Chicken 9 Ways For Valentines Day Recipes

Everyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook and will spend hours in the kitchen, but family and friends will tell you that those hours are not clustered around dinner. I like to have a little time to relax before dinner to get ready to enjoy the meal.  Even on a regular night, I prep and clean up as much as possible, so all I have to do is serve and stack the dishwasher later.  For special occasions I try to plan menus with dishes that can be made ahead and quickly readied to serve when people want.

Valentine’s Day is a time when company and conversation are very important, especially when it comes to Valentines Day Recipes. The menu should be “special” but not experimental. New twists on old favorites, well presented are best as are dishes that are easy to eat without need for carving, special utensils or extra napkins for messy fingers and the remains should be equally easy clear up.

There are lots of recipes from appetizers through desserts in my postings for February 2012 and 2013, but this year I thought I’d take a different approach. I’m suggesting one generally accepted dish, chicken roll-ups with 9 variations. There should be one recipe to please even the fussiest eater. They can be presented whole or sliced, on individual plates or one platter; vegetables on the side or surrounding them on the platter. The recipes are for 4 servings, but they are easily halved. However there are so many of them, I’m putting them at the end of this posting rather than in proper order.

In choosing an Appetizer, be sure not to duplicate the ingredients in your choice of roll up. Don’t offer cheese or a pork product with those entrees that contain either. Shrimp would go with everything, but don’t serve them in a market “ring”. Make them special. Serve them with Lamaze sauce on a lettuce lined plate. A simple Lamaze sauce is 1 part ketchup to 3 parts mayonnaise with a pinch of nutmeg.
A Bean Dip is another easy option.  You can mix beans, but beware of the color before you include black beans. Pintos, white beans and Kidneys are best. A Quick recipe is to;
Blend 2 cups drained canned beans with:
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs.oil
2 scallions chopped- a mild onion will do
1 Tbs .fresh cilantro
Combine in a bowl and chill. Find some interesting crackers or chips to perk interest and dress the plate.

I would suggest equally simple Sides, and there are many packaged ones available as well.

1) Golden Tiny Potatoes: Serves 2
(1) 15 oz .can small whole potatoes – drained
2 tsp. butter
Make a “pan” by crimping the edges of a piece of foil. Melt the butter on it, and roll the potatoes in the butter. Broil them until golden. This can be done hours ahead. Simply pull the foil around them and re heat them in the oven the last 15 minutes the chicken is cooking.

2) An easily forked green vegetable; whole beans, asparagus, or bean sprouts cooked to crisp tender and topped with a bit of butter and sprinkle of lemon pepper.

3) For a salad, a bag of mixed greens tossed with a very little Caesar dressing

As stated there are many recipes in my postings for 2012 and 2013 for appetizers, entrees and also for desserts. In this year’s spirit of keeping things easy, however, I’m going to suggest the following desserts:

Angel Nests: Serves 2-4
2 egg whites
½  cup sugar
½  Tbs. flour
½  Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla  or almond flavoring.
Couple drops of white or cider vinegar
Beat the egg whites into peaks, adding the vinegar to temper them half way through, then the flour and the cornstarch, finally the sugar in 3 parts while beating until stiff glossy peaks form.  Draw a 6 inch  circle on parchment or waxed paper. Put the paper on a cookie sheet and fill the circles with the beaten whites, using the back of a fork to indent the center and raise the sides to form a nest. Bake at 250 degs. for 60 mins. Leave in oven for 30 mins. then cool on a wire rack and store airtight. To serve, fill the center with sliced fresh fruit or berries.  Alternatively, draw two 3 inch circles on the paper and follow the directions to make individual nests. Strawberries would be the choice for this occasion.

Chocolate Cherry Biscotti: Yields about 2 doz. ( Again thanks to the Moosewood Cookbook)
½ cup dried cherries
1 cup water
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp EACH vanilla and almond extract
2 cups +2 Tbs. flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
Microwave the cherries in the water for 1 min. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light, then add eggs and extracts. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drain the cherries, dry them on a towel and stir them into the egg mixture. Sift the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder, then fold in the wet ingredients until the dough is uniform.
Using a rubber spatula, mound the dough on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Form the dough into a 12 x 3 inch log, then press down to form a 14 x 4 x 1 inch log.
Bake on the top rack of a preheated 350 deg oven for 25-30 min. Transfer log to a cutting board and when cool enough cut into ¾ inch slices .Put slices on the baking sheet and return to oven. Bake about 5 min. per side. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container.
These are quite hard and are best dipped in liquid. Suggestions are a sweet wine, a dry red one, coffee or milk.

