Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm almost happy the weather has cooled down so I can justify making soup! I stole this Tortilla Soup from Jess and I think I just fell in love. I didn't offer any to Eric because every time I make something you must eat with a spoon, he starts complaining. When I poured myself a bowl of this, I saw him jealously looking over from his plate of fries, so I gave him a bite. To my happiness, he said: Why don't I get to eat that?
HA!
I used dry black beans instead of canned. Nein on the hominy (not sure I've ever seen that in France.) I didn't have any chilies, but I put in 2 Tbsp La Costeña Arriera salsa. Next time, I will add avocado as well.
My toppings were:
Cilantro
Shredded Cabbage
Tortilla strips (home made)
Green Onions
Cheddar + Swiss=Bliss

* this is fight food if you remove the cheese

The Good Shroomz: Girolles

I am in love with mushrooms. Chanterelles, Cèpes, Pleurotes, Trompettes de la Mort, Morilles... how happy I am when I eat you! This time, I found some Girolles at the market. The best time to go to the market is right before it closes. The vendors practically give away their goods! I got practically 600g for 4€... and these usually go for 20€/kg
Anyway, I used them for my D-Day cutlets.

These go well just sautéed and lightly salted. They give out nice juices that give the sauce an earthy flavor.
I've tried these in an omelet as well. The Bomb.com

Mil's Red Handed Meatballs

While grocery shopping, Eric had a sudden urge for one of his mother's inventions: Meatballs with Flageolet beans, or Boulettes en Flag' as I have so wittily renamed it. It was a test, because it is a family recipe and a childhood comfort food that his own sister was unable to recreate.
Well, I passed the test with flying colors because the hub was indeed very satisfied with my remake!
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 lb ground pork (or 1/2 pork, 1/2 turkey)
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
some flour
Dish
1 Tbsp (or more) of margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp thyme
2 bay leaves
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 large can of drained flageolet beans (use white beans if you can't find flags)
1 cup water
Directions:
Meatballs
1. Wash your hands and take off your rings. Place the ground meat in a mixing bowl with the egg, and mis around with your hands.
2. Add the parsley, salt, pepper and garlic and keep mixing.
3. Add the bread crumbs a little at a time while mixing with your hands. Keep adding until the texture is no longer gooey, but not all dry either.
4. Separate the meat into 6 big meatballs. Eric likes big big meatballs. Roll each meatball around in flour to keep them from sticking to each other and your meatballs are ready to be cooked.
Dish
1. In a big pot or pressure cooker, heat the margarine and brown the meatballs a little on each side. Remove the browned meatballs and set aside.
2. Sautée the onions and garlic with a sprinkle of salt in the same pot until golden. Add the thyme and bay leaves and stir.
3. Add the potatoes and stir around a few minutes. When the potatoes start sticking to the pot, add a cup of water and the meatballs back into the pot. If you have a pressure cooker, close it and cook this under pressure for 5 minutes. If you don't, simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
4. Open up and add the drained beans. Heat through for 5 more minutes.

You are ready to feast!
I only ate 1 meatball and it was more than enough for me.. but my carnivore husband had 2 and the guests we had each ate 1 1/2. We killed it, and I passed the MIL test!

Thai Masman Curry.. Remix

Considering I have a large amount of Thai Masman Curry paste, I keep remixing this dish and making it better and better.
This time I used pork sliced thinly instead of chicken.
I added baby corn...cute and fun
but the serious secret ingredient here is the mega tablespoon of
PEANUT BUTTER
that I threw into the mix.
I finally got around to buying peanut butter in France!
I found a miniature jar of Skippy PB for the outrageous price of 4€ for 340g, but hey, you cannot replace that taste in an asian dish... no way José.
Ah for all of you living on the WEST SIDE of the lake, this is nothing exceptionnal, but please feel my excitement here, people!

