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Need Something Fancy for Dinner? These Stuffed Chicken Paillards will Make You Say, ""Oui!" And Your Husband Say, "Whoa..."

1/30/2016

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 There are times that my cooking stays within the boundaries of the room. And then, there are days where I take over the house. Take last Thursday for example when my husband walked through the door to find his tool box pilfered and me on the floor pounding the holy bejeezus out of my chicken breasts with his huge rubber mallet.

"I wondered who had gotten into my tools.." He quipped, visibly shaken that I had violated the tower of Black and Decker and taken something from the holy of holies. 

"I needed something big to make these paillards!" I chirped in, wiping my brow and looking up from my prone position to see more than just a bit of fear on his face. I needed flat chicken breasts, sweetie. See?..." And then he ran out of the room.

​I didn't mean to terrify him; or did I?

Well, anyway. If you're longing for a beautiful dish for dinner, along with something physical to help you feel powerful, this is your recipe. And the wonderful part is you can serve it hot with creamed sweet potatoes and cheesy rice luxuriously covered with a white wine lemon butter sauce, or cold the next day as a fancy lunch drizzled with a quick honey mustard sauce.

​With either choice, you can see that this doubles as way to keep your husband in line and slightly afraid of what you might do next when he's not looking. Yeah, you're welcome.

RECIPE: Ham and Herbed Cheese Stuffed Chicken Paillards
​with a Lemon White Wine Butter Sauce.

​Serves 3-6 - Click Here for Printable Version
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Extra Tips
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3 boneless, skinless, smart chicken breasts* (see Tips)
½ lb honey ham sliced into very, very thin slices, or have the deli manager slice it for you
½ C sun dried tomatoes
¾ C drained and chopped artichoke hearts
½ C herbed cheese spread, like Alouette herbed goat cheese spread
Kosher salt
A bit of fresh ground black pepper
Handful fresh dill, chopped
½ C white wine, like a Pinot Grigio
Juice of one lemon
2 T butter
1 t corn starch
3 T mild oil, like sunflower
6, 12” lengths of kitchen string
EXTRA: One heavy duty gallon sized zip lock bag and a large, rubber mallet
Pound out your chicken breasts to about 1/8 inch thick to make a nice thin Paillard. On each spread out and flat breast you will first slather with one fourth of the herbed cheese, then the artichokes, then the sun dried tomatoes, then the ham. Dust with a bit of kosher salt. And starting from one end, tucking in sides if they’re a wild shape, begin to roll. Take your string and tie them up so that your string divides your breast into thirds, holding your round jewel together so it stays pretty when cooking. Then take the long ends and tie them together at the top for extra strength. Now sprinkle a bit more kosher salt and some black pepper on top.

Heat a large saucepan on high and add the oil. Lower to medium temperature and immediately pace each of the breasts in and sear each of the four sides. About 3 minutes a side or until you see it all golden brown and by touching the skin it bounces back letting you know it is about medium rare.
 
Then add the wine to deglaze the pan, and the lemon juice. Stir and almost cover chicken with lid, reduce heat and let breasts braise in the liquid for about 3-4 more minutes. Remove the chicken and put on a plate and cover with foil. Now, take a spatula and scrape the meat bits into the sauce. Add about a teaspoon of the fresh dill. Add 2 T water to the corn starch in a small little bowl and stir till smooth. Lower the heat to very low and add the corn starch liquid to pan stirring the whole time. It will thicken quickly. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cover.
 
To place, either put whole breast on plate and cover with sauce, or slice into 1 inch slices and put sauce over that.  Then top with more fresh dill as a garnish along with a small lemon wedge.
PAILLARD HOW TO:  I promise, if you’re even the least bit angry that day, you’ll be happy when you finish pounding these breasts into submission. The goal is to make them thin but stop short of chicken mush. Pat each chicken breast dry and place in a large gallon sized plastic bag. DO NOT SEAL. It will explode and you will have chicken pieces all over. That may bring your bad mood back…don’t want that. Pound each breast with a large rubber mallet until about one eighth inch thick or less if you can do it. You may have to shake the bag a little to keep the breast where you can get at it. (You now have a chicken paillard!) Then place them on your cutting board and trim off any significant fat or sinew. Be careful to keep the shape as oblong as you can. You don’t want holes or they’ll be hard to roll.

SIDES: I served it with white cheesy rice and creamed sweet potatoes.

WINE: I recommend a nice, fruity Pinot Grigio, or an Unoaked Chardonnay. Don't use a Muscato, or a Sauvignon Blanc. They'll be too sweet or tart, respectively. 
 
*Smart Chicken is my definition for a product that offers you a chicken breast without hormones, raised cage free, organic and anything else that makes it intelligent to eat it. Might be more expensive but why would you not want the best for your body and your loved ones?
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I can't dance, but I can do the Twist!

1/29/2016

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At the ripe old age of 5 my parents filmed me cutting my cake in true mid century fashion. I was wearing the prettiest pressed white shirt, a red plaid skirt that had matching suspender straps, and my hair -- oh my hair -- it was in the tightest pony tail ever created. I could barely move my face.

BUT! The show must go on, and even though there's no sound on the video, (Gimme a break. It was awhile ago...and no, I'm not showing it to you. This is thankfully a food blog..) ...you can see me ruffling up my nose and squinting to hear what's being said to me because back then you had to provide your own lighting for the video. Seriously, a billion candlepower shone back from this light bar, and you couldn't see anything when they were shining on you. Hence, the squint. After a moment you see me smile in acknowledgment and begin to dance. Immediately I begin to rock and roll and sway back and forth. For a moment, I'm even smiling and enjoying myself, and you've never seen such an adorable few seconds of spazz-i-ness.

Oh, dear. Good thing I could sing. And now cook, apparently! Because no one has ever called me a spazz in the kitchen. UNLESS you saw me creating these Twisted Artichoke, Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato in Puff Pastry Appetizers. I twirled and swirled in all different directions. Around, inside, in reverse; every way you can imagine. The result? Pretty danged good looking food I think. Garnered a few fans, as well because they tasted amazing.

​And it was super easy to make!

Which left me plenty of time to go visit my Chiropractor before the party started.      Ow.....

RECIPE: Twisted Artichoke and Herb Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizers

Click to download a printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Tips
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​1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 to a box)
1 3.5 oz container herbed goat cheese spread (I used Alouette)
1/3 C sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
Large handful of fresh basil, julienned
About 2/3rds of a 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts drained and chopped.
Drizzle of a sweet balsamic vinegar, like fig or cranberry flavored, about 2 T
1 egg beaten
Flour to dust surface and a little butter to great sheet pan
This is so quick, easy and tasty it will easily be considered one of your top five crowd pleasers.

Get out a large baking sheet about 11 by 17 or larger and lightly rub surface with butter.
 
First, thaw the puff pastry. Roll out each sheet to about 10 inches by 16. On the first sheet, take a spatula and spread about ¾ of the container of herbed cheese all over the pastry sheet. You can use more if you’d like but if the sheets are stuffed too much it is hard to roll them. Now, sprinkle on the chopped sundried tomatoes, the artichoke hearts and half the basil. Drizzle a little fig vinegar on top. Probably about 1 T. Fit the other sheet on top, trying to match the edges as best you can. Now slice vertically so that the slices are 10 inches high, which results in about 14 evenly spaced strips. Pick up each strip and begin to twirl them, like you would if you were twirling streamers. Then begin to roll them in a circle, like the photo above, so they’re all twisty and fun!
 
Arrange all of them on the sheet. Brush with the egg wash. Put the sheet pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This is an important step. A cold puff pastry product will cook better, and not puff out all wild. You want pretty twisties, not exploded ones!
 
Now preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Cook them for about 25 minutes, until browned. Serve warm with another drizzle of balsamic and garnish with the basil!
The Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets come frozen, and you will want to leave them out on the counter for about 45 minutes before beginning. That means you #fabin40 is more like fab in 80. Sorry. 

I recommend you use the sun dried tomatoes in oil because the dried ones in the produce section are usually a little chewy and since this isn't being cooking inside something moist, or for a long amount of time, the soft ones in the oil work best. 

Feel free to add a protein like cooked bacon or ham to make these more of a meal..or more irresistible, whichever holds true for you!

