

Pasta

Spinach
Edamames

Diced ham

Onion

Diced Panchetta (or bacon if you have it)

Parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing

mayonnaise
French's Fried Onions (if you've got them)

Salt and Pepper to taste

First I get the water on to cook the pasta.  While that is getting hot, I cut up my onion and panchetta and get them cooking. 




When the onion is tender, I add the ham and Edamame and turn off the stove.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain off the water and add the onion mixture and as much fresh spinach as you would like. 

As far as the dressing goes, I really didn't measure how much I added.  I just wanted enough to coat the pasta and give it the amazing flavor.  The only reason I added a little mayonnaise was to thicken the "sauce".  A final sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, some French's Fried Onions, and you're done. 

My daughter was so funny.  She took one bite of this and couldn't get over how delicious it was!  Simple but really delicious.

Eggwhite Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

I have always loved quiche and lately wondered how it would be if I used egg whites instead of whole eggs.  Well, I can honestly tell you that it was just as delicious.  And making the crust out of sweet potatoes was amazing! I decided to use broccoli and ham in this one, but honestly, you can use anything you have on hand.  Begin by making your crust:

About 2 cups of either shredded, cooked potatoes
(or frozen hash browns, defrosted, if you like)

1/4 cup egg whites

1 tbs flour

1 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

Make sure to remove as much moisture from the potatoes as you can.  In a bowl, combine them with the above list of ingredients and press into the bottom and up the sides of your pan.  Heat your oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until it begins to brown at the edges.  

Now add the good stuff... I added a combination of 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese along with a little bit of Swiss cheese I had leftover, broccoli and some leftover ham and filled the crust.    I added some fresh thyme and parsley as well.

In a separate bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups of egg white, 2 scallions chopped, 3/4 cup of sour cream,  and your salt and pepper and whisk until it is well blended. 





















Place the quiche on a cookie sheet and pour the egg white mixture into your crust.  Bake for approximately an hour, until the center is just set.

This was a nice, healthy dinner, especially when you use fat-free ingredients such as the cheese and sour cream!  I also love having something like this in the refrigerator.  How nice is it to be able to cut a piece, heat it up, and have a yummy meal in a minute.



Desserts gone mini...Apple Pie

 

Every year I have all good intentions to try something new for Thanksgiving dinner, but I always revert back to all the tried and true dishes that everyone looks forward to each year.  Then I thought what if I take a traditional dish and at least make it appear different.....say, mini apple pies vs. a huge pie?  Even though it sounds more difficult, it was actually a lot easier! 

 

 Begin by purchasing a box of pre-made pie crust, which contains 2 rolls.  Take one out and roll it out as thin as you can make it.  Then, find a glass or cup that will cut out a circle slightly larger than the mini cupcake cups.  Place one circle of crust in each cup, pressing down in.  Bake at 425 degrees for only 10 minutes, or until the crust just begins to cook.  Take them out and turn the oven down to 350 degrees. (I re-rolled the excess pie crust and cut out leaves.  Place them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake until they begin to brown....maybe 10 minutes,  just keep an eye on them).

 

 

Next, prepare the filling using the following:

 

1/4 cup of butter, melted

4 apples diced

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped pecans

 





 

Combine all but the pecans in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the pecans and cook for about 2 more minutes. 

Spoon as much filling as you can into each crust.  Only one step left... the topping.











 




In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of rolled oats, 1 tbs of brown sugar, 1 tsp of flour, and 2 tbs of melted butter.  Using your fingers, crumble a small amount over the tops of the pies.

 

Pop these beauties into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, making sure the crust gets that nice golden color.

 

 

As soon as you take them out, place one leaf in each pie and voila!  This was a great idea and I honestly think people at more "pie" when they could just pop one at a time in their mouth instead of sitting down to a big dessert.  No left-over pie this year....

 

 

Turkey Two Ways...Roasted and Braised

Every year, I roast a huge turkey for Thanksgiving.  When it comes time to serve it, no one ever eats the legs and wings, probably because they get over-cooked and a bit dry.  This year, I started to think about how to cook them so they would be juicy and delicious.  I knew I wanted to roast the turkey breast, but why not take a chance and try something different?  If you have read any of my blogs, you will understand how I came to the decision to braise them.  So far, I have braised chicken thighs and lamb chops, and both times was blown away by how moist and flavorful they came out.  I thought, why not turkey legs, wings and thighs?  Wouldn't it be nice if just once, someone ate the drumsticks? Well, let me tell you, this year they did!  It was such a success that I wanted to share it with you.

I went to Whole Foods and bought the following:  2 drumsticks, 3 wings, 3 thighs, and a turkey breast.  Recently I heard about dry-brining as opposed to a liquid brining, so I thought I would give it a try.  It was actually a lot easier and didn't take up as much room in the refrigerator as the liquid method.  Mix the following together:

1 tbs of kosher salt for every 5 pounds of turkey (I used 3 tablespoons)

probably ½ tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, thyme, and black pepper

Wash and dry off the pieces of turkey and rub the salt mixture onto each of them.  Use zip lock bags to keep them in the refrigerator.  I did this 3 days in advance.  On Thanksgiving day, take the turkey pieces out first thing in the morning and let them get to room temperature (about 4-5 hours).  I then heated a small amount of olive oil in my cast iron pan, and browned each piece.


Once they are all nice and browned, place them aside and cut up the following:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, chopped

8 cloves of garlic, crushed

6 stalks of celery, sliced
4 carrots, sliced

1 ½ cups dry white wine

4 sprigs each:  parsley, thyme, sage

1 box chicken broth

Add the onion, leeks, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook until softened, 5-8 minutes.  Add the wine and herb sprigs, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes (until it reduced by about half). 

Return the turkey to the pans and add the chicken broth.  Again bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer covered until the meat is tender (about 2 ½-3 hours).  Remove the cover and cook another 35-45 minutes, until the meat is falling off the bone,.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This was, by far, the best possible way to cook the turkey legs, wings and thighs.  I think people ate more of the braised turkey than they did of the roasted breast!  The meat literally fell off the bone. Granted it was a little more work than just popping everything into the oven, but it was so worth the time and effort.   And an added bonus?  I used the braising liquid as a soup stock to make my leftover turkey noodle soup a few nights later!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

This is the first Thanksgiving that I didn't actually make "pies" for dessert.  I decided I wanted to go finger desserts and thought, why can't I make mini pumpkin pies?  Low and behold, I found a way and it was so easy!  I have to tell you...people have been raving about these to this day, four days after their debut.   Here's what's in them (the recipe is made in three phases, so read carefully):

1 box Yellow cake mix, divided

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar, divided

2 tsp cinnamon, divided

½ tsp ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp salt

1 cup canned pumpkin

⅔ cups evaporated milk

2 whole eggs

¼ cup cold butter, diced

Begin by heating your oven to 350 degree oven and get out a 13x9 baking pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil.  

For the crust, pour all but 1 cup of the cake mix into a bowl.  Stir in 1 egg and ½ cup of melted butter until well blended

Press the dough onto the bottom of your prepared pan and set aside.

Using your mixer, combine ¾ cup of sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, the ginger, cloves, salt, pumpkin, evaporated milk and 2 eggs together.   Blend until smooth and pour over the crust.

Now for the topping...  Stir together the cup of reserved cake mix and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon.  Cut in the ¼ cup of diced butter.  Sprinkle evenly over the filling and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set.

I had no idea what these were going to taste like when I made them.   I just wanted to do finger dessert renditions of traditional Thanksgiving desserts.  How fortunate I was to find a recipe that made something so delicious!