Chicken, Roasted Eggplant and Goat Cheese Lasagne Rollups

I had one smoked chicken breast, and an eggplant that I had just bought, and I wanted to combine them  with the ricotta and goat cheese that I had in the fridge. I went back and forth a few times trying to decide how to use it all, and this was my final decision. My other choice was to dice the eggplant up and use it to make a pasta sauce, but I'm glad I chose this as it was delicious, and easy to make ahead.

Start off by roasting the eggplant in a 400F oven. Cut it in half lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place cut side down in an ovenproof dish and roast until it is soft to the touch, and the skin wrinkles slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before scooping the roasted flesh from the skin. Set aside until needed.


Next, cook 8 lasagne noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water. When the noodles are just cooked, drain and run under cold water to cool them and stop them from over cooking. Cut each noodle in half.

Now you can prepare the filling...heat the oven to 350F.

Dice:

Half a small onion

Cook in a bit of olive oil until it is softened and starting to caramelize.

Add:

1 smoked, or plain, chicken breast that has been diced

Cook until the chicken is cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Cook for a couple of minutes

Stir in the roasted eggplant, mashing it up with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.

In a bowl combine:

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Add the cooled chicken mixture to the cheese and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Divide the filling between the cooked and halved pasta sheets, spreading it down the middle, and leaving 1/2" without filling on each short side.

Roll each pasta sheet up around the filling, jelly roll style.

Place the rolled up pasta, seam side down, into an ovenproof dish.

Cover the lasagne roll ups with:

2 cups of Basic Tomato Sauce
Grated mozzarella








Place the dish in the oven and bake until the lasagne roll ups are heated through and the sauce and cheese are bubbling, about 35 - 45 minutes.

• The beauty of this dish is that it can be made ahead and frozen, or refrigerated for a couple of days before being baked. The different components of the dish can also be made in stages, which is a time saver. The egglant can be roasted a day ahead; the filling can also be made a day ahead.
• I used the Basic Tomato Sauce from my freezer. You can also make a light bechamel or a cream sauce to use instead. For a bechamel recipe, see the post Recipe: Basic White Sauce (Bechamel)
• If you don't have eggplant, substitute roasted butternut squash, mashed sweet potato or chopped cooked spinach.
• I used smoked chicken, but plain chicken breast will work well. If you want the smokiness, add chopped cooked bacon, or use smoked mozzarella to top the dish with before baking it.
• You can use whatever fresh herbs are on hand...try basil, thyme, chives or parsley. I like the taste of rosemary with the smoked chicken and goat cheese.
• Use only ricotta cheese and Parmesan if you like, or use crumbled blue cheese instead of the goat cheese.
• The dish can also be assembled as a regular lasagne, alternating layers of the chicken and eggplant mixture with the cheese mixture and cooked pasta sheets. The cheese mixture can be combined with some bechamel or whipping cream to make it a bit more of a sauce if you like.
• Instead of lasagne noodles, create a lasagne by slicing the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices. Brush the slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill them. Use these slices instead of the pasta, combining the cheese and chicken and layering it in between, alternating with Basic Tomato Sauce and topping it off with grated mozzarella. The same can be done with zucchini slices.
• Other meats can be used instead of chicken breasts...grilled sausage; ground beef, chicken or lamb; leftover cooked meat such as chicken, pork or beef.
• The filling for the roll ups can also be used for cannelloni or ravioli filling.

Cocoa Nib Spiced Chicken Breast with Coconut Rice and Mango

I bought a bag of cocoa nibs from a chocolate farm when we were on vacation in Hawaii, and have been waiting for a chance to use them. There was some coconut rice left over from a couple of nights ago, 2 beautiful ripe mangoes and some sugar snap peas in the fridge. This is my version of a rice bowl...with the chicken breasts rubbed with a combination of ground cocoa nibs, chipotle chilies and cinnamon, and served over the warm rice with toasted pumpkin seeds. It was delicious!

These are the cocoa nibs. They are basically cocoa beans that have been roasted, removed from the shell, or husk, and broken up into smaller pieces.

They have a chocolate taste, but aren't sweet, and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes.

They are a bit like a crunchy nut in texture, and contain a large amount of anti-oxidants.

To make the rub for the chicken breasts, place the following in a spice grinder:

1 tablespoon cocoa nibs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4  teaspoon dried chipotle chili
1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns

Grind until fine and then combine with:
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
pinch of salt

Rub the cocoa nib blend over the chicken breasts, wrap them well and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.








Heat the oven to 350F.

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan and add 1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds. Cook, stirring often, until the seeds start to crackle and pop.

When the seeds are lightly coloured, season lightly with salt and remove from the pan to cool.

In the same frying pan, heat some olive oil, and brown the chicken breasts on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place in an ovenproof dish. Finish cooking the chicken in the pre-heated oven, while you prepare the rest of the rice bowl components.

