Chicken Cordon Bleu – Barb’s Way

I meant to get this posted this morning, but we had a snow event here, photos will follow, and then a power line went down from the weight of the snow. We had no power for about 9 hours. No power, no internet! Looking outside right now it’s just starting to snow again! Big, huge flakes!

Did you know that Chicken Cordon Bleu draws upon the techniques of Chicken Kiev and Schnitzel? And that Cordon Bleu means “blue ribbon?” This dish is relatively new in cooking history emerging in the 1960’s. And the dish has nothing to do with the school either! There are many variations to this dish. In a way this dish is a rouladen, but made with chicken instead of beef. The chicken is rolled up with cheese and ham, or prosciutto. Different cheeses can be used, and you can bread them and fry them or not bread them and bake them! You can use the boneless breast meat or you can use boneless chicken thighs. My recipe will be done in the oven and uses boneless chicken thighs.

Ingredients
6 boneless chicken thighs
6 slices of muenster cheese
6 slices of prosciutto
Bearnaise sauce

Take the chicken thighs one at a time and place inside a zip lock bag. Using your kitchen mallet and pound the meat to enlarge it and make it thin. Then lay on a piece of cheese and a slice of prosciutto.

Chicken on the bottom, then cheese then prosciutto

Roll up the thigh and tie with kitchen string to secure.

Lovely little packages

Lay the bundles in a greased glass baking dish. Cover with the Bearnaise sauce.

The chicken is ready for the oven

I will be using packaged sauce from Knorr’s. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about one hour, turning halfway through and spoon the sauce from the pan over the bundles. When this has cooked for the hour, remove from the oven, cut the strings from the bundles.  Serve two per person, and spoon the sauce over the chicken and the rice!

Dinner is served!

Serve this up with jasmine rice and a steamed fresh vegetable.

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Wok This Way!

Last night I pulled out the wok and made my version of Chicken Chow Mein. It takes a bit of time to put together but it is well worth it!

Ingredients
1 Bok Choy
1 Napa Cabbage
1 Carrot
8 Asparagus
8-10 Green Beans
1/2 Can of Bamboo Shoots
1/2 Can of Sliced Water Chestnuts
1 Broccoli Crown
6 Dried Shitake Mushrooms
4 Cloves of Garlic
6 Boneless Chicken Thighs
8 Oz. Chinese Noodles
Rice Wine
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Peanut Oil
1/4 cup of water
Dash of Salt
3 Spring Onion

Start with the Shitake mushrooms. To rehydrate these, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water.

Rehydrate the Shitake Mushrooms

I cut up the vegetables and separate them into two batches. The Bok Choy and Napa cabbage in one; the carrots, asparagus, green beans, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, broccoli and mushrooms in the other. The first cooks quicker than the second.

Napa Cabbage and Bok Choy prepped

Prepped veges

Then I cut up the chicken into small chunks. Add a glug of rice wine.

Cut up Chicken Mixed with Rice Wine

Chop up the garlic, and put into a small bowl. Slice up the spring onion and put into another small bowl. Set aside.

Spring Onion and Finely Chopped Garlic

Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Add soy sauce to your liking and a good dose of the sesame oil and combine. Set aside.

Chinese Noodles

Add one TBS. peanut oil to your wok and heat. Then toss in the Bok Choy and the Napa Cabbage. Stir fry until they just start to wilt.

Stir Fry the Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage

Then remove to a bowl. Add another TBS of peanut oil to wok and heat again. Add in prepped veges and start to stir fry. Then add the water and a dash of salt. Cook until just crisp tender.

Sitr Fry the Vege Mix

Remove to the bowl with the cabbage and bok choy. Heat a TBS of peanut oil to hot and then add the garlic. Stir fry this until the aroma comes up and then add the chicken.

Stir Fry the Chicken

Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Then add to the bowl with the vegetables.

Everything is Cooked and Ready to Use

Now add 3 TBS of peanut oil to the wok and heat. When hot add the noodles and stir fry for about one minute. Then add the bowl of chicken and vegetables and the spring onion and stir fry to combine and all is heated through, then serve it up!

Dinner is Ready!

I make a lot of this so that I have leftovers for lunch at work. It is really good cold too! I hope that you enjoy this as much as my husband and I do!

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