Pan-Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil

Tonight I made Pan-Fried Chicken with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Basil, once again, off of Melissa's blog. (She really has some great recipes!) Instead of making pasta as a side dish, we decided to try spaghetti squash, since Troy had mentioned it the other day, and we all wanted to try it. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that I altered only a tiny bit.

Pan-Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil

(my changes are in red)

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 small slices of prosciutto or smoked ham (I used prosciutto)
2 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices (I used shredded mozzarella)
8 basil leaves, plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth (I ran out, so I used white wine)
2 tablespoons honey mustard (I skipped this...not a fan of mustard and chicken anymore)
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.

Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 4 portions. (I didn't do this, but after feeling terribly fat, now I think I should have.) Cut a slit into the sides of each portion. Insert a slice of prosciutto, a slice of cheese and 2 whole basil leaves into each slit. Secure well with a toothpick. (I forgot to add the cheese!!! I had to stuff it into the hot breasts in the skillet.)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add the chicken. Reduce heat to medium; cook, turning once, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to a baking pan.
Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15-18 minutes. (I didn't do this...my squash was in the oven and was almost done, so I just cooked the chicken entirely in the skillet and added wine and garlic to it while it cooked.)

Transfer to a platter.

Meanwhile, heat the broth, mustard and garlic to a boil in the same skillet over high heat; cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in sliced basil; pour over chicken. (I totally didn't even see that you were supposed to add basil to the sauce. We had plenty inside the chicken though.)
...and, on the side...

Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts, Sage, and Romano

again, my changes are in red

INGREDIENTS:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I thought I had these, but turns out I didn't - so I skipped them!) 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 2 teaspoons butter, melted salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish.
3.	Bake the squash in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
4.	Scrape flesh of squash from the rind using a fork and place in a bowl. Add the pine nuts, cheese, sage, butter, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

I served the meal with a salad created by Troy (full of all sorts of veggies...broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.) and cheesy garlic bread.

Isn't it so cool how it comes right out of the rind all spaghetti-ish? :)
Overall rating: Mike and Troy loved the spaghetti squash. For me, it was just okay. I'd like to try it another way.
The chicken was good, but not extraordinary. I make stuffed chicken breasts all the time, so this wasn't anything special. I'll keep it in mind, but I'm not planning to bookmark the recipe.

Another blog!

In order to spare you all from random posts on my cooking blog, I have decided to start a NEW blog, just for all my random and wandering thoughts. Stop by...subscribe...it'll be the start of a fun and happy friendship. :)

http://alannaswanderingthoughts.blogspot.com/

Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Rice

Last night I made Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Rice, also from Melissa's blog. This girl has got some great recipes. My changes are in red. I served the chicken and rice with vegetable potstickers and edamame. It was a hit with everyone!

Baked Sesame Chicken

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into strips)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used sesame oil)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used Nanami Togarashi, a Japanese red pepper mix)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place soy sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. On a piece of wax paper, mix together the sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper (and red pepper). Dip the chicken pieces in the soy sauce to coat, then dredge in the sesame seed mixture.
3. Place in medium/hot pan on stove top and flip after a minute or two, add a little sesame oil and soy sauce to keep the chicken moist. Remove and arrange in baking dish in a single layer, then drizzle with sesame oil and some more soy sauce.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for approximately 40 minutes (mine took about 20 minutes because it was pre-cooked on the stove and cut into strips), or until chicken is cooked through and tender and juices run clear. Baste with drippings once during cooking time. Garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired, and serve.

Vegetable Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of long grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock (I used vegetable broth so my veggie roommate could eat it)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I used minced garlic)
Dash of soy sauce
1 carrot grated (cook with a little water to make tender, drain water)
1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli-cut up small
Soy Sauce to your taste
oil (I used sesame oil)

DIRECTIONS

Combine first 5 ingredients, bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Cook about 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy and liquid if gone. Transfer rice to stir-fry pan add carrots and broccoli. Mix together and add some oil and soy sauce to your taste.

Is Hackey Sack-ing a sport, really?

My roommate is seriously obsessed with the hackey sack. He is a videographer, and while he waits for things to load on his computer, he stops and hacks for a while. He plans nightly outings with Mike and their friends to go play hackey sack. They invited me to go tonight, but seriously, it is freaking cold outside! Why can't they just hackey in the house? Why do they feel the need to invite people from 20 miles away to drive up here and hackey with them? Why is he so determined to walk all over Del Mar to find the perfect lighted area to play hackey sack at night? I really just don't get it. I mean, if it was a sport, I guess I could understand wanting to better yourself. But hackey sack seems to me like a silly hobby, like yo-yo or juggling. Would you really devote hours and hours per day to it? It's so beyond me...

On Red Velvet

Funny thing...after posting my blog last night about the Velvet cupcakes, I got this email from Hungry Girl about nothing other than red velvet cupcakes! I instantly thought of my friend Clara. After seeing all the oil in that other recipe, I think this recipe might be a much healthier option, so I figured I'd share. :)



HG's Red Velvet Insanity Cupcakes

Red HOT!

These cupcakes are so moist, so delicious, so RED, and so completely guilt-free, that writing extra words to introduce this recipe would be a complete and total waste of everyone's time. So here ya go... HG's Red Velvet Insanity Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

For Frosting
6 tbsp. Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
6 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

For Cupcakes
1 cup Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Devil's Food**
1 cup Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Classic Yellow**
Two 25-calorie diet hot cocoa mix packets
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place half of your chocolate chips (2 tbsp.) and the contents of both cocoa packets in a tall glass. Add 12 ounces of boiling water, and stir until chips and cocoa mix have dissolved. Place glass in the freezer until mixture is cold (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together marshmallow creme, cream cheese, and 1 tbsp. Splenda until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Place bowl in the fridge to chill until cupcakes are ready to be frosted. Once the cocoa in the freezer has chilled, give it a stir, and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Add the cake mixes, egg substitute, remaining chocolate chips, red food coloring, 1 tsp. Splenda, and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix batter for about 2 minutes (until smooth and blended). Batter will be thin, but don't worry, your cupcakes will puff up once baked! Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups, and spray lightly with nonstick spray (or simply spray the pan with nonstick spray). Evenly spoon batter into the pan. Place pan in the oven, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Cupcakes will look shiny when done. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, evenly spread the frosting over them. Enjoy! MAKES 12 SERVINGS


Serving Size: 1 frosted cupcake
Calories: 134
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 266mg
Carbs: 25g
Fiber: 0.75g
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 3g

POINTS® value 3*

Bruschetta Chicken

Tonight I decided to make the Bruschetta Chicken (from foodie Melissa's blog) instead of the Sesame Chicken. I just wasn't in the mood for an Asian meal, and Mike was feeling sick, and I know how he loves Italian food. :) We both LOVED this meal!


Ingredients

2 chicken breast
Extra Virgin olive oil
white wine
balsamic vinegar
basil (I used fresh basil leaves)
salt and pepper
canned chopped tomatoes
chopped garlic
seasoned breadcrumbs(I used Panko crumbs and added onion powder, oregano, and pepper)
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese

Directions

On med/high heat I put the olive oil, white wine, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a pan. Once hot I added the chicken and flipped after 1 to 2 minutes. I then added the tomatoes and garlic. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to med/low (flip occasionally). Let the chicken cook a good amount of time to allow it to get nice and tender.

While the chicken is cooking, mix together equal parts of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, add EVOO to make a crumble.

When chicken is done top it with crumble and mozzarella cheese. Turn on broiler and transfer* chicken under the broiler. Leave in there a few minutes to let the topping crisp up and cheese melt.

* I used an oven safe pan to make the transfer of the chicken easier. Otherwise you will need to transfer the chicken from the pan to an oven safe dish.

Serve this with your favorite pasta and spoon the extra tomato mixture over it.


This is SOOOO good! It's similar to our fave Chicken Parmesan, but with a slightly different twist. Mike LOVED the crushed tomatoes in lieu of regular spaghetti sauce in a jar. The chicken was SO tender and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!!!

