Long Point's White Chicken Chili

We got this recipe from Long Point Winery during the Cayuga Wine Trail Holiday Shopping Spree. It's really good and comforting, even though it's ugly to look at! Sometimes I make the chicken and onions on one day and the next day I finish the recipe.

Long Point's White Chicken Chili

4 (15 oz) cans of white beans, rinsed
2 lg onions, chopped
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 1/4 cups light half and half
1 ts. Tabasco
2 ts. chili powder
2 ts. ground cumin
1/2 ts. salt
1/2 ts. pepper
2 (4 oz) cans of chopped mild green chilis
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
some extra butter and oil to cook them in
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Heat skillet over moderately high heat and put some butter and oil in it. Meanwhile coat your chicken w/ salt, pepper and chili powder. Throw them in the skillet and leave them for about 5 minutes, or nicely browned, then flip them. Cook until they are done.

2. Remove chicken from the pan. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers or pulled apart with 2 forks. Set aside.

3. While waiting for the chicken to cool, cook the onion in the same pan with 2 TBSP. of butter until softened.

4. In a heavy pot, melt the remaining 6 TBSP of butter over moderately low heat. Gradually whisk in flour. Cook the roux and stir constantly for about 3 minutes.

5. Stir in the onions and gradually add the chicken broth and half and half, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture almost to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened.

6. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chilis, chicken and cheese and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

7. Add sour cream. May be served immediately but better on the second day.

8. Serve with the usual chili garnishes... cilantro, cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, scallions etc.
Enjoy!

Mrs. Celenza's Mushroom Au Gratin

Last night I made Mrs. Celenza's recipe for Mushrooms Au Gratin. They were really good and VERY easy.
Mrs. Celenza and her husband John,were very good friends of my Mother & Father In Law, Lena and Stan. My kids knew Mrs. Celenza as "the Hat Lady" because she always wore a very fashionable hat. She had hats in every color and style imaginable and they all looked good on her!
Mrs. Celenza always enjoys the company of others, always has a GREAT stories and Always had GREAT food!
Mrs. Celenza has written 3 or 4 cookbooks over the last 20 years. She sent us a box that had 5 copies of her latest book From The Table of Plenty ... Food for the Body, Manna for the Soul. These were to go to the 5 children of Lena and Stan. These are a collection of recipes from her childhood (Italian immigrants living in Brooklyn) and also her favorites that have lived on through the years. What I like best in this book are her stories of the holidays, parties etc. It has a few pics of my in laws in the book but also has the recipe for Superb Golden Crescents, which we call Uncle Stan's rolls. That recipe was from Lena's mother, Elizabeth Kosmach.
So, getting back to the Mushrooms AuGratin, these were delicious. I love garlic and mushrooms together. My picture doesn't do it justice as I forgot to take a picture of it when it came out of the oven. This picture is from this morning, straight out of the refrigerator in Tupperware!

MUSHROOM AU GRATIN
by Marion Celenza

3 lbs. white mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and quartered
5-6 slices of white bread made into crumbs in the food processor
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Par-boil mushrooms for 5 minutes and then drain. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Form a layer of mushrooms on the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the bread crumb mixture. Drizzle 2 TBSP olive oil over the mix. Repeat the procedure 2 or 3 more times, finishing with the olive oil.
Roast mushroom casserole, uncovered, in a preheated oven @ 350 for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serves 8 or more.

Yesterday I found an interesting recipe to use up some of the Thanksgiving leftovers. It was Aaron McCargo's recipe for Turkey and Stuffing Egg Rolls. Being that I already had stuffung, I didn't need to make his. Basically I used my leftovers but his Cranberry Dipping Sauce. That added the finishing touch! They were quick and easy and the best part... delicious!

Turkey and Stuffing Egg Rolls
by Aaron McCargo Jr.

• 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound roasted turkey breast, skin removed and cut into small cubes
• Jazzed Up Stuffing, recipe follows
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 12 egg roll wrappers
• Gravy, for dipping, recipe follows
• Cranberry Dipping Sauce, for dipping, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the turkey and the stuffing and mix to combine. In a small bowl, beat the egg with water to form an egg wash. Layout the egg roll wrappers and spoon 2 tablespoons of the turkey mixture onto each wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrappers with egg wash. Roll tightly, being sure to bring the sides together so the egg roll is tight. Before the final wrap, use some egg wash to seal. Set the finished egg rolls on a platter until ready to fry.

