100th Song of the Day

Long Way To Go - Railroad Earth

So here we are, 100 days, 100 recipes, and 100 songs later and my initial blogging experiment is over. I'm closing out this chapter with the song that started it all (hope you've started liking bluegrass by now)! Having a full time job, training for a marine corps 4.5 mile mud run, being out of town every weekend, and cooking often enough to have a recipe every day was a lot harder than I originally thought. So now that it's over, I'm rewarding myself with a trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico! Well, the trip has been planned since before the blog, but it comes at just the right time. My 3 best friends and I will be spending 4 nights at an all inclusive resort, so I will be letting someone else do all the cooking!

So anyway, thanks so much to everyone that is reading! I promise to still blog recipes, but maybe just once a week instead of once a day.

Until next time, Cheers!

Chrissys Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Simply put, these are amazing. Chrissy sent me this recipe a while ago and I just got around to making it. I'll admit, anything that involves pounding and butterflying and stuffing just sounds too difficult for me. BUT it wasn't bad at all, and didn't take near as long as I thought. I hope you don't wait to try these like I did, bc they are so so so good!!!

What you need:
Chicken Breasts, trimmed (use your kitchen scissors)
All purpose flour (probably 2 heaping tablespoons)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Breadcrumbs (I used Panko - Japanese breadcrumbs, they are my favorite and I always have them in the pantry)
Thinly Sliced Prosciutto (1 slice per breast)
Goat Cheese Crumbles (1.5 tablespoons per breast)
Oil

What you need to do:
Butterfly chicken breasts and place in large ziplock (folded back together) and pound with a meat mallot . I actually don't own a meat mallot so I got creative and used the handle of my trusty MagLight Flashlight and it worked very well. Anyway, dredge each breast in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Open up the chicken breast and layer one slice of prosciutto and then 1.5 tablespoons of goat cheese and fold chicken back together. Meanwhile, heat oil (Just a thin layer of oil, probably 1/4 inch or so, definitely not enough to cover the chicken) in a large skillet on heat slightly higher than medium. Once pan gets hot, cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Song of the Day

Feelin' Good Again - Robert Earl Keen

Roasted Fingerlings and Green Beans with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

I made this tonight with Chrissy's Goat Cheese and Prosciutto stuffed chicken breasts (coming tomorrow). This is a great meal to cook for company, and the whole meal only took me an hour. NOTE: I don't know if I messed up my salt measuring or what, but the potatoes were pretty salty, so go easy on the salt. Actually this is probably just because I used 1 pound of potatoes instead of 1.5, but just FYI.

What you need:
1.5 pounds fingerling potatoes** (I got these in the frigerated section at Trader Joes. Mine came in a one pound bag, so thats all I cooked.)
1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp cracked pepper, divided
1/2 pound tiny green beans (haricots verts) (I got a bag of frozen ones and used them)
Creamy Tarragon Dressing

**1.5 pounds small red potatoes, halved, may be substituted with a bake time of 35 minutes. OR 1.5 pounds russet potatoes, quartered may be substituted with a bake time of 40 minutes.

What you need for Tarragon Dressing:
1/4 buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dijon style mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 425. Cut fingerlings in half, lengthwise, and place in a large bowl. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Place potato halves, cut sides up, in a jelly roll pan. Toss green beans with remaining 1/2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper, and place in another jelly roll pan. Bake potatoes at 425 for 30-32 minutes or until tender and browned. Remove from oven and let potatoes stand in pan. Bake green beans at 425 for 12 minutes (I just put them in when the potatoes had 12 minutes left so they were done at the same time). Arrange green beans around roasted potatoes on a serving platter. Drizzle with Creamy Tarragon Dressing.

What you need to do for Dressing:
Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Gradually whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in green onion and tarragon. Pour over potatoes and green beans. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let chilled dressing stand 30 mintues before using. Leftover dressing can be used on a salad.

Song of the Day

We are going to be friends - The White Stripes

Corn Cakes with Chives

I haven't made this in a while, but they sure are yummy! They are on the menu for this week so I hope to have a picture soon.

What you need:
1 fresh ear of corn or 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup milk
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives or cilantro (optional)
1/3 cup dairy sour cream

What you need to do:
Cut corn kernels from cob and measure 1/2 cup. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl stir boiling water into cornmeal to make a stiff mush. Stir in milk until smooth; then stir in fresh or frozen corn, egg, and the 1 tablespoon chives. Add flour mixture and stir just until combined. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into hot oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter; cover and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Meanwhile, if desired, stir the 1 teaspoon chives into the sour cream. Serve sour cream with the corn cakes. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Song of the Day

Comes a Time - Grateful Dead