RECIPES – Page 265 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

CHICKEN WELLINGTONS, the easy way…

CHICKEN WELLINGTONS

2 tablespoons butter

1 package Pillsbury crescent rolls (DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE see note below)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 ounces cream cheese

1 small bunch green onions

1 clove garlic

2-3 button mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small food processor combine cream cheese, green onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
In a skillet melt butter.
Salt and pepper the chicken.
Saute chicken 3-4 minutes each side until JUST done.
Place 2 crescent rolls side by side and seal seams.
Spread with cream cheese mixture.
Place chicken breast on top.
Coat with another layer of cream cheese mixture.
Top with 2 more crescent rolls.
Seal edges.
Brush with egg wash.
Bake 18-20 minutes.

NOTE: I had real problems with the “store” brand crescent rolls – actually they were terrible!

NOTE: Next time I will dice the chicken after sauteing and mix with creamed mixture.

CADILLACS ~ PARMESAN ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES, DINER STYLE

As I get older I have noticed that there are fewer and fewer mom and pop style diners. I find this very sad. Some of the best soups, salads and sandwiches I have ever had were diner style. With all the chain restaurants these days they do okay, but they also do formulaic recipes with as few ingredients as they can get away with to make it palatable, at least in my opinion. This recipe I made from memory of a fantastic sandwich I had in a roadside diner somewhere in Texas many years ago.

PARMESAN ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES
8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef (close to shaved)
1 firm tomato 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 ounce can mild green chiles, VERY well drained*
4 slices thick quality sourdough bread
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
mayonnaise

Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a small skillet.
Saute’ onions until JUST tender.
Add green chiles and Worcestershire sauce. Drain well if there is any excess oil.
Toss roast beef with onion mixture until heated through and well blended.
Grill the tomatoes until cooked through.
Butter 2 bread slices. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over butter and immediately press down gently so cheese nestles into the butter. This will form a crispier crust.
Press bread buttered side down on hot grill.
Add grilled tomatoes.
Top with shredded cheese.
Top with roast beef mixture.
Spread mayonnaise on top slices of bread and top sandwiches.
Spread butter on top side of bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, pressing firmly again to imbed Parmesan cheese.
Flip sandwiches and grill until golden.

*I accidentally picked up jalapenos this last time.
NOTE to self. ALSO good, but way HOT!!!

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BANANA BITES

BANANA BITES

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar

2 medium bananas, sliced

1/4 + 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup crushed walnut pieces

2 cans crescent rolls

1 Jumbo egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Over medium heat melt butter.
Add brown sugar until dissolved.
Fold in bananas, walnuts and 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips.
Remove from heat.
Separate crescent rolls.
Place half on cookie sheet.
Fill centers with banana mixture.
Top with another crescent roll and seal edges.
Top with egg wash.
Bake 12 minutes until golden brown.
Melt remaining chocolate chips to form a drizzle.
Drizzle over warm pastries and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

BUNLESS BURGER SERIES #2 ~ CARAMELIZED RED ONION BLEU CREAM CHEESE BURGER

There used to be this awesome burger joint in Pasadena that gave you a piece of pie with every burger. After the burger and fries I never had room and always took my pie home with me. It was just never the same as eating it with the burger, so my new idea is to eat dinner and dessert together! Sounds reasonable to me. 🙂 I found this great new locally made meat seasoning at the grocery store today.

BUNLESS BURGER SERIES #2 ~ CARAMELIZED RED ONION BLEU CREAM CHEESE BURGER

2 1/3 pound burger patties
2 thick slices of tomato
2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Caramelized red onions
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 extra large red onions (about 4 medium), halved, thinly sliced into rings
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Bleu Cream Cheese Mayonnaise
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces bleu cheese crumbles, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise

In a small food processor blend together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and bleu cheese crumbles.
Combine ground beef, liquid smoke, salt and pepper to the meat and hand form the patties.
Grill burgers inside or out.
In a large sauce pan melt butter.
When sizzling add onions and saute’ until translucent.
Add balsamic vinegar and continue sauteing until moisture has sizzled away.
Plate burger.
Top with tomato, onions and then cheese.
I use the pan lid over the plate for a minute to melt the cheese.

*I like to make my own ground beef when brisket is on sale. It makes for a richer tasting beef flavor! Thank you Tyler Florence!

CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN with APRICOT MAPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE

Do you like those rotisserie chicken from the market? I do, but on average they are only 2-3 pounds and cost anywhere from $5-$8 or even more. My local grocer ran a unadvertised special the other day and I got this 5.86 pound beauty for 97 cents a pound.

I love my cast iron skillet too! There is nothing better for even cooking heat! I like to roast my chicken in there so the sides are always radiating an even heat to whole chicken.

CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN

1 5-6 pound roasting chicken

4 tablespoons butter, softened

salt & pepper

1/2 onion, wedged small

1 cup apricot pineapple preserves

1/4 cup PURE maple syrup

Wash chicken and dry.
Spread butter along the inside of the cast iron pan and all over the chicken.
Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
Place onions along side the chicken.
In a small bowl whisk together the preserves and syrup. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
Roast at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
With a pastry brush spread preserve mixture all over the chicken every 10-15 minutes until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through. This should be from 30-45 minutes based on the actual weight of your chicken.

CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN

I love my cast iron skillet too! There is nothing better for even cooking heat! I like to roast my chicken in there so the sides are always radiating an even heat to whole chicken.

CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN

1 5-6 pound roasting chicken

4 tablespoons butter, softened

salt & pepper

1/2 onion, wedged small

1 cup apricot pineapple preserves

1/4 cup PURE maple syrup

Wash chicken and dry.
Spread butter along the inside of the cast iron pan and all over the chicken.
Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
Place onions along side the chicken.
In a small bowl whisk together the preserves and syrup. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
Roast at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
With a pastry brush spread preserve mixture all over the chicken every 10-15 minutes until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through. This should be from 30-45 minutes based on the actual weight of your chicken.

APPLE RAISIN NOODLE PUDDING

NOODLE PUDDING

2 cups dry wide egg noodles

2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounce crushed pineapple, drained well
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup golden rum
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 GALA apple, peeled, cored and grated

Cook and drain the noodles
Combine all other ingredients together
Fold into warm noodles
Generously spray an 8×8 baking dish with PURE
Gently spread entire mixture into dish evenly
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes

I remember the first time I had NOODLE PUDDING – my little Jewish neighbor brought it over as a welcome to the neighborhood back in 1986. She called it noodle pudding. It was so delicious. I wanted to ask her for the recipe, but I’d just met her and I was young and shy. I made her my floating fruit cake in the same pan she’d brought over and returned it to her to ask for the recipe. I remember how hard she laughed at me. She said it was a Jewish custom to always return a plate, bowl or dish full and of course I could have the recipe.

I’ve adapted it to suit my families tastes over the years and cut back on the amount of sugar but it is still a favorite! I’ve also found other versions that have helped me repeatedly adapt it into what it is today. My neighbor and I became fast friends and shared LOTS of cherished family recipes before I moved from the neighborhood in 15 years later.

1-2-3 Chocolate Mousse without Eggs

Get loads of recipes at Comfy Cook and My Sweet and Savory

Don’t miss Giveaway at Comfy Cook – CSN – choice of 4 items

For the longest time, I looked for a chocolate mousse without raw eggs and could not find one. Recently, I am seeing some popping up, and I will have to try them. The first one I came across was from Nigella Lawson and I adapted that not only to be a chocolate mousse but to transform into many flavors. There is no end to the variety of desserts you can get from this recipe.

Instant Chocolate Mousse or Ice Cream

This recipe takes minutes to make and it has no raw eggs which is very important to me. The secret of its success is the Marshmallow Creme or Marshmallow Fluff and a few miniature marshmallows.

Ingredients

3 cups mini marshmallows (I used 2 cups marshmallow fluff and 1 cup marshmallows since kosher marshmallow retain their shape. In the end, it looks nice, this way.
1/2 stick margarine softened
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup hot water from a that had recently been boiling
1 non dairy whipped topping or whipping cream (8 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Put the marshmallows, marshmallow fluff, margarine, chocolate and water in the microwave.

Stop your microwave every 30 seconds and stir. I used a low to medium setting.

Meanwhile whip the cream with the vanilla until thick and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.

Pour or scrape into 4 or 6 glasses or small dishes and chill until you want to eat. The sooner the better!

BUNLESS BURGER SERIES #1 ~ GOLDEN FUNGUS BURGER

Over at THE Motivation Station I’m going to be doing a series of posts about eating on $1 a day per person. Trust me it can be done. One of the awesome things though is that it can be done and make you feel like you’re eating like a gourmet while doing it.

This is my first recipe in the BUNLESS BURGER SERIES. Bread in general is expensive and can be timely to make. It also doesn’t help on my diet so thought I would try going “bunless” and we are soooooooooooooooo glad we did. With planning to eat the burger with a knife and fork I was able to add so many more ingredients that would have otherwise made the bun mushy and slippery. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

So simple, but oh so yummy too.

GOLDEN FUNGUS BURGER

2 1/3 # burger patties

1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin

4-5 large button mushrooms, sliced thin

1 large Roma tomato or 4 baby Roma tomatoes, sliced thin

1/4 cup Chablis

1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Grill burgers inside or out. I add just a touch of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the meat and hand form the patties.
In a large sauce pan melt butter.
When sizzling add onions and saute’ until translucent.
Add mushrooms and saute until tender.
Add wine and continue sauteing until moisture has sizzled away.
Add tomatoes until heated through.
Plate burger.
Top with onion mixture and then cheese. I use the pan lid over the plate for a minute to melt the cheese.

IMPERIAL CHICKEN aka BROWN BAG CHICKEN ~ VINTAGE RECIPE THURSDAY & MAGAZINE MONDAY

I found this recipe in my bottomless box of magazine tear outs, clipped recipes from old worn cookbooks, grams old recipe cards and printouts to try. I’ve adapted it to my love of skinless, boneless chicken.

IMPERIAL CHICKEN

1 cup dried bread crumbs (I use my stale sourdough ends and made my own)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons minced parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

large brown paper lunch sack, new and clean

PURE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small food processor blend bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until finely ground and well blended.
Spray the inside of the paper bag with PURE really well.
Dip chicken into melted butter and then into bread crumbs.
Place chicken pieces in the bag, fold over and close tightly.
Bake 30-45 minutes. Be careful when you open the bag as the steam escapes. Chicken will be moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

I was over visiting Mrs. B this morning when one of her recipes gave me an idea for one of my own. Her used pesto and for some reason though I love all food, I HATE pesto – sorry guys. I also thought I’d take it to the potluck going on over at Mommy’s Kitchen. It looks a little bland, but it was quite tasty.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PASTA SALAD

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked al dente

1 large cucumber, skinned and chopped

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup shredded cheese of choice(I used Parmesan)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Classico sun-dried tomato pesto

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomato pesto, salt and pepper.
Prepare the pasta per package directions. Drain and cool.
Prepare vegetables.
Toss vegetables, pasta and sauce together until well blended.
Chill & Enjoy!

STEAMED ARTICHOKES & CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP

I had made out my menus for the week and then WHAM the new sale ads came from my local stores. There are 3 stores all within 5 miles which makes it soooooooooo easy to make a list for each and get the best sales. Then I walked in to my favorite one and saw these as an unadvertised special. My taste buds became instantly alert and drooling as my mind was saying be careful they have been so expensive lately. Some stores have actually been charging up to $5 for a medium size artichoke. So when I read the sign for these extra large babies and saw 2/$3 I quickly amended my menus to include these babies.

The first night we had Shrimp Scampi and I kept the leftover scampi drippings and heart from the first artichoke we steamed to use as a base for the soup. I was afraid that because they were sooooooooooooo large they would be flavorless and tough, but it was just the opposite, they had more flavor than I can remember in a long time. Now I have a sneaky suspicion that many restaurants add a touch of food color as mine turned out a very pale green.

So for tonight, we’re having:

CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP
6 large artichokes
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
Juice of 1 large lemon (3 tablespoons)
2 + 1 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup long grain rice*optional
1 cup heavy cream

Prepare the artichokes for steaming: Remove and discard tough outer leaves of the artichokes.
Bring 1-2″ of water to boil in a pot large enough for all the artichokes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and oil. Place artichokes on steaming apparatus in pot, cover tightly, and steam 45 minutes or so.
Remove artichokes and allow them to cool sufficiently to be handled.
Scrape the tender artichoke “meat” from the inside of each leaf (I use a heavy knife for this). If the steamed artichokes are particularly tender, you may be able to dispense with the scraping and just cut off the top portions of the leaves.
Puree the artichoke “meat” and artichoke hearts with the onion, 1 clove minced garlic and chicken stock.
Add rice and the final tablespoon of lemon juice.
Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
Add cream, adjust salt and pepper, and serve.
Add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with chives or parsley.

Category: RECIPES