​Finally, these really won't keep. Eat until they're gone which won't be difficult at all!
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Filet 'n Fridays are the Perfect Combo

1/25/2016

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For those of you old enough to remember L’Oréal Paris commercials, you may recall that they changed the way women colored their hair with one short statement, "Because I'm worth it!"

Brilliant! No long list of benefits, no disclaimer about ammonia, no confusion about price, measurements or tint. It was directed to EVERYONE who wanted to be elevated to stardom!

But how do you know if you're worth it? Well, I submit if you're breathing, you are pretty much first in line for the accolades. But it's hard, isn't it? Remembering that simple formula? Time and time again I find myself taking shortcuts to my own self-care. A long, hot bath is often replaced with sitting too long at my desk. Long and silly phone calls to friends become quick texts promising a rendezvous soon. And of course, dinner morphs from a nourishing and luxurious event to a boiled egg and sliced carrots. 

Well, just writing that makes me know I'm worth more than a root vegetable and a rubbery orb of protein! And last Friday I pulled out all the stops to create a fancy dinner at home with hubby and my dad by pan searing three beautiful filets, saute some colorful Swiss chard, and slicing a few little kiwi to make sure the plate was as lovely as possible. The recipe gives specific instructions as this is a lot going on at once, but comes together quickly. Check out the slide show and then step-by-step recipe below!

​Why, because you ARE worth it!


RECIPE: Seared Filet Mignon, Moscato Braised Swiss Chard,
and Cheesy Jasmine Rice.

Serves 4 - Click to download printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Extra Tips for Success
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4, 6 oz filet chops, about 1 ½ inches in height (size is important to achieve the results desired based on the method suggested below.)
3 large cloves garlic divided. 2 chopped finely, and one sliced thinly
4 T olive oil divided
½ small white onion, sliced thin
¾ C Moscato wine
8 C trimmed and rough chopped Swiss chard
½ C pecans, toasted and chopped
2 ½ C cooked white rice (I like Jasmine)
1 C grated mozzarella cheese
¼ C heavy cream
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
(Salad is kiwi slices tossed with a little pineapple white balsamic vinegar and some fresh mint.)
​
​Once you stage all your ingredients, this all comes together very quickly. Have everything in front of you and watch all the food closely.
 
First, bring filets to room temperature, salt and pepper well, set aside. Begin by cooking the rice. While it’s cooking, chop the onion, garlic and the Swiss chard. Toast the pecans in a dry sauté pan for a few minutes, watching constantly, until lightly toasted.
 
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. On the stove heat a pan and then add 3 T oil. When hot, set the filets in and DO NOT MOVE for about 3 minutes. Then, flip each filet, sprinkle on the sliced garlic, and put in the oven. Cook for about 5 minutes for medium rare, 7 for medium well to well done. Remove, immediately tent with foil and let sit for 5-6 minutes.
 
Now, bring the 1 T oil to temperature in another pan, add the onion and the 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Sauté for about 4 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the Moscato wine and reduce by about half, about 2 minutes, then add the Swiss chard and stir until wilted. It won’t take long! Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the pecans. It is ready to serve.
 
For the rice, simply take cooked rice and add the cheese and cream and salt to taste. 
Most of us, at one time or another, find ourselves in the middle of cooking a meal and we have forgotten a detail or two that throws us into a tailspin. Because this dish comes together all at once, here are a few tips to keep your meal and relaxing success! 
1. Bring your meat to room temperature before cooking. Otherwise the methods described here will yield a raw center. 
2. Use a rice that YOU feel very comfortable with. It will help to have something that is foolproof on the stove. For me, I add the jasmine rice to boiling water, stir, cover, turn the heat to LOW and set the pan half on the burner and half off for exactly 20 minutes. FOOL PROOF.
3. Begin plating in stages. I tossed the Kiwi and balsamic and mint beforehand, and arranged that part on the dish long before dinner was served. 
4. Have all your ingredients READY. Chop everything, measure everything, keep it close. Mis en place is no JOKE. It makes you a rock star in the kitchen by having an organized set up of all your ingredients before you begin.
5. Don't take yourself too seriously. If you do mess up, laugh, learn and enjoy!
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Searching for Instant Gratification

1/22/2016

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You may have noticed I've been on a bit of a ready-made binge. I don't know why other than I've been in a hurry the last few nights to sate our collective appetites. I clearly wanted  DINNER.  RIGHT.   NOW. That's why my quick soup starts with a box of Beef flavored Rice-A-Roni and gets all tender and yummy in a matter of about 30 minutes. Once in awhile it just makes sense to think fast.

