Inaugural Celebration

This week has been a long one it seems. I woke up this morning and felt like it should be next Tuesday. I think that peaceful transition of power that we've been waiting sooooooooo long for can do that to you.

I was impressed that President Obama placed a huge emphasis on a call to return to personal responsibility. The government alone can't bail us out or fix all of our problems. Its up to us to make changes in our lives that will get us back on track. To living within our means, planning ahead, eating better, losing weight, excising, driving more fuel efficient cars, making sure our kids do their homework and on and on.

Breaking out the White House napkins I bought one of the last times I was in DC, I cozied up to toast President Obama and Vice President Biden take the oath of office. In celebration, along with a Bellini to sip, I tried an excellent new recipe from Small Batch Baking (which every time I cook something from it, I wonder why don't I do this more often!) As much as I love cake, I don't need a whole cake sitting around the house all week.

I used raspberry jam for the filling and only used one croissant. I really can't help myself when it comes to croissants- am a sucker for the buttery treats. I prefer the richness of them and brioche to something that's sweeter. This was an excellent special occasion breakfast, not too sweet but rich. And easy!

Baked Raspberry Almond French Toast
Small Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos

Makes two french toasts- serves 2

1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 TB sugar
2 TB amaretto or 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
3 TB raspberry preserves
2 large croissants, cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 TB unsalted butter, melted
Honey, warmed or powdered sugar for garnish
fresh raspberries for garnish

1. Place the milk, sugar, egg, amaretto, cinnamon and salt in shallow baking dish and whisk to blend well.

2. Spread half the raspberry preserves over the bottom half of each croissant. Press halves together, and place in baking dish, turning to coat them with custard. Let them soak for 30 minutes to absorb the custard, turning frequently.

3. Preheat oven to 325. Grease a small baking sheet.

4. Remove croissants from baking dish. Coat with almonds and place on prepared sheet. Brush tops with melted butter. (Discard leftover custard mixture) Bake until croissants are puffed and brown and custard is set, about 25-27 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plates. garnish with honey, powdered sugar or raspberries if desired.

Since Angel was out on Tuesday evening seeing Spring Awakening, our Inaugural celebration dinner was last night. I kept it a little lighter and turned to one of our favorite recipes. I have to leave the olives out for Angel (and I forgot to put them in mine again). I love stuffed chicken breasts, but sometimes they are a pain to make. Use a sharp knife and be patient. Take care not to overstuff the chicken or it will leak out and burn. You can also vary the flavor any which way- I used a nice shake of Penzeys Sunny Paris in mine- shallots and rich sweet herbs. I also roasted some asparagus and made mashed sweet potatoes. Enjoy!


Goat Cheese-&-Olive-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Eating Well

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped black olives
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 ¼ pounds total)
1 large egg white
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used butter- I think it makes it richer!)


Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine goat cheese, olives and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.
3. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
4. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.


Goat Cheese-&-Olive-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Nutrition Information
Per serving: 235 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium.1/2 Carbohydrate Serving