Stuffed Chicken in Phyllo

I made these once before but somehow forgot to upload the recipe. I made these with my mother, who had never worked phyllo before!! 

Some substitutions, I used basil rather than tarragon, and pine nuts instead of hazelnuts, bacon rather than mushrooms, apple brandy rather than white wine.  I know strange substitutions but the flavor profiles seem to work well together.

Stuffed Chicken in Phyllo

4 skinless-boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb. total)

1/2 of a 4 1/2-oz. round Brie cheese, cut up

1/4 c. chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted

1 T snipped fresh tarragon or 1 t. dried tarragon, crushed

8 sheets frozen phyllo dough (17x12-inches), thawed according to package directions

1/3 c. margarine or butter, melted

2 T margarine or butter

1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms, such as oyster, crimini, shiitake, or button

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T all-purpose flour

2 t. snipped fresh tarragon or 1/4 t. dried tarragon, crushed

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

3/4 c. milk

2 T dry wine or milk

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound lightly into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Place a fourth of the cheese 1-inch from the bottom edge of one chicken piece and top with a fourth of the nuts. Add the snipped tarragon and fold in the bottom and sides of chicken. Roll up jelly-roll style. Repeat with remaining cheese, chicken, nuts, and 1 T tarragon.

3. Unfold phyllo dought and lay one sheet flat on the work surface. Cover remaining sheets with a damp towel. Brush phyllo dough with some o the melted margarine or butter. Remove another sheet of dough from stack and place on top of first sheet. Brush with more melted butter. Add 2 more sheets of dough for a total of 4 sheets, brushing each sheet with butter.

4. Cut into two 14x9-inch rectagles and discard trimmings. Place one chicken roll at one end of each rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, folding in sides. Press to seal. Using a knife make 3 diagonal cuts in the top layers of roll. Repeat with remaining phyllo, margarine or butter, and chicken roll. Place wrapped chicken, seam side down, on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Brush with any remaining melted butter and bake in a 400º oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until crisp and golden.

5. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan melt the 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, remaining tarragon, salt, and pepper. Add 3/4 cup milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more, then stir in wine or additional milk. Serve sauce with phyllo rolls. Makes 4 servings.

Fried Chicken Amandine

This dish was interesting, with the crispy chicken being smothered with a creamy sauce.  I am a dipper by nature, perhaps I would try to make the sauce separately and use it as a base, sprinkling the almonds over the chicken next time. I didn't use the parsley this time and I always use toasted almonds.

Fried Chicken Amandine

2 fryers or broilers, approximately 1 1/2 pounds each

3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. paprika

8 T butter

1 c. half and half cream

3/4 c. blanched, slivered almonds

2 T chopped parsley

1. Cut up the chicken into serving sized pieces. 

2. Place flour, salt, pepper, and paprika into a paper bag. Shake several times to mix well. Place two pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet and arrange the pieces of chicken so that they will fry evenly. Fry over moderate heat until the chicken is browned on both sides. Turn frequently to assure even browning. Turn the heat down to simmer, cover pan and continue to cook for 15 minutes longer.

4. After this 15-minute cooking period, add the cream.  Stir well, so that it is evenly distributed. Continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes longer. Add the slivered almonds and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

5. Place the chicken on a heated platter, pouring the cream and almonds over it. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Homemade Kettle Corn

I was walking through my local farmer's market and a booth was selling a small bag of kettle corn for $6, I just couldn't do it.  I had never tried kettle corn before, but I thought I would like it.  When I got home I searched the Internet and came up with this recipe.

Definitely tasty, but I had to be careful of unpopped kernels that didn't stay at the bottom of the bowl, as well as some hard clumps of sugar. This recipe can be tweaked depending on how sweet or salty you want your kettle corn.

Homemade Kettle Corn

1/4 c. unpopped popcorn (I used white kernel)

1/8 c. white sugar

1/8 c. oil (I used peanut oil)

salt

1. Place 3 kernels of corn in the oil, cover the pan.  Heat over medium heat until the kernels pop. 

2. Quickly pour the sugar and stir into the oil.  Immediately pour the remaining kernels into the pan and return the lid.

3. Shake the pan constantly while kernels are popping.  You may need to pour some off to make more room. When you are nearing the end of the popping (longer time between pops), turn off the burner.

4. When kernels are almost done popping, pour them into the bowl and salt to your preference. Makes 1 big bowl of popcorn.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This salad was good, but I think next time I will use less oranges, would chop the water chestnuts smaller, and I would include peanuts or almonds.

Chinese Chicken Salad

3 c. cooked chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces

1/3 c. salad oil

3 T lemon juice

2 T vinegar

1 T sugar

1 t. soy sauce

1/2 t. ginger

1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

11 oz. mandarin oranges, drained

8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained

3/4 c. chow mein noodles

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine cooked chicken, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. Marinate 1-2 hours. 