Chargers Cupcakes

In honor of my team's incredible football season, I baked Charger cupcakes for our championship game. While the boys didn't win, they put forth a valiant effort in spite of many injured players on the team. And the cupcakes sure were a hit!

I used my friend Clara's "Blue Velvet" recipe (or Red Velvet, using blue food coloring.) They did turn out more teal than blue, but everyone understood that they were meant to be Charger blue!

I was not a huge fan of this recipe...there was SOOOO much oil in them, it was grossing me out. After baking, the cupcakes were so greasy, they fell right out of the paper liners! They have got to be super unhealthy. But, they were tasty! I cheated and frosted them with store-bought cream cheese frosting. The bolts aren't beautiful, but I had fun making them. :)


(I had to take a picture of the cupcake on my new plates...they were a perfect match!)

Makes ~24 servings (1 cupcake=1 serving)
Calories/serving (cupcake only) = ~267 (www.sparkrecipes.com)
WW pts/serving (cupcake only) = ~7

Red Velvet Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups plain flour
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 cups sugar
2 cups oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp red food coloring (I used blue food coloring)
2 eggs

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

> Cream sugar and oil
> Sift flour, salt and baking soda and mix with cocoa, red food coloring, vinegar, and eggs.
> Add flour mixture to the creamed sugar alternately with buttermilk.
> Stir in vanilla.
> Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

NFR: Movies I Watched

So, I know this is totally not food related, but I feel like posting, and I don't have the capability of editing my photos on the computer here at work, so I'll post about something else.

It was a lazy weekend - I think we watched 4 movies in 2 days. On Saturday night, we watched:
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Mike wasn't impressed - he thought it was very non-climactic. I think he thought it was the last of the series. I informed him that there are still a couple more books to come. Still, I agree...I felt like it was building up for something big, and then it was really not a big deal after all. I enjoyed the movie, however. The HP movies are always fun to look at, even if the stories are quite a bit below my age level.
My rating: 3 stars
Mike's rating: 2 stars, maybe?

2. The Heartbreak Kid. I did enjoy this movie...it was funny until about halfway through when it just started to get boring. In the end, I just couldn't figure out what was so wrong with his wife. She seemed like a normal, crazy girl to me. I thought she was normal, anyway. So, I was pretty annoyed with Ben Stiller by the end. I had no compassion for his character at all. But, like I said, the first half was quite hilarious, and I really enjoyed it.
My rating: 3 stars
Mike's rating: 3 stars

Yesterday we watched:
3. The Darwin Awards. This movie was great! It has an all-star cast, and it is just funny all the way through! I love the short stories about dumb people, all intertwined by the story of the main characters. I never got bored, and I definitely laughed a lot. Mike just loved this movie. He kept talking about how great it was. I don't even remember hearing about this in theaters, so it was a great find on Netflix!
My rating: 4 stars
Mike's rating: 5 stars

4. Beerfest. This one we've seen a million times, and it never ceases to be funny. Seriously, it was after midnight on Sunday night, and I was laughing so loud, I was afraid the neighbors would come over and complain. It just never gets old! You can't go wrong with crude humor about beer.
My rating: 5 stars
Mike's rating: 5 stars

Weekly Menu 1/21 - 1/26

Wow, this has been a rough weekend. Other than meeting my wonderful friend Rachel for happy hour on Friday evening, which was delightful as always, things just went from bad to worse. To top it all off, my Chargers lost, which sunk me into deep depression. And Patriots fans, instead of being courteous, rub it in our faces. I am trying to be happy that only two teams in the entire NFL made it further than we did, which is no small feat! I just don't deal well with people making fun of me and the things I love. :( I did make some fun Chargers cupcakes though, that I will post when I get a chance to take the pictures off of my camera.

So, moving on...here's hope for a better week. After today, I only have 5 more Mondays at this job that I hate. Here's hoping that my business will get off the ground quickly in these next couple weeks!

