Week 30 - Thursday

Creamy Tarragon Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon tarragon
¼ cup flour
1 ½ cups cold water
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup cream

Melt butter in skillet.  Add chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat about 5 minutes on each side.  Sprinkle onion , garlic and  tarragon over chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.  Whisk together flour and water until smooth.  Pour over chicken.  Add mushrooms and  cook for about 10 minutes until mixture thickens.  Stir in cream and cook until mixture just starts to bubble.  Serve over brown rice.

Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice
3 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon olive oil

Measure rice and water into large microwave safe bowl.  Stir in salt and olive oil.  Cover and microwave for 40 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork

Carrots Elegante
5 carrots                                  2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon butter                2 tablespoon water

 Peel and slice carrots diagonally 1-inch thick.  Melt butter in small saucepan.  Stir in orange marmalade and water.  Add carrots and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and cover.  Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until tender.

Spinach Pear Salad
6 cups baby spinach                                        ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 green pear, chopped                                    ¼ cup pomegranate seeds or craisins
½ cup candied pecans                                                

Toss all ingredients in large bowl.  Drizzle with Pomegranate Dressing when ready to serve.

Candied pecans
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup pecans

On medium heat, melt butter in small skillet.  Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add pecans and stir, coating pecans.  Continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Pomegranate Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil             1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey                1 teaspoon poppyseed
¼ cup Pomegranate juice*      1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Measure all ingredients in bowl and whisk until well blended.

*Pomegranate juice can be substituted with cranberry or orange juice.

Vanilla Cream Chocolate Torte
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips                  ¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk                                            4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon rum extract                                     2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon butter, softened                           

 Combine chocolate chips, milk and rum extract in small saucepan.  Melt on low heat, stirring frequently.  Remove immediately from heat and stir until smooth.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, beating for 1 minute.  Set aside.

Beat together butter and ½ cup sugar.  Add egg yolks and beat 1 minute.  On low speed, mix in melted chocolate mixture until combined.  Add cocoa and beat until mixed in.  Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. 

Spoon into 9 x 9-inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 300 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.  (You will want it to be slightly soft in the middle)

Custard
1 ½ cups evaporated milk                  
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten                  dash of salt
½ cup sugar                                         2 teaspoons vanilla

 Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until bubbly and slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool..