Stuffed Chicken Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Labelle

One of the most amazing things about cooking is that you can take an old, drab dish, throw some fantastic ingredients at it, and it becomes something totally new. Grandma’s chicken dinner doesn’t have to be the unseasoned, bland chicken with a side of tasteless potatoes and broccoli. It’s surprising what a few spices and a fun cheese can really do to (forgive the pun) spice up a dish.

A lot of women I know love to play around with different flavors, and add something new into a dish. I’ve found that whether it’s in a great sauce or a new herb, changing it up can bring back the pleasure of cooking and the joy of eating. 

This recipe calls for your oven mitts and creativity as there are so many ways to change it up and keep things interesting. No more boring chicken! Toss out those over boiled potatoes and  you’re surely going to impress your man tonight with a delicious meal...and maybe even impress yourself a little along the way!

Ingredients

·         3-4 boneless chicken breasts

·         2 tbs of dried basil

·         1 egg

·         ¼ cup of flour

·         ½ cup of bread crumbs

·         1 block of cheese (smoked gouda)

·         4 cloves of garlic

·         3 tbs of butter

·         1 tbs of flour

·         1 cup of sliced mushrooms

·         2 chopped green onions

·         1 cup of chicken broth

·         ½ cup of white wine

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 375F

2.       Wash chicken, and pat dry

3.       Create, in three separate bowls, stations to bread the chicken. First bowl: ¼ cup of flour, second: 1 egg beaten, third: ½ cup of bread crumbs

4.       Cut cheese into thin slices and set aside

5.       Cut lengthwise slits into the chicken lengthwise; cut as deep as you can without cutting the chicken in half

6.       Insert cheese slices into chicken

7.       Roll chicken in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs and place on greased oven pan

8.       Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes

9.       At this point begin your side dishes and sauce

Sauce

1.       Melt 3 tbs of butter over medium heat and add one cup of sliced mushrooms

2.       Cook mushrooms until golden brown

3.       Add garlic, green onion and a dash of salt and pepper

4.       Next add in chicken broth and wine

5.       Stir and let simmer for roughly 3-5 minutes

6.       Add flour, and mix until sauce thickens

7.       Serve warm

Wine Recommendations:

Light White Wine - Fontana di Papa, Colli Albani

Cracklin' Crab Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Labelle

There are few times in life that my fiancé is truly scared of me; but I can safely say that when crab legs sit steaming in front of me, he doesn’t get in the way. I can dig into them as swiftly as a raccoon and unfortunately make similar noises. I’ll go through an unreal amount of napkins, no cutlery will be used, and the butter, oh the wonderful butter sauce will be everywhere.

Husbands Beware: Give yourself a chairs space from your wife as she digs into these butter soaked, light and delicious crab legs. There isn’t anything that should come between a woman and her seafood.

While crab is expensive, it’s a lovely way to splurge on Valentine’s Day, or a special anniversary. Match up this great dish with some light veggies, or a salad and drink a light, and crisp wine to bring out the flavours. So roll up those sleeves ladies, and don’t be ashamed when your husband’s jaw drops slightly as you savor your own wonderful food.

Ingredients

·         1 pound of crab (in shell)

Sauce

·         ¼ cup of butter

·         ½ tbs of garlic

 

 

Directions

1.       Set crab out to thaw for 3-5 minutes

2.       Bring a large pot of water to a boil for about 8-10 minutes (you can opt to steam the crab but that will make the meat very salty)

3.       Put the crab into the boiling water, and begin sauce, Crab should be boiling for 8 minutes altogether

4.       Sauce: Melt ¼ cup of butter and ½ tbs of garlic in a small sauce pan over low heat, leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the butter starts to froth

5.       Use the remaining time to make a light salad, or steam up some bright and tasty vegetables

6.       Serve with a light Rose wine such as Jackson Triggs

Mom's Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Labelle

Don’t laugh, but one of my biggest fears has always been sticking my hand inside of a chicken! I’m not squeamish when it comes to animals as I have the very glamourous job of a veterinary assistant by day, and I grew up in the country where my mom made a whole chicken at least once a week. So by all rights I should be comfortable around a whole, uncooked chicken. But, somehow, I’m not!

As it’s a new year, and I’m determined to face my fear, I bravely walked into the grocery store with my fiancé in tow (perhaps more to make me go through with buying the bird, if for nothing else) and spent half an hour mulling over the best one. My ever so patient fiancé trucked me back home with all of my culinary goodies, and I then proceeded to sit on the phone with my mother while she talked me through the process.   What followed not only tasted wonderful, but it was much more simple then I ever imagined!

A new year, a new challenge met – remember ladies, if you can stick your hand up a chicken then you can certainly walk down the aisle. Or vice versa. No fear!

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp of rosemary

·         2-3 tbsp of olive oil

·         4-6 cloves of garlic

·         ½ cup of celery

·         ½ onion (in quarters)

·         1 whole chicken (preferably cleaned out, if not you’re a whole other level of brave)

·         Pinch of salt and pepper

·         ¼ cup of water

 

Directions

1)      Preheat the oven to 400F

2)      Chop up celery, onions and shell garlic

3)      Clean out chicken – even if the store has done it, make sure to inspect yourself for anything left behind

4)      Mix celery and rosemary together in a dish, and stuff into chicken, along with two onion halves

5)      Cut small slits on the top and side of the chicken and put garlic cloves under the skin

6)      Line a casserole dish with tinfoil and set aside

7)      Using your hands, smother the chicken in olive oil and sprinkle some rosemary, salt and pepper on top

8)      Place chicken in the lined casserole dish, and add ¼ cup of water to keep things moist

9)      Cook in oven for roughly 45 minutes but check at the half hour mark, as smaller chickens tend to cook faster

Tip: to create a gravy use the drippings from the chicken, mixed with potato water (if you’re boiling them) and gradually add flour until thickened

Serve with a light, fresh white wine such as; Fontana di Papa (Italian, Colli Albani)