Here is my menu for the next week:

Monday: Sesame Chicken & Vegetable Rice
Tuesday: Bruschetta Chicken with Pasta & Salad
Wednesday: Grilled Fish, Baked Sweet Potatoes, & Steamed Veggies
Thursday: Pan-Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Saturday: Grilled Italian Sausage

I WAS tagged!

I was just about to feel really bad for myself for not being in the in-crowd, when I realized that my friend Michele DID in fact tag me. I am just that slow. :( So, with no more to-do....

Lets have some fun with the JKnottie/JFacie friends! A game of "tag" has been created, and the results of the game are below.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was 19 years old, working at Circuit City. Little did I know that within 3 short months, I would be on my way to Marine Corps boot camp. What a transitional time in my life! I was very inexperienced in life...just learning how things are in the adult world, and truly enjoying NOT living at home anymore.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was planning the biggest day of my life -- my wedding. I was also working on my last semester of college, working towards my bachelor's degree, and filling out applications to go to school in Australia.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1) Nachos/Chips & Salsa
2) Cheese & crackers
3) Granola Bars
4) Mixed nuts - especially cashews
5) Beer

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
1) Part of Your World - Little Mermaid (lol)
2) Stay - Lisa Loeb
3) Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
4) I always think I know the words to songs...but then I realize that I don't always know them all...and I'm not going to take the time right now to sing through all the songs I know. LOL

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1) Buy a sweet car
2) Build my dream house
3) Travel often
4) Shop, shop, and shop!
5) Pay off all my debt and never incur anymore

Five bad habits:
1) Picking at my nails and cuticles
2) Not keeping up with my car and the necessary maintenance
3) Stealing the covers at night
4) Not cleaning the house as often as I should
5) Not keeping my blog updated

Five things you enjoy doing:
1) Spending time with Mike
2) Reading
3) Camping
4) Making artwork (bookbinding, painting, drawing)
5) Hanging out with my friends

Five things you would never wear again:
1) Tight rolled pants
2) braces
3) clothes with little hearts on them
4) hi-tops
5) slap bracelets

Five favorite toys:
1) My digital camera
2) Computer
3) Cell phone
4) decorative papers for bookbinding
5) Books?


Now....for the next step...okay friends, you have been tagged!! GO!

Jamie

Nina

I'm dumb.

Seriously, for years I always thought her name was Kate Beckinsdale. I don't know why, that's just how I kept reading it. One night, I was watching a movie and I couldn't believe how stupid they were to misspell her name in the credits - multiple times!!! A couple hours later it dawned on me that maybe I was the stupid one. So....I made a trip to the computer and checked her out in IMDB. No freaking way...her name is Kate Beckinsale. It's not the rest of the world that can't spell or read, it's me....

Yes, I am a natural blonde.

New Dishes

I had been waiting to post this until I could actually take pictures of a meal on my nice, new dishes, but I have just been awful about getting around to it. These dishes are so pretty, they will make for some beautiful food blog photos! In the meantime, check out the new dish set we got with our wedding money and Christmas money. I heart them!!!

Christmas 2007

Yes...I'm slow on this...but I moved a couple days after Christmas, so I really had no time to upload my pictures to the internet, much less post blogs! Here are some photos from my Christmas.

Our tiny little tree. :)

My two handsome men, lounging around the house.

My baby girl...she thinks she's a Christmas gift under the tree.

Dexter is a wannabe panther.I made these delectable Cream Cheese Brownies, as found on my friend Clara's blog:
http://iheartcooking-food.blogspot.com/2007/11/chunky-cheesecake-brownies.html

Mike said, "cream cheese makes everything better!"


I put Mike to work, helping me make gift baskets for Christmas. What a great guy. :)

The baskets are filled with my recipes in a jar, other little trinkets, and gift cards.

That's all I feel like posting for now...Check back later for new 2008 updates!

December BGEX!

My goodies have arrived!!! Thanks to Sarah for the delicious peanut butter fudge. I heart peanut butter!!!!! It arrived in such a cute Christmas tin, too. Yum!

