Truffle Chicken Breast Recipe

The big truffle season is approaching soon. October is the month when the best truffles are usually harvested. Summer truffles are good, but Fall truffles are a delicacy. In the last few years truffles have made it into the mainstream market with the invention of new recipes such as truffle mashed potatoes and truffle macaroni and cheese. Supermarkets all over the country are now stocking white and black truffle oils that are more affordable than buying the truffles themselves and the flavor still manages to infuse your food with just a few drops of this magical fungus. Recently, I was lucky enough to receive some summer truffles from the Maison de Truffe in Paris as a gift as well as some truffle oil from that shop and Truffle Salt from another friend. When I had people over this weekend, I decided to make one of my favorite recipes Truffle Chicken. I served it with truffle macaroni and cheese and grilled vegetables and it was a simple meal that turned couture with just a few slices of truffle, a few pinches of truffle salt, and a few teaspoons of truffle oil. The layering of the 3 ingredients helped bring out the flavor of the dish.

Here is the recipe:

2 teaspoons truffle oil (Can be found at any gourmet market for $14 to 35 a bottle)
1 teaspoon of truffle salt (Can be made if you buy dried truffles and mix into your salt with a few drops of truffle oil)
3- 4 slices of truffle (summer is more cost effective than fall truffles)
Split up chicken breasts - split 4 breasts to serve 8 people
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil


Take the split chicken breasts and sprinkle truffle salt, garlic, and truffle oil over every piece. Heat up your pan and drizzle olive oil to cover the pan, sear each chicken breasts 2 minutes on each side until brown and put all the pieces in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with truffles sprinkled on top with mac and cheese garnished with a bit of truffle oil on top, a great bottle of wine, and your favorite grilled vegetables.


 

Ginger Sesame Vegetable Chili Pasta Recipe

It is a known fact that spicy foods speed up your metabolism and satiate your appetite. I love spicy foods and am always experimenting at home to make more spicy food recipes. This Ginger Sesame Vegetable Chili Pasta recipe is a favorite in my house. The fresh vegetables and the slightly sweet ginger sesame sauce with the combination of the heat from the chili oil makes this dish a winner for a spicy food fan.

Ingredients

1 bunch of broccolini
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1 bunch of asparagus
1 container of mini plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 tablespoon of garlic
6 tablespoons of Nancy's lite Ginger Sesame dressing
4 teaspoons of Lee Kum Ke Chiu Chau Chili Oil
1 package of angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon of canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Clean and cut vegetables and place in large saute pan. Add garlic and canola oil and pine nuts. Saute vegetables until slightly browned. Cook pasta according to directions on box. Add a little olive oil to pasta to keep it from sticking when it is done. Place cooked vegetables on top of pasta to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle sesame ginger dressing on top and drizzle chili oil on top of everything. Serve while hot.

Curry Butternut Squash Apple Soup Recipe for Summer

Summer is the time of year when we think about eating healthier and exercising more to get ready for the beach and vacations. There are ways to eat healthier while taking advantage of the summer vegetables that are available at markets and farmers markets during this time of year. Soup is an easy way to get lots of healthy nutrients and to fill up while not consuming too many calories. Soups are great to eat as a snack or as a light dinner when you just don't want to eat very much. Soups can be made in large batches and frozen in small containers to be reheated when you want a quick meal. Put your soup into little cups to make it look fun and festive.

Here is a recipe I got from my mother in law recently that is tasty and easy to make:

4 Tbls unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
4 Tbls curry powder
2 medium butternut squash - 3 pounds
2 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 shredded granny smith apple for garnish on top of soup
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup apple sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Melt butter, add onions and curry. Cook over low heat until onions are opaque.
2.) Peel squash, scrape seeds and chop.
3.) Pour stock into pan of onions. Add squash and apples. Boil, then simmer covered until squash and apples are very tender. (25 minutes)
4.) Food process until smooth
5.) Add apple juice.
6.) Season to taste.

(Photo credit: Anson Smart for Country Living Magazine.)