Now I know why some kids eat paste. Flour + water + time = fermenting sourdough starter. AKA paste. Good news: it is bubbling along much better since I got it thicker and "feeding" it a couple times a day instead of just once a day.
Last night we tried a chicken cordon bleu casserole. I know, I know...the words "Cordon Bleu" and "casserole" never belong in the same sentence, let alone the same recipe.
But I don't have a pounding mallet and I didn't have any easy way to flatten the breasts for the classic dish, so I thought I'd give a casserole version a shot.
The idea has potential, but needs some serious modifications: the breasts may be better served by sauteeing for a few minutes to reduce the cooking time and wateriness; bread crumbs (not stuffing mix - it really overpowered the flavors); and a decent white sauce (sans cream-of-anything soup.) And a bit of Dijon mustard in the sauce. We're going to try it again one of these days with those changes and see what happens. I also fixed Spanish green beans. The beans were okay, but it's probably better with more tender snap beans, not Italian-style cut beans, and ideally made with fresh beans and tomatoes, instead of frozen and canned respectively. Read: it was not the best meal I ever fixed. Live and learn.
Next week's menu will have even more chicken dishes - chicken marsala and the old standby hot chicken salad for a make-ahead company's coming dish for next Sunday night.
Alas, my dreams of bagging square Fiesta plates at a deep discount were dashed when I discovered Belk only carries the 3-piece place settings, not open stock. I don't need the mugs or bowls (cute as they may be) and I *do* need salad or lunch-size plates. The hunt continues...
