Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breast halves, pounded flat
4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
1 big bag of baby spinach
1 lemon, juiced
1 small can chicken stock
1/2 cup sherry
half and half (optional)
1 T flour
salt, pepper
1/2 T fresh or dried mint, chopped (optional)
1/2 t fresh or dried oregano, chopped (optional)
sprinkling of pine nuts
olive oil
crushed garlic

Lay chicken breasts on chopping board.  Carefully scoop a tablespoon or so of feta onto each breast. Top with a small handful of spinach.  Fold the chicken breast over to cover the cheese and spinach (you'll be forming a stuffed pocket with the chicken). Use a toothpick to secure (close) the chicken breast.

In a heavy skillet, carefully brown the chicken pockets in olive oil.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Deglaze the skillet, using about a 1/4 cup of the chicken broth (scraping up any little bits of golden chicken stuck to the pan). Add the flour to the 1/4 cup broth and whisk.  Slowly add the remaining chicken broth, whisking while adding so lumps do not form.  Add lemon juice, sherry and seasoning, then bring to a boil to thicken.  If desired, add the half and half to taste and stir.

Arrange chicken pockets in a greased casserole dish, and pour the sauce over all. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (depending upon size of breasts).  If the sauce starts to cook away, cover the casserole for the remaining cook time.

Shortly before serving, saute the remaining spinach in garlic and olive oil.

Remove baked breasts from oven.  Place each on a bed of sauteed spinach (spoon any leftover sauce on top), and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Old-Fashioned Diner Meatloaf

This is a GREAT recipe!  It's quite large, so you can either feed a crowd, or make several loaves ahead, pop them in the freezer, and pull them out as needed.

I just adore a good old-fashioned meatloaf sandwich, so opt for the left-overs.

2 lbs good quality ground beef, or a combination of ground beef, pork and veal
2 eggs, beaten
1 box Stovetop Stuffing Mix (chicken flavor), including the flavor packet
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 cups warm water
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and form into loaves (two large, or four small).  Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes (test for doneness - obviously a larger meatloaf will need more time) in a greased baking dish or loaf pan.  If using a loaf pan, watch as the meatloaf cooks, and drain liquid (grease) if necessary.

Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy . . . Um -um!

Turkey Divan

What would Thanksgiving be without leftovers?  My family's all-time favorite way to eat leftover turkey is in a casserole we call, Turkey Divan.  Its so easy to make and tastes so good.  I've actually been known to make this dish with sliced deli turkey when I don't feel like roasting a whole bird or breast.

2 cups cooked rice (any kind will do)

1 regular size bag of chopped broccoli (10 ounces frozen) or similarly cooked and prepared fresh broccoli

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, but yummy)

salt and pepper to taste

Enough leftover turkey to layer in a 13 x 9 casserole

Butter a 13 x 9 casserole.  Spread cooked rice on bottom of dish.  Top with well-drained broccoli.  Next arrange turkey slices or pieces to cover the entire casserole.

Combine soup, mayo and cheese in a separate bowl.  Spread the mixture over the turkey, to cover.  

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and bubbly.  Serve with leftover cranberry sauce or chutney (LINK)

Not Your Mother's Salmon Cakes

Those of us that are Catholic, are bound to have memories of Fridays during Lent, when we were made to eat salmon cakes, prepared from tin-canned salmon, and cracker-meal.  I can still see my brother's face, as he gagged on every bite.  I didn't mind the taste as much, but doused mine in Heinz ketchup.


Well, times have changed, and the easy availability of fresh salmon has certainly changed the taste of salmon cakes.  Today, they're considered gourmet fare.  Serve on a crusty roll with tartare sauce, or dress them up with fresh, Dilly Cucumber Sauce.  Either way, they're delicious!

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fish stock, or clam juice
1/2 cup water
2 shallots, minced
2 to 3 celery leaves
1 pound salmon fillet, boned
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup milk
3 teaspoons minced, fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
flour for dredging
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
lemon for garnish

In a large skillet, combine the wine, water and fish stock, shallots, and celery leaves.  Add the salmon, skin-side down.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the fish flakes when tested with a fork, about ten minutes.  Remove from heat, and allow the fish to rest in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes.  Remove fish from skillet, and carefully peel away the skin.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in water until tender, drain and mash.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the salmon (flake with a fork), mashed potatoes, milk,  tarragon, lemon pepper, and salt.  Mix well.  Add the egg, and mix again.  Refrigerate for ten minutes.

