Kitchen Conundrum

Chicken Monte Cristo Sandwich

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As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for one loaf of Nature’s Pride bread and was asked to create an award winning recipe that could win me a trip to San Francisco to attend the 2nd annual Foodbuzz festival and to be a Natures Pride Bread Ambassador at the conference. I really would love to attend this year’s festival and be a Bread Ambassador! It sounds like so much fun! But the best part would be recreating this recipe for the crowds to enjoy! Wish me luck!

My recipe is a variation on a traditional Monte Cristo sandwich. I hate to waste food, and I am always coming up with ways to use left overs in a different way. For this recipe, I used some left over grilled chicken breasts that I sliced thin and added Dijon mustard and Gruyere and surrounded it in a luxurious batter that is fried to a deep Florida tan and topped with confectioner’s sugar and dipped it into a red berry preserve. It’s a very decedent sandwich, perfect served in quarters for a Sunday brunch. Nature’s Pride Stone Ground Whole Wheat with Honey Bread is quite hearty and makes the perfect vehicle to hold this thick and gooey batter in place for frying. The bread’s honey sweetness compliments the spice of the Dijon mustard and the bite of the Gruyere cheese. All the flavors meld together and once it is fried and served, each bite consists of a crunch followed by a melty, gooey goodness.  It really is heaven on a plate.

 

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Batter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 egg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Sandwich

4 slices Nature’s Pride Stone Ground Whole Wheat with Honey Bread

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced into thin pieces

2 slices Gruyere cheese

2 tbs confectioners’ sugar for dusting

2 tbs red berry preserves (either mixed berry, strawberry or raspberry)

Method

Heat oil in a large frying pan. While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Assemble sandwiches by placing one sliced chicken breast and one slice of cheese on one slice of bread, apply mustard to other slice of bread and sandwich together. Cut each of the sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.

Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray with the preserves on the side. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Makes 8 quarters.

 

Sweet Egg Challah Recipe

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There are as many Challah recipes as there are stars. Ones that have been passed down from generation to generation. Ones that have been hand written in the beautiful script from years long gone on worn recipe cards. Ones that have no recipe but are made weekly by memory. Unfortunately, our family does not have recipe like those.  I have painstakingly made hundreds of recipes over the years, tasted countless challahs, some good, some inedible. I have changed recipes adding a bit more this and a lot less that. Last year, I finally had created a recipe that was consistently good. Not too eggy, sweet, but not overly so, a bit heavy and more like cake. It has become my family’s favorite and I try to make it every week. I think this will be our recipe that gets passed down. My family does not like raisins, so we never put them into our challah. But you may certainly add raisins, dried apples or whatever fruits you may like. Chocolate chips are always a welcome addition. If there should be any leftover pieces, it makes great French Toast.

 

Ingredients

Activate The Yeast

1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Cups of  Warm Water

2 Packages of Instant Yeast

Dough

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

5 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Salt

1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/3 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil + 1 Tablespoon to oil the rising bowl

3 Whole Eggs

3 Egg Yolks

Egg Wash

1 Egg Yolk + 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar + 1 Teaspoon Water Mixed in a Small Bowl.

Method:

In a small bowl, activate the yeast by adding 1 teaspoon sugar to 1 1/2 cups warm water.  Stir the yeast into the water with a fork. Set aside to bubble and grow.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 5 cups of all purpose flour. (You may also do this without a mixer and blend by hand and knead by hand.)

Add salt, sugar, honey and oil.

A trick to get every last drop of honey is to use the same measuring cup for the oil and add the oil first and don’t wash it in between.

Add eggs and egg yolks.

Save the egg whites! You can also freeze them for later uses. Meringues, omelets, etc.

Add the activated yeast. It should have bubbled and grown.

Turn on the mixer and let it knead the dough until the sides of the bowl are clean of dough.

Take the dough out of the mixer and give it a few kneads by hand to shape it into a nice ball.

Add a tablespoon of oil into a large bowl. Place the ball of dough into the bowl and roll it around to coat with the oil.

Cover with a clean, damp towel and place in a warm spot to rise for an hour. After one hour, punch it down and let it rise again for another hour.

At this point, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Punch the dough down and divide into two halves.

Divide each half into three equal parts.

Roll each part into a long, thick strand of dough. Make a braid with the three parts squishing the dough together at one end and tucking both ends under when you are done.

Repeat with other halve of dough to form 2 loaves. Place in a greased pan.

Use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Remove from pan to a cooling rack and cool for a few minutes before slicing. If you can help yourself.