Now for the main event, the entrée choices:

CHICKEN ROLL UPS:  Each recipe serves 4.  The standard requirement for each is 4 large, boneless skinless breasts. Optionally, recipes A-D-E-F-H-I- can also be made using 8 boneless, skinless thighs with the filling divided equally between them. NOTE: thighs are easier to secure with the skin on.
Place each chicken piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound  into an even thickness; working with the smooth side down, spread equal amounts of the filling over each. Roll from the short side, jelly roll style to enclose the filling.  Secure closed with basting pins or toothpicks. If to be wrapped in bacon , do it first, then secure.
These recipes can all be made several hours, even overnight in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. The cooking time for each recipe is similar. Place the chicken seam side down in a lightly oil sprayed pan large enough to fit them comfortably. For oven, melt 1 Tbs. butter add 1 Tbs. oil and pour over chicken, coating all sides; then add 1/3 cup white wine, broth or apple juice. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30-4- mins, until juices run clear. Check occasionally to see liquid level is constant and meat hasn’t stuck to the pan.
For stove top, melt butter in skillet, add oil, then chicken and turn to coat. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until brown about 30 min. You may need to add up to 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs.oil during cooking for stove top. Add the 1/3 cup white wine, broth or apple juice at the end to deglaze the pan.
If not serving at once keep warm for up to 30 min. otherwise allow to cool, then reheat, covered, until warm through. Use the pan juices as a sauce when plating the food.
Any exceptions to these directions are written with the individual recipe.

FILLINGS:
A) Herb and Nuts-thighs possible
1 cup fresh basil or parsley
2 Tbs hazelnuts or walnuts
1 garlic clove—or equal amount bottled or powder (not salt)
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B) Tomato and Ham or Bacon
3 Tbs. tomato paste
4 slices lean bacon or 2 slices Deli ham  cut crosswise in half
1 garlic clove or equal amount bottled or powder (not salt)
Mix tomato paste and garlic. Spread on chicken, cover with 1 slice bacon halved or ½ slice ham and roll

C) Cream Cheese and Chives
8 oz. cream cheese- can be made using half regular cheese and half low-fat
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
1 garlic clove-minced or equal amount bottled or powder
1 Tsp. flour
4 slices turkey bacon
Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Spread on meat, roll and wrap with 1 slice bacon each

D) Cream Cheese Dijon-thighs possible
4 oz regular cream cheese
2 Tbs.plain yogurt
4 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3  cup brown sugar
Mix all ingredients together until smooth; spread on meat and roll

E) Sage and Cheese—thighs possible
2 oz. Bel Paese cheese
4 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dried
4-8 strips regular or turkey bacon
Spread the cheese on the meat, top with sage and roll; wrap with bacon. Add 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice to the pan juices at the end of cooking.

F) Feta and Herbs—thighs possible
5oz. Feta cheese-cut into strips one per chicken portion
2 Tbs’ EACH thyme. Rosemary and oregano +garnish
Sprinkle herbs equally over chicken pieces; top with a strip of cheese and roll.
Sauce:
1medium onion chopped
1clove garlic
1 Tbs.oil
4 plum tomatoes I 8 pieces each
Cook onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add tomatoes and lightly simmer, covered 10 min. until soft. Blend until smooth. Plate under chicken and garnish with herbs.

G) Saltimbocca
4 thin slices ham
4 slices Swiss or Provolone cheese
4 sage leaves
1 small tomato chopped
Place above ingredients in order on breasts. Roll and secure.
Sauce:
1Tbs. oil
2 minced garlic cloves or equal jarred or powder
2tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage or 2 tsp. dried
2 Tbs. dry sherry
Pan juices + broth to equal 1 cup
Cook garlic in oil until soft. Add the broth and warm . Mix the cornstarch, sherry and sage and add to  the pan. Cook until bubbly. Return chicken to the pan and spoon sauce over for about 5 mins. until sauce thickens slightly and food is hot.

H) Roasted Pepper and Olive—Thighs  possible—should be made on the stove top.
4 large jarred  fire-roasted red peppers –divided in half for thighs
12 pitted ripe olives – sliced
12 pitted green olives-sliced
8 basil leaves or 1tsp. dried
Cover meat with pepper pieces. Spoon olives down center and roll. Top with basil.
Sauce:
When chicken is brown, add  1 1/4 cups white wine to pan juices, cover and simmer for about 15 min. until  chicken is cooked and sauce thickens slightly. Serve at once.

I) Sausage and Peppers ; Thighs possible
4 oz. thinly sliced Genoa salami
(1) 6oz jar sweet red peppers
Cover the meat with the salami. Divide the peppers down the centers. Roll and oven bake.