Champagne Chicken

Champagne Chicken!

I was in a pinch for dinner last week and hadn't gone to the Market - having been way too busy! I assessed my fridge and freezer. I had some raw chicken strips and I was going to make a homemade marinade, but I had nothing with acid - no lemons - nothing.

So, I pulled out my one of my favorite Salad dressings -- Girard's Champagne Salad Dressing -- that I have loved since college. I wasn't sure if this would work as a Marinade so I did a quick Google search and sure enough, the Girard's website they recommended using the dressing as a Marinade.

To Do:
* Marinade the Chicken in the dressing for a couple hours.

* Heat a saute pan to medium/medium high, drizzled a bit of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil and saute the chicken until it is golden brown all over. (about 4-5 minutes per side depending - just monitor closely)

HOW EASY IS THAT - AND it tastes much fancier than it obviously is. You could EASILY use this to serve for company because it tastes rich and complicated. The Chicken was tender & had a nice tang, slight bit of spice, and really just was one of the most delicious and easy pieces of chicken we've had in a very longtime.

Serve It With:
* Porcini Mushroom Risotto
* Green Salad with a light but creamy dressing

Let us know if you try this and what you think! If you haven't had Girard's you gotta try it. It makes a great salad dressing for a special occasion too - especially if you don't have time to make something from scratch!

Do what you do, eat what you like!
-The Wilsons

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International Chicken Burger (Tastes of Mexico, Italy and Middle East)

This burger combines flavors from Mexico, Italy and the Middle East. They all blend very well together and make for a burger bursting with flavor!

Cameron's International Chicken Burger

What You'll Need:
One package ground chicken
1/4 Spanish Onion Chopped
1/4 Red Onion Chopped
1 large egg
2 Garlic Cloves minced
Havarti 1-2 slices
Asiago Cheese 1 tablespoon - give or take
American Cheese 1 slice
Mozzarella Cheese
2 large slices of Salami (in lieu of bacon!)
Few slivers of roasted red pepper (buy a jar of them to save time!)
Crispy Romain for toppings
1 tablespoon Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Favorite Salsa
Light Ranch (or Mayo)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Kosher Salt
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Lavash Bread

*You could do all of the prep work a day in advance if you are entertaining so it's ready to go when guests arrive!

Directions:

Chicken Burger Mixture:
Put package of chicken in large blow & mix in the following
Havarti - broken up into little chunks
One tablespoon of Asiago cheese
Egg
2-3 heaping spoons of salsa
salt, pepper, garlic power to flavor
Fold all together - do not over work it
Refrigerate at least an hour, or over night (I didn't do this, so it was a little sloppier but it still worked)

Make Sauce While Mixture Firms Up In Fridge
Heat butter and nice drizzle of olive oil in pan
Caramelize onions
Add minced garlic while caramelizing
Pinch of Salt & Pepper
Set aside to cool when done
Once cool, mix 1/4 cup or so of light ranch with your onion/garlic mix (use whatever proportion you want to suit your taste).
This will be spread onto the Lavash in lieu of other condiments

Sizzle Up The Burger!
Make patties, whatever size fits your Lavash (or bun)
Make middle part of patty thinner by using thumb to dent it
Spray Pam onto large fry pan, let it head on medium to medium high
Place patties into pan
Cover with lid, cook approximately 7 minutes per side
Add sprinkle of Kosher salt & red pepper flakes just before removing

Prep Toppings While Burger Sizzles
In a small pan (I used same pan from onions/garlic) heat to medium high and crisp up the salami
Slice up roasted red peppers
Set aside lettuce

Lavash "bun" Prep
While burgers are cooking,
Heat over to 400
Cut Large Lavash bread into quarters
On two pieces of the Lavash put favorite cheese, I used American on one & Mozzarella on the other
Brush olive oil on the other two pieces of Lavash
Put on cookie sheet (use a little Pam)
Put in oven until cheese is melty

Constructing Your Burger!
Put burger on top of cheese side of Lavash
Add slice of salami on top of each burger
Add some sliced roasted red peppers on top
and some Crispy lettuce
Spread sauce on other side of Lavash
Top it!
Voila!

Enjoy,
The Wilsons

Eat Chicken Red Curry & Save at risk Children!

Image by panduh via Flickr

Cooking & Children's Charity go hand in hand.

One of the most beautiful things about food and cooking is that transcends borders. Food can literally take us to other parts of the world, even though we are in our own kitchen.

I work with a non-profit called "The Sold Project." SOLD is dedicated to raising awareness about and preventing forced child prostitution around the world. SOLD made a documentary on the issue in Thailand and the founder is currently living there. SOLD employs creative methods of raising awareness on these issues by hosting vision dinners (anyone can host one) where lovely Thai food is served and discussion on the topic is shared. Below is one of the "go to" dishes that has been a huge hit at these dinners. Enjoy & Please read more about SOLD at www.thesoldproject.org (feel free to contact us as well).

