Speaking of Names...

My last post contained two recipes that have names in the title.  This post also contains two recipes with the same name in the title...a place name.  Monte Cristo.

When I hear "Monte Cristo" it always makes me think of two things: 1) The Count of Monte Cristo (book and movie) and 2) The Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland.

As for The Count of Monte Cristo, in most cases a movie has a hard time beating the book.  And while I LOVE the book, there's a little too much revenge going on.  Yes, Edmond Dantes was horribly wronged.  But to wreak revenge on the second generation of his wrongdoers?  Children of his perpetrators who never did anything wrong...except be born to a parent who was a jerk and a traitor.  And that wasn't really their fault, was it?  I really think the movie tied things up perfectly.  It pinpointed the major bad guys and meted out their justice and Dantes' revenge fantastically.  But then the good guy got to end up with his love and a son to boot (not how it happens in the book...he doesn't end up with Mercedes and her son isn't his).

As for The Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland, I have only eaten there once.  I went with my friend, Krissy, during one of our college summer breaks.  She's from California, so I flew out to see her and we spent one of our days at Disneyland.  After riding on The Pirates of the Caribbean ride, we ate at The Blue Bayou.  I got a bronzed chicken dish that was really good and Krissy got a Monte Cristo sandwich.  It was the first time I had ever seen or heard of such a sandwich.  I remember being very intrigued by the combination of sweet and salty.  A traditional Monte Cristo sandwich is kind of like French toast with sweet and savory sandwich fillings.  Egg battered and pan-fried bread with sliced ham, turkey, raspberry or strawberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  And do you know what?  I love it.  It's great!  There are variations, of course.  Some versions only use ham, not ham and turkey.  Some versions use maple syrup instead of the jam.  Some versions skip the sweet syrup and jam in place of Dijon mustard.  It really can be tailored to suit your tastes.

So if the sweet and salty bit isn't your thing, you can skip the jam and replace it with Dijon mustard and omit the powdered sugar.  But as for me, I'll eat it the traditional way!

I'm going to share two versions today.  Neither are the traditional version...but you can find a pretty faithful version of the recipe here.  Here's another traditional version.  I wanted to try one or more of these versions, but then I discovered that my younger son is allergic to eggs (unless they've been baked at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes)...so there went that idea!  Hopefully he grows out of that allergy!

The first variation I'm sharing uses puff pastry and there's nothing wrong with that!  Yum.  The second version is a little more homey and it uses Bisquick and it's more like a casserole than a sandwich.  But it still works!

Oh, and here's your fun-fact for the day.  Monte Cristo sandwiches originated in California in the mid-1900's.  So, without further ado...

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 tbsp water
all-purpose flour
1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
8 thin slices deli Black Forest ham
4 slices deli Swiss cheese
Confectioners' sugar
Pure maple syrup

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.

Sprinkle the flour on the work surface.  Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square.  Cut into 4 (6-inch) squares.  Brush the edges of the pastries with the egg mixture.

With a corner of 1 pastry facing you, place 2 slices ham and 1 slice cheese on the bottom half of the pastry.  Fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle and press the edges to seal.  Crimp the edges with a fork.  Repeat with the remaining pastries.  Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.  Place the pastries onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Sprinkle the pastries with the confectioners' sugar.  Serve with the maple syrup.

Easy Substitution: For a savory twist, serve with Dijon-style mustard instead of the maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Puff Pastry website.  Found here.

Notes: I used thick slices of ham (pretty much because I made this recipe at the time to use up some of my leftover ham).  I used turkey as well.  I cut my Puff Pastry into smaller squares to make smaller portions, but I wouldn't do that in the future.  I would stick with one pastry sheet equaling four servings because otherwise, it's too small.  Yes, Puff Pastry is pretty high in calories, but you'll want to splurge this time because otherwise you'll feel like you're eating an appetizer for your entire dinner and you will still be hungry.

I skipped the egg since my younger son is allergic to egg.  Instead, I sprayed the finished sandwich pockets with cooking spray to help it brown.

And instead of the maple syrup, I used strawberry jam.  My husband opted for the Dijon mustard.

The roasted ham worked just as well as the deli ham would have in this recipe.  So, you can go either way!

Monte Cristo Delights

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart mix
3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 egg or 1/4 cup fat-free egg product
5 oz reduced-fat Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
6 oz deli-style lean or fat-free ham or turkey ham, very thinly sliced
6 oz deli-style lean or fat-free turkey, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup strawberry or raspberry spreadable fruit
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly grease 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, or spray with cooking spray.  In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, and egg until blended.

Spread half of the dough in bottom of baking dish.  Top with half each of the cheese, ham, and turkey.  Spread spreadable fruit over turkey to within 1/2 inch sides of dish.  Top with remaining ham, turkey, and cheese.  Spread remaining dough over cheese to sides of dish.

Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.  Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving is 320 calories, 7 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 1290 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 16 g sugars, 22 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker.  Here's a version if you just want to make this for two people instead of six.

Notes: I would test it with a knife before serving because sometimes the top is nice and browned, but the inside of the Bisquick is still a little doughy.

Also, I have made this a handful of times and the deli ham works much better than the thick-sliced ham.  I wouldn't substitute your roast ham leftovers in this dish.

One final note, from time to time, I have accidentally misjudged how much Bisquick to put on the bottom layer so that there is still enough to spread over the top.  If you do this, just whip up a smaller batch of the top Bisquick layer (1 cup Bisquick, 1/3 cup skim milk, and one egg).  Spread enough (or all) of the extra Bisquick mixture to evenly cover the top layer.

Roll it, Tuck it, Wrap it, Fold it

Here are two chicken dishes that are encased in their own breaded blankets. Nicely tucked in. Very compact and oh so yummy. No need to serve rolls because the main course is served inside a roll!


Herbed Chicken in Pastry

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Ground black pepper (optional)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1 container (4 ounces) garlic and herb spreadable cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F . Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.

Season the chicken with the black pepper, if desired. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate. Cover the plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14 inch square. Cut into 4 (7 inch) squares.

Spread about 2 tablespoons cheese spread in the center of each pastry square. Top each with 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 chicken breast. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg mixture. Fold the corners of the pastry squares to the center over the chicken and press to seal. Place the filled pastries seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Source: www.puffpastry.com (obviously a Pepperidge Farm recipe).

Notes: As usual, I forgot the parsley. It doesn't make much of a difference. Parsley isn't a super strong tasting herb. So, it was just fine without it.


Chicken Crescents

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups diced chicken
Chives, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Butter
1/3 cup Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning
Saved broth from the poached chicken (or 1 can canned chicken broth)
1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1/3 cup canned mushrooms (stems and pieces)
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls--1 tube
1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Chicken breasts or whole chicken can be used. If whole chicken is used, you will get 2 1/2 to 3 times the required amount of chicken.

Boil chicken in a saucepan filled with water until very tender--save broth.

Strip chicken from bones, and dice or pull into pieces. Mix chicken with cream cheese, chives, salt, pepper, and mushrooms.

Put 1 tablespoon of chicken mix on each roll, pinch corners. Dip in milk and butter, then roll in Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning and then pecans.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until crescents are nicely browned.

Make gravy from chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Serve over crescents or on the side.

Source: This is one of Carol Todd's recipes from one of our old ward cookbooks.

Notes: I doubled this recipe. It made a ton of chicken filling--more than I could successfully fit into the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. So, rather than using 1 crescent apiece, I kept 2 crescents together for each chicken packet (so that it formed a square rather than a triangle) and folded the dough over the chicken filling.

Even so, I still had a ton of filling left over. I decided to mix the remainder of the filling into the gravy so that I had chicken, mushrooms, and chives inside the crescents and out.

I also excluded the pecans since my son is allergic to tree nuts (Why oh why? I miss nuts soooo much!).

But even without the nuts, this was a fantastic recipe. That Carol Todd knows how to cook!

Oh, and as for the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning, I wasn't exactly sure what that meant. So, I used Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing and I crushed it into a bread crumb texture and rolled the crescent packets in that.

Easy Peasy! Nice and Easy!