Fry the egg rolls, in batches, until golden brown and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the egg rolls to paper towels to drain. Allow to cool and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with warm Gravy and Cranberry Dipping Sauce.

Jazzed Up Stuffing:

• About 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 box prepared stuffing
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage leaves

In a large saucepan add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the stuffing and the fresh herbs. Mix well.

Gravy:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups turkey stock
• Pinch salt

In a medium saucepan heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Reduce the heat and stir in the flour and pepper to make a roux. Add the herbs, turkey stock and salt. Simmer over low heat until the mixture thickens.

Cranberry Dipping Sauce:

• 2 cups frozen cranberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Pinch cayenne pepper

In a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, strawberries, sugar and orange juice. Bring to a slight simmer over low heat. Cook until the cranberries pop, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and simmer for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add to a blender and puree the sauce until velvety and smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Cranberry Dipping Sauce... what a beautiful color it made!
Egg wash on the egg roll wrappers
Turkey and stuffing in the middle
roll up into an egg roll
Beautiful!
Delicious!

SWEET DINNER ROLLS

I made these rolls to go with last night's dinner. I used the bread machine to complete the first rising stage. You don't need a bread machine though. You can mix everything and left it rise on it's own. You then just follow the rest of the directions.

This dough was so easy to roll out. It never stuck to the rolling pin which IMO, is rare!

They were light and fluffy. Scott couldn't get enough of them and must have had at least 10 of them. He blamed me for putting them in front of him!

I think next time I make these, I may add some herbs to give it more of a savory flavor and see how they are. DELICIOUS!

Sweet Dinner Rolls
SUBMITTED BY: Donna West "This dough makes wonderful dinner rolls but can also be used to make cinnamon rolls. Mixing it in your bread machine but bake the rolls in the oven. They're light, soft and sweet."

PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
20 Min
READY IN
2 Hrs 20 Min
yield 16 rolls

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS
Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

YUMMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP!

We bought a HUGE Butternut Squash from Sauders Market, the Mennonite market that we love by Seneca Lake. It was just sitting on my counter waiting for that special recipe to come along.

I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that had great reviews. I decided that we would be having Butternut Squash Soup along with our Chili for dinner.

I'm glad that I read the reviews because i did change some of the ingredients to go along with what the reviewers suggested. I will mark those in RED. Butternut Squash Soup


INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons margarine
6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash ( I just cubed the whole thing without measuring)
3 cups water
4 cubes chicken bouillon (I used homemade chicken broth that was seasoned in the amt of the water)
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (didn't use)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (as recomended, I only use 4 oz, not 16!)

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash (I actually roasted mine 400 for 45 min. I then threw the cubes into the hot broth for 5 minutes), water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

as Julia would say....BON APPETIT !!!!!!

Today I made Julia Child's recipe for French Onion Soup. Along the way, I learned a few things. I had read somewhere that if you keep some type of flame lit near where you are cutting onions, you won't get teary eyed. I decided to try it.

I sliced up 6 POUNDS (4 HUGE) of onions ......

and it completely filled up the dutch oven. Guess what?????? Not one tear!!!!!!
The second thing I learned today was that you shouldn't put so many onions in too small of a pot. Mine was filled to the top and all it did was steam the onions. It took about 2 HOURS before they started to carmelize. CRAZY! I did add more onions than what was called for though.

I had to keep waiting for the liquid to go away so that the onions would finally carmelize.

I added the thyme from my garden... (I saw her use it on her show but it's not in the recipe)

and 1/2 a day later.... we have soup!

I shredded some Emmentaler Cheese (like Swiss, one that Julia mentioned goes well with the soup)

I toasted the bread, then put the soup in the bowls, topped it with cheese and put it in the oven to melt the cheese. I didn't want to broil it because one of the soup crocks (we had 3 different kinds) didn't say it can go in the oven so I didn't want to push my luck.

The soup was delicious and will be gone by tomorrow... if not tonight for someones midnight snack!

JULIA CHILD'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Julia's Onion Soup
(Paraphrased from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child et al, Volume I)
Serves 6 - 8.

5 C yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 1-1/2 lb)

3 T butter

1 T oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

3 T flour

2 qts boiling brown stock (recipe follows) or store bought beef broth (I used store bought)

1/2 C dry white wine or vermouth

salt

French baguette, cut in 3/4" thick rounds

olive oil

1 clove garlic

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a heavy covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Add the salt and sugar, raise heat to moderate and cook 30 - 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Bring the stock or bouillion to a boil and blend into the onions. Add wine, season to taste, and simmer partially covered 30 - 40 minutes, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning. If not served immediately, return to a simmer before serving.
Bake the bread rounds on a baking sheet in a preheated 350º oven about 30 minutes, till hard and lightly browned, basting them with olive oil after 15 minutes, and then turning them and basting the other side. When baking is completed, rub each piece with a cut piece of the garlic. Spread one side of each piece with the grated cheese, dribble on a little olive oil and brown under the broiler. Add the hot bread rounds to the hot soup immediately before serving.


Brown Stock
(Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child et al, Volume I.)
Makes 2 - 3 quarts.

about 6 lb meat, scraps and bones, chopped to 2-3" pieces (veal, beef, poultry)

2 tsp salt

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut up

2 medium onions, peeled and cut up

2 medium celery stalks, cut up

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

6 parsley sprigs

2 unpeeled galic cloves

2 whole cloves

option: 2 washed leeks

Roast the meat, scraps and bones with the carrots and onions in a preheated 450º oven about 30 - 40 minutes, turning occasionally to insure uniform browning. Place the meat and bones in a kettle. Drain out the fat from the roasting pan and deglaze with water, scraping the bits and juices into the kettle.
Add the celery, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, garlic, cloves, optional leeks and water to cover. Simmer partially covered 4 - 5 hours, skimming and degreasing occasionally, and adding more water if necessary. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and degrease before using.

MISS GODFATHER'S TACO PIZZA aka LouAnn's Taco Pizza

We went to LouAnn's SWINGIN' SUMMER SOIREE on Sunday and one of the foods was a Taco pizza. It was so good. I decided to make one LAST NIGHT... yum!

Miss Godfather's Taco Pizza

Zucchini Crust
Crust
Large raw zucchini, peeled and shredded (between 1.5-2 cups)2 eggs2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or pizza cheese*)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Grease cookie sheet.
Peel and shred a large zucchini. Add egg and cheese, and mix well (I always use my hands). Spread the dough onto the pan evenly (watch the middle of the crust—it can be too thick) and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Let cool.Makes a large crust (14")Nutritional Information:Calories: 785 Carbohydrates: 9 Fiber: 0 Net carbohydrate: 9 Fat: 49 g Protein: 75 g

Taco Pizza
For the Taco Pizza
Layer, in the following order:Pizza sauce mixed with Picante/Salsa

Seasoned ground beef

Shredded lettuceShredded cheddar (you can also add mozzarella and/or colby jack)

Chopped Tomato

Red Onion

Sliced Black Olives

You could also top with guacamole and sour cream if you'd like

(change nutritional information if you do).

Do not cook with toppings added. Serve immediately with a plate and fork!

Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes a large, 14” pizza. Serves 8.

Nutritional information per 1/8 of a pizza (including crust):Calories: 166 Carbohydrates: 4 Fiber: >1 Net carbohydrate: 3 Fat: 16 g Protein: 18 g

OUR NEW ORLEAN'S FEAST...

Scott commented to us that he missed Red Beans & Rice so we thought it would be nice if we made New orlean's favorites and let Scott & Alyssa invite some of their friends over to enjoy it with us. We decided that 'Saturday night' would be perfect.

I didn't realize it when we picked the date (August 29th) for this feast but today is the anniversary of when Hurricane Katrine hit New Orleans. What a perfect day to honor the people and part of what makes them special.
On the menu...
Corn & Crab Soup
Gumbo
Jambalaya
Red BeansRice
Shrinp Etouffee
Corn Bread

Alyssa made the Gumbo.
Making the roux is the toughest part. You need to stir that stuff for like an HOUR before it gets to the proper color! Talk about a labor of love!

Corn Bread in my favorite cast iron pan.

Jambalaya

Shrimp Etouffee

Red Beans

I put labels on the table so everyone would know what they were eating.

My plate!

I have to say... I was very impressed with our efforts. It was a lot of work but everyone enjoyed themselves and had a great food experience. Most of the kids had never had this kind of foods so it was great to have them try them. I think my favorites were the Gumbo and the Shrimp Etouffee. YUM!!! Good times!!

