Chicken Tagine

Serves 4

1 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1" pieces
2 large onions, thin sliced
1/2 C dried apricots, coarse chopped
1/2 C raisins
1 1/4 C chicken broth
2 T tomato paste
2 T lemon juice
2 T flour
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t black pepper
2 C cooked cous-cous

Place chicken, onions, apricots and raisins in slow cooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper.  Pour over chicken in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or low for 5 hours.

Serve over cooked couscous.

Per Serving:
Calories 482
Fat 11g
Sat Fat 3g
Protein 45g
Carbs 54g
Fiber 5g
Sodium 345mg
Chol 195mg

Truffle Mayonnaise

3 egg yolks
2 t Dijon mustard
150 ml light olive oil
100 ml sunflower oil
50 ml truffle oil
2 T lemon juice
green onions (optional)

Place egg yolks, mustard, and some salt and pepper in a blender and whiz to combine.  Combine the oils in a jug.  Then, with the motor running, VERY slowly pour oil through the feed tube until you have a thick emulsion.  Mix the lemon juice and a little warm water to loosen. Keep chilled for up to 2 days, stirring in fresh chopped green onions when ready to serve, if desired.

Gumbo

Seasoning Mix:
    1 1/2 t  Salt
                Paprika
                Thyme leaves
                Garlic Powder
                Ground Black Pepper
                Dry Mustard
                Sugar

     3/4 t   Ground Cumin
               White Pepper
                Onion Powder

Gumbo:
      2 T vegetable oil
      4 chicken thighs
      8 C water or chicken stock
      8 oz andouille sausage
      1/2 C flour
      2 C chopped onion
      1 1/2 C chopped red or green bell pepper
      1 C chopped celery
      1/2 C chopped parsley
      1 lb crab meat and shrimp

Combine ingredients for seasoning mix.  Heat 2 T oil in a Dutch oven.  Add chicken.  Saute until browned on both sides.  Remove chicken from pan to a large saucepan, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.  Add 8 cups water to cover chicken and simmer 1 hour.  Drain, reserving stock.  Bone chicken, reserving meat.

Add sausage to reserved drippings, and saute until browned.  Remove sausage, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.

Add enough oil to drippings to equal about 1/2 cup.  Heat and add flour 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until smooth.  Cook roux, stirring constantly, until browned and a deep caramel color, 5-6 minutes.  Add onion, pepper, celery, parsley and 2 T seasoning mix.  (You'll have about a half cup of seasoning mix left over.)  Whisk well and cook 10 minutes.

Add reserved stock, whisking well and cook 20 minutes or until thickened.  Add chicken, sausage and seafood and cook 10 minutes

Calories 225
Fat 14 g
Chol 65 mg
Protein 15 g
Carbs 9 g
Fiber 1 g
Sodium 540 mg

Chinese-Style Pork Chops with 3 Mushrooms

5 T Peanut oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 slices fresh ginger
6 pork chops, 1/2" thick
1 T rice vinegar
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 lb mixed chanterelle & shitakes, stem & slice
3 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 T oyster sauce
1 T hoisin sauce

In a 12" skillet, heat 4 T peanut oil until medium hot.  Add garlic clove and ginger slices.  Saute 30 seconds, or until they release flavor but do not brown.  Discard garlic and ginger, reserving flavored oil.  Saute pork chops, three at a time, in the flavored oil until nicely browned on all sides.  Remove chops to a place.  Add rice vinegar to skillet.  Stir to scrape up brown bits.  Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced slightly.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 T peanut oil in a medium skillet.  Saute all mushrooms over high heat until they color slightly and begin to release juices.  Add oyster and hoisin sauce to mushrooms, stir well.

Return chops to broth in large skillet.  Scatter mushroom mixture over all.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 12 minutes or just until tender.

Chicken Amandine

1 C toasted almonds, ground
2/3 C minced parsley
1 C fresh bread crumbs
4 whole chicken breasts, halved, skinned & pounded thin
3 egg whites, beaten with 1/2 t water until frothy
1/2 C butter
3/4 C grated Parmesan
2-3 T butter
2-3 T slivered almonds
1 clove garlic
1/4 C dry white wine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T sour cream

Combine ground almonds, parsley and bread crumbs.  Dip chicken into egg whites then into almond mixture, coating thoroughly.  Chill several hours to set coating.

Melt 1/2 C butter over medium-high heat.  Saute breasts until brown and crisp on each side.  About 30 seconds before removing chicken from pan, sprinkle 1 T Parmesan on each chicken breast.  Remove from pan and keep warm.

In same pan, melt 2-3 T butter and stir to loosen any particles remaining on bottom.  Add slivered almonds and whole garlic clove.  Saute until almonds are brown.  Add wine and lemon juice, cooking until liquids are reduced by half.  Lower heat and blend in sour cream.  Pour sauce over chicken.

Savory Gruyere Cheesecake

1 1/3 C fine toasted breadcrumbs
5 T unsalted butter, melted
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 C heavy cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t cayenne
4 eggs
1 C shredded Gruyere cheese
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 T unsalted butter
1/2 lb finely chopped mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste
Marinara

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9" springform pan. In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter.  Press crumbs onto bottom and sides of pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Set aside to cool. Reduce heat to 325.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, cram, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne together until smooth.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Divide cheese mixture between 2 bowl.  Stir Gruyere cheese into one.  Stir spinach and green onions into the other.  Pour spinach filling into cooled crust.

In medium skillet, melt 3 T butter and saute mushrooms over medium-high until all moisture evaporates, stirring frequently.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon mushrooms over spinach filling.  Carefully pour Gruyere over mushrooms.

Set pan on baking sheet.  Bake for 1 1/4 hours.  Turn oven off and cool cheesecake for 1 hour with door ajar.  Then cool on rack to room temp.  Serve in wedges topped with warm marinara sauce.

BLT Cherry Tomatoes

(Makes 36)

36 red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, stems removed

2 cups chopped butter lettuce

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (about 8 slices)

3-4 T mayonnaise

Salt & pepper to taste

Barely slice tops from cherry tomatoes and scrape out and discard pulp and seeds.  Then slice just enough off the bottom of each tomato to form a flat base so the tomato will sit up.  Place tomatoes upside down on paper towels to drain.  In small bowl combine lettuce, bacon and just enough mayonnaise to hold stuffing together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fill tomato shells with lettuce and bacon stuffing and arrange on platter.