It's finally summer...which means that it's time for sunburns! I got a sunburn on my upper back yesterday as I continued to work on stripping the antique dresser that I have had since I was a kid. I still cannot believe that someone painted this thing three different colors! Yesterday I finally got to see wood! It was a gorgeous cherry wood under all those layers of paint! I didn't get to finish it, but it's pretty close! I will be so happy when this project is complete!
So this week, I spent most of my time cleaning and cooking, and I actually organized my kitchen cabinets and pantry again! I can find things again! It's super nice...for me. Mike is having some trouble finding things, but he's hardly in there, so it's not too bad for him.
So let's get these recipes out of the way!
Here's the recipe: Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu
For the Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz thinly sliced deli ham
4 oz Swiss cheese cut into 4 blocks
Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
For Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I didn't have any, so I used one tablespoon red wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (If you use dried like me, just add another teaspoon)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush or spray grill with oil or spray. Cut a pocket into each breast by inserting a knife blade into the wide end. Sweep the blade back and forth, cutting the opening larger, being careful not to cut through the end, top or bottom. (If this happens, just use some toothpicks to secure them closed). Wrap a slice of ham around each block of cheese and insert into pockets. Coat each breast with Dijon and salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered for 5 minutes per side. Whisk together vinegar, Dijon, and honey in a bowl for the vinaigrette. Add oil and whisk until emulsified. Add thyme and salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle vinaigrette over chicken.
Here's the recipe: Chicken Parmesan
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used just bread crumbs I had at home)
1/2 pound dry spaghettini or thin spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 cups roasted marinara sauce (I just grabbed any store bought brand that sounded good)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
Grated Parmesan
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)
Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick with a meat mallet; season with salt and pepper if desired. Place the flour, eggs and crumbs into three separate shallow dishes. To bread breasts, first dredge them in flour, then dip them in egg, then coat in crumbs. This can be done two hours ahead and refrigerated.
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss with the sauce. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute chicken in batches if necessary, on both sides until golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
Top chicken with 1/4 cup Parmesan and the mozzarella. Cover pan and cook until cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to plate and serve with pasta and sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and basil if desired.
Here's the recipe: Citrus-Herb Game Hens
2 Cornish game hens, halved and seasoned with salt and pepper (if desired) *I bought 3 birds*
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds (I used three)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon each of rosemary and parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450*. Halve each hen by cutting along both sides of the backbone. Remove bone and discard or save for making stock. Cut along one side of the breast bone to separate the halves. Saute the hen halves in batches, skin side down in one tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven proof non stick skillet over medium high heat until golden, (4 minutes). Turn hens over and saute for 2 minutes. Transfer hens to oven, skin side up. Roast hens, uncovered, until the instant read thermometer registers 165* at the thickets part of the breast, about 20 minutes. Place lemon slices on a plate and heat in a microwave for a minute or until hot. Combine heated lemon slices, remaining oil, garlic, rosemary and parsley in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasted hens in the dish, skin side down and let rest for ten minutes, turning them every few minutes to coat with herbs and oil.
The three recipes that are on this blog actually came from a magazine that I found at the grocery store. I was pretty impressed by this company because I found many meals that I like. The chicken Parmesan ended up feeding an army when I was finished! But the best thing about this magazine is that there are no ads whatsoever and every recipe has pictures! I ended up subscribing to them, and I have never subscribed to a magazine before. I hope that I get many more great meal ideas from this company! So far, we're off to a good start!
Our yard is still mostly weeds, but some of the seeds that I threw on the yard are starting to make a small appearance. I hope that it actually grows, but as most of you know, it's tough for anything to grow here. I also found that I didn't completely kill my fuchsias. There are some blooms and new sprouts...so I'm happy about that, because I really like the look of those flowers.
As I mentioned last entry, I decided to change up the hair a little bit, and I'm glad too, with how hot it's been lately! I did take before and after pictures of my hair, and I still miss my old haircut some days, but I just need to spend some time practicing on this new look.
Mike likes the look, but it's taking him a little bit to get used to the new look, simply because it's a lot shorter than he's ever seen me in. I've had short short hair before, and I will never go to that extreme again. I think this is as short as I will ever go. I won't grow my hair out to my hips again either. So I think that I have a good balance when it comes to my hair. I just need to go out and get a nice flat iron/straightener for my hair, because the one that I've had since I was about 17, is not a good one, therefore doesn't really work well.
So coming up is my niece's first birthday. She was born on the 4th of July, and there is going to be a celebration. I'm curious to see how it goes, and see if the gifts that I got her will be approved of. I got her two books and two dresses. I thought they were pretty adorable, but who knows, maybe I'm partial to them?
Until next time!
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