Form the salmon mixture into 8 to 10 evenly sized cakes.  Lightly dredge in flour, pass through the egg mixture, and coat with bread crumbs.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil, and fry the fish cakes in batches until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Serve immediately, or transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and keep warm in 200 degree oven until ready to serve (don't hold them too long in the warming oven, or they will dry-out).

Shepherd's Pie

In Ireland, shepherd's pie is traditionally made with bits of leftover beef, but don't fret if you haven't any on hand. I generally use ground round, or sirloin.  I've also substituted ground turkey, left-over lamb, or ground lamb.  The creamed corn is a necessary ingredient, if you haven't any gravy, as the creamed sauce mixes with the natural meat juices to make its own gravy.   


1 can creamed corn
1 small onion chopped
3 cups cooked beef (or the equivalent of the above)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups, mashed potatoes
1 cup, diced carrots, par-boiled (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (optional)
1 cup left-over gravy (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground meat in a skillet, along with the onion (if using left-over meat bits, just boil the onions until tender, and drain).

In a large, round casserole dish, combine the meat, and onion.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour the creamed corn over the meat, and if desired, add the gravy.  You may also choose to add the diced carrots and/or peas.  Finally, pat the mashed potatoes over all.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes.  The potato crust should be slightly golden and a bit crusty around the edges.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

  Homemade enchiladas with Fiesta Rice and cheesy, refried black beans.  Mucho gusto!

One of the benefits of living in southern California, is the availability of authentic Mexican food.  If you love Mexican food the way I do, you'll appreciate this fast and easy recipe for red enchilada sauce.  The canned sauce sold in the grocery store is usually bitter and tinny tasting.  All you really need to make this sauce taste authentic, is the canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce.  Once again, the smoked chile gives the sauce a nice heat without overpowering the other flavors.  Be careful though, use only one chile, not the entire can.

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

3 garlic cloves, or 1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (just one chile from a small can) See Note Below

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (4 ounces) chicken broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 whole, large rotisserie chicken (3 cups cooked chicken)

2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (10 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeno pepper

10 fresh corn tortillas

1 fresh avocado, pint sour cream, sliced black olives, sliced green onion

Process tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle chile, cumin, coriander, salt and broth, in the large bowl of a food processor or blender.  Heat oil in a deep skillet, add the tomato mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Strip the meat from a rotisserie chicken (dark and light meat), and shred.  Toss the shredded chicken with 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, cilantro and jalapenos.

Place five tortillas in a ziplock bag with a sprinkling of water.  Zip bag, leaving a 1/2 inch vent at one end.  Place the bag in the microwave for 1 minute, checking each 20 seconds for pliability.  Tortillas not steamed until pliable, will crack and break when rolled.

At a clean work surface, carefully remove one tortilla at a time.  Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of the tortilla, and roll the tortilla.  Place, seam-side down, in a 13 x 9 glass casserole that has been sprayed with cooking spray or olive oil.  Continue until all tortillas have been used (place plastic wrap directly on top of enchiladas, and cover with tin foil to freeze).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the entire casserole.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and bake until the cheese melts and the center of the casserole is hot and bubbling, about 15 minutes longer.

Garnish enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, black olives and green onion.  Serve with Fiesta Rice, Rancho Red Beans, or refried beans, and a frosty mug of  good Mexican beer like Dos Equis or Bohemia.  Serves 4 - 5 adults.

Note:  I place the remaining chilies in a small ziplock and freeze them for future use.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Another colorfully yummy recipe.  I made this for Brooke and Tom's wedding reception, and it was a big hit.  I used whole red, yellow and orange bell peppers for a really festive look!  The enchilada sauce has a little heat to it.  For an added kick, use hot Italian sausage.

