Best Meatloaf Ever

We've tried a few meatloaf recipes over the years, but this is by far the best.  I got this recipe from the Internet many, many years ago, but I'm not sure which website it's from.  It's called "Jodi's Meatloaf", so Jodi if you're out there, this is by far the best meatloaf!

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp mustard
2 Tbsp cider vinegar

Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground beef (I use a combination of veal, pork, and beef)
2 eggs
1 cup quick cooking oats or crushed cereal
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped

Mix meatloaf and half the sauce together.  Place in a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

After 40 minutes, spoon the remaining sauce over the loaf.  Continue cooking until loaf is brown.

Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.

A Different Squash.....

I came across this type of squash that I had never seen before:  Sweet Potatoe Squash. 

It tastes exactly like it's name, a combination of Sweet Potatoe and Squash.  Yummo!

I roasted it in the oven with some butter, brown sugar and maple syrup, but honestly this baby doesn't need any additional sweetness.  They are sweet enough on their own without adding anything else.

They were short-lived though, as I went back to the store to pick up some more and sadly they were gone.

A Cleansing Diet

My daughter and I have been on a "cleansing" diet for the past 9 days; I still have 5 days to go.  Basically, the following foods are taboo:

• coffee
• alcohol
• wheat/gluten
• dairy
• red meat and pork
• citrus fruits
• peanut butter
• soy
• sugar and processed foods
• corn

That's the gist of it, although there's more to it.  The goal is to reduce the "bad" foods to see how each food group affects you.  After 14 days, you slowly reintroduce each food group to see how you feel.  I was looking to just generally feel better.  My daughter likes to eat healthy, so she jumped on the band-wagon immediately.  On day 5 & 6, I felt amazing!  More like my old self again - high energy, clearer thinking, just generally feeling better in all ways.

I know you're thinking, "shoot me now" when you read through the list of things not to have, but so far it's not been that bad.  I thought it would be really difficult and that I would succumb to some of my worst vices, but so far I've done pretty well.  I did not give up coffee, although I did cut back.  I went into the 14 days, knowing I would stick to having one cup in the morning.

The key for me was to plan ahead - if you have nothing in the fridge or pantry, it would be challenging to find foods to eat.  So I spent a better part of the first day (it was a Sunday) prepping foods which I then froze for lunches and dinners.

Here's a partial list of foods which I prepped ahead of time to eat:

• Tuscan soup (with beans, tomatoes, rice pasta)
• Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potatoe Soup (click here for link)
• Pad Thai (rice noodles)
• Roasted Chicken and Peppers
• Turkey Chili, with navy beans
• And of course, lots of salads (chickpeas, chicken, beans, etc.)

The hardest part for me was that I always have a muffin for a mid-morning snack and often cookies in the afternoon.  The muffins and cookies are home-made and healthy, made with oatmeal, fruits, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, etc.  But I couldn't eat them as they're made with flour, peanut butter, and sometimes dairy.  So I had to get inventive.  I made muffins made with Quinoa flour and boy we're they awful.  They were so bad, that I had to throw them out, which I hate doing. So I came up with gluten and dairy free muffins and cookies chocked full of goodness which are actually tasty as well.  I should have written down how I made them but unfortunately I didn't.  I took two regular recipes and "massaged" them using the following:

Cookies:  gluten free flour, xanthem gum (which you need with the gluten free flour), baking soda/powder, oatmeal, pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), dried cherries (dried cranberries would work well too), raisins.

Muffins:  gluten free flour, xanthem gum, baking soda/powder, oatmeal, mashed bananas, diced banana, applesauce

Here are some other ideas for snacks:

• almonds
• fruits
• cut up vegetables
• oatmeal cereal (e.g. Cheerios, etc.)
• almond butter & rice crackers (or apples, celery)
• roasted chickpeas

We're fortunate to have a local restaurant serving gluten-free, dairy-free, and organic food - http://www.kindfood.com/.  I can't wait to work my way through their menu.  For now, I've had their "World Peace" cookies and their "Happy Buddha" bowl.  The Happy Buddha bowl, also called Buddha's Feast, is amazing!!  I scarfed it down like I hadn't eaten in days, it was sooooo good!  A very strange combination of foods which I would have never thought to put together (e.g. brown rice, tomatoes, sweet potato, pepitas, almonds, cilantro, red onion, sesame seeds, avocado, etc.), but it works.

For now, happy, healthy eating!  Check back to see how I'm doing......  

Peanut Butter Cookies

A new twist on an old favourite!  This cookie combines the best of both worlds - a moist, chewy peanut butter cookie wrapped around a smooth, creamy peanut butter centre.

