(One of My Own) Chicken Cordon Bleu with Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto and Baby Swiss

I was a little overly excited about the new HyVee grocery store that recently went up in Manhattan, KS. I was even more “overly excited” to make use of it. It's the closest thing around here to the type of stores I was blessed to live near in Oakland- Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, Piedmont Grocers, The Berkeley Bowl ...all the specialty grocers that sell above average foods. With all these farmers and such out here in Kansas, you'd think they could do better than just HyVee and a bunch of Wal-Marts. I guess they’re just not the health nuts I was used to living around on the West coast. Sad!

This was my first in what I hope to be one specialty meal per week. I picked this recipe from a cookbook for bachelors. I made it just a little more exquisite that what the recipe was calling for. It called for skinless, boneless chicken which is what I used. It also called for slices of cooked ham. For a bachelor, or anyone on a tight budget, that means packaged lunch meat ham! I bought ham but in a moment of thrill at my preparing such a masterpiece, I accidentally used the prosciutto for each piece of chicken. Oh well! I also used a slice of baby Swiss per chicken. So, I got that part right! I coated the chicken breasts in 3 tablespoons of flour mixed with one teaspoon of paprika. I browned each side of the chicken in a saucepan. Once browned, I added roughly a 1/2 cup of chicken broth and a 1/2 cup of white cooking wine. The smell was the best part after the taste. It reminded me of those special dinners my grandmother used to cook in her Pacific Heights apartment in San Francisco. I was completely brought back to those evenings (normally Christmas, Easter, or random birthday dinners). I watched my grandmother cook those meals which she always served with peas and pearl onions no matter what the dish was. Anyone too young for wine were served milk or fruit juice in goblet shaped small laced edge drinking glasses. Just drinking out of what looked like a wine glass was enough to make a little kid feel adult-like.
Anyways, I used toothpicks to keep the prosciutto and Swiss in the chicken and simmered for 30 minutes.
The asparagus was easy. I used the gas oven though I could have used the toaster oven. I wrapped the prusciutto and Swiss (Swiss first) around three stalks each. I cooked each threesome for 15 minutes in a 450' preheated oven.
The sauce for the chicken cordon bleu was basic. I used the cookbook's recipe though I didn't realize I could have looked for a better one online. It was heavy cream mixed with corn starch. I simmered it until it was thick. It was bland and I didn't know what to use to give it some flavor. It didn't call for salt but I threw in a small amount. If I had found something to add to the cream sauce, I think it really could have complimented the chicken.
The chicken was very nicely tendered and juicy. I could taste the white wine flavor which wasn't overly strong. It was perfect. I'll certainly have this again, though I'll find another asparagus recipe. Not because I don't like prosciutto. Far from it! It's just a little too expensive!

Egg Rolls and Fried Rice/ Frosted Apple Pecan Cake- 9/25/09

Egg rolls are the french fries of the East. Of course, they're much better tasting and certainly more filling. Unlike fries, I think they can go with any Asian or Asian style dish. This was a vegetable egg roll served with fried rice. It's drenched with a sweet red pepper sauce. I think this is one of the best food pictures I've taken yet! The only "probrem" (sorry- the Asian accent is a little inside, I know) is that the fried rice looks cold. Maybe it's the color, maybe that of the plate it is on? Nevertheless, the white table cloth is perfect with a contrasting random black vase behind the dish.

The frosted apple pecan cake was served at the same lunch but not in the same line with the egg rolls up above. Anything desert made with apple is always delicious. Pecan, of course, goes really well with apple. It is a pairing that ranks second to cinnamon. Royal purple and white- Kansas State colors. Shnazzy, huh!!

Huevos Rancheros- 09/15/09

I was up at 7am and made it to Derby by 8:30! That was just enough time to take pictures before my 9:30 class.

This is clearly something easy to prepare. Two fried eggs, salsa, re fried beans (served with an ice cream scoop- how school cafeteria-ish!!) grated cheddar, all on a flour tortilla. I guess a corn tortilla would work as well? It looks impressive for an early breakfast. To me, it just looked filling All I could say is I wish I had added more fruit to the back ground. But a pear is good enough!

Vegetable Souffle with Cheese Sauce - 09/10/09

It was a busy day that Thursday. My class was out at 12:45 and I had to rush to my car, drive down Manhattan Blvd. to Derby Hall no later than 1:15 to snap some pictures of this vegetable souffle with cheese sauce, then rush back to Kedzie Hall for my 2:30-4:20 class. Afterwards, I had to head back to Derby right away for a photo session with the Kansas State Fair meal.

A souffle is pretty much a "slice of cake" made with dinner items rather than desert items. This souffle pictured, I was told, was mostly broccoli and spinach.
I must say that I've often wondered if broccoli is an Italian word. It looks Italian. I thought that the word itself became Americanized. It should be pronounced "bra-co-lee." (Add your own Italian accent here).

The souffle seems like a "let-all" dish. Anything can become a souffle- cheese, chicken, tuna, chocolate! Allrecipes.com lists 44 souffle recipes which includes a coffee souffle, a jalapeno souffle, and even a cheddar cheese sandwich souffle.

But the vegetable souffle like this one is a classic. It's common but still keeps a gourmet nature. The cheese sauce makes it casual. This is the kind of meal I could see a college student prepare to impress his girlfriend- or vica versa. Personally, I would have added red peppers to this dish for color. I can't see peppers being unfit to put in with the spinach and "bra-co-lee!"

Cajun- 09/17/09

Cajun food is something I'm not too familiar with. I think there is some French influence there...I don't know. But it's damn good. (Don't southerners say "damn" a lot?) What else does one need to know! So, Derby had a "Rajun Cajun" night where they served up blackened chicken, rice pilaf, bread alligator (Alligator wasn't bad, actually. Very spicy as is expected of cajun) garden jambalaya *not pictured- ooops!, shrimp etoufee *also, not pictured...mega-ooops, and Louisiana praline pie. I think the chefs through in "Louisiana" before "praline" for aesthetic purposes only. I can't find a recipe for a "Louisiana praline pie."

Muffuleta on Focaccia- 08/27/09

The Italians are the masters of everything! They have all aspects of love and romance down. What follows after love is food- it's a breeze to them! What Italian dish is not appetizing?

From what I understand, the muffuleta sandwich has a lot of popularity in New Orleans.

The one I was assigned to photograph was served at Kansas State- Derby Hall on an evening celebrating Italian breads. It was prepared with provolone cheese, turkey, black olives, peppers, tomatoes, and a vinaigrette.

Muffuleta is normally prepared on a round loaf of bread and can prove impossible to finish in one sitting. Just looking at this picture, I can't help pair it up with a cold Italian Birra Moretti or maybe a Sam Adams! This sandwich was prepared by students at Kansas State Derby Hall.