Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a classic French dish simplified. Good food does not necessarily mean complicated food.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded flat
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices deli ham
8 spears fresh asparagus (optional)
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup melted butter
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Pound out the chicken breasts until equal thickness through out, using a meat mallet. Lay breasts with inside facing up. (Determining the inside and outside of the breast is easy. The outside is smooth, and the inside you can see the muscle tissue.) Layer Swiss cheese, deli ham, and asparagus across short part of the meat. Grasping one end of breast, tightly roll it up and secure with a toothpick. Lay seam side down in a baking dish sprayed with pan release.

Season with salt and pepper. Mix breadcrumbs and butter together and evenly sprinkle on top of breasts. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Serve over wild rice with a White Basil Sauce.




White Basil Sauce

In a saucepan, combine 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, sea salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to medium heat and stir to keep from burning. Once hot, add 1 pint heavy whipping cream. Bring back up to heat, until you get a gentle rolling boil. Allow to reduce slightly and thicken with a pinch of roux. Roux (pronounced roué) is melted clarified butter heated with a little plain flour and made into a paste. Remember, sauce will thicken more once it cools some. If it is too thick, just add a little more cream or milk.

Serve over Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Passion For A Sandwich

One thing I love is a good sandwich. Not just any lunch meat sandwich, but a combination of delicious ingredients that tantalize the mouth and make the tummy happy. Gently toasted and full of good stuff. The toasting makes the sandwich. Use whatever you have to; George Foreman type grill, an electric griddle, or your faithful cast iron skillet. I like to slightly warm most of the ingredients so when I bite in, it’s hot all the way through and satisfying to the senses.

Just about anything that can be combined on a plate, can be placed between two slices of bread. Remember that turkey sandwich at Thanksgiving? Sliced turkey, a little stuffing, cranberry sauce, and replace the mayo with some mashed potatoes, all toasted and served with a side of gravy for dipping. YUMMY!!!! Or turkey and warm apples with sautéed onions and craisins. These are the types of combinations I love to create. My boyfriend even loves a Spaghetti sandwich. Go figure.

So here are a few of my favorites I want to share. May you enjoy them as much as I do.


Cuban Press

Roast pork loin, thin sliced
Deli ham, sliced
Swiss cheese, sliced
Dill pickles, sandwich sliced
Spicy mustard
French bread, diagonally cut
A little melted butter

Take you French bread and cut on an extreme diagonal. Cover each slice with some spicy mustard on the inside and brush lightly with the melted butter on the outside. Layer the pork loin, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles between the bread. Place it in your grill and close the lid so the sandwich is “pressed”. If you are using a griddle or cast iron pan, place weight on top of the sandwich to get the “pressed” effect.


Reuben

Corned beef, thinly sliced (thin slicing is the key to the flavor of the sandwich)
Swiss cheese, sliced
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island dressing
Rye bread (I use the rye, pumpernickel combination)
A little melted butter

Because of the “messy” potential of this sandwich, I lightly toast the bread first using a regular toaster. It gives some stability to the structure so it doesn’t fall apart in your hands.

Butter both slices of bread on one side. On the other side of one of the slices, spread some Thousand Island dressing. Layer on the corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. I warm up the sauerkraut first so it is hot all the way in the middle without burning the bread. Grill on both sides until golden brown.


Classic Caprese Sandwich

Choice of tomato, medium sliced (there are some beautiful heirloom tomatoes available)
Buffalo Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Basil pesto
Capers
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Sourdough or French bread
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add tomatoes and capers and heat just until the tomatoes begin to break down. About 2 minutes. Take off heat. Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.

Brush oil on each side of bread. On opposite side spread some basil pesto. Arrange mozzarella and tomato/caper mixture on bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toast sandwiches on both sides.

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Check back later for more delicious combinations. Until then, YUMMY YUMMY for your tummy!