1 recipe  Zesty Red Enchilada Sauce (click for recipe)
6 large, sweet, red peppers (pick wide peppers with a nice vertical shape)
1/2 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot, browned and drained
1 (8 ounce) package corn bread stuffing mix (remove any seasoning packet if one exists - you won't need it)
2 cups Jack cheese, shredded
1/2  - 1 can chicken broth
1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Prepare one recipe Zesty Red Enchilada Sauce.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Note:  the first time I made these peppers, I baked the peppers without steaming them first.  I ended up with a lot of excess liquid.  By steaming them for a few minutes in the microwave, you eliminate some of the natural liquid retained in the peppers.

Cut the tops (stem end) off of six, nicely shaped peppers, and carefully remove the seeds.  Place peppers, upside-down, in a greased casserole dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about five minutes (watch and rotate so they don't burn).  Remove from microwave, and check to see if the peppers have lost some of their liquid.  You want them to remain firm enough to stuff.  Drain the liquid and set aside to cool.

In large bowl, combine the sausage, dry stuffing, cheese, and tomato.  Add enough of the broth to softened the dry cornbread.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stuff the meat/bread mixture into the peppers, and place in the casserole dish in the upright position.  Pour enchilada sauce over the peppers and bake, uncovered for one hour (baste with the enchilada sauce every fifteen minutes).

Serve with Fiesta Rice, Rancho Red Beans, Black Bean and Avocado Salsa, roasted corn on the cob, or Comfort Corn Pudding.

Rancho Santa Rosa Chicken and Green Chili Enchiladas

This is a wonderful recipe I picked up from a neighbor in California.  It tastes entirely different from enchiladas made with a tomato-based enchilada sauce.  I love to make it for a crowd because it's mild enough to satisfy everyone, and can be made in advance.  For more heat, mince some pickled jalapeno peppers and sprinkle sparingly over the chicken before rolling.  I always serve this dish with my Mango and Avocado Salsa. 

27 ounce can of Ortega whole green chilies, drained
36 ounces cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (one large and one small can)
2 whole rotisserie chickens (6 cups of cooked chicken), shredded
36 fresh corn tortillas
1 bunch cilantro (leaves only)
2 bunches green onions (white and light green part only)
8 cups of Co-Jack cheese, shredded
1 small jar of jalapeno peppers, minced (optional, for those who like heat)
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream, shredded lettuce for garnish

In large bowl of food processor, combine chilies, cilantro, and onions.   Process until cilantro and onions are minced.  Combine, chili mixture and soup in large bowl; set aside.

Prepare two large 13 x 9 casserole dished with cooking spray.  Spread about a cup of the chili sauce in the bottom of the dishes.  Set aside two more cups of sauce to top enchiladas.

Prepare a work space.  Place five to eight tortillas in a ziplock bag with a sprinkling of water. Microwave about twenty seconds, or until the tortillas are very soft and pliable.  Carefully, but quickly, remove one tortilla at a time from the bag.  Slather with green sauce.  Place a heaping tablespoon of meat down center of tortilla, sprinkle with a tablespoon of cheese (add minced jalapeno pepper if desired, and roll.  Place seam-side down in casserole (you may layer if you have to, but try to get as many into a single layer as possible).  Continue until all ingredients have been used.

Spread remaining sauce (one cup each or more) on top of enchiladas.  At this point, casseroles may be frozen (place plastic wrap directly on enchiladas and cover with foil).  Thaw completely before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover with more cheese.  Return to oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, (watch bottom doesn't burn) about 20 minutes more.  Check to make sure center is piping hot.

Garnish with sour cream, a piece of pickled jalapeno (for those that like heat) and a sprinkling of shredded lettuce.  Serve with Fiesta Rice, Rancho Red Beans, and Mango and Avocado Salsa.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

Black and gold chili and skillet cornbread - the perfect menu for a Steeler game-day.


This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen.  I tweaked it just a bit to suit my fancy.  The original recipe calls for two red bell peppers, which I found too strong.  I used my own canned tomatoes which added a bit more water.  Too really thicken it up, I pureed a cup of the cooked beans and returned them to the pot, just prior to serving.

Since this is a meatless chili, the chopped mushrooms are a important ingredient because they don't degrade completely while cooking.  They provide body without masking the flavor of the beans.

