Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Inspired by Heidi's Brooklyn Deli.

During the last four years, it seems like some of our favorite things we've found in Vegas are places to eat.  One place we absolutely love is Heidi's Brooklyn Deli, which has become somewhat of a lunchtime tradition among the UNLV dental students.  The food (including the bread) is made fresh daily, and everything we've tried so far has been delicious.  Some of our favorite sandwiches are the chicken salad, the reuben, the Cajun turkey with avocado, and the chicken parmesan.  So good!  I love getting their chocolate chip cookies and macaroni salad, too (which is amazing because I'm not a macaroni salad person).  Whenever we make chicken parmesan, we use the leftovers in our imitation of the sandwich at Heidi's.

Marbled rye bread, sliced
Chicken parmesan, thickly sliced (at least 1/2 breast per sandwich)
Marinara sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spread a generous amount of marinara sauce on one piece of bread.  Layer chicken slices over marinara.  Cover with mozzarella cheese.  Toast chicken-covered piece of bread and empty piece (or broil in the oven if don't have a toaster oven) until bread is toasty and cheese is melted.  Put sandwich together, slice (if desired), and dig in!

Note:
- We like to use this recipe for chicken parmesan, which we got from a friend of ours.

Swiss Whipped Honey Butter

From Lou Seibert Pappas's Pancakes & Waffles, page 74.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

2/3 cup honey
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a small bowl, combine the honey and butter and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the cream and beat until blended.  Spoon into a small bowl and serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Note:
- I really like adding cinnamon to ours!

Guest Post on Taming of the Celiac Sprue

Riskrem (a Norwegian Christmas dessert)

My friend Erin invited me to be a part of the holiday guest post series on her blog, Taming of the Celiac Sprue.  Fortunately, I discovered that two of my family's traditional Christmas desserts are gluten free!  It's been a lot of fun to see what other guests have posted about their favorite traditions and recipes, just as I had a good time last night typing up my (lengthy) post.

Click HERE to check out my post on her blog.

Honey Cinnamon Milk

From Healthy Cooking (Aug./Sept. 2011), page 47.

My husband and I tried this out one night when we wanted something slightly sweet before bed . . . just not hot chocolate.  It was exactly what we were looking for!  A little sweet with a bit of cinnamon.  Comforting.  Relaxing.  Yummy.  FYI: It's better at night than it is in the morning.  I don't know why.

Prep./Total Time: 10 min.

Yield: 1 serving

1 cup fat-free milk

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

Dash ground nutmeg

Dash ground allspice

1 1/2 tsp. honey

In a small saucepan, combine milk, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and allspice.  Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through; whisk in honey.  Serve warm; garnish with cinnamon stick.

Notes:

- The first time we made this, we didn't have cinnamon sticks, so I think we used 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon per serving.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup = 117 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 8 g protein

Multigrain Cheerios Snack Mix

From Eat Better America.

My two-year old helped me make this snack mix, and I swear we ate half of it right after it was done cooling.  It's that yummy.  Plus it's extremely easy to make, which is always a plus!

Prep: 15 min / Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 cups

1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups Multigrain Cheerios cereal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 300F.  Lightly grease cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, beat egg white on high speed until foamy; beat in salt.  Gradually beat in brown sugar until thick and glossy.  Gently stir in cinnamon, cereal, and pecans until completely coated.  Spread as thinly as possible on cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set.  Immediately remove from hot cookie sheet to a cold cookie sheet or large pan.  Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Break into pieces.  Store in airtight container.

Notes:
- Next time I may either leave the salt out or cut it in half.  It's not that the snack was overly salty--I just try to cut out salt whenever possible.
- Not sure what to do with that leftover egg yolk?  Head over to "The Chewy" and make Alton Brown's delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Avocado Fries

From Circle B Kitchen, adapted from Sunset Magazine.

I know, this sounds like one of the strangest things ever, but it is so good!  The panko coating is nice and crunchy, while the avocado insides get all soft and creamy.

Canola oil for frying

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko
2 firm-ripe medium or 3 small avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2" wedges
Grated parmesan for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 200F.  In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2" oil until it registers 375F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/2 tsp. salt in a shallow bowl.  Put eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls.

Sprinkle avocado slices with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.  Dip each slice in flour, shaking off excess.  Dip in egg and then panko to coat.  Set on plates in a single layer.

Fry a quarter of avocado slices at a time until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels.  Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados.  Sprinkle with salt and a little grated parmesan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
- These do not make good leftovers, even if you crisp them up in the toaster oven.  They take on an unappealing, somewhat fishy flavor.  And I like fish.  So you want to make only the amount you plan on eating, and then toss the rest.
- Try mixing together ranch dressing and salsa for a yummy dipping sauce!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com.

These grilled sweet potatoes are quite delicious!  The salty-citrus flavor from the seasoning really complements the sweetness from the potatoes.

3 sweet potatoes, with peels (see first note!)
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. finely grated lime zest
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Canola oil
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Parcook the potatoes: Place in a pot of water and boil until fork-tender, about 20 minutes; let cool.  Slice each potato lengthwise into eighths.

Preheat a grill to medium or place a cast iron grill pan over medium heat.  Mix salt, lime zest, cayenne pepper, cilantro, pepper, and oil.

Brush the potato wedges with oil mixture.  Grill until golden brown on all sides (including the skin) and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Serve.

Notes:
- Make sure you buy actual sweet potatoes, not yams.  Sweet potatoes are lighter in color and the uncooked flesh is a pale, pale yellow or cream when you scratch a little of the skin off; yams have darker skin and pinkish flesh.  (Most sweet potato fries you buy are actually yams, but I prefer to make this recipe with sweet potatoes.)
- Our potatoes don't have any grill marks on them, probably because we cooked them over indirect heat on the grill (other food had already claimed the direct heat seat.)
- Next time I think I'll increase the lime zest or squeeze a little juice over the potatoes--I'd like a little more of that lime flavor.
- The original recipe has you brush the potatoes with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill.  The lime zest, cayenne pepper, and salt are mixed together and sprinkled over the potatoes, along with the cilantro, after grilling.  We've tried both ways and actually prefer the way I've written the recipe (which was actually a complete accident the first time we made these).

Sweet 'n Tangy Carrots

From Healthy Cooking Holiday Recipes 2010, page 6.

Prep: 5 min / Cook: 30 min.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

2 lbs carrots, sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Water

Place 1 inch of water, carrots, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

Return carrots to pan; add brown sugar, butter, mustard, and pepper.  Cook and stir over low heat until well coated.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup = 143 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g protein

Notes:
- You can use black pepper--I did.
- If you don't have fresh parsley, use a few teaspoons of dried parsley.

Glazed Salmon

From Simple and Delicious (Jan./Feb. 2010), page 23.

Prep: 5-10 min. / Cook: 10-15 min.
Yield: 4 servings

We really liked this recipe--the sauce was wonderful and really complemented the salmon, adding to it but not overpowering it.  Delicious!  It's amazing to think that it's so easy and calls for so few ingredients, which is always a plus.

4 salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. ground cumin

Sprinkle both sides of salmon with salt and pepper; place in greased 11x17" dish.  Combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over fillets.

Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutrition Facts:
1 fillet = 349 calories, 19 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 100 mg cholesterol, 432 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 34 g protein

Notes:
- There's not really a reason to measure out the salt and pepper in this case.  Just sprinkle on some salt and grind some pepper over the fish--you'll be good.
- I cooked this for exactly 15 minutes, and it was perfect!

Cookie Pretzel Peanut Clusters

From Simple and Delicious (Aug./Sept. 2010), page 55.

Prep: 15 min. + standing
Yield: 7-8 dozen

My Cub Scouts literally devoured these and kept asking for more, so I guess they're a hit with the kids!

