Savory Sage Saltimbocca Chicken and Caprese Salad

 

Savory Sage Saltimbocca Chicken & Caprese Salad

As I age, I find that my appetite slows down during summer.  The foods I love to eat take a back seat during the hot and humid summer months, here, in the south. In my teens, twenties and thirties, I loved to down bbq ribs, chicken, steaks, burgers and dogs with potato salad, pasta salad and and all the trimmins'. Now, in my mid sixties, that ain't happenin'. Sensible, lite foods and portions of summer delectables is important to me now.  Ribs and chicken are still important, but again, as I age, I am not into cave man amounts of it during this heat.  With that in mind, I present to you one of my summer classics: Savory Sage Saltimbocca Chicken and Caprese Salad.  Let's get to this easy, quick meal, shall we?

Ingredients for Saltimbocca

4+ thin sliced chicken breasts, trimmed

4+ fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons evoo (extra virgin olive oil)

salt and pepper

* lemon zest and juice 

***Normally wine and capers are part of this, but for summer, I am leaving that out for my own dish. You can go as traditional as you wish! 😊

Caprese Salad Ingredients

2+ steak tomatoes, sliced into four discs

1 ball of mozzarella, sliced into four discs

8 large fresh basil leaves + small leaves for garnish

3 tablespoons evoo

2 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle

*I trimmed the thin sliced chicken breasts into squarish rectangles and marinated them in evoo, lemon juice and lemon zest, white wine vinegar, mirin, salt and pepper. You do not have to do that, as it is just a thought. You could slice the lemon into discs and top the chicken with it to add amazing flavor. 

Let's get to the chicken saltimbocca.  

Add salt and pepper to both sides of the chicken. 

Drizzle four tablespoons of evoo to a skillet over medium-high heat and the butter. When the oil begins to ripple, add the chicken and let it sear about four minutes. When you turn it over, the cooked side should have a golden crust to it. Place a fresh sage leaf to the uncooked side and finish turning it over. Also allow this side to sear another three or four minutes. Reduce the heat and allow it to finish low and slow for about eight minutes. 

The fresh sage, traditonal in saltimbocca, adds so much flavor!

Finish on reduced heat, low and slow, for eight to ten minutes. 

Remove the chicken and allow it to rest after about eight minutes on low heat. 

Caprese

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil onto the dish you will be serving the Caprese from. Place the ingredients over the evoo. 

As mentioned in the ingredients column above, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into discs. Place a tomato down, place a fresh basil leaf atop it, then mozzarella, and repeat the process.  I create two rows on a dish if I am serving it family style. You can make as much as you like, and serve it on a huge platter, as I did at a grad party I catered (Thank You, Mrs. D!!!) or on a personal dish for one or two. Finally, drizzle a little more evoo atop the cheese and tomatoes and top that off with a nice drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, or your favorite balsamic vinegar. 

My plating is not spectacular here, I know, but it worked fine. I made a simple Parmesan pastry twist to go along with it. I placed a circle of Parmesan on parchment paper, then sliced pastry dough thinly and twisted it.  I placed shaved Parmesan atop the twist and baked it for eighteen minutes at 375-degrees. Not pretty, but well worth it. I love Parmesan crisps. I had added Italian dry seasoning and pepper to the Parm circle. Delicioso!

That is it! It's all delicious, nutritious and bursting with flavors of Italy. I hope you like this recipe.  Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!

Thank you, as always, for your visit, time and consideration.  I appreciate you all!

~Martin

In-House Cook

From my garden yesterday. ❤

 

Tres Colores Orzo Summer Salad y Pollo

 

Tres Colores Orzo Summer Salad with Chicken

Nothing says summer like our humid 98-degrees making it feel over 100-degrees. Not a day to serve hot foods, but it IS a day to serve a chilled summer salad. Last evening I made a "three color" orzo salad with chicken. The prep is pretty quick, the colors of Italy, orzo, the rice shaped pasta, cheese and whatever dressing flavors you want! I added seared, chilled, chopped chicken to the mix. This recipe feeds six hungry appetites or up to 9 sorta-kinda hungry folks. Well, let's get to it, shall we? 

Ingredients

1 box orzo (Italian rice-shaped pasta)

4 - 6 chicken thighs, prepped*

1 cup Flat-Leaf Italian Parsley, stemmed and chopped

2/3 - 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (or torn mozzarella)

1 cup halved baby tomatoes

1 medium or large white onion, chopped

1/2 cup fire roasted red bell peppers, chopped

salt and pepper (for several steps)

1/4 cup fresh diced garlic

2 rounded tablespoons Italian seasoning

**Fresh thyme if you have it, otherwise, dried

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

*Your favorite dressing!

