Wednesday, May 19, 2021

LASAGNA ROLLATINI, ARUGALA WITH HOMEMADE BALSAMIC VINIGERETTE & FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE :)

CHICKEN LASAGNA ROLLATINI ARUGALA SALAD WITH HOMEMADE BALSAMIC VINIGERETTE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE CHICKEN LASAGNA ROLLATINI 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 (10-ounce) package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well 1 cup sour cream 1 cup shredded Mozzarella with a touch of Philly cream cheese 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained 1 additional cup of shredded Mozzarella Fresh grated Parmesan cheese 2 jars of your favorite red sauce Make sure you squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can by using paper towels or your hands. Mix first 5 ingredients together. Lay out noodles flat and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the lasagna noodle and roll up. Place filled noodles seam-side down in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with additional Mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more or just until cheese melts. To serve: Place a ladle-full of sauce into a pasta bowl and place the noodles on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Delicious ☺ ARUGALA SALAD WITH HOMEMADE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE VINAIGRETTE: 3 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil Wisk all together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. FOR THE SALAD: Arugula Pine nuts Dried cranberries Gorgonzola cheese crumbles Place 1 ½ cups of Arugula into a salad bowl and sprinkle desired amount of pine nuts, dried cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese crumbles and drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad. FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING 4 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate ½ cup real butter ¾ cup sugar ½ cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs, beaten For the icing: 8-ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup half-n-half In a large saucepan, melt chocolate and butter together over low heat, stirring often. Add the remaining ingredients except the eggs, stirring well. When the mixture has a creamy consistency, remove pan from heat. Place a ladle full of the warm chocolate mixture into the eggs, and then add the eggs and small amount of chocolate mixture to the rest of the mixture. (This will keep you from having scrambled eggs). Wisk until very smooth and pour into a greased 8” cake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. While the cake is baking, melt the chocolate chips and half-n-half in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir often with a whisk until it’s glossy. Making the icing only takes about 5 minutes. Remove cooked cake carefully from the pan and onto a plate. Pour all of the icing over the top of cake and let it run down the sides. This cake and icing is amazing! Enjoy ☺

Sunday, May 9, 2021

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU BUNDLES Melissa Friday 8 Servings 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I use Wondra) 2 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 6 thin slices good deli black forest ham, chopped 4 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken (I like to use a rotisserie chicken from my deli) 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 1 package (17.30 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg white, beaten plus 1 teaspoon of water Preheat the oven to 400. Remove the puff pastry from the box and let it sit out for about 40 minutes to thaw. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then gradually stir in flour with a whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat and stir just until thickened for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the parm, lemon juice, seasonings, and mustard. Remove from heat and stir in the chicken, ham and Swiss cheese. On a floured surface, carefully unfold each pastry. Roll each pastry out just a little and cut each pastry into 4 squares. Place each square into a greased jumbo muffin tin allowing the corners to point up. Divide the chicken mixture into the 8 cups. Bring the pastry corners together, pinch and seal. Gently brush the egg wash over the bundles and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25minutes. I like to stuff the pastry pretty full of the chicken mixture ☺ Enjoy! HONEY-GLAZED CARROTS 1 lb. fresh carrots, peeled and sliced 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons honey Salt & pepper to taste Boil the carrots for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well and return carrots to the pot. Stir in the butter, honey and salt and pepper. ROASTED GREEN BEANS 1 lb. bag fresh green beans (I use the ones that are washed and snipped) Olive oil Salt & pepper to taste Place the green beans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake AT 375 for 15 to 20 minutes. ORANGE-JUICE RICE 1 cup rice 2 cups orange juice 1 tablespoon butter Salt & pepper to taste Cook the rice according to the package but use orange juice instead of water.