Add some chicken stock to the frying pan, and allow it to reduce slightly; this will be your sauce.

Cook, or heat, coconut rice. (see the post Rice for more information on cooking coconut rice).

I added a couple of strips of lime zest to the pan while the rice was heating up.







Peel and slice or dice the 2 mangoes. Remove the strings and tips from the sugar snap peas and blanch them in salted boiling water. Drain. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing it thinly.

Assemble the rice bowls: cover the bottom of the bowl with the hot coconut rice, top this with mango, snap peas and chicken. Pour a bit of the sauce over the chicken and rice, and sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds and finely chopped green onions.

The chicken has a lovely spiciness to it, with a hint of chocolate in the background. The coconut flavour in the rice complements both the cocoa nibs and the fresh mango, and the sugar snap peas and pumpkin seeds give a nice crunch to the dish.

• Rice bowls are a great way to use up leftover rice. Simply reheat it and top it with a selection of vegetables and meat, usually cut into bite sized pieces. Think colour and texture with your choices; this always makes it more interesting to look at and to eat!
• The rice and other components can be layered in a deep re-sealable container and taken to work or school for lunch. Just pour your favourite dressing over and eat.
• Adding herbs, spices or other ingredients to the rice during cooking gives you an opportunity to add layers of flavour throughout the dish. Think about the cooking liquid...stock or coconut milk; fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary; spices such as cloves, bayleaves or cumin seeds.
• For crunch think beyond just toasted nuts or seeds...think of vegetables such as sugar snap peas, fresh red peppers or cucumber slices; think of fruits...thinly sliced apples or pears.
• Any meat or fish is perfect for this dish...salmon from last night's barbecue, cooked prawns or shrimp, the last bit of chicken from the roast.
• Make it vegetarian by adding beans, chick peas, more vegetables...bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, sweet green peas...marinade some tofu in soy sauce, garlic and minced fresh ginger and stir fry before adding it to the rice bowl.
• I used chicken stock along with the flavours in the pan to make a broth/sauce. You can use a vinaigrette or plain soy sauce, plain or diluted with juice, instead.
• I have a small coffee grinder that is dedicated to grinding spices. It works really well, and is easy to clean out after each use. This is important...different spices have very different flavour profiles and you want to avoid the transfer of whichever spice/s you used last to your current dish.
• Instead of rice, use cooked noodles, couscous, quinoa or small pasta shapes such as tiny shells or orzo.
• Cocoa nibs can be purchased online, but are also available at some higher end grocery, or specialty stores. Other uses for them include sprinkling them onto a salad, steeping them in milk or cream and using this to make custard, adding them to breads or cookies, adding them to vinaigrettes or sauces. They have the flavour of chocolate without all the added sugar.

Baked Paprika Chicken and Rice

I had a bit of tomato paste and some chicken stock in the fridge, as well as a couple of overripe tomatoes. I used a couple of chicken breasts and some rice to make a one dish meal that was both tasty and satisfying.

Cut the chicken breasts into large chunks, about 3 per breast. Rub with:

2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper

In a hot pan, with a bit of olive oil, brown both sides of the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside until needed.

In the same pan, cook until softened and lightly coloured:

1 small onion, diced
a 2" piece of zucchini, diced

Season with salt and pepper while cooking.

When the vegetables are starting to colour, add:

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped


Cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes

Stir in:

1 1/2 cups rice (I used basmati)

Cook, stirring for a minute, until the rice is well combined with the vegetables.

Add to this mixture:

1 cup of chicken stock

Allow the chicken stock to come to a boil, then scrape the mixture into an ovenproof dish that has been lightly greased.

Nestle the browned chicken pieces into the rice and vegetables, and add in:

3 - 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bayleaves

 Whisk 2 tablespoons of tomato paste into:

2 cups chicken stock

Pour this over the rice and vegetables, covering them as shown. Cover the dish with foil and place in a 350F oven to bake.





Bake until the rice is cooked - soft and fluffy, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. This takes between 45 - 60 minutes. Remove from the oven every 20 minutes for a quick stir and to check on the progress of the rice. If it is cooking and absorbing the liquid too quickly, add a bit more liquid before returning it to the oven.

I served this with some roasted multi-coloured carrots on the side.

