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Yasu! Opa! Don’t break the plates until you try this dish!

Greek-Style Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
3-1/2 lbs. chicken, (1 whole chicken, cut up)
2 Tbsp. Greek seasoning (Cavender’s is the most popular brand of this mixture)
1 28-oz. can chopped Italian tomatoes
1 Tbsp. butter
3/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup dry vermouth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 6-oz can sliced black olives

Method
Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Season with Greek seasonings and let sit for about 15 minutes.

Melt butter in a large skillet and saute mushrooms until their liquid is released and then evaporated. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for justa minute. Remove from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides and remove from pan. Add vermouth off the heat and deglaze pan over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits from the bottom. Add tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste and cooked mushrooms and garlic. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Place chicken in a baking dish, scatter sliced black olives over the top and pour in sauce. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for about an hour. Remove foil. If the sauce is not thick enough, bake a little longer uncovered.

Easy-to-make Mexican classic that has all the elements of the original, but takes a few shortcuts to produce a tasty result.

Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe

Ingredients
8 ounces whole green chilies (like Anaheim or Poblano)
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Method
Remove seeds from the chilies and then cut into half-inch and one-inch pieces.

Spray the bottom of a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Layer chilies in bottom, then add a layer of cheese, Repeat.

Mix the eggs, milk, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Pour over chili-cheese layers.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes until puffed and golden, Cool slightly, cut into squares and serve with your favorite Mexican toppings and sides.

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Halloween Spice Cake Recipe

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Shrimp Romescu Recipe

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1 French bread slice
1 large garlic clove
1 7-oz. jar roasted red peppers
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Method
Stir almonds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to food processor. Place bread in same skillet and toast on each side. Break into pieces into food processor. With the machine running, drop garlic through feed tube. Add roasted red peppers, olive oil, sherry vinegar and cayenne pepper and process until mixture is the consistency of thick mayonnaise, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.

Arrange sauteed shrimp on plates. Spoon Romescu sauce over the shrimp and serve.

The sauce may be kept in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to four days.

Equipment you will need:
Baking tray
Serrated knife large
Metal Spoon
Colander
Food Processor
Pie dishes

Prepare the pumpkin:
1. Wash the pumpkin in warm water, do not use soap. Cut the pumpkin in half width-wise using the serrated knife. Scoop out the insides, seeds and stringy parts.

2. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet face down / pumpkin rind up. Bake pumpkin until the rind turns a nice golden brown.

3. To check to see if the pumpkin is done, the rind should slip right off the meat of the pumpkin and pumpkin meat can be easily removed with your fingers. Take all the meat and place in a colander to drain any excess liquid. For best results: line your colander with cheesecloth, thick paper towels, or even coffee filters and press down on pumpkin to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Do ahead tip: Bake your pumpkin a day ahead of pie-making and drain in the colander (wrapper and stored in the refrigerator) overnight.

4. Once cooled and drained, blend in a food process so it becomes a nice smooth consistency.

Prepare pie dough:
Chef Adam has a great recipe and method, use this link: Simple Pie Dough. Keep cover and chilled until use.

Bake your pie:
Recipe is below. Save this to your ChefsLine Recipe Box > >

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked pumpkins, mashed*
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg or allspice
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 eggs, beaten slightly

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking pan with pastry dough. In mixing bowl, mix 2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin with remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake pie for another 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow to cool. Serve with whipped cream or by itself.

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Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe

Ingredients
4 6-oz. chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
8 fresh sage leaves, 4 whole, 4 julienned for garnish
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 prosciutto slices
4 Provolone cheese slices
3 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

Method
Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally, stopping just before edge.

Season flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. While heating large saute pan over medium high heat, dredge chicken breasts in seasoned flour. Saute on chicken is golden on both sides. Remove from pan.

Add the mushrooms to the same pan and saute until they release their liquid and the liquid evaporates, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute and remove from the pan. Pour in the vermouth off the heat and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth and bring the liquid to a boil.

Stuff each chicken breast with a slice of Provolone, then prosciutto, then a whole sage leaf. Return the stuffed chicken to the pan, lower the heat and simmer. Add mushrooms and finish in a 350 oven until the cheese has melted.

Wild vegetables can be found in in the woods, fields, and meadows of rural and even suburban areas. In fact, you can grow some of the more popular varieties in a shade garden in your own backyard. However, finding them is fun and requires only a personal commitment to self-education, a great photo manual, and a willingness to explore.