Let's break this down for a moment so you know I haven't sold my soul to a large food conglomerate. I think cooking every meal with processed food  is akin to taking a blow-up doll on a date:  It looks good from the outside but what does it say about you when it's time for meaningful conversation? (My sincerest apologies go out to all of you who perhaps have taken a polymer based companion as your significant other. Didn't mean to step on your toes, or your air pump...) However! For those of you who always reach for processed food as your base, please listen!!!! It is so danged fun when you experiment! And your body will thank you.

So, given that this recipe is a bit of both processed and from-scratch food, I submit this is my way to bridge a gap between us. Please, start coming out of the dark and into the light. Try a little instant with a little slow; a bit of off-the-shelf with a little from-the-garden. I think you'll find it's worth it.

In the meantime  --- soup's on!!!! 

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Beautiful purple kale lends a nutritious and colorful element to this quick and hearty soup! By adding a bit of tomato juice and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, the flavors become very intertwined! If you're willing to use good cuts of meat, lean and tender like sirloin, you won't regret the tenderness you get in the end. Simply saute the vermicelli mixture and the meat in butter and oil for a QUICK start. Then add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 20 minutes.
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You really don't need anything else with this perfect winter meal. Except a companion across the table to share it with...hopefully one with a heart beat. 

RECIPE: Beef Vegetable Rice-A-Roni Soup with Kale

#fabin40 - Serves 4-6 - Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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​1 to 1 and 1/2 lbs sirloin or other tender stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package Rice-A-Roni Beef flavored rice
3 medium carrots sliced
3 medium stalks of celery sliced
½ red pepper diced
1/3 yellow onion diced
1 C tomato juice
4 ½ C water (more if needed)
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
2 C purple kale, rough chopped
2 T butter
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese to garnish
​In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter and then add the oil. Add the rice mixture from the package and sauté for a minute or two until you see some browning of the vermicelli bits in the pan. Add the meat and continue to stir and brown the meat for only about 3 more minutes. You don’t want to burn the rice/vermicelli and you won’t be able to sear the meat. Just start the browning process. Then add the carrots, onion, red pepper and celery, Worcestershire, half the tomato juice, 3 C of the water and the packet contents on the Rice-A-Roni mix. Stir well and bring again to a boil. Cover with the lid sitting on the top askew a bit to allow a bit of steam to be released, and turn on low to let simmer for about 20 minutes. When you remove lid it will be more of a risotto looking soup. Add the rest of the water, and the rest of the tomato juice, taste and season. Then add the chopped kale, and return to a slow simmer only to bring to temperature, not to cook. When hot, serve! Can garnish with a little parmesan cheese if you like!
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Except for this bullet hole, I'm fine!

1/18/2016

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Last week we hosted my mom, Lenis and my step-father Ted to a week in the Queen City. Symphony, BBQ, shopping, TV studio tours, and of course some southern cuisine. With all that shuttling back and forth we had lots of time for fun chatter that included some hilarious one-liners that will become a permanent part of my vernacular.

Case in point, during a shopping trip to TJMaxx, we asked Ted if he wanted us to look for some new duds for him. Not that he needs any, (he's a sharp dresser!) it just seemed polite to ask him if part of our shopping time should be spent looking at things for him. His response was hilarious.

"Nah, I'm good. And except for the bullet holes this old coat works great!"

An instant quote to adopt, don't you think? Seems all of us are hiding a hidden bullet hole, are we not? One way or another, we cannot escape life and its lessons as they run clean through us like a 44 caliber lead slug shot from a gun. It makes me realize that what is most endearing about those we love is the fact that they've survived with nobility ... and we rarely factor in their quiet heroism.

It's kind of like cooking, really. Good food is only the result of techniques perfected through utter failure. One cannot produce an amazing souffle, or an exquisite sauce without having ruined at least one pan or scraping burnt batter off the bottom of an oven. What eventually goes on the table is never something arrived at without sweat and a few tears. And unless you're tearing the plastic off a tray microwavable lasagna, (Please tell me you won't do this!) your hard work next to the stove gives one a sense of satisfaction that is really quite euphoric. And then, bullet holes and all, you arrive triumphantly to serve, nourish, and share with those you love.

Enjoy the photos and then ALL the recipes I cooked are at the end of the post. As for me, I'm heading out to buy a flack jacket today.
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So many things to do in the Queen City. Baked French toast above, then a trip to Fort Mill to eat at "Local Dish." A tour of WSOCTV is the photo at the beginning of the blog, and an evening with the Charlotte Symphony helped us make some great memories. Plus a delicious dinner of fresh Cod, Black Lentils, Roasted Golden Beets and Quick Pickled Leeks had us licking out plates!
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Enjoying Fresh Blackberry Muffins for breakfast started the day that ended with Peach Salsa Baked Chicken and Creamy Rice.
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No visit to my house is complete without the girlfriend night. Delicious mini Greek Meatloaves, sauteed root vegetables, and of course two of Sue's delicious pies: Turtle Pie and Key Lime.

At least once a month we gather and eat well. Even giant bullet holes that seem like they'll never heal suddenly close up. How? With love, and a spoonful of whatever you're making tonight.
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RECIPES BELOW!

RECIPE: Baked French Toast with Fresh Blackberry Syrup

January 2016 - Serves 4
Download Printable Version

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  • Ingredients
  • Method
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8 slices of your favorite bread. I like the Pepperidge Farms French Bread.
5 eggs
½ C milk
½ C cream
1 t vanilla
1 C chopped and toasted pecans
Pinch of salt
1/4 C plus 2 T sugar
1 t cinnamon
Pint of fresh blackberries
4 T butter, divided
Powdered sugar for serving
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. With 1 T of the butter, grease the inside of a small 7 inch by 10 inch glass baking dish. Layer each slice of bread, overlapping, inside the dish.
 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, milk, 2 T sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Blend extremely well beating either by hand or with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour the mixture over the bread. Push down gently so the bread soaks up the eggy mixture. At this point either refrigerate overnight or for at least 30 minutes. I did it for only 30 minutes and it turned out amazing! Then sprinkle the toasted pecans on top.
 
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and puffed.
 
While the French toast is baking, melt 3 T butter in a small saucepan. Add the rinsed and dried blackberries and the ¼ C sugar. Bring to a low boil, stirring. Then reduce and let it barely bubble for about 5 minutes, until the back of a spoon is coated. Remove and let cool.
 
To plate, cut a slice of the French toast and place on a plate, ladle with the syrup, sprinkle with powdered sugar!


RECIPE: Baked Cod with Creamy Mustard Sauce over Black Lentils
with Golden Roasted Beets and Quick Pickled Leeks

Serves 4 - Click Here for Printable Version
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  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Wine Pairing Suggestions
<
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4 6 ounce fresh cod filets, patted dry
2 large golden beets, scrubbed and wrapped loosely in foil
2 stalks leeks, the white part thinly sliced into rings
1/3 C mild olive oil, divided to use in all preparations
½ cup black lentils, rinsed and drained
½ C mild vinegar like champagne or peach
1 T sugar
2 heaping t yellow mustard
½ C heavy cream
½ C chicken stock
¼ C white onion thinly sliced
1 ½ C water boiling
Handful fresh basil leaves
1 t fresh thyme leaves
Clove of garlic chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter

Place the thinly sliced leeks in a small bowl. Cover with the vinegar and sugar and a little salt and pepper. Let cure for at least an hour.
 
Then take the wrapped golden beets and cook in a 400 degree F oven for 55 minutes. Remove and take foil off and cool. When you can touch them, take a paper towel and rub the outside of the beet. The skin will come off fairly easily. Then slice thinly and set aside.
 
Bring the water to boil and then add the lentils. Cook to the package directions. (Partially covered, low and rolling boil.) I cooked them for about 25 minutes adding the chopped garlic in with the lentils. When they were done, I added the fresh basil and stirred it in, keeping it warm until it was time to plate the meal. Season well with salt and pepper. Black lentils are earthy and rich but bland! They’ll need some salty love.
 
