Helena Civic TV

Pecan Pesto Chicken: (Serves 4)

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup chopped pecan halves

Pesto sauce (can make your own or buy in grocery store usually located in the cheese section area)

Brown boneless chicken breasts in pan on stove top with a little olive oil, broil in oven or grill on BBQ until chicken is done – when poked liquids run clear –  for about total 20 to 30 minutes time.

Once chicken is done remove from heat source and put about 2 Tablespoons of pesto on each chicken breast and spread around. Top pesto with about 2 Tablespoons of chopped pecans then place chicken under broiler in oven for about 5 minutes or until pecans of toasted.

Remove pan from broiler and serve Pesto Pecan Chicken over pasta of your choice! I used Penne pasta with a light coating of olive oil. Serve with a side salad and good bread!

Garlic White Wine and Clam Sauce: (Serves about 4)

1 can of chopped clams in clam juice

1 can of smoked clams in oil (I like the cherry wood smoked clams)

4 cloves of garlic pressed or chopped fine.

1 to ½ cup of white wine of your choice!

Salt and pepper to taste if you’d like

4 Tablespoons butter or 50/50 blend

Angel hair pasta – boiled and strained and coated lightly with olive oil

In a skillet on your stove top, heat about 2 Tablespoons of butter or 50/50 blend until melted at about medium high heat. Add in your chopped clams and clam juice and stir. Add in can of smoked clams (drained of oil) to mixture- you can chop these as well but I like the fact that these clams are larger and adds variety in the size of the clams.  Once your clams have been added, press garlic cloves directly into the skillet, add wine and season to taste.

Turn the heat down to simmer. Let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add more wine to mixture if desired – add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter to the skillet with the clam mixture and stir to slightly thicken the sauce.

Serve clam sauce over Angel pasta or pasta of your choice! Add a side salad and nice crusty bread and of course a great white wine! Enjoy!

Left over pasta ideas!

Use as side dishes with other meat entrees – drizzle truffle oil and parmesan cheese over pasta or try a flavored olive oil like Lemon Olive oil and add capers! Add left over vegetables! Try different things and surprise yourself and your family!!!

Barry Dixon’s Pumpkin Maple Pecan Bread Pudding

(By way of Sandra Lee)

Susan’s version of the above!

Cooking spray

1 loaf of Montana Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread or Franz Cinnamon Swirl Bread (cut into cubes)

½ cup to 1 cup of pecans- chopped

1 ¼ cup milk

½ cup cream

4 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ cup of real maple syrup

1 can (15 oz.) of solid pack pumpkin (Libby brand is great!) or fresh cooked pumpkin

2 cups Confectionary sugar

¼ cup of cream

Spray a casserole dish (9X12) with cooking spray. Put cubed bread and chopped pecans in casserole dish.

In a large bowl mix together the milk, cream, eggs, pie spice, pumpkin and maple syrup – mix well!

Pour mixture over the bread cubes and pecans and let sit in refrigerator for one hour. I did not let this sit in the refrigerator and it still comes out great!

Bake bread pudding in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm, cold or at room temperature. In small bowl mix confectionary sugar together with cream. Drizzle over the top of the bread pudding! You can also serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or while bread pudding is still warm try pouring cream over the top!!
This is the best bread pudding!!!

Hot Honey Bourbon Tea Toddy

 

Close to the way Mama Jane makes it!!

Have at least 4 cups of boiling water ready. Take mug and “scald” the cup with the boiling water – pour the boiling water into the mug and pour out! This warms the mug for you!

Then add a regular Lipton tea bag to your mug with about ½ cup of boiling water, let steppe for about 3 minutes – you want a strong tea. Discard the tea bag. Add about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of Montana honey to the mug and stir. Then add about ½ cup to ¼ cup of frozen lemonade (frozen or thawed) to the tea and mix. Then add one shot of good bourbon to the mug. Float a lemon in the tea mixture and enjoy!

For an added HIT – add in one shot of Grand Marnier as well! WOW!! This will cure anything you have!

Now! Grab your slippers, a warm blanket and a good book and settle in and enjoy our Montana winter!

Eat Well and Be Happy!

Susan