Stuffed Chicken With Marinara!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh parsley leaves
• A handful of raisins
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 slices of bread (I used sourdough)
• Salt and pepper
• 10 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• EVOO
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 2 cups marinara sauce or tomato sauce
• Italian seasoning
• 4 chicken breasts

What to do:

1. Place raisins in hot water to let them plump up for about 5 minutes.
2. Butterfly your chicken breasts so it looks like a book, then use a mallet to thin out the slices. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Start sauteing your mushrooms and onions in the butter, about 6 minutes. Then add the marinara sauce, marsala wine, italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 15 minutes with lid on. Stir occassionally.
4. Meanwhile, place the following ingredients in your food processor: parsley, raisins, lemon zest, bread, and garlic.Pulse until you have a stuffing consistency.
5. Take your chicken, place stuffing inside and roll the chicken up, placing toothpicks to hold the rolls together. Cook in a separate pan in EVOO until browned on each side, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the pan with the sauce cooking. Put lid back on and cook until chicken is done, turning occassionally so it doesn't dry out and absorbs all the flavors.

Chicken with Apples, Pears, and Camembert Mashed Potatoes!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
• Salt
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 4 pieces boneless chicken breast
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced
• Freshley grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 pound ripe Camembert cheese, diced into bit size pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
• 10 to 12 blades chives, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

What to do:

1. Halve the small and quarter the larger baby potatoes and cover with water in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Cook 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
2. Heat the EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and cook the chicken until golden and firm, about 12 minutes, turning once. Place the chicken on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. In the same skillet melt the butter cover medium heat, add the apples and pears and season with salt and nutmeg. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, then stir in honey and cook one minute more. 
4. Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot pot. Mash them with the cheese and milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Divide the potatoes among 4 plates.
6.  Slice the chicken breasts on an angle. Arrange the sliced chicken alongside the potatoes and top with the apples and pears. Combine the chives and the thyme and lemon zest and scatter over each plate.

Savory Mushroom Risotto!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup arborrio 
• 1 quart beef broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 10 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper

What to do:

1. In a medium sauce pan, saute the arborrio, onion, garlic cloves, and mushrooms in butter. Saute for 5-6 minutes. Add the Marsala wine, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and saute for another 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Slowly add one cup of the beef broth at a time, until the whole quart of beef broth has been absorbed, stirring frequently. 
3. After the broth has absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Spaghetti!

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 10 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tbsp tuscan EVOO
• Salt and pepper
• Butternut Squash jar (Dave's)
• Spaghetti noodles

What to do:

1. Saute all the veggies in a medium pan on medium high in the EVOO and add some marsala wine. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add  the butternut squash sauce and saute for 15 minutes with the cover on. Stir frequently.
2. Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil and cook the noodles until al dente.

French Onion & Mushroom Soup!

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 quart beef or chicken stock (I used half beef and half veggie stock)
• 1 ounce mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
• 4 thick slices of crusty bread
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated

What to do:

1.  In soup pot, melt butter and EVOO over medium high heat. Add the onions, bay leaf, and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 25 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring the stock, mushrooms, and 2 cups water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
3. Preheat the broiler. Pour the sherry into the onion mixture and cook over medium heat, stir in the mushrooms and the hot stock.
4. Toast the bread under the broiler, rub with garlic and cover with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. 
5. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the toasts.

Lobster Tails!

Ingredients:

• 2, 4 oz lobster tails
• 1/2 stick of butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• Parsley

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Mix together the melted butter, add salt and pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix in a small bowl.
3. Cut through the lobster tail, exposing the meat and peeling back the shell. Put each tail in foil. Add the butter mixture, half on each lobster tail. Wrap and place in a cooking pan.
4. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until done. Don't overcook!
5. Serve with a side salad or cheese and crackers.

Enjoy!

Cobb Pasta Toss!

Ingredients:

•  3 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp EVOO
• Salt and pepper
• 6 slices bacon (optional)
• 1 lb Penne pasta
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 2 avocados, pitted and diced
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 5 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Ingredients:

What to do:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Scatter the tomatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp EVOO and some salt and pepper. Toss lightly to coat and roast them, 12 to 15 minutes. Place the bacon on a broiler pan and transfer to the oven as well. Cook until crispy, about 15 minutes.
2. Salt the boiling water, drop in the pasta, and cook al dente according to the package. When pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot it was cooked in.
3. While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet with 1 tbsp EVOO, add chicken, and saute until golden brown and cooked through, 6 minutes.
4. While the chicken is cooking, place the diced avocado into a small bowl and squeeze the juice of lemon over it, tossing to coat. 
5. When the chicken is finished cooking, add the garlic to the pan, cook for 1 minute, sprinkle in a few dashes of hot sauce and toss to coat.
6. In a large serving bowl, add the cooked tomatoes and scallions, then add reserved pasta water and pasta. Mash the tomatoes. Top with chicken, crumble bacon over the top and toss with the avocado, blue cheese, basil, and parsley.

Enjoy!