Boiled Lemon Salad

Almond Crusted Chicken over Arugula and Strawberries

Crème de persil with chicken

Pomegranate Chicken

According to mythology, it is due to pomegranates that we have the seasons and pomegranates in the US are exceptionally seasonal, usually from about Halloween through Christmas.

When you buy one, pick one with a firm skin like an apple, the heavier the better.  They range in colours from dark yellow to bright red, but unlike most fruits, the colour really means nothing to what you will find inside.  Inside the pomegranate are the edible seeds which have the consistency of a very firm kernel of corn.  For my recipe I will be using a juicer, but typically you won’t.  For general uses you would cut about an inch off of the top of the pomegranate and then cut through the skin only down the length of the pomegranate, cutting it into 6 to 8 pie slices and then remove the arils or seeds.  You would then place them into a bowl, fill it with water, and after about an hour the membranes to discard will surface and the seeds remain.

This recipe blends the tart citrus of the pomegranate, the earthy flavour of cinnamon and the bite of garlic into a curious taste that is so lively on the tongue.  The prep work involved with the pomegranates can take  bit of time, but most stores will sell the arils in a separate package (check the organic or herb section of the produce area of your store) and pomegranate juice (usually with the fruit juices) but I like the fun of getting my fingers dirty.  If you don’t have a juicer, use a sieve.

Pollo Florentine

Ask anyone what Florentine means and they’ll say it means spinach; except Italians.  The association of spinach and Florence, Italy actually originated in England.  When Catherine de Medici introduced spinach to English cuisine, since she was from Florence, spinach and egg or cheese mixtures became known as Florentine.  Actual Florentine dishes usually are seafood rich with olives and squashes and potatoes.

This dish uses prosciutto, which is an uncooked Italian ham, chicken and a spinach and cheese blend.  Even though prosciutto is salt cured, I guess I am a bit of a worry wart in that I always cook it anyhow.  I also use fresh mozzarella for this recipe, it blends much better with the ricotta than the shredded type that has drying agents applied.  The extra spinach mixture I bake for twenty minutes in a separate dish and serve with the chicken.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic

1/4 pound Italian parsley

1 pound fresh spinach

1/4 pound fresh mozzarella

1 egg

1 cup ricotta

4 slices prosciutto

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons bread crumbs

Directions

• Chop parsley and spinach, combine into medium mixing bowl.
• Press garlic cloves into spinach blend.
• Use a cheese slicer to loosen shreds from mozzarella ball.
• Add egg, ricotta and mozzarella to spinach blend.
• Beat thoroughly until well blended.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Slice chicken breasts open.
• Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of spinach blend into chicken breast pocket.
• Close and wrap prosciutto around chicken.
• Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• Serve.

Chicken with Apricots

A catering company I used for work had made this dish and was nice enough to give me the recipe, it is just wonderful.
I typically serve it with steamed asparagus to contrast the sweetness of the chicken.

Ingredients

6 whole fresh apricots, halved and seeds removed
4 chicken breasts, boneless
1/2 cup water

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water and apricots to a boil over medium heat. Once they begin to boil, lower the heat and use a fork to lightly mash and stir the apricots frequently.
• As they separate in the saucepan, the consistency will be like that of a thick soup and they will separate from their skins. Remove the skins.
• Dip the breasts individually into the apricot mixture and then lay flat into a glass baking dish. Pour remaining apricot mixture over the top and cover firmly with alumnium foil.
• Cook for thirty minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

There’s just something so savory about a homemade soup.  It doesn’t come congealed out of a can, glossy with grease, for one.  The vegetables taste sharper, the meat actually has a flavour and well the best reason for a homemade chicken noodle soup is that you magically get over the flu so much more quickly because of that secret ingredient called love!

My fiance’s favourite meal is homemade chicken noodle soup and since it’s his birthday, his wish is my demand – or something along those lines.

It serves well over mashed potatoes too.

This recipe uses my homemade egg noodle recipe.