Antipasti Stuffed Chicken

Antipasti plates always seem so...messy...  Or something. Finger food is great, but when it's a little oil and vinegar-y, it's drippy. Messy.

So, while I love every single thing on the plate, I have never ordered one. So when I saw this recipe, with all of the things that make an antipasti plate delicious chopped up and stuffed into baked chicken, I had to try it. The pepperoncini give it a nice bite and cheese gets nice and melty. The dressing is an Italian dressing-like compliment and I basted the chicken with it while it was baking. Juicy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 slices Genoa salami (2 ounces), chopped
• 4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
• 4 slices provolone cheese (4 ounces), chopped
• 4 large pepperoncini, stemmed, chopped
• 1 whole roasted red peppers, chopped
• Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kitchen twine

Method:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
2. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, oregano, fennel seed, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Gradually whisk in the oil.
3. For the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the salami, pepperoncini, prosciutto, provolone and peppers with 1/4 cup of the dressing; toss to blend evenly.
4. Butterfly chicken and pound to about 1/4" thick. (There are explicit instructions in the original recipe.) Lay over 3 pieces of kitchen twine.
5. Mound a fourth of the stuffing onto the chicken then roll firmly. Tie with twine.
6. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing.Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Don't ask how I know that.) Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a sheet of foil. Let rest 5 minutes.

Bad day at work?  Nothing like cooking and a glass of wine.

Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness and lay over three pieces of kitchen twine.
(This exercise helps with the really bad day, too.)

Mound each piece of chicken with a quarter of the stuffing.

Roll and tie, then trim the excess twine.

Don't forget the wine!

Source: Food Network

Swiss Patty Melt

Six onions make a LOT of caramelized onions. So when the recipe for Caramelized Onion and White Bean Dip called for just one cup of cooked onions, I wondered why in the world the recipe instructed you to caramelize six onions. But thank god it did!  They are SO good. And, if you're taking the hour and a half to let them get the perfect color and sweetness, why not make extra?

A Swiss patty melt is one of Brian's favorite sandwiches to get out. They are like a burger and a grilled cheese all in one - what's not to love?! I never thought of making them at home until I saw an episode of The Pioneer Woman. It doesn't take much more effort than regular grilled burgers and doesn't require any fancy ingredients or tools. And it's a great way to use up some of those leftover onions.

In the time it took Brian to grill the burgers, I had put the melt part of the sandwiches together. The official recipe has more detailed instructions, but I think you'll get the picture.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 grilled burgers - whatever size and doneness you like (they aren't on the griddle long enough to cook any more than they did on the grill, so pull them off when they are perfect)
• 4 slices good rye bread
• 1 Tbsp. softened butter
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 C caramelized onions

Method:

1. While burgers are grilling, heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
2. Start like you would any grilled cheese: Butter two slices of rye and place butter side down in the pan. Top each with a slice of cheese and top each with half the onions.
3. Top each with a cooked burger, then another slice of cheese. Finally, top that with another piece of buttered bread, butter side up.
4. When the bottom bread is nicely grilled, flip and grill until done.
5. Serve immediately.

(Honestly, this is the first Pioneer Woman recipe that I've wanted to make. But I follow her blog religiously. She has a great way with words and takes incredibly beautiful photos of her family, pets, and ranch. I think I secretly wish I lived on an enormous cattle ranch in the mid-West, too.)


Source: Food Network

Red Wine Sangria

This week seemed to last about a month and half. Our prize for the craziness is an absolutely outstanding late-summer weekend visiting with friends near and far. And this refreshing sangria.

Oranges, limes, lemons, and apples give it a nicely balanced sweet-tart taste and the Prosecco adds the perfect amount of fizz. Whip up a pitcher now and it'll be waiting for you once you're through with all your Saturday chores.

Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles (750 ml) chilled dry red wine
• 1 cup peach schnapps 
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (or to taste)
• 2 oranges, cut into thin rounds
• 2 lemons, cut into thin rounds
• 3 limes, cut into thin rounds
• 2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 bottle chilled Prosecco

Method:

1. In a large pitcher, add the wine, schnapps, orange juice, and simple syrup. Stir gently to combine.
2. Add the fruit and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.
3. Serve in glasses over ice and top with chilled Prosecco.

8 cups of fruit....it's practically health food! ;-)

Source: Food Network

Caramelized Onion and White Bean Dip

I collect recipes.

As we speak, there are 128 "must try" recipes in my inbox, patiently waiting to be selected, all neatly filed in folders like chicken, crockpot, and chocolate cake. Because really, who doesn't need four chocolate cake recipes?  (Should I mention I'm not really big on chocolate and don't really like baking?)

I really like to cook and I try to fix new dishes often. It's hard not to fall back on the old stand-bys, though, especially during the week. So, when we had some friends over this past weekend, I vowed to make all new recipes - like the edamame salad I posted yesterday.

At first, everyone thought this Caramelized Onion and White Bean Dip was hummus. And while it had a similar texture, the beans have a much more subtle flavor than chick peas and the onions were silky and sweet. It paired perfectly with potato chips - salty and sweet, anyone??

