Recipes

Spaghetti Bake with Chicken

This is a great recipe that the kids can help make

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
5 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese(optional)

1. In shallow non-aluminum dish or resealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper. Poke holes in chicken breasts and add to olive oil mixture. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove chicken from refrigerator and cut into half-inch pieces. Cook in large skillet, with marinade, until chicken is light brown and sauce is bubbly. Remove bay leaves. Stir pepper, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms into skillet and allow to simmer until tender, about 5 minutes

3. While vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Return pasta to pot and add chicken mixture and spaghetti sauce. Stir. Pour mixture into 9x13 inch pan. Top with shredded cheese(optional).

4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve.

Spicy Swordfish with Walnut-Citrus Glaze

Try this spicy seafood dish to keep you warm in these cold tempatures.

Spice Rub

2 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Couscous

1 cup water
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Sauce

1/2 cup currants
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon honey

Other

4 (6 ounce) swordfish steaks (about 1 inch thick)
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Cherry tomatoes flowerets (optional)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl to create the spice rub for the fish. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil. Rub spice mixture over both sides of swordfish. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. In the mean time, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in lemon rind, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mint. Set aside, and keep warm.

3. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, currants, orange rind, orange juice, walnuts, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Set aside; keep warm.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add swordfish, and sauté 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with couscous, and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with cherry tomato flowerets, if desired.

Pheasant in Mushroom Sauce

2-1/2 pound pheasants cut into serving pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 ounces)
1 can (10 ¾ ounce) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
paprika, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Place pheasant, breast side up, in ungreased square pan, 9 x 9 x 2 inches. Mix remaining ingredients except paprika; pour over pheasant. Sprinkle generously with paprika before baking.

3. Bake uncovered 1 hour, spooning sauce over pheasant occasionally. Sprinkle generously with paprika. Bake 30 to 60 minutes longer, spooning sauce over pheasant occasionally, until juice of pheasant is no longer pink when centers of the thickest pieces are cut. Enjoy

Wines recommended for this dish are a Medium strong wine, such as Grave, Beaune, Medoc, Pomerol or a nice Beaujolais.

Chocolate Rum Cake

This wonderful chocolate cake is laced with rum syrup and is wonderful tasting. The cake is a wonderful creation with chocolate and the only thing better than the way it looks is the way it melts in your mouth. Serves 8 to 10

Chocolate Flourless Cake

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2¾ sticks) butter, melted
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
10 egg whites
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
rum-flavored simple syrup (see below)

Rum Simple syrup

1 cup Simple syrup
(Mixed 4 Tbs. Rum, 4 Tbs. water, 8 Tbs. Sugar)

Chocolate Mousse

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup (1 1/4 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 egg yolks
6 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar

Cake Decorations

melted dark chocolate
melted milk chocolate

To make the flourless chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl cream together the melted butter and melted chocolate. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt. When the egg whites reach the soft-peak stage, add 2½ tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff.

In another bowl beat the egg yolks with 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar until the yolks are thick and the sugar is dissolved. Add the egg yolk mixture to the chocolate mixture. Fold in the egg whites. Pour the batter evenly into three 8-inch ring pans placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the cake layers to cool. Soak the layers with rum-flavored simple syrup.

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate mousse: In the top of a double boiler over simmering water melt the chocolate. In a large bowl combine the butter and 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon of sugar. Add the chocolate and mix until incorporated. Add the egg yolks and mix well.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

To assemble the cake: Place a cake layer in an 8-inch ring mold. Spread a layer of mousse over the cake. Brush with rum-flavored simple syrup. Repeat with the two remaining cake layers, ending with a mousse layer. Level the top layer of mousse with a spatula. Refrigerate until chilled. Remove the ring and ice the outside edge of the cake with the mousse.

To decorate the cake: Cut a piece of plastic film (heavy, but flexible — not plastic wrap) to fit the outside edge of the cake. Using a comb, spread the plastic film with a thin layer of melted dark chocolate. When the dark chocolate is set, top with a very thin layer of milk chocolate. Let stand until set but still flexible. Apply the strip around the cake, covering the entire outside of the cake

Ladle melted dark chocolate onto a marble slab or similar heatproof, hard, flat surface. Spread the chocolate very thinly with a spatula. When the chocolate has lost its sheen, scrape up the chocolate into strips resembling ruffled ribbon.

Arrange the ruffled ribbons in one layer around the outer edge of the top of the cake. Repeat with a second layer just inside the first layer, overlapping slightly. Repeat the layers, working toward the center of the cake, until the entire surface of the cake is covered. Arrange some small pieces of ruffled chocolate in the center. Refrigerate the cake until chilled and set. Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.

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