Boardash: Smoked Salmon Spread, Seasoned Crusted Chicken Breasts, Sauteed Spinach, and Chocolate Mint Cookies

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Recipes: ArcaMax Chef

For You
Friday January 29, 2010

Appetizer -- Smoked Salmon Spread
Main Course -- Seasoned Crusted Chicken Breasts
Dessert -- Chocolate Mint Cookies
Grocery List
Tales from the ArcaMax Chef

We hope y'all enjoy this menu that serves 6 to 8.

Appetizer -- Smoked Salmon Spread

5 oz. container garlic and herb flavored cheese spread
6 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh dill chopped
One half tsp. lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serve with assorted crackers.

The Skinny: Use low fat cheese spread.

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Main Course -- Seasoned Crusted Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 egg whites
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups dry bread crumbs
One quarter cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
One half tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
One third cup olive oil

Pound chicken breasts to one half-inch thick. Combine egg whites, cornstarch and lemon juice and mix. In a separate bowl combine breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon zest and toss. Dredge each chicken breast through egg mixture followed by breadcrumb mixture and saute in olive oil for several minutes on each side until chicken is fully cooked.

The Skinny: Use egg white substitute.

Sauteed Spinach

2 pounds fresh spinach, stems trimmed off
One quarter cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
One half tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil and place spinach in boiling water to wilt (this only takes a few seconds). Remove from boiling water and place in a colander. In a skillet saute garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil for about 1 minute, add wilted spinach and cook another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with vinegar.

The Skinny: Not much room for improvement here.

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Dessert -- Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 and one half cups granulated sugar
One half cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
One half tsp. peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
One third unsweetened cocoa
One half tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
12 creme de menthe candies cut in half diagonally

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, 1 cup of granulated sugar and brown sugar in a bowl and beat with mixer until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint extract and continue beating until well mixed. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and continue beating. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll through remaining sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 - 13 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven press one half of a creme de menthe candy on each cookie. Cool before serving.

The Skinny: Use your favorite sugar and egg substitute.

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Grocery List

5 oz. container garlic and herb flavored cheese spread
6 oz. smoked salmon
2 Tbsp. fresh dill chopped
One half tsp. lemon zest
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 egg whites
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups dry bread crumbs
One quarter cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
2 pounds fresh spinach
Three quarters cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves
One half tsp. red pepper flakes
Balsamic vinegar
1 cup butter
1 and one half cups granulated sugar
One half cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
One half tsp. peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
One third unsweetened cocoa
One half tsp. baking powder
12 creme de menthe candies cut in half diagonally

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Tales from the ArcaMax Chef

I had a big weekend getting rid of my leaves. It was a very successful endeavor and I actually discovered a "new" way to get up the leaves that saves hours of time and disks and disks of back pain.

Y'all may recall that in prior menus I was discussing the different categories of leaf removers. The rakers, who are obsessed with all things involving raking and bagging, look down on the payers, who pay contractors to get rid of their leaves. Being the trailblazer I have always been, I took my own path and created a new category that fit my leaf removal style ... a waiter.

As a waiter, I basically allowed the leaves to remain on the ground for as long as possible with the hope that some event would occur to get rid of the leaves. I know it sounds somewhat slothful on first blush, but it actually takes effort to be a successful leaf waiter.

As a leaf waiter, I have to put up with all sorts of pressure ... pressure from home, pressure from the next door neighbors, pressure from the home owners association. All of these entities seemed to have vested interests in making me get my leaves up off of the ground. It took real fortitude to resist the pressure to rake or hire contractors and maintain my status as a leaf waiter.

I was very fortunate that my first house was ideal for establishing myself as a leaf waiter. The location of the house, the way it was situated on the street, the types of trees in the yard, the yard itself ... all of these attributes made my early years as a leaf waiter very successful.

I owe a certain measure of gratitude to my first house in allowing me to establish myself as a leaf waiter extraordinaire. But let me explain ... next time.

God Bless America.

Enjoy!