Glass Noodle Japchae

Glass noodles are kind of cool, because they aren't noodles at all. They're made from mung bean thread, so they're actually vegetables! I actually just threw this together using meat marinated for Bulgogi, and then realized it much resembles Korean Japchae.. minus the mushrooms. The hub loved it and voted YES for including it in our monthly rotation. I'm not claiming it is authentic Japchae, but is the result of what I had in the kitchen...
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 bundle glass noodles (250g)
3/4 lb thinly sliced beef
4 leaves of kale, ribbed and julienned
1 onion, julienned
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Marinade:
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 asian pear, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the beef for 20 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes (until almost tender) and set aside.
3. In a wok or heavy based pan, heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil and stir fry the onion and zucchini until golden.
4. Add the meat with marinade as well as the kale. Cook through while stirring about 10 minutes. Taste the beef and make sure it is cooked. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Add the glass noodles and stir fry until noodles are tender (approx 5 minutes)

Serve and eat with chopsticks to get the maximum pleasure out of it!
I added red pepper flakes to my plate because I love da heat.
I can't wait to buy more of these noodles. They don't get mushy like rice noodles do and they certainly make me feel like I'm eating healthy without the hub feeling like I'm imposing "health food" on him!

Nepalese Chicken Tarkari

This one blew me out of the water. Really really!
I got this one from the Amateur Gourmet who got it from Feeding the Dragon and this authentic untweeked recipe is just what makes it so wonderful. It tasted as if some old village woman in Nepal cooked it for me as I was passing through her village. Luckily I already had everything on hand.
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (find some! they're good for you!)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 dried red chiles, seeded and minced (I used 1 tbsp red chili paste for lack of red chilies)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Wearing rubber kitchen gloves so the turmeric doesn’t stain your hands (I did not do this and my hands are fine), rub the turmeric black pepper, and salt all over the chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, dry-roast the mustard seeds for a few seconds, or until they are fragrant, and then remove from the skillet and repeat with the fenugreek seeds. Be careful not to burn the spices. Combine the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder and grind into a coarse powder.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, ground spice mixture, cumin, chiles, and bay leaves and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add the onion and saute for about 6 minutes, or until slightly translucent. Drop in the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 4 minutes, then add the stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve with the rice.

*WARNING*
It has been 1 week since I made this, and the house STILL smells like curry. Not unpleasant, but good to know.

Mussels n Fries

...Always a hit.
2 kg of fresh mussels for €4.50? Where do I sign!!!
This time I poured a glass of champagne into the mix.. because I was thinking of my homies <3
A French classic. Mussels and Fries.

Mexican Orzo

Here was my dilemma:
I want mexican
I have no access to beans or tortillas today
I want something different
I'm hungry NOW
Bam.. Mexican Bagos
Eric loved this one.
Serves 3
Ingredients:
250g Bagos (Orzo)
Meat off 1 leftover chicken leg
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp leftover tomato sauce (or 1 chopped tomato)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
3 cups chicken stock
juice from 1/2 lemon
Garnish:
cilantro
shredded swiss
dollop sour cream
salsa
Directions:
1. Sautée the onion and bell pepper in the EVOO until translucent.
2. Add the spices, lemon juice and tomato sauce and let cook 1 more minute.
3. Add all the rest, bring to a boil, and let simmer until bagos are tender (about 15 minutes.

Serve with the desired garnish and be happy you satisfied your craving!

Baked Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbls flour

1 1/3 cups seasoned bread crumbs

2 tbls EVOO

1 can cream of mush soup

3 tbls white whine

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. Rinse Pork Chops. Pat Dry and season with garlic powder and salt. Dredge Pork Chops in Flour, Dip in Egg, and coat with Bread Crumbs

3. Heat Oil in Skillet over medium heat. Fry Pork Chops for 5 mins on each side. Transfer to baking dish, cover with foil.

4. Bake for 1 hr. While baking, combine cream of mush soup, milk and white wine in medium bowl. After they pork has baked for one hour, top with soup mixture. Replace foil and cook for additional 30 mins.

