Cream Cheese, Garlic, and Chive Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons dried chives
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, butterflied
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or spread, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 cup italian breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, chives, pepper, and garlic. Divide the mixture into 4 balls.
Place 1 cream cheese ball in the center of each butterflied chicken breast half. Fold the chicken over the cream cheese, wrap with a slice of turkey bacon, and secure with toothpicks. Arrange the chicken in a baking dish. Pour the butter over the chicken and then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Makes 4 servings.

Maple Cookies

Be sure to use Grade B maple syrup (Grade B syrup is made late in the season and therefore has a darker, richer, more “mapley” flavor than Grade A) if you can for this recipe as it will stand up to the brown sugar and to baking. If all you have is Grade A then that’s fine too.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (Grade B preferably)
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed for three minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until well incorporated. Add the maple syrup and mix until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for thirty minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie, about 1 inch balls, onto cookies sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

I have seen a lot of different variations to this recipe and to be honest neither of us have copies of our Moms’ recipes for their Pea Soup. This recipe tastes just like we each remember our Moms making them.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1-pound bag split peas, rinsed and picked through
• 1 ham bone (remnants of previous ham dinner) or 1 1/2 ham hock
• 2 quarts chicken stock, water, or combination
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter over medium-high heat. Add peas and ham and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham and dice and shred it. Return ham to soup and cook another 1/2 to 1 hour. Serve with crusty bread for a hearty meal.

Rhode Island Dynamite

I have seen a lot of different variations to this recipe published in the local papers and online, this version is a modification of one I found in the Providence Journal about 5 years ago and is the closest to what I always remember them tasting like. Trust me when I tell you that you should make twice the amount that you think you want, it will go fast. The traditional way to serve it is in a grinder/torpedo roll, but if there is any left the next day I will often put it over rice or pasta.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of ground beef
• 2 pounds ground turkey (you want 5 pounds of ground meat total, I find this the best combo, but you can use all hamburg if you aren’t worried about heart disease. I don’t recommend going all ground turkey though, I was able to tell the one time I tried this.
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded & diced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced
• 2 large Vidalia (or other sweet) onion, diced
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes, with the liquid reserved
• 3 tbsp of butter for sautéing the onions and peppers
• 1½ cup water
• 3 small cans of tomato paste
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp garlic powder

Directions:

In a large stock pot (I actually use a large wok) start sautéing the onions in butter, once they are about half done add the peppers and the drained tomatoes. Continue sautéing until the onions are translucent. Remove the veggies into a bowl and start browning the hamburg and turkey. Spoon off most of the grease as you brown it (leaving a little for flavor is OK).

Once the meat is browned add the sautéed veggies, the tomato paste, the reserved liquid from the diced tomatoes, and the spices. Thoroughly mix together and let cook for about 15 minutes. Taste the dynamite mixture. Now here is where it can get a little tricky, the spices tend to meld and mature over the remaining cooking process. The final dynamite mixture should be a little spicy, but not crazy hot.

This is where my recipe goes completely different from others. You will notice we still have a cup and a half of water left. Most recipes don’t have the water and instead end here and say, remove from heat and refrigerate for at least a day. Personally, when I start making dynamites there is no way I am waiting another day for one. So here we go, break out a crock pot and pour the whole mixture into it, making sure to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Set the crock pot on low and cook for several hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. How long, well, in our house it is as long as we can stand the smell before one of us says “that’s it, it is making me too hungry.” The final consistency of the dynamite mixture is just a little stiffer than Sloppy Joes.

Like I said earlier, traditionally the dynamite mixture is served in torpedo rolls, but it is just as yummy or over pasta or rice.

Ceviche

I have to admit that I have never made ceviche at home, but love it when I have had it at restaurants and had no idea it was so easy. You can actually see the lemon and lime juice turning the color of the fish from translucent pink to opaque white. The acid from the limes and lemons change the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially “cooking” the fish without using heat. I love ceviche rolled up in a freshly cooked, still warm corn tortilla with lettuce and salsa. Always use the freshest fish possible. Make the same day you purchase fresh fish.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of firm, fresh red snapper fillets (or other firm-fleshed fish), cut into 1/2 inch pieces, completely deboned
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup of chopped fresh seeded tomatoes
• 1 serrano chili, seeded and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• Dash of ground oregano
• Dash of Tabasco or a light pinch of cayenne pepper
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Tortillas or tortilla chips

Directions:

In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, chili, salt, Tabasco, and oregano. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime and lemon juices. Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.

During the marinating process the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to whiter in color and opaque.

Serve with chopped cilantro and slices of avocado with heated tortillas for ceviche tacos or with tortilla chips.

Serves 4-8.