Here's the recipes:

SHRIMP ETOUFEE (or Crawfish)

½ pound butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup green pepper, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
8 oz. tomato sauce
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 tblsp. Worcestershire
Tabasco to taste
2 cups water
2 pounds Shrimp (1 kilo)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tblsp. grated lemon rind
¼ cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons cognac

1. Make a walnut-colored roux with ¼ cup butter and flour.
2. Add green onions, yellow onions, garlic, green pepper, celery, bay leaf, thyme, basil and the rest of the butter. Sauté uncovered, over medium flame for 30 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce, white pepper, salt, Worcestershire, Tabasco and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
5. After 1 hour, turn off fire.
6. Immediately add shrimp, lemon juice, lemon rind, parsley and cognac.
7. Serve over white rice or with French bread.

Best if made the day before or early in the morning. Cover & refrigerate. Reheat quickly, without boiling.

CORNBREAD
1 1/3 cups Flour
2/3 cups Cornmeal (yellow)
2/3 cups Sugar
½ cups Corn Flour (use ¼ Cup Flour and ¼ Cup Cornmeal)
5 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups Milk
5 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
1 Egg, beaten

In large bowl, mix Flour, Cornmeal, Sugar, Corn Flour (see note), Baking Powder, and Salt. Mix well, breaking up any lumps.
2. In another bowl, combine the Milk, Butter and Egg.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, blend just until mixed and large lumps are dissolved. Do not overbeat.
4. For Bread: Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 F until golden brown, about 55 minutes.
For Muffins: Spoon mixture into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 F until golden brown, about 45 minutes

Red Beans & Rice
1 pound dried red beans
1 meaty ham bone
1 ¾ quarts water (enough to cover ham bone)
3 cups chopped Bermuda onion
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon salt
Dash red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
Dash Tabasco
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
Seasoned salt to taste
Cooked Rice
Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Drain. Cook beans and ham bone in water slowly for 3 hours. Add all ingredients except seasoned salt. Cook slowly for 1 ½ hours. Cool. Reheat and simmer for 1 hour. Add seasoned salt to taste. Served over cooked rice. Serves 8.

The other recipes will be added when I have more time!

NANNY'S FAVORITE... CAPONATA

Waaaaaay back in 1981, I was watching Eyewitness News. Bob Lape did a segment on the new recipe book that was benefiting the American Cancer Society. He was making one of the dishes from the cookbook with Matilda Cuomo, who has a few recipes in the book and was the Campaign Chairman at the time. Whatever they were making, looked delicious so I ordered the cookbook.

I remember reading it like a novel, page by page, sticking in little pieces of paper for the recipes that I wanted to try.

I have a bad habit of trying a new recipe whenever we have company over. I don't know why I do that because it can be risky. Maybe I actually have a daring side to me!

One of those recipes was for Caponata. Our parents and Grandparents were coming over to spend the day with us to see their new Grandaughter (Great Grandaughter). I made the Caponata. My Grandmother LOVED it!

And I mean SHE LOVED IT!!

For the next 20 or so years, Nanny would always request that I make that. Her eyesight was very bad and couldn't follow a recipe anymore or even cook much so she relied on me. That was fine! I loved watching her eat it. She didn't gobble, she savored it!

It's been a few years now since I made it so that had to change. I made it again last week when Brooke was home. It instantly brought back memories of Nanny, parking her chair right up next to the Caponata, and enjoying herself!

Caponata (Eggplant Appetizer)

1/3 c. olive oil

3 c peeled and cubed eggplant

1/3 c diced green pepper (I sometimes use red peppers)

1 onion

3/4 c sliced mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste

1/4 c water

2 TBSP wine vinegar

1/2 c sliced pimento-stuffed green olives

1 1/2 ts sugar

1 ts. oregano

2 TBSP capers

1 ts salt

1/4 ts pepper

In a large skillet, place the olive oil, eggplant, green or red pepper, onions, mushrooms and garlic. Cover and cook gently about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the tomato paste, water, vinegar, olives, sugar, oregano, capers, salt and pepper. Mix well and let simmer, covered, until eggplant is tender, about 30 minutes. Chill. Serve with crackers.