 

• This amount of paprika and oregano gave just the right amount of flavour, but if you like more heat, add more paprika, or even a bit of cayenne pepper.
• To peel, seed and chop the tomatoes, follow this procedure: 

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/peel-and-seed-tomatoes.aspx?pg=0

• Canned tomatoes can be used instead. Use as many as you would like in your rice, saving the rest for another use.
• Any type of rice can be used. Just be sure to check the rice : liquid ratio for the variety you choose, and adapt it accordingly.Long grained varieties work well; you want to have separate grains when it is cooked. A lot of short grain varieties have a large amount of starch and this could end up being a big gummy mess.
• Make sure the dish you choose is large enough to allow for the expansion of the rice during cooking.
• Water can be used in place of all, or part of, the chicken stock. A small amount of red or white wine can also be used, around 1/2 cup is a good amount.
• Other vegetables to consider adding are: red peppers, chick peas (this got voted down when I was making this), frozen green peas, mushrooms or green olives.
• Chicken thighs, with or without skin and/or bone, would be a great choice for this. If you choose to make this with seafood, bake it without the fish until the rice is almost done, then add the fish/shellfish and return to the oven to finish cooking. This will allow your rice and vegetables to cook properly without compromising the quality of the fish by overcooking it. Browned sausages such as Italian or chorizo can also be used, whole or cut into chunks.
• Leftover rice is a flavorful addition to a wrap or breakfast burrito. The chicken can be shredded up and added to wraps, pizza toppings or pasta sauces.
   

Boneless Pork Chops Wrapped with Roasted Garlic and Bacon

With this recipe I was able to use up the last of the rubs that have been sitting in the spice drawer. I found 3 slices of bacon in the freezer, that I didn't know were in there...bonus! Roasted garlic finished off this yummy chicken, and I paired it with roasted apples, which took care of the 2 apples that were getting soft. All in all, a successful meal.

Start off by roasting a bulb of garlic ( see the post Garlic for the method), allowing it to cool before removing it from the skin and mashing it into a paste. Set this aside until needed.

Heat the oven to 400F.

Peel, core and slice 2 apples into wedges. Toss them with:

Ground cumin
Honey
Olive oil

Heat a heavy bottomed pan until it is smoking hot.

Add the apples, scraping all the oil, honey and cumin out along with the slices.

Turn the heat to medium high and cook, stirring often.

Cook the apples until they are golden and crispy on
the outside and then place the whole pan into the oven, and roast until the apples are tender.

While the apples are roasting, assemble and cook the pork.

Stretch the bacon out as thinly as you can, without breaking the rashers.

Sprinkle with the rub. I had about 2 tablespoons of rub. 

Lightly season the pork; bacon is salty so be careful not to use too much salt.

Spread the cooled garlic paste on one side of each pork chop.

Carefully wrap one piece of bacon around each pork chop, placing the side with the rub on it towards the meat.

Place the bacon wrapped pork into a smoking hot pan, cooking the first side until the bacon is crispy. No oil is needed, as the fat in the bacon is sufficient.

Carefully turn it over, and then place the whole pan into the oven, alongside the apples.

Bake the pork until it is cooked through. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving it with the apples on the side.

• If you have no rub, or want to use something different, mix together brown sugar and ground black pepper.
• Remove the pork from the pan to rest, and a quick sauce can be made by adding chicken stock, apple juice and/ or wine to the pan, and allowing it to reduce by half. Swirl a couple of tablespoons of cold butter into the liquid just before serving.
• Chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin or steak can be used instead of pork chops. I was using centre cut boneless chops. Jumbo scallops can also be wrapped in the rub and bacon.
• The meat can be cooked on the barbecue.
• Pears can be used if you have no apples. Shallots or pearl onions can be roasted alongside the fruit.
• Apple juice can be added to keep the fruit moist, and turn it into a roasted applesauce.
• Spice it up by adding minced chipotle peppers in adobe sauce to the apples before roasting.
• Crumbled blue, goat cheese, cooked crumbled sausage or applesauce can be used with, or in place of, the roasted garlic paste.
• Chopped fresh herbs such as sage, rosemary or thyme can be added to the roasted garlic paste. Fresh whole sage leaves can be laid directly onto the pork, before adding the roasted garlic and wrapping it all in bacon.
• Try prosciutto, pancetta or ham for the wrapping. You will need to add a bit of olive oil to the pan if you are using ham or prosciutto, as they are not as fatty as bacon and pancetta are.
• The pork can be assembled and kept refrigerated a day ahead. 

Baked Acorn Squash, Stuffed with Chicken and Rice

I had an acorn squash waiting to be used, and when I remembered some leftover rice that was in the fridge I knew this would be a great combination. I added some cooked leftover chicken, cheese and barbecue sauce and used it to stuff the squash.

Cut the acorn squash in half, and scoop out the seeds.

Put it cut side down in a shallow dish, with about 1/2" of water, and bake in a 350F oven until tender when gently squeezed.

Remove from the oven and allow the squash to cool.

To make the filling, combine the following:

2 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup diced cooked chicken
2 chopped green onions
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste

When the filling is combined, stir in:

2 tablespoons of Barbecue sauce

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Scoop the filling into the 2 halves of squash, mounding it slightly.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar.