One down, 127 to go!

Ingredients:

• 6 large sweet yellow onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 T butter 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 can (15 oz.) white beans, lightly drained
• olive oil and black pepper for serving

Method:

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat - choose one with a lid.
2. Add sliced onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Shake pan lightly to mix.
3. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until onions begin giving up their liquid and soften slightly.
4. Stir.
5. Re-cover and cook an additional 10 minutes, until onions have reduced in volume by about one-third.
6. Remove cover and cook for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 mins., until onions are very reduced and toffee colored, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping any browned bits into the mixture as you go.
7. Set aside to cool slightly.
8. Meanwhile, add drained white beans to a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. Add 3/4 cup of the caramelized onions and process until combined. Season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper. Dice an additional 1/4 cup of the caramelized onions and scatter over the top of the dip. Reserve the rest of the onions for another batch or recipe.
9. Remove dip to serving bowl and drizzle with good olive oil and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with veggies, pita chips, or - best of all - potato chips.

The six onions barely fit in my largest skillet.

After 5 minutes, they had given off much of their liquid and were already reducing.

Ten minutes more, and they were on their way to caramelized goodness.

They cooked down to about two cups of sweet, sticky deliciousness.

Would it be wrong to just dig in and eat these with a spoon?

I made some grilled cheese and ham sandwiches for lunch while the onions were caramelizing, so I snuck a few and added them to our sandwiches. The sweetness went really well with the ham and Swiss. Some thinly sliced Granny Smith apple and mustard would have put them over the top. Unfortunately, that didn't occur to me until after lunch.

Source: The Pig and The Quill

Blueberry Pancakes

Happy Sunday Funday! It's the perfect morning for some freshly made pancakes, bursting with sweet tart fresh blueberries. You can thank me later. ;-)

There's nothing particularly special about these pancakes...except that they are scrumptious! I followed the recipe for Ultimate Pancakes on the box of Bisquick and added fresh blueberries and lemon zest. I don't have pancakes often so I don't have a lot to compare them to, but I think these were among the best I've ever eaten. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2  cups Original Bisquick® mix
• 3 Tbsp sugar                         
• 2 tsp baking powder                        
• 1 C milk
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract         
• 1 C fresh blueberries

Method:

1. Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except berries until blended.
3. Fold in berries. Be careful not to over mix and break up fruit.
4. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot skillet. Cook about 30 seconds or until edges are dry. Turn; cook other side until golden brown.
5. Serve hot with syrup and butter.

Note: The online recipe calls for 2 Tbsp vegetable oil; the recipe on the box did not. I therefore made mine without the oil, and they were so good I wouldn't do anything different next time.


Source: Betty Crocker

Black Bean, Corn and Edamame Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

 A few years ago, I found an edamame salad that was so good, it became our "staple" contribution to any summer get together. I've since lost the recipe and now can't even really remember what was in it - besides edamame, of course.

While searching the web for something to make for a  cookout this weekend (besides baked beans, potato salad or southwest quinoa salad - my current "go-to" salads and side dishes), I came upon this recipe. I loved the idea of using fresh-off-the-cob corn and cilantro is one of my favorite herbs.

I added a little cumin and eliminated the sugar. The bag of edamame I found was a little more than one cup, and I may have gotten carried away with the lime juice. Regardless, the result was a fresh, crunchy salad that everyone enjoyed - one of our friends even asked to take some of the leftovers home.

Looks like I've found a new staple!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cobs of corn, cooked, cooled, and corn cut from cob (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup edamame, cooked and cooled
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained well
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice, oils, garlic, and cumin. Whisk together.
2. Add the corn, edamame, black beans, onion, and cilantro to the bowl. Toss to distribute dressing completely.
3. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight, to allow flavors to blend

Source: Tastefully Julie

Spanakopita Cups

The first time I wrote about this recipe, the entire plate of appetizers was gone before I could snap a picture. I made them again recently for a girls' happy hour recently and Brian and I had the last few the other night before dinner.

It's a great appetizer to have on hand. The filling comes together really quickly with little effort - a little chopping, one sauté pan - you don't even have to drain the thawed spinach. Once cooked and cooled, the filling keeps for about a week in the fridge. And the boxes of filo cups take up very little room in the freezer (and are so versatile).

They are a great cocktail party finger food. A nice mix of crispy filo dough and creamy, slightly salty filling.

If I make it in advance, I warm the filling for a minute or two in the microwave before filling and baking the filo shells. Otherwise, the filo shells gets too crisp before the filling has warmed through.

Get the recipe here if you missed it the first time around.

Opa!

Lazy Pierogi

I love pierogi. I think potato and cheese is my favorite. (Of course I would love the pasta that is filled with potato!) Sauerkraut is good, too.

However, I've never cooked prepared pierogi at home and have never made them from scratch, which I understand is a labor of love. This lazy pierogi is equally loving, but with far less work. Satisfying, warm, and comforting...nice dish to nourish the soul. It made me wish Brian's Gramp was still living above Bri - I think he'd love it!

