Mmmmm....Crescent Rolls

I have fond memories of waking up on a Saturday morning to my grandma making crescent rolls in the kitchen. The smell of the warm, yeasty rolls permeating the house combined with the creamy taste of butter spread onto them was divine. I have been afraid to tackle this recipe for years but today - driven by the stress of a looming deadline on an article that I have been procrastinating throughout the holidays - I decided to go for it. I mean, what better time to take on a scary and new recipe than when you have to submit an article on the same day?

The recipe: From the Betty Crocker 1950 Picture Cookbook

The Challenge: Figuring how to convert a recipe that calls for compressed cake yeast to dry,active yeast. (Difficult but not impossible. I finally gave up trying the read the conversion charts and used two packages) and trying to get the dough to rise in a chilly, Ohio house.

The result: I'll admit they are not perfect but still delicious. Especially the ones that I ate right out of the oven with the butter melting on contact. Surprisingly, they were not hard to make and may become a regular on our dinner table. They lack the flakiness of a croissant (due to using shortening instead of butter) but not quite as heavy as a dinner roll.

Mix the following ingredients together until smooth:
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. soft shortening
1 t. salt
2 eggs

Stir in:
3/4 C. lukewarm milk

Crumble into mixture and stir until dissolved:
2 cakes compressed yeast

Beat in with spoon:
4 C. sifted flour

Scrape dough from sides of bowl. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise until double. Shape as crescents. Cover, let rise until double. Bake in a 425 degree oven until golden brown. *Brush with butter before baking*

My modifications: I mixed everything in my mixer. Made the work practically nil. As I mentioned before, I used two packages of active dry yeast. Once mixed, I placed the dough covered with a damp towel in front of the register since the house is chilly today. It gave it just the right amount of heat.

To shape the rolls, I rolled the dough out on a floured cutting board and cut triangles with a pizza cutter then rolled them up. It worked perfectly.

Vegatable Quiche

1 ready-made pie crust
6 large eggs
1 carrot, grated
1 Sm. onion, chopped
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1 cup broccoli, frozen or fresh
1 cup cheddar cheese , grated
1 Sm. tomato, sliced
1/4 cup whole milk
salt/pepper
herbs DE Provence
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in small skillet. Add carrot, onion and green pepper. Saute until onions are opaque. Boil broccoli until tender.
Let sauted vegetables and broccoli cool.

Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add sauted vegetables, broccoli, cheese and milk. Season with salt, pepper and Herbs De Provence.

Pour into pie crust.

Top with tomato slices.

Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 12-15 minutes. You will know it's finished when a toothpick inserted, comes out clean.

Easy Leftover Lunch

There are only two of us in our household. That usually equals a lot of leftover food. A batch of chili or spaghetti can, easily, last the week. We never waste anything at our house so I have to come up with some creative leftover combos because by the third day of the same thing, it tends to get....well....samey.

Last Tuesday, we had roast chicken for dinner and the next day we had these lovely Swiss Chicken Muffins for lunch. Easy and tasty. I spread some light mayo on the muffins. Next came the chicken (I just picked it right off the bones), followed by a slice of tomato, salt/pepper and topped with Swiss cheese. Into the 400 degree oven and finished when the cheese is melted. It was very good and made use of things we had in the fridge. Enjoy.

Simple Summertime Side Dish

We had some zucchini in the fridge along with some spring onions that had to be used immediately or thrown away. A simple solution: cube the zucchini and saute with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste and top with some buttered bread crumbs. Bake in a low oven (275 degrees) for an hour. Fresh and delicious.

Mmm...Mom. It's My Favorite!

When I was a child, I hated meatloaf. Not just a little. I mean, I really hated it! My complaining about it inspired my dad to "lay down the law". Nobody was to say anything bad about my mom's food. Looking back on it, he really took up for my mom and he was right, although I didn't see it that way at the time. We were lucky enough to have plenty of food and my mom took the time to make it. There should have been no complaints but you know kids. I remember hiding meatloaf in my napkin, moving it around the plate so it looked like I ate some and there was even an incident when I sat at the table for quite a while in a standoff with my parents over the meatloaf issue. Guess who won? They did although it wasn't a Mommy Dearest moment as the meatloaf did not re-appear on my plate for days and days. A little while after everyone left the table, I was excused.