Chicken Red Curry

This authentic spicy coconut milk based red curry uses homemade red curry paste. Flavored with both fresh and dried spices, kaffir lime leaves and fresh sweet basil leaves it is a harmonious dish with chicken. Finish the cooking with the addition of fish sauce to taste and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 fresh red chili, sliced diagonally
• 1/2 cup Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah), torn
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
• Thai sweet basil leaves (bai horapah) for garnish

Preparation

Wash the chicken, slice diagonally into 1/2 cm thick, 3 cm wide and 3 cm long pieces. Thinly slice the bamboo shoots (if not already sliced).

Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into a wok. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the curry paste, stir until red oil comes to the surface. Add the chicken and saute until it turns white and is cooked through.

Add the remaining coconut milk, follow with the bamboo shoots. Season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt and bring back to a boil. Sprinkle with kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and sweet basil leaves. Turn off the heat. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves before serving. Serve over rice.

Serves 5.

For more information: www.thesoldproject.org

(This recipe is from templeofthai.com)

Do good things with food!

The Wilsons

Cameron's Kickin' Crispy, Cheesy, Wrap That Husbands Will Love

Cameron's Kickin' Crispy, Cheesy, Wrap That Husbands Will Love

My husband has declared on at least a dozen occasions over the past few months that he could "Whack down about 5 more of these" and that he could "Eat these at least 6 nights a week" about my Crispy, Cheesy Wrap Sandwich.

For me, the best part is that it's super easy, super fast, and it's actually pretty healthy!!!

What You'll Need:

*Wholewheat Wrap
* 1 slice of fat free American Cheese
* 1 slice, or a couple of pinches of any other favorite cheese, (shredded Mexican Cheese, Provolone, etc)
* 1 grilled chicken breast (or buy a rotisserie chicken from the market)(I usually grill up some chicken to start the week, or get it pre-grilled from the local gourmet market to save time)
*1/4 Red Onion roughly chopped
*Pinch of fresh thyme
*Pinch of fresh chopped basil
*(optional) 1/2 clove of garlic finely chopped
*Dash of organic low sodium chicken broth
*Lemon Juice
*Your favorite Salsa
*Tablespoon of Smart Balance Light
*Olive Oil drizzle for saute
*Kosher Salt & Black Pepper for taste.

To Do:

*In a large skillet on med/high heat melt your Smart Balance Light and drizzle in a bit of really good extra virgin olive oil.
*While your Smart Balance & olive oil is getting ripping hot, chop up your red onion & garlic and drop in to saute/or even caramelize if you want.
*Add a dash of Kosher salt & black pepper

Chicken Mixture:
*Meanwhile, slice up your chicken breast (previously cooked) or use a fork to shred some of the rotisserie chicken breast. Set aside.
*When your onions and garlic start looking like they are on the verge of caramelizing, toss in the thyme, basil, a squeeze of lemon, and then the chicken.
*Add a dash of the low sodium chicken broth to help bring the previously cooked chicken back to life. (I also usually add a splash of dry white wine).
*Add another dash of salt and pepper.
*Once the mixture is nice and coated and the chicken is warm (1 min) set aside the mixture in a bowl.

Wrap:
*Now, on a plate tear up your slice of fat free cheese and put it on the wrap focusing mainly on going up the middle, and a little on the sides.
*Next sprinkle or shred a little bit of a regular cheese of your choosing (Mexican flavored shredded, provolone, cheddar etc) on both sides of the wrap
*Spray the same skillet you used to make the mixture with a light coat of Pam
* Put the wrap (w/ the cheese on it) in the skillet
*Carefully place a nice layer of the chicken mixture that you had set aside down the center of the wrap
*On med/to med/ high heat, put a lid over the wrap so that the cheese can melt while the bottom of the wrap crisps up.
*Once the cheese starts looking melty (couple minutes), check the bottom of the wrap. Add a quick squeeze of lemon juice to the chicken mixture, and few dollops of your favorite salsa to the top of the chicken mixture (but not enough to soak the wrap). Once the wrap has started to get golden brown on bottom, fold the right & left side over the middle, and push down a little so the cheese helps it stay in place
*Put on plate, cut in half, and serve with a super duper chilled Guinness!!!

5 TIPS To Ensure A Yummy Wrap:
1. The thing with this sandwich is I never make it exactly the same twice. I use whatever I have on hand to mix it up, spruce it up, etc.
2. For example, I had some left over prosciutto from a dinner party so last night I chopped that up and let it crisp up with the onions & garlic. It added a nice salty crunchy texture, without overwhelming the grilled chicken.
3. If you have some inexpensive chardonnay or white Burgundy - that is also yummy - pour yourself a glass to drink while cooking, and then add a mini splash to the saute.
4. The key to this sandwich is that you should always have certain items on hand, that way, you can whip it up really quickly with whatever protein, herbs and cheeses you have on hand!
5. The trick to getting huge flavor when you are making basics like this is: fresh herbs. Experiment to figure out what your favorite fresh herbs are and try to keep them around. I love basil, thyme, cilantro, and rosemary. I also always have fresh garlic, onions, scallions, lemons, white wine and low sodium chicken broth, smart balance, and nice extra virgin olive oil. Seems like anything is possible from there.

Cheers to all things crispy & cheesy!
The Wilsons
(and dare we say kinda healthy too!)