Chicken Lasagna Bundles

Just like many of you my life has been really busy for the past several days. Italy is just around the corner, so I've spent all of my spare time making sure that was taken care of. Naturally, I just HAD to make a weekend excursion to see the Perfect Ones before heading off for two weeks. Nana time is one the basic necessities of life for me. My grandchildren are just so much fun! I'm sharing a not-so-Italian lasagna recipe that we really like and that I have made several times for sharing. I got this from my son-in-law's mom, although she doesn't remember making it! Hubby and I ate it at her house one day when we were in town and got invited to lunch on the deck - a great fall day in northwest Arkansas. (It doesn't get any prettier anywhere, I don't think.) Gotta" go pack! ciao

8 packaged dried lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
1 cup Ricotta or cream-style cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped, fresh tarragon or basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss or mozzarella cheese (I sometimes use and Italian blend that is already shredded.)
paprika

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together egg, cottage cheese, chicken and basil or tarragon.
To assemble bundles: Spread about 1/3 cup of the filling over each lasagna noodle. Roll up each noodle, starting from a short end. Place bundles, seamside down, in a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine. Stir in flour, mustard, salt and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stirl well with a whisk until thickened and bubbly. Gradually add cheese, stirring until melted after each addition. Pour sauce over the lasagna bundles. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Transfer bundles to individual plates. Stir sauce in the baking dish. Spoon some of the sauce over each bundle and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with fresh tarragon or basil leaves.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

It's March and we're all Irish.

 

I'm Irish at heart. You can ask anyone who really knows me. When and why I became fascinated with anything having to do with St. Patrick's Day and Ireland I do not know. It seems that I always have been. It may have something to do with my "I hate winter" mantra that I begin spouting around the first of October - who knows! I am definitely ready to "March into spring" by the time the month gets here. Hubby and Daughter have always indulged (and tolerated) my Irishness.


Approaching March 17, shamrock plants adorn my desk, leprechauns appear in various locations around my house and classroom, buttons sporting "Shake Your Shamrocks," "Kiss Me I'm Irish," and "World's Tallest Leprechaun" become part of my daily wear. I even have a pair of shamrock sunglasses and one of those silly headbands with shamrocks on springs that wibble-wobble when you shake your head. You don't EVEN want to know about all of the shamrock earrings and other assorted pieces of "green" jewelry that I have obtained over the years. I guess you could say that it all makes up my "pot o' gold" at the end of the rainbow.

For several years one of my teaching partners, Sister Mary Margaret the social studies teacher, and I taught a big unit on Ireland. Our students indulged me as I paraded them through all sorts of Irish-related literature from Patricia Reilly Giff's Nory Ryan's Song (read it if you haven't) to Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels while she taught them all about the country and its customs. The jig replaced the macarena as the favorite dance of the day and, amid much protest, they even learned the Irish Rovers version of Shel Silverstein's The Unicorn Song. We had better luck with that than "Irish Eyes are Smiling" and "O Danny Boy." I guess there's only so much that you can force middle schoolers to endure after all.

| For many it came as a shock that St. Patrick's Day was not a national holiday set aside just for pinching! Tara, one of our student interns, really helped out one year by organizing a St. Patrick's Day parade. The kids made parade floats on which they had to relate facts about Ireland, (I wouldn't want you to think we were playing away their school time!), dressed in their green leprechaun hats and other apparel, and cooked! We made Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, colcannon, scones, champ - stopping at brewing our own stout, of course. It was all prepared in crock pots the day before our big parade and left to cook until serving time the next day. Needless to say, you could smell our Irish feast at least two blocks away the next morning. It was equally divided everyone as to whether we were the most loved or detested teachers that day. Our principal gave us a parade "permit" for a few minutes that afternoon, the kids were assembled, and the parade marshal (Tara in a rolling garbage can) along with our own fully-adorned St. Patrick, led away. It was a thoroughly enjoyable time of chaos (we loved it!).

 

My corned beef is bought and awaiting the crock pot. Even though this is an Americanized Irish favorite, it's still good and easy. I hope you will give it a try.

Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

3-4 lb. corned beef brisket with seasoning package

2-3 onions, quartered

5-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (I usually just use a small bag of those small carrots.)

3-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 turnips, peeled and quartered
1 small head green cabbage, outer layers and core removed, cut into 3/4 -inch wedges
4 very small new Irish (of course) potatoes, halved if larger than a golf ball

14 ounce can beef broth or beef stock (not that seasoned kinds)

2 bay leaves
cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1-2 cups water to cover

Remove brisket from package, rinse well in cold water and pat dry. Place brisket in the crock pot and sprinkle with the seasoning packet that comes with it. Add bay leaves, garlic, cloves, allspice, and cracked black pepper to your taste. Place onions, carrots, parsnips and turnips on top of brisket ; pour in beef stock and water to completely cover by about an inch. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours depending on your crock pot.

I usually put mine on before leaving for work at 7 a.m. About 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving, add new potatoes and cabbage wedges. If the brisket is good and tender, remove it before adding the potatoes and cabbage. Cover it with foil and set aside to rest. Or, just leave it in if you prefer. Vary the vegetables to suit your taste. This is definitely a one pot meal with plenty of leftovers at our house.

Sometimes I cook the brisket the day before and just reheat it the next day as the cabbage and potatoes are cooking.
I have a friend who adds a bottle of stout or dark beer instead of the beef stock. She also spreads the brisket with yellow mustard. You might see which you like best.

I'll be serving this with Irish soda bread which I will buy or cornbread sticks and the following sauce:

Horseradish Sauce:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1/2 - 3/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 or more cup prepared, jarred grated horseradish (Add more if you like it hot.)
salt to taste
freshly ground cracked pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste. Refrigerate until serving time.

Spring Has Sprung - Maybe (Asparagus with Lemon -Herb Sauce)

When my daffodils began coming up in December due to a rash of really warm days, my spring sap began to rise as well. I remembered newspaper columnist Richard Allin's remarks about the annual Frozen Daffodil and Snow Tire Festival, however, and tempered my longing for fresh asparagus, tiny English peas and tender mixed greens. Hubby covered the daffodils tricking them into a few more weeks of winter sleep, and I settled for a few more bowls of spicy chili and soothing soups. Ahh winter. Can spring be far behind? Around the first of February we uncovered the sprouting harbringers of spring and let them bloom at will knowing full well that they might become yellow popsicles. You just can't deter Mother Nature when she gets on a roll! They bloomed and bloomed and encouraged the neighboring tulips to wake up as well. Sure enough it happened. Last weekend just as the forsythia and saucer magnolias were all dressed up in their new yellow and pink wardrobes, it snowed. Not much, but enough to once again pay respects to Allin's call for his festival. We just had to laugh and just enjoy it. It was, after all, a beautiful surprise. We were with daughter and the perfect ones, so instead of flying kites, we just wrapped up warmly and stirred the soup pot (symbolic this time as we actually took the babies for an initial venture at the local hibachi grill).
My friend Kathy at Life in the Slow Lane wrote about her own experience with the schizophrenic spring. She has lots of gorgeous pictures to share from her place in Birmingham where they actually had a fairly significant snowfall (for the South anyway). My friend Marilyn in Utah got another 8 inches of white powder yesterday - not for me! Except for an occasional (and brief) snow day, I'm a summer person all the way.

Here's a favorite for fresh spring asparagus - or anytime asparagus actually.

Asparagus with Lemon-Herb Sauce

3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions (I don't use quite as much.)
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup diced seeded red bell peppers

Bring broth to boil in large pot. Add asparagus; cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to large bowl of ice water. Reserve 1 cup broth in small bowl. Drain asparagus; pat dry. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap asparagus in paper towels. Seal in plastic bag. Cover broth. Chill asparagus and broth.)
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup green onions, shallots and sugar. Sauté until onions and shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in reserved 1 cup broth, 1 tablespoon oil, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and lemon peel. Simmer until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.
Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions and bell peppers. This comes from Bon Appétit, April 1998.

I first served this at a bridesmaid's luncheon for Susan, my friend Sandra's daughter. (Susan is now a missionary in China. Please pray for her and her family - Wade, Addie Mae, Wesley, and Brooks.) Since then, I have served it several times. We definitely prefer it at room temperature rather than hot.

Here are the cutest little girl in the world last spring at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas and the cutest little boy in the world and his momma at Dallas Blooms in 2006.

Chicken Kiev for Emily

It was October. I was at Dr. McClintock's office when I found out for certain that I was pregnant. This was before drug store pregnancy tests. I went downstairs to a pay phone - it was pre-cell phones as well - to call hubby at work. We were so excited! Life was perfect. It was all we could do not to take out a full-page ad in the state paper except that, of course, there was no way we could afford that. We settled for a brag book purchase for my mom which was the way the whole world found out anyway! I fully understand that now being the perfect grandmother that I am. Being pregnant was a nine month adventure that I so perfectly enjoyed. Morning sickness wasn't anything that I experienced; I may have had just a little nausea late in the day but certainly nothing to complain about. My sweet little second-graders brought me crackers and Hershey's Kisses - crackers for me and Kisses for "our" baby. (They even gave me a surprise baby shower at the end of the school year.) Everyone patted my expanding belly and gave us all sorts of perfect "raising baby" advice which we promptly forgot but shouldn't have. Winter turned into spring; we changed the baby's room from a horrid mauve to a clean, bright white and decorated ala' Sears with Winnie-the-Pooh bumper pads, sheets, pillows, wall hangings, and a complete menagerie that included Winnie, Eeyore, Kango and Roo. Perfect! Dr. McClintock continued to harass me about heading to the closest IHOP immediately after my visits and would only assure me when I inquired about the baby's gender that I wasn't going to have a "perfect" poodle. Times have definitely changed! Bozo's expected arrival date of July 4 drew closer and I nested. The floors were perfectly mopped and waxed, the furniture perfectly rearranged, and the baby's room repainted so that it too was perfect. July 4 arrived with no Bozo. - not perfect. Hubby and I headed to the lake. He swears that I looked happy and was perfectly beautiful, but when I look back "beautiful" translated into "ballooned", but I was defintely happy. We were ready! Or, so we thought. We weren't, of course, but SHE was. July 10th dawned and eventually so did Emily. Suddenly the weight of the world was on hubby's shoulders and I was petrified. We had not one single clue as to what we were to do with this sweet, precious, beautiful , perfect baby girl. Knowing how to be pregnant did not prepare us for knowing how to be parents. Bring on Dr. Spock! There was hope.

Over the years Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care evolved into James Dobson's The Strong-Willed Child and the three of us learned together how to be a family - not a perfect one, but a family nonetheless. We argued, we laughed, we played, we cried - and we survived. Being Emily's mom has been one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me. Being the grandmother of her children is absolutely the PERFECT one.

My baby now helps bring new babies into the world. You can read an interesting story about her and one of those babies here at Kelly's Korner: It's a small world. It's the February 8th entry.

This Chicken Kiev was one of Emily's frequent requests for her birthday dinners. It's a calorie splurge, but perfectly delicious!

Serves 6

3 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved
salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons finely cut fresh chives
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 finger-sized pieces and frozen hard
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs or panko
vegetable or peanut oil for deep frying

Flatten the boned breasts to a thickness of about 1/4 inch by placing them between two pieces of wax paper and pounding them lightly with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. Discard the paper and lay out the flattened breasts, boned side uppermost. Salt to taste and sprinkle the breasts with the pepper and chives. Place one of the pieces of butter on each breast half. Roll up the butter in the breast meat as you would wrap a package, tucking in the ends at the beginning of the roll. Dip the rolled breasts in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the bread crumbs or panko. Chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours. Heat the oil to 365 degreesin a saucepan or deep fryer. The oil should be dep enough to fully cover the breasts. Deep fry the breasts until they are golden brown, at least 4 to 5 minutes. Do not crowd the fryer. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

I usually serve this with wild and long-grain rice blend and either grilled asparagus, broccoli almondine, or steamed fresh green beans.

You can follow this video link to see another version prepared.

John Reed's "Mystery" Rolls

We have lived in this town for thirty-five years. When we first moved here we happened to meet a really nice older couple, John and Boyce Reed. Over the years our lives were woven together in a multitude of ways. Their daughter, Pauline, became my friend and Sunday School teacher and taught me how to make the best coconut pie EVER; son-in-law, Jim, taught my husband in a class at the same church. Their granddaughter, Claudette, was our regular babysitter. It took all of our "village" to raise their grandson, Justin! (He finally decided what he wanted to grow up to be and became a dentist who practices locally.)


The Reeds backyard became the location for a portrait that was done by Liz Powers of my daughter and me which still hangs in our current home. As a toddler, our daughter would ask to go play with "my friend John." He hung a swing in his backyard that was great entertainment for her; he even let her hold a baby wren once that was newly hatched in a nest on his patio. I doubt that she remembers that, but I do.


I've taught his great grandchildren. We helped them celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary  Their great grandson plays ball and is in the same school class as my grandson....and the list continues.


I always admired and appreciated the way that both of them were genuinely interested in others. Even though Mr and Mrs. Reed have passed on, our lives still connect in so many ways with theirs. One of the those ways is through this roll recipe which we call Mystery Rolls (our daughter's interpretation for "Mr. Reed" rolls).


Right after we met the Reeds, they invited us over one Saturday night for hot rolls and strawberry jam. It was Mr. Reed's habit to make rolls every Saturday evening. These were his contribution to the family Sunday dinner the next day. Oh my goodness, how good they were. Pauline serves these each year when she hosts a luncheon and invites the entire town - or so it seems. Nobody turns down that invitation! (I'll share her coconut pie recipe one of these days.) I never make these that I don't remember all of those connections. We cherish those memories.

I promise that you won't be disappointed in these rolls.  They are absolutely terrific.

If you would like to read a small bit about Mr. Reed's life, you can link here at Rootsweb. The narrative falls far short of the man he was.

Mr. Reed's Mystery Rolls

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

1/4 cup sugar
1 package yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water (add a bit of the sugar to feed the yeast)

Cream margarine and sugar; add boiling water and allow to cool slightly. Beat egg into yeast and water. Add to the creamed margarine (which is cool enough not to kill the yeast); add the salt and add the flour one cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.


Mix well, but do not over mix. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Do not add extra flour.Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.


Turn the dough onto a well-floured cloth and mash or roll out to between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Oil both sides of the individual pieces and fold into pocketbooks. Place closely together in a well-oiled pan with just enough room to rise. Allow to rise until doubled (45 minutes to 1 hour). Cover the pans with a clean cloth while rising.

Bake at 400 to 425 degrees for approximately 12 minutes or until lightly browned. This recipe will yield approximately 2 dozen rolls. You may warm them at serving time in a 200 degree oven for a few minutes. They freeze well if you want to make them ahead. Mine never seem to make it to the freezer before they are gone.

These are absolutely fantastic with strawberry freezer jam and butter. Actually, they are awesome eaten straight out of the pan!


Linked to:  Full Plate Thursday

Those Dreaded 25 Random Things and Brownies

Some of you Facebook users will relate to this post because you have also been tagged with one of those "25 Random Things" requests. So far I've pretty much enjoyed reading everyone else's lists, but I've avoided responding because I've never thought of myself as an interesting person. I'm interested IN more things than I can remember (and I'm remembering less all of the time), but I just couldn't imagine writing anything that someone else would be even remotely curious about reading. Some of the things I have read have been super interesting; some not so much. But at least they tried - more than I could say for myself. By ignoring those tags, I thought I would be able to sneak by and not do a list myself - just be a voyeur so to speak. However, lately I've received some hints that maybe I should at least put forth an effort or I was going to be blacklisted by those friends who bravely put themselves forth for investigation. I found this application, 25 Random Things, on FB that I thought was a pretty nice way to get out the list and yet learn more about those you tag yourself. It's a little different than what I've seen before, so I think I will give it a try. If you get a tag from me, it's your choice of course to ignore...but I do threaten you with serious voodoo hexes (I have connections!). Anyway...here goes:

