Tag Archives: easy

Pavlova filled with lemon curd and Grand Marnier soaked blackberries

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I love my rotisserie chicken, but I am also a dessert fan.  I have been whipping up these Easter worthy desserts for my columns in the Joplin Globe, MO and Claremore Daily Progress in Claremore, Ok.

I made a Pavlova, which hails from New Zealand.

Pavlova is a meringue dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (a New Zealand chef created this in her honor). It has a crusty exterior but the center is soft and tastes like a marshmallow. I used vanilla and coconut extract to flavor my meringue, but you can be playful and use anything from almond to raspberry extract (just plan your filling accordingly).

You can fill a Pavlova with anything, too, but I filled mine with store-bought lemon curd, whipped topping and Grand Marnier marinated blackberries. If you don’t have Grand Marnier, it may not be worth buying a bottle because it’s expensive. You could substitute sherry, another orange liqueur, or omit the alcohol and just soak berries in 2 tablespoons orange juice, if desired. This also excellent with blueberries or raspberries or a combination.

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Pavlova’s are light and so even if you’re stuffed after the meal, you can still squeeze in a little dessert.

Enjoy

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Grand Marnier Soaked Blackberries

For the Pavlova:

5 large egg whites

1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

2 teaspoons corn starch

Parchment paper

For the filling

1 (10-ounce) jar lemon curd

2 cups whipped topping

1 ½ cups fresh blackberries or raspberries

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

For the Pavlova:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Beat egg whites on high speed (or meringue setting if your mixer has one) for 1 minute. Then gradually start adding the sugar, only 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Then fold in both types of extract and corn starch.

Spread mixture onto parchment paper, making it an 11-inch circle of oval. Shape with spatula; you want the sides slightly higher than the center because you’re going to fill the center.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. Then turn off the oven, but leave the door ajar and leave the Pavlova in the oven another hour.

The center will be collapsed, which is fine because you want to fill it.

While it cools, place blackberries in a bowl and add Grand Marnier. Set aside.

When it’s time to fill Pavlova, fill with whipped topping and spread that in the center. Then take teaspoons at a time of the lemon curd and drop dollops around the center. Cover with blackberries and serve. Note: for the sake of the photo, I left space to see the lemon curd to show contrasting colors, but I would cover the top in berries when serving.

Easter Macaroon Nests

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It’s not chicken, but it’s delicious. For the next few days, I am taking a break from my rotisserie chicken and sharing some great Easter desserts with you.

These macaroon nests are the BEST macaroons I’ve ever tried.

Instead of just egg whites, I use sweetened condensed milk. My husband came home the other night and I handed him a cookie and he said “I only want half.” I said “Trust me, you will want the whole thing. I used sweetened condensed milk.” That’s his weakness. He took a bite and said “You’re right. Can I have another?”

If children are going to be part of the celebration, you have to try my macaroon nests. These are absolutely delicious, and so easy for children to make. There’s only five ingredients and you mix it by hand, so you don’t have to mess with a beater and there’s no flour to spill all over the floor.

If the cookies don’t bake up into perfect rounds, when you take them out of the oven, you can shave off any edges and reshape them slightly while still warm. My recipe only makes about 10 cookies, but they are good size and the recipe can easily be doubled if that’s not enough.

Once you’ve filled the macaroon nests with jellybeans or a candy egg of your choice, them place them on a long platter and use it to decorate the center of the table.

If you don’t like the idea of food dye, leave them white.

These are gluten-free!

Macaroon Nests

Makes 10

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

2 1/3 cups shredded sweet coconut

4 drops green food coloring (optional)

Jelly beans or candy eggs of some sort

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, whisk egg white for 20 seconds, until frothy. Whisk in vanilla and condensed milk and food coloring until combined. Stir in coconut until combined.

Spread a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spoon about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons onto parchment paper and form a nest. Use your thumb to press gently down on the center to make an indentation so you can fill it later, but be sure not to press all the way through. You just need a little spot in the center. If you press through, the cookie may not hold its shape.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool before placing candy eggs in the nest.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

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Alas, it’s Friday and I am looking forward to the weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice, so I plan to be outside. Here’s a quick dinner for anyone else you wants to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. It takes about 15 minutes to assemble these and then you bake them and enjoy. They are so easy and delicious.

These are dryer enchiladas, which is the style I like. If you like really wet, swimming in sauce enchiladas, then buy two cans or sauce or a large one.

1 rotisserie chicken

2/3 cup chunky salsa

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1  (15-ounce) jar green or red enchilada sauce (use two jars if you like really wet enchiladas)

Refried beans (optional)

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, or a cheddar and Colby-Jack combination

10-12 Corn tortillas

Tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Debone and de-skin your chicken. Then pull off all the meat and shred it with your hands and place in a large bowl.

Add salsa, cumin and half the jar of enchilada sauce and stir to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if you’d like.

Spray a glass pan with cooking spray. If you like refried beans, spread about 1-2 tablespoons on each tortilla.

Fill each tortilla with chicken and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll shut and place face down on the pan. Repeat until you’ve used all your chicken. Then top with remaining cheese and drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve garnished with tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and any desired toppings.

Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Feta, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Chicken- SO EASY!

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This dish comes together so quickly that the longest part is typically boiling water. It’s an excellent dish and is good warm, at room temperature and even cold, so you can pack any leftover for lunch.

In the winter, I add dried rosemary, but in the summer, sprinkle the dish with fresh basil.

In this dish, you use 2 ounces of feta cheese crumbles and to give you perspective, the containers in the store are usually four ounces, so you want half that much feta.

This pasta just explodes with the flavor of feta, roasted red pepper and has lean protein. It’s easy and do delicious.

Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Feta, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Chicken

Serves 2

12 Jumbo Shells

2 ounces feta cheese crumbles

¼ cup artichoke hearts

¾ cup jarred roasted red bell peppers (half of a 14 ounce jar)

¾ cup finely chopped rotisserie chicken

Pinch of dried Rosemary or fresh basil

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions (usually about 12 minutes). Drain.

While the shells cook, place feta cheese, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers in a food processor and pulse until mixture is fairly smooth. You will see plenty of specks of feta and that is fine, but you want the red pepper and artichoke to be smooth.

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Finely chop your chicken and stir it into the roasted red pepper sauce. Add a pinch of dried rosemary or fresh basil. If I have fresh basil, I garnish the tops of the dish with it.

When shells are cool enough to handle, spoon filling into shells and serve. It’s that easy! Enjoy.

In terms of vegetables, this goes great with sautéed spinach or roasted asparagus.

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Baby Kale, Strawberry, Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette 

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This salad is incredible and comes together so quickly. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot summer night. It’s a restaurant quality salad on the table in less than 10 minutes.

And it’s healthy.

Kale is packed with vitamins K, A and C, (a serving has more than 800 percent of your daily vitamin K needs);  walnuts have Omega 3 fatty acids, and the nuts and chicken give it protein to keep you full longer.

However, sunflower seeds do add a lot of calories and fat, so if you’re watching your waistline, you may want to omit those and double up on strawberries.

A sprinkle of goat cheese crumbles is great on this salad, too.

If you can’t find baby kale, you can substitute spinach or arugula. I bought baby kale in a plastic tub next to other salad greens.

It’s important to use honey roasted sunflower seeds as it adds sweetness. I used applewood smoked chicken, but that is not available at all stores, so regular is fine. I would stick with traditional and not use a lemon-pepper chicken.

Dress this salad with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette. I used Walmart’s generic brand, Great Value, and it was awesome. Enjoy this healthy, EASY meal.

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Baby Kale, Strawberry, Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette

3 cups baby kale greens

2 tablespoons honey roasted sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons candied or glazed walnuts

4 strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chopped rotisserie chicken

1 tablespoon dried cranberries (optional)

Your favorite raspberry vinaigrette

Spread kale on a large plate. Top with all the other ingredients. Toss with vinaigrette and serve.

I like this with a crisp white wine.

Rice Noodles with Asparagus, Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms

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It actually feels like spring today and this recipe is perfect for warmer weather,

First, spring signals asparagus season.

Asparagus is very high in vitamin K (almost all you need for the day); and is good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.

When buying asparagus, the first signs of spoilage can be found at the tips. If the tips are browning, slimy or even opening, don’t buy it. Fresh asparagus have tightly closed tips. Also, look at the ends and avoid stems that are limp, or ridged, as ridged stems is a sign the sugar is converting into carbohydrates and the stalks will be tough and woody.

Spears can range in size from fat to thin, but it’s best to pick spears that are as uniform as possible in one bunch so they cook evenly. I usually opt for thinner asparagus because it’s a sign the plant was harvested earlier and is potentially tenderer. However, bigger is better when you’re wrapping the asparagus in bacon or prosciutto because it’s easier to handle.

Also, it depends on the thickness of the stalks, but a pound has roughly 20-26 asparagus, so if you are wrapping it that will help you factor in how much meat you need, too.

The best way to store asparagus, is to slice off the bottoms and place the stalks in a glass with 1-inch of water. Loosely cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate.

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Rice Noodles with Asparagus, Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms

Serves 4

3 ounces rice noodles

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 small yellow onion

2 cups sliced asparagus (about ¾ a pound)

1 cup fresh, sliced shiitake mushrooms (can substitute to large Portobello mushrooms if you can’t find fresh shiitakes)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 cups chopped, rotisserie chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

2 teaspoons sesame oil

½ teaspoon canola oil

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

Note: the pepper is strong in this dish, if you’re serving it to small children, you might want to cut the pepper in half.

Rice noodles only take about 3 minutes to cook, so this dish comes together quickly

Put a large pot of water on to boil and salt the water.

Make the sauce by whisking together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

Slice the tough ends off asparagus and discard. Then cut the remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Slice onion and set aside.

Remove stems from the shiitake mushrooms and slice the tender mushroom heads. Note, the stems are tough but can be reserved for making stock as the stems are tough but add rich flavor to stock or soup.

In a large skillet, large enough that you will be able to add the rice noodles later, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil. When hot, add onion and cook 3 minutes. Then add asparagus and mushrooms and cook 7 minutes.  In the last minute, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and chicken.

Cook rice noodles according to directions on package. After straining the water off, add it to the pan with the vegetables and chicken. Add the sauce and toss until everything is thoroughly coated and then serveDSC_0379 (2)

Bourbon Banana Shortcake with Candied Pecans

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I am the rotisserie chicken, but there are plenty of days when I want something else.

Something sweet.

I am a big believer that dessert should knock your socks off! It’s not good for us, so it should be divine. This dessert is. I won’t create or share a dessert recipe that isn’t. I created this dish last month for a column I have in the Joplin Globe.  Doesn’t it look delicious? Oh man, it is.

So instead of chicken today, feast on this.

Bourbon Banana Shortcake with Candied Pecans

2 shortcake cake

1 large ripe banana

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar

¼ cup bourbon

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Ice cream for serving

Whipped cream for serving

2 tablespoons chopped candied pecans

Peel and slice bananas into quarters and set aside.

Place dessert cups on plate. Make your cinnamon sugar by mixing sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar and the bananas. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the bourbon and cook another 3 minute until sauce is thick and most of the bourbon taste has cooked out; then add in heavy cream. Whisk and remove from heat.

Spoon caramel sauce from the pan over the dessert cups. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then the bananas. Top with whipped cream and candied pecans. Then, dust the dish with remaining cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

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Rosemary Chicken Salad

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This recipe is so easy and fantastic. I love rosemary, which was the inspiration for this recipe. We grew loads of it last summer and I dried it and am using up the last bits. It’s so easy to dry. I gave several bottles away for Christmas.