Do you notice what is wrong with this photo? I put a red onion in the photo when it was supposed to be a white onion. I did change it. 

The Chicken*

Lay out the four-six boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Use a paring knife to open the thighs up further and cut off "dangly bits". The idea is to cut off excess pieces and shape the chicken to make it easier to slice after cooking.  

Season the chicken simply with salt, pepper and thyme. Drizzle a skillet or stove top grill pan or plate with three tablespoons evoo over medium-high heat.  When the oil begins to ripple, add the chicken thighs. Cook the chicken four minutes per side. Remove the chicken promptly and allow the thighs to rest. After about fifteen minutes, slice the chicken into half inch rectangular pieces. Place the chicken into a bowl and place it in the frig for now. 

*After cooking the thighs, I cooked the pieces I'd cut off and saved them for my dogs' dinner times. You can do that with steak and pork, as well, for future reference. 

The Veg and Greens

Wash and halve the baby tomatoes. I had on hand a pint of tomato medley, but used only the red ones. The theme of the salad is three colors: red, white and green. Next, slice the fire roasted red bell peppers into half-inch cubes or rectangles, whatever you can do. They are not a regular shape, so you must work with you've got. 😃

Next, wash, de-stem and chop the Italian Flat-Leaf parsley.  Chop it a bit less than coarsely. Set both the tomatoes with the red peppers aside, and separately, set aside the parsley. 

The Orzo

Bring four quartz of water to a roiling boil in a pot. Liberally salt the water, as it is the only time you get to season the pasta. Once boiling, add the box of orzo to the water and stir vigorously. You do not want the pasta to stick to the bottom. Repeat, stirring every three minutes until the orzo is done, which is about twelve minutes. Do a texture/taste test to make sure it is soft and not hard nor gooey. If the pasta is hard or gooey, let it cook another two or three minutes, then do the test again. Depending on your stove top, the orzo should be done in about twelve minutes, tops. 

Use a colander to drain the orzo.  I know, it has holes in it and a minute bit may be lost, but you are also going to rinse the pasta to remove most of the starch. Once rinsed, pour or scoop the pasta to a large bowl. Place the bowl into the frig for as long as you can (an hour or more, if possible).  Afterward, use a spoon to turn the pasta over.  Smooth over the top and add the chicken, tomatoes and peppers and the parsley. Add the feta as well.  I sectioned off my large bowl into fourths to equal it all out. Place the bowl back into the frig till serving time. 

*Note:  If you do not have an hour or two to chill everything, that's okay!  When you have to, add the chicken, greens, red items and cheese even if it is warm. This salad is great warm, too!

When you are ready to serve, add your favorite dressing. I used a store-bought Italian vinaigrette and garlic vinaigrette. I hate when people say:  "To taste", but in this case, it holds true. I like more dressing than most folks, so add some, stir and taste test. When it is to your liking, great!  Stir all of the ingredients into the orzo, making sure all of those ingredients are coated with the dressing and as evenly distributed throughout the salad as possible. I like to add some grated or granulated Parmesan to the salad for a little more of salty bite, as well as a sprinkle of coarse ground back pepper and fresh or dried thyme.  That's just me. Now serve and enjoy a colorful combination of tastes and colors of Italy!

As I am known to do, I garnish with a sprig of fresh basil. Great flavor to top it all off. 

Use a big spoon to stir all of the ingredients together thoroughly.  It looks harden than it really is., 

This can be served family style or in bowls. As I mentioned in my previous post, I like to use bowls unless I have three more people for dinner other than my spouse and I. 

Remember, this dish serves six people easily. It can serve up to eight or nine, especially if there is something else served with it.  In addition, this can,obviously, be served without any meat, particularly if you are having a different meat dish along with this orzo salad. 

Now, as always, I fully and happily appreciate your visit and your consideration! Go Cook For Someone You Love! ❤

Until next time!  Bon Appetit!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Orecchiette Summer Salad

 

Orecchiette Summer Salad

It is warm and humid down here in North Carolina.  We are experiencing a huge thunderstorm this afternoon with a ton of rain (much more rain than usual). I call them a monsoon, like we did in Arizona, because the storms are usually pretty short, dumps a ton of rain in a brief amount of time, then it's done. The thunderstorm itself is lingering, but the rain has stopped. The creek behind my patio is still running fast, the water up to my front doorstep is receding, but, as is usual in summer, it is now more humid and warm than it was. It's days like today that I do not want to eat nor to serve anyone something hot. This is when I break out a cool summer salad. Earlier this week, I made a cool summer salad with items on hand, adding "ear" pasta, orecchiette. This salad can be served with meat or not; I served it with cooled mild Italian sausage. Let's get to it, shall we? 