1. I think it is somewhat scary that I really don't know if I know enough things about myself to make it to #25.
2. I don't have the foggiest idea how to Tivo anything...hubby says we can't anyway but I'm not so sure. I'm the techie person in our household (what a laugh!).
3. One of the best things I ever taught my daughter was a love of reading. I like to think she's teaching her children to love it as well.
4. One of the best things I enjoy doing with my grandchildren is reading to them.
5. My favorite book as an adolescent was Swiss Family Robinson. I must have read it at least twice a year for five or six years. Black Beauty was probably my next favorite. My students don't seem to be interested in them. They are much more inclined to read anything Lemony Snicket. I feel so sorry for the kids in those books.
6. Steel Magnolias will always be one of my favorite movies because I saw it for the first time with my daughter when she was a senior in high school. I still cry when I watch it. Father of the Bride could have been written for my family. Substitute in our names for the mom, dad and daughter and you have the script written.

7. I really never watch American Idol or Dancing With the Stars. However, I recently started ballroom dancing lessons with hubby!
8. Sometimes I'm really difficult to get along with and understand. For my closest friends, I know you will find that really unbelievable.
9. When I don't have everything figured out, see #8. This happens most than I would like.
10. I got a new camera from my daughter and son-in-law to take to Italy (Canon PowerShot SD 88O IS) . It is supposed to be really simple....I still don't have it figured out.
11. I got a new camera last Christmas (Nikon D40). It has more settings, buttons and options than I can even begin to figure out.

12. That new Photoshop Elements program I bought - Nope, don't have it all figured out either.

13. I'm creative and crafty, but scrapbooking is a complete mystery to me. My Cricut Expression and cartridges are begging to be used.
14. I once told my ninth grade Civics teacher that I might want to become a surgeon. He laughed.
15. I was the youngest person in my class throughout most of elementary, junior high and senior high. Now I think having a December birthday has its advantages.

16. Cookbooks and cooking magazines are really interesting to me. I have way too many of both.
17. I'm absolutely addicted to Food Network, and I remember the first time I ever heard of Emeril Lagasse. He was making a creme brulee on a program called Great Chefs of New Orleans. He was a virtual unknown at the time.
18. I secretly watched Julia Child and Graham Kerr on television while my friends watched American Bandstand.

19. Seeking out great restaurants whenever we travel is something I think is fun. Many of my travel adventures revolve around that. One of my favorites is La Supa Rica in Santa Barbara. Remember that name because there's no sign on the place and you certainly wouldn't stop there unless you knew about it. It's on Milpas Street if I remember correctly.

20. I know that many of my students think I am far too difficult, but I believe that they can rise to a higher standard if it is expected.
21. I once helped my grandfather roof a house. He was a plumber and I loved going with him on jobs, but I didn't EVER want to be a plumber! (They make more than teachers so maybe I should reconsider.)
22. My Nonnie and my Grandma Easley taught me to love gardening. I grew up planting and digging alongside of them. I was fortunate.
23. They also taught me to love cooking. The first thing I remember cooking was potato salad. I came home from elementary school one day and just decided making it was the thing I most wanted to so. Ten pounds of potatoes make a lot of potato salad!

24. Maybe when I retire I will accomplish #10, #11, #12, and #13. I hope so.

25. I really, really like chocolate and peppermint together in anything! Hence the following recipe.

Hooray! I actually made it to 25!

This recipe comes from one of my well-worn cookbooks called Calico Cupboards, a project of the Junior Auxiliary of Benton, Arkansas. It was often served at one of their community functions called Christmas Treasures.

Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

Brownies:

2 squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring

Glaze:
2 squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate for brownies. Add eggs which have been beaten with sugar. Stir in remaining brownie ingredients and bake in a buttered 8 or 9-inch square cake pan for 15 minutes. Cool; mix frosting ingredients and spread on brownies. Chill well. Melt butter and chocolate for glaze. Spread evenly over frosting. Store in refrigerator in warm weather. The recipe easily doubles. These brownies are especially pretty to serve at Christmas.