Bacon-Wrapped Spicy Stuffed Chicken with Ham Roll

Bacon Wrapped Spicy Ham Roll Stuffed Chicken
Bacon-Wrapped Spicy Stuffed Chicken with Ham Roll

Bacon-Wrapped Spicy Stuffed Chicken with Ham Roll

When I posted this on Instagram, a lot of people said it looked delicious. I told them it was, and I wasn't lying.  The recipe is based on Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken, which my good friend, Maria de la Rocha had posted quite a long time ago.  I had been meaning to make it, but when I actually looked at the recipe, I realized there were some changes I could make to make a better dish.

Spane's favorite appetizer is what I call Spicy Ham Rolls. It's basically ham slices rolled up with cream cheese and chopped jalapeño.  I got the recipe from a girl I worked with that had given her leftovers from a party she had had.  When I make them, they are gone immediately!

If you make this, you can use whatever barbecue sauce you like, or you can use the one in the recipe.  If you really don't like jalapeño, you can omit it and use bell pepper instead.

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Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled Shrimp Salad
Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled shrimp salad is easy to make, even in the winter, or in an apartment without a grill. You can add spices to make it just for you.

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Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Cardamom Raisins

Cinnamon Raisin bread with Cardamom Raisins

Cinnamon Raisin bread with Cardamom Raisins

When I started making bread many years ago, it was plain French bread.  It was good, I made it every week.  My boss's wife even insisted that I have a professional stand mixer that I got for Christmas.  Wow, that machine worked, and worked and worked!  Then, I had more stuff to do, volunteering, a new job, a new boyfriend, etc. Bread making kind of went out the window.  I still had the mixer though, and it was doing duty mixing up meatloaf and the occasional cake.

A long time later, my mixer was about 15 or 20 years old, in the middle of mixing a batch of frosting, it made a horrible grinding noise and I saw that the bolt on the top of the machine was gone!  It did a lot of damage to the motor, and my trusty mixer was kaput.

Oddly enough, my food processor, that had once proudly stood at the ready at a local restaurant, also breathed its last breath.  It took me some time to thoroughly check food processors, especially when the "S" blade of the Cuisinart was recalled. Finally, I found a great food processor, a Braun, available on Amazon (I'm not being compensated, just like the product).  But, as great as this machine is, I still let my KitchenAid do the heavy lifting for stiff doughs like bread dough, pizza dough, and cookie dough. So, yes, I'm back to making bread, and I've got a few recipes here you can try. Enjoy!

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Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery

Stuffed Celery Musso Frank
Stuffed Celery Musso Frank

A few years ago, Saveur magazine featured a recipe for Blue Cheese Stuffed Celery from one of my favorite restaurants, Musso and Frank, in Hollywood, California. Musso and Frank originally opened in 1919 and has been in the same place on Hollywood Boulevard ever since.  It has been a popular hang out for the entertainment industry since it opened.  The history of the restaurant is fascinating.  My mother would take me there for my birthday, and I loved it.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love Chicken Cordon Bleu, but the problem with it is if you are not very careful, the cheese comes out while it is cooking and you wind up with a dried up piece of chicken with a remnant of cheese and some ham.  If you're lucky, they included sauce.

This casserole is so simple, and all the good things about the dish stay right where you want them, inside! Every bite has a little ham and a little cheese.

There is a little bit of backstory with this recipe, but, what recipes do I give without a backstory? When I was making this month's menu, I wanted chicken and I wanted something that we would have leftovers.  I made a note to make some kind of chicken casserole. Then, I was in one of my Facebook groups, and someone mentioned Anthony Bourdain's book, Appetites.  My friend, Chef John Farion CWC, introduced me to his show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.  John really loved Bourdain, and they kind of reminded me of each other. John passed the day after Thanksgiving, 2017.  Bourdain passed in June of 2018.  I'm sure they are together in the big kitchen in the sky.

When John and I were roommates many moons ago at the Villa Carlotta in Hollywood, California, there was a lovely French café called La Poubelle, and the owner, Jacqueline, made the best chicken crepes I have ever had.  Jacqueline was good friends with my neighbor, Wally Coover, and we often had crepes at her restaurant.   Jacqueline and John did not get along at all.   Her daughter, Francois, has now taken over the restaurant, and the crepes are no longer on the menu.  When I was thinking about John, and living at the Villa, I thought of those crepes and how delicious they were.  I thought I could incorporate some of those memories into my casserole.

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Asian Cucumber Salad

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Asian Cucumber Salad is spicy and refreshing, perfect for your Asian feast, or just by itself. Experience a burst of freshness with a delightful fusion of flavors that showcases the vibrant essence of Asian cuisine.

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Stovetop Smoker Highway Chicken

Stovetop Smoker Highway Chicken

Stovetop Smoker Highway Chicken

Apartment dwellers, rejoice! Yes, you, too, can savor the magical taste of smoked food, right from your apartment, no need to go outside.  Yup, that's right, smoking food on top of your stove and not having the smoke alarm blaring. All you need is a stockpot with a pasta insert, some foil, some wood chips, some protein, and a little bit of patience.

The recipe I am referring to here is one I did a while ago on the Weber grill, indirect method and I was curious if this method would give me similar results.  I am happy to say it did.  Feel free to use the Weber version of Highway Chicken if you want to go this outdoors.

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Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

That's no misspelling when I made this dish the first time, I wanted to give it a catchy name, hence Seefood and Bows. It's actually Seafood and Farfalle, an Italian bow-shaped pasta.

I use a light lemony dressing over this.  What makes the dressing stand out is the
Sunny Paris seasoning blend from Penzey's spices. You will find yourself using this wonderful spice in all kinds of foods. It stars shallots and chives, plus pepper and herbs.

You can use almost any shellfish, but I prefer shrimp and crab. No need to bust the bank, Krab works just fine in this, and you don't need much. If you want to go fancy, you can add lobster or King crab.

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Pork Burrito Salad

Pork Burrito Salad

Pork Burrito Salad

This was intended to be a Toastada with a beautiful shell, but, you know, you come home from work, you're hungry, and that high falutin fiesta shell goes out the window.  No problem, this was actually better because you could eat some, then pick it up and eat it like a burrito.  Of course, you could put anything you want in here, chicken, beef, tongue, fish, or completely meatless.

I really like what I call Whole Meal Salads in the summer.  It means usually not having to turn your oven on at all.  If you want meat, you can get meat already cooked, like rotisserie chicken that I used in my Curried Chicken Salad.  Have you noticed, it's been a real summer of salads.  That's good, salads are healthy, depending on what you put in them. I try to keep high-end salads that have blue cheese dressing for special occasions, and keep everyone else with a little oil and vinegar, if anything.

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Curried Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney


I have always loved curry, and to go with it, Major Grey's Mango Chutney - I can eat that chutney right out of the jar. Curried chicken is often made in our house. My son loves the curry, but I have to be careful of the chutney, once he knows it's in the fridge, I might not see it again. When I make curry at home, I put little bowls with garnishes, coconut, raisins, apple, and tomatoes.

Chutney is a condiment and comes in many varieties. I prefer Major Grey's and it's available in most stores. Find out more about chutney.

Sounds like a salad, doesn't it? Yup, those ingredients make a very nice salad. Use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket because if you don't want to heat up your kitchen. Serve it on the bed of thinly sliced lettuce and you are good to go on a hot summer night. A tall, icy glass of beer, or iced tea for the younger set, is very good with this.

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