The chipotle pepper in adobo sauce is an essential ingredient.  One minced teaspoon provides a nice bit of heat, without being overpowering.  Of course, the chipotle pepper is what gives the final product a distinctively smokey flavor.  If you can really tolerate heat, add a bit more, but be careful because they're powerful little buggers.

Finally, if a strictly vegetarian chili isn't all that important to you, add a couple of smoked pork hocks to the pot along with the beans.  Remove after the first hour, and you'll get a chili with a smoked pork flavor.

1 pound white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon mustard seeds (or 1/2 tsp dry mustard)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground cumin)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons minced or crushed garlic
1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (buy canned, in Mexican food aisle) see note below
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 pound dried black beans, brined (soaked overnight in salt water)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 bay leaves
28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 pieces (more if you really like the flavor)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
salt and pepper
lime wedges, shredded mexican cheese, sour cream and chopped green onion for serving

Preheat oven to 325.  Toast mustard and cumin seeds in a dry dutch oven until golden (if using dry seasonings, add with chili powder).  Stir in oil, onion, and mushrooms.  Saute until dry and slightly browned.  Stir in garlic, chopotle, and chili powder (dry seasonings).  Cook one minute, stirring constantly.  Add broth, water, brined beans, sugar, baking soda (to prevent beans from losing their color) one tablespoon of salt, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and place pot on middle rack in oven for one hour.

Remove pot from oven and add tomato and bell pepper, cover and return to oven for additional hour, or until the beans are tender.  Watch that chili doesn't scorch on the bottom.  If needed, add more water.

When beans are tender, remove pot from oven.  If the chili is too thin for your liking, scoop a cup or two of the beans from the pot, and puree in a food processor or food mill.  Return the puree to the pot, and stir.

Add cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with lime wedges, shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped green onion. Serve with Old Fashioned Skillet Cornbread.

Note:  I place the remaining chilies in a small ziplock bag and freeze for future use.

Shredded Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

Shredded chicken and mashed potatoes, served with green bean casserole and spiced beets.

Good old country-fare, this was everybody's favorite "hot lunch" at St. Rose School in Perrysburg, Ohio.  Its an easy, stick-to-the-ribs kind of dinner that's sure to please even the pickiest eater.  To get a truly sweet tasting chicken stew, you must use a whole chicken.  You'll find the dark meat has the most flavor, so if you choose to use chicken parts, make sure you throw in the thighs and legs, as well as the breasts.

A favorite shortcut - grab a rotisserie chicken from your favorite market or butcher.  Strip most of the meat from the carcass, and set it aside.  Pour the container drippings into your stew pot along with the stripped carcass (discard the skin).  Add chicken stock, veggies; bring to a boil - reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Carefully remove the chicken carcass and any small bones that may have fallen off, from the soup base, and continue on.


1 whole fryer, cut-up, or 1 rotisserie chicken
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 large (32 ounce) can of organic chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch (possibly a little more if needed)
salt and pepper (I use my favorite seasoned salt)
mashed potatoes for four

Place chicken parts, vegetables, and chicken broth (stock) in large stew pot (or follow the rotisserie directions above).  Add 1 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender (about 30 minutes).

Remove cooked chicken from the stock with a slotted spoon, and set stock pot aside.  Cool chicken slightly.  Separate the meat from the skin and bones; shred (I use the two-fork method).  Sprinkle the cornstarch over the shredded chicken, stirring to fully coat.

Add the shredded chicken to the stock.  Stir well so the cornstarch dissolves into the stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  The stock should thicken quite nicely.  Remove from heat when thick enough to serve.

Place a large dollop of mashed potatoes at the center of each dinner plate (or pasta bowl). Make a well in the center with a spoon, and ladle the hot stew over the potatoes.  Serve with hot biscuits and honey :))

Nana's Stuffed Cabbage

Nana's "holubki" or little pigeons, are nestled on a bed of sauerkraut, and blanketed with a savory tomato sauce.  I'm fortunate to have a copy of Nana's recipe, written in her hand, with specific instructions to me :)

The city of Pittsburgh, and the surrounding area, has forever been a melting pot of old-world European ethnicities, where one is likely to find a corner restaurant serving not only pickled pigs feet and keilbasa, but pasta and lamb shish-ka-bob as well .  I grew-up believing that every child in America had a grandmother that hand-fashioned potato pierogi, and stuffed cabbage for family celebrations, as mine did.

