Create Amazing Meals

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Dinner Salad with Gorgonzola, Chicken Madeira with Mushrooms, Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin, and Symphony Cookies

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Dinner Salad with Gorgonzola
For 2 salads, share between 2 bowls:
Spring Greens
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs Celery, sliced down the middle, then diced
4 Green Onions, thinly sliced
6 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 Haas Avocado, peeled and diced
Sprinkle with Gorgonzola
Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Chicken Madeira with Mushrooms
Dredge 3 boneless Chicken Breasts in 1/4 cup Flour, and 1/2 teaspoon each Salt, and Pepper.
Set aside.
In a large skillet, saute:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon minced Garlic
When garlic is browned, add floured chicken, cooking about 4 minutes on each side to brown.
Reserve remaining flour mixture.
Remove Chicken from pan.
Stir in remaining flour mixture, whisking until well-blended.

Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup Madeira wine.
Stir in 6 Green Onions, sliced.

When wine has evaporated and onions begin to soften, pour in 1 cup Chicken Broth, and return Chicken to pan.
Add 8 ounces White Mushrooms, rinsed and quartered.
Cover pan, and stir occasionally, until sauce thickens, Chicken is cooked through, and mushrooms are soft and diminished in size. 
Place Chicken on dinner plate, and ladle sauce over it.
Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin

This is the first recipe I’ve tried from Dorie Greenspan’s brand new cookbook, “Around my French Table.”  It’s a great way to serve cauliflower in a cheesy custard topped with bacon.  Dorie says it would be a good Thanksgiving side-dish, and I agree.

Symphony Cookies
Simply use your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, but substitute 4 smashed Hershey’s Symphony bars with toffee and almonds for the Chocolate Chips.  I placed them in a large ziploc bag, sealed it, and smashed them with my rolling pin.  Although the candy bars contain almonds, I added 1/2 cup chopped Pecans as well. 
My favorite recipe is “Mrs. D’s Chocolate Chip Cookies” from Marcel Desaulniers’ “Death by Chocolate Cookies“.  He is the owner and executive chef of The Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, VA, which I’ve had the absolute pleasure of dining at several times.  He creates a seasonal menu based on the freshest ingredients.  Be sure to save room for one of his marvelous chocolate creations!
Enjoy!



Fresh Asparagus for sale at the Channel Islands Farmers’ Market



These recipes are provided for your personal use. If you publish them, or re-post them, please give me credit. Grazie e Buon Appetito!

Comments

  2. Yum, that meal looks delicious! And those cookies sound darn tasty, great idea. It’s fun to take a look back at past posts every once in a while and remember what we’ve been cooking.

    Happy New Year to you and yours!

  5. Love the new look of your blog!

    The gratin looks great, but I really want one (or two) of those symphony cookies. One of my favorite candy bars, I can’t believe I’ve never thought to add to cookies.

    Happy New Year!

  6. Great post and great new look to your blog ! Thanks for including the recipes since your whole dinner looks amazing. AMAZING. Happy 2012 – Nana and I look forward to reading many more posts in the New Year 🙂

  7. I’m with Candy. I was admiring the entire menu, but when I got to the cookies, I got really hungry. I’ve enjoyed following your blog this year, Susan. Happy New Year!

  9. What a great new look! Happy New Years to you! What an amazing meal this is! I was thinking the cauliflower should have been enough for anyone but this meal is a showstopper! Good job!

  10. Love the new look to your blog! It is really terrific! The dinner looks really delicious! Looking forward to reading more of your posts and cooking with you in 2012! Happy New Year!