Category: MISC

CHICKEN KIEV

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 cups Panko crumbs + 1/4 cup for filling
1/4 bag frozen broccoli florets, chopped
salt and pepper to taste for chicken pieces
Safflower oil for frying

  • Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. 
  • Fold in broccoli floret pieces.
  • Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.
  • Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Spray chicken lightly with water as well as the top of the plastic wrap. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. 
  • Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.
  • Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.
  • Heat 1/2-inch of safflower oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.
  • Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. 
  • Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 
  • Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Eggnog Fudge

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  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup refrigerated eggnog
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped red candied cherries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
  1. Line an 8″X4″ loaf pan with aluminum foil; butter foil, and set aside.
  2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Wash down crystals from sides of pan, using a pastry brush dipped in hot water. Insert a candy thermometer into eggnog mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 238°. Remove from heat and cool, undisturbed, until temperature drops to 190° (15 to 18 minutes).
  3. Stir in pecans and remaining 3 ingredients; beat with a wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose its gloss (5 to 8 minutes). Pour candy into prepared pan. Cool completely; cut into squares.

Christmas with Southern Living, 2005, Southern Living
JUNE 2005

 

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Happy Christmas…

CHICKEN ADOBO – MEXICAN PHILIPINO CROSS – CHICKEN ADOBO ala TAMY

When  you look up recipes for Chicken Adobo ou have to choose between either a Phillipino recipe or a Mexican recipe.  I couldn’t choose so I decided to combine my favorite ingredients from each of them and make my own recipe.

Chicken Adobo
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  3tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced VERY thin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon achiote seeds
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Cover achiote seeds with boiling water. 
  • Cover and set aside overnight. 
  • Drain seeds discarding water.
  • Place seeds, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Grind until well blended.
  • In a large wok or skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on one side until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.  
  • Add the onions over the chicken.
  • Pour the seed mixture over chicken and heat through.
  • Serve hot over rice and vegetable sides.  

Mock Filet Mignon with Roasted Green Chile Cream Sauce

This past spring, the American Heart Association granted three cuts of beef their “Heart Check Mark” designation of Extra Lean.  They have less fat and unsaturated fat than a boneless, skinless chicken thigh.  One of these cuts is the “top sirloin filet”.  
I had already tried the top sirloin petite roast and was thrilled with how close it was to a beef tenderloin roast but with way less fat and almost half the cost.  So I was excited to try the filet.  
Mock Filet Mignon with Roasted Green Chile Cream Sauce
servings: 2
Source:  Nibble Me This
Ingredients
  • 2 eight ounce top sirloin filet (substitute real filet mignon if you can’t find sirloin filet)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the cream sauce
  • 1 ea jalapeno
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika 
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat grill to 450f (medium high heat).
  2. Roast jalapeno over grill until blackened on all sides. Place in a zip top bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 5 minutes.  Split open, scrape out seeds and then scrape off most of the charred skin.  Finely dice the pepper.
  3. In a medium sauce pan, simmer the cream over medium heat until the volume is reduced by half (about 5 minutes once simmering).
  4. Stir in the jalapeno, and remaining ingredients.
  5. Season the steaks with the salt, pepper and garlic.
  6. Grill the steak 4-5 minutes per side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 127-130f for medium rare.  
  7. Rest steaks for 10 minutes.
  8. Ladle 1/4 cup of the roasted green chili cream sauce onto a plate and top with a grilled filet.  Repeat.

Notes

  • The taste was excellent but the texture wasn’t as tender as a tenderloin filet (filet mignon).  I was surprised because the roast I had tried was every bit as tender as a beef tenderloin.

Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for this post and paid full price for all products mentioned. 

Minamalist in the Making

Martha from Minimalist in the Making asked me to write a post for her.  I was initially at a loss, but then realized that the topic really fits my recent mindset.

Martha and I met several years ago and hit it off and have been fast friends since.  We have similar interests, beliefs and values.  We have begun two separate blogs together that we feel are successful, but still life overwhelms you and things change.  That change has happened to not just me, but also Martha.  Some of it I believe is happening to many of us just because of the state of the world, but for me it’s deeper.  Taking care of family has had a deep impact on me, but deeper yet is the cancer.  Ironic, but I got my quarterly test results today and they are “in range”, a good thing, but still mind altering as you deal with the materialistic side of life!!

Below is my post I submitted to Martha.  Please stop by and see what she has to say and what her other guest posters have to say.  You may find that this is a topic that affects you too!

Life can change in a heartbeat.  Ever hear that phrase before?  I always did, but wasn’t sure what it really meant – until recently.  Because of our travels around the country to care for family members and in search of a VA solution to red tape topped off by our extended stay in Texas because of my Ovarian cancer we have learned to live without many things.  Those things are all in storage collecting dust.  Every month I pay the bill to store these things.  The things in storage are/were our prized possessions.  The things still in the house are the pragmatic items.  When it comes right down to it, we don’t really need any of it.
My search for minimalism really began with my cancer diagnosis.  I thought of all the unfinished projects, unread books and cherished family items that the boys would have no clue about without my notes and how I didn’t have time to write out all those notes.  Then I thought about those same family items and wondered if anyone after me really cares about them?  Tradition just doesn’t seem to be a strong point with boys in particular, but also with today’s generation.
Our goal was to get back west with family so we came home to the snowy north with just what we had acquired along the way via a moving company that was a part of a huge scam, but that’s another story yet.  Besides being a scam that we are filing charges against, they lost furniture and boxes and have no remorse or desire to find them.  They just want to throw money at it. The insurance doesn’t begin to cover the damages to family pictures or missing furniture.  In my younger years I would have been devastated by this.  Now I just shake it off, deal with the paperwork and move on.  In the big picture things just aren’t worth the effort to get all worked up.  Maybe it’s my new lease on life, but either way I’m ecstatic to get my minimalist life going!
Our goal was to finish a few projects and sell the house.  Things happen all the time that change our (collective term here – you may be next) grand plans.  You know the old saying, “Man plans, God laughs”.  Well He’s having one heck of a belly laugh on my account.
                                                  
Years ago when we first started out, hubby and I rented a small cabin  (small closet, single bed, couch, refrigerator, small table and a TV) in the mountains near Los Angeles.  It was an old officer quarters – hot in the summer, cold in the winter and simple!!  We had some of our happiest early moments in that cabin and have joked over the years about how we’d do it all over again.  More than ever I’m convinced that I want less, less and less!!  We’ve decided to sell everything we can and start a simpler life!