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 C evaporated milk
3 C sugar
10 oz jar of peanut butter
7 oz jar of marshmallow cream
1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Grease bottom of pan
2. Mix first 3 ingredients in a pot under the heat. Let it come to a complete boil. Let boil for another 5 minutes.
3. Take off heat and add peanut butter.
4. Stir and mix well.
5. Add marshmallow cream.
6. Mix and add vanilla.
7. Place in pan.
8. Let sit in refrigerator for a couple of hours before cutting.

A Very Daring Yule Log

Daring Baker's Challenge - The Yule Log

This was my first Daring Bakers challenge. Yikes, what a big one! Not only was I swamped with other Christmas baking, but now, I find out I have to bake a Yule Log, complete with Marzipan mushrooms. And, we found out that we got approved to move into a new house NEXT weekend! It's been a busy but exciting month.

My finished Yule Log - I love it!

My little Marzipan mushrooms

My buttercream - not too bad for my first try! And SO rich and yummy!

I decided to make my buttercream in chocolate flavor, since, while my husband LOVES coffee, he's not such a fan of coffee flavored sweets for some reason. I followed the idea from fellow DBer, The Caked Crusader, to add dark chocolate bars to flavor the frosting. I chose to make the marzipan mushrooms as well, rather than the meringue.

My sheet pan is 12x17, so I increased the recipe by 4/3, as suggested by another DBer. I used 4 eggs, 4 yolks, a pinch of salt, 1 C sugar, and 1 C combined cake flour and cornstarch. I also flavored it with Frangelico, a hazelnut flavored liqueur. SOOO tasty! I also increased the buttercream recipe by 4/3, using 6 egg whites, 1 lb of butter, and 1 1/3 C sugar. I melted 7 little dark chocolate sticks into the butter, and used 2 T of Frangelico in place of the rum or brandy.

I had no problems with the genoise. It was super easy, and I rolled it when it was about halfway cooled, with a sheet of parchment on both sides. I let it cool overnight, wrapped in saran wrap. It was super moist the next morning. The butter cream was NOT what I remembered making as a child...it did curdle a bit, but not as bad as I was afraid it would. It spread easily inside the cake. The hardest part was frosting the cake, but luckily the wood texture hid any funny spots! I decorated it with the marzipan mushrooms, rosemary, and cranberries.

The Yule Log came out great. It was hard to frost...it kept trying to pull pieces of the cake off, and the icing was melting fast. But, I overcame it, and it turned out beautifully! :)

Here is the basic recipe, before the substitutions I made:

Yule Log

Plain Genoise: (I added Frangelico to mine)

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder if desired
¼ cup cornstarch

one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a therm ometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour, cocoa and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream: ( I used chocolate buttercream instead, see recipe below)

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy

OR:

Chocolate Buttercream
4 Lg egg whites
1 Cup sugar
3 sticks softened butter
1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Chocolate Buttercream directions:
1. same as above number 1
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Slowly stir in melted chocolate.

Marzipan Mushrooms:

8 ounces almond paste
2 cups icing sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cocoa powder

1.To make the marzipan combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until sugar is almost absorbed.

2.Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

3.Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary: the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly.

4.Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.

5.Roll one-third of the marzipan into a 6 inches long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths.

6.Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms.

7.Smudge with cocoa powder.

Assembling the Yule Log:

1.Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.
2.Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.
3.Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.
4.Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you're using).
5.Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.
6.Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.
7.Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.
8.Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.
9.Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.
10.Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.
11.Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you've chosen.