We realized just how unique Pittsburgh is, when we moved out of the area to find that ethnic in most cities meant Chinese take-out, or the Olive Garden.  My Irish mother, a great fan of anything potato, made it a priority to learn how to make the pierogi, but it was up to me to learn the secrets behind Nana's wonderful little pigeons.


The task seemed daunting at first, and I do admit that it's taken a few attempts to really get the hang of rolling the cabbage, but perseverance paid off in the end.  Though I have found restaurants that serve them, nobody's cabbages taste like Nana's.

The hardest part of making the cabbage rolls, is finding the right head of cabbage.  You'll want to select a large, smooth head.  I've found that I'm better off buying two heads, using the best leaves from each.  You'll have waste, but you can always make cole slaw!

First, core each head.  Use your fingertips to peel away as many whole leaves as possible (tough, but possible with patience), then carefully steam the leaves until they are pliable (not cooked through).  Slide a sharp paring knife along the backside of any leaves that have a large protruding vein, and shave it off, being careful not to cut the leaf.  Set leaves aside.

For the meat filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 pound lean ground pork
1 cup of cooked white rice (not instant)

Mix the filling ingredients together, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

You'll also need:
1 large can or jar of sauerkraut (do not drain)
1 large can of condensed tomato soup
1 quart of diced or crushed tomatoes (optional)

Line the bottom of a large dutch oven with a layer of cabbage (use your discards, not your whole leaves).  Put 1/3 of sauerkraut on top of the cabbage.  Top with 1/3 tomato.

Arrange the whole leaves on the counter, so the bottom of each is closest to you - cupped side up.  Place slightly more than a tablespoon (you'll be able to judge how much will fit) of filling toward the top of each leaf. Tightly roll the top of the leaf slightly over the filling.  Wrap both sides over the filling, toward the center, and continue rolling toward the bottom of the leaf.

Place each roll, in the dutch oven in such a way as to prevent them from unrolling (see photo above).  Layer again with sauerkraut and tomato.  Continue rolling and layering cabbages.  You should end with a layer of kraut and tomato on top (see note below).

Cover all with the sauerkraut brine and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about ninety minutes (or, after bringing to a boil, cover and bake at 350 degrees for about as long).  Check while cooking to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot so the bottom doesn't burn.  Add water if needed.

My grandmother always served these with either potato pierogi, or mashed potatoes.  Delicious!

(Note:  If you don't have a dutch oven, these can be made in a roaster.  Sray with cooking oil first, and line with cabbage leaves. Put one layer of kraut and tomato on bottom, and then lay the cabbage rolls on top, in a single layer.  Top again with kraut and tomato.  Make sure there is enough liquid in the roaster so the little pigeons don't scorch!)

Judy's Pork with Apple Kraut

This is my favorite sauerkraut recipe, courtesy of my Aunt Judy.  It reminds me of the the delicious pork and kraut dishes served in Germany, where the sauerkraut isn't sour, but sweet, and almost always cooked with apples.     

1 pork tenderloin, cut into large pieces, or 6 pork chops
1 cup peeled, chopped, Granny Smith Apple
2 tablespoons butter
1 (16 ounce) package sauerkraut, drained
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 bay leaves
1 (10 ounce) can Campbell's French Onion Soup

Melt butter in dutch oven; add apples and saute until soft, then remove.  Add pork, and brown on all sides.
Add remaining ingredients in the following order:  sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar, bay leaves, and onion soup.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Absolutely delicious!


As alternative, after browning, you may layer pork, apples, sauerkraut and remaining ingredients in a casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Boneless Turkey Breast with Sausage and Dried Fruit Stuffing

This is well worth the effort, for it tastes as good as it looks!

Serves 4 to 10 people, depending upon size of breast.