Ingredients:

- 1 package Betty Crocker Peanut Butter mix (Yeah, I cheat!) 

- 24 peanut butter cups

Make the Peanut Butter cookies according to the directions on the package.  Shape into 1 inch balls and place in a mini muffin tin, which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Unwrap the peanut butter cups, if wrapped.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 7-8 minutes.  Do not overcook!  The cookies should be puffed out and just beginning to brown on the edges when they come out.

Immediately insert a peanut butter cup into each cookie centre. 

Let cool slightly, then carefully remove each cookie and place on a cooking rack.  I use a knife and carefully run it around the outside edges to gently pry each cookie out of the tin.

Peach Crisp

While peach season is still here, enjoy a wonderful peach crisp.  Makes a great dessert for company or for a Sunday night dinner.

Ingredients:

10-12 ripe peaches

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups large flake oats

Skin and slice the peaches, tossing with lemon juice to keep the peaches from discolouring.  To skin the peaches, place in a simmering pot of water for a minute or two.  The skin will easily peel off.

Place the peaches in a casserole or baking dish.

Combine the rest of the ingredients until blended together.  Sprinkle over the peaches, gently patting down. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbling.

Notes:
- I place the baking dish on top of a foil-lined cookie tray to catch until spillover.
- Substitute some of the peaches for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

Banana French Toast

There's nothing quite like starting the weekend off with a great breakfast!  I love nothing more than enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee while contemplating what to make for breakfast.  Now mind you, my husband is usually the one on breakfast duty, but I contribute with the ideas.

Here's an easy breakfast with a little twist - Banana French Toast.

Ingredients:
- thickly sliced bread (day old bread works best as it doesn't break up as easily)
- 1 over-ripe banana, mashed
- 1% milk (about 2/3 cup)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 heaping tsp brown sugar
- pinch of cinnamon

Note:  the measurements may be slightly off as I don't measure anything, I just eye-ball it.

In a pan, slightly beat the eggs until combined.  Add the milk, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the mashed banana and stir until combined.

Soak the bread on both sides until soaked through.

Fry the french toast slices in a frying pan on each side until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Blondies

Back on to my peanut butter kick again!  Needed my fix.  I saw this recipe in a magazine (and I can't remember which one!).  They looked so good that I had to try them.  And we were not disappointed.  These babies kick!

 

When they come out of the oven, they're gooey and melty and yummy.  It's hard to wait for them to cool down.  These bars are really moist and have great peanut butter flavour.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut butter  
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¼  cup chocolate chips (I added more)
10 mini peanut butter cups, quartered (or 4 regular sized, coarsely chopped)

Look how smooth and yummy the batter looks!

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together peanut butter, butter, milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into 9" inch baking pan that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Spread evenly to the sides and smooth top. Arrange chopped peanut butter cups over the top of the batter.

Bake for 19 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into squares.

Roasted Cauliflower

I've read about roasting cauliflower florets in the oven, but I admit I was skeptical.  I've always steamed my cauliflower and served it with cheese sauce - right?

Well, I'm a convert!  Roasting the cauliflower brings out a natural sweetness to this rather bland vegetable.  So next time you pick up a lovely, white head of cauliflower, try roasting it, rather than boiling or steaming it.  You won't be disappointed.


I think the cauliflower should be a
little more evenly browned than my looks....


Directions:

Set oven to 425 degrees.

Break cauliflower into florets and place in a bowl.  Add a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until caramelized, shaking the pan every 10 minutes, so the cauliflower browns evenly.

Homemade Lasagna

We all have our favourite lasagne recipes.  My mother-in-law puts eggs in hers, very traditional for the Italians.

We've discovered an easy way to make homemade lasagne that tastes as good as Nona's (well, not as good, but it will do).

Use your favourite lasagne recipe, but substitute fresh lasagne noodles for dried, boiled ones.  It's that easy!  I might be a slow learner and maybe everyone else already knew this, but just in case you didn't.....

No need to boil the noodles ahead of time, simply place them in your dish as you would with the precooked ones.  I make my sauce a little more watery than usual so that the noodles absorb the sauce and cook thoroughly.

The other substitution is to use half mozarella and half fontina cheese.  Forget the calories!  For sure, this is not low-fat or low calorie, but boy is it good.

And we always include the ricotta cheese as a layer as well.



Trust me, it's better than this picture looks



Canada's East Coast - A little slice of heaven!

