MARRY ME CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN

MARRY ME CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup champagne

• Generously salt and pepper each breast.
• Lightly dredge chicken breasts with flour.
• In a large skillet, lightly brown chicken breasts to a nice golden brown in oil. 
• Once browned on both sides, add onions, mushrooms and champagne. 
• Cook over medium heat, champagne should boil a little, for approximately 1/2 hour. When chicken is tender, transfer chicken to a platter.
• Pour cream into skillet. Simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over chicken breasts. Serve.

CROQUE PASTRAMI

In my opinion the key to a good sandwich is all in the layering.  Make sure that your layers are complimentary to each other. I put the cheese on the bottom so it melts better.

I've made my version of Croque Madames before, but today with it snowing like a banshee I am making a new version with what I have on hand and calling it :

CROQUE PASTRAMI
per person
2 slices bread
2 large slices pastrami
1 slice Havarti
2 thin slices red onion

1 1/2 tablespoons of French Island
1 fried egg, basted

• Make a basted egg.
• Saute the onions until slightly caramelized.
  
• Layer a slice of cheese followed by pastrami pieces to fit the size of the cheese on the first slice of bread.
• Spread the French Island evenly on top.
• Layer onions in the dressing and top with the fried egg.
• Gently break the yolk.
• Top with remaining piece of bread and grill until toasted.
  

**1/2 1000 Island 1/2 French Remoulade

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE~CRAB or SALMON

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
CAKES
12 ounce can all white albacore tuna, drained well**
1 large egg
1/8 cup mayonnaise
panko crumbs
sea salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce

SAUCE
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup powdered sugar

• In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg until golden and consistency is smooth.
• Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and green Tabasco sauce, whisking until well blended.
• Add enough panko crumbs to make a paste.
• Add tuna and blend well.
• Form 6 cakes or logs.
• Set cakes on paper towels and chill 30 minutes.  The paper towels will draw out excess moisture

• In a cast iron pan melt butter.
• Roll cakes in panko crumbs.
• When butter is frothy, add tuna cakes.
• Brown each side until golden.

• In a food processor mix together all the sauce ingredients until well blended.
• Microwave 1 minute until hot.
• Pour over tuna cakes and enjoy.

**Crab or Salmon works well too.

Submitted to:

SWEET CORN SOUP

Until recently Chilis restaurant had a sweet corn soup that was fantastic!  Then they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it!  I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized redonioons - YUM!

 SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime

• In a large stock pot saute' the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
• Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
• Add stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
• Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
• Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
• Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
• Puree and strain.
• Enjoy.

TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP

It's cold here and snowing like a banshee so I whipped up some warm (heat and spice) soup to have with some fresh baked beer bread!

TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP
MEATBALLS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 Jumbo Egg
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
SOUP
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small sprigs of cilantro, minced fine
1/2 small Vidalia onion, diced
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups chicken stock
1 avocado
white cheese or sour cream for garnish

MEATBALLS

• In a small food processor grind together the garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and onion until well blended.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, rice and seasoning mixture until well blended.
• Roll into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.

SOUP

• In a sauce pan heat the oil ad add the onions and garlic. Saute' until fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes until soft and tender.
• With a slotted spoon remove the tomatoes to a blender and puree with chicken stock.
• Return the tomato and chicken stock to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a slow simmer and add the meatballs, cooking for 30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
• To serve, place a few meatballs in each bowl and cover with ladles of soup.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of white cheese or sour cream.

APPLE RHUBARB BROWN BETTY

2 to 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed well (3 Cups)
1 small loaf white bread (6 ounces), crusts removed (3+ cups)
1 stick butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons sliced thin
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut rhubarb into 1/4-inch-thick cubes.
• Tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with PURE.
• In medium bowl, combine melted butter and bread pieces; cover bottom of dish with 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread pieces.
• In another bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.   Grate zest; add to mixture.
• Let sit until juices begin to run, about 5 minutes.
• Spread half of rhubarb mixture over bread pieces.
• Sprinkle with 1 cup more bread pieces.
• Add remaining rhubarb mixture and juices; cover with remaining bread pieces.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar.
• Dot with 2 tablespoons butter slices.
• Cover; bake 25 to 35 minutes on the middle rack, until rhubarb is tender.
• Increase heat to 400 degrees; uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until rhubarb is soft, top is crusty, and juices begin to bubble at edges of baking dish.
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

BEEF TENDERLOIN
1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast 
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4-5 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup melted butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  
• Sprinkle garlic on bottom of shallow, glass baking dish and then layer green onions on top. 
• Place roast on top of onions.
• Whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and butter.
• Pour over the tenderloin.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees for medium.
• Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup + walnut crumbles

• In a saucepan melt butter.
• Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
• Cool 5-10 minutes so you don't kill the yeast.
• Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
• Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
• In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
• Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
• Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
• Let rise an hour in a warm place.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Frost with drizzle.

ALMOND DRIZZLE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons butter, melted

• Whisk together butter, milk, almond extract and orange peel until well blended.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until desired consistency.
• Drizzle all over danish, sprinkling with walnut pieces.

GARLIC CHICKEN & NOODLES

1 ½ + 1 ½ tablespoons safflower oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 egg white

bok choy

1 can water chestnuts, drained well

1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup sliced yellow pepper

2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

noodles for 2

• Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and egg white.
• Coat chicken with cor starch mixture and let rest for 1 hour.

• Drain cornstarch mixture from chicken pieces.
• Cook noodles.
• Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in wok.
• Stir fry chicken pieces until just about cooked through.
• Remove with slotted spoon to mixing bowl.
• Add bok choy, yellow pepper and onions cooking until just done.
• Add to platter also.
• Add drained noodles to mixing bowl.
• Heat oil in your wok. 
• Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.   
• Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. 
• Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Coat chicken with the sauce and toss well.

MEXICAN HOT POCKETS

I had some CHICKEN ADOBO left over, but it wasn't enough for a meal by itself.  So I added some veggies and cheese to make some pockets.  It went over fantastic.  We will be having this again soon!

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE BRAID

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food.  The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog.

This month I was paired with ANGRY ASIAN CREATIONS. I love being paired with someone I've never been paired with before I inevitably learn sooooooo much, and find great new recipes.  I chose her SWEET BRAIDED BREAD recipe which she adapted from KING ARTHUR FLOUR. I chose it because I was having a serious chocolate craving at the time and it seemed holidayish too.  I used a cream cheese (honey nut) chocolate chip filling.