Well, after all of the crazy cooking that is associated with Thanksgiving (did you see how incredibly long my Thanksgiving blogs were? And it was in three parts!), I definitely want to take it easy cooking-wise for awhile afterward.

I blame the crazy title of this blog on a Starburst commercial. It was an insanely quirky commercial that made me laugh every time. I don't think many people liked the commercial though, because they didn't air it for very long. But it must have had a cult following, because you can still find it online...plus, there is an extended version that includes dance instruction and the phrase "Easy peasy...nice and easy." Ever since I saw that commercial, that phrase has been stuck in the back of my mind. I had to get it out here! In case you want to check out the commercial, click here. If you want to see the dance instruction and the phrase that lead to the title of this blog, click here.

Besides being easy dinners, these recipes have absolutely nothing in common. But they're all yummy. The first one is an easy sauce that is served over linguine. The second one is an easy sauce that is served over rice. The final recipe uses shredded chicken and puff pastry...yummy puff pastry.

I hope you like them and I hope it makes your dinner preparations easier!


Creamy Italian Chicken Linguine

Ingredients:

3-6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:

Combine soup, cream cheese, and dressing packet. Pour over chicken in slow cooker and cook all day on low heat. Serve over linguine.

Source: I got this from my mom. I don't know where she got it from though.

Notes: You can serve the chicken whole over the linguine, or you can shred it. I prefer to shred the chicken. It makes the sauce heartier and it goes farther to serve more people. I also usually double this recipe. I've also found no reason to combine the soup, cream cheese, and dressing. I usually sprinkle the dressing mix directly over the chicken, pour the soup over the chicken and just place the cream cheese (un-softened) on top. When you shred the chicken, it mixes the sauce completely. Also, if you keep frozen chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a great pantry recipe that you can keep on hand and throw together any time.

Easy Peasy Foccacia Bread

Ingredients:

12 Rhodes Dough rolls
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Directions:

I made this easy foccacia by thawing 12 Rhodes Dough rolls in a ziploc bag. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, flatten it out in a rectangular shape like you would if you were rolling out a pizza. You can either do this with a rolling pin or with your hands. I stretched and flattened the dough with my hands. Place the dough on a jelly roll pan that is covered in foil and lightly dusted with flour. Brush the dough with a little olive oil and then sprinkle it with garlic salt, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese, to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Source: This just came from my mind when I realized that I hadn't planned any side dishes to go along with this dinner. I had Rhodes Dough rolls in the freezer, so voila! Lovely foccacia!


Mexican Pork

Ingredients:

1 pound pork boneless loin roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 jar (20 ounces) salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces), if desired

Directions:

Mix pork, salsa, and chilies in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Nutrition information: 345 calories, 10 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 37 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: I usually double this and I serve it over rice. Also, it is great with fresh chopped cilantro on top as well. You can also top it with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream. The recipe suggests that you can serve it over tortilla chips, instead of the rice, if you prefer. Other substitutions suggested by the recipe are to vary the taste by using pinto beans instead of black beans and Cheddar cheese instead of Monterey Jack. It is soooo easy and very flavorful. I used Ortega medium salsa. Also, I think it is basically impossible to find a jar of salsa with exactly 20 ounces. I think most jars come in a 16 ounce size. This amount is totally fine. This dish creates a lot of liquid, so I think it actually works better to use only 16 ounces of salsa instead of 20 ounces. Finally, this dish would be very freezer friendly. You could freeze individual portions served over rice. Just defrost and microwave! Or you could freeze the pork mixture in a freezer friendly container or zip top bag. Don't forget to label and date it! When you are ready to use it, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave. Serve over fresh cooked rice. This is another great pantry recipe.


Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.

With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve.

Source: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry website (puffpastry.com).

Notes: The recipe suggests serving this with carrot and celery sticks, additional hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing. The blue cheese dressing is really yummy as a dipping sauce for the stromboli or drizzled on top of the stromboli. You can either poach and then chop or shred the chicken or you can cook the chicken in a slow cooker and chop or shred it. Also, I scored the top of the puff pastry (four small cuts) prior to cooking to allow the steam to escape.