Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 ounces pancetta slices, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:
  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook brussels sprouts about 3 minutes then drain.
  2. Heat a large skillet with butter. Add pancetta and saute until crisp which is about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until golden. Add brussels sprouts and saute until it begins to brown which is about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and simmer until the broth reduces til it's just enough to cover the brussels sprouts. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Ritzy Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs

Directions:
  1. Slice chicken breasts into 7 slices or nugget sized pieces.
  2. Pour buttermilk and chicken slices into a zip-lock bag. Leave in the refrigerator to marinade for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
  3. Preheat oven to 425º.
  4. Place cracker crumbs into a large bowl. Remove chicken nuggets from the bag and shake off excess buttermilk then dip them in the cracker crumbs. Coat well and place chicken nuggets on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
  • 1 loaf French or Italian bread
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Slice bread in an angle and place in a baking pan. Drizzle melted butter on each bread slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Remove bread from oven and immediately rub garlic on the toasty bread. Bon Appetit!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Fresh & Easy Potato Salad

Ingredients:
  • 3 medium russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound hot dogs, pierced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
  1. Boil the potatoes whole until tender which is about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel skin and cut potatoes into bite-size pieces.
  2. Place the hot dogs into a hot grill pan and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cut the hot dogs crosswise into bite-size pieces.
  3. Toss potatoes, hot dogs, basil leaves, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if salad seems dry. Toss well and serve!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Minty Fruit with Wine

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cantaloupe, cut into cubes
  • 8 ounce fresh strawberries, sliced in halves
  • 1 cup green grapes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Directions:
  1. Combine the wine and sugar in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Prepare the cataloupe, strawberries, grapes, and mint then combine in a large bowl. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.