Bacon Trussed Chicken

Stuffed chicken is always a good idea, but it gets even better when wrapped in crispy bacon.  The two drawbacks of this recipe are pounding the chicken flat, and pre-crisping the bacon.  If you use the methods shown to make those steps easier, you’re almost home with an elegant chicken entree that’s really moist and tender. 

Add the word “stuffed” to any recipe and I’m hooked.  Somehow I associate it with “extra value added” - and I think I’m getting more than I bargained for.

Everyone has their favorite “stuffed” entree.  Somehow, adding the word “stuffed” makes us sit up and take notice of the extra effort required.  Besides - I like being surprised when I cut into a stuffed meat.  I love the anticipation of what’s going to be revealed.

Pounding chicken is one of my least favorite cooking steps.  It makes such a mess, and it gives me a headache.  I need to quit being so ‘cheap’ and purchase a meat mallet.  But until it matters more to me, I continue to use the best method I have found so far.  It’s described in the recipe directions.

For years I’ve cooked bacon on a baking sheet in a hot oven - no pan frying for me!  It does the job, but it leaves a huge mess that I dread cleaning up.  I found this idea on ourbestbites.com - and it isn’t all that different than my method.   What I hadn't tried was lining the baking sheet with heavy duty foil.  What a difference that one step makes!  Just grab the corners, fold it up, and throw it in the trash.  Bacon crisped to perfection, no splatters, and a clean baking sheet I can put away immediately - it was great...

Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables anyway, but it is even better when used to stuff meats.  With just a touch of cream cheese, dried chopped onion, and garlic salt - it makes a moist, creamy stuffing for this chicken.  

Grated cheese would also be a good addition, but the touch of cream cheese was just right - and much lighter. 

For this recipe - with hints, tips, and photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Paired Pasta with Sausage - satisfies all your Pasta Purists...

This will have the approval of both of the ‘Sauce Camps’ in your household - rich tomato, and creamy alfredo.  Adding mildly seasoned sage sausage gives it personality you won’t find in a traditional Italian pasta dish.  Try this out on your pasta purists - and see if you don’t come to a meeting of the minds...

Fridays seem to be the day we start to crave pasta at my house.  After a long, stressful week - there is just something comforting about all those carbs combined with Italian spices, sauces, and cheese.  

I decided to try one of my favorite “non-traditional” sausage blends with an Italian-style pasta.  We enjoy sage sausage in soups during the winter, and even though it is a little spicy by itself - it combines well with almost anything.  If you are loyal to the traditional Italian sausage, it would be great as well.

I decided to toss the cooked pasta in the red sauce with the sausage first. Then it was simple to layer with alfredo sauce, and shredded Italian 3-cheese blend.

A half hour later we enjoyed a bubbling hot serving of classic comfort food.  This reheated well in the microwave for whomever dropped in for lunch over the next few days.  This makes a bunch, but I hate having a half a jar of pasta sauce greeting me every time I open the refrigerator.  (And my college kids won’t ever turn down leftover pasta when returning to school)

Just a note about preparing pasta.  It is a common misconception that “al dente” - in it’s literal translation of “to the tooth” - should stick to the teeth.  If pasta sticks to the teeth when being chewed, it is considered undercooked.  “Al dente” pasta also has a lower glycemic index than pasta that is cooked soft - meaning that it takes longer for the carbohydrates to break down and release glucose into the bloodstream.  (A lower glycemic index usually means a lower insulin demand - and that’s a good thing...)

For this recipe for a good 'end-of-the-week' comfort dish - go to:

www.changeabletable.com 

Mom's Danish Dumplings - remedy for those nasty Spring viruses...

Chicken soup in the spring?  Almost everyone I know is nursing a non-stop cough that has hung on for weeks on end.  I had my annual “wish I were dead” virus in the fall, and I know how they feel!  So, this is my attempt at comfort - “Chicken Soup for the Spring.”  Nothing works quite like rich chicken soup. 

It would be interesting to hear actual statistics on WHEN people are the most ill in a calendar year.  I think we all expect to be sick during the winter months, but I know from three decades of mothering (and nursing sick kids) that - in my home - Spring was the worst for catching a cold virus.

My mother (bless her!) always made chicken soup with Danish Dumplings when we came down with ANYthing.  I didn’t realize then that there would eventually be scientific evidence that it WORKS.  Just take a look at this from the Mayo Clinic...

"Now scientists have put chicken soup to the test, discovering that it does have effects that might help relieve cold and flu symptoms in two ways. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining."

So I jump on the Chicken Soup Bandwagon every time a cold visits my house.  Maybe someone you know is suffering right now...  Most people have their own chicken soup recipe, but mine always includes these dense little pillows of bliss.  When they are floating in the soup, I don’t feel quite so sorry for myself.

For the Dumpling recipe for this time-proven remedy - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Day eleven (of sixteen days of GREEN) - No Meat Spinach Lasagna

Green isn't just for the Irish you know...  

You know how many versions of this type of lasagna there are... This all-veggie lasagna will have you hunting for sausage or beef - but you won’t find it.  This is a bit time intensive, and it’s definitely time not wasted.  First time on the table is yummy, but the second and third time is even better.   

Lasagna is a heavy-duty main dish, and I have to watch what I serve with it - or we can hardly function after dinner.  This no-meat recipe reminds me of Baby Bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears - just right.  

My family is full of people who dislike both spinach and mushrooms - but it wasn't an issue here.  It’s so annoying when each child has a unique dislike.  It would be so much easier if only ONE hated all things green, rubbery, oniony, nutty....I'm sure you know what I mean?  Keeps things interesting though.