*The best thing about cool (or warm) summer salads is that you can add whatever you love! If I'd had it on hand, I'd have included raw broccoli and cucumber, and maybe chilled, halved hard boiled eggs.  

My Ingredients

1.5 cups orecchiette pasta

1 pound ground mild Italian sausage

extra virgin olive oil 

salt and pepper

1/2 red onion or 1 diced shallot

1 pint grape or cherry medley tomatoes, halved

halved small mozzarella balls or torn cheese

(Or, your favorite cheese, torn or chunked)

fresh thyme and basil, finely chopped + fresh basil torn

pinch salt and coarse black pepper

**1 - 2 cups your favorite vinaigrette

*******

If you decide to use a ground meat, add about two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or, your favorite oil) to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the skillet when the oil ripples. Break up the ground meat with a wooden spoon or your favorite utensil for doing so. After a nice, golden crust begins to form, add onion and torn fresh basil, stir, and then reduce the heat and finish the cooking process and low and slow while you prep the rest of the dish. 

Prep the fresh veggies and cheese. I like to save some small fresh basil tips for garnish. 

Next, bring four quarts of water to a roiling boil.  Add a generous palm full of salt and stir. Add the box of orecchiette (Ears) pasta and stir to dissolve. Boil the pasta till al dente ("about done", which may be about ten minutes). Check the box for actual cooking time. While the pasta is boiling, add the fresh ingredients to a large bowl or serving bowl. 

When the pasta is done (do a taste and structure test: if it is hard in the center, gooey in the center, it is not done yet), strain it or use a spider to move the pasta to the large bowl. **To SERVE COLD:  place the pasta in a large separate bowl and allow to chill in the refrigerator for thirty minutes before adding it to the bowl with the veg in it. 

However you decide to go about it, in the end, combine the pasta, meat and veg and cheese in the large bowl. Add about 1 - 2 cups of your favorite vinaigrette.  How much dressing is completely up to you.  Some people just add fresh lemon juice to cool summer salads.  I like to sprinkle grated Parmesan to it, as well.  

Again, this dish can be served room temperature or chilled.  I prefer chilled, even with meat in it. Really mix up the salad to evenly distribute those fresh herb and veggie flavors!

This can be served family style with two large spoons or in individual plates or bowls. I prefer bowls, but, whatever you like best is what's important. 

Finally, it is time to enjoy those cool, amazing fresh flavors accented with the vinaigrette or your favorite dressing. Food is meant to nourish your body and soul, to make you happy. Make it your own!

With that, as always, Thank You for your time, visit and consideration. I appreciate you All. Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!  ❤

~ Martin

In-House Cook

My kitchen herbs garden. ❤

Pork Ribeye Wellington

 

Pork Ribeye Wellington

I had never heard of "pork ribeye steaks" prior to last week, but it was one of the best meat buys I have ever made.  Fairly inexpensive, thick, lean but with a rich, marbled flavor when cooked, pork ribeyes are a must. When it came down to how to serve it, my mind went directly do Wellingtons. I have never been an artist when it comes to Wellingtons, large nor small, but this one turned out just fine. The process of this elegant meal is uncomplicated. You, however, can and should employ your creativity to make me proud! Let's get to my simple but elegant Pork Ribeye Wellington, shall we?

Ingredients

2 pork ribeye steaks 

two teaspoons salt and course black pepper (doubled)

1.5 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (doubled)

1 + 1 teaspoon saffron

2 rounded tablespoons whole grain white wine mustard

2 sheets pastry dough + flour for board dusting

sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg to make egg wash

non-stick olive or vegetable oil pray 

On a pastry marble or board dusted with flour, carefully roll out one of pastry sheets.  Sprinkle the sheet with a mixture of the salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence. Because saffron is a delicate and expensive herb, I added that separately, sparingly but, enough to make sure that wonderful flavor and aroma would come through during baking and consuming. (It did!!!❤)

Next, I spread two rounded tablespoons of whole grain mustard.

Finally, i sprinkled some grated Parmesan.

 

Egg wash to be brushed atop the pastry. 