I'd wanted to prepare this for a holiday dinner for years, but was always worried I'd end up with a kitchen-disaster, and a failed holiday menu.  If you want to experiment once first, I recommend doing so with a small turkey breast.  With some patience, you can easily debone the breast at home, or ask your butcher to do so for you.  Make sure you tell him what you intend to do with the meat, and he'll probably throw in some string!

1 whole, boneless turkey breast, butterflied  (3 to 6 pounds)

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons butter, softened

Sweet Sausage and Dried Fruit Stuffing (click here for recipe)

You'll also need:

kitchen string

cheesecloth (you can buy it in any kitchen store)

meat thermometer

meat mallet

To prepare meat:

On a very large chopping board, use a knife and your fingers, to remove skin from breast, reserving skin in one large piece.  Remove any meat that is hanging or partially attached to breast.  Turn breast over, so boned-side is up.  For a larger breast (4 - 6  pounds), slice breast down the middle (where breastbone would have been) so you have two equal pieces.  Locate the tenderloin (the thickest part of each breast half).  With a sharp knife, slice down into but NOT through the tenderloin, pushing the meat apart with your fingers so that the entire piece lays flat.

Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet, until the meat is of uniform thickness (about 3/4 of an inch thick).  Season with salt and pepper. 

I should have left myself a 1 inch border all the way around my breast.  

Stuff turkey:

Spread stuffing (about 3/4 inch thick) over turkey, leaving a 1 inch border.  Starting with one short end, roll into a log, completely enclosing the stuffing.  

I secured these with two pieces of string before I replaced the skin for ease of handling.

Wrap the reserved skin around the rolled breast (if you've cut your breast in two, do the same with the skin), making sure you completely cover the exposed seam.  

For a tighter roll, which I recommend, use cheesecloth over the skin.  My stuffing stayed in place, but the end pieces (first slices) would have been less ragged looking.  The cheesecloth also helps to keep the stuffing in-place.

For a more perfect finished product, tightly roll each breast in cheesecloth, pulling the cloth over the exposed ends, and tucking under, so the stuffing stays put (not pictured here, but recommended).  Secure each roll with kitchen string in at least two places.  Rub with butter (butter over the top of cheesecloth, if using).

Careful not to overcook, as the meat will be dry.  Tent with foil after skin browns nicely.  These were cooked perfectly.

To roast:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a roasting pan and rack, with cooking spray or olive oil.  Place the rolled breast/s in oven, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of each roll, reads 155 degrees (check after 45 minutes, and short intervals thereafter, until temp is reached).  Allow to rest on the counter for 10 more minutes (meat will continue to cook slightly while resting).

Prepare pan gravy from drippings in skillet.

Remove cheesecloth and string, then cut turkey into 3/4 inch slices.  Serve with gravy.

Mom's City Chicken

These little mock chicken legs will put a smile on every face at your table.  

What kid doesn't like eating a drumstick?  Back in the 1960's, City Chicken was considered a gourmet version of the All-American classic, and was served at dinner parties all over the northeast. Mom made them all the time, and I thought it such fun to eat meat from a stick with my fingers.

In many butcher shops in Pittsburgh, they still package the cubed meat together with the skewers - how convenient!  I was looking for a way to avoid having to fry them, and noticed a display of Shake and Bake next to the butcher case in my neighborhood market.  Bingo!  My family actually likes the Shake and Bake version better than the original breaded, fried and baked version.

1 1/2 pounds cubed, lean, veal
1 1/2 pounds cubed, lean, pork
1 egg, beaten
bread crumbs, or 1 box Shake and Bake, for chicken or pork
8 - 6 inch wooden skewers (the heavier type)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

On each skewer, alternate pieces of pork and veal.  You should have room for four pieces of meat on each skewer.  If using bread crumbs, dip each skewer in egg, and roll in bread crumbs.  If using Shake and Bake, drop each skewer in the provided plastic bag to coat - no egg needed

For bread crumbs:  brown skewers in a tablespoon of oil, in skillet.  Transfer to baking dish.
For Shake and Bake:  Transfer coated skewers to baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.  Turn over half-way through baking.  Cooking time often depends upon the size of the meat cubes, so keep an eye on them so they don't over-bake and dry-out.  Mom always served these with applesauce.