Magret de Canard (Duck Breast) with Caramelized Turnips

When the sweet old lady at the supermarket explained to us the difference between supermarket heavy cream and farm heavy cream, we dropped the cream and bought this beautiful duck breast from her counter. I had no idea how wonderfully this lovely piece of red poultry would pair with turnips. The secret is to caramelize them in the fat that the duck leaves behind. This is not icky, it is the good, flavorful type of fat (that you don't eat everyday anyway). Here you can actually buy jars of duck or goose fat for cooking. Isn't that crazy? If this sweet old lady hadn't explained to me how to cook it, I would have been missing out big time on some flavaaaaaa.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 Duck breast with skin
1 Tbsp dried thyme
salt/fresh pepper
1 lb (about 8) turnips, peeled and quartered
2 Tbsp basalmic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Directions:
1. Steam the turnips until just tender. How? I used my steamer basket in my pressure cooker and cooked under pressure for 5 minutes. If you do not have a steamer or pressure cooker, the real directions are to boil for 20 minutes or so. I prefer to steam when I can because it preserves the nutrients in the item being cooked. Set aside.
2. Make criss-cross cuts on the skin of the duck breast. Rub some thyme, salt, and fresh ground pepper on both sides.
3. Place the duck breast skin side down in a frying pan and cook on high heat for 7 minutes.
Turn over and cook for 4 minutes. (This will have it nice and pink in the center. If you prefer more cooking, go ahead.)
Remove the breast and set aside, but keep warm.
4. The frying pan should have some lovely bubbling duck fat in it. Place the quartered turnips in this goodness and cook until golden with the sugar. Deglaze with the basalmic vinegar.
Cut the cooked duck breast in half and serve and be happy that the husband didn't notice they weren't potatoes!

This was just lovely. Next time I see Magret on sale, I will definately buy it. It is way worth a meal on saturday night at a restaurant.

Veggie Minestrone.. Remix!

Can't get enough of this soup. I don't know how I managed to make it exactly for 2. That never happens.
I made it all veggie (except for the broth) and added these fun noodles, Ditali Rigati. They are perfect for soups.
Here's my ingredient list this time around:
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 Onion, chopped
1 Zucchini, cubed
1 Yellow Bell, cubed
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 cube frozen spinach
1 Tbsp spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp basalmic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bouillon cube of beef broth (or veggie if you're going all out)
1 good handful of Ditali Rigati pasta (or whatever you're into)
5 cups water
toppings:
shredded swiss
grated parmesan
fresh chopped basil
fresh ground pepper
red pepper flakes

I think I'm going to be using basalmic vinegar more in my cooking. It gives everything a little kick.

Double Blueberry Muffins

Here is the original recipe. Just wanted to share some pics of our recent muffin sesh. =)

Chicken Athena

Easy Weekday Meal Alert!

1 lb chix, cut into cubes

1 tbls olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 jar marinated artichokes in olive oil

1/4 tsp rosemary

1/3 cup feta cheese

In large skillet, brown chx in oil over medium heat; add onion and cook two minutes. Stir in tomatoes, marinade from artichoke and rosemary; cook over medium for 15 - 20 minutes - until sauce thickens, stir frequently. Stir in Artichokes; heat through. Top with Feta. Garnish with parsley. Boom.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients: (to make 18)

Grated Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 lb

Cream Cheese - Room Temp - 2tbls

Dates - Pitted - 18

Bacon - Cut Crosswise into 3 pieces - 6 slices

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400*. Combine Parm Cheese and Cream Cheese. Mix until Smooth.

Slice each date to make pocket and spread 1 tsp of cheese filling into each date. 

Wrap a piece of bacon around each date. Secure with toothpick.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Watermelon Summer Salad

This salad was inspired by something that was served at Amber's baby shower.