The Pork Ribeyes

Remove the steaks and allow them to come to room temperature.  Salt and pepper both sides. Add extra virgin olive oil (evoo) or your favorite oil for short-term searing to a skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil begins to ripple, add the steaks.  Allow them to sear about three or four minutes per side, till a generous, golden crust forms. Remove the pork steaks and set them aside to rest. 

*The steaks are not fully cooked. They will finish in the oven wrapped in their pastry envelopes. 

Back to the pastry!

Break the egg into a bowl and whisk vigorously.

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. 

Place a steak onto the pastry dough as if it were on an open, yet folded envelope. Fold the bottom up over part of the steak. Fold the right flap and then the left flap  over the steak. Fold the top part down and form it into an inverted equilateral triangle. Pinch and fold the other edges to make for a tidy presentation. Brush the top of the pastry envelope with the egg wash. Sprinkle a little of the herb mixture atop the Wellington. 

Place the Wellingtons in a parchment lined baking pan or into separate oven safe non-stick sprayed skillets. I have two of the same oven safe skillet so I used that for both of them. 

Place in the oven for 45-minutes. 

**I only show one of the Wellingtons because the first one I made looked like a severely damaged Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus. Deeply shamed, yes. But, practice causes improvement, yes?  Truth.

Sides

I love marinated cool summer salads with cucumber, tomato, cheese and sprouts or greens, such as fresh spinach or arugula. I made a salad with broccoli spouts, tomatoes and marinated mozzarella balls I halved. 

I was going to serve rice, but felt that was too starchy. I was going to serve garlic cheesy mash potatoes, but again, with the pastry package, I felt that was going to be too starchy, too, especially in 91-degree heat. That is why I went for the cool summer salad. 

This is one of my favorite versions of my summer salad. I halve a tomato and scoop out the seeds and ribs. I halve baby tomato medly and mozzarella balls and add them to the tomato bowl and drizzle with a garlic vinaigrette and garnish with fresh thyme. The only missing above is diced cucumber. 

The taste inside is almost beyond description. The spices, the saffron and mustard join together to give you a magnificent flavor journey. The tenderness of the pork ribeye encased in the herbs being oven roasted low and slow after searing prior to being placed in the pastry is beyond delectable.  You really must try this, and, if you goof up like I do, just remember that practice causes improvement. 

With that, friends, I want to Thank You for your time and consideration and visit to my humble blog. As always, I am grateful for you all. Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!!!

~ Martin

In-House Cook

Me ☮☮

Elegance Meets Down-Home Cooking: Pasta, Steak and Salad

 

Elegance Meets Down-Home Cooking:

Pasta, Steak and Salad

There are times when we have to make careful, intentional meal plans.  You have important company coming over, but you were planning on beef and potatoes. 😒  Don't worry...I got you covered. I call this my three-in-one meal.  A bit of elegance, a bit of down-home cooking and all kinds of deliciousness. Set aside an hour on the day of the meal and your important dinner will be a success!  Let's get started, shall we? 

Simply Stylish Sinful Salad

Ingredients

2 shallots, diced

1 cucumber, skin mostly shaved off, and cubed

2 scallions greens, diced

6 fresh basil leaves, rolled and diced

baby broccoli srouts (or your favorite sprouts)

*halved marinated mozzarella balls (*optional)

1 pint halved grape or cherry tomatoes

two cloves garlic, diced

salt and pepper

Crumbled Feta (about a teaspoon per serving)

***I would have added fresh thyme and oregano, but, my spouse thought the container held spoiled food and had thrown out my herbs container.

😅 

the zest of one lemon and the juice of half of it

*Your favorite store bought vinaigrette or, make your own favorite!

Place the halved cheese and tomatoes in a bowl, add half of one of the shallots, the lemon zest, a fourth of the scallion greens, garlic and salt and pepper to it, as well.  Toss with a spatula to gently season the veg.  Add 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette you decide to use and stir.

 Let the salad marinate for at least thirty minutes. More is better, but, it fully depends on your time agenda. No stress!  However, place the bowl into the refrigerator. 

Next, the edible salad bowl!

Grated or crumbled Parmesan cheese

*Optional: Any spices you may like to "doctor it up"

- I used salt and pepper and Herbs de Provence

Lay a sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet. I like to spray veggie non-stick spray to the parchment even though the melted Parmesan crisp will lift without it.  I just like to err on the side of caution. Place the baking sheet into a preheated 400-degree oven for about four minutes.  

