Provolone & Olive Stuffed Chicken Breasts July 7, 2009

¼ cup shredded provolone cheese, preferably aged
3 tablespoons chopped olives
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 ¼ pounds total)
1 large egg white
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Provolone & Olive Stuffed Chicken Breasts Ingredients Cont.

Provolone & Olive Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with sides with cooking spray.
2. Combine the provolone, olives and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs and salt in a shallow dish.
4. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the cheese filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts and filling. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
5. Heat oil over in a large nonstick skillet medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet, browned-side up, and bake until it is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.

Ricotta Mousse with Berries July 5, 2009

• 1 cup light ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• fresh mint (optional)

1) in a smal bowl whisk together ricotta 1 tbsp of the orange juice, and orange peel. cover and chill for 1-24 hours.

2) in a medium bowl combine the berries, lemon juice, and the remaining 1 tbsp oj. over and let stand at room temp 15 minutes to develop flavors.

3) to serve, divide fruit mixture among four dessert dishes, spooning any juices over fruit in dishes. top with ricotta mixture. Drizzle with honey. If desired, garnish with mint.

Sweet Potato Fries July 5, 2009

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons evoo
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper 0r cinnamon

Oven Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients Cont.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cayenne pepper.

Roasted Asparagus Parmesan July 5, 2009

Ingredients:

• Fresh Asparagus (enough for 4-6 servings)
• 2 Tbsp evoo
• kosher salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Drizzle aspargus with oil. Place into a baking dish and bake on 400 for about 15 minuties or until asparagus is cripsy-tender, tossing asparagus occasionally. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

This is super easy, fast, and tastes great. You can also sautee the asperagus in evoo on stovetop which I sometime preferr.

Black Bean Salad July 5, 2009

• 2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
• 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 1/4 cup diced pineapple
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Feel free to leave out any ingredient you want. I usually leave out the bell peppers, vinegar, and cumin to simplify it – and I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers…

White Corn Crusted Chile Relleno Filled with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese with Grilled Vegetable Salad July 5, 2009

I have not made this recipe yet but I found it on food network and thought it looked boarderline incredible! It had 5 stars so I’ll have to make it soon.

Ingredients

Dark Beer Batter:

• 1 1/2 cups dark beer
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the above ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Filling:

• 1 large beet, roasted, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled
• 4 cups white cornmeal
• 4 cups peanut oil

Mix together the beets, cheeses and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff each pepper with approximately 3 tablespoons of the mixture. Batter lightly and dredge in the cornmeal. In a large frying pan, heat the oil to 370 degrees F. Fry the peppers in batches, turning until lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve hot with vegetables tossed in balsamic vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetable Salad: Grilled Zucchini, sliced in half Beets, roasted and sliced Grilled Asparagus, whole

Grilled Asparagus and Roasted Mushroom Salad with Toasted Pecans, Blue Cheese and Red Chile Mustard Vinaigrette July 5, 2009

Ran across this recipe of foodnetwork- thought it looked amazing! I havent made it yet but it did have a 5 star rating.

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus, grilled
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms (portobello, cremini, shiitake) coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 8 ounces American blue cheese

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss asparagus with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 1/4 of the mushrooms in the center of each plate. Arrange asparagus around the mushrooms. Sprinkle pecans and blue cheese around the edge of the plate. Drizzle with more of the dressing.

Red Chile Mustard Vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• Salt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk together mustard, ancho powder, salt and vinegar, slowly whisk in oil until emulsified. Season with more salt, to taste.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup July 2, 2009

Serves:

10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup wild rice
• 3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Zucchini Frittata July 2, 2009

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup diced zucchini (1 small)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup slivered fresh mint
• 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 5 large eggs
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, mint, basil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the moisture has evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds.

Whisk eggs, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper in a large bowl until blended. Add the zucchini mixture and cheese; stir to combine.

Preheat the broiler.

Wipe out the pan and brush it with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil; place over medium-low heat. Add the frittata mixture and cook, without stirring, until the bottom is light golden, 2 to 4 minutes. As it cooks, lift the edges and tilt the pan so uncooked egg will flow to the edges.

Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the frittata is set and the top is golden, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Loosen the edges and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Three-Bean Salad July 1, 2009

- Quick and so good! You can use whatever combination of beans you want. I used what i had on hand the first time I made this- chickpeas, blackeyed peas, and kidney beans. It was very pretty with the parsely and red onion.

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 16-ounce can black-eyed peas or chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 16-ounce package frozen baby lima beans or shelled edamame
• 1 16- ounce canned green beans
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Whisk cider vinegar, rice vinegar, honey, mustard, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl until blended. Add onion, beans and parsley; toss well.