Main Dish

Crispy Prosciutto Chicken Burgers & An Online Cooking School Giveaway

By in Main Dish, Meat, Poultry, Rouxbe Videos 30 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Crispy Prosciutto Chicken Burgers & An Online Cooking School Giveaway

I am seriously so excited to be sharing this with all of you. Last spring when searching for online cooking schools I ran across a site called Rouxbe. I can”t gush enough about how much it has changed the quality of my cooking. It”s taught me how to cook without a cookbook, which ends up saving me money because I”m better able to throw things together and have them turn out. That”s because they teach you how to understand the process of cooking so that you get great results every time. Once you practice, the lessons become second nature, and the chances of a dish not turning out become almost non-existent.

I could go on but I might as well just show you. Here”s a great video from Rouxbe that really sums up what they”re about.

Watch more video tours of Rouxbe.

I didn”t want to keep this jewel to myself any longer so I”ve become an affiliate partner with Rouxbe and will occasionally be sharing some of their tips, tricks and videos on this site.

But, that”s not all. Today Rouxbe is being so generous as to give away a three-month membership to two Kitchen Simplicity readers. I”m giddy over the fact that I get to give two of my fabulous readers three months of free cooking school curriculum (see bottom of post on how to enter).

And, there”s still even a little bit more. Every reader of Kitchen Simplicity can sign up for a free 14 day trial, which is only available by following my affiliate links. There”s no obligation to become a paying student once your trial period”s ended so there”s no need to fear giving it a go. Although, I can”t promise you won”t get hooked! ;)

I used to hate eating plain chicken with just salt and pepper. It always tasted meaty, dry and bland. I never thought I would be the type of person that would be able to eat a plate of plain chicken, rice and vegetables and be happy with it. But, that has all changed over the last couple of months, and I am so glad. My family is eating so much healthier because I”m learning how to cook the basics and do them right so that they”re mouth-wateringly good.

Pan frying chicken breasts is a great and healthy way to make a burger during the cold winter months. These Crispy Prosciutto Chicken Burgers have become a favourite at our house. When following the proper techniques of pan frying, the chicken stays moist while the prosciutto becomes nice and crisp. We love the tropical flavours of pineapple on our burgers and the french fried onions add so much flavour. I definitely don”t miss the grill when these are on the menu.

Sign up for your 14 day free trial to view the whole cooking school lesson.

One Year Ago: Home Sweet Holidays

Crispy Prosciutto Chicken Burgers

  • 2 chicken breasts

  • 4 slices prosciutto, cut in half

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 4 hamburger buns, split

  • butter, for buns

  • 4 slices cheese (monterey jack and swiss are our favourites)

  • 4 pineapple rings

  • french fried onions

  • mayo, mustard and barbecue sauce, for serving

  1. Cut the chicken in half width-wise to create 4 thin chicken breasts. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap and lightly pound with the heel of your hand until evenly flattened. Cut each piece in half creating 8 thin medallions. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper. Place a slice of prosciutto on each piece and press down lightly so that it adheres. Preheat a pan over medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil and cook chicken, prosciutto side down, until the prosciutto is crisp and the chicken is white along the edges. Flip and cook until no longer pink in the centre.

  2. Spread buns with butter and toast under a broiler until top is browned.

  3. Assemble burgers with two chicken medallions, one slice cheese, one pineapple ring, a sprinkling of french fried onions and the condiments of your choice.

Makes: 4 burgers

Print Recipe

4 Ways to Win:

For a chance to win a free three-month membership to Rouxbe.com do one, any or all of the following.

  1. Leave a comment and tell me what you”d like to learn at a cooking school.

  2. Sign up for your 14 day free trial by following any of the links from my site to Rouxbe.

  3. Follow me on twitter, follow Rouxbe on twitter or mention the giveaway (with link) on twitter.

  4. Like my facebook page or mention the giveaway on facebook (with link).

* IMPORTANT: Please leave a separate comment for every entry letting me know which entry you have done. That way I won”t miss it!

The contest will end on Sunday at 8:00 am CET. Make sure to check back to this post on Sunday (January 9th) to see if you”ve won!

P.S. This contest is open world-wide!

**** This Giveaway is Now Closed ****

And the Winners Are:

1) Sheri: “I’ve been a pretty lazy cook for most of my life, but have recently been finding the joy in process as much as the results. I’d love to improve my basic cooking skills and then challenge myself to move beyond recipes. Working full time (and then some) I wouldn’t have time for traditional classes but the rouxbe online classes sound perfect!”