Hazelnut Cheesecake

Hazelnut Cheesecake

Frangelico gives the cheesecake a delicate hazelnut taste, while chopped hazelnuts in the crust add crunch and more nutty flavor. You can use Amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) and almonds instead.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup reduced-fat vanilla wafer crumbs (about 30 cookies)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter; toss with a fork until moist. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

To prepare filling, place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream; beat until combined. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, flour, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Beating at low speed, gradually add sugar mixture to cheese mixture. Add egg whites and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Yield

16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 238(33% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 7.4g; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 69mg; SODIUM 184mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g

Ann Pittman , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2006

Roasted-Pear Stuffing

Roasted-Pear Stuffing

You can substitute apples for the pears. If you have pear brandy, by all means use it in place of the sherry and brandy.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups sliced peeled Bosc pear (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced peeled celeriac (celery root)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup brandy
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed dense white bread (about 8 ounces)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pear slices, and cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn pear slices; cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add onion, celeriac, and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add sherry and brandy, and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; cool.

Combine pear mixture, bread, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently. Spoon the bread mixture into a 2-quart casserole. Cover with lid, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 167(30% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 0.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 4.2g; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 51mg; SODIUM 265mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.4g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2000

This turkey is decadent. I made it several years ago, and people are still talking about how it was the best turkey they've eaten in their lives. I am definitely making it again!!!!

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy

This turkey is a pleasure to offer on your table. It's incredibly moist and flavorful, and it received our highest Test Kitchens rating. Brining is an overnight process, so if you're using a frozen turkey, be sure to thaw it well in advance. Choose turkey-sized plastic oven bags for brining the turkey. Use two bags to prevent brine from leaking, and place the turkey in a large stockpot as another precaution.

Ingredients

Brine:
8 cups apple cider
2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
2 oranges, quartered
6 cups ice

Remaining ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
4 sage leaves
4 thyme sprigs
4 parsley sprigs
1 onion, quartered
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Savory Herb Gravy

Preparation

To prepare brine, combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for Savory Herb Gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange quarters. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add cider mixture and ice. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 500º.

Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine, orange quarters, and bags. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500º for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º.

Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170º (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for Savory Herb Gravy. Discard skin before serving; serve with gravy.

Note: Nutritional analysis includes Savory Herb Gravy.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: 6 ounces turkey and 3 tablespoons gravy)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 338(30% from fat); FAT 11.3g (sat 4.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 3g); PROTEIN 51.3g; CHOLESTEROL 138mg; CALCIUM 45mg; SODIUM 770mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.5g

Diane Morgan , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon

(Recipe taken from CookingLight.com)

The classic seasonings associated with beef pastrami taste fantastic on this grilled salmon. Allspice is a fairly strong spice, so if you're sensitive to its "burn," use the lesser amount. Purchase a whole center-cut salmon fillet so that it will cook more evenly than a cut that contains the thinner tail end.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (1 1/2-pound) center-cut salmon fillet
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray

Preparation

Prepare grill.

Combine first 7 ingredients. Place salmon fillet, skin side down, on a cutting board or work surface; brush evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over salmon; gently rub mixture into fish. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and chill 15 minutes.

Place fish, skin side down, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: about 4 1/2 ounces)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 230(41% from fat); FAT 10.5g (sat 2.4g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 27.4g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 532mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.9g

Chicken Parmesan

Mike and I adore Chicken Parmesan. I haven't used a recipe in years. I'll just give you my process, and I'll try to add pictures next time I make it.

Chicken Parmesan
a'la Alanna

Chicken Breasts

egg
milk
panko (or fine bread crumbs)
flour
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
olive oil
Italian cheese (i.e. provolone, mozzarella, etc.)
Spaghetti sauce
spaghetti

First, I trim all the fat from the chicken breasts, because it totally grosses me out. Then, I salt & pepper the breasts.

Put flour in a small bowl.

Place an egg and some milk in a bowl and gently beat them together.

Put bread crumbs in a bowl with Italian seasoning.

Dip the breasts in the flour and gently coat them. Then, dip them into the egg/milk mixture and let the excess drip off.

Place the breasts in the dish of bread crumbs, and firmly press into the crumbs to thoroughly coat all sides.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Fry chicken for a couple minutes on each side until golden. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until chicken is white and tender all the way through. Place a slice of cheese on top of each breast. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Serve with spaghetti and sauce.

Udon Soup

I have yet to try this one, but it sounds good. I couldn't find the Dashi though, so I think I'm just going to use chicken broth. It might also work if you boil the water with those seaweed sheets in it.