When Sue emailed us this recipe, she warned me that I would use every pot in the kitchen.
She was right! But it was pretty easy to put together after work on a week night.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut
• 1 box bow tie pasta (I'd only use half a box next time)
• 2 sticks margarine
• 2 onions, diced
• 8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• 1 kielbasa, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 low sodium beef bouillon cubes

Method:

1. Drain sauerkraut, rinse in cold water. Put in saucepan and add enough water to just cover
   sauerkraut and simmer 30. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cooking liquid.
3. At the same time, sauté onion in margarine until soft. (I found it was more like a braise than a sauté, because of the amount of margarine.) Add mushrooms and cook through. Stir in pepper and caraway seeds. Add kielbasa and combine well.
4. Dissolve bouillon in reserved pasta water. Stir into onion mixture.
5. Fold in drained sauerkraut and pasta. Mix well.
6. Serve hot.

Source: SuSu

Two-Ingredient Dog Treats

We spent a lot of time with "the boys" this weekend - for those of you I've yet to meet, that's our two Shelties, Blue and Sambucca. That's not particularly unusual, except that we were a lot more clingy than they are used to. And with good reason...

Brian's parents lost one of their own Shelties, Holly, Saturday afternoon. A complete accident, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it made us appreciate our guys that much more.

So they got attention, pats and rubs. Lots of rubs. And treats. Lots of treats. Cantaloupe, Greenies, and these super easy, two-ingredient treats I whipped up after a quick trip to the grocery story.

They had kind a weird texture (full disclosure: I tried one) - a little spongy in the middle, but that didn't deter the boys at all. I made them in two batches - 1 jar of baby food and 1 cup of flour for each - so I could try different flavors. The boys seemed to equally like sweet potato and pears; I'll be curious to try others. Hopefully they'll be this excited next time!

Ingredients:

• 2 4-oz. jars of baby food
• 2 C whole wheat flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix baby food and flour together to form a stiff dough. If necessary, add extra flour or water as needed.
3. Pull off evenly sized pieces of dough and form in your hands into a ball.
4. Place on cookie sheet then flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or your fingers. (These cooked up better than the ones I left in balls.)
5. Place treats about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing in a paper bag (storing in an air-tight container will make them soft, but they're still edible).



Holly, our sweet little girl.  Sue adopted Holly this past November for Kevin's birthday. She fit right in, right from the start, and loved her family and big "sister" Roxy. Here she is in one of her favorite places: the kitchen at the house on Plum Island!  She was barking up the wrong tree if she thought I was going to give her any human food, but she was almost cute enough the wear me down!

Source: Curbly

Roasted Garlic and Sriracha Hummus {My 100th post!}

It took me a little longer to get to this point than I expected it would, but I'm so excited to publish my 100th post!

This recipe nearly leapt off the screen when I saw it on Zite (the news aggregator app anyone with a smart phone or tablet should check out).

Roasted garlic? Sriacha? Hummus?  Yes, yes, and yes! Super easy to put together and so fresh tasting. I may never buy hummus again!

Ingredients:

• 2 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
• 2/3 cup olive oil, divided
• pinch of salt
• 28 oz.  can of chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed
• 1/4 cup tahini (I found this in the international aisle at the grocery store)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp. sriracha

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Place the garlic bulbs in a small glass casserole dish. Add1/3 cup of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir and place back into the oven for 15 minutes more, uncovered. Let the bulbs cool completely for about an hour. Reserve any of the leftover oil that may remain in the casserole dish.
2. Rinse and drain chickpeas very well and transfer directly to a food processor.
3. Once the garlic bulbs are completely cooled, remove the skins and discard them. Place the garlic, any leftover olive oil, plus the 1/3 cup remaining olive oil into the food processor with the chickpeas. Pulse until very smooth, about a minute.
4. Add in the tahini, salt and sriracha. Pulse for about a minute more. If not using immediately, refrigerate and allow to sit out at room temperature for about an hour before serving. Hummus is tastiest when served at room temperature. 

Source: Olives for Dinner

Caprese Skewers

I sometimes hesitate to post "recipes" like this one. Ones I'm sure everyone must already know how to make.

Well, I made these last night for a girls' happy hour. I wanted something cool and summery, and super quick and easy - since the girls would arrive shortly after I got home from work. They were gone in no time and at one point my friend Lynn said, "I never would have thought of doing that."

And so here's the recipe for anyone else who loves a traditional Caprese salad, but is looking for something more cocktail party friendly.

Ingredients:

• 18 boccacini (small mozzarella balls - I got mine at the deli counter)
• 18 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 18 pieces of fresh, torn basil
• toothpicks
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Method:

1. Combine cheese, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, and pepper in a bowl; toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Thread onto each toothpick a piece of cheese, then a  piece of basil, then a tomato. I alternated the order just so it looked a little prettier.
3. Sprinkle with the salt.