As you can see, the cheese "crisp" easily lifts. I spray either the underside of a muffin tin or a ceramic bowl, as in this case. I place it back in the oven for a three minutes to release and form a cup. I then cool the crisps until I am ready to use them. They make a delicious and decorative bowl, or cup. I enjoy serving various salads in them, not to mention they are so simple to make.  When they are done, place them in a zip lock bag and set them aside to keep them fresh. 

The Luscious: 'When Garlic Met Pasta'

For the pasta, I used an angel hair spaghetti. I made two servings of pasta, rather than use an entire package. I saved enough to use for another entire meal for two. There was no "sauce" for this pasta, however, there was quite a garlic presence. I had not done this before, but I added eight large cloves of garlic to a small pot with about a cup of extra virgin olive oil and I slowly brought it up to a boil. The one thing I forgot to do was to remove the garlic cloves when they turned golden brown (they were black by the end of it) but the heavy garlic aroma and flavor in the boiling evoo was prevalent. 

First....

Bring about four quarts of water to a roiling boil. Liberally salt the water, as it is the only chance you get to season the pasta. Two servings should take six-to-eight minutes to boil till al dente, tops. The taste and texture test is best to tell when the pasta is perfect. 

Strain the pasta in a colander and use tongs to plate it. I tried to make a bit of a nest out of it. Not my best work, but hey, the fun is in the eating, right?  I carefully used a spoon to drizzle the boiling garlic infused evoo onto the pasta. It was seriously satisfying to hear the sizzling sound as I drizzled it. The aroma was equally amazing! I added Herbs de Provence, so gloriously fragrant and flavorful to the pasta, and a pinch of salt. I added a slight sprinkle of grated Parmesan, some diced fresh basil and shallot as garnishments. 

Two Down...One To G0!

The Steak....

I love ribeye steaks. They can be pricey, but if you catch them on a holiday sale, you have had a shopping coup!  (Be careful and look at the original packaging dates to make sure you Are getting a great deal!) 

Bring the steaks to room temperature, and salt and pepper both sides. Add evoo, or, your favorite oil to a skillet or stove top grill over high heat. When the oil begins to ripple, it is time to add the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium-high after the steak begins to caramelize and get a good crust on them. Turn the steaks over after about seven minutes if they are thick, or five, if they are fairly thin. After another five-to-seven minutes, again, thickness of the steak pending, check the temperature of the steaks. About 135-degrees should suffice, unless you like it well done. 

Remove the steaks to a cutting board and allow them to cool for about five minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, allowing for a more tender, juicy cut of meat. Using a sharp culinary knife, slice the meat against the grain and at an angle. If not, it's no big deal. It's only for presentation, and not the end of the world if it is not perfect. I like my steak rare to medium-rare, and it is not easy to slice it perfectly when a bit rare. 

 I bought two large ribeye steaks for two of us, so the plate is pretty full of meat. If you are feeding three or more, simply reduce the amount of steak, perhaps half or slightly more than half of what you see on the plate, above. 

*If you do not "enough" meat, perhaps add biscuits, or dinner roles to accentuate the dish. 

A different view

With that, my friends, as always, Thank You so much for your time and consideration! I am grateful your taking the time to view my humble little blog. 

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!❤

~ Martin

In-House Cook

 

My baby boy, GusGus, when he was a puppy, about 18 years ago. I miss him each and every day. 

 

Herb and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thigh Rolls and Cucumber Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette

 

Herb & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thigh Rolls & Cucumber Salad Lemony Vinaigrette

As my wonderful friends know, I have sadly neglected my poor humble, little blog.  Sometimes life takes you on strenuous and tenuous journeys.  So many lessons to have been learned along the way, and this week, I was deeply reminded that, despite everything going on in the world today, there are genuinely lovely people who prove that love and kindness is the way, that, there are amazing people in the world who care and show it every day and every time they can.  When I started my blog back in 2012, it was out of love and caring. I wanted to share recipes for people to enjoy looking at, to look at the "how-to" photos and realize that they, too, could easily do this. And even more so, I strove to convey that recipes are to be adapted and altered and changed to meet the needs of the home cook who had decided to cook one of my recipes.  Knowing that, I had, in my bio, that my blog is about my cooking journey, noting the things that went well and the things that were "areas of opportunity" and what I learned along the way.

I lost track of that about five years in to erratically writing my precious little blog.  It is, to me, because it was a fun labor of love.  THAT, friends, is what I want it to become once again.  I would LOVE for you to join me again.  Thank you. ❤

*Note: not all of the recipes on my blog post are my own recipes, and I denote whose recipe it is, or, where I found it from, not claiming that it was my own. 