Now, drizzle a little olive oil in a small baking dish, just large enough to place all four cod filets so that there is about an inch between them. Drizzle with more olive oil, salt and pepper and a pad (or about 1/4 T) of butter on each filet and sprinkle on the fresh thyme. Cook for about 12-15 minutes on 375 degrees F or until you see the tops become opaque. Remove and cover with foil. They will continue to cook. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
 
In a small saucepan, melt the rest of the butter until bubbling. Add salt and pepper and the onions and cook until transparent. Add the stock and reduce by half. Then add the mustard, and the cream, and mix well, cooking down a bit more and checking to see how much salt to add. Even a splash of vinegar is a good idea.
 
To plate, arrange the beets first. Add a serving of the lentils. Then nestle a filet of the cod. Add the mustard cream sauce, some fresh basil julienned, and top with the drained pickled leeks!
Lots of earthy flavors are set against the acidity of the pickled leeks and the flavor of the mustard cream sauce. A good, acidic Riesling would offer the perfect notes to bring it all together. I love Washington Rieslings. Hard to go wrong with most of them and they're affordable, too!

RECIPE: Blackberry Muffins

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Click here for printable version.
Ingredients:
3 C Bisquick
2/3 C cream
2/3 C less 2 T 2% milk
4 T packed light brown sugar
¼ C white sugar
1 t vanilla
Dash of kosher salt
1 t cinnamon
1 heaping C fresh blackberries, rough chopped
1 T butter to grease muffin tin
 
METHOD:
Chop the blackberries and set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the Bisquick, salt, cinnamon, and sugars. Make a well in the center where you will add the cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix all those ingredients with a spoon until combined. Stir to make sure it is all dissolved like you’re making pancakes, but don’t overmix. Then fold in the blackberries
Drop into small muffin pan, should fill all 12. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until brown on the edges. Plus, you can lightly press on the top with your finger. If you feel any mushiness, leave in for another minute or so. Let cool, remove and serve with honey butter!



RECIPE: Peach Salsa Baked Chicken

Click here for printable version.
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  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Suggested Sides
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3 very large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 3 inch knobs
1 can Peach Salsa, at least 12 ounces (I used Paul Newman brand)
1/3 white onion chopped into thin slices
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/3 C Italian bread crumbs

In a large baking dish arrange the chicken so that there’s about 1 inch between them. Rub each with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the entire meal with the bottle of salsa, and then sprinkle with the onions and top with the bread crumbs. Cook in a 375 degree F oven for about 35 minutes. Serve!

For a quick meal, serve with leftover white rice sauteed with a little butter, stock and salt and pepper. Toss spring greens with 2 T lemon juice and 1 T olive oil, 1 t yellow mustard, 1 T sugar and salt and pepper.

RECIPE:  Personal Greek Meatloaves with Pearl Onions and Root Vegetables

Serves 10-12 - Click here to download printable version.
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  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Sautéed Root Vegetables
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2 lbs 85% lean ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
½ large white onion chopped finely
2 eggs beaten
1/3 C chopped fresh mint
24 white pearl onions
½ C golden raisins
½ T coriander powder
1 t Moroccan seasoning (found in stores)
¼ C plain bread crumbs
2-3 T 2% milk
Salt and pepper
2 T of a fruity balsamic vinegar like fig

In a large bowl, blend by hand all ingredients except pearl onions. Set aside.
 
Boil a large pot of water. Add pearl onions without peeling. Let boil for 3 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water. Then by hand, squeeze each onion to pull off the skin. This method feels a lot like when you’re squeezing out a cooked garlic clove from the head after roasting. Some pop out clean, others require a little coaxing, but the skins will come off. Set aside.
 
Using two regular sized muffin tins, carefully divide the mixture evenly among the 24 openings, filling to the top of the opening. You can lightly grease if needed but there’s plenty of fat already. Top each with a pearl onion, and drizzle the onion with the balsamic. Cook in a 375 degree F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and serve with a sprinkling of fresh mint.
Sautéed Root Vegetables: Slice 5 carrots and 4 C fingerling potatoes into large pieces, sauté in a large saucepan with olive oil and salt and pepper. Before almost done, add about 1 C of orange juice and simmer for another 10 minutes until tender and juice is gone. Serve.