Following Dad's new rule, my sister and I (born cynics) would sit down at the table and say, in our most sarcastic voices, "Mmm... Mom. Meatloaf it's my favorite". We still joke about it. What a couple of little smarty pants.

I gave up on meatloaf for a long time but then one day, my grandmother-in-law made meatloaf for dinner. Not wanting to be rude, I put a nice, polite sliver on my plate and then piled the rest of the plate high with potatoes and vegetables hoping she would not notice that I had bypassed the meatloaf. I gave it a taste and it was delicious. Moist, flavorful and surprisingly wonderful. Who knew meatloaf could be this good? From that time on, meatloaf was back in the game. She made several for me over the years and would even make them and freeze them in slices for me so I could grab a piece whenever the mood struck.

She finally gave me her recipe and I would love to share it with you. I think the key ingredient is Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing. It keeps it moist and adds a great flavor to the loaf.

Best Meatloaf Ever

2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 -2 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
2 T. Lipton onion soup (I sometimes use fresh onions)
1/3 cup catsup
2/3 cup water

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed and place in a loaf pan.
Bake about 1 1/2 hours in a 350 degree oven.
Note: This meatloaf makes the best cold sandwiches with the leftovers. Great for a summertime lunch.

Morels - Part Two

After they soaked in a lightly salted water overnight, I drained and carefully rinsed them. I then placed them on a linen towel to dry.

I have found the best way to bring out the flavor is to lightly flower them. Be careful. They are delicate.

After flouring, they were placed in a pan with a butter/olive oil combo. The amount if crispness depends on your personal taste.

The finished product.

They just melt in your mouth. You get the earthy flavor of the mushroom brought out by the flour and butter. There is nothing like it. I know people have come up with all these fancy recipes for morels but I want to really taste the mushroom. We only get them for a couple of weeks a year so I prefer to enjoy them on their own.

Morels - Fresh From The Woods

Dad just dropped these off on his way home from the woods. Yum!!! They have now been cleaned and are soaking salt water to get all the critters out. Tomorrow, Mike and I will have a feast. This is the best treat of the year. Stay tuned....

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

A couple of months ago, Mike and I got this recipe from Mother Earth News Magazine and decided to give it a try. We have since made several loaves and this is a fool-proof recipe. It has come out the same every time. Now we just need to purchase another dutch oven in order to make several at once.

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.

1 1/2 tsp saltCornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Reuben Casserole

Last night, I was looking through an old church cookbook for some practical and easy recipes. Church cookbooks are a great way to find new recipes to try. One benefit of these fundraiser type cookbooks is that you know somebody has made the recipe and liked it.

This one caught my eye and since we were headed to the grocery, I decided to pick up the
ingredients and make it as soon as we got home. It was awesome, if you love a Reuben sandwich.

Reuben Casserole

16 oz. sauerkraut, drained
1/4 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. parsley
1 t. caraway seed, we skipped the seeds because our bread was seeded.
1/4 C. melted butter
2 C. shredded swiss cheese
2/3 C. thousand island dressing
1/2 lb. sliced, cooked corned beef (we bought Boars Head from the deli)
3 slices rye bread, cut in cubes

Drain kraut, then combine kraut, onion, parsley and caraway seed in bowl. Mix well. Layer kraut mixture in bottom of 8 inch square baking dish. Top with 1 cup cheese, 1/3 cup dressing. Cover with corned beef. Top with remaining cheese and dressing. Toss bread cubes with 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

This recipe came from Ladies Of The Church, Favorite recipes of The Ladies of the First Congregational Church, Mansfield, Ohio. 1984. The recipe was submitted by Missy Bell.