Mix:
Lettuce of Choice: Spinach, Romaine, etc
Watermelon (chopped)
Cucumber (chopped)
Grape Tomatoes (halved)

Add Croutons:
Chop bread into small squares, drizzle with EVOO, Season with Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasonings. Bake at 400 for about 15 mins.  

Mix Dressing:
EVOO
A splash of Lemon Juice
A bit of Honey

Toss all together. Enjoy.

Fruity Serrano Ham

This isn't so much a recipe, but it is pretty to look at.
Cut a sweet melon into slices and wrap in Serrano or Prosciutto ham. Decorate with grapes and starfruit and eat on a hot day.
Refreshing and delicious!

Caprese Kabobs

Steph! You have been blogging away! Sorry, I have been so busy. So many things to post!

This is a fun appetizer or side dish to a Carnivorous plate. And, as always, easy!

Ingredients:

Tooth Pick or Short Skewers

Fresh Small Mozzarella Balls -bocconcini- (halved)

Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

Fresh Basil

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Assemble the skewers: Mozz Ball, Tomato, Basil Leaf

2. Arrange on Platter: Drizzle EVOO, Season with S&P. Cover, Refrigerate. Serve. =)

Fried Red (Breaded) Tomatoes

This was supposed to be a side to the Basil Chicken (recipe which didn't originally call for garlic or canned whole tomatoes, but chopped olives) instead of the pasta, but as you know, I am unable to strictly follow a recipe. This was a fun side dish for a steak or pork chops or whatever. Since it's breaded, I'm sure kids might eat it, too (but what do I know?)
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes sliced into 4-5 slices each
salt/fresh ground pepper
8-10 leaves fresh basil
1 egg, beaten
some EVOO
some flour for sprinkling
bread crumbs for breading (sorry about the preciseness of the quantities)
Directions:
1. Remove the "goo" from the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, then lay 1 basil leaf on each slice.
2. Sprinkle some flour on each side of each slice.
3. Dip each slice in egg, then in bread crumbs.
4. Fry the slices approximately 2 minutes on each side in some EVOO

There. That's it. Pretty tasty!

Tomato Basil Chicken

I got this recipe out of a book, and totally changed it. Why do I always do that? Anyway, since I had lovely fresh basil, this used it up in a nice way.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs+thighs
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups broth
1 bunch basil
1/4 cup EVOO
1 Tbsp butter
6 cloves garlic, grated
salt/fresh ground pepper
juice from 1 lemon
Some cooked pasta of choice
grated parmesan and shredded swiss
Directions:
1. Skin the chicken legs and make some large cuts on each side. Pour the lemon juice on and rub in some salt. Set aside.
2. Put the 2 cups broth to boil and place the chicken legs 6-7 minutes on each side. When they are cooked through, remove them and set aside.
3. Pour in the tomatoes, garlic, butter, and EVOO with the sauce and let reduce to 2/3. Add salt and pepper to taste
4. In a blender, take about 1/4 cup of the mixture and blend with the fresh basil and heavy cream. Stir in with the hot pasta. Place the chicken legs in the remaining sauce and heat through.

Serve with grated parmesan and shredded swiss...bliss

Stuffed Veggies..mmmmm

Made this again, but with my new market's delicious "sausage stuffing" (chair à saucisse) and fresh vine tomatoes and bells.
This time I poured a drizzle of beer over everything before popping them into the oven, and I used shallots instead of onions.
This is how Eric likes to eat his: with fries (surprised?)
And this is how I like it: with rice and shredded swiss