Place in a 350F oven, and bake until the squash and the filling are heated through, and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

• Any leftover cooked starch can be substituted for the rice. Try quinoa, barley, brown rice (I used basmati rice), small pasta such as orzo or macaroni, or mashed potatoes. If you like lentils, these can also be used, as can beans of any type.
• I had chicken in the fridge, but any cooked meat can be added to the starch. Crumbled sausage, diced ham or bacon, shrimp, flaked cooked fish, diced cooked pork or beef or even pulled pork.
• Add fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme or basil. Spices such as cayenne pepper, chili powder or ground cumin will also be great.
• I was out of frozen corn, but would have added some. Other vegetables to add include diced red peppers, beans, chopped cooked spinach or kale, cooked mushrooms, leftover grilled or roasted vegetables, diced tomatoes.
• Cheese is a personal preference, and the person who was eating this loves cheddar. Pepper Jack, Swiss or smoked mozzarella would make nice alternatives.
• The cream cheese adds moisture and creaminess. Soft goat cheese can be used if you prefer the tartness. Use extra barbecue instead, or another sauce such as cream sauce,  Basil Pesto or Basic Tomato Sauce.
• Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, gem squash, zucchini that have been halved lengthwise or even small pumpkins can be stuffed.
• The squash can be baked and stuffed a day ahead of time, and kept well wrapped in the fridge. Once it is baked it will also keep for a couple of days in the fridge. It can also be frozen, but doesn't hold it's shape well after freezing. Frozen squash is best used for purees in soups or lasagne.
• Instead of stuffing the squash, slice it (peeled or unpeeled) into 1" thick slices. Layer these in an ovenproof dish, with pecans, caramelized onions and thinly sliced apples or pears. Add a bit of apple juice or cider. Cover with foil and bake until tender. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon and allow the sugar to start bubbling before serving.

Baked Hake with Fennel Chive Butter

When I saw the frozen hake fillets in one of our local grocery stores, I was really excited. I grew up with hake, and this was imported from South Africa. Naturally, I bought some...

I chose to sear and bake the fish and serve it with a simple herb butter, using the last 1/4 cup of butter in the fridge, and adding some fresh herbs from the garden. This allowed the fish to be the star of the meal. I added some asparagus and a green salad to round out the meal.

I had a lemon to use, and picked some fresh chives and fennel leaves from my herb garden.

Grate the zest from the lemon, and finely chop the herbs.

Stir or whip 1/4 cup of softened butter until it starts to become creamy and fluffy.

Add:
the zest from the lemon
the chopped herbs
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste, start with 1/2 teaspoon

When everything is well combined, divide the herbed butter into 5 small balls, and place onto plastic wrap.

Cover with more plastic wrap and place in the fridge until needed.







Heat the oven to 375F.

Add some olive oil to a hot pan.

Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper.

Add the fish to the pan and quickly sear both sides. Put it into the oven to finish cooking; this took about 6 minutes.





Serve the fish alongside the asparagus and salad. Squeeze some lemon juice over the fish, using the zested lemon. Top each serving with a piece of the herb butter, which will melt and create a light butter sauce.

• Flavoured butters are a good choice to serve with fish or steak that has been simply prepared...baked or grilled. They are also something that can be prepared ahead and frozen, and can be adapted to use up just about anything from fresh herbs, spices, cheese or vegetables. Here are some combinations to try: blue cheese and black pepper; basil, rosemary and lemon; garlic and Parmesan; minced fresh ginger, chives and coriander; chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and cumin; minced black olives and sundried tomatoes; chopped capers and dill.
• The butter can be piped onto parchment paper and frozen, or formed into balls onto the paper as I did. It can also be formed into a log and wrapped in parchment paper or plastic wrap; slice off  a disc for each serving of meat or fish.
• Other fish that pairs well with flavoured butters are salmon, marlin, snapper or trout. Pasta that is topped with grilled prawns or scallops can also be topped with a flavoured butter. The butter can also be added to fish that is cooked in parchment paper (Sole Baked in Parchment Paper with Capers and Lemon).
• Add some interest to steamed, grilled or blanched vegetables by tossing them in a bit of herbed butter. Asparagus, green beans, carrots or Brussels sprouts are excellent served this way.
• Remove the stem from some large mushrooms, and place the butter into the mushroom cap, place in the oven and roast. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar just before serving.
• Use the butter for potatoes...when mashing them, serving baked potatoes or even roasting potatoes. When new potatoes are in season, what could be better than topping them with mint butter?
• Next time you are roasting a whole chicken or turkey, gently loosen the skin on the breast, and stuff some butter underneath. This will help keep the breast moist during roasting, and will add that extra bit of seasoning.
• Sweet butter can also be made and served with scones or warm loaves, such as banana or blueberry. Whip the butter with honey, vanilla, sweet spices such as cinnamon or even with melted dark chocolate. This can also be served with waffles or pancakes for brunch.