Chicken Cordon Bleu

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.


Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.


Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.


Cut into pinwheels and serve on top of Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Jus and Cranberry Chutney, if desired.

From: foodnetwork.com

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Cook Time: 1 hr
Level: Easy
Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake


Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, stems removed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting cake
1 quart yogurt gelato, store bought to serve with cake


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Cut pineapple into 1/2-inch thick circles. In a small saucepan melt butter and add light brown sugar to make caramel. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until caramel is amber then pour into a 9-inch nonstick cake pan. Arrange pineapple circles evenly in the caramel, (1 in the center and 5 around the outside usually works), and press down so they are submergred in the caramel. Place 1 maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.


For the batter:

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add the baking powder and salt and stir to combine.


In another large bowl, using a wooden spoon to stir, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring, just to incorporate. Pour the batter into the cake pan over the caramel and pineapple and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour (the cake should be nice and golden on top and slightly puffed). When gently pressed in the center the cake should bounce back. Allow to cool slightly before inverting onto a cake plate.


Dust very lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve with a scoop of yogurt gelato.

From: foodnetwork.com

Spring Green Salad

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

8 to 10 cups (about 1 pound) mixed greens (mesclun, mache, watercress, baby arugula, dandelion; include hydroponic lettuces, sprouts and shoots - pea shoots)
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced


Directions

Wash and dry greens, place in a large bowl. Add chives and season with salt and pepper; drizzle over about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss well to coat. Squeeze lemon juice over the greens and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

From: foodnetwork.com

Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles

Cook Time: 2 hr 35 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, plus 2 cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed
1 large sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
3 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2 ribs apiece
1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds white button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup cognac
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pound egg noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly chopped green onions


Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.


Place the chopped garlic, salt and pepper into a bowl. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to create a paste. Add the rosemary and thyme leaves to the bowl and stir to combine.


Set short ribs out on a roasting tray and cover with herb paste. Roast in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes until they are falling apart.


Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes until brown. Add shallots and minced garlic and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes until garlic and onion become fragrant. Remove pan from heat and carefully add cognac to deglaze the pan. Return to heat and add cream. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard and sour cream. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper


Cook egg noodles in salted boiling water according to directions on package. Drain and toss with butter while still hot.


To serve: Pile the noodles high on a plate, top with stroganoff sauce and finish with rib slices. Garnish with fresh parsley and green onions.

From: foodnetwork.com

Tangerine-Glazed Easter Ham with Baby Carrots

Cook Time: 4 h
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 10 to 12 servings


Ingredients

1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed
2 cups tangerine juice
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
11/2 pounds carrots, peeled


Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.


Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Now there is plenty of time to bang-out the tangerine glaze.


For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.


After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.


Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.


Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and tangerine glaze on the side.

From: foodnetwork.com

Family-Style Chicken "Pot" Pie

Level: Intermediate
Yield: 8 to 10 servings


Ingredients

Pastry:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed


Chicken Broth:

1 (4 to 5 pound) free range whole chicken
3 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
2 turnips, halved
Bouquet garni: 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 1 bay leaf - all tied together with
kitchen string
Pot Pie
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 carrots, cut in 1/2-inch circles
1 cup pearl onions, peeled, about 3/4 pound
1 cup fresh sweet peas, about 1 pound
1 garlic clove, chopped
Leaves from 8 fresh thyme sprigs
Needles from 1 fresh rosemary sprig, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, for egg wash
Coarse salt


Directions

To make the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a very large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the large ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe (feel free to make the dough the night before if you prefer.)


To make the chicken broth: Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 3 quarts of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring it up to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour; skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. What we're doing here is not only cooking the chicken but also creating the base sauce for the pot pie. It's the old trick of killing two birds with one stone -- or one pot as the case may be. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. When it's cool enough to handle shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones, and set aside. Using a colander, strain the chicken broth into another pot and discard the solids; you should have about 2 quarts when you're done.


To make the pot pie filling: Wipe out the stockpot and put it back on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. This is a roux, which will act as a thickener. Cook and stir the roux until it's the color of a California blonde. Now, gradually pour in the reserved chicken broth, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Whisk and simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starchy taste of the flour and thicken the broth; it should look like cream of chicken soup. Fold in the carrots, pearl onions, peas, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables a bit; season the mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in the shredded chicken until incorporated, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature; it will get quite thick as it cools down.


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Take the dough out of the refrigerator and set it out on the counter for 5 minutes to warm up a bit, making it easier to roll out.


Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a big 14 by 20-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the dough to a large rectangular pizza stone or standard sheet pan, leaving about 1 foot of the pastry hanging off 1 end. Spoon the cooled chicken filling on the pastry that is on the pizza stone, leaving a border around the sides. Lightly beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash and brush it on the dough border. Fold the "free" dough over the filling like a blanket and crimp the ends with a fork to form a tight seal; it should look like a big pillow. Brush the top of the giant chicken pie with the remaining egg wash, sprinkle with the coarse salt, and cut tiny slashes in the top so steam can escape. Place the chicken pie in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until puffed and golden. Let the chicken pie rest for 10 minutes before moving it. Run a spatula underneath the pot pie to loosen it from the pizza stone. Scoop out the chicken pie with a large serving spoon.

From: foodnetwork.com

Banana Bread with Pecans

Cook Time: 1 h 15 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 1 loaf


Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.


In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.


Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.


Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.


Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com