Month: December 2014

Prosciutto Chicken with Orange Sauce

Getting tired of turkey yet? Looking for a simple New Years Eve dish. This recipe fits both criteria and it tastes great with some Jasmine rice! If you have never looked at the Canadian Living website, you should…most of the recipes are Tested Till Perfect.

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/

Prosciutto Chicken with Orange Sauce
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tsp (18 ml) olive oil
• 2 tsp (10 ml) grated orange rind
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) orange juice
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp (10 ml) butter

Preparation

In small bowl, mix together all but 2 tsp (10 ml) of the parsley, the garlic, oil, orange rind, salt and pepper; divide over chicken breasts. Wrap each in 2 slices prosciutto; place in greased ovenproof skillet.

Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove skillet from oven; transfer chicken to serving plate and keep warm. Add vinegar to pan, scraping up any brown bits from bottom with wooden spoon.

Place over high heat. Add orange juice and sugar; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted. Pour over chicken; garnish with remaining parsley.

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Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Trying out a new look for 2015…hope you like it!

We were in Cuba in February and came to enjoy the red beans and rice. Looking for a similar dish, I found a recipe for Cajun Red Beans and Rice on my friend Kevin’s site www.closetcooking.com

I used a smoked pancetta as Andouille is not common down here. The flavour was great. This recipe makes enough for four hungry people!

Cajun Red Beans and Rice (adapted from http://www.closetcooking.com)
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 pound Andouille sausage or smoked Pancetta (cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup celery (diced)
• 1/2 cup green pepper (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
• 2 (19 ounce) cans red beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups cooked rice (I like to go with Basmati)
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat add the sausage and sauté until lightly golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, and set aside.
2. Add the onions, celery and green pepper to the pan and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the stock, beans, sausage/pancetta, paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for at least 1 hour
6. Remove the bay leaves.
7. Mash or puree about a quarter of the beans if desired.

If you feel there is too much liquid, just let it simmer down.
Just before serving add the cooked rice.

Aunt Edna’s Equivalents

If you are like me you are always looking to figure out how many this and that’s there are i.e How many cups of cornflakes are needed to equal 1 cup of crushed flakes. I recently came across this site which although not complete, may be of help.

Aunt Edna’s Equivalents
http://www.auntedna.com/utils/equivalent.html

INGREDIENT         QUANTITY            EQUIVALENT
Active Dry Yeast        1 package             1 cake compressed
Apples                          1 medium            1 cup sliced
Bananas                       3 medium            1 cup mashed
Beans                           1 cup dry               2 1/2 cups cooked
Bread Crumbs            4 slices                  1 cup dry crumbs
Bread Crumbs            1 slice                    3/4 cup soft crumbs
Butter                           1 pound                2 cups
Butter                           1 pound                4 sticks
Butter                           1 stick                    1/4 pound (113 grams)
Butter                           1 stick                    1/2 cup
Cabbage                       1 pound                4 cups shredded
Cheese, American      1 lb. shredded     4 cups
Cheese, Bleu               1/4 lb. crumbled 1 cup
Cheese, Cheddar        1 pound                4 cups grated
Cheese, Cheddar        4 ounces               1 cup grated
Cheese, Cottage          1 pound                2 cups
Cheese, Cream            1/2 pound           8 ounces
Cheese, Cream           6 ounces               3/4 cup
Cherries                       1 quart                  2 cups pitted
Chocolate                    1 ounce                 1 square
Chocolate Chips        6 ounces               1 cup
Corn Flakes                3 cups                   1 cup crushed
Crackers, Soda           28 crackers          1 cup crumbs
Crackers, Graham    14 squares             1 cup crumbs
Cranberries               1 pound                   3 cups sauce
Cream                        1 cup unwhipped   2 cups whipped
Dates                          1 lb. whole               1 1/2 cups pitted & cut
Eggs                            5 medium                1 cup
Egg Whites                8 to 10                      1 cup
Egg Yolks                   12 to 14                     1 cup
Fat                               2 cups                       1 pound
Flour, Sifted              4 cups                       1 pound
Flour, Cake                4 1/2 cups                1 pound
Flour, Whole Wheat 3 1/2 cups               1 pound
Horseradish              1 Tbsp. fresh           2 Tbsp. bottled
Lemon                        1 medium                3 Tbsp. juice
Macaroni                   1/2 pound                4 cups cooked
Marshmallows         10 miniatures          1 large
Mushrooms              1 lb. fresh                 6 oz. canned
Onions                       1 medium                 1/2 cup chopped
Orange                      1 medium                  1/3 cup juice
Peanuts                     5 ounces                    1 cup
Pecans, chopped     4 1/2 ounces             1 cup
Pecans, halves          3/4 ounces               1 cup
Rice                            1 cup uncooked       3 1/2 cups cooked
Sugar, Granulated   2 cups                       1 pound
Sugar, Powdered     3.5 to 4 cups            1 pound
Sugar, Brown           2 1/4 cups packed  1 pound
Spaghetti                  7 ounces                    4 cups cooked
Vanilla Wafers        22 wafers                   1 cup crumbs
Walnuts, chopped  4 1/2 ounces             1 cup
Walnuts, halves       3 1/2 ounces             1 cup
Walnuts                    1 lb. unshelled          1 1/2 cups shelled

French Florentine Cookies

These crunchy chocolate coated cookies are popular in France at Christmas. They were also great when our friend Kathy made them while we were visiting in December.

1 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
3/4 cup candied orange peel* (see note below)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 T butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chocolate chips of your choice

Combine almonds, peel and flour. Set aside.
In heavy saucepan combine butter, cream and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in floured fruit.
Grease and flour 2 baking sheets. Drop batter by spoonfuls (1 T) at least 3 inches apart,
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool slightly and then remove to cooling rack.

Spread or brush with melted chocolate on the underside of each cookie.
Makes about 24 cookies.

* Since peel isn’t always available, you might want to check the Internet for an easy homemade recipe.