2) Stephanie Sonksen: “I also would like to be able to ad lib in the kitchen. I love following recipes, but I wish I had better cooking instincts.”

Congratulations ladies! I”m so excited for you! I”ll be e-mailing you your redeem codes shortly.

Thanks to everyone who entered! As always, I wish you could all win! Don”t forget, you can still learn from Rouxbe by signing up for your 14 day trial, so all hope is not lost. ;)

All the best in your cooking adventures!

Chicken & Sage Sausage Patties

By in Breakfast, Christmas, GF Mains, Gluten Free, Poultry 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

I never thought I”d be one to make my own sausages, but I also never realized how easy they could be to make. Little did I know that you don”t need all the special packaging equipment to make a darn good sausage. All you need is your hands, a fork and some everyday ingredients.

I fell in love with these Chicken & Sage Sausage Patties the moment I saw them on marthastewart.com and they did not let me down. I was honestly surprised when they not only actually tasted like breakfast sausages but were so much better then anything I”ve boughten at a store.

This mixture is quite versatile too. Instead of shaping these into patties I have crumbled the mix and cooked it in a skillet to serve in breakfast burritos, which were delicious. I”ve also thought of cooking it this way and using it as a topping for pizza. Yum!

For a quick on the go breakfast you could freeze the cooked patties, heat them in the microwave in the morning and serve them on english muffins or biscuits for a delicious breakfast burger. Is your mouth salivating yet? Because mine is.

These would also be perfect for a Christmas brunch since you can shape them ahead and store them in the fridge or freezer to be cooked later. Just make sure to thaw and let stand at room temperature for a bit, for more even cooking. If you don”t like sage feel free to use another favourite herb, but I do think sage is perfect for the holidays.

Will you be having a holiday brunch? What will you be serving?

One Year Ago: Cannoli Christmas Trees

Chicken & Sage Sausage Patties

adapted from Martha Stewart

  • 1 pound ground chicken

  • 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

  • 1 small garlic clove, minced

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)

  • 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

  1. Using a fork, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until evenly distributed.

  2. Shape mixture into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press down lightly until each patty is 1/2 inch thick. Make sure not to over-work the mixture or it will become tough.

  3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a good drizzle of oil and cook patties in batches, adding oil as necessary. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Makes: 10 patties (serves 5)

* You can make these the night before and store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 6 weeks. Make sure to place pieces of parchment paper between stacked patties to avoid sticking.

* Let the refrigerated patties sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for more even cooking. Thaw frozen patties in the fridge overnight and also let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

Print Recipe

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

By in Main Dish, Meatless, Soup 12 Comments

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, I know I promised shortbread this week but I have to confess I”ve been having a horrible case of baker blues. It seems like everything I make just isn”t turning out. And since I don”t like sharing anything on here that I or my family don”t absolutely love, I decided to take a little break from baking in hopes that my mojo returns soon (preferably before Christmas!). In the meantime I wanted to share with you one of my favourite soups.

Now that the weather is colder I crave soup a lot and cream soups are always my favourite. Comforting, smooth and creamy. What more could you want on a snow-ridden day?

I”ve been making this Creamy Cauliflower Soup for many years and it”s really the only reason I buy cauliflower. I like cauliflower, but besides eating it raw I really haven”t found any recipes that inspire me to eat them cooked. Besides this one.

Because this is blended into a creamy soup, this may even pass the inspection of those who dislike the texture or flavour of cooked cauliflower. Just say it”s a creamy soup and see if they notice. ;) It makes a large batch so it”s perfect for the holidays when our houses are full of family and friends.

One Year Ago: White Chili

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

adapted from TasteofHome

  • 2 celery ribs, chopped

  • 1/2 onion, chopped

  • 1 medium carrot, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets

  • 6 cups chicken broth

  • 1/2 cups flour

  • 2 cups milk

  • 3/4 cup half and half cream

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon dill weed

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

  1. In a large saucepan, cook celery, onion and carrots in butter over medium heat until tender. Add cauliflower and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree with an immersion blender, or put through a blender or food processor in batches, until smooth. (At this point you can refrigerate it, covered, and proceed with the recipe just before serving.)

  2. Place flour in a medium sized bowl. Slowly add milk, in batches, whisking until smooth after each addition. Pour into soup puree, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until thickened.

  3. Reduce heat. Stir in cream, parsley, salt, dill weed and pepper. Cook until heated through. Do not boil.

Makes: 11 servings

Print Recipe

Two for One Meals

By in Main Dish, Poultry, Simple Bites 7 Comments

I”m not very good at menu planning for an entire week. I find that I actually spend more money then if I shop for just a couple of days at a time. Otherwise there”s always something that ends up rotting away in the fridge, or our meals are not as rounded and healthful as they could be.

