Mini Apple Pies!!!

Hi Folks,
So this creation came from boredom, cabin fever in a snow storm and a burning desire for apple pie.

So all I had to work with the first time was one green apple and some leftover pie crust, this later turned into my new favorite desert!

Ingredients:
2 green apples roughly chopped, leave skin on
lemon juice
sugar
cinnamon
maple syrup
nutmeg
pie crust
milk

So first preheat your toaster oven to 350 and leave the timer on about 56 minutes.
Cut apples and place in bowl. Then add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and lemon juice to taste.


After everything is mixed all good place apples in small ceramic bowls oven safe and add some maple syrup in. Cover with pie crust and slit the crust, drizzle a little milk and add some more sugar and cinnamon to the top. Bake for 45 ish minutes and enjoy these little jems.

Chicken Picatta with Andi

I made arrangements after much discussion to cook with a co-worker.
We would have never probably spoken to one another if it wasn't for our shared love of cooking. Cooking can truly be a great bonding moment and bring people together.
I arrived at her house on friday afternoon at 4pm and we discussed shopping and the menu.
We planned to make two soups, sadly not pictures, a chili variation of both of ours, and chicken soup, as well as for a main dish, Chicken Picatta shown here. We ventured to Market Basket, a great value super market and stuck strong to our list.
With very little distraction and ventured into a new friendship and cooking experience.

Our chickne picatta and fresh angel hair pasta and spinach is as follows:

4 Chicken breasts filleted and beaten flat.
lemon juice, and zest of 1.5 lemons and use half of 2nd lemon to garnish on table.
2 cups of chicken broth
a pour or white wine
3 tablespoons of parsley (finely chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 shallot
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
bread crumbs
a stick of butter
EVOO
Mushrooms
4 tablespoons of capers

Heat oven on 200 degrees to keep chicken warm while you prepare sauce and pasta and spinach.

Soak chicken cutlets in egg with dijon mustard, salt and pepper for seasoning for 15 minutes. Dredge chicken in bread crumbs and place in olive oil and butter to medium heat on skillet and fry chicken for 5 minutes each side.

Place chicken on foil covered baking sheet to rest in oven after on 200 degrees.

After frying chicken saute mushrooms in the same pan, get a nice color on them and then add chicken broth, lemon, garlic, shallots, parsley, capers, 1.5 stick of butter, white wine, and lemon zest and let simmer for 4 t0 5 minutes until thickened.

In the mean time:

bring another pan of olive oil on med.high heat and place baby fresh spinach in pan with 2 cloves of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Saute till spinach wilts.

Boil water, place fresh angel hair for 60 seconds in pot with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.

Drain pasta and place on platter. Align chicken. Place spinach on sides of dish. Pour sauce over chicken and pasta and leave extra sauce for additional glazing for saucy preference. Enjoy with some white wine.

Roasted Chicken...Oh LA LA

Looks good huh?
Here's what you need:
A whole roasting chicken, this was about 6.5 lbs.
1 Lemon
1 Orange
Salt and Pepper
Garlic
Italian dressing.
Duck Sauce

I first dried the bird with paper towels, and then salt and pepper liberally. Zest half of the orange and squeeze the remaining juices on the chicken. Zest half of the lemon and squeeze remaining juices on as well.
Chop garlic and rub on as well and finish with some Italian dressing and duck sauce. Baste ever 20-30 minutes. When chicken it cooked about 2 hours. Place remaining juices in sauce pan and simmer and add a little flour to make the best gravy you have ever tasted. Then carve and serve and wait to be amazed at this tangy, tart, and sweet treat.