**I usually make this a day ahead of time so the flavors can meld but also to make my party day easier.

LouAnn's STEAK ON A STICK

About a week and a half ago we had a family BBQ. One of the items that I made was LouAnn's Steak On A Stick. LouAnn won a Family Fun magazine recipe contest with that recipe. It was then sent on to Disney (they own Family Fun) for a possible spot in their Disney Family Cookbook. She won! That was in 1996.

Flash forward to Aug of 2009. While PJ and I were on the 50 mile garage sale up state, we stopped at one of the houses. We were ready to leave when my eye caught the sight of a cookbook. I had to go over and look to see what it was. I IMMEDIATELY grabbed it. It was Disney's Family Cookbook with LouAnn's recipe on page 132!!! I talked the lady down from 75 cents to 50 cents!

Everyone loved these, especially Brooke and Scott! If there were 100 of them, they would have eaten them!!

STEAK ON A STICK

1 1/2 lbs. London Broil or Flank Steak, sliced about 1/4" thick

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. vegetable oil (opt)

1/4 c. water

2 TBSP molasses

2 ts. dry mustard

1 ts. powdered ginger

1/2 ts. garlic powder

Bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water

Cut the steak on the diagonal in 1/4" slices and place in a sealable bag. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, stir together, then pour into the bag. Seal the bag with no air pockets, shake, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or freeze until ready to use.

When you're ready to cook, skewer the meat, ribbon style with 3 to 4 pieces on a skewer.

Broil or grill the meat, about 3 minutes on each side.

Makes 10-16 skewers.

YUM!!!

DA SPOT HITS THE SPOT !!

Last night I made a delicious sandwich. It's called the DaSpot Chicken Sandwich by Aaron McCargo (NFNS of last season). It was a best seller at the restaurant called DaSpot that he worked at in Camden, NJ. I was a little nervous using the jalapeno along with the chipotle peppers. I decided that I would follow the directions exactly this time and I can tweak it the next time if needed. I even used the Tabbouleh Salad that I was kind of thinking of passing on. It turned out GREAT! Everyone loved this sandwich! To make things easier, you can make the chicken part ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bread them. The Chipotle Mayo Sauce can also be made ahead of time and put in the fridge. * One note, I ran out of Panko bread crumbs so I put some sliced white bread in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes to crispin it up. I then stuck them in the food processor to make coarse crumbs out of them. Pictures below!

DaSpot Chicken Sandwich
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.

Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3 to 4-pound) store-bought rotisserie chicken (I used my leftover chicken from a roast)
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon
Pinch cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Chipotle Mayo, recipe follows
1 pint store-bought tabbouleh salad
4 to 6 Portuguese rolls, split

Breading:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs, in shallow dish

Chipotle Mayo, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat a deep-fryer with canola oil to 350 degrees F.
Pick the chicken from the bones and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the peppers, onions, jalapenos, and garlic and cook until slightly caramelized. Stir in the bouillon and cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place pepper and onion mixture, picked chicken, egg and bread crumbs into a food processor and pulse until well incorporated and slightly chunky. Form chicken mixture into burger-size patties. Put the flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Put the eggs and bread crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Bread the patties by dredging into the seasoned flour, then the eggs and finally through the bread crumbs. Transfer to a platter.
Fry the patties until crispy and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread Chipotle Mayo on both sides of the Portuguese rolls. Add the chicken patties to the bottom of the rolls and top with a good spoonful of tabbouleh. Cover with the roll tops and serve.

Chipotle Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, minced
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients until well incorporated. Cover and put in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta

I made this pasta salad for Scott and Alyssa to take with the to Linda's house in Rhode Island this weekend. I saved a little for me to have for lunch today and that is the reason it made it to the blog. It was sooo good! I'm not a fan of Feta Cheese or Kalamata Olives either but I knew that Linda's family likes them so why not give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised and how good it was! Maybe because it was a day later and the flavors melded. Whatever the reason, I will be making this again!

***As usual, I did change something. Instead of using the oven to BAKE the veggies and shrimp, I GRILLED them outside. I think that little bit of charring really made it!

SUBMITTED BY: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson PHOTO BY: DeAnna

"The ideal outdoor meal: this colorful main-course pasta salad chock-full of protein, vegetables and bold flavorings. For fresh flavor and peak texture, toss the salad right before serving. Pack the dressing in a jar and the salad ingredients in a gallon-sized zipper bag. When ready to serve, drizzle on the dressing, close the bag and squeeze it all over until the dressing completely coats the salad. Pour into a serving bowl."