Nabeyaki Udon

(Japanese noodle soup with egg and vegetable)

• 1/2 pound udon noodles ((futonaga--fat and long)
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cups of warm water for about an hour, reserving liquid
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
• 3 cups dashi, seasoned with 3 Tablespoons soy sauce and 1 1/2 Tablespoons mirin
• 2 leaves fresh spinach with stems
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 leeks
• 1/2 chicken breast
• salt
• sake (just a sprinkle--you can substitute beer or mirin in a pinch)
• 2 eggs

Garnish: sprinklings of shichimi (a 7-spice mixture with inactive marijuana seeds in it!) or crushed red pepper.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook the udon noodles. Drain, rinse, and let sit til you're ready to assemble the soup.)

3. Cut a deep cross into the tops of the hydrated mushroom caps (throw out the stems) and cook them uncovered in a small pot with the reserved mushroom liquid, the soy sauce, and the sugar on medium heat until tender and the liquid is absorbed--about 10-15 minutes.

4. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer.

5. Bring water to a boil in a small pan, then blanch the spinach leaves for 30 seconds, remove, and let drain.

6. Cut the spinach into 2-inch pieces; the leeks into 1-inch diagonal slices; and the chicken breast into 4 equal slices, sprinkling with salt and sake.

To assemble the soup:

1. Divide noodles into the 4 large bowls (preheated in the oven).
2. Arrange the spinach, leeks, carrots, chicken, and mushrooms on top of the noodles, around the sides (leaving the center clear for the eggs).
3. Pour the boiling stock equally into the bowls.
4. Cover and put in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Serve immediately. Pass the shichimi or red pepper separately.

Peanut Butter Noodles

Peanut Butter Noodles
(recipe taken from Allrecipes.com)

This is one of our all-time favorites. I think I make it almost once a week. Mike loves it! It's great with shrimp or chicken. I just cook the meat in soy sauce and peanut oil before adding it to the noodles.

"Smooth peanut butter, sweet honey, salty soy sauce, and fiery fresh ginger simmer with chicken broth to make a delectable sauce for boiled udon noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions and more fresh peanuts for a decidedly different dish."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons peanut butter 1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons hot chile paste (optional) 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces Udon noodles 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.
2.	Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.

My menu for this week

Sooo....I am bored here at work, so I figured I'd update my blog. I don't have any new pictures to add, but I can at least throw out some recipes. :) (I'll try to find as many as I can.)

This is a quick week, since I've decided to cook Christmas dinner on Sunday.

Monday: Chicken Parmesan - This is one of our staples, and a favorite of us both!
Tuesday: Peanut Butter Noodles - This is also one of our favorites.
Wednesday: holiday party with Mike's coworkers
Thursday: Udon Soup
Friday: Chicken & Potato Pizza - this is from my friend Clara's blog...she and our friend April rave about how good it is.
Saturday: Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Sunday: (all Christmas recipes taken from Cooking Light)

• Apple Cider Brined Turkey
• Pear-Sourdough Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Meringue Topped Sweet Potatoes
• Cranberry Chutney
• Green Beans with Hazelnut-Lemon Butter
• Hazelnut Cheesecake
• my secret Daring Baker's challenge ;)

Holiday Bread

So, it's the season for holiday baking! I LOVE it, but at the same time, it's not good for my waistline! Yikes!

We were in Panera Bread the other day, and Mike found a little recipe card that said Holiday Bread on it. He read the description and gave me the card, wanting me to bake him the bread. I said of course, I would. Well...I looked closer at the card and realized that it wasn't a recipe for the bread, it was just a recipe for some fruit compote to eat with their bread. Of course they wouldn't give away their secret recipe!!!! So, not wanting to let Mike down, I decided to figure out my own way to make the bread, based on the card description.

Holiday Bread
I used a recipe for Challah bread, which is a slightly sweet egg bread. This actually made a massively huge loaf, so you may want to use half or 2/3 of the recipe.

