| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: An Easy
Way to Stuff Chicken Breasts
> Wine Appreciation:
Dry Creek Vineyard Fume Blanc 2008
> Food Funnies: Rejected
New Soda Flavor Ideas
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Macaroni
Grill Pesto and Garlic Shrimp
* Grilled
Flank Steak
* Duck
with Orange Sauce
* Toasted
Ravioli
* Scalloped
Potatoes
* Onion
and Pepper Crostini
* Fruited
Curry Chicken Salad
* Bread
Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce
> Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Burgers
ala Lobster Club
Diabetic: Special
Chocolate Ice Cream
Low Fat: Fruit
Smoothie
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
Camping Tips:
* Plan all your meals before you
leave, making a list of every
ingredient you'll need. This
way you won't forget anything, and
you'll be sure to bring the
right amount of food.
* Camping trips usually involve lots
of physical activity, so
everyone will be extra-hungry:
bring plenty of snacks!
* Put your food in the car or in
a lidded box at night or whenever
you leave the campsite in
order to keep the forest animals out of
your food supply.
* Cover pots whenever cooking outdoor.
Food will get done quicker
and you will save on fuel.
Also helps keep dirt and insects out
of your food.
* Freeze meat before putting in cooler.
Keeps other foods cold and
will keep longer.
* Bring plenty of garbage bags so
you can pack out every last piece
of trash you brought in with
you. More Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
On which holiday are Dutch
doughnuts known as "oliebollen"
traditionally served ?
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Quote of the Week:
"Life expectancy would
grow by leaps and bounds if green
vegetables smelled
as good as bacon."
- Doug Larson
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
May is: National Asparagus Month
National Barbecue Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National Strawberry Month
May 16 - National Coquilles St. Jacques Day
May 17 - National Cherry Cobbler Day
May 18 - National Cheese Souffle Day
May 19 - National Devil's Food Cake Day
May 20 - National Quiche Lorraine Day
May 21 - National Strawberries & Cream Day
May 22 - National Vanilla Pudding Day
May 23 - National Taffy Day
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Personalized
Chef Coats
Kick it up a notch with
a touch of class! Create a
personalized and professional
look in your kitchen.
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An Easy Way to Stuff Chicken
Breasts
by Mark Bittman
In almost every instance the sole
reason to stuff one food with
another is appearance. So for me
the questions are: Is it easy
enough to make it worth the effort?
Does the process add or detract
from the overall flavor?
I’ve gotten to the point where I
no longer feel ravioli are worth
my time, for example; I love the
way they look, but they taste pretty
much the same as fresh pasta with
sauce. I haven’t stuffed a turkey
in 20 years because it’s counterproductive:
the stuffing gets worse
when you cook it inside the turkey.
I do like stuffing chicken breasts
with greens, though. The chicken
juices seem to contribute to the
greens’ flavor, even if subtly. But
the whole pounding and rolling process
became burdensome. Call me
lazy; I am.
Here is a technique that has it
all: it’s easy, it makes chicken
breasts taste good (no mean feat)
and, as an added bonus, it produces
lots of servings without much effort.
Take two chicken breast halves and
pound them just a little. If
they’re an inch thick at first,
maybe take them down to three-
quarters of an inch. Lay some cooked
greens on one, put the other on
top, and tie them together. It’s
really not stuffing, but layering.
The cooking of greens and chicken
takes place in one pan, first on
the stove top, then in the oven.
The resulting dish not only looks
impressive but tastes better than
chicken and greens served
separately.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
=======================
3 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced
garlic
1 pound fresh spinach
leaves
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1/4 cup panko (Japanese
bread crumbs), optional
4 boneless chicken
breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut six 8-inch
pieces of butcher twine. Put
2 tablespoons olive oil in a large
ovenproof skillet over medium-high
heat. When hot, add raisins, pine
nuts and garlic, and cook for about
30 seconds; add spinach, sprinkle
with salt and pepper, and cook,
stirring constantly, until wilted
and fairly dry, about 10 minutes.
Remove and roughly chop; stir in
panko, if you like. Set skillet
aside.
Spread out two chicken breasts on
a work surface so that the sides
where the bones were face up. Flatten
them a bit with your palm, a
rolling pin or the bottom of a pot.
Place stuffing on top, then top
with remaining breasts, end to end,
the thick side of the top breast
on the thin side of the bottom one,
so the "sandwich" is of fairly
even thickness. Tie each stuffed
breast in three places with twine.
Sprinkle all sides with salt and
pepper. Use remaining tablespoon
of olive oil to brown chicken in
skillet used for spinach. Transfer
to oven and bake, turning once,
until chicken is cooked through and
opaque, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from skillet and
tent with foil. Set skillet over
medium heat and add vinegar, mustard
and 2 tablespoons water. Cook,
stirring frequently, until sauce
is a thin syrup. Add a few more
grinds of black pepper. Remove string
from chicken and slice cross-
wise into thin or thick pieces.
Serve with a spoonful of sauce
drizzled over all.
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THE
E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY
Discover our very
special collection of over
100 cookbooks
filled with world class recipes ...
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
Dry Creek Vineyard Fume Blanc
2008 Price: $10
Pale gold hue. Fresh-cut grass aromas
with wisps of lemon peel
and grapefruit. Well balanced, delicate
and refreshing, offering
flavors of lemon zest, cucumber
and mineral. Dry, crisp finish
with a lingering, telltale gooseberry
impression.
Serve With:
Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple
Salsa
=======================================
1 tablespoon vegetable
oil
2 1/2 teaspoons ground
cumin
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in
rib pork chops (about 2 1/4 lb total)
1/2 pineapple, peeled,
cored, and cut in 1/4" dice (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped
red onion
1 fresh serrano chile,
minced, including seeds
1 tablespoon fresh
lime juice
Prepare grill for cooking over direct
heat with medium-hot charcoal
(moderate heat for gas). Stir together
oil, cumin, pepper, and
1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl,
then rub all over pork chops,
transferring chops as coated to
a tray. Stir together pineapple,
onion, chile, lime juice, and remaining
1/2 teaspoon salt in another
bowl.
Lightly oil grill rack and grill
pork chops (covered only if using
a gas grill), turning over once,
until just cooked through, 6 to 9
minutes total. Transfer to a clean
platter and let stand 5 minutes.
Serve with pineapple salsa.
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http://www.littlefivers.com =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
FOOD FUNNIES: Rejected New Soda
Flavor Ideas
============================================
9. Coca-Collard Greens
8. 7-Herbs-and-Spices-Up
7. Falafel Fresca
6. Blister Pibb
5. Sunkist Orange Chicken
4. Tofu Tab
3. Orange Crushed Red Peppers
2. Dr. Chili Pepper
... and the #1 Rejected New
Soda Flavor Idea ...
1. Mountain Oyster Dew
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Macaroni Grill Pesto and Garlic
Shrimp
======================================
2 ounces garlic butter
6 shrimp
2 ounces diced red
bell peppers
1 ounce pine nuts
1 ounce white wine
3 ounces pesto
2 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
6 ounces angel hair
pasta
Saute shrimp, bell peppers, pine
nuts, and white wine until cooked,
approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add
pesto, heavy cream and Parmesan
cheese and cook for 1 minute. Place
the cooked pasta in the center
of the plate. Stand the 6 shrimp
around the pasta and top with the
garlic/pesto sauce. Garnish pasta
with parsley.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Grilled Flank Steak
===================
2 lbs. flank steaks
3 tablespoons minced
shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons soy
sauce
2 tablespoons olive
oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon
Lightly pierce steaks all over with
a sharp fork or knife. Whisk
together remaining ingredients and
transfer to a large resealable
heavy-duty plastic bag. Add steaks
and seal, pressing out excess air.
Marinate steaks at least 6 hours
or up to 1 day.
Prepare grill for cooking.
Grill steaks on an oiled rack set
5 to 6 inches over glowing coals,
turning once, about 12 minutes for
medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting
board and let stand 5 minutes. Thinly
slice steaks diagonally across
the grain.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Duck with Orange Sauce
======================
3/4 cup orange juice,
plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 duck breasts
1 tablespoon paprika
In a small saucepan, combine orange
juice, chicken broth, and orange
marmalade. Bring to a boil over
high heat, and then lower heat and
simmer for 15 minutes. Mix cornstarch
with 2 tablespoons orange juice
in a small bowl to make a slurry.
Add slurry to sauce and briefly
return to a boil. Keep warm until
ready to serve.
While sauce is simmering, heat a
grill or grill pan to medium-high
heat. Sprinkle duck on both sides
with paprika. Grill on both sides
until medium-rare. Transfer duck
to serving plates. Pour warm sauce
over duck and serve.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Toasted Ravioli
===============
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canned evaporated
milk
1 cup Italian-style
bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups good-quality
marinara sauce
about 4 cups vegetable
oil for frying
24 fresh bite-size
ravioli, thawed if frozen
1/4 cup freshly grated
Parmesan
In a shallow bowl beat together
eggs and evaporated milk. Put bread
crumbs in another shallow bowl.
