Dixon asked for my Super Bowl Sunday Supper ~ so here you go folks!
Chicken Roulade with Spinach in a Cornbread Sage Crust
3 skinless chicken breasts
1 large bag of pre washed spinach
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups of cornbread stuffing
5 large leaves of fresh sage, chopped
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt/pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
rinse and dry chicken breasts, place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound each breast until thin, about 1/4 inch. * you should have a nice flat breast to place sauteed spinach into.
Place oil in saute pan with minced garlic, heat oil and saute spinach until wilted, salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
In a food processor , process cornbread and chopped fresh sage until large crumbs are formed, don't over process.
Place chicken on a board, fill with about 3-4 tablespoons of spinach, at the close end and fold in the sides, roll from front to back forming a roll, much like a burrito.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of the mustard on the roll and roll into the crumb mixture, place rolls into a baking pan seam side down, add chicken stock and bake uncovered for 1/2 hour on 375.
Let cool to room temp, then slice into 1" slices and serve.
Serves 4-6
Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples
1/2 stick of butter or 4 tablespoons Olive Oil , I usually use the oil.
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 small butternut squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
4 6-ounce Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Stir butter, maple syrup and apple juice in small saucepan over medium-low heat the butter or oil. Increase heat and boil until mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cinnamon, and salt.
Arrange 1/3 of squash slices in prepared dish. Top with half of apple slices, then 1/3 of squash slices. Arrange remaining slices of squash and apple atop, alternating squash and apple slices and overlapping slightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pour maple syrup mixture over. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake casserole until squash is almost tender, about 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until squash is tender, basting occasionally with syrup, about 20 minutes longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered, in 350°F oven about 25 minutes, or microwave on high about 8 minutes.) Spoon syrup from dish over vegetables and serve.
Serves 4-6
Corn and Tomato Feta Salad
Even thought this is a summer style salad I like the fresh aspect of it with the sweet soft squash, makes for a nice contrast. Tomatoes are obviously not at their peak, but the hot house tomatoes fare just fine.
4 hot house tomatoes, quartered
1 12 oz. package frozen
1 cup of Feta cheese
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 lemon
1/ cup Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared pesto, ( I have pesto from the summer in my freezer, if you do feel free to use it here)
salt and pepper to taste
To make salad~ combine olive oil, 1/2 lemon juiced, vinegar, pesto, salt and pepper
in a large bowl combine, the tomatoes, feta, corn and arugula, toss with the olive oil mixture and serve
Serves, 4-6
Deep Dish Winter Fruit Pie with Walnut Crumb~ from Rustic Fruit Desserts
Pie Pastry
- 1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Walnut Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed (5 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
Fruit Filling
- 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) dried figs
- 4 small apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (12 ounces prepped)
- 4 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (1 1/4 pounds prepped)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
To make the pie pastry, put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, stir to combine, then put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss to evenly coat. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, a food processor, an electric mixer, or your hands, just until the mixture becomes coarse and crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Stir the water and lemon juice together, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured work surface and press it into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll the chilled dough into a 14-inch disk, then line a 9 or 10 by 3-inch springform pan with the rolled-out dough. Patch any holes and trim off any dough that hangs over the edges of the pan. Chill for an additional 30 minutes while you prepare the crumb topping and the fruit filling.
To make the walnut crumb topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then work it in with your hands until the texture of crumbs. Put the topping in the refrigerator while you make the fruit filling.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make the fruit filling, remove the stem from each fig, then boil the figs in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Slice each fig into 4 to 5 pieces, put them in a large bowl, and add the apples, pears, and cranberries. Separately, rub the sugar and cornstarch together, then add to the fruit and gently toss until evenly coated.
Transfer the filling to the pie shell and top with the walnut crumb. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the crumb is golden, the fruit juices are bubbling thickly around the edges, and the fruit is tender when pierced with a wooden skewer. If the crumb is getting too dark, cover it with foil.
Storage: Covered with a tea towel, the pie will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Spooned into a bowl and drizzled with chilled cream, it makes a wonderful breakfast.
Serves 8-10