We recently drive out to the east coast and stayed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and rented a cottage right on the ocean in PEI.  Canada is truly a beautiful country!  I love that we have such diversity in our landscape, from the flatlands of Saskatchewan where you can see forever, to the tall redwoods of the West Coast, to the charm of Quebec City.  And I really love the east coast with the quaint fishing villages, the warm and friendly people, and the rustic coastline.  If it wasn't so far from my home in Ontario, I would be very tempted to purchase a cottage out there.


Here are a few pictures from our trip out east:
  

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia



Near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia





Look at these babies!  Caught fresh that morning.
They were so tender, juicy, and sweet.





It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Yeah, it's "sweater weather"!  I'm not a heat person and this summer was unseasonably hot.  I find myself dragging and tired in the heat, so I'm very happy that the nippy, cooler weather is slowly coming in.  And oh yeah, my hair is very happy that the humidity is gone too!  This is the time of year that I come alive.

The beautiful fall palette with the warm oranges and russets is nature at it's best.  Mother nature paints a beautiful landscape.

And I love decorating with pumpkins and mums.  Can't wait to go on some fall hikes, go apple picking, maybe visit a corn maze.....

Bye bye summer!  Til next year....

Attention All Foodies!

If you're into food like we are, then you might be interested in Toronto's upcoming food show.  It's called the Delicious Food Show (hmmm, the title could be a bit more inventive....) and it's on from Oct. 20-23 at Exhibition Place.

"A world-class culinary extravaganza designed to bring together the best in food, cooking and entertaining."  Sounds good to me!

Check their webpage for further information:  www.deliciousfoodshow.com

Another Great Cookbook - In My Mother's Kitchen

I read cookbooks like other people read novels!  I'm quite content sitting and reading a good cookbook, imagining the flavours, the colours, and the ingredients.  Even if I never make anything from the cookbook, I enjoy reading them.

"In My Mother's Kitchen" is a new cookbook by Trish Magwood.  Trish used to have a television show called "Dish" on the food network.  I always found her recipes creative and inventive, using standard ingredients but displaying them in a unique way.  Here's a link to her website:  www.trishmagwood.ca.

This book is chocked full of tried and true recipes from Trish's friends, family and of course from her collection.  Many are great cottage recipes - quick and easy.

Cakepops

If you're not familiar with these little guys, check out www.bakerella.com for more inspiration.  A cake pop is a little cake on a stick.  You won't believe what Bakerella does with cake on a stick! 


Aren't these the cutest!!



Bakerella has published these little goodies in a cookbook:

What a wonderful way of celebrating a new arrival, a holiday, or making a casual get-together into a special event! 

Blueberry Muffins, to die for!

These muffins are so moist and creamy, thanks to the sour cream in the recipe.  I bring a muffin to work everyday for my mid-morning snack.  I usually try to make something healthy, but once in a while, I throw caution to the wind (I know.... I'm a nutball!).

These are the best Blueberry muffins ever!  They almost taste like a dense white cake.

This recipe is from http://www.allrecipes.com/ , one of my favourite recipe sites!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Notes:

• I always add more blueberries to the mixture as I like them chock full of fruit. 
• You can easily use frozen blueberries.  Do not thaw them beforehand and fold gently, otherwise, you will get purple muffins!  Pretty but maybe not the look you're hoping for.
• Not a fan of blueberries?  You could easily substitute raspberries, strawberries, peaches or chocolate chips.

Sour Cream Peach Pie

Corn, Peaches, Tomatoes..... These are the foods I think of and reach for during the summer months when local produce is at it's peak.  Purchase your vine-ripened peaches at your local farmer's market.

This peach pie is the perfect accompaniment to an outdoor BBQ dinner.  Don't let the sour cream throw you off.  It makes a creamy, delicious pie.

Ingredients:

• Pastry for 9-inch pie
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup commercial thick sour cream
• 5 cups peaches, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Mix together flour, sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Arrange peaches in unbaked pie shell.  Pour sour cream mixture on top.

Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees F, then lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until filling is set.

If desired, sprinkle brown sugar over hot pie and broil 1 to 2 minutes till sugar is melted.  Be careful not to burn the sugar as it burns quite easily. 

I've been making this pie for years.  I usually don't add the brown sugar on top as I don't feel that this pie needs anything extra.

Hint:
To easily peel peaches, fill a pot with water and bring to a low boil.  Turn down heat, add peaches and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.  Plunge into cold water.  The peels should easily slide off.

Cedar Planked Salmon

Salmon is one of the power-house foods and it's so easy to prepare.  This particular one was done on parchment paper and grilled on the BBQ.  You can just as easily make it in the oven.  We like it best on the cedar plank as you can serve it directly on the table and it makes a lovely presentation.