In a small saucepan heat sauce over
moderate heat until hot and keep
warm, covered.
In a small heavy kettle (about 5
quarts) heat 1 inch oil over
moderate heat until a deep-fat thermometer
registers 350F. While oil
is heating, dip ravioli in egg to
coat, letting excess drip off, and
dredge in bread crumbs, knocking
off excess. Arrange ravioli as
coated on a tray.
With a slotted spoon gently lower
4 ravioli into oil and fry,
turning them occasionally, until
golden brown and cooked through,
2 to 3 minutes. With slotted spoon
transfer ravioli as fried to paper
towels to drain. Return oil to 350F
before frying remaining ravioli
in same manner.
Transfer hot ravioli to a platter
and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve
ravioli with warm marinara sauce
for dipping.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Scalloped Potatoes
==================
1 teaspoon unsalted
butter
4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
3 to 3 1/4 pounds Idaho
potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch
slices
8 ounces Swiss cheese,
grated
Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly
grease a 2-quart baking dish with
the butter and set aside. Place
the cream in a large saucepan and
bring to a simmer over medium-high
heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt
and the pepper, and stir well. Add
the potatoes, adding more cream
if necessary to completely cover
the potatoes. Lower the heat to
medium-low and simmer until the
potatoes are barely fork tender,
about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from
the heat.
With a large spoon, transfer 1/3
of the potatoes with some of the
cream to the prepared dish, forming
an even layer on the bottom. Top
with 1/3 of the cheese, and continue
layering the potatoes and
cheese, ending with cheese on top.
Place on a baking sheet and roast
until golden brown and bubbly, about
30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit
for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Onion and Pepper Crostini
=========================
For toasts:
1 baguette, cut into
60 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
For peppers and onions:
6 assorted red, yellow,
and orange bell peppers (3 lb), cut
into 1/4-inch-wide
strips
2 large onions (1 1/2
lb), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick
slices
1 teaspoon finely chopped
garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine
vinegar
For pesto:
1 cup coarsely chopped
fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts,
toasted
1/4 cup finely grated
parmesan (1 oz)
2 teaspoons chopped
garlic
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black
pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Make toasts: Preheat oven to 350F.
Put baguette slices on 2 large
baking sheets, then brush tops with
oil and season with salt and
pepper. Bake in batches in middle
of oven until pale golden, about
10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Cook peppers and onions: Cook bell
peppers, onions, and garlic with
salt in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart
heavy pot over moderately low
heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally,
until softened, 20 to 25
minutes. Cover pot and continue
to cook, stirring occasionally, until
vegetables are very tender and just
starting to brown, 20 to 25
minutes more. Stir in vinegar and
remove from heat.
Make pesto while peppers cook: Pulse
all pesto ingredients except
oil in a food processor until finely
chopped. With motor running, add
oil in a slow stream and blend until
combined well.
Assemble crostini: Put about 1 tablespoon
pepper mixture on each
toast and top with about 1/4 teaspoon
pesto.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Fruited Curry Chicken Salad
===========================
4 skinless, boneless
chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small apple - peeled,
cored and chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup seedless green
grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped toasted
pecans
1/8 teaspoon ground
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry
powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise
In a large salad bowl combine the
chicken, celery, onion, apple,
raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper,
curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix
all together, tossing to coat. Refrigerate
for several hours or
overnight allowing flavors to blend.
Serve on a croissant or pita
bread as a sandwich or on a bed
of lettuce.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce
===================================
8 large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping
cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 (1 lb.) loaf cinnamon
bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup (packed) golden
brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons spiced
rum or dark rum
3/4 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
Butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking
dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to
blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and
vanilla; whisk to blend well.
Stir in bread and raisins. Pour
mixture into prepared baking dish.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake pudding
uncovered until puffed and
golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Cool slightly (pudding will fall).
In the meantime, prepare sauce.
Stir brown sugar and butter in
heavy medium saucepan over medium
heat until melted and smooth, about
2 minutes. Add cream, rum, and cinnamon
and bring to simmer. Simmer
until sauce thickens and is reduced
to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes.
Serve over bread pudding.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: New Year's Eve
Traditionally served on New Year's
Eve, "oliebollen" are small
round Dutch doughnuts, sprinkled
with powdered sugar. The name of
these tasty treats literally translates
to "oil balls." Don't let
this unappetizing name fool you,
"oliebollen" are delicious. The
Dutch regularly include raisins,
currants or even finely diced
apples in their "oliebollen" dough.
Just in time for those New
Year's diet resolutions!
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