There are a few mail order sources for wild vegetables. I recently ran across a reference to MarxFoods‘ Wild Produce Sampler, so I picked up the phone and gave them a call. I spoke with Justin Marx who, with his two brothers and father, own and run the New Jersey-based company. I gratefully accepted shipment of the sampler within a week – just in time to entertain guests for this year’s very early Spring Easter dinner.

The sampler included fiddleheads, stinging nettles, ramps, and miner’s lettuce. These are all plants that grow wild (to the best of my knowledge none are cultivated commercially) and are among the first spring greens.

Fiddleheads have an asparagus flavor to them. It’s not a precise match, but they’ll remind you of really fresh asparagus. They can be tough so some precooking is called for. They are medium to dark green and stand on a short or tall slender stalk. They edible part is the “fiddlehead” – so named because the coil looks like the scroll of a violin. They taste great raw, in a stir fry, or with pasta. Although wild, they are popular in the Northeast and can be found at local farmer’s markets.

Ramps are essentially wild leeks that taste like a perfect cross between onion and garlic. They grow and then disappear / take a new form very quickly so they can look like a small scallion to a larger, flat leafy scallion. Their odor and flavor is more potent, but becomes milder when cooked. They are a great choice for grilling and other high-heat cooking methods such as sauteing. Ramps are readily available in the Southern US where they grow in hardwood forests. They are such a treat! be sure to ask for them at your farmer’s market or take a hike before the end of May.

Miner’s lettuce is similar in flavor and cooking character to spinach, but milder in flavor. It’s great raw or cook this delicate green gently and quickly. It grows in the Northwest US. Notice it only gets a minute in a skillet in the recipe below.

Wild Vegetable Medley Recipe
Chef Kevin Weeks
Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fiddlehead ferns – picked over, trimmed, and cleaned
• 1/2 lb ramps – trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces including the lower part of the greens
• 1/4 lb pancetta -cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 anchovy filets – minced
• 1/2 lb miner’s lettuce

Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook fiddleheads for 5 minutes. Transfer ferns to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, drain, and pat dry. At this point the fiddleheads can stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Cook the pancetta in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until the fat begins to render – about 2 minutes. Add ramps and minced anchovy and cook, tossing occasionally, until ramps begin to brown – about 3 minutes. Add miner’s lettuce, cover, and cook 1 minute longer until lettuce begins to wilt. Serve immediately.

There is no salt called for because both the pancetta and anchovies provide salt. The pancetta I used was my own and was cured with herbs and spices so I didn’t add any additional flavorings. If you use store-bought pancetta adding a bit of chopped rosemary and thyme as well as some pepper would be a good idea. Last, MarxFoods hadn’t gotten in any ramps yet and so I subbed scallions.

Stinging nettles are smallish green plants (about 12-inches tall) with mint-shaped leaves and small spines along the stems. These spines are like hypodermic needles and when they prick you deliver a stinging chemical – so why did anyone think to eat them? They’re one of the first green vegetables to appear in the spring and fortunately a short bath in boiling water (around five minutes) disables both the spines, which get soft, and the stinging chemical. Cooked, they have a flavor most reminiscent of spinach but slightly wilder. They really are delicious and if you’re careful to wear dish-washing gloves while handling them you won’t get stung. As for the nettles, I cooked them just for myself dressed simply with butter and a splash of cider vinegar. Delicious.

More fun in the woods:
Foraging education with Steve Brill
Edible Flowers
How to Forage for Wild Edible Plants

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Kitchen Guy’s Easy Mediterranean Leg of Lamb Recipe

Ingredients
1 boneless leg of lamb, trimmed
3 red onions, sliced thin
3 large juice oranges, sliced thin with skin on
1/2 cup beef broth or lamb stock
3/4 cup Nicoise or black olives
1 Tbsp. dried mint
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 500. In a roasting pan large enough to hold the leg of lamb, make a layer of onion rings just under the lamb. Top onion rings with half of the orange slices. Coat lamb with dried mint, salt and pepper. Cover with remaining oranges. Roast the lamb for 10 to 12 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 425 then roast for at least 35 minutes, but up to an hour — until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 140.

Remove the lamb to a platter. Over high heat on top of the stove, add remaining ingredients to onions and oranges. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then remove the onions, oranges and olives with a slotted spoon to a dish. Skim the remaining liquid of any fat and then transfer to a gravy boat.

Serve each person with slices of lamb and the onion-orange-olive mixture, topped with the sauce.

Like many moms, I have always looked forward to religious and secular holidays as a time to share with family and create memories. Passover Seder is the ultimate expression of this incredible opportunity for Jews—a religious festival uniquely focused on the ritual of the meal. But for me, well, I’ve always wanted to celebrate with something a little more exciting and personal—and less meaty! Even though my friends and family always expect me to create really remarkable meals, I just did not have the courage to break from the dishes that were tried, true and easy during Passover.

Passover Seder 2008
Cream of Root Vegetable Soup
Roasted Salmon with Marinated Fennel and Thyme
Potato Kugel
Lemon Cake with Lemon Topping and Berries
Pecan Meringue Cookies

Fortunately, my daughter invited me to attend a meeting and I had the opportunity to meet an incredible chef, cookbook author, and activist – Phyllis Glazer, the author of The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking. Her excitement about her recipes and the process of cooking for the holidays was just what I needed to not only embrace cooking for Passover again, but to really help me find my own creative chef voice in these important meals.

ChefsLine’s Passover Menu Collection and Live Cooking Help
I’d be thrilled to inspire you to mix it up with some new recipes this next week. The ChefsLine Passover Menu collection includes Quick and Easy Seder, Passover Do-Ahead, “small plate” recipes to serve with leftovers, lunch recipes featuring dishes such as Tarragon Scented Goat Cheesecake and Walnut and Herb Stuffed Eggplant Rolls. As you will see, most of my menus feature recipes by Phyllis Glazer because almost all of her dishes are so exciting—with great combinations of fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices that are irresistible. And if for any reason you take a look at your box of matzoh and think, “what now?” you must call ChefsLine at 1-800-977-1224. As I can attest, everyone needs inspiration in the kitchen sometimes.

~ Chef Paulette

Chef Kevin Weeks Easter Supper Menu
Asparagus and Goat Cheese with Toasted Pine Nuts and Tarragon
Angel Biscuits
Ham with Bourbon and Currant Glaze
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Rhubarb Mousse

Chef Kevin’s menu is traditional Easter fare with a few twists to surprise and entertain the palate.

Ham is the classic meat choice for an Easter Supper. The bourbon and currant glaze presented here will take your ham and taste buds to that ’special place’ not normally discovered via the ”honey-glazed” archetype. More good news, the glazing takes no longer to prepare than a typical ham. What’s more, none of the ingredients for the glaze are too unique as to go to waste.

The asparagus dish is exquisite. The menu as a whole is very meat-and-potatoes, but this side is the particular element that makes it so very elegant. The pine nuts and goat cheese are indulgent items and their flavors are strong- use sparingly. We recommend preparing plenty of this veggie side dish as people will be requesting more. And use fresh tarragon if possible.

Biscuits are a requisite for Easter dinner, and the Angel Biscuits fit the bill and round out the southern flair of the menu. They’re also easy to make. The trick is, don’t over-mix them. If the batter seems messy, then they’ll be perfect. Just leave them to proof, them butter and bake them. The less you handle the batter, the softer they’ll be in the end.

And what meat-and-potatoes menu is complete without, well, potatoes? Rather than go through the fuss of making mashed potatoes, follow this recipe and let them bake unattended for 30 minutes while you put the finishing touches on your other dishes. Easy, and doubtless to impress.

Dessert for a spring-oriented meal ought to be light and fruity, reflecting the fruit that has just come into season – certainly citrus, berries, etc. This menu’s mousse ought to thrill everyone, and is creamy enough to please even those who prefer not-so-light desserts. The recipe probably requires more attention that the others, but the methods are simple and it can (and ought to be) made ahead of time, so won’t be a part of the dinner preparation push.

Chef Kevin’s Easter Menu Preparation Schedule
Preparation Time: 8 hours with two hands

Note: This is an easy menu suited to even the novice cook. Our estimates of time and recommended cooking schedule are realistic and assume a single at-home chef flying ’solo’ in the kitchen. The recipe requiring some experience or more advanced cooking techniques are the biscuits – but you can always call the culinary hotline for live instruction!

Night before:

Clean greens and herbs.
Cook asparagus, drain well, dry and store in refrigerator.
Toast pine nuts.
Grate and store cheese for potatoes.
Prepare Rhubarb Mousse.
Mix glaze ingredients, cover and store.

Morning of:

Make Angel Biscuits.
Make salad dressing.
Arrange and prep cookware.
Set table, finish up housekeeping.

Three Hours to Supper:

Bake Ham (upper rack).
Prepare Dauphinoise Potatoes, cover and store in refrigerator.
Bring glaze to room temperature.
Plate any appetizers, uncork wine.

Two – One Hour Before Supper:

Cook Glaze.
Assemble salad – can be served ‘family style’ or plated.
Remove dressing and asparagus from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Bake Potatoes.
Glaze Ham.
Warm biscuits at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun cooking, because if you do, it will definitely be reflected in the eating experience. Happy Easter! We look forward to talking with you on the culinary hotline about last minute touches to a wonderful meal.

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Kitchen Guy’s Chicken Fingers Recipe

Ingredients
16 chicken tenderloins
(or 4 chicken breasts cut into strips)
2 cups buttermilk
3 cups self-rising flour (Bisquick)
1 cup peanut oil *
2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Method
Mix together salt, pepper and garlic powder. Season chicken with the mixture. Dredge the chicken in flour, shake off the excess, dip in buttermilk, then in flour again.Fry in peanut oil that is 350 degrees. Turn when golden brown, then remove to paper towels to drain.
Serve with honey mustard or any of your favorite dipping sauces.

* Use canola oil as a substitute for peanut oil.

Menu: Dinner with the Kids
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Angel Biscuits
Santa Fe Green Bean Casserole
Red Cabbage Slaw
Fresh Fruit Gazpacho

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Easy Baked Fish Recipe

Ingredients
1 28 oz. can diced plum (Italian) tomatoes
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
4 8-ounce fish fillets (sole or any mild white fish)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (extra for garnish)
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, toasted
1 medium lemon, juiced
3 ounces unsalted butter
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375.

In a dry saute pan place breadcrumbs over medium heat and toast them. In another pan, saute garlic in olive oil until it’s just beginning to turn golden brown. Then add the tomatoes and cook for about 30 seconds, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Line a baking pan with foil and place the fish on the foil. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with parsley. Top with tomato mixture and then toasted breadcrumbs.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place the fish on a plate, then drain off the liquid into a pan and make a sauce with butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley.

I never have anything for ME on St. Patrick’s Day. I cook an entire meat meal for my family and I usually just have some cabbage. I’m vegetarian. A vegetarian Irish colcannon is a brilliant dish. And I am really looking forward to the holiday. I’m making a really neat meal and am going to throw in some brats from Morningstar Farms. Yum! and Erin go braugh!

Vegetarian Irish Colcannon Recipe

Chef Paulette Lovitz
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes peeled and quartered
1 tbs butter
1/2 tbs butter
2 onions chopped
2 cloves garlic mashed
4 cups washed, shredded savoy cabbage or regular cabbage
2 1/2 cups water
3-4 cups green kale washed, stalks removed and shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1 Boil the potatoes until tender.
2 Remove from water and save 1 cup of liquid.
3 Mash the potatoes, add salt and pepper and as much liquid to make them fluffy.
4 Put 1 tbs butter in a large saute pan. Saute onions and garlic.
5 Add cabbage and 1/2 cup water.
6 Cook until the cabbage is tender.
7 In another skillet, saute kale with 2 cups of water and cook until tender.
8 Pre-heat oven to 350.
9 Mix everything together and season well. 10 Place in a 13×9x2 inch casserole and top with 1/2 tsp of butter.
11 Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until hot.

adapted from:RecipeZaar.com, Recipe by Bergy.

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Kitchen Guy’s Tiramisu Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup cold whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups espresso or very strong coffee, cooled
1/3 cup Amaretto
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (or shaved chocolate)
20 ladyfingers
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Method
In a bowl in a stand mixer, whisk together whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to low and mix in mascarpone just until blended. Take care not to overbeat since this will cause the cream to start to separate.

In a small bowl, combine espresso and amaretto. Dip ladyfingers, one at a time, in espresso mixture for 1 second, then allow to drain for 2 seconds and place in a single layer in the bottom of a loaf pan. With a rubber spatula, spread 1/3 of the cream mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate. Repeat layers 2 more times until all cream and chocolate is used. Sprinkle with cinnamon and refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing and plating.