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta

INGREDIENTS

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
Big pinch of salt
Black pepper, to taste
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta Salad
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
2 tablespoons salt for pasta water
1 pound medium pasta shells
1 pound cooked shrimp, halved lengthwise
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice
2 teaspoons dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the first five ingredients, then slowly whisk in the oil for a thick consistency. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid to transport it to the picnic.
Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil eight to 10 minutes, until spotty brown, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto the baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl or a gallon-sized zipper bag (can be refrigerated for several hours). To serve, add dressing; toss to coat.

WARM BACON & SPINACH PASTA SALAD

Many years ago Kris introduced me to a great pasta salad recipe. We both made it for many dinners and gatherings. I had wanted to make it for one of my kids confirmations but couldn't find the pasta anywhere! I borrowed Kris's last package! When I went to replace it, I searched high and low and couldn't find one. It turned out the Mullers stopped making it! So for the coming years, I tried a few different brands but they weren't too good.I found the recipe the other day and my quest has started again! I mentioned it to Kris and LouAnn this morning and LouAnn suggested to throw in a packet of Lipton's Garlic & Herb soup mix.
I thought that was a great idea! So I made it and think it turned out GREAT!!!!

Warm Bacon & Spinach and Pasta Salad
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 knorr chicken bouillon cube (I actually used chicken stock)
1 TBSP cider vinegar
6 oz Muller's Savory Collection Roasted Garlic & Herb Rotelle, cooked and drained ** they don't make this pasta anymore so you'll need to find another brand OR add one packet of Lipton Garlic & Herb soup mix to the simmering bouillon.
4 oz fresh spinach, torn into bite size pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned. Drain bacon on paper towels; set aside. Pour off all but 3 TBSP of the drippings.
2. Add onion, and carrots to the drippings; stirring frequestly, cook 4 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water and bouillon cube; bring to a boil; stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
3. In a large bowl combine pasta and spinach. Add carrot mixture and bacon; toss to coat. Makes
4 servings Prep time: 15 minutes

COFFEE MARINATED STEAK

Last night I made a delicious London Broil. I used the marinade that is below. I let it soak up all of the flavors for 3 days! Scott and Alyssa both said that the steak tasted like the ones that we used to buy at Oscars Adirondack Smoke House http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/

whenever we would head up to Otto's cabin. That is a big compliment!

Coffee Marinated Steak

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick

DIRECTIONS
In a skillet, toast sesame seeds in butter. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. In a bowl, combine the coffee, soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sesame seed mixture. Pour half into a large resealable plastic bag; add steak. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade from steak. Grill steak, covered, over medium-hot heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F). Warm reserved marinade and serve with steak.

ASIAN INFUSED PORK CHOPS w/ MANGO SALSA

Last night I made a delicious meal. It was very light and healthy tasting. It's from one of my favorite cooking blogs...

http://creatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com/

ASIAN INFUSED PORK CHOPS w/ MANGO SALSA

MARINADE:

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp oil

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp gingerroot, grated

Salt and pepper

Put pork chops in a dish or Ziploc and pour marinade in. Allow to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.

SALSA:

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, and diced

2 bunches green onion, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Grill the marinated pork chops on the grill. When the center flesh is firm, the chops are done. Serve the pork chops with the mango salsa on top.

PULLED PORK BBQ WITH COLE SLAW

I made this pulled pork recipe a few days ago. I thought we could get 2, maybe 3 meals out of it. NOT! Scott couldn't get enough of it! When he was finally finished, there was about 1/4 of a cup of pulled pork left. You'd think he could have just finished the whole thing!

I had it cooking all day while I was at work. Scott and Alyssa were home so I felt safer leaving the oven on. Being that I wasn't going to be home until 7 1/2 hours later, I lowered the temp to 285 instead of 300. When I got home, it was PERFECT! I made the sauce, pulled the pork and it was done! I made the coleslaw the day earlier so that the flavors would meld together. YUM. Great dinner and extremely EASY! I also would have never thought of putting coleslaw on a pulled pork sandwick but boy was that good! Once again, Tyler comes through!

