Chicken Francaise

Ingredients:

8 chicken cutlets

2 cups flour
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:
Wash chicken cutlets under cold water and pat dry.  Dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off any excess flour.

Heat a large skillet with the oil.  Fry each cutlet for 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Put the cooked chicken on a platter and set aside while you make the sauce.

Keep the heat on medium low and add the wine to the skillet slowly.  Using the back of a spoon, scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.  Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and stire.  Put all of the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 7-10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

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Grilled Steak Sandwich

Ingredients:
4 ciabatta rolls
2 onions
1 container of sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese (any cheese will do but this is my favorite)
2 lbs of top sirloin steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 fresh parsley
1/4 fresh basil
4 garlic cloves
salt
pepper

Directions:
Chop the parsley, basil, and garlic cloves very fine and add to a large plastic bag that has the olive oil in it.  Salt and pepper the steaks and add them to the bag.  Then rub the steaks around in the bag so that they are coated with all of the ingredients.  Marinade for an hour.

Heat a large skillet on medium and add a little olive oil.  Peel and slice the onions very thin.  Add the onions to the skillet and allow to carmelize.  After about 5 minutes add the mushrooms and stir.  Allow the onions and mushrooms to continue to carmelize.  This should take about 20-25 minutes.  Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. 

Heat a grill pan or your outdoor grill on high.  Put the steaks on and cook 8 minutes on each side.  If you choose you can put your rolls on the grill for a few minutes to toast them.  After the steak is finished, take off the grill and cover with aluminum foil.  Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes.  This is the key to the juiciest steak.

 Slice the steak very thin and put on the bottom part of the roll.  Then top with the balsamic onions and mushrooms and bleu cheese.  Enjoy!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup Nutella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the hazelnuts on a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely ground.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl (I use an electric stand mixer, but a bowl with a hand mixer works just as well), mix the butter and granulated sugar together on low speed until they are just combined.  Stir in the vanilla plus 2 teaspoons of water.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour and salt.  With the mixer on low, add the flour slowly to the butter mixture.  Then add the hazelnuts and mix on low until the dough comes together.  Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, cut the dough in half and roll each piece 1/4 inch thick.  Cut 36 (2 3/4 inch) rounds with a cookie cutter.  Ue a 3/4 inch cutter to cut a small circle out of the middle of half of the cookies.  Place all the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake for 20 to 2 minutes, rotating pan in the oven once, until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Spread the Nutella thickly on the flat sde of each solid cookie.  Then place the flat side of the cookie with the hole in it on top of the nutella.

Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

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Spicy Crispy Chicken

This dish is a great way to make chicken less boring.  Here I served it with pineapple salsa.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons paprika
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
2 cups flour
salt
pepper
Directions:
Thinnly slice chicken breasts into 1/4 inch thick pieces.  I usually get about 4 slices out of one chicken breast. 

In a large bowl or a plastic bag add the lemon juice, pineapple juice, and olive oil.  Add the chicken.  Finely chop the garlic cloves and the parsley and add to the mixture.  Then add the paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Stir the mixture together. 

Allow to marinade in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

After the hour, heat a large skillet with olive oil.  Coat each chicken breast with flour and then fry in the pan.  Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Serve with pineapple salsa and enjoy!

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Pineapple Salsa

This recipe is a great summertime recipe.  It can be served with anything.  Its great with chips or any kind of meat you grill on your barbecue.  Tomorrow I'll show you how I served it with chicken.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 pineapple (about 2 cups cubed)
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt
pepper
hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
Peel, core, and cube a pineapple into 1/2 inch cubes.  Finely chop the green pepper and the red onion.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Add the chopped garlic clove and stir.  Then add the parsley, dill, and lemon juice.  Stir until combined.  Sprinkle salt and pepper.  Shake in hot sauce.  I use about 4 dashes, but use however much you choose.  Very spicy would be about 8 dashes and little spice would be about 2 dashes.  Of course, you can always leave this out.  Stir all the ingredients together.  Chill in the fridge for an hour.  Stir at the half hour work because the pineapple juice from the pineapple may settle to the bottom of the bowl.  Enjoy with chips or your favorite grilled meats!

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Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

I combined two of my favorite recipes: Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Macaroni and Cheese.  Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 lb any short cut pasta (rigatoni, penne, elbows)
4 tablespoons olive oil or butter
4 tablespoons flour
4 oz frozen spinach
4 oz frozen or canned artichoke hearts
2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 cups milk
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil a pot of water and salt.  Cook pasta in the water for 8-10 minutes. 
Drain and set aside.

In a small pot, melt the butter or oil.  Saute the onions and garlic until tender.  Then add the flour and whisk until a paste forms.  Slowly add the milk.  Whisk until no clumps remain.  Allow to thicken for 7-8 minutes. 

Defrost the spinach and artichoke hearts.  If spinach is frozen, squeeze out all of the water.  Chop the artichoke hearts into bite sized pieces. 

Once the sauce has thickened.  Stir in 1 3/4 cups of cheddar, and the 4 tablespoons of parmesan.  Add the spinach and artichoke hearts and stir.  Then add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.  Add a layer of the spinach and artichoke sauce.  Then add all of the pasta.  Add the rest of the sauce and stir until every noodle is coated.  Sprinle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

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Raspberry Iced Tea

Summer is just around the corner.  This drink is easy to make, refreshing, and much better than the powdered iced tea mixes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 1/4 cups of water (divided into 4 cups, 4 cups, and 1/4 cup)
2/3 cup -1 cup sugar (depends on your desired sweetness)
5 tea bags
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups raspberries

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat; add tea bags. Steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Add 4 cups water.

In another saucepan, bring raspberries and remaining water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Strain and discard pulp. Add raspberry juice and lemon juice to the tea mixture. Serve in chilled glasses over ice.  Enjoy!

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