i heart goat cheese

If there's one thing I could request at every meal, it'd be goat cheese. I love it! My favorite restaurant in my parents' town has the BEST goat cheese salad (with a vanilla bean vinaigrette) which goes great with the fusion sushi that we order. Here, in my town, there's a microbrewery that has goat cheese flatbread and another tasty goat cheese salad - but this one has candied cashews, strawberries and mandarin oranges. YUM!

So, when I came across this recipe, I knew it'd be perfect. It is SUPER easy to make and very tasty. My hubby and I thought it was pretty fantastic and would consider serving it to entertain with, if we actually had room to entertain....

Herb and Goat Cheese Chicken Roulade

8 oz. goat cheese, softened

1 1/2 tsp. each fresh sage, marjoram and thyme, chopped

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thick

4 slices prosciutto

1/2 c. AP flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

olive oil

Start by mixing the goat cheese with the fresh herbs (we cheated - bought herbed goat cheese, as it was cheaper but would use fresh if it were on hand). Set aside. Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thick. Cut in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on each chicken breast. Divide goat cheese mixture evenly between each breast and spread across the prosciutto. Roll up each breast and tuck in the ends to secure cheese (I became a master at weaving chicken with toothpicks). Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, then to the egg and then roll and thoroughly coat chicken with panko bread crumbs. Heat olive oil (about 4 tbsp.) in a medium skillet and lightly saute each side until lightly browned. If you have a cooling rack for baking, place it on a large sheet pan (this helps the air circulate around the chicken and will keep it crispy). Transfer the chicken to the rack or directly to the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until cooked through. If you used toothpicks, don't forget to remove.

Of all places, this came in the Fresh Market magazine that I got in the mail. One look at the picture and I was sold. Very tasty - give it a try!

Chicken with Leeks...

Recipe from "Classic Rachel Ray - 30 Minute Meals"

This recipe was requested by one of the hubs co-workers.  It is super simple, delicate and very tasty!  The only trick to this recipe is cutting the leeks correctly and making sure to wash them super well!  To wash them I cut them into the size to saute, then put them into a water-bath in batches and stir them around.  Once properly washed I drain them all and pat dry with a paper towel.

Ingredients

2 leeks

4 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons EVOO (it is a Rachel Ray recipe)

1 cup dry white wine (this should be a wine you enjoy drinking)

Directions

Trim leeks so that only the white and white/green parts remain (you do not want to eat the tough green ends).  I slice down the middle and then cut into ½” slices across.  Rinse leeks well and drain well as mentioned above.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper.  Add evoo to coat skillet, then add the chicken breasts and brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer to plate.  She wants you to add more oil to the pan here, but I would (and did) and a tablespoon of butter.  I think butter rounded out the flavor of the sauce.  Then add leeks and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Add wine to the pan.  Allow alcohol to bubble off and scrape up/mix-in brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Then nestle chicken breasts back in pan.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes more.  To serve slice chicken on an angle and top with sauce.

How I would serve...

I would serve this with rice pilaf probably.  I would probably put a little lemon or white wine in it to match the leeks and chicken.

Enjoy :  )

From Maddie..

Wow Abby your menu sounds awesome! I more or less have an idea at the beginning of the week for what we will be eating however, since I just got back from Iowa yesterday and it is the week before the last week of school, I have no idea. Evan and I will most likely be eating whatever we can around the house (most likely spaghetti and grilled cheese and tomato soup) and eating out. I will have to find time in my busy schedule to run to the grocery at some point and when I do I might just have to make one or two of those recipes so let me know how they turn out :) I hope that as things start to cool down again I will be able to contribute some of my favorite recipes! Looking forward to seeing what everyone loves to cook!

Weekly Menu from Abby...

Weekly Menu for Nov 28- Dec 4

Sunday - Beef Stroganoff

Monday - Mexican Stuffed Green Peppers

Tuesday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Wednesday - Cavatappi  & Cheese

Thursday - Pasta Salad with Chicken

Friday - Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Saturday - Leftovers (most likely Pasta Salad)

Shopping List 

(this week there happens to be a lot of cheese, not usually the case)

beef (ground beef or cube steak - I used ground beef)

egg noodles

mushrooms (I bought a pound of the already cut ones to save time)

Tri-Color Rotini

Broccoli - about 2 pounds

can of olives (black, green, or both)

red onion

2 yellow or sweet onions

1 red pepper

3-4 green peppers depending on size

box of cavatappi

cheese - yellow and white cheddar

enchilada sauce

can of black beans

chicken broth

milk

I had: 1/2 & 1/2 that I needed to use the rest of, bread, rice and all the spices.  If you do not have these things than pick them up too.

This week's grocery bill should be somewhere between $50-$70 depending on where you live/what brands you buy.


Beef Stroganoff

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or you could use cube steak)
• I used pepper and Lawry's on the ground beef - you could use salt, pepper and garlic powder instead
• All-purpose flour
• olive oil for pan if needed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, sliced
• 12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can low sodium beef broth
• fill that same can with 1/2 milk & 1/2 half and half or just milk
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Cooked egg noodles

Directions

Season the ground beef with Pepper and Lawry's in the pan.  Cook through and remove from pan leaving pan drippings if desired.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter if you kept pan drippings and 2 tablespoons if you did not and let is melt in the pan.  Add sliced mushrooms and onion to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute and allow to brown.  Half way through add one finely chopped clove of garlic and continue to saute.  Add olive oil if you need it/want it.  Add 4 tablespoons of flour.  Stir and scrape bottom of pan constantly until flour is incorporated and browns just slightly (about 1 minute).  Add beef broth and milk mixture stirring constantly.  Once combined it should look like gravy consistency.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated through and thickened.  Stir in the sour cream and turn heat off.  Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am going to try this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

Evan said he did not want it in a bread bowl.  I am also going to reserve some broccoli so that it is not all too finely pureed. 

