Spring Menu Recipes

Hey Y'all here's my first attempt at "blogging" recipes for you. These two will be on our spring menu. The first recipe is actually one I got from the Biggest Loser website, but Curtis Stone. It's light and fairly simple to make. I actually served them on the rosemary skewers rather than sliding them off. It makes a more dramatic and elegant presentation.

Here are the recipes as best as I could "recompose" them for you. Most of what I make is by sight, not using exact measurements, so Hopefully it will work out for you!

Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze

INGREDIENTS

Juice of 3 oranges
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 large sprigs of rosemary about 10 to 12 inches long, with half the leaves removed

METHOD

* · Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium high heat.
* Place the orange juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the orange juice has the consistency of a very thin syrup.
* Add the Dijon, honey, garlic, and ginger and continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
* Remove from heat to allow flavors to meld and reserve.
* Evenly divide the cubed chicken among the rosemary sprigs and skewer the chicken onto the exposed part of the rosemary sprigs.
* Lightly brush the grill with oil and grill chicken for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer.
* Remove skewers from the grill to a serving plate, drizzle with the orange sauce and serve immediately.

Chardonnay Asparagus Risotto:

2 Cups arborio rice
4 Cans Chicken Stock
1-1 1/2 C Chardonnay
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
6 Asparagus spears chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/2 yellow onion chopped

METHOD:

Sautee onion in 2 Tbs butter until translucent, add rice and cook for 5 min on medium heat. Add one can of chicken stock and stir, add wine after most of stock has been absorbed into rice. Continue to add stock a cup at a time as each addition is absorbed until rice is "creamy" and cooked through.

*Sautee lightly the asparagus in 1 Tbs olive oil until just lightly cooked through. Add to Rice once rice is cooked.

*Add Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly encorporating into rice. Serve and enjoy!