Leek, Celery and Mushroom Pizza

As many of you know, we grow most of our own veggies. This year, we've had a great crop of leeks. Leeks are a wonderful, mild type of onion that will remain long after all of your other crops have all been eaten, canned or frozen.
You must wash leeks carefully because they do tend to collect a lot of dirt in them. I usually cut of the root and the part of the green that I'm going to discard. (of course they go into the compost pile) Cut the leek lengthwise to open it up and rinse all of the dirt from inside. You can then cut them into whatever size you need.

To make this pizza, we mixed the dough for the crust and as it was rising, we sauted the leeks, celery and mushrooms in butter until they were tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once the dough has risen, press into an oiled or non-stick pan. Brush a coating of extra-virgin olive oil on the dough and top with your sauted veggies. We then topped with some all-natural mozzerella and sprinkled with italian seasoning. Bake in a 450 degree oven until cheese is melted and crust
begins to brown.

Pizza Crust

1pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 t. sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
about 3 1/4 cups of flour
1 t. salt
1 T. olive oil

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the water. Combine 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt. Stir yeast mixture and oil into the flour until a dough forms. On a lightly floured work surface, knead about 10 minutes, working in up to 1/2 cup more flour until the dough is still soft but no longer sticky. Put in an oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Notes: If you want to skip all of the work, use a rapid rise yeast and mix the dough in a mixer using the dough hook. No kneading required. Also we have made it, using the rapid rise yeast, and didn't even allow it to rise and it came out fine. It puffed up in the oven. I have made a pizza from mixing to table in twenty minutes using this method.

Not So Deep Fried Mushrooms

While perusing the produce department of our local Kroger, we noticed that they had marked down the price of organic white mushrooms. With no hesitation, we purchased two packages .

We had planned to watch a movie together so I thought that we might make some snacks to pick at during the show. An idea was forming... we could bread them exactly like we did the zucchini to make the zucchini fries. (see earlier post). The method worked !!! Sweet success!!

They were terrific. Now we know that this method will work for just about anything. Deep fried taste and texture without the mess and the fat. Mike mixed some super horseradish cocktail sauce and we were in business. Can't wait to try this out on other veggies as well as chicken and fish.

Stew Weather is Back

The weather has been getting a little cooler and I have the goal of not turning on the furnace until November 1st. I've already slightly "blown it". Friday was gray, rainy and bone-chilling. I turned it on for just a little while to get the chill out of the house. Due to this hefty goal, I am more than ready for some hearty stews and soups to warm the body and the soul . This one was easy and delicious. Unfortunatly, there is not a recipe, per se.

Here's the jist.

I purchased stew meat already cut into hunks. I dried it with some paper towels (made from recycled paper, of course) and lightly floured it. In a skillet, I heated some extra-virgin olive oil and some butter. I placed the floured meat into skillet and browned the pieces on all sides. You want to do this is small batches. Don't crowd the meat or it will not brown properly. Once brown, remove from skillet and place into your cooking vessel. We found this old speckleware dutch oven in our basement. Mom, apparently, left it behind. It was the perfect size. Now I added sweet onion that was chopped into fairly large pieces, mushrooms, red pepper sliced into thin strips, herbs de provence into the skillet and sauteed until the onions were soft. I then, deglazed the pan with a delicious cherry wine to get all of the good and tasty bits from the bottom. Add 2 T. of tomato paste and salt/pepper to taste and some beef broth. Simmer for a few minutes to get all of the flavors to meld. While this was going on, I diced some potatoes and some carrots from our garden. I just threw these raw into the dutch oven with the meat. Once the broth mixture had simmered for a few minutes, I poured it over the meat and potatoes. Into the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. I then reduce the tempurature to 275 degrees and bake for another hour. Slow and Low is the way to cook this meal.

A few helpful hints:
-You don't have to buy the most expensive meat for beef stew. We have purchased some inexpensive roasts and cut the meat ourselves and it turns out just as good.
- Salt and pepper throughout the process and be sure to taste along the way, making any needed adjustments to the seasonings.
-You can use any wine that you like but cherry wine seems to add a really unique and deep flavor. We have used it many times in this dish and it is delicious!
-We love Victoria Taylor's Herbs de Provence. The spices can be purchased at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Home Goods or online. There is a link on this webpage. We love the dried shallots, Sicilian and Tuscan seasonings, as well.

Carrot Casserole

Carrots from our organic garden


Carrot Casserole
1 1/2 lbs carrots
2 T. grated onion
1 T. prepared horseradish
1/2 C. light mayo
1/4 C. cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste
bread or cracker crumbs for topping

Slice carrots into thin discs and cook in water for five minutes. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the water. To water, add onion with its juice, horseradish, mayo and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the carrots and place mixture into a 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and dot with butter.

This is a delicious dish and even the most finicky eaters will love it! I like to add a little more horseradish for some extra "kick". Enjoy!!!

The First Week Of No Junk Food

Well, I made it through my first week back on Weight Watchers. It was actually pretty easy. I just had to plan different snack foods to take to work. I stocked my locker with Tootsie Pops (1 point), sugar-free jello and pretzels. The big hit with my co-workers was the "faux" ice cream sandwich. Easy to make and everyone (even the sceptics) loved them. Take a chocolate graham cracker and put fat-free cool whip on it. Place another graham cracker on top and freeze. They really are delicious and just enough to get rid of a killer craving. Of course, we had one smart ass that claimed they would be even better with chocolate sauce and sprinkles, etc. You get the picture.

I'm already seeing results. I have not been on the scale but my clothes are already fitting better. That gives me motivation because I have closets full of clothes that I can't fit into right now.

This vegetable soup recipe is a must for anyone trying to lose some weight. Low in fat, full of fiber and delicious. It's helped me, many a time, when I was out of points or trying to eat a low point lunch in order to go out for dinner later.

I keep some in the freezer in small containers for a quick, healthy lunch. Hope you enjoy.

Veggie Soup
1 bag of frozen vegetable soup starter (any brand will do or you can use fresh veggies)
1 can diced tomato with the juice
1 can beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
water to cover
salt,pepper

Simmer on the stove until veggies are cooked through and soup is hot. Serve w/ low-fat crackers. Great accompaniment to Salads and Sandwiches

You can give the soup different flavors with different spices. I like it with Italian spices and a little garlic or sometimes I'll add cumin, instead of Italian spices, for a more southwestern flavor. It's a versatile soup so experiment with it.

Zucchini Fries

Last night, we tried this terrific recipe from Weightwatchers.com. We have an abundance of Zucchini from our garden so we will definitely make these again. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We even tried dipping them into Trader Joe's Low Fat Marinara. I was in heaven and don't think I will ever crave a fried Mozzarella stick again, after eating these.

I tried to provide you with a link to the Weight Watchers Website so you could see the picture of the dish but now I can't find it on the site. I did email it to myself so I can forward it to you, if you send me a note.


Ingredients
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs, panko-variety suggested
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.
Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.
Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.


Notes
Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes.For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500ºF and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time.

Pasta Primavera

Looking for something quick, easy and fresh? Or a way to use some of your fresh veggies from the garden? Then try a beautiful and satisfying Pasta Primavera. This delicious dish is sure to please and is on the table in about 20 minutes.

I started by putting the water on to boil for the capellini. It's a thin, semolina pasta that takes only about three minutes to cook once it's placed in the boiling, salted water. While waiting for the water to come to a boil, I chopped a zucchini and a sweet onion. They went into a skillet with about 2 T. of extra-virgin olive oil over a medium heat. After a few minutes, I added a grated carrot and allowed the veggies to saute until the onions and zucchini were becoming translucent. Next, I added garlic, salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some italian seasoning, at this point, along with diced tomato. If you don't have fresh, it's perfectly fine to use canned. Allow the sauce to simmer until your pasta is done.

By this time, the capellini was ready to go into the pot of water that had come to a rolling boil.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain and serve with your super, fresh summer sauce ladled over the top. Garnish with a little freshly, grated parmesean and serve with salad,bread and a nice wine. It's a perfect summer meal.

Corn Cakes

Yesterday, I came home from the library with a plethora of new cookbooks to salivate over. Our teenage niece was staying the night so we had to come up with something that she could help prepare and that she would eat. The solution: Get her involved in the planning. I let her go through a couple of cookbooks after telling her the basic items I had in mind. We had a chicken already defrosted and she chose to have it roasted. Easy enough. We butterflied it, buttered the skin and used Herbs de Provence. All suprising choices from a thirteen year old.

Next, we had to come up with a couple of side dishes. She had already picked orzo pilaf. She went through the cookbooks and came up with an idea for corn cakes. I had been to the farmer's market on friday and picked up a couple of ears of corn, green onions and zucchini. She wasn't sure about the zucchini as she claimed to have never tried it. We decided to plow ahead and the results were delicious! She loved these corn cakes. Mike made a cocktail sauce and we also tried them with sour cream. Both worked out beautifully. Hope you enjoy them.

Corn Cakes

yields about a dozen or more cakes

2 ears of corn, shuck the corn from the ears,about 1 cup
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup zucchini, diced fine
1 T. roasted red pepper, diced fine
2 eggs, beaten
10 Ritz type crackers, smashed
3/4 C. skim milk
1 C. Flour, all purpose
1 T. baking powder
1 T. dill
salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. You want the consistancy to be like a pancake batter so make adjustments to liquid vs. dry ingredients if neccessary. Heat some oil in a skillet (we used a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil). Fry in pan until they are a golden brown. Place on a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb any excess oil. Can be reheated in a low oven if there are any leftover.

Note: If your corn is not very sweet, you can add 1 T. of sugar.

Pasta with Spicy Anchovy Sauce and Dill Breadcrumbs

Yesterday, we decided to try the cover recipe of the April 2008 Gourmet Magazine. It looked so delicious that I convinced myself to give anchovies another try. Big Mistake!!!! I have never liked them and have now confirmed that I never will. As a food enthusiast, I try to keep an open mind but there are two things that I absolutely cannot eat. The first is Tuna Noodle Casserole (hence the problem with this dish) and peaches or anything peach flavored. Still, the process of cooking is always a pleasure even if the end result is,shall we say, disappointing.

My issues weren't with the recipe itself. I simply don't have a taste for anchovies. The recipe was easy to follow and for those that enjoy them, it would make an excellent dish. It was like a simplified Tuna Casserole and really would fit into the "comfort food" niche. One of the things that I loved about it was the dilled breadcrumbs. They looked gorgeous and had a toasty flavor that was only enhanced by the dill. I think I'll work them into some other dishes so the experience was not a total loss. Mike,however, liked the dish but felt that it needed a little garlic. Well, we'll share the recipe and let you decide for yourselves.

Pasta with Spicy Anchovy Sauce and Dill Breadcrumbs (serves 6)

3/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 C. fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a baguette)

1/4 C. chopped dill

1 lb. red onions,thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 2oz. can flat anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

1 lb. bucatini or perciatelli pasta

1/2 t. dried hot red-pepper flakes

* Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmer,then cook bread crumbs,stirring constantly,until deep golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

* Transfer bread crumbs to a bowl and toss with dill and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

* Wipe out skillet, then cook onions with 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 1/2 cup oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft, 12-15 minutes. Add anchovies and cook, mashing anchovies into onions until dissolved.

* Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain pasta

* Stir red-pepper flakes and reserved water into anchovy sauce, then add pasta and toss to combine. Add about 1/2 of the bread crumbs and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with remaining bread crumbs. (I think a nice garnish of dill would be pretty for presentation)

Note: The ingredient list is exact to the original recipe. The only thing that I changed in the instructions is that I did not describe to process of cooking the pasta. I'm assuming that everyone knows how to make pasta al dente.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dip

One of my favorite discoveries at Trader Joe's is Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Since I haven't been able get to Columbus recently, I had to try to make my own. Mike and I collaborated on this version and it's full of flavor and low in fat.