• 1 1/2 C skim milk
• 2 pkg yeast
• 5 1/2 C flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 C shortening
• 1/2 C egg substitute
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 C honey
• extra flour
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (or you can use more egg substitute)

Fillings:

• 2 apples
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
  
• chocolate chips
• craisins (dried cranberries)
• golden raisins

Streusel Topping:

• 1/3 C flour
• 1/3 C chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/3 C packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 T melted butter
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t salt

Icing:

• powdered sugar
• milk
  

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Microwave milk for 2-3 minutes until warm - do not let it boil! Stir in yeast; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt in large bowl; stir in yeast mixture. Add shortening, egg substitute, egg yolk, and honey. Beat for 5 minutes.
   (I accidentally forgot the egg yolk, and it turned out okay. Also, I don't have a mixer, so I just mixed it with my hands and it came out great.)
3. Sprinkle with additional flour, and remove from bowl. Dough will be very sticky. I like to use oil rather than too much additional flour so that the dough won't get too stiff. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Turn off the oven. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rise in oven for 30 minutes or until doubled. Remove and uncover.
4. Peel and slice apples - mix with brown sugar and cinnamon to taste.
   
5. Punch down dough, divide in 4 sections. Try to make them all slightly different in size. Roll out the smallest section of dough into a rectangle. Spread apple mixture down the center of the dough lengthwise. Roll dough up cinnamon-roll style.
6. Roll out the next largest ball of dough into a rectangle the same length as the first roll, but a little wider. Sprinkle liberally with chocolate chips. Roll the chocolate chip layer around the apple layer.
7. Roll out the next ball of dough, and sprinkle with cranberries. Repeat step 6.
8. Roll out the last ball of dough, and sprinkle with golden raisins. Repeat previous step.
9. Cover loaf with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft free place for 25-30 minutes or until doubled. Brush evenly with beaten egg. Combine all streusel topping ingredients until crumbly, and cover loaf with topping.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. Toothpick inserted in center should come out clean.
    Because my loaf was so massive, it ended up taking closer to 45-50 minutes to bake it all the way through.
11. Once loaf is completely cool, it is time for icing! I used about 1/2 C of powdered sugar, and slowly added milk, constantly stirring, until it reached the desired consistency. Drizzle over top of loaf.

This turned out really well! It is actually a little sweet for my taste - the combination of all the goodies is a bit much for me, but Mike loves it! I would definitely make it again, but definitely smaller, and I might leave out either the chocolate or the cranberries.

Chicken Pot Pie

Mike and I both love Chicken Pot Pie! I had an old recipe that I adored, but it is quite time-consuming, so I decided I was going to go with the simple way and throw cream of chicken soup in with the veggies. Well, lo and behold, I went to look in my pantry, and there was no soup in there! So, I created my own version of cream sauce for chicken pot pie. Here you have it:

Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 bag frozen peas & carrots
• 1 bag frozen broccoli
• 1 frozen pie crust
• 2 C chicken broth (or chicken bullion in water)
• salt
• pepper
• thyme
• parsley
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

The great thing about pot pie is that you can use whatever veggies you like. Potatoes are excellent, and corn would be good too. You can always use turkey or beef instead of chicken, as well.

1. Preheat oven to 425. Boil the chicken until cooked through, then removed it from the stove and shredded it into bite-size pieces.
2. Boil chicken broth (or bouillon), and add frozen vegetables. Once veggies are cooked, add chicken. Lower heat and simmer.
3. In another saucepan cook the onion in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 3 minutes.
   
4. Add half of the broth from the veggie mixture in a stream, whisking, and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. Add the roux to the pan with veggies and chicken. Add thyme, parsley (I use a lot of dried parsley flakes) and salt & pepper to taste.
   
5. Place bottom of pie crust in baking pan. Fill pan with veggie & chicken mixture, and place top crust on top of pie. Poke holes in crust with fork.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until crust is golden.
7. Enjoy!

This turned out SO good. Mike adores pot pie...and I must admit, I love it too. :)