Roasted Chicken Breast with Garlic

This recipe is a classic example of cooking by feel. I had some goat cheese left over from an appetizer, and I found fresh, green garlic at the farmer's market. So I came up with a way to use them together — stuffed inside some bone-in chicken breasts.
It's really remarkable the way a little garlic and goat cheese can transform a plain and unglamorous chicken breast!
I often roast bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts when I'm not up for handling an entire bird. You get the same flavor and crispy skin but it's a bit more manageable.
My typical method for cooking these breasts involves shoving something under the skin — butter mixed with herbs, usually — and rubbing the skin with butter or olive oil, seasoning liberally with salt and pepper, and roasting in the oven.
For this dish, I did the same thing, putting spoonfuls of goat cheese under the skin. But I also cut a deep slit in the side of the breast and stuffed cheese in there, too. That way, each bite had a little goat cheese and garlic in it.

 

 

 

 

Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Garlic

Serves 2
2 ounces soft goat cheese
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoon juice)
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
2 stalks fresh, green garlic or 2 cloves regular garlic plus 1 tablespoon chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds
Olive oil, optional
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Mix the goat cheese with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley until well blended. Slice the garlic bulbs very thinly and chop about 1/3 of the green stalks. If using regular garlic and chives, mince finely. Mix the garlic into the goat cheese mixture. Season the mixture lightly with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper.
Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts by running your fingers underneath it, leaving it attached at the edges. Cut a deep slit — about 3 inches long and and inch and a half deep — into the breast.
Divide the goat cheese mixture into fourths. Stuff a fourth of the goat cheese mixture into the slit in one of the chicken breast, pushing it as deep as possible into the slit. Use a toothpick or two to hold the slit closed if necessary. Stuff another fourth of the goat cheese mixture under the skin of the chicken breast; slide your finger across the top of the skin to spread the cheese into an even layer. Repeat with stuffing the other chicken breast.
Drizzle both breasts with olive oil, if desired, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish or on a lined baking sheet. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crisp and an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F.
Serve immediate with a green salad or vegetables.

Baked Chai- Spiced French Toast

Baked Chai-Spiced French Toast

Serves 4
For the Chai Spice Mixture:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
For the French Toast:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (use less if serving with maple syrup)
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Chai Spice Mixture
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
9 to 10 cups day-old challah bread, chopped into cubes
For the Topping:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chai Spice Mixture
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and chopped into small pieces
In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and cloves for the Chai Spice Mixture. Set aside.
For the french toast, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the Chai Spice Mixture in a medium bowl.
Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with the butter and layer the cubed challah inside the pan, gently pressing it down. Briefly re-whisk the liquid ingredients and pour them evenly over the bread, taking care to cover all of the exposed bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight to allow the mixture to absorb into the bread.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly.
Uncover the loaf pan and gently press the bread down evenly until the liquid begins seeping up. Spread the topping evenly over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.
Allow to cool for several minutes and then slice and serve.

Peppermint Oreos

Recipe by: Adapted from OREO by Fork Knife Swoon

Source: http://www.forkknifeswoon.com/food-drink/desserts/2013/12/dark-chocolate-peppermint-oreo-cookie-balls/

Yield: 48 Cookie Balls

Ingredients

• 36 (about 3 cups) OREO cookies, crushed
• 1/3 cup peppermint candies or candy canes, crushed
• 1 pkg. (8oz) brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp instant espresso
• 1 tsp warm water
• 16oz dark baking chocolate, melted
• Optional: about 2 tbsp crushed peppermints and/or semi-sweet cocoa powder, for decorating

Instructions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the OREO cookies and the peppermint candies until fully crushed and well-combined. Dissolve the instant espresso in the water, and add to the OREO cookie crumbs. Add the softened cream cheese, and pulse until blended.
2. Shape the OREO filling into 48 (1-inch) balls, and place on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze for at least 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate according to package directions. When the Oreo balls are nicely chilled-through, use a toothpick to dip each ball in the melted chocolate, gently turning to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Sprinkle the tops with crushed peppermints or use a sifter to lightly dust the cookie balls with cocoa, and let cool on another parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Share and enjoy!

Lemon Lavender Cookies

• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  dried lavender buds, ground with mortar and pestle
• 1  teaspoon  finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 3/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1  cup  powdered sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter, softened
• 1  cup  powdered sugar
• 1  tablespoon  milk
•  Dried lavender buds (optional)
•  Thin strips of lemon peel (optional)

• Directions
  

  1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, ground lavender buds, finely shredded lemon peel, and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.

  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-inch-long log. Wrap log in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 2 to 24 hours or until firm.

  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

  4. For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and the milk. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a frosting of spreading consistency. Spread frosting on tops of cookies and, if desired, garnish with additional lavender buds and thin strips of lemon peel. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

  5. Place in single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months; thaw and frost.
   

Lavender Lemon Shortbread
Yields about 1 1/2 dozen
1/2 cup (113 grams) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup (45 grams) powdered sugar
Zest of 2 lemons, divided
1/2 teaspoon lavender buds, ground or chopped finely
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
In large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, zest of 1 lemon, lavender, vanilla, and salt until the mixture looks like a coarse sand. Mix in the flour until the dough comes together.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining lemon zest and granulated sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out shortbread until 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle on the lemon scented sugar and lightly press it into the shortbread with the rolling pin. Cut out shapes and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
 

Cranberry Sauce

Author: Savory Sweet Life

Recipe type: Condiment

Prep time:  2 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  17 mins

Serves: 2 cups

 

Make your own homemade cranberry sauce this year for Thanksgiving using fresh cranberries.This easy recipe is so simple yet yields amazing

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
• ¾ cup orange juice
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• Optional: 2 oz gold rum

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced – stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the cranberries popping – don’t worry, that’s what you want them to do. Remove from heat and serve. Cranberry sauce can be made days ahead and brought to room temperature or slightly heated before serving.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/the-best-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

For the sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:

Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/the-best-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Aubergine Oliviera

Olive Oil 
Bouteillan
Without the Bouteillan, a variety of olive oil specific to Provence, this dish would be almost boring!
Ingredients (for 6 generous portions)
5 aubergines
100 g fresh goat’s cheese
1 greek yoghurt
Garlic
Lemon juice
Fleur de sel
Preparation
Grill aubergines whole, under the grill setting in your over (or ideally on a summer barbecue) until they are soft to the touch.
Peel them and finely chop the flesh between two knives. Avoid using a blender.
Mix-in the goat’s cheese, yoghurt, crushed garlic and the salt.
Serving
Serve with slices of grilled red peppers topped with a touch of crushed garlic, and add generous amounts of Bouteillan of course!