spring love bird nests for two

happy spring to all  love is in the air the birds are singing the flowers and tress are blooming  and its a beautiful day in sunny south florida  this is my version of Rachel Rays love bird nests for spring fever

2 boneless skinless  chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 springs fresh rosemary diced fine      rosemary  for remembrance
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sheet  puff pastry defrosted according to package directions
4 slices brie cheese white removed 2 to 3 inches  rectangles cold
1/4 cup raspberry hot pepper   preserves
1 egg beaten  with with one teaspoon water for egg wash


preheat oven to four hundred degrees

in a skillet add the oil season the chicken with salt and pepper lightly brown the chicken on both sides about 8 minutes on each side till almost done   remove from heat   line a baking sheet with parchment paper cut the pastry in half  on the diagonal  ... . spoon the preserves on the pastry  stack 2 slices of the cheese   the chicken and  the rosemary  bring the pastry around the chicken  and seal with the egg wash  pinch the edges together turn over the packets and brush with the egg wash   trim any excess pastry and use to decorate the  tops pop the packets   in the oven  and bake for 12 to 15 minutes till golden brown and pastry is puffed.....

hoping this turns out my electric went out for an hour  working with the puff pastry  its always something down here

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: soft pretzels for two or four

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: soft pretzels for two or four: this recipe is from alton brown food network i halved it for two to four depending on one or two pretzels apiece  Ever since going on pint...

soft pretzels for two or four

this recipe is from alton brown food network i halved it for two to four depending on one or two pretzels apiece  Ever since going on pinterest i have been craving these certainly a big  indulgence ..  i have been nursing a cold and every time i get a cold i crave mustard i mean a lot of mustard  i buy three or four jars of different kinds. there is something to this in the old days they used mustard poultice  on your chest but ingesting mustard is good for upper  respiratory infections  so i have a dual craving going on here  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 3/4 teaspoons  sugar
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast half a package 
• 11 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 1/4 cups
• 1 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8

4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: chicken enchiladas with white sauce for two

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: chicken enchiladas with white sauce for two:     this is an easy go to weeknight meal  for 2  i had a hectic day  so here we go a simple dinner i like to serve with a salad  ...

chicken enchiladas with white sauce for two

   

this is an easy go to weeknight meal  for 2  i had a hectic day  so here we go a simple dinner i like to serve with a salad 

Chicken enchiladas with green chili  white sauce for two

6 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese  i use pepper jack because i like spicy 

3 Tbsp. butter

2  Tbsp. flour

1 and 1/2  cups chicken broth

6 oz light  sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

juice of one lime

one garlic clove minced

one jalapeno seeded   and diced very fine

two tablespoons chopped very fine onion

 1/4  teas cumin  salt and pepper to taste 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 8 x 8 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter add the garlic onion  and jalapeno pepper , cook 3 minutes  stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and lime juice  and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies  add cumin salt and pepper.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want the  sour cream to separate .

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 25 min and then under high broiler  for 3 min to brown the cheese

top with some sliced olives and serve  with  salsa if you like

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: chicken roll ups with basil mozzarella and roasted...

four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie: chicken roll ups with basil mozzarella and roasted...: this a recipe i found on pinterest   it sounded good and easy to make so im giving it a try as im not feeling up to speed and i had the ingr...

chicken roll ups with basil mozzarella and roasted red peppers

this a recipe i found on pinterest   it sounded good and easy to make so im giving it a try as im not feeling up to speed and i had the ingredients on hand   so it gives me the day to rest up

ingredients

• 4 small (4 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 12 large, fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
• 4 pieces roasted red pepper (available in jars), about 2 inches by 5 inches, ribs and membrane trimmed, patted dry
• 4 ounces shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (about 12 Tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 cups canned, plain tomato sauce

• Optional
• For extra flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano to the tomato sauce.

directions

step 1Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 2 chicken breasts in a 1 gallon Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag and seal. Working from the thinnest to the thickest part of the chicken breast, pound each piece with a rolling pin, meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, being careful not to tear the meat, until it is 1/4-inch thick and approximately the size and shape of a 4-by-8-inch rectangle. Remove the chicken from the bag and set aside on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

step 2Lay the chicken breast on a clean work surface or cutting board in front of you, horizontally, with one long (8-inch) edge toward you and the smooth side down. Layer each piece with 3 basil leaves, 1 piece of roasted red pepper and 2 Tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella (reserve remaining mozzarella for later). Roll one long edge toward the other long edge to enclose fillings—like a wrap—making sure the edges overlap slightly. Fold in the loose (short) ends and secure with toothpicks on each side.

step 3Pour 1 cup of the tomato sauce into a 9-by-12-inch nonaluminum baking dish that’s at least 2 inches deep, and distribute sauce evenly over bottom of dish.

step 4Place the rolled chicken breasts, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top each roll with the remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (about 2 Tablespoons each) and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

step 5Sprinkle the remaining 4 Tablespoons of shredded mozzarella (1 Tablespoon each) over the top of each chicken roll and broil on a low setting for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts and browns on top.

step   six  arrange chicken rools on a plate and spoon sauce around im serving with orzo