Chicken Alfredo

Pasta is one dish I never order in a restaurant because it's so easy and inexpensive to make at home. Like this Chicken Alfredo. The most time consuming part of this dish is cooking the pasta. I make mine with angel hair because the sauce sticks to the noodles more. 

 Chicken Alfredo

Serves 4

Both breasts from rotisserie chicken

8 ounces angel hair pasta

¼ cup butter

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cusp fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chives (optional)

I use chives because we have them in our garden. It’s not worth buying chives for this dish, so the chives are optional. Also, I love basil in alfredo but you can skip it if you’re not crazy about basil.

Do not salt your sauce until the end because there is a lot of salt in cheese.

This dish comes together quickly at the end, so have everything prepped.

First, put water on to boil for pasta.

Then remove the chicken breasts and the skin and chop chicken into chunks and set aside.

Slice basil and chop parsley.

When water is ready, add the pasta

Cook pasta according to aldente directions on the box, strain and set aside.

In a large skillet