Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

It's what we've all been waiting for.  The local strawberries are in!  After you've eaten your fill of plain juicy plump strawberries, melt some chocolate and dip them in for a special treat.  Locally grown strawberries are available right now at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Markets and Lost River Market & Deli!  Make these for your Meatless Monday snack!

8 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped

1 pound large strawberries, washed and dried well

Place chocolate in a bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. One at a time, dip each strawberry in chocolate, twirling to coat and place on waxed paper.

Chill chocolate-dipped strawberries at least 15 minutes to set chocolate. (Strawberries should not be stored in refrigerator longer than 1 hour as condensation drops may collect on the chocolate.)

Simple Chicken Parmigiana

Recipe from Great Food Fast

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

It’s springtime!!  While Jim cleaned our screened-in porch, I worked on cleaning out our freezer so that we’d have room for this next season’s bounty.  While sorting through our freezer I found a container of fresh bread crumbs I had made from a leftover loaf of bread.  I also found some boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I had mozzarella cheese in the fridge, so it was easy to decide what to do with them all. This was quite quick and easy to make.  You can find all the ingredients for this “good enough for company” dish at Lost River Market & Deli.  Serve this with Alice’s Favorite A+ Salad.

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, split horizontally into 6 to 8 cutlets (If the breasts are thick, pound them out a bit so that they’ll cook evenly.)

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (I used fresh bread crumbs.)

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups spaghetti sauce, homemade or purchased (I used Local Folks Pasta Sauce.)

8 slices (1/4-inch-thick) mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh (6 ounces) (I had shredded mozzarella cheese in the fridge, so I used that.)

Preheat broiler with rack set 4 inches away from the heat source. Combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Place the egg in a second shallow dish. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, turning to coat. Transfer to breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat; set aside.

Pour spaghetti sauce into a 10-by-15-inch broiler-safe baking pan, or a rimmed baking sheet. In a large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat. Add half of the chicken, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side or until a toasty brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then place in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.

Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella or sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Broil until sauce is hot, and mozzarella is melted and lightly browned in spots, 5 minutes.  (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) 

Mushroom Fontina Quesadilla

Serves 2

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s an idea for a nice tummy filling Meatless Monday lunch.  It tastes great hot from the skillet, but it’s also nice at room temperature.  You could make this in advance and then heat it up in the microwave at work.  The original recipe called for the addition of spicy salami, but we tried it meatless and the mushrooms are so meaty that we didn’t miss the meat at all.  Lost River Market & Deli sells a nice variety of different types of flour tortillas.  We always have some in our fridge to make quick sandwiches like this one.

2 flour tortillas (I used the spinach variety at Lost River Market & Deli.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used cremini mushrooms.)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup fontina cheese, grated

2 cups baby salad greens, arugula or baby spinach

1 carrot, scrubbed or peeled and thinly sliced

Alice’s A+ Salad Dressing (This recipe is on the blog, but here’s what you’ll need to make it:  fresh lemon, orange or lime juice from 1 or 2 citrus fruits, 2 cloves of fresh garlic, olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the mushroom slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes or so.  Season with salt and pepper.  (If the mushrooms begin to stick, just add a Tablespoon of water to the pan and allow it to evaporate.)

Place the mushrooms and then the cheese on top of one of the flour tortillas.  Place the other flour tortilla on top.  Carefully place the quesadilla back in the skillet.  Allow to cook until the bottom tortilla becomes brown and the cheese has melted.  Carefully flip over the quesadilla and allow it to brown a bit on the other side.  This takes no more than a minute. 

Place the quesadilla on a cutting board and slice into six wedges. 

Toss the salad greens and carrot slices with the salad dressing and serve along side the quesadillas.

The Incredible Hulk Smoothie

Makes about 2 ½ cups; Serves 2

Recipe from Super Smoothies by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

My husband’s theme song is “Peanut Butter and Jelly, That’s What I Like in My Belly.”  He loves anything with peanut butter in it.  I make this smoothie for him when he’s craving his favorite treat.  This smoothie is good for the man in my life too.  It has 4 grams of fiber per serving and it’s made with silken tofu, which is tasteless, but rich with antioxidants. Needless to say, your kids will love this smoothie as an after school snack!  I also think this would be a great breakfast for Meatless Monday!  You can find all the ingredients for this delicious creamy smoothie at Lost River Market & Deli. 

½ cup soft silken tofu (Once the 12 oz. box is opened, put the rest of the tofu in an air tight container and keep in the fridge.)

¾ cup skim milk

2 Tablespoons peanut butter (I used crunchy because that’s what my husband likes.)

2 frozen bananas, sliced

1 teaspoon honey (or more to taste)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. 

Nutrition Information per Serving:  287 calories; fat 12 grams; saturated fat 3 grams; cholesterol 39 grams; fiber 4 grams; protein 11 grams; calcium  142 milligrams; sodium 125