1 1/4 lbs. white candy coating, coarsely chopped
3 cups pretzel sticks, broken into pieces
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
14 Oreos, broken into chunks

Melt candy coating in a large glass bowl in the microwave; stir until smooth.  Stir in the pretzels, peanuts, and cookies.

Drop by tablespoonfuls into miniature paper liners or onto waxed paper.  Let stand until set.  Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts (for 8 dozen):

1 piece = 58 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 51 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, trace fiver, 1 g protein

Notes:
- I'm not sure if it was because my peanuts were old or stale or something, but I didn't really like them in this recipe.  Next time I'd consider omitting them or replacing them with something else (cashews, Chex, cheerios, almonds, etc.).  Or maybe I'd use some that I knew were "fresh."
- Fourteen Oreos?  Ha!  I used at least 20!
- The packaging for the candy coating should give you melting instructions, but usually you start at a minute, stir, and then continue microwaving in 30-second intervals.
- I'm thinking that Mint Oreos would be really good in this.  Mmmm.

Baked Slow Cooker Chicken

Adapted from AllRecipes.com, submitted by "Cotton" Couch.

Prep: 5-10 min. / Cook: 9-11 hours 

1 whole chicken (2-3 lbs)

1/2 medium onion, cut into wedges

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

Loosely wad up aluminum foil into 3-4" pieces.  Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rinse chicken, inside and out; pat dry with paper towels.  Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Place in slow cooker on top of aluminum foil.

Cook on high for 1 hour, then switch to low and cook for another 8-10 hours, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Notes:
- I didn't measure anything for this recipe, not even the chicken.  I just made sure it fit in my crock pot.

- Use your imagination for other "flavors" of chicken.

- This is a great recipe when you want a roasted chicken but don't want to heat up your kitchen.

- I divided up the meat into bags and froze it for later.  Excellent idea, as I've got a bunch of recipes that call for rotisserie chicken and I don't want to buy it (granted, this isn't quite rotisserie, but it worked just fine).

- A word of caution: Don't cook it overnight.  I made that mistake and ended up having the smell permeate my dreams (no joke).  By the time we woke up in the morning, both of us felt sick and neither of us wanted to eat chicken.

Peanut Butter Bars

From AllRecipes.com, submitted by Nancy.

Yield: 32 bars.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup + 4 Tbs. peanut butter, divided
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Use a food processor to pulse the graham crackers until fine.  Add the melted butter, 1 cup peanut butter, and powdered sugar.  Pulse until blended and smooth.

Press the peanut butter mixture into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.

Melt the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.  Pour over peanut butter layer and spread evenly.

Chill for 30 minutes or until set.  Remove to room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing into bars.

Notes:
- I read a suggestion to use all natural peanut butter, but I didn't try it because I have probably a three year supply of the regular stuff and didn't see a reason to go out and buy more!
- The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups butter, which I'm sure would have made the bars even creamier.
- The finer your crumbs, the smoother your peanut butter layer will be.  You don't have to use a food processor (you can do it all in a bowl or blender), but I recommend it.
- Each bar has about 200 calories in it, so devour wisely.

Ranch Chicken

From Bridget Welch.

Yield: 4-5 servings.

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe, and it is so delicious!  To make things even better, it's super easy.

1 lb. chicken
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 packet dry Ranch dressing mix

Place chicken in a crock pot.  Mix cream cheese, soup, milk, and Ranch seasoning.  Pour over chicken.

Cook on high for 1 hour and low for 4 more.  (Or cook on low for 6 hours.)

Serve with rice.

Notes:
- Really, the recipe just calls for "chicken," and so I used four breast halves.  I'm guessing that's about a pound.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on if you chicken is frozen or thawed.  Mine was semi-thawed, and four hours was just about perfect.
- I only cooked my chicken for 4 hours on low, and it was perfect.  But I have a rather finicky crock pot that seems to cook things faster than recipes typically call for.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 149

Makes 16 ounces.

