Mix it Up! III

Lemon Apple Braid
I didn’t take a photo of the actual braid before I cut it up. I didn’t use almonds, but it’s great with them. I love this filling. It makes a pretty, delicious pastry.


1 (8 -oz.) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. finely grated lemons, rind of
2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2-1 t. grated lemons, rind of
2-3 t. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375º. Unroll crescent roll dough into 2 long rectangles on large ungreased cookie sheet. Overlap long sides to form 13x7" rectangle; firmly press edges and perforations to seat.

In medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Stir in apples until well coated. Spoon apple mixture in 2 inch strip lengthwise down center of dough.
Make cuts 1/2 inch apart on each side of rectangle at an angle. Braid strips over filling.
Bake at 375º for 18-22 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet. In small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients, adding enough lemon juice for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm braid.

Chicken Scampi with Linguine
Buttery and garlicky!

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg beaten
3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 lb. linguine
1/2 c. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 T. butter
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges


Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg, then into the bread crumbs, which have been mixed with the grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread the coated chicken pieces on a rack or platter. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet. Add 1/3 of the chicken pieces; sauté until golden brown. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon, and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Discard oil in the skillet, and wipe out.


Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt 1/2 cup butter in the skillet. Add garlic and cook 1 min. Add cooked chicken, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken with the sauce. Do not allow chicken to cook further. Drain pasta, and toss with the remaining 2 tbsp butter and spoon onto a heated platter. Spoon chicken and sauce over. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Oreo Truffles
I made these with a migraine so I don’t know if that’s why I didn’t like them, but Elisa didn’t either. So why am I including it here? Because I took them to church and so many people asked me for the recipe. I didn’t take any photos because after I made them and tried one, I decided not to take them. Then at the last minute I took them and was glad I did. This photo is from the internet where I found the recipe.

45 Oreo cookies, divided (1 package)
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 (8-oz.) packages semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor; reserve for later use. (This can also be done in a resealable bag with a rolling pin.). Crush the remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs and place in a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1" in diameter.

Dip the balls in the melted chocolate and place them on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops of the truffles with the reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in the refrigerator.
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen


Carne Asada
I knew as soon as I mixed the marinade together(minus the jalapeño) that this was going to be good. It was really cold outside so I didn’t grill it. I just cooked it in a skillet. We all loved it, and even little, picky Sabrina had 4 pieces and suggested that we have it all the time. Meat-lover Robin said, “I agree with that”.


2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves-minced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Basil

This is actually a product review, not a recipe. We all ate this up! It is creamy and full of flavor. I never buy Hamburger Helper or anything like that so I usually cruise past that part of the store, but this time, a sale sticker caught my attention. It said “Romano's Macaroni Grill” on the package and it was like half off so I thought I’d give it a try. I have since bought a few more packages to use on those days where I’m too busy to do anything else. Go to the link and get a coupon for $1.00 off a box! YUM!

http://www.restaurantfavoritesathome.com/

Roasted Potatoes with Greens
This was a nice, simple side dish. I didn’t put a cup of spinach in, just what we had left.
You can also drizzle with more olive oil and shredded Parmesan before serving.

6 small red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup fresh spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 400º. Place the potatoes in a single layer in a ceramic casserole dish. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until golden. Stir in the rosemary, and cook just until fragrant. Pour over the potatoes in the dish. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Roast uncovered for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from the oven, and toss with the spinach leaves. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.

Penne Arrabiata
I added a bit too much pasta, but I liked the taste of the sauce. I had a mixture of penne and rigatoni since I didn't have enough penne. I didn’t add the salami this time, but might next time. 1 lb. penne pasta
2 T. olive oil
1 c. red onions, thinly sliced
2 t. garlic, minced
6 oz. Genoa salami, cubed
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 (14 ½-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. brown sugar, packed
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 c. torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

While heating the water to cook pasta, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salami, and red pepper flakes, sauté until salami caramelizes, 5-7 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the water is boiling for pasta, cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup liquid to thin the sauce, if necessary. Transfer sauce to a larger shallow bowl. Add the drained pasta, torn basil, and Parmesan to the sauce (tearing the basil won't discolor it like cutting does); toss to coat. Serve pasta immediately.