Cavatappi  & Cheese

The Cavatappi and Cheese is going to be a creation of melted butter/flour, cheese, possibly some grated onion and milk, sprinkle in a little nutmeg and garlic, add the cooked pasta, fold to combine.  Put into a greased casserole, top with Italian breadcrumbs cut with butter.  Cook until bubbly.  Enjoy.

Mexican Stuffed Green Peppers

• 3-4 green peppers cut in half (from top to bottom straight across) and cleaned out
• if you want meat add ground beef or shredded chicken (cooked) (I do vegetarian) 
• one onion - chop and saute (add garlic if desired) - I then add the tomatoes and saute everything together to warm it up
• 1 can of drained black beans
• 1 can of spiced or normal diced tomatoes drained (you could also just use 1 cup of salsa if you have that instead)
• 4-6 cups of rice (depending on how many peppers you are making)
• cheese for top if desired
• 1 large can of enchilada sauce

mix the cooked rice, black beans, tomato/onion mixture, and salsa if desired together.  Stuff evenly into your halved green peppers.  top with Enchilada sauce (and then cheese if desired) and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes or until peppers are softened.  Remove foil and brown cheese if used.  Remove from oven. Serve along side mexican style rice if you would like or alone. you need appx 1 whole pepper per adult.  NOTE: If you want it to be fancier for company you can leave the peppers whole, stuff them, return their tops loosely and bake that.  It will take a little longer (add water to the bottom of the pan) and you will have to add the enchilada sauce while plating. 

Pasta Salad with Chicken

Pasta Salad:

One box Tri-Color Rotini - cooked

1 diced red pepper and one green if desired

one small red onion diced (if you do not like sharp onion put in a bowl, cover with water and microwave for a minute or minute thirty, drain and then add)

olives, drained

1 bunch broccoli, cut the florets off only

any other veggies that you would like to put in (you can mix baby spinach leaves in right before eating, but do not let them sit in it)

Italian Dressing to taste...add some, mix, add more if needed to wet all ingredients

parm cheese - sprinkle cheese, fresh grated or shredded, whichever you prefer

Mix all ingredients until combined.  Chill in fridge and gobble at will.

I do not usually do this, but I am going to spice and saute a little chicken to put on top of Evans.

That is what will be on the Kruger table this week.

Welcome to Share Your Fare...

Have you ever gotten together with a group of friends and shared recipes?  In the past I have done this via email where everyone emails a few recipes to one person and then that person compiles them all and emails them out, and I have also done it in person at a cookie exchange where you come home with a basket of sweets and a wealth of new recipes.

My hope for this blog is that friends of mine, and then friends of theirs, and then friends of theirs will come together on this blog and share recipes.  They do not need to be fancy, most people would prefer that they are simple in all honesty, they just need to be crowd pleasers that we can all serve at our own tables.

I cook almost every day.  I love to eat, so here and there the hubs and I of course eat out, but it is becoming more common than ever before that dinner is served at my dinning room table.  Since I cook nightly I needed to come up with a plan of attack.  My solution is to create a weekly menu on Sunday and go grocery shopping for the whole week.  I have a weekly menu pad like this one:

Find it here!

It has a "Weekly Menu" on one side and a perforated "Grocery List" area on the other side.

So it goes like this:  I ask the hubs if there is anything he would like for dinner.  He usually has a suggestion or two.  Once I have those few items listed on the menu I look at my ingredients and see what I can buy more of to make something else.  Like if he wants enchiladas (and believe me he always does) I think okay, I need chicken so how about I buy a whole chicken and boil it for soup or I buy chicken in a larger quantity and make Chicken Cordon Blue or something along those lines.  Make sense?  I do not just do this for meats, but also for perishables that I am not going to use all of.  I hate throwing food away so I think of what I can do with the remaining ingredient.  Sour cream is a constant example.  Before I did this I would buy a tub of sour cream for enchiladas and then end up throwing 3/4 of it away because it went unused and molded.

Also, when I ask, "What would you like for dinner?"  He can head over to the menu and select from the list.  I know that I have the ingredients to fit his hankering that night and this cuts back on the impulse to eat out.

So with all of these tricks I can cut down on my grocery bill (I have cut it in half for my family), give my husband (who likes infinite choices) a menu to choose from, and I simplify my nights.  Everyone is happy!

I hope that explained my process well enough for you!  Congratulations (and thanks) for sticking with me.

So back to the blog.  I will post my menu as is for the week and I will tell you how much you should expect to spend to duplicate the same thing.  (We eat leftovers at the Kruger house, so I make enough for the hubs to take to work for lunch the next day.  This means that in theory I could either feed a family once or two adults twice with the portions that I make.)

If you would like to become an author leave a comment in the comment area of any blog entry with your contact info or email me.  My only requirement is that you have good taste and you are willing to post two recipes a month.  As I said before, the more contributors we have the more successful this will be!  So start sharing!!!