Fresh, fresh, fresh produce.....

It amazes me how many people up here have their own gardens. I am forever getting some of the best home grown vegetables I have every had. I mean they are amazing. Large, colorful and full of flavor. I have been given zucchini's as large as my arm, apples, corn, beans, pretty much anything you can think of. And I have enjoyed each and everyone of them. Finally I received some large green tomatoes, straight from one of my cooks gardens, and what best to do with them but to fry them. Below is my version of a fried green tomato appetizer and a nice little sauce to enjoy them with. And to all my garden growers out there, please keep the fresh foods coming for I truly do enjoy all of them. Thank you.

Fried Green Tomatoes w/Spicy Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

4 Each large green tomatoes
2 Each eggs
1/2 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup cornmeal, fine ground
1/2 Cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Quart vegetable oil
1 TBSP butter

Spicy Bleu Cheese Sauce

1/4 Cup Bleu Cheese Dressing
1/4 Cup Mayo
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBSP hot chili sauce

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Slice tomatoes 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Discard ends

Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium size bowl or pie dish and set aside.

Combine flour, cayenne pepper and paprika together on a plate. On a separate plate combine cornmeal, breadcrumbs, kosher salt and pepper.

Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip into egg wash. Finally place into breadcrumb mixture until well coated.

In a large fry pan add enough of the oil so that there is about 1/2 inch in the pan. Add TBSP of butter and heat over medium heat.(to test oil readiness, drop a couple drops of water into pan, if it pops the oil is ready)

Place tomatoes into pan 4 or 5 at a time depending on the size of your pan. Do not crowd tomatoes and they should not touch each other. When tomatoes are browned on one side about 3-4 minutes, flip and fry the other side. Drain excess oil off on paper towels. Place on a plate with dipping sauce and enjoy. Wine Pairings: Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. Beer Pairings: Lager, Pilsner or Pale Ale.  

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50-60 minutes

Other Time: 5 minutes

3-4 Boneless chicken breast(2-3lbs),cubed

1 TBSP Olive oil(EVOO)

1 10-12oz package frozen mixed vegetables(without Lima beans), thawed and rinsed

1 10 3/4oz can Cream of Chicken soup

1 10 3/4oz can Cream of Mushroom soup

1/2 Small white onion, diced

2 Each celery ribs, washed and diced

2 tsp minced garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crust 

1 Cup Bisquick

1 Cup milk

1 Stick butter, melted

1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

1 TBSP Parmesan cheese, grated

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

Heat EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced raw chicken, garlic and salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until no pink is showing.

Add diced celery and onion, mix into chicken and cook until onions are soft. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain of excess liquid and set aside.

Combine both cans of soup, vegetable mix and cooked chicken together in a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

For the crust combine Bisquick, milk and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Pour batter evenly over top of the casserole. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese. 

Bake 50-60 minutes, until heated through. For a crispier crust, turn the oven to broil for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and let rest about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, or a nice soft Merlot. Beer Pairings: Lager, Pilsner or Amber.

Finally.....The return has come

As many of you know I recently relocated to WA state to be closer to my family. In the process of making this move happen I had to sacrifice making any additions to my blog for several months now. During that time I was cooking and playing with different recipes and taking notes so I could add them at a later date when time allowed. That time has finally come. Here are several new recipes that I was working on over the past few months and I have more to follow. I hope to be making regular post again from now on, and as always I appreciate the support and feedback that I have received from many of you along the way.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Other Time: 5 minutes

4 Ea skinless, boneless chicken breast
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Ea slices of Swiss cheese
4 Ea slices of thinly sliced cooked ham
1/2 Cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce

2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 Cup milk
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

On a cutting board, place chicken breast, cover with plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. This will help ensure the chicken will cook evenly.

Lightly dust each side of chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice Swiss cheese on top of each breast. Roll each breast and secure with toothpicks to hold together while baking. Place toothpick side down in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks before serving and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with the Dijon Parmesan Cream Sauce.

While chicken is baking, now is the time to make your cream sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and slowly add flour, stirring until well combined. Slowly whisk in milk, until smooth, then add chicken granules and salt. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. About 3-5 minutes. Turn heat to low, stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cheese, whisking until cheese has melted. Keep warm until ready to serve. Sauce can either be placed directly on the plate, or drizzled over the top of chicken. Wine Pairings: Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir. Beer Pairings: Pilsner or Amber..

Hard Boiled Eggs
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Other Time: 15 minutes


As basic as this recipe seems, I get lots of calls and text from family and friends on how to properly boil an egg so I decided to add this recipe for all those of you who have this issue. I hope it helps.

Add eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a saucepan. Cover eggs completely with a couple inches of cold water. Starting with cold water and gently bringing the eggs to a boil will help prevent them from cracking. You can also add a teaspoon of salt if you desire. Some people thinks this helps to peel the eggs easier after cooking. I will let you decide that for yourself.

Turn the burner to high and bring the eggs to a boil. Once eggs have come to a boil remove from heat and cover. Let sit covered for 15 minutes.

At the end of 15 minutes strain the hot water out of the pan and flush eggs with cold water. Repeat this process as many times as needed to cool the eggs enough to handle. At this point you can either peel and enjoy them, or store them covered in your refrigerator until ready to use. For best flavor they should be used within 5 days of cooking.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

4 EA Tilapia fillets(thaw if using frozen fillets)
1 Cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Cup Dijon mustard

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES

Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder in a zip lock bag.

Coat both sides of Tilapia fillet with Dijon mustard, then drop into bag with breadcrumb mixture and shake to coat. Repeat with all fillets, making sure all fillets are well coated. Use any leftover breading on top of each  fillet if desired.

Bake in 375 degree oven on foil lined baking sheet , coated with non stick spray for 15-20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and topping is browned.

If you prefer your fish plain, then just top each fillet with a little dollop of butter, salt and pepper and a fresh lemon wheel and bake for 10-12 minutes. This is such a mild white fish that my usual wine pairings don't apply here because pretty much any wine you like will pair well with this fish.