honey mustard Chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• About 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• About 1/3 cup honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat EVOO, a turn and a half of the pan, in a skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken in single layer and cook to light golden in color. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add butter to skillet and melt. Add carrots, parsnips and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and soften vegetables, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover pan and sprinkle in flour, stir 1 minute or so, then stir in stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and honey. Let thicken to coat spoon, add reserved chicken to heat through.

Creamy Herbed Polenta

Very tasty with sautéed vegetables! I added lots of Parm and Swiss cheese.

• 6 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter ( i used a little less)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer thepolenta to a bowl and serve.

Chicken and Broccoli with béchamel sauce

chicken breasts

1 onion

1 celery stalk chopped

2 bay leaves

parsley

salt and pepper

1/2 recipe of béchamel sauce

1 head broccoli- steamed

1 can white beans

parmesan and mozzarella cheese

Place chicken in pot and add enough water to cover. Add chopped onion, celery, bay leaves, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cook 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make sauce.

Shred the chicken and place in oven safe pan. Drain out onions from stock to place over chicken. Layer with broccoli, beans and sauce. Bake 350 for 15 minutes then top with cheeses and bake until they are browned.

Bechamel Sauce

Makes 3 cups

5 TBSP butter

4 TBSP Flour

4 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

In medium Saucepan heat the butter over medium low heat until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden sandy color, about 5-6 minutes.

Heat milk in a separate saucepan until just about to boil. Add hot milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg.

If not using right away, cover top of sauce with plastic wrap. Leave the edges a little open to allow steam to escape.

Gingersnap Dip

I loved this! I could eat a whole thing by itself! It is also good with gingersnaps!

• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1-8 oz carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat in whipped topping until blended. Refrigerate until serving.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 package (8 oz) lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin (or homemade puree)
• 1 egg
• Red, Yellow and Green food colors, optional
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 oz package
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour

Method:

Beat together softened butter, white sugar and packed brown sugar. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin, egg and a couple drops each red and yellow food color (enough to make cookie dough orange); stir in chocolate chips. Add 3 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder; stir to thoroughly mix. Remove approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cup cookie dough and set aside. Roll remaining cookie dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or parchment paper into a 12x15x1/4 inch rectangle. Freeze dough while preparing cream cheese filling.

Knead a couple drops green food color into reserved 1/2-cup cookie dough. Roll dough into approximately 36 small marble size balls, refrigerate/freeze until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour; beat until smooth and creamy. Remove cookie dough from freezer; peel off top parchment paper; spread prepared cream cheese over 2/3 the width of the rectangle (keep cream cheese on one side of dough and spread out to both ends). Using the parchment paper to carefully lift, roll cookie into a log, starting on the long cream cheese side (jelly roll fashion with cream cheese in center). Wrap log in parchment, return to freezer for 2-3 hours, preferable overnight (or until stiff).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove cookie dough from freezer, remove parchment wrap, cut into 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick slices; place on prepared baking sheet. Place a green marble size piece of dough at the top of each cookie and slightly flatten to form a stem. Bake about 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on rack. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

* NOTE: Pumpkin Pie spice may be replaced with mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

A Twist on Chicken Noodle soup

We loved how "fallish" this tasted!

• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch thyme
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken legs and thighs, skin and excess fat removed
• Water, as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 grates fresh nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper

I add one Chicken Bouillon cube

• 2 cups small pasta, preferably small shells such as orecchiette, or orzo (I made the noodles)
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans or chick peas
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves coarsely chopped

Directions

Coat a large stock pot with olive oil and add the onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt, to taste, and bring the pot to medium-high heat. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften and are very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, crushed red pepper and thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add thechicken and fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add the bay leaves, bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes and skim off any particles that accumulate on the surface. Squeeze the juice of the 2 lemon halves into the soup and drop in the lemon halves. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and taste for seasoning. Adjust the flavors with salt and pepper, if needed. Simmer the soup for an additional hour.

While the soup is simmering, bring another pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until "al dente," firm but not crunchy. Drain the pasta and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and toss. Reserve.

After the soup has finished, switch the heat off and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the lemon halves, thyme and bay leaves. Let the chicken cool, then remove the bones and discard. Pull the meat into bite-sized pieces and return them to the pot. Taste the soup for seasoning, which should be spicy with a bright lemon flavor and a warm cinnamon chicken feel. It should be very full-flavored and warm your soul. Rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Spoon some of the reserved pasta into the bottom of each serving bowl and ladle the hot soup over the pasta. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve. This soup is perfect for a cold day! YAY!