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon fillet
• olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper, optional
• red onion, diced
• 1 lemon, sliced thinly

Place the salmon, skin side down on parchment paper or cedar plank.  If the salmon has been skinned on both sides, use parchment paper only.  Lightly coat salmon with olive oil.  Sprinkle on sea salt and pepper.  You can easily add other seasoning such as a lemon pepper or Mrs. Dash, but we like it best plain and simple.

Sprinkle on the diced red onion.  Layer lemon slices over top.

Grill on a medium BBQ for approx 1/2 hour or until done.  The salmon should be moist and flakey.  It's best when it's not overdone as it's gets too dry.  Alternatively, you can bake it in the oven at around 350 degrees for the time.

Serve with wild rice, green beans, or tomatoe salad.

Caprese Salad - with a twist

We love a caprese salad during the summer months, especially when local tomatoes are plentiful.  We often plate the traditional caprese salad of sliced tomatoes, bocconcini with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil.

This is a bit of a twist, just to change it up.

Ingredients:

• small tomatoes - 1" to 2" diameter
• mid or large sized bocconcini balls (or buffalo mozarella if you can find it)
• fresh basil leaves
• balsamic dressing or glaze

Slice each tomatoe 3/4 of the way through, but not all the way.  Slice the bocconcini.  Insert a slice of cheese and a small piece of basil between each slice.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze or a balsamic vinaigrette.

-------------------------------------------------

Notes:

• Balsamic glaze is a like a thick balsamic syrup.  You can find it at most grocery stores in the vinegar aisle.
• If you can find (and afford) buffalo mozarella, it's a lovely complement to tomatoes.  This is the traditional Italian cheese made from buffalo milk.  It's richer and creamier than traditional bocconcini.

Grilled Veggies

We love grilled vegetables and this is an easy stand-by recipe in our household.

Any kind of vegetables will do.  Mix and match for great flavour and a colourful display.

Ingredients:

• red, yellow, orange peppers
• mushrooms
• sweet onion
• Japanese eggplant
• zucchini
• summer squash (which is really a yellow zucchini!)
• Feta or goat cheese
• balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  Toss in a bowl together with some balsamic vinaigrette (save some for later).

Grill over medium heat in a veggie basket just until softened, but still with a bit of a crunch to them.  A veggie basket looks like a wok with holes in it.  It's perfect for grilling vegetables and mini potatoes.

Layer on a platter and sprinkle with some additional vinaigrette.  Sprinkle the goat cheese or feta cheese on top.  The cheese will melt slightly.

You can serve this right away or let it sit and serve at room temperature.  Either way, do not add the cheese until just before serving.

Wild Rice Salad

A nice summer salad, easy to prepare and a nice change of pace from traditional lettuce salads.

Ingredients:
1 cup wild rice mix (I use brown and wild rice)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mandarin oranges (tinned), broken into pieces
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup snap peas, chopped
1/2 pecans, optional

Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp honey, optional


Prepare rice according to directions.  Run under cold water to cool.

Add all ingredients, along with rice, to a bowl.  Add dressing and gently toss.

Corn Salad

Need something to do with all that left-over corn on the cob?  This quick and easy salad uses lelft-over corn with fresh summer vegetables.  It's like nature in a bowl!  Great for a potluck or picnic.

This recipe has been adapted from Trish Magwood's cookbook "In my Mother's Kitchen" - www.trishmagwood.com.

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of corn on the cob (already cooked)
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup snap peas, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup oilive oil
• juice of one lime
• 1 tsp salt

Cut corn off cob and combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix the dressing together and toss gently with the salad.  Keep well for a day or two.

Note:
The original recipe calls for shelled edamame (a powerhouse veggie).  I didn't have any so I used snap peas which I had on hand. 

Marinated Flank Steak

This recipe is from our friends, Brad & Gitta.  Take an ordinary flank steak, marinate it overnight, grill it the next day and enjoy a flavourful masterpiece!  Great for those summer BBQs.  If you're serving a crowd, simply marinate two flank steaks, no need to double the recipe as it makes a lot of marinade.  You will use the marinade as a dipping sauce with the meat, so it doesn't go to waste.

Sorry no pictures of the grilled meat..... next time!

For 2 large flank steaks:

(serves 4 very hungry people or more)

• 20 oz beef consommé
• 2/3 c soy sauce
• 3-4 sliced green onions
• juice of one lemon ( or a few tsp vinegar)
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tbsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 3-4 minced garlic cloves
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 c beer

Score steak in diamond pattern on both sides.  Pour all of the mixture (not the beer) into a large shallow pan.  Place steak into pan in single layer, flip a few times to coat well with mixture.

Pour beer overtop, do not stir.  Marinate 24 hours in refrigerator.  Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours prior to barbequing.