Bulgogi - Korean BBQ

We recently met a Korean-French couple who invited us to dinner at their place. They made the most delicious Korean BBQ and Kimchi I'd ever had (see pics below)This brought back UCSD memories of weekly Korean BBQ for $5 a plate.. ah the good ol days! Anyhow, it was sooo good, that I decided to try it out. This came out really good, but minus the barbecue, wasn't as great as if made by a REAL Korean. Plus, I'm sure I'm missing a secret ingredient. BUT, this was very very good.
Ingredients:
1 lb beef, sliced into very thin steaks (mine looked more like stir fy)
Marinade:
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 asian pear, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
for the wraps:
Leaves of lettuce or some sort of greens
Sesame leaves (I did not have, so I used basil.. good choice. You can use mint, too)
Seaweed wrappers.. for crunchiness (not pictured)
chili paste or other "salsa" of your choice
Directions:
1. In a deep dish, mix all the marinade ingredients together, then mix in the meat, rubbing each piece with your fingers to get the marinade into the grooves. Let sit for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
2. Light your bbq and grill the pieces of steak. If you don't have one and/or your slices fall through the grill, use a stove and frying pan.
3. When all this is done, serve as you wish, but the tastiest way to eat this is in a lettuce wrap with a little rice, sesame leaf, and hot sauce... with a side of kimchi, of course (but I didn't have any either)

I think I will do this again. I did like it, but I need a REAL Korean to give me a family recipe because I'm sure the ones you find on the internet are all missing something. Maybe it's because I miss the college days too much...

Quiche-za

I couldn't decide between making a quiche or a pizza, so I made a quiche-za! My new grocery store is more like a local farmer's market in that everything is extra fresh, juicy, tasty, heavenly.. and for the same price (or less) than tasteless traditional supermarket produce. Their fresh basil is of a quality I'd never experienced before.
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients:
1 pie crust, uncooked
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs
squirt of tomato sauce
drizzle basalmic vinegar
2 tbsp heavy cream
3-4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt/fresh pepper
grated parmesan
Directions:
1. Unroll your pie crust and attack it with a fork. Put it in your mold and pop it in the oven at 400°F for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and tomato sauce.
3. Once your pie crust is lightly colored, lay the tomatoes at the bottom, followed by the bell pepper and mozzarella slices.
4. Drizzle a bit of basalmic vinegar and sprinkle some salt and pepper over everything. Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle with basil and parmesan.
5. Cook for approx 30 minutes in the oven. (I didn't really time it.. I just kept checking to see if it was no longer liquid.

Serve with a salad and make it a light lunch or appetizer.. or be a pig like we are and eat half of it for dinner.

Shrimp Quesadillas

I know making a quesadilla is pretty standard, but for me - here in France- it's a real treat. I had 1 for lunch and it filled me up. Mexicans! More of you need to move to France!

Ingredients:
1 XL burrito size flour tortilla
3 large shrimp, cooked and peeled and chopped
1 generous handful of shredded swiss cheese
1 green onion, chopped
sour cream
REAL Mexican Salsa (I jumped up and down when I found this at Auchan)
squeeze from a small lemon wedge
Directions:
1. Heat a pan on high heat and heat your tortilla on one side only until it is of desired color.
2. Take the tortilla off heat and put on a plate, hot side up.
3. Spread the cheese and shrimp along 1/2 of the tortilla. Squeeze the lemon wedge over this. Add some of the green onions, 1 tbsp sour cream, and as much salsa as you like.
4. Fold the tortilla in half and put back into the pan. Heat evenly, flipping, until the cheese is melty.
Serve with sour cream and salsa. If I had cilantro and/or avocados, I would have added guacamole.
This made me happy, indeed. It made Eric very happy as well.
That brand makes a bunch of different salsas and they are ALL good! It is the most authentic salsa I've ever had in a bottle.

Thai Masman Curry

This is good stuff. Very very good stuff. Relatively easy, too, considering you have the right curry paste. My dad brought me back various Mae Ploy brand Thai curry pastes (from the US). This is the Masman-Matsman-Massaman flavor. I just followed the directions on the back plus added a few ingredients of my own.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Masman Curry Paste

2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp soybean oil (I used EVOO)
1 cup water
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 potato, cubed
some peanut (which I didn't have)
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp tamarind extract (HA, find that!)
Directions:
1. Stir fry the curry paste in the oil, then add half the coconut milk.
2. Add the meat and the rest of the coconut milk and heat until boiling.
3. Add the vegetables and 1/2 cup water and cook until vegetables soften.
4. Add the ginger, lemon, sugar and tamarind extract. Taste and add more water if needed. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve with boiled thai rice (or basmati)
Just delicious!