Nonstick cooking spray
9 large marshmallows
1/4 cup whole milk
11 ounces premium vanilla ice cream (about 1 3/4 packed cups)
Toasted marshmallows, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the broiler.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange the marshmallows flat on the baking sheet and place under the broiler until the tops are a deep golden brown color, about 40 seconds.  Remove from the oven, carefully turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are a deep golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Combine the marshmallows and milk in a blender and blend for 5 seconds.  Add the ice cream and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.  Serve immediately.

Notes
- This is a very sweet, rich shake.  We divided it between four people, and that was plenty!
- It took longer than 40 seconds on each side for our marshmallows to get even slightly golden.  And by then we were impatient and called it good.  Just keep an eye on yours.
- Bobby must have a super blender--ours takes a little longer to get the shakes smooth.

Orange Julius

Serves 4

1/4 cup sugar

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

10-15 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until ice cubes are crushed and drink reaches desired consistency.

Notes:

- I tend to like my orange julius thicker, so after the initial ice cubes are blended up, I add a few at a time until it's thick enough.

Layered Peppermint Bark

From AllRecipes.com, submitted by Carol.

Prep: 30 minutes, Ready in: 1 1/2 hours
Makes: 32 servings

20 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided

30 peppermint candies, crushed, divided

10 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 Tbs. heavy cream

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Line a 9x12" baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Melt half of the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a spatula to avoid scorching. Spread the white chocolate into the prepared pan Sprinkle 1/2 of the crushed peppermints evenly over the white chocolate. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate, heavy cream, and peppermint extract together in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Quickly pour the chocolate layer over the chilled white chocolate layer; spread evenly. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until just melted. Spread quickly over the chilled bark. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint pieces; chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Cut or break into small pieces to serve.

Notes:

- Using a 9x12" pan produces very thick "bark," so I will likely use a jelly roll pan next time instead.

- I used two bags of white chocolate chips, which was closer to 24 ounces instead of 20.

- If you don't have two double boilers (by a fluke, I do), you can melt the white chocolate in the microwave (in two batches). Start with a minute at 50% power, and then add 15 seconds until the chocolate is smooth when stirred. You can also make a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a pot with a little of simmering water.

- Be very careful (and quick) when spreading the final layer of white chocolate. The dark chocolate will never completely set up, so it's easy to end up swirling it into the white.

- Don't get any water into your melting chocolate! It will cause big problems. (If you do, add a little oil or shortening to help fix things.)

Rodgrot (Red Berry Pudding)

Yield: about 8 servings

1 pound fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, strawberries or boysenberries
4 cups water
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar (reduce the amount if the berries are sweetened)
Pinch of salt
1 cup whipping cream

Combine the berries and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Place a sieve over a medium bowl, pour berry mixture into sieve, press with the back of a spoon to remove as much pulp as possible. Discard the seeds. Measure the juice and pulp. If necessary, add water to make 5 cups.

In a small bowl combine cornstarch with 2/3 cup of juice (the juice should not be hot), making a thin paste. Pour remaining juice and pulp into saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sugar, salt and cornstarch paste. Stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to keep pudding smooth, cook until thickened.

Cover pan, set aside to cool 20 to 30 minutes. Pour cooled pudding into a serving bowl.

Serve immediately or cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until served. Pour whipping cream into a small pitcher. Serve pudding warm or cold, with cream.

Riskrem

Riskrem (pronounced "rees-krehm") is basically what it sounds like: a rice cream dessert.  But's not rice pudding.  By custom, Norwegian families would take a bowl of riskrem to the barn on Christmas Eve and leave it out for the Fjøsnisse (sometimes referred to simply as nisse or nissen), the guardian of the home and farm.  It's wise to remember him because he can be kind of a trickster, and if you really anger him, you may find your crops have gone bad.

Traditionally in Norway, one whole almond is hidden in the batch of riskrem.  Whoever finds the almond in his or her dish receives a yummy prize of a marzipan candy shaped like a pig, though in my family the prize was typically some See's candy or Smil (a Norwegian candy similar to Rolos).  Sadly, I'm the only one who's crazy about marzipan, so the pig is never an option.

My family has had this dessert every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember.  My dad served in Norway as a missionary for our church, as did my grandpa and both of my dad's brothers (strange coincidence, as our missionaries do not choose where they'll go).  Plus, we are part Norwegian (and Danish and just about everything else in Europe, though more than any other single nationality, we are Icelandic--my great-grandmother was a full Icelander).  So this dessert is really part of our heritage.

My dad eats riskrem by the bowlful; he loves it that much.  While I was growing up, I'd slowly make my way through it until somebody found the almond, and then I'd stop.  But over the last few years, I've gained a new appreciation of it.  Could I eat a batch by myself?  No.  But I can safely say that I enjoy it now.

3/4 cup medium or short grained rice
4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 pint cream
Pinch of salt
Berry syrup (recommended: strawberry, boysenberry, or raspberry)
1 almond

Cook rice, milk, and salt covered in a double boiler over low heat, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the milk is absorbed (approximately 1 1/2 hrs).

Remove from heat and stir in sugar and almond extract, then cool in refrigerator until cold (overnight is best).

Gently fluff rice with a fork.  Whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold into rice mixture.

Serve with a little berry syrup poured over the top.

Notes:
- In Norway an almond is placed into the Ris Krem just before it is served; the lucky person who finds the almond in his or her bowl gets a prize,  traditionally a piece of marzipan candy in the shape of a pig.
- This is a very rich dessert, so a little goes a long way.
- Don't allow your rice mixture to sit too long in the fridge before adding the whipped cream or it won't be a soft as it should be (the mistake I made for the batch pictured here--it was a couple days before I got around to whipping the cream).

Bread Bowls or French Bread

From Kim Herring.

Yield: 2 loaves French bread or 6 bread bowls

2 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 packages or 2 T. active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons soft shortening or oil
6 cups flour, stirred and measured

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In large mixing bowl combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top; allow to soften. Add salt, shortening/oil and 3 cups flour; beat well.

Add remaining flour, stirring well with heavy spoon. Leave spoon in batter and allow dough to rest 10 minutes; stir down with spoon; allow dough to rest 10 minutes; stir down again. Repeat this process until dough has been stirred down five times.

Turn dough out onto floured board; knead two or three times to coat dough with flour so it can be handled.

For French Bread:
Divide into two parts. Roll each part of dough into rectangle 9 x 12 inches. Roll dough up, starting from long side; pinch edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that's been sprinkled with cornmeal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough.

For Bread Bowls:
Divide into six parts. Form into balls, smooth on top with the seam pinched together on the bottom. Arrange on a large baking sheet that's been generously sprinkled with cornmeal.

Cover lightly; allow to rise for 30 minutes. With a very sharp knife, cut three gashes at an angle in top of each loaf (I cut two gashes on each bread bowl); brush entire surface with egg wash (1 egg beaten slightly with 1 tablespoon water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes or until brown. Cool on racks.

Note:

- I used a bowl and wooden spoon the first time I made these, and then I switched to my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook. Works out just the same, except my arms don't feel like they're going to fall off.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

From Mom Herring.

Prep./Total Time: a little over 2 hours

2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth or water
2 lbs. chicken breasts or fryer
1/2 (1.5 oz.) pkg. dehydrated onion soup
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Grease 9x13” pan and sprinkle rice evenly on bottom of pan. Add water or broth, then place chicken pieces on top of rice and water. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle dehydrated onion soup over chicken, then spread on cream of chicken soup as evenly as possible.

Bake, covered, 1 1/2 hours at 350°F, then uncover and cook 1/2 hour more.