Honey and Mustard Glazed Chicken, Chantenay Salad with Pine Nuts and Goats Cheese

(Serves 4)

For the salad you’ll need:
200g Chantenay carrots, halved lengthways
2 large skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3 tbsp Hill Farm cold pressed rapeseed oil
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp Maille Dijon Wholegrain Mustard
100g rocket leaves, washed
50g pine nuts, toasted
100g soft goats’ cheese, crumbled

For the dressing you’ll need:
3 tbsp Hill Farm cold pressed rapeseed oil
1 tbsp Aspall balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Maille Dijon Originale Mustard
½ tsp caster sugar

Method
Mix together 2 tbsp of the oil, honey and mustard and season with black pepper.  Stir in the strips of chicken, mix well, cover and leave to marinate for 1 – 2 hours.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, and pan fry the Chantenay for 10 minutes, until lightly browned but still retaining their crunch.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Return the pan to the heat and add the chicken.  Cook for 7 – 10 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown, glazed and cooked through.

In a large serving bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until well combined.  Add the rocket leaves, pine nuts and goats’ cheese.  Toss together, then at the last minute add the warm Chantenay and chicken.  Serve immediately.

Carribean Lime Coolers

TOTAL TIME
1 Hr 30 Min
SERVINGS 30

INGREDIENTS
1     pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2  cup coconut
1     tablespoon grated lime peel (about 1 lime)
3     tablespoons lime juice
6     tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1     egg
1/4  cup powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, coconut, lime peel, lime juice, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 9 to 13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. With small strainer, sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies. Store covered at room temperature.

Watermelon Pyramids

15 minutes/serves 4
Recipe and Photo provided by watermelon.org

8 slices 1 inch thick watermelon slices
4 slices 1 inch thick pound cake
4 slices 1 inch thick peeled kiwifruit
1 serving Quick Caramel Sauce (see below)
1 piece dark and white chocolate shavings for garnish
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup heavy cream

To make Quick Caramel Sauce
In a 1- or 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, and then stir in the vanilla and cream. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a slow simmer. Simmer 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Cut four 4-inch x 4-inch and four 2-inch x 2-inch squares of watermelon. Cut four 3-inch x 3-inch square slices of pound cake. Cut four 1-inch x 1-inch squares of kiwifruit. On each of four dessert plates, place 1 slice of the largest watermelon squares. Then, on each square place a slice of pound cake, and then place a smaller watermelon square. Top each with a slice of the kiwifruit. Drizzle the warm caramel sauce over the pyramids and then garnish with the chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Watermelon Mocktail

5 minutes/serves 1-2
Recipe and Photo provided by watermelon.org

1 cup watermelon puree
1 teaspoon grenadine syrup
1 piece juice from fresh orange
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups ice cubes

Place all of the ingredients in a martini shaker and shake for 20 seconds. Strain the chilled liquid into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Super Fruit Cobbler

45 minutes/ serves 6
7 Recipe and Photo provided by ChooseCherries.com
2    cups frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
1    (12 ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed
3/4    cup brown sugar, divided
3    tablespoons cornstarch
1/2    teaspoon cinnamon
1/4    teaspoon ground nutmeg
1    cup reduced fat buttermilk baking mix
1/4    cup reduced fat sour cream
3    tablespoons low fat milk

Heat oven to 375˚F. Combine cherries, mixed berries, ½ cup of the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Spoon mixture into an 8 or 9-inch baking dish.
Combine baking mix, remaining ¼ cup sugar, sour cream and milk; mix well to form a stiff batter. Drop batter over cherry mixture forming 6 mounds. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and cobbler topping is golden brown. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. §

Super Fruit Lime Muffins

40 minutes/ makes 12
7 Recipe and Photo provided by ChooseCherries.com
1    cup frozen tart cherries
2    teaspoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
13/4    cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3    tablespoons SPLENDA® white sugar blend for baking
2    teaspoons baking powder
1/8    teaspoon salt
3/4    cup lowfat milk
1/4    cup refrigerated pasteurized egg product
4    tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1    tablespoon finely shredded lime peel
1    tablespoon fresh lime juice
Glaze:
1/2    cup powdered sugar
1/2    teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
2 to 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Coat a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. Finely chop frozen cherries. Place chopped cherries in a small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons flour. Do not thaw frozen chopped cherries. Place cherries in freezer until needed.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1¾ cups flour, the Splenda®, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, stir together milk, egg product, butter, 1 tablespoon lime peel, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in milk mixture. Stir just until flour mixture is partially moistened. Add frozen chopped cherries and stir just until moistened. (Do not over mix.) Divide batter equally between the 12 muffin cups.
Bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and slightly cool on wire rack.
Glaze: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon lime peel, and enough of the 2 to 4 teaspoons lime juice to make of desired drizzling consistency.
Drizzle glaze over muffins and serve muffins slightly warm.

