Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Asparagus and Mozzarella

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
8 asparagus spears, trimmed - divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Firmly pound the chicken with the smooth side of a meat pounder to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.

Place 4 spears of asparagus across the center of a chicken breast and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of mozzarella over the asparagus.  Repeat with the other chicken breast and roll the chicken around the asparagus and cheese to make a neat, compact roll.  Place the rolls seam side down in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle each with about 2 Tablespoons of bread crumbs.  I added about 2 or 3 pats of butter to different spots in the baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until the juices run clear when pricked with a fork, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Instant read thermometer should read at least 165 degrees. 

Stuffed Peppers

4 green bell peppers
1 lb meatloaf mix... beef, pork and veal
1/2 cup cooked rice
1 large cans tomato soup
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Bring water to boil in a large pot.   Slice the top off of the 4 peppers, remove seeds and wash thoroughly.   Add to boiling water.  Cook for 5 or 6 minutes.

Cook rice.   When done, mix well with meatloaf mix, adding salt and pepper. 

Place drained peppers in small roasting pan.   Stuff with meat and rice mix.   Cover pan, place in preheated oven and cook for an hour.   When the hour is almost over, cook large can of tomato soup.  Remove roasting pan from oven and using turkey baster, remove excess water from bottom of pan and also from inside each pepper. 

Ladle all the soup over the top of the peppers.   Place back in oven for about two more hours, basting with tomato soup every half hour. 

Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookie

For the Cookies:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
10 Tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

For the Filling:
1 1/3 cups fresh raspberries (1/2 pint)
2 teaspoons sugar
7 1/2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make cookies:  Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add egg, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds.  Mix until smooth.  Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour mixture.

Using a 1 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake, rotating sheets halfway through until golden and just set, 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

Make filling:  Puree raspberries and sugar in a food processor.  Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice; discard seeds.

Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in cream in a slow, steady stream.  Add reserved raspberry mixture; slowly whisk until pale, about 3 minutes.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Assemble cookies:  Spread 1 Tablespoon filling onto the bottom of one cookie; sandwich with another.  Repeat.  These cookies MUST be refrigerated because of the fresh raspberries and heavy cream!!!

Shrimp in Garlic

1 lb medium to large shrimp, shelled and cleaned
coarse or sea salt
8 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
1 dried red chili pepper, remove stem and seeds (optional)

Dry shrimp well and sprinkle salt on both sides.  Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.  

Heat oil in shallow 8 inch casserole, preferably earthenware.  

Add garlic and chili pepper and when the garlic starts to turn golden (careful not to over cook), add the shrimp.  

Cook over medium to high heat stirring, for about 4 minutes or until the shrimp are just done.   Sprinkle in paprika and parsley.  Serve while hot.

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

1 cup ricotta cheese

¾ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ Tablespoon sugar

pinch salt

¾ cup milk

3 eggs, divided

½ teaspoon vanilla

Set ricotta in a fine mesh strainer about 30 minutes before you start cooking to drain off excess liquid.  We used fresh ricotta from Whole Foods that was pretty dry.  If you are using a commercial brand that’s runny, you may want to drain it longer (or make your own).

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff.  Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined.  Whisk in a small amount of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat and brush the surface with butter.  Use a ladle or measuring scoop (we used a 1/3 cup measure) to pour batter onto the griddle.  Cook pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip, cooking until both sides are golden brown.

Grilled Bluefish with Mustard Glaze

1/2 lemon - juiced
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs boneless bluefish, skin intact, cut into even sized pieces
olive oil for brushing

In a bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and oil

Place the fish on a deep platter and pour the lemon marinade over it.  Turn the fish to coat it all over.  Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill.  Brush the rack with oil.  When the coals are gray or the gas grill is hot, set the fish on the grill skin side down.  Cover with the lid and cook the fish for 10 to 12 minutes or until it flakes easily when you test the thickest  part with the tip of a knife.  It is not necessary to turn the fish.

Transfer to a platter, garnish with lemon and serve at once.

Kotlety (Russian Meatballs)

1 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground veal
1/4 ground pork
6 slices white bread, remove crust
1 beaten egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove fresh garlic, mashed fine

Mix meat well, season with salt and pepper.  Place bread in a bowl, add milk and thoroughly saturate.  Add beaten egg and garlic to meat and mix well.   Add the moist bread (don't squeeze out the milk), mix well.

Fry in large skillet in hot butter until well browned, turn and brown the other side.  Do not press.  

Drain on paper towels.