Mediterranean Scallops

Whole grain pasta and plenty of colorful vegetables provide healthy fiber to this nutritious entree. The delicate Mediterranean flavors combined with a hint of heat make this dish a culinary delight.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Nature’s Promise whole wheat linguine
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (no-salt added)
• 8 oz can tomato sauce (no-salt added)
• 1/2 of 16 oz package Nature’s Promise frozen cut leaf spinach
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 1 lb bay scallops

Directions:

Prepare linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add garlic and shallots, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spinach and seasonings. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add scallops and spinach. Cook until scallops are cooked through, approximately 5-10 minutes. Drain pasta and divide evenly among four warm pasta bowls (about 1 cup each). Top with scallops mixture. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serve with tossed green salad and Italian bread.

“Not Your Ordinary” BLT

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs brown sugar (or maple syrup)
• 3 tbs adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
• 2 or 3 chipotle peppers (depending on size)
• a single 1/4 inch slice from a lg onion
• 4 – 6 slices of thick sliced bacon
• 1 large Beefsteak style tomato
• salt and pepper
• several leaves of romaine lettuce cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
• tsp to tbsp of mayonnaise
• Two thin slices (or one thick one) of a hearty whole grain bread
• Crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

Whisk together the olive oil, Worcestershire (or soy) sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar (or maple syrup) and adobo sauce. Pour 1/3 of the marinade into an 8×8 baking dish (or something comparable) – you want a dish that is just big enough to hold the bacon in a single layer – this way it will be fully covered by the marinade. Add the bacon. Pour the second 1/3 of the marinade over the top of the bacon and put the last 1/3 aside, cover the bacon and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, overnight or until ready to use (at least an hour please).

Fire up the grill. Set it high and keep it there. The grilling step is not one that you are going to want to walk away from, everything should be quick.

Cut the tomato into approximately 1/4″ – 1/2″ slices and lightly salt and pepper each slice. Lightly butter or oil one side of each of the slices of bread and lightly grill just that side of each (grilling both sides will make it impossible to keep the sandwich together). If you are being adventurous and including the blue cheese, spread a very thin layer of crumbled blue cheese on top of one slice while you grill it. Lube grill grates WELL with olive or cooking oil where you will cook the veggies. Put the bacon on the un-lube section (how long you cook this is a matter of taste, some people like crispy bacon, some don’t (just don’t wind up with black sticks). Grill the onion slice well. We are looking to get good grill marks on it and get it just cooked enough so it starts to soften. It is perfect if you get it just before it starts to fall apart. Dip each tomato slice into the 1/3 of the marinade that is left and put on grill. You want to grill these really fast on each side. We are looking for a nice bunch of blackened grill marks on them, but don’t actually want to “cook” them too much as they will just fall apart.

Once all the grilled items are done, it is almost time to assemble. But first, take the bowl that had the marinade in it that you had dipped the tomatoes in (there probably won’t be much marinade left in it) and put in a tsp to tbs of mayonnaise and mix it with the marinade that is left.

To assemble each sandwich take one slice of bread and slather the ungrilled side with the mayo. Spread out some shredded lettuce on top, then tomatoes, then some onion, the bacon, and then peppers. Enjoy either open faced or topped with another slice of bread (the blue cheese one if you are opting for this adventurous diversion).

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lg onion (diced)
• 2 ribs celery (diced)
• 2 large carrots (diced)
• 3 ears corn (cut kernels off cob)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cubed)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 16 tortilla chips

Directions:

Place the olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the corn and chicken and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, water, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Reduce the heat until the soup is simmering. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with crumbled tortilla chips.

West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lime juice—about eight limes
• 4 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed and chopped fine
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 quart San Pellegrino water or club soda
• 1 cup rum
• Thin slices of limes

Directions:

Juice the limes and remove seeds but don’t strain pulp—it adds extra flavor.

Grate lime zest, being careful not to include white pith. You’ll need about 6 limes to make 4 tablespoons of zest.

Remove stems from mint, wash well and spin in salad spinner. Chop fine.

Combine lime juice, zest, mint leaves, sugar and water in saucepan over medium-low flame.

Bring to simmer, turn off flame. Let syrup steep for at least two hours—but no longer than four hours or it will become bitter.

Strain syrup into glass container, pressing mint leaves into strainer to extract full flavor. Cover syrup and store in fridge until ready to use.

To make a punch bowl, pour syrup into bowl and add rum. Slowly add the bottle of San Pellegrino water or club soda, stirring carefully to incorporate water but not diffuse soda bubbles. Float lime slices on top. For a very impressive presentation add an ice-ring.

To make individual glasses of punch, add 2 jiggers of syrup and one jigger of rum to a tall 12-ounce glass. Add ice cubes to top of glass and fill with San Pellegrino water or club soda. Stir gently, garnish with thin slice of lime and serve.