We started out discussing the mechanics of how this was going to happen since our food processor, a hand me down from my mom, had recently gone to kitchen gadget heaven. Mike informed me that many of the great chefs of the world could make hummus long before the invention of the food processor. I think this was just Mike furthering his own agenda. (that the only thing a good cook needs is a sharp knife) I whip out this old food mill that once belonged to my grandma and decide that it might be useful for processing the chickpeas. It worked great but proved to be useless with the roasted peppers. Mike whipped out his trusty chef's knife and chopped them to a fine, paste-like texture. I grabbed the camera and proceeded to take pictures while trying to stay out of the way of a genius at work.

This has got to be one of the easiest and most delicious concoctions we have ever made, so here it is.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dip

1 can of garbanzo bean/chickpeas

1/2 small jar of roasted red peppers (about 1 1/2 whole peppers)

1 t. crushed garlic

1 T. low fat sour cream

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Place the beans in a food processor and pulse until paste-like. Add the roasted red peppers and remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. If the mixture is still too dry, add a tad more olive oil but go easy on the sour cream or it will be too light. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: We really like garlic so we added a little more. You could also use a kosher salt to perk up the flavor. The taste was much better today so I think I'll make it a day ahead if I'm going to take it to a party. The flavors really melded overnight in the fridge.

Poulet A La Moutarde De Dijon (Chicken in Mustard Sauce)

Tearing recipes out of magazines appears to be hobby of mine. It didn't begin as a hobby but, over time, this pile of recipes grew into what could now be called a collection. This is the pile known as, "I'll make it someday". I love to try new recipes but sometimes the idea never becomes reality. I get in a hurry and rely on old standards just to get a meal on the table. One of the great things about this blog is that is forces me out of my comfort zone and into a whole new world. It allows me to rediscover what simple, well prepared food really is.

I didn't have to work yesterday so I had all day to decide what to cook. It became like a bad case of writer's block. I couldn't think of anything. Do you ever have those days when you just can't decide what you're in the mood for? I went through "the collection" and nothing really caught my fancy. Then I remembered that tucked back into a sleeve of a folder was a recipe for a chicken in mustard sauce. I tore it out of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion probably five or more years ago. I only tore out the page with the recipe so I can't tell you when it was published or who the recipe belongs to. What I can tell you is that this recipe is definitely going to be a repeat performer. It was simple to prepare, required few ingredients, was visually stimulating and tasted fabulous! Now I can't wait for my next excuse to have my family over for dinner.

Note: Because I don't know who authored the original recipe, I am printing it with the original ingredient list but will use my descriptions,instructions and modifications to tell you how I prepared it.

Poulet A La Moutarde De Dijon (Chicken in Mustard Sauce)

1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lbs), cut up, (breasts halved)

salt and pepper

2 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 C. sour cream or creme fraiche

1 T. dijon mustard

1 C. white wine

1 T. chopped,fresh tarragon

Modifications: I used boneless,skinless chicken breasts lightly dredged in flour and cubed since I was in a hurry and the chicken would cook faster. I used Bohemian Highway's California Pinot Grigio 2006 as my wine. I also added some chopped vidalia onion,shallots, and garlic and substituted dried,organic tarragon for the fresh.

In a heavy skillet, melt butter with oil and place the chicken that has been lighted floured. Add salt and pepper,onions,shallots and garlic along with the tarragon. Cook over a medium to medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove chicken to a plate.Deglaze the pan with the wine. Then add the mustard and sour cream and mix gently. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan so that each piece is well covered with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and continue to simmer for a few minutes. Plate it with some of the tarragon or some fresh parsley for garnish.

Serve with a nice green veggie, perhaps asparagus and/or glazed carrots, and a good, crusty bread.