* this is fight food without the sugar

Fried Zucchini

This didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to. I got a brand new deep fryer as a going away to a different city present from my work and now I just want to deep fry everything! The original recipe called for panko breadcrumbs, which I didn't have, so I mashed up some pizza crackers in my mortar and pestle... but it gooped instead of being evenly breaded..wtf. It was very good though! An alternative to fries that I really enjoyed along with my filet mignon.
Serves 2 as a side dish
Ingredients:
2 zucchinis, cut into fries and patted dry
1 egg, beaten
some panko bread crumbs (please use these)
a deep fryer...or... a frying pan with olive oil
Directions:
1. Dip your zucchini in the egg mixture, then in the panko mixture. Set to dry on a baking sheet. Please do this because if you just throw all your goopy eggy zucchini pieces into the panko mixture and shake, chances are the egg will make the panko stick to itself instead of your zucchini and make you extremely irritated and ready to throw everything into your hub's face even if he has nothing to do with this issue.
2. Fry in batches until golden. I didn't time and I've been drinking too much champagne to correctly remember. Must have been around 5 minutes in the deep fryer, maybe 10 in a frying pan. Stay nearby. Sorry, I suck with timing instructions.

This was awesome, but it will be better when I actually do it right!

Spicy Chicken Meada

I just discovered something quite fun. I'm sure there is an Italian equivalent, but these are a portugese brand, like the Bagos. It is like spaghetti, but thicker and hollow! I usually don't like thick spaghetti, but when there's a hole down the center, it's just different and way more fun! This was a "make do with leftovers" recipe because I had made a bunch of chicken legs baked with louisiana hot sauce (brought back from the US - so don't get all jealous about the wine and baguette in the background) that was a little too hot for Eric, so I took them all apart and transformed them into a pasta dish.
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
1 lb Meada pasta, cooked al dente
meat off of 5 cooked chicken legs the way you please
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup heavy cream
freshly grated parmesan
shredded swiss
salt/fresh ground pepper
Directions:
1. Sautée the onions and bell pepper in the EVOO. Add the garlic and tomato and deglaze with the white wine.
2. When everything is tender, add the cooked chicken and cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Toss with the cooked pasta and heat through.

Serve piping hot topped with parmesan, ground pepper, and shredded swiss.

Eric said: You should do this more often... It's a keeper!
If you don't have leftover spicy chicken, just add cooked chicken and some tabasco or other type of hot sauce. Louisiana is good though!!

Stuffed Puffs

I make my own appetizers/hors d'oeuvres!! I also have a schnazzy new oven that made these turn out perfectly compared to my old oven. There aren't really any rules to making these, but I like to put 2 ingredients with one of those ingredients being a type of cheese.

Ingredients:
1 uncooked round pastry puff (makes 14)
1 beaten egg yolk
here are some combinations I have done...
ham/cheddar*
roasted bell/boursin*
roasted eggplant/mozzarella
mushroom/cheddar
broccoli/goat cheese
roasted zucchini/swiss
asparagus tips/cheddar
* my alltime favorite combos
Directions:
1. Unroll your pastry puff. Cut in half.
2. Place a small amount of your combo in a corner.

Cut a slice out of your dough, and roll from the outside in.
1 dough should make around 14-16 mini puffs.
When we are over 4 I like to bust out 2 doughs for a very fun game of guess what's in it?

3. Place on your oven tray and brush each mini puff with the egg yolk mixture.
4. Pop in the oven at 400°F for around 10 minutes.. check depending on your oven.

I make these all the time now.. it's fun and a crowd pleaser!