Baked Cheddar, Garlic and Chive Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup Bread Crumbs
8 oz. Shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dried Chives
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted
8 thin boneless Chicken cutlets

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put Cheddar in a food processor and pulse a few times until crumbled, blend with crumbs, Garlic powder and Chives.

Put the melted butter in a pie dish, reserving about 2 TBS. Dip each cutlet into the melted butter and pat the bread mixture on to the chicken on both sides.

Place on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray and drizzle with the remainder of the melted butter.

Bake for 45 mins to 1 hour, it depends on the thickness of the cutlet. Cook until medium golden and edges are crispy.

Caponata Gemelli

Recipe courtesy of: Peter Francis Battagglia

Room temp. homemade caponata tossed w/ hot Gemelli pasta, topped with caciocavallo, fresh parsley and fennel fronds, hot red pepper flakes..the caponata is made w/ eggplants, squash, onions, tomato paste, honey, raisins, orange zest, pignoli, peppers, extra virgin olive oil, capers, and red wine vinegar.
.

Leek and Potato Soup

Recipe courtesy of: Nancy Josland Dalsin

Ingredients

...2 leeks, chopped
2 sweet onions, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Gently stir in the cream before serving. Reheat before serving.
*I also boil a separate pot with 3 diced potatoes and 1 diced carrot and add to the soup after pureeing. Optional. Garnish with Chives.

Bell Peppers and Canadian Bacon Omelette

Recipe Courtesy of: Nancy Josland Dalsin

Basic French Omelette
(Makes 1 serving)

...
2 to 3 eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 mL) water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Filling of choice

Whisk together eggs, water, salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into a lightly buttered, oiled or sprayed 8-inch (20 cm) skillet heated over medium-high temperature.

Pour in egg mixture. The mixture should set at the edges almost immediately. With a spatula, gently push cooked portions toward the centre. Tilt and rotate the skillet to allow the uncooked egg to flow into the empty spaces.

When egg is almost set on the surface but still looks moist, cover one half of the omelette with filling.

Slip spatula under the unfilled side, fold the omelette in half and slide it onto a plate.

POLLO ARRABBIATA

Recipe courtesy of: Peter Francis Battaglia

POLLO ARRABBIATA, chicken tenders sauteed with seasoned flour and hot pepper, over a simmered blend of SavoyCabbage, garlic, olive oil, chile flakes, red pepper, Imported San Marzanos

Pork and LemonGrass Meatballs in Lettuce Cups

Recipe courtesy of: Nancy Josland Dalsin

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
...1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 5 inches only, smashed with rolling pin, then minced
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Dipping Sauce and Assembly

1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons coarsely grated carrot
4 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar (needs it to balance the sour and salty flavours)
2 teaspoons minced green Thai chile or serrano chile with seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 head of butter lettuce leaves separated
1 small Cucumber, thinly sliced

*Fish Sauce can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

Meatballs Directions:

Chill pork in freezer while making lemongrass paste. Combine lemongrass, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining ingredients in processor; pulse until paste forms. Add chilled pork; pulse to blend. Shape into 24 balls (each about 1 tablespoonful0> Place on rimmed baking sheer. Cover; chill at lease 1 or or overnight.

Dipping Sauce and Assembly
Cut bottom 3 inches from lemongrass. Smash with rolling pin, then mince. Measure 1 tablespoon and place in small bowl (reserve the rest for another use). Add lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, carrot, sugar and chile to bowl; whisk until sugar dissolves.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; brown until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to 1 side of large platter.
Arrange lettuce leaves and cucumber on platter with meatballs. Allow guests to place meatballs in leaves, garnish with cucumber and drizzle dipping sauce over.

Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet

Recipe by: Nancy Josland Dalsin


This chicken and sausage cassoulet recipe is a modern update on the classic white bean cassoulet from Toulouse. This version evokes particularly complex and developed flavors by cooking certain ingredients separately, and then together. The result is an irresistible, hearty stew.

Ingredients:

1 pounds dried white beans, soaked, sorted, and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lardons (bacon strips)
2 large white onions, peeled, halved, and cut into
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound chicken legs
2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 bouquet garni
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
4 teaspoons melted butter

Preparation:

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the beans to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook them until they begin to turn tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to the beans and cook until the liquid has absorbed, about 25 additional minutes. Remove the beans from the heat, drain and discard any additional liquid, and set the beans aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the lardons for 5 minutes, until they turn brown. Transfer them to a plate. Add the onions to the pan and sauté them for 10 minutes, until they turn light golden brown. Transfer them to the plate with the lardons. Brown the sausage and transfer it to a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Add the chicken breast pieces to the fat and brown them over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the sausage. Brown the chicken legs in the skillet and transfer them to the bowl.

Combine the lardons, onions, sausage, chicken pieces and legs, tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, bouquet garni, garlic, tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a large casserole dish. Cover with a lid or foil, and bake the casserole for 25 minutes. Add the carrots to the casserole, cover, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Add the reserved white beans to the hot casserole and gently stir the mixture. In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs, parsley, and thyme with the melted butter. Sprinkle the seasoned bread crumbs over the casserole and bake it, uncovered, for 1 hour. Discard the bouquet garni and serve the cassoulet hot.