For Renee - Proscuitto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

After reading my blog, my wonderful assistant here at the ad agency Renee, told me that it looked great, however my salmon recipe was the kind of thing that she would just pass by because it required too much time and who the heck has two hours to soak a board, never mind it was a cedar board that she had to go buy, ect. ect. ect....ok Renee, I get your point. So here is a recipe for a elegant stuffed chicken that's easy to make and has that wow factor. It is a favorite dish at the deli and we sell out as soon as it is put on the menu.

What you need

4 large boned chicken breast
1/4 lb. of Proscuitto de Parma
Wedge of Brie
Asparagus (1 bunch)
1/4 dry white wine
2 cloves peeled garlic
Organic, low sodium chicken broth
1 pat of butter

Prep

Place your chicken breast on a clean cutting board cover chicken with plastic wrap, take a mallet or if you don't own a mallot, find something large and flat and GENTLY pound your chicken breast to flatten.
Salt and pepper chicken and place in a roasting pan that has a touch of oil on the bottom
Boil water in a pot large enough to fit yor asparagus. To prepare your asparagus, hold the tip of the stalk and the end and bend until the tough end breaks off. Discard ends.
Gently blanch your asparagus, do not over cook.
Reserve 4 stalks and cut the remaining aspargus into aprox. 1" pieces
Take one slice of brie, and one aspargus stalk for each breast. Place this into the center of chicken fold your chicken over the aspargus and brie place them fold side down in your roasting pan.
After you have complete this, take your proscuitto and wrap it around the outside of your chicken.
Take the remaining proscuitto and dice it up.
In a small sauce pan on the stove top, sautee the garlic and proscuitto for about 3-5 minutes
Add the white wine & deglaze your pan.
Add a pat of butter to the sauce & 1/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth
Pour this over the chicken
Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so, or until the internal temperate of the chicken reaches 165.
Plate your chicken and top with the remaining diced asparagus and sauce from the pan.
Enjoy!

Asian Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon

A fragrant and tasty salmon recipe.

First off forget buying those expensive cedar planks you find at your local gourmet shop or market. Simply go to your local lumber yard and ask for a plank of cedar (untreated) that will fit into your oven. (suggested size 6" x 14")
Soak the plank for 2 hours.
Dry it off and then rub it with oil.
Place it in 350 degree oven
for 10 minutes.

While the board is heating up, prepare your glaze.

Glaze for Salmon

In a small bowl combine
1 cup of honey
1 tbls. 5 spice powder
grated fresh ginger
and tamarind pulp

heat this in the microwave for about 1 minute.

rinse and dry your salmon fillets.
salt and pepper salmon


remove your board from the oven
rub it with more oil
place your dry seasoned salmon fillets on the board
brush salmon with glaze

Place in oven and bake until the salmon reaches an internal temperate of 135 degrees.

Gently brush cooked salmon with a bit more of the honey glaze.


enjoy!

Fresh Mozzarella

Use the best ingredients you can find!
Fresh mozzarella is unlike any other kind of cheese!
Forget about those plastic tasting cheeses you find at your local supermarket. Search out an Italian Deli and treat yourself to fresh made mozzie. It should be floating in water and hopefully made just a few hours ago.

When you cut into the mozzarella it should "weep" tears of milk.

Cut a few thick slices, grab yourself the best tomato you can find
and create ribbons of basil to top it with.
Make layers of tomato and mozzie, add some salt and pepper and top it with the finest extra virgin olive oil.
Grab yourself a loaf of crusty bread...a glass of wine...and enjoy!