Chicken Cordon Bleu

 What a nice change from the same old chicken dishes. Chicken cordon bleu is a nice and easy dish. If you get a nice Swiss cheese and deli ham the dish will be even better. Serve it with a nice scalloped potato. Dinner plates will be clean!

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless  chicken breasts
Garlic Salt & P
8 thin slices deli ham
16 thin slices Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4c flour
1/4c cornstarch
1c panko bread crumbs
1tsp olive oil
2 eggs
2tsp water

Method

Preheat oven to 350°. Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Use the flat side of a meat mallet, or a rolling pin to gently pound the chicken to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Lay 2 slices of cheese on each breast, followed by 2 slices of ham, and 2 more of cheese; leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll. Squeeze the log gently to seal.

Season the flour with salt and pepper; spread out on waxed paper or in a flat dish. Mix the panko, flour and cornstarch with thyme, garlic salt, pepper, and oil. The oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and water, the mixture should be fluid. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Gently coat in the bread crumbs. Carefully transfer the roulades to a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Cut into pinwheels before serving.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Wow, what a wonderful meal this was. I love it. This was the first time I used Herbs de Provence, I think I am a huge fan, I paired it with a nice fig jam. Try making a gravy with the juices and serve it with a mashed potato, Simply elegant. 

Ingredients
2 whole Pork Tenderloins
Salt & P, to taste
8tbsp Herbs De Provence
1 sprig of fresh rosemary.
1c fig preserves
1c Water
1tbsp Vinegar

Method
Preheat oven to 425°. Season pork tenderloins liberally with salt and pepper, rosemary then with Herbs de Provence, pressing to get the herbs to adhere to the pork.
Place the pork  in a large skillet or french oven and roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes (or until no longer pink). Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
While the pork is resting, combine preserves, water, and vinegar in a small pan and bring to a simmer.
Slice pork into thick pieces, then spoon the sauce/glaze over the slices. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Jolly Green Pasta

This pasta is a new variation on my green pasta recipe. It is a very good way to sneak veggies on your kids. Mine ate at least 3 servings of this. It was delish.

Ingredients
1c c fresh or frozen chopped spinach
1c kale
1/2 c fresh basil
3tblsp fresh Parmesan Cheese
1/4c olive oil
Hand full of Pine Nuts
2cloves garlic
Salt to taste
1 pkg bow tie pasta

Method
In a food processor Blend together all ingredients except pasta. Add enough oil to make a good pesto consistency. Cook pasta. While pasta cooks, in a saute pan heat about 2tbsp of olive oil, add pesto mixture and heat, add garlic salt to taste. Toss with pasta and add a generous amount of Fresh Parmesan cheese.

Berry Cobbler

When I moved to Seattle I discovered the most wonderful berry in the world. The Blackberry.. So sweet and a little tart, plump and juicy. I pick berries, come August every year. I have even been called a berry picker from the side of the road. The berries grow like weeds in Washington. I pick so many blackberries that I make a pie and freeze the rest for the year so I have them on hand. I love cobbler and blackberry cobbler is just divine. The last time I made it I added blueberries and it was better then I ever had...

Ingredients
4c Fruit
1c Sugar
3tbsp Flour

Crumble topping
1/2c butter softened to room temp
2tbsp butter
1c flour
1/4 c sugar
1c oatmeal
1c brown sugar

Method
Combine berries sugar and flour by thoroughly tossing together, place in a 9x13" pryex pan. Mix together crumble ingredients. Top the berry mixture evenly with the topping. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes until fruit is bubbly. Please serve warm with vanilla ice cream.