2. Toss lettuce, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, chow mein noodles, and sesame seeds with the dressing. Serves 10-12.

Chicken Sesame Salad

This salad was good, but I didn't eat the green onions.  Next time I will slice them smaller so I will eat them.  I didn't add tomatoes because I don't like them, but there were some carrots in the salad mix I used.

Chicken Sesame Salad

3 c. cut-up cooked chicken

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. sesame seed, toasted

1 medium head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

3 green onions (with tops), cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1 T sugar

2 T vinegar

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. crushed gingerroot or 1/8 t. ground ginger

1. Mix first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  

2. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients together with a whisk.

3. Toss salad with dressing. Makes 6 servings.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This is an old standby recipe from Best Foods mayonnaise. I hadn't made it for a while and I think I will keep it around.  I have such thick chicken breasts at my grocery store that I think I will cut up pieces the next time I do this one.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 t. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1. Combine mayonnaise with cheese. 

2. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Top with mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. 

3. Bake 20 minutes at 425º or until heated all the way through.

Chicken Rolls with Fresh Herbs

This recipe was complicated, but tasted great.  I would recommend slicing the chicken thin, rather than trying to get it thin enough by pounding it out.  I couldn't get most of my chicken breast pounded thin enough and it didn't cook through without burning the outside.

Chicken Rolls with Fresh Herbs

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and cut into halves

4 leaves fresh basil

1 small clove garlic, peeled and halved

1 sprig oregano, leaves removed

4 T butter

2 T flour

2 eggs, beaten

3 T butter

1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs

1. Pound each chicken breast half between two sheets of waxed paper until very thin, about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Rub each breast with a cut clove of garlic.

2. Sprinkle the breasts on one side only with the herbs, rubbing them in well.

3. Cut the butter in portions of 1 T each and place a pat of the butter on the herbed side of the chicken breasts. Fold in the sides and roll up each breast jelly-roll fashion, securing with toothpicks if necessary.

4. Measure out the flour onto a plate. Lightly dredge each rolled breast in the flour. Dip into beaten egg and then dip into a plate filled with the breadcrumbs, using more breadcrumbs if necessary to coat each breast. Chill the chicken rolls in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

5. To cook, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat on a conventional range top. Cook the chicken rolls in the skillet for about 5 minutes, or until all sides are nicely browned. 

6. Transfer the browned rolls to a microwave-safe 9" square baking dish. Microwave, uncovered, on high power for 8-9 minutes or until cooked through, turning halfway through cookery.

7. Transfer the rolls to a serving platter and spoon over some of the cooking juices.

Roast Chicken & Kiwi with Raspberry Glaze

This recipe was a disappointment, I love all the ingredients independently, but when put together it failed.  The chicken was dry, and the raspberry sauce got too hard.

Roast Chicken & Kiwi with Raspberry Glaze

2 frying chickens, cut into halves

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. seedless raspberry preserves

1/2 c. white port wine

grate peel of 1 lemon

kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400º. 

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place, skin side up, in a single layer in large shallow pan and brush with butter. 

3. Roast, basting frequently with butter, about 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Drain off fat. 

4. While chicken is cooking, combine raspberry preserves, wine, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

5. Spoon glaze over chicken, top with kiwi slices. Spoon glaze from bottom of pan over chicken and kiwi. Bake about 3 minutes or until kiwi and chicken are well glazed. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Saute

This dish was interesting, not my cup of tea, though!!  The shallot was too texturally present in the sauce.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Saute

sauteed chicken breast

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 shallot, minced

2 t. grated lemon zest 

2 t. fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 t. dried

1 t. minced fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 t. dried

2 T fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

salt and pepper

1. Saute chicken.

2. Pour cream into skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Deglaze skillet by heating cream to boiling and scraping loose browned bits on bottom of pan with wooden spatula or spoon. Add shallot, lemon zest, thyme, and tarragon.  Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until cream is thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve hot.

Taquitos

These were so tasty and so easy to make!!  I used thinly sliced london broil mixed with seasoning (cumin, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder) and cheese as the filler.  Definitely a keeper, I will try chicken next time.

Taquitos

2-3 T oil (I used corn oil)

10 corn tortillas

2 c. cooked shredded beef

2/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil up a baking sheet.

2. Heat 2 T oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry each tortilla one at a time until soft, about 20 seconds per side. Add more oil if needed. Transfer to plat using a paper towel to separate each tortilla.

3. To assemble, spoon 2 Tablespoons of meat misture into a tortilla and roll closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all are rolled.

4. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until ends start to brown. Remove and sprinkle cheese on top. Turn oven setting to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and serve with toppings like shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc.