Savory Chicken Parcels

Better late than never!

I developed this recipe over a year ago. It has been recreated in my kitchen many times and practice really does make perfect. The blend of spices and a bit of onion in mouthwatering cream cheese is nothing short of outstanding! The chicken can be cut with a fork and the slight crunchy exterior is a perfect contract to the creamy, melted filling. I always serve this chicken dish with slices of pear, from a can I admit, but they are none the less wonderful. The slightly sweet fruit enhances the flavor of the basil and cream cheese, much like a good wine when paired well with food. Feel free to add a slightly fruity white wine to this meal if you desire.

I would live to develop this recipe for the grill, but have not yet figured out how. Foil wrap perhaps. Ideas welcome!

Savory Chicken Parcels

4 small chicken breasts (4 oz) pounded flat
4 oz fat free cream cheese
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. dried minced onion
¼ t. basil
½ t. parsley
Salt and pepper
¼ c. flour
Cooking spray

15 minutes prep.

Set oven to 400 degrees. Mix cream cheese and spices (not flour) together and spread over the chicken breasts. Roll up chicken breasts and roll lightly in flour. Heat skillet, spray with cooking spray and lightly brown chicken rolls. Set in baking dish (also sprayed with cooking spray) with edge down. Cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes.

170 cal
1 g fat
1 sat
6 carb
3 pts.

Cherry Crisp: The Taste of Summer

Thursday evening my parents came to Rosewood to pick cherries at my house. After we consumed amazing Poulet Chasseur (Hunter's Chicken) with my husband, we all went outside and picked cherries. Two ladders, 3 buckets, and 1/2 a dozen hilarious variations of "Kum Bi Ya" later, mom and I pitted a few thousand cherries while laughing at an amazing comedy send up of Shakespeare...that's just how we do things in our family.

Yesterday I turned 1/2 of my cherries into the most delectable cherry crisp I have ever made. It was slightly tart and wonderfully sweet with a crispy, buttery oat topping. Heaven!

The sticky cherry juice splatted over my skin in spite of the gloves I wore was so worth it. The repetitive action of pitting one cherry at a time was completely justified. The fresh cherry juice I managed to remove from my jeans with cold water and desperation was not in vain.

Cherry Crisp

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling:

• 4 cups fresh, pitted sour cherries, drained
• 3/4 sugar
• 1 1/4c. Splenda
• 4 T. Flour

or

• 2 cans sugar free cherry pie filling (You can use regular pie filling but the calorie count will suffer. It's your choice.)

If using fresh cherries, mix all associated ingredients. Put cherry mix or cherry pie filling in a 9x13 pan or a 10 - 12 inch round deep dish.

Topping:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. splenda
• 1 T. molasses
• 1/2 c. melted I Can't Believe It's not Butter, melted (or other trans fat free butter substitute)
• 1/2 c. canola oil

Note: 1 cup packed brown sugar can be substituted for the sugar, splenda and molasses - calorie count will go up.

Mix all topping ingredients well. Spread evenly over cherry mix or pie filling.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Nutritional info:
Makes 12 servings.
230 calories
7.5 grams of fat
0.8 grams of saturated fat
1.8 grams of fiber
5 WW points

And now for you listening pleasure, a song I sang in college about a cherry tree. (The video is not me singing.)

Le Crock Pot: Poulet Chasser (Hunter's Chicken)

French food is not all heavy cream and butter. It is possible to create the impression of food so very delicious the heart attack might even be worth it, all the while using ingredients that are healthy and even...dare I say it...GOOD FOR YOU!

This dish is almost too go to be true. I know it's true because I made it last night and heard oohs and aahs all around the table - repeatedly! I love it when an experiment comes together as perfection on the pallet!

I did take the time to sear the chicken and soften the veggies, which is optional in this recipe. While I thawed the frozen chicken breasts in the microwave on high for 4 minutes and then while seared in I Can't believe It's Not Butter (my own optional substitute), I chopped onions, garlic, carrots and olives. I also wore kitchen gloves to save time trying to scrub the garlic smell off my hands when I was done. The gloves are also handy for handling chicken without fuss.

When the chicken was golden on both sides I dealt with the veggies and mixed the sauce in the crock pot. ONLY 15 of prep time!!! Then into the crock pot and forgotten until dinner.

C'est magnifique! (Wonderful!)

Mom hates cooked carrots - but not in this dish!
Dad does not care for olives - but not in this dish!
My husband and I don't like brown rice - but not in this dish!

C'est incroyable! (Incredible!)


Slow Cooker Poulet Chasseur Recipe (Hunter's Chicken)

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed and patted dry with paper towels)
• 6 tablespoons butter (or I can't Believe it's Not Butter)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
• 1 and 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp. white wine or more chicken broth
• 5 teaspoons flour
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons diced green lives with red pimento

Directions: Melt butter in a large skillet, then add chicken breasts. Lightly salt and pepper chicken and sear on each side until lightly golden brown, about five minutes on each side. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add garlic, carrots, olives and onions to pan and cook for a few minutes, just until softened; turn off heat. In the crock of your slow cooker, whisk together broth, wine, flour, salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in the contents of the saute pan, including any remaining butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Lay the chicken breasts on top of the mixture in the crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours or high for 1-1 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Do not add more salt. The olives are very salty and will flavor the dish. Remove the lid about 20 minutes before serving if you would like to further reduce the sauce.

Tips:

• If you’re pressed for time, you can add all the ingredients to the pot without searing the chicken or softening the veggies first. You will sacrifice a dab of consistency, and you’ll need to be sure the onions are on the bottom so they’ll cook well.
• To cut out a few more calories use a slotted spoon to fish out the veggies to top your chicken breast once it is plated. You will NOT lose flavor, just fat and calories!
  

To make the getting-on-the-table even quicker, serve with rustic bread and a salad-in-a-bag of your choice.

I served my Chicken Chasseur with brown rice. Hate to cook brown rice? Hate to eat brown rice? NO MORE! Perfect brown rice is cooked more like pasta and when done by this method it is so very similar to white rice that even the most particular pallet will approve!

Brown Rice

• 1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown rice (makes 2 cups of cooked rice)

1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Reduce heat slightly if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.

2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 – 20 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt if desired.

To complete this wonderfully French meal serve a wedge of bree with fruit and fresh baked Baguettes as an appetizer or dessert. (Yes, cheese and fruit can be a dessert!)

The recipe I used is located here. This bread was quick and easy! If you use a bread machine to make the dough, you can start it as soon as you get everything in the crock pot, and (if you cook dinner for 3 hours on low) the bread will be done just before your main course - just in time to eat with a Bree and fruit appetizer.

Don't forget to add dinner music:

Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose (with lyrics)

Bon appetit!

Tiramisu

I'm back! After a 5 month absence I am blogging again! I have no voice at the moment, allergies have removed my top octave and I cannot project worth anything, but I can still work magic in the kitchen! I'd like to tickle your taste buds without expanding your waistline with a tantalizing dessert and a few original variations.

From Wikipedia:

Tiramisu (Italian: Tiramisù; Venetian: Tiramesù " [tirameˈsu]) is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of savoiardi (otherwise known as lady finger biscuits) dipped in espresso or strong coffee or rum, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, and sugar, and topped with cocoa.

Oh, my good, good God thank you for this dessert!

Scalpel please...now removing the eggs, mascarpone cheese, most or all of the sugar, and most of the alcohol (which turns to sugar in your blood!) .

This dessert is so amazing it makes me feel a bit like this:

Lady fingers are hard cookies that act like little sponges. They are frequently available at your neighborhood Big Lots for a fraction of the cost at most stores. At just $2.50 a package, $5.00 will give you enough lady fingers for three 8X8 baking dishes full of tiramisu! Unused ladyfingers keep for ages if kept in an air tight bag or container.

Please read beyond the recipe if you do not like coffee or just want try a variation!

The Recipe: (See update 7.11.10 at bottom of recipe)

• 28 Lady finger cookies (just 30 calories a piece)
• 16 oz Neufchâtel cheese (or 1/3 fat reduced cream cheese)
• 1 c. fat free sour cream
• 1 c fat free plain yogurt
• 1/2 t. vanila extract
• 2/3 c. sugar or splenda granulated for baking
• 2/3 c. espresso or strong coffee
• Optional: 1 - 2 tablespoons rum, Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur, or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract.
• Cocoa powder for dusting

In a mixer, combine Neufchâtel cheese, sour cream, fat free plain yogurt, vanilla and sugar (or splenda). Mix until completely combined, scrapping the bowl occasionally.

Place 14 ladyfingers in a single layer in the bottom of an 8X8 baking dish. You may need to trim the ends of one row to allow them to lay flat.

Combine coffee and optional add in (if using). Brush 1/2 of coffee over lady fingers.

Pour 1/2 of creamed mixture over the coffee soaked ladyfingers.

Repeat with remaining 14 ladyfingers, brush with remaining coffee, and top with remaining creamed mixture.

*Do not worry if the creamed mixture seems a bit runny. The Lady fingers will soak up the excess moisture and it turns out perfect every time!

To dust cocoa of the top, use a fine wire mush strainer or a mesh tea infuser to hold the cocoa powder. Tap the edge with your finger to encourage the powder to dust the top of the dessert.

Refrigerate for 3 - 24 hours. Makes 12 serving.

Calories per serving with sugar: 242
Calories per serving with Splenda: 119
Fat grams per serving : 9
Saturated fat grams per serving: 5

(UPDATE - 7.11.10 : I just made this with fat free Cream Cheese instead of Neufchâtel cheese. It's wonderful! So don't hesitate to remove the fat and calories from this recipe if you wish.)

If you do not want to make this dessert with coffee you can use any fruit juice instead. You can even add chopped or sliced fruit between the layers. Another variation is to use flavored syrup , but dilute the syrup a little. Use just under 1/2 cup syrup and add enough water or fruit juice to equal 2/3 cup or liquid.

This dessert goes together in as little as 15 minutes! It keeps for about 3 days if covered tightly and is amazing!


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