Steak Taco Salad – Get your chef’s hat!

30 min. /4 servings
Source: Beef USA/National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (www.beefretail.org)

• 1 lb beef shoulder center steaks (ranch steaks), cut 3/4” thick or boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 3/4” thick
• 1 pkg (8-10 oz) mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Co-Jack cheese

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup ranch dressing
• 2 tsp taco seasoning mix

Rub:

• 1 tbsp taco seasoning mix
• 2 tsp packed brown sugar

Combine dressing ingredients. Combine rub ingredients; press onto beef steaks. Place steaks on grid medium, ash-covered coals. Grill shoulder center steaks, covered, nine to 11 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once. (Grill top sirloin steak, uncovered, 13 to 16 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.) Combine greens, cranberries, sunflower seeds and dressing in large bowl; toss. Carve steaks; season with salt. Arrange on salad mixture. Top with cheese.

Broil top sirloin steak: Place steak on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2” to 3” from heat. Broil nine to 12 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once.

Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath

1 hour, 10 min/40 appetizers
Source: www.bettycrocker.com

• 2 cups finely shredded Swiss cheese (8 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham (about 8 oz)
• 4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp honey mustard
• 2 cans (12 oz) refrigerated buttermilk or flaky original biscuits
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbsp sesame seed or poppy seed
• 2 tbsp diced red and green bell peppers (optional)
• 1 green-onion fan (optional)

Heat oven to 375 F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together cheese, ham, onions and mustard. Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits; leave second can in refrigerator. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each biscuit layer to form 3 1/2-inch round.

Place 1 rounded tbsp cheese mixture on each dough round. Wrap dough around cheese mixture, pinching edges to seal. Repeat with remaining can of dough and cheese mixture. Arrange 8 balls, seam side down and sides almost touching to form ring on cookie sheet, leaving 3-inch hole in center. Arrange 14 balls, sides almost touching, around outside of first ring. Arrange remaining 18 balls around outside of second ring. Brush wreath with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully slide wreath from cookie sheet onto 14-inch serving platter. Sprinkle with bell peppers. Place onion fan in center of wreath. Serve warm.

Roast Turkey with Almond Dressing and Lemon-Honey Glaze

4 hours/10 servings
Source: www.sunkist.com (Sunkist Growers, Inc.)

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 cup chopped whole natural almonds
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 8 cups day-old bread cubes (1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 raisin, or any combination)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed range juice
• 1/2 cup Chablis or other dry white wine
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 13 lbs. turkey, thawed if frozen
• butter or margarine, melted
• parsley sprigs

Lemon-Honey Glaze (combine ingredients in small bowl)

• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. brandy

To make dressing, melt the 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepot; sauté the onions and celery with the bouillon cubes until just tender. Stir in almonds, parsley, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Add bread cubes and toss lightly. Add orange juice, wine, and eggs; toss until just mixed.

Remove the neck and giblets from the body cavity of the turkey; rinse the turkey well and drain. Fill the neck cavity with a small amount of dressing; fasten the skin back with skewers. Fill the body cavity loosely with the remaining dressing.

Tie the legs together with string. It is not necessary to close the body cavity with skewers or string. Turn the wing tips under the back.

Place turkey, breast-side-up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer deep into inside thigh muscle. Brush the turkey well with melted butter. Protect the skin of the neck cavity, wing tips, and leg bones from over browning by covering with small pieces of aluminum foil.

Roast, uncovered, at 325º F As turkey becomes lightly golden brown (after about 1-1/2 to 2 hours), cover loosely with a “tent” of foil. Continue roasting for a total of 20 to 22 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 180º to 185º F (A 12-pound turkey will take about 4 to 4-1/2 hours; 14-pound about 4-1/2 to 5 hours.)

The turkey is done when the meaty part of the leg feels very soft and twists easily at the joint. As turkey roasts, brush occasionally with melted butter and accumulated pan drippings. Remove the skewers and string.

Let cooked turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving. Place on large serving platter. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve with Lemon-Honey Glaze.

Ghoulish Grape Hands

4 hrs. 20 min./3 hands
Source: www.meals.com (NestleUSA web site)

• 3 clear plastic disposable gloves
• 4 cups Grape 100% Fruit & Veggie Juice, divided
• 4 envelopes (7 grams each) unflavored gelatin
• 3 rubber bands or twist ties
• Nonstick cooking spray

Rinse inside of gloves with water and set aside. Heat 3 cups of fruit & veggie juice to boiling; remove from heat. Pour remaining 1 cup of juice in large bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and let stand for 1 minute. Slowly pour hot juice into bowl and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Spray inside of each glove with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully pour enough juice mixture into glove to just fill it; secure ends with rubber band or twist tie. Place on tray. Repeat with remaining gloves and juice mixture. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Remove rubber band or twist tie. Using scissors, cut through glove all the way to the end of each finger; turn over hand and peel off glove.