Pulled Pork Barbecue
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
3 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
6 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
12 servings

Ingredients
Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork

12 hamburger buns

1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Pickle spears, for serving

Directions
Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.
While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.
When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.
While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.
To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

Cole Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

UNHEALTHY ASPARAGUS YET DELICIOUS!

Normally I just steam or grill asparagus and we eat them without anything on them. Being that we were changing things up for Easter, I thought I'd add a little pizzazz to them. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that every reviewer liked so I thought that's the one to try. They were very good. If you don't want to grill these, they can be put in a 450 oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning to get all sides brown. You can then put it on broil for about 3 minutes to crispen the bacon.

*The ingredient amounts are really up to you. I had some thin asparagus so I wrapped the bacon around 5 spears and some were thick so I used 3 spears. In the recipe, she wraps each spear. (I sense a heart attack!)

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
SUBMITTED BY: Patricia Kitts

PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
10 Min
READY IN
30 Min


INGREDIENTS
30 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
15 bacon strips, halved lengthwise

DIRECTIONS
Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each spear. Grill, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning occasionally.
OR place in a 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes

GRILLED PIZZETTAS

I was watching another episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell the other day and immediately knew that I had to try these. I'm always looking to try something different and these fit the bill. On Easter, we were supposed to be grilling dinner at the beach but ended up at the park because of the wind.
PJ and Stan's Creations
I didn't make her topping though. Instead, I cut up a bunch of toppings, onions, mushrooms, peppers, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, parmesian etc and let everyone make their own pizza. I followed the advice of a reviewer and made the crust ahead of time and when cooled, put them in a ziplock bag to take with us. I also didn't use Chili Oil.
This is Alyssa's creation!These are soooo easy to make. The crust is delicious... thin and crispy. I will definately be making these again. We even made a foccachia bread type of thing out of some of the dough, topping it with the toppings. DELICIOUS!

Grilled Pizzettas with Parmigiano, Prosciutto and Arugula and with Taleggio and Puttanesca
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell
Prep Time:
25 min
Inactive Prep Time:
hr min
Cook Time:
10 min
Serves:
about 6 pizzas

Ingredients
Chili Oil:
5 to 6 Fresno chile peppers, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
For the dough:
1/2 cup warm tap water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the toppings: (I didn't use these)
1/2 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved thin
1/2-pound Taleggio cheese, rind removed and chopped
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced thin
2 cups baby arugula
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup pitted gaeta olives, sliced
2 tablespoons capers
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Chili-infused oil, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish
For the Chile Oil: *(I didn't make this)
Directions :
In a small saucepan, bring chiles and oil to a simmer. Remove from heat and let peppers steep in oil at least 1 hour.
To make the dough:
In a small bowl add the warm (this activates the yeast. If the water is too hot the yeast will die and if the water is too cold the yeast will not activate) tap water add the dry yeast and the sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes. The top of the water will bubble and it will smell very yeasty, this is what you want.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the olive oil and the yeast/water mixture. Using a fork gradually stir the flour into the yeast/water mix. Once most of the flour has combined, turn the dough out to a smooth clean work surface and use your hands to knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and preheat grill to medium-high heat. *It was pouring outside so instead of going outside to the grill, I used a pan that I have that has raised grill marks. I'm sure any pan would work fine though.

To make Pizzettas:
Brush and oil grill to remove any crud and clean.
Portion the dough into golf ball size rounds. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough into a rectangle, I like irregular shapes. If not using the dough right away, wrap each one in plastic wrap and reserve until ready to use. If using the dough right away grill each dough on both sides so there are grill marks and the dough is stiff and crisp. (THIS IS WHERE I STOPPED, let cool and put in a ziplock bag)

ASSEMBLE:
After everyone puts the toppings of choice on their pizzas, place them in the oven, 425, for 3-4 minutes until cheese melts and toppings are heated.

Below are the toppings that Anne makes:

For the puttanesca topping: (I didn't make this)
In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, olives, capers, red pepper flakes and season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, set aside.


Top some of the dough with shaved Parmigiano and the other with Taleggio.
Top the Taleggio pizzas with the tomato mixture.

Place pizzas in oven until cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately when the Parmesan pizzas come out of the oven, arrange prosciutto slices on top and then top with the arugula and drizzle with spicy chile oil. Cut pizzas into pieces and serve immediately garnished with chives.