COOKING

Rather than cook all the usual meals, Linds and I decided to try some new ones while I'm here. The weather is not cooperating (rainy) so it's been fun to cook. Here are the ones we've liked so far:

Lemon Cream Pasta with Asparagus and Squash

8 oz. dried mafalda or rotini
1-2 cooked chicken breasts cut up
2 cups asparagus, cut in 2 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini or squash, sliced in halves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon peel, shredded


Cook pasta and drain; keep warm. Cook asparagus, squash and garlic in hot butter for 2-3 minutes in a skillet. Add veggies and chicken to pasta. Combine whipping cream and lemon peel in a skillet; bring to boil. To serve, pour cream mixture over pasta mixture. Stir gently to coat.

This is really yummy and very easy and fast to fix.


Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Cake
A Friend made this for Lindsey-it is more like a quiche. great with a salad. She made it for me and I love it!
Note: The conversions from g/ml to cups are approximate. I did my best!

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Boil 2 tomatoes for 3 seconds in boiling water, then rinse them in cold water, peel and de-seed them. Dice, place in a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, let them cool and dry out a bit. Chop 8 basil leaves and add to tomatoes.

Cut 200 g. mozzarella (just less than a cup) into pieces.

Whisk 3 eggs, 150g flour (over 1/2 cup, not yet 3/4 cup), 1 tablespoon baking powder.

Add 80 ml olive oil (6 tablespoons, or over 1/4 cup), bit by bit, then 125 ml milk (warmed) (over 1/2 cup), and 100 g grated gruyere cheese (just less than a cup).

Add tomatoes and mozzarella.

Pour into a loaf pan and cook for 45 minutes.


Vegetable Pie-also made by Linds' English friend
This was delicious too!
Preheat oven to 150'C/300'F. Oil a springform cake pan.

Step 1:
Lightly fry all in a skillet:
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cups veggies, chopped (broccoli, carrots--I personally stopped using water-based veggies like mushrooms and courgettes because it made the pie too soggy)
1 grated potato

Step 2:
In a large bowl, beat together:
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 T. flour
2 t. baking powder

Step 3:
Beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form.

Step 4:
Add veggies from Step 1 to egg mixture. Add 1 cup grated cheese (I use gruyere) and 2 T. melted butter. Fold in the egg whites. Bake at 150'C until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

CHICKEN MILANO-this was my favorite new one

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
I got this recipe from Alyssa Allgaier, who found it in the Martha Stewart Magazine, the issue of May 2007 (Carolynn's Chocolate Chip Cookies). They are to die for. I sometimes cook them a little too long, but if you take the out of the oven right when they start to turn brown, they will stay soft. Delicious!

2 cups plus 2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
Whisk together in a small bowl.

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
Melt butter, then turn off heat.

1 cup plus 2 T. brown sugart
1/2 cup sugar
Add sugars to boutter, whisk until combined, transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 T. (it really is written this way in the recipe! I guess it means 1 1/2 t.) pure vanilla extract
Whisk egg, yolk and vanilla into butter mixture. Fold in dry ingredients.

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into large pieces (optional)
Fold in chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 325'F/170'C for 12 minutes, or until just barely golden brown.



CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH ARTICHOKES, LEMON AND GOAT CHEESE-COOKING LIGHT

2 ½ T. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 t. grated lemon peel
¼ t. salt
¼ t. freshly grounded pepper
1 (6 oz) artichoke hearts, chopped
1 (3 oz) herbed goat cheese, softened
4 skinless boneless chicken
cooking spray

preheat oven to 375
combine first 6 ingredients and stir well
Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch thickness. Top each breast half with 2 T cheese mixture and roll up jelly roll fashion. Secure with wooden picks.

Heat large skillet with spry and add chicken to pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side till brown. Put pan inoven for 15 minutes until done.






MIXED APPLE SALAD OVER GREENS

Dressing
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. honey
1 t. olive oil
dash of salt, dash of ground pepper

Salad
2 c. chopped Granny Smith apple
2 C. Braeburn apple
¼ c. crumbled blue cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
4 c. mixed salad greens.