While barbequing steaks on med-high, heat marinade in sauce pan to boiling and let simmer.  Slice steak thinly against the grain in sloped direction and serve with marinade for dipping.

Serve with grilled asparagus and potatoes.

Strawberry Pie

Nothing says "summertime" like a slice of fresh, homemade strawberry pie!  This is my mother's recipe.  It's easy-peasy, which is what we all want in the summertime.  No fussing around in the kitchen on those sweltering days.

This is a no-bake version, using ripe strawberries.  I like to buy them from the local farmer's market as I'm a strong believer in supporting our farmers and buying locally.  I may pay a little more than the grocery store, but to me it's well worth it.  Thank you farmers for all that you do, day in and day out!  We appreciate it!

I also make a baked version which I sometimes freeze.  There's nothing like eating a strawberry pie in the middle of the winter when it's blustery outside.  Brings a little bit of summer back into your life!

Ingredients:
1 baked pie shell
1 quart strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp cornstarch

In a saucepan, crush 1 cup of the strawberries with a fork or potato masher.  Add the sugar, water, and cornstarch.  Bring to a boil and boil gently until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.  Let cool.

Slice remaining strawberries (or leave whole if they are smaller) and place in the baked pie shell.  Pour cooled strawberry mixture over top.  Refrigerate until set.

Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or it's just as good on it's own.  Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus

If you don't like asparagus or have been steaming or boiling them - stop!  Here's an easy recipe that sure to please even the pickest eaters.

Snap the ends off of the asparagus.  If you hold your thumb and index finger, it should easily snap off about 1/3 way down the stem.

Place all in a baking dish or pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, then baslamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt.

Bake in a pre-heated oven set at 375 or 300 degrees.  Roast for approx 15-20 minutes until the ends are browned and slightly crispy.  Shake the pan a few times while cooking to cook all the asparagus equally.

Chicken Cutlets

We first had this recipe in Australia.  Our Australian "sister=in-law" made these for us several times and we immediately fell in love with them.  We make large batches of these chicken cutlets and freeze them for an easy, but good, meal.  These are especially great in the summer when no one feels like cooking!  Serve with a side salad and some green beans or potatoe salad and your good to go!



Okay, I admit may not the most captivating picture!  But darn, they're good!

Ingredients:
- boneless chicken
- bread crumbs and Panko bread crumbs*
- parmesan Cheese
- eggs
- flour
- salt and pepper
- olive oil

If the chicken breasts are quite plump, slice them in half.  Take each slice and pound them between sheets of plastic wrap until their thin and spread out.

Combine bread crumbs and Panko bread crumbs (1/2 and 1/2) with parmesan cheese in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, come flour and salt and pepper.

In another bowl, beat eggs just until the yolk and the white combine.

Place your bowls in this order:  flour, eggs, bread crumbs.  Have another plate ready for the coated chicken breasts.

Dip each chicken breast in the flour, coating on all sides.  Then dip the chicken in the egg mixture.  Finally, place the chicken in the bread crumbs, ensuring the entire chicken breast is thoroughly coated.  Place the coated chicken breast on a platter.  Continue through several chicken breasts as the next step is frying.

In a deep skillet, pour enough olive oil to fry the chicken breasts (about 1/2").  Bring the oil to a medium heat.  Fry the chicken breast in the olive oil, turning so that both sides are cooked through.  Be careful not to burn them.  Continue coating and frying the chicken breasts until done.

Paris - the city of food

When I think of Paris, I think of history, wine and food.  On our flight over, we were casually speaking with someone on our flight and mentioned we were going to Paris after Italy.  She said that they had been there the year before and "good luck finding any good food over there".  What????  We thought we had misheard her, but she went on to say that they finally ended up at an Italian restaurant and ate there most of the week.

Well, no offense to the lovely woman flying next to us, but the food in Paris was outstanding.  You cannot not eat well in Paris.  There is every type of food imaginable, from evey culture, to satisfy every palate.

Here are a few of our indulgences......

I never expected that the Parisiennes would be so into salads!  Since I didn't get my fill of salads in Italy (and who would have guessed salads were hard to find in Italy), I was happy to see so many salads available in Paris.  Most restaurants had a variety of really unique, delicious salads, so I indulged a few times.

Smoked salmon salad with grapefruit and avocado



Duck salad with haricots vert (green beans) and sundried tomatoes

One night we enjoyed typical French cuisine.  The true Parisiennes are probably rolling their eyes at this, but for us it was a lovely dinner!

French Onion Soup

Duck a l'Orange

Creme Brulee

Crepes Suzette

And the always typically French:  Steak et Frites!