Let's get to it, shall we? 

One of the first things I noticed while editing the photos was that the chicken rolls looked spartan, shall we say? While I was rather aiming for simplicity, without piles of greens or something atop them, or drowned in cheese (oh yum!), I was hoping the mustard would ooze over the top, that the chicken would brown, but, none of that happened.  Next time I make this, I will be sure to make the chicken look fantastically more enticing!  Thank you for your understanding.  😌

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

2 lemons, zest and juice, separated

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 rounded teaspoon salt 

1 rounded tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves, thyme leaves (or young shoots), 4 fresh sage leaves, diced 

1/4 red onion or whole shallot, diced, halved

3 cloves garlic, diced

three tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or, your favorite)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil 

3 hefty tablespoons red (or white) wine vinegar

1/2 cup sparkling wine 

In a large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients, stir or whisk vigorously. Add the salt and pepper, shallot/onion and garlic.  Stir to incorporate.  Add the zest and half of the herbs and stir one final time.

  

*Reserve the rest of the zest and juice for cooking time.

Prepping the Chicken Thighs

You will need four to six chicken thighs.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

Using a sharp paring knife, or another small but very sharp culinary blade, cut off the parts of the thighs that dangle. I cut off all of those parts and set them aside. Cut through the tissues and fats that keep the thigh from opening up like an oddly shaped book. You will be rolling the thighs up after being slightly stuffed with good things. After trimming all of the extras off the chicken thighs, you could, if the thighs are lumpy, as they tend to be, place saran wrap atop them and pound them out flatter. You get more coverage that way, and the cooking time is reduced. 

Place the chicken into the marinade and make sure each piece is submerged, or, mostly submerged. Let the chicken marinate for a minimum of thirty minutes  before processing. Two hours would be perfect!

*I sauteed up the pile of chicken "danglies" (I made up a word) and saved them as treats for the dogs.  See my furmily at the end of this post.  Thanks!

Stuffing the Chicken

On a cutting board or a baking sheet over foil or another culinary covering, lay out the chicken thighs. The ingredients for stuffing the chicken thighs are:

The remainder of the lemon zest and juice

The remainder of the fresh herbs

1 container of marinated mozzarella balls, or, cubed mozzarella sticks if you have those at home

Dijon mustard

Cooked, crumbled bacon

fresh garlic, diced

the other half of the onion/shallot

salt and pepper

Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of onion, bacon and herbs, followed by two halves of a marinated mozzarella ball to the larger, wider end of the chicken, and finally, add a drizzle of the mustard.  Using both hands, roll up the chicken up the narrow end.  Place the chicken into a cooking sprayed baking pan, flap side down. Add a little more bacon and herbs atop each chicken roll and drizzle with a touch more mustard. Once all of the stuffed thighs have been placed in the baking pan, squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over the chicken rolls. 

*Going back to my statement at the beginning of this post, I mentioned that I should have done something - either at this point, or, after cooking - to spruce up the currently spartan chicken.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Thank you!

I had some extra vinaigrette leftover so I added it to the baking pan, as well. 

Bake the chicken for 50 minutes at 375-degrees. 

Now to the fun part!  The Cucumber Salad!

 

You will need:

1 cucumber

1 pint of grape tomatoes

Marinated mozzarella balls, halved

Fresh thyme, leaves pulled

a sprinkle of red onion or shallot

and

Your favorite vinaigrette. I used a champagne vinaigrette.

Arrange the cucumber however you like, along with the other items.  I thought I had marinated red peppers in the pantry but I didn't.  That would have been a nice addition. Next time!

As an afterthought, I should have plated the salad and the chicken all on one plate.  I did not because I was very busy with household issues. I could have plated the salad, then placed the dinner plates in the frig, but, that great idea escaped me until it was an afterthought.  Lesson learned!

 

In final hindsight, I thought of placing a soft fried egg atop the chicken, or, top the rolls with broccoli greens dipped in the vinaigrette, or, topped with a slab of mozzarella to ooze down all over.  I think any of those would be delicious.  What do you think? What will you add if you decide to make this dish?  And, I really hope you do, and show off your success! ]

As always, friends, I am totally grateful for your visit and your time!  Please say hi here, on Insta, or Bluesky, Threads or FB.  ❤

Now, Go Cook For Someone YOU Love!!!!

Martin 

In-House Cook

Last weekend's visit and stay in Eden Lake Retreat, where we stayed in an historic cabin.