Curry Chicken and Mushroom Stoup

From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 3 onions, 1 quartered, 2 quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 portabella mushrooms, gills scraped, halved then thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
• 2 to 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled then grated or minced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

• 3 tablespoons mild or medium curry powder
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup mango chutney
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced
• 2 cups cooked white rice or 4 pieces naan bread, warmed

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Place chicken in small pan and add enough water to come to top of chicken without completely submerging it. Add bay leaf and quartered onion to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer chicken 10-12 minutes, until cooked through. Shred chicken with 2 forks and reserve. Strain liquid and reserve 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Place EVOO in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and brown 10-12 minutes. Add carrots, celery, sliced onion, ginger and garlic to mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more, to soften. Season with salt, pepper and curry powder. Add stock and reserved poaching liquid to pan. Add in reserved chicken and stir in the chutney. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Melt butter in the skillet you cooked chicken in. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk roux into soup pot, let simmer and thicken, 5 minutes.

Serve stoup topped with scallions with the cooked rice stirred into each portion or with naan for dipping alongside.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

From Cuisinart Recipes

Servings: Makes about 14 1/2-cup servings

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 cup sugar, divided
1-1/4 cups whole milk
2-3/4 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a small bowel, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours. Strain the berries, reserving the juices. Mash or puree half the berries.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Five minuites before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desiered, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Note: This ice cream will have a "natural" appearance of a very pale pink. If a deeper pink is desired, add red food coloring sparingly by drops until desired color is achieved.

** For fresh peach ice cream substitute 3 cups sliced fresh peaches for the strawberries.

Peppermint Meltaways

Peppermint Meltaways

Prep time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 36-60 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes per pan
Serves: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients -
1 cup Land o Lakes Butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c corn starch

Glaze Ingredients -
1-1/2 c powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
2 to 3 drops red food color, if desired
candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed

Combine butter, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract in large bowel. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and cornstarch. Beat until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate until firm (30 to 60 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Stir in food color, if desired. Immediately spring with crushed candy.