Anyway, when I told my husband about my rosemary salad, you didn’t think it sounded good, but when he tasted it, he was won over. I’d serve it on ciabatta or grilled Italian or French bread. If you are a low carb person, serve it in butter lettuce.

I am in love with it. It’s my few favorite chicken salad. It’s unbelievably easy to make. I experiment with a lot of chicken salad ideas because the dish is so simple, versatile, portable, and delicious.

It’s also excellent as an appetizer on Ritz crackers!!! I tried it in phyllo bites, too, but the Ritz were better.

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Rosemary Chicken Salad

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2/3 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (could substitute red if you need)

1 heaping tablespoon chopped, dried rosemary

Garlic salt to taste

Combine chicken, onion and celery and set aside.

In another bowl, mix mayonnaise, vinegar, rosemary and garlic salt. I added ¼ teaspoon of garlic salt but I like it salty, so I would salt to taste.

Stir together both mixes and enjoy. This is better the next day so I suggest making it in advance.

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

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I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted anything, but I have been buried in snow and also had a ton of deadlines. The family were all home with snow days, which meant I couldn’t get anything done. But I did create this fantastic, one pot dish on Friday.  One of my best friends came over for dinner, we opened a bottle of wine, and savored this. It’s wonderful, easy, and delicious. What more can you ask for?

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 medium red onion

1 red bell pepper

1 heaping teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup Pomegranate infused dried cranberries

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 box garlic flavored couscous

½ cup chopped cilantro

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

Zest from half an orange

This one pot dish is absolutely delicious and comes together in 20 minutes. It’s packed with flavor

Chop onion and red bell pepper and set aside.  You can use a food processor, just keep the bell pepper a little more chunky.

Remove skin and chop chicken breasts and either leg or thigh meat. Depending on the size of the bird, this should yield enough chicken.

Take about 2/3 of a bunch of cilantro and chop it. Set aside.

Zest your orange and set aside, too.

In a large nonstick pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook until almost tender. Add red bell pepper, cumin and cinnamon and cook 2 minutes.

Then add as much water as required to make the couscous (it will say on the back of the box and you’re making the entire box), and flavor packet and dried cranberries.

Basically, you are making it according to package directions but you cut amount of olive oil in half because you already used canola in the vegetables.

When water comes to a boil, add couscous, stir, cover with a tight lid and let it rest for 5 minutes.

NOTE: If your chicken is fresh from the store, you will add it at the end. If it’s been refrigerated, then you should add it with the couscous before you put the lid on.

When couscous is ready, fluff with a fork and toss in cilantro, chopped chicken and orange zest.

Serve immediately.

The orange zest and red bell pepper are a great source of Vitamin C in this dish.

NOTE: if you don’t like using flavored couscous, you can use plain, but I suggest cooking it in reduced sodium chicken broth instead of water. You use the same measurements.

White Chili

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White chili seems to be one of those divisive soups: people love it or hate it.  Some feel like any chili that doesn’t contain beef isn’t really chili.

I enjoy white chili because I love the pronounced flavors of cumin and sour cream. There are so many versions of white chili, but I add corn to mine.

I like to top it with cheese or avocados. Tortilla chips are a good topping, too.  This makes a good size batch, enough for six people.

White Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 teaspoons ground cumin powder

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 yellow bell pepper

32 ounces of chicken broth, plus 2 cups

1 cup water

1 teaspoon chopped garlic or dried garlic

1 cup half and half

3/4 cup sour cream

4 ounces chopped green chilies (canned)

¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

2 can cannellini beans

1 can corn, drained

4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

This has a lot of ingredients, but it’s still an easy dish.

Chop onion, yellow bell pepper and chicken and set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion, cumin seed, cumin and chili powder. Cook 5 minutes and then add yellow bell pepper and saute another 3 minutes. Then add the next nine ingredients (everything but the chicken) and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Once you add the sour cream, you don’t want to let the soup boil because it could curdle, so keep the heat at medium.

Add chicken and cook 5 more minutes. Serve.