Spring is here! Doesn’t feel much like it today, but the calendar says spring is here. I hope it shows up here soon. We will be looking forward to having our spring fruits and vegetables. Rhubarb and strawberry are two of the earliest. Do you have any recipes using these that you would be willing to share? I look forward to receiving them.
I had a letter from Marion sharing a recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu — love it! Thanks Marion. I found out, as many of you probably already know, that Cordon Bleu is French for “Blue Ribbon.” Definitely a blue ribbon recipe here. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7×11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.
Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one cheese slice and one ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place a half of a cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for three to five minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.
Speaking of chicken, how about another recipe?
2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded thin
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed
Directions: In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
Heat the oil in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
Fry chicken in the hot oil for about five minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula, and serve.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you with any suggestions or recipes you like. I can be reached at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, PO Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730. See you next week! Susie Q