When I plan for only a couple of dinners at a time I”m able to keep things more simple and I find it a lot less stressful. When I have my act together it”s a lot easier to plan ahead for some two for one meals, as well.

“What does it mean to make a two-for-one meal? Simple. For each meal you make earlier in the week, you make extra of one item to cut prep time for a completely different meal later in the week.”

This is the way I menu plan.

For a list of 2 for 1 meals, with links, and the recipe for this Cordon Bleu & Apple Panini head over to Simple Bites.

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

By in Fall, Main Dish, Meat, Poultry 62 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

For the longest time my quick, go-to Chicken Pot Pie recipe involved canned cream of chicken soup and a homemade biscuit topping. I”m *trying* to stay away from processed foods and to feed my family more naturally, so I came up with this recipe. Which, in my mind, tastes way better then the original anyways.

I simplified it with an even easier biscuit topping, using the homemade bisquick mix that I always keep on hand in my fridge. The cheesy sauce is such a breeze to make that it honestly hardly takes any longer then throwing in a can of soup, and the yummy taste and healthful benefits more then make up for it. The added cheese in the crust really puts this over the top for me, making it that much more hearty and comforting. And, the way the cheese caramelizes in the crust while it”s baking…mmm.. it”s enough to fill your dreams.

This would be a perfect way to use up any Thanksgiving leftovers whether that be turkey, ham or vegetables. It”s a very versatile recipe and can be ready from start to finish in 40 minutes or less.

How are you going to be using up those Thanksgiving leftovers?

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey, or ham)

  • 2 cups leftover, fresh or frozen vegetables

Cheese Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons flour

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • salt & pepper to taste

  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Biscuit Topping

  1. Place meat and vegetables in a 9 inch round or 8×8 square baking dish.

  2. Make the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook 1 minute to take out the raw flavour. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese until melted. Pour over meat and vegetables. Mix well.

  3. Biscuit topping: Stir together all ingredients with a fork until even moistened. Spread thinly over mixture in casserole dish. (Don”t worry if there are gaps, it does not need to be perfectly covered and it will fill out more as it bakes.)

  4. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.

Makes: 4 servings

*if using fresh chicken, simply chop 2 chicken breasts into bite size pieces and saute until cooked through.

Print Recipe

Homemade Pizza Pops

By in Fall, Homemade, Lunch, Main Dish, Smithfield 7 Comments

My mom used to make homemade pizza pops often when I was in elementary school. I was always so proud that my mom could make something from scratch that all the other mom”s bought at the store. In fact they were my birthday meal request for my 8th birthday party. Poor Mom! She had to whip up a wackload of these puppies to feed an army of little girls. I can still remember how special I felt that day and how proud I was.

I have simplified them a bit from the way my mom made them by rolling out the dough and cutting it into squares (she cut out circles and used a press to seal them together). Although they don”t look quite as purty they are an easy alternative to the store-bought variety.

“Throwing something frozen into your child”s lunchbox is a great way to beat the morning rush. It also means that you won”t have to worry about food going bad because the frozen item will slowly thaw throughout the morning and help to keep any other food cool.

When deciding what items you want to freeze for school lunches it”s important to keep in mind how they reheat in the microwave. You don”t want to send something in your child”s lunch that will just become a gloppy unappetizing mess once the lunch hour hits.“

Get some freezer lunch ideas and the recipe for these Deluxe Pizza Pops on Smithfield.com.

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don”t want you to miss out so here”s the recipe!

Homemade Pizza Pops

These are Deluxe Pizza Pops but you can swap out ingredients to suite your family.

  • 1/2 cup chopped ham

  • 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives

  • 1 cup grated cheese

  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce

  • 1 (14 oz) package pizza dough

Mix together ham, pepperoni, pepper, olives, cheese and pizza sauce in a large bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Roll pizza dough into a 10×20 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise creating two long strips 5×20 inches. Cut each strip into 4 creating a total of 8 (5 inch) squares.

Divide filling among squares. Brush 2 adjacent edges of squares with water, bring opposites side across filling to seal into a triangle shape (make sure it is sealed well so that no filling will escape). Using your hands, maneuver the filling in the sealed triangles to spread evenly throughout the pocket.

Place pizza pops on a parchment lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, poke three holes in the top of each pop to allow the steam to escape (this will keep the sides from bursting). Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbling through holes.

Cool to room temperature before transferring to resealable plastic bags and storing in the freezer.

Makes: 8 pizza pops

 

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