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Would you like them here or there?* I think you'd like them anywhere!

1/17/2016

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For several weeks now, I have been creating a themed dessert, appetizer or entree for our weekly Carolina Panther game days. For today's battle against the Seahawks, I decided to take a classic and add a little whimsy. Baking my cookies in a mini-muffin tin made each little hand-held morsel so much fun. But crowning each with a dab of Panther Blue buttercream frosting changed everything.

You may say, "Ew! Blue food!! I am definitely not into eating frosting unless it is pink, yellow, or an ever-so-tame shade of green. And I will respond by asking you, "Could you, would you, with a goat? Would you, could you in a boat?" And you would know I'd lost my mind.

Or would you.

I remember the first time I read Dr. Suess' "Green Eggs and Ham." It was a paradigm shift in the world of children's literature. His fanciful prose about a narcissistic, fur covered pest who won't rest until his green eggs are eaten, is a well known classic. I mean, Sam-I-Am was relentless? Right? "In a train? With a mouse? In the dark, In a house?" It's like having The Cookie Monster in your face ALL. DAY. LONG. But anyone who can write an entire book about insisting you eat something green, that shouldn't be green, is surely a hero in my book. And really, why can't an egg be green? Or a cauliflower purple? Or beets yellow? Or frosting blue?

I'm not sure I went through this internal dialog when I reached for the mixer and turned on the oven, but somewhere -- oh yes, somewhere in the back of my head I smiled knowing that my dessert would have an eerie resemblance to Theodore Geisel's charming campaign to turn green eggs into someone's new favorite food, and my beloved Panthers into winners one more week.
*Words by Dr. Suess.


RECIPE: Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Cups with Buttercream Frosting

To download a printable version, click here.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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1 C shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
½ C light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 t vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 ½ t salt
¾ C chopped pecans
¾ C semi-sweet morsels
6 T softened butter
About 1 C of powdered sugar
½ t vanilla
1-2 T heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly, VERY lightly butter the inside of a mini muffin pan. Set aside.
 
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla until whipped and incorporated. For about 1-2 minutes on high. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the salt, soda and flour, a little at a time until all incorporated. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and blend. Spoon a heaping serving spoon full of dough into each cup as if you were dropping each cookie onto a cookie sheet. Do not pack down. This recipe makes about 44-46 small mini cups. Cook each for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then using fingers, simply lift each one out to cool on a rack.
 
In another small bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until mixed. Then begin adding heavy cream, about a teaspoon at a time, until it is the consistency of stiff frosting. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring (or color of your choice, for that matter!) Pipe out into dollops onto each cookie, using the amount of your choosing.
 
Serve with cold milk and hide your scale. Enjoy!

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Breakfast: Elevated. The Cure for a Sleepless Night.

1/16/2016

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#Fabin40 - Miscellaneous Recipes - Serves 4
I wake up hungry. It's a curse, actually because I don't really sleep which means to use the term 'waking' is rather an overstatement when you consider the previous 8 hours were more rest-less than rest-full. Sleep is reserved for young girls who still have to worry about whether or not they look good, or are successful, or are brilliant and might turn out to be famous. Us old gals know that no one really cares, or has ever paid a lot of attention to our narcissism. Proud of our wrinkles and good stories of survival, we recharge on laughter, good books, and kick-ass meals.

But breakfast? Well, it is always there, (unlike REM sleep) ready to reward you for making it through the day before, and carrying within each calorie the promise of joy. The comforting bite of a little salt, the velvety elegance of an over-easy egg, or the sharp acidity of good lemon curd on a perfectly toasted bagel will surely take mornings way up the happy scale.

Today, is Saturday. The week END. (Finally!) So I decided I needed more than just the usual cereal and blueberries. I needed the ultimate breakfast.
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See it????  You can't miss it. There's bacon on that plate. Which, by itself solves most if not all the world's problems even before scientists informed us we could be healthier by lighting up a stogie than munching down on pig belly. But why stop at just a dangerously wonderful meal when you can have amazing?

