jmc_bks

Today's random information comes to you via my incurable procrastination.

First, h/t to C2, who posted that the cover and blurb for Suzanne Brockmann's Force of Nature has been posted on her website. The blurb indicates that Jules and Robin will be playing largish secondary roles. Yay! I liked both of them in Hot Target and am interested in seeing what Brockmann does in the lead up to Jules' book.

Second, CindyS, I went back to Let's Dish yesterday, and I tried to remember some recipes for you.

Okay, these are what I remember:

Prosciutto, Chicken and Herbed Cheese Rolls

Ingredients: 6 slices of prosciutto, 12 raw chicken tenders, 1 tub herbed cheese
The herbed cheese in a tub wasn't labeled, but it was slightly crumblier than cream cheese, so I'm not sure exactly what it was. But you'd probably be fine just using a tub of Philadephia Cream Cheese in the garlic herb flavor.

Directions: Place a slice of prosciutto on piece of aluminum foil. Place two raw chicken tenders on the prosciutto, touching each other. The chicken and ham should make a little cross. Take melon ball sized scoop of herbed cheese and put it on top of the chicken. Using the aluminum foil to help, roll up like a burrito. Wrap and freeze. [According to the girl who works there, they are more easily handled when frozen.]

I forget the temperature for baking these, maybe 350F or 400F? But they are relatively quick to prepare. Just pop out of the freezer and into the oven.

Apricot Chile Pork Loin
Ingredients: one pork loin, kosher salt, pepper, chile powder, olive oil. For sauce: sweetened lime juice (the stuff you keep in the bar), apricot preserves, chopped jalapenos.

Directions: 1. In a big freezer bag, combine 1 tsp salt, pepper, chile powder and olive oil. Put in pork and massage to get spices evenly distributed. 2. In small freezer bag, put 2 tbsps of sweetened lime juice, 1 (or more if you like hot) tbsp chopped jalapenos, 3/8 cup of apricot preserves. Seal bag. Massage to mix. Freeze.

Thaw in fridge...unless you (like me) forget to thaw a day in advance, and end up leaving it out in the sink, risking some dread stomach ailment all for the sake of a timely dinner. Bake uncovered at 350F, I think, covered for 40 minutes, then uncovered for ~10 more. Heat the sauce in a microwave safe bowl and use as desired.

Cheese & Spinach Lasagne Rollups
Ingredients: ricotta cheese, frozen spinach, tomato sauce, italian herbs, shredded cheese (mix of provolone, mozarella and parmesan...but just mozarella would work, too, I think), and large squares of thawed, packaged lasagne dough.

Directions: moosh together ~4 cups ricotta, 2 cup frozen spinach, 2 cups tomato sauce, italian herbs to taste, and 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Ricotta should break up and blend. Put 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay out squares of dough. Put cheese mix on, roll up. Place in pan. After pan is full of rolls, put another 1/2 cup or so of sauce on top, then more cheese. Freeze.

Bake covered at 400F for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10 more minutes until melted and bubbly.

I had this one for dinner last night. Yum.

I made some other stuff, but can't remember the recipes at the moment.