I ran across this recipe on cookingoncloverlane.blogspot.com - and even though there wasn’t a photograph to reel me in - it did just that.   As you can tell from my photos - it isn’t what I would call “cover-worthy”...  You won’t find this on the front of your favorite cooking magazine.  But this is Italian Comfort Food at it’s finest.  

The flavors work well and just get along with each other.  I used slightly different cheeses, as I am not a “cheese snob”.  But I did use fresh mozzarella - which is always wonderful and melts smoothly.  

This Lasagna Trio Pan is a great way to bake this lasagna (see the link on changeabletable.com below).  It’s one of those “silly” kitchen gadgets that you try to talk yourself out of - but I use it for so many things besides lasagna.  (Great for bar cookies, breads, etc...)

For my adaptation of this recipe, along with a photo tutorial - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Restos de Cilantro Pollo - as good or BETTER than yesterday...

“Restos” (in Spanish) means leftovers or remains...  I had hoped for a ‘classier’ word, but it will do.  The ‘remains’ from yesterday’s Cilantro Chicken post are transformed into an entirely different experience here.  Corn tortillas, green enchilada sauce, and cheddar cheese give it a delicious facelift.

In my opinion, if one must have leftovers (‘er... PLAN-overs), they should be as good - or better - than the original dish.  It’s an appetite killer to see what you had last night on your plate over and over again.  But this just might change your mind about that.

If you don’t want to have another casserole-type entree, you might want to warm yesterday’s Cilantro Chicken (that link is HERE), shred the chicken slightly, and serve it in a warmed corn tortilla with rice.  That is certainly fast and (as you well know) anything wrapped in a tortilla scores points with children.  

This version is my preference though.  Everything is ready, and the only preparation required is slicing the chicken and cutting tortillas in half.  I guess you could say that opening a can of enchilada sauce and a bag of grated cheese are “steps” as well, but I can handle it.

The green enchilada sauce isn’t really necessary, but it adds a little zing to the finished product (and it’s fun for St. Patrick’s Day also)

For the recipe for this quick-fix chicken plan-over, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Cilantro Chicken - substitutes "YUM" for "ho-hummmmm..."

Fair is fair - I've asked for green recipes, and today I give you this one:

The only people who wouldn’t worship this chicken would be those who have “issues” with Mexican parsley - aka - cilantro.  This looks bland, but it is infused with wonderful flavors, and goes well with spanish rice, beans, and warm corn tortillas.  And wait to see what else can be done with the leftovers tomorrow (if you actually have any, that is) 

I admit that it has taken me a lifetime to appreciate the unique flavor of cilantro.  But now that I’ve “reformed” - I look for it in everything. 

I thought these attempts at describing the taste of cilantro were...interesting?

“sort of a leafy-onion” taste / “if gasoline had a flavor, it would be cilantro” / “simply the taste of fresh”, etc...

But here is one that sound very intelligent and believable (see if you agree)

For those who like it, the flavor of cilantro is often described as aromatic and zesty with flavors of sage and citrus. Those who don't like it typically abhor its taste, describing it as soapy, medicinal, and bitter. 

The flavor of cilantro actually tastes different depending on which foods you are eating it with. When added to salsas in Mexican cuisine, cilantro blends with the other ingredients brightening the flavors while at the same time helping to cool and tone down some of the heat from the chilies.

So - if you enjoy cilantro, this is going to be one of your favorites!  The cumin adds just a little warmth, but it’s not spicy.  My son-in-law’s family shared this recipe with me, and my daughter makes it all the time.  Her three children (under the age of five) all love it.  Give it a chance, you just might enjoy it.

Here’s an idea for dealing with those little 4-oz cans of green chilies.  I rarely use the entire can (small though they are)  I use what I need, then pour the remaining amount into a sandwich size ziploc baggie.  Label it clearly, store in your freezer till needed, then quickly thaw in a sink of cold water. (Remember, without a label - it’s anyone’s guess what’s inside)

And by the way... although this can be done in the crockpot for convenience, it turns out much better baked in the oven uncovered.  The sauce is thicker and richer when prepared this way.  Rice and/or beans with shredded lettuce & tomato makes this a complete meal. 

For this great "GREEN" recipe and step-by-step photos & instructions - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Mom's Chocolate Mosaics - not finished with chocolate QUITE yet...

This family favorite is my mother’s.  Mom made these often at Christmas, but I enjoy them this time of year.  Chocolate is starting to go underground with all the signs of Spring, but I’m not ready to give it up just yet.  This brown sugar cookie is wrapped around a fudgy center with a touch of chewiness.

In my growing-up days, my mother would sometimes get into one of her baking frenzies.  This was usually when the weather was just nasty enough to make you want to stay inside, and having the oven on made the house nice and cozy.  She would launch into a flurry of baking activity and the fruits of her labors were ours to enjoy for weeks.  I know that (now she is in her eighties) she misses those days.  

One of the advantages of this cookie is that you don’t have to bake the entire batch at one time.  After forming the cookie “logs” - you can slice off just what you need at the moment and keep the remainder in the refrigerator for when you have a crowd.  

It is tempting to let these keep baking beyond the recommended time - but if you do, you’ll have a crunchy cookie.  That may not be a bad thing to you, but I love these with a hint of chewiness.   You decide...

Keep a roll of this cookie in the refrigerator for a fast dessert, treat for a friend, or a warm cookie fresh from the oven anytime you feel like it.

For the recipe with step-by-step photo tutorial - go to:

www.changeabletable.com