Utilizing some leftover Cucumber Yogurt sauce from a couple days ago, I set about painting a canvas of color and flavor, building up the plate with a small spring salad mix tossed in oil and red wine vinegar. Small slices of pickled beets, (I totally love these on everything...) brings some needed color and offers earthy sweetness against the tang of the yogurt sauce. And when you open up the egg? Well, there it is. A golden river of tongue-tingling yolk just waiting to burst forth.

It was quick, too. In about 20 minutes I had it all assembled. If you have to make the yogurt sauce from scratch, might wanna add a bit more than 40 minutes to the prep time, but not much. All in all, I just dignified the egg-in-a-nest to stardom and made insomnia bearable.

RECIPE: Multi-Grain Egg in a Nest

Download a Printable Version by Clicking Here.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
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4 pieces multi-grain bread
4 eggs
4 strips bacon
1 C spring greens
1 t sunflower oil
1 t red wine vinegar
1/3 C Cucumber Yogurt Sauce* (see third tab for recipe)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Slices of pickled beets
4 sprigs of fresh dill
Butter to butter one side of the bread, about 1 T

Cook bacon strips in large saucepan. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Now, reserve about 4 T of the bacon grease and discard the rest.
 
In a small bowl, toss the spring greens with the oil and vinegar, set aside.
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. By using a small round cookie cutter or other small diameter tool, punch out a circle in the middle of each of the bread pieces. Butter one side of the discs and the punched out bread pieces.  Place each disc and bread piece in the hot bacon grease butter side down. Cooks quickly so turn over as soon as brown, about 20 seconds. Break each egg carefully into the round opening of each piece of bread. Turn down heat. Tip pan and ladle a bit of the hot bacon grease onto the top of each egg to cook the tops. After cooking for about a minute or so, place the pan with bread eggs and all in the oven and let cook for about 2 minutes, until the egg is opaque. To plate, smear about 2 T of the cucumber sauce on the plate. Place a bit of spring greens on that. Place the cooked egg-in-a-nest on that then nestle the bacon on top, place the cut pieces of the beet on top, and garnish with dill.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce: Combine 10 ounces of plain Greek yogurt with one small cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped finely. Add one large clove of garlic chopped finely, 2 large basil leaves julienned, about 1/8 t fresh chopped dill, salt and pepper, and 1 t lemon juice. Can set aside and keep for up to 4 days. Add a little coarse sea salt to taste.
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Meals and Memories of December 2015

1/12/2016

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For a year or so, many decades in the past, I was lucky enough to have lived by the ocean. I knew by heart the primal perfume of the salt water and was lulled to sleep by the sound of the pounding surf. Only those of have rested and resided near the shore understand. For this reason, and because this holiday allowed us to be much freer with our time, December was full of coastal weekends and renewal. Yes, I cooked on Christmas Eve, and filled our New Years table with a brunch fit for a king, but all along the way I had a little sand in my toes to accompany the tinsel on my tree.
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This is just as much a travel log as a food journey, but really. Can anything happen without good food along the way? And so one supports the other, and we all sit at the same table of memory and wishes.

Below is the main course for Christmas Eve. A sweet and elegant Kumquat Chutney tops Shaved Honey Ham, Pureed Ginger Yams, and Mushroom Parmesan Risotto.
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Left: Sushi in the light of sunset in Stuart, Florida. Right: The icon of Southern Hospitality, the pineapple, lighting up the city streets. And below, the funky and colorful deck street of the city at dusk. Love the lights on this tree!
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Bites of love include Jubilee Jumbles cookies, a family recipe that comes to life each Christmas. Individual Omelets filled with your choice of ingredients. Pears ready to poach in Port Wine with a dot of butter.
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Who am I kidding! If I try and caption every amazing memory, it will be next Christmas! Enjoy the slide show below!
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    Meet the Cook...

    My name is Camine Pappas  and I love to create beautiful and delicious food that anyone can make. My signature style centers around a love for combining things in a way you might not expect as I work to find a hidden combination of colors, textures and flavors from the things that are in my pantry and/or easy to obtain.

    Want to get spontaneous with me? It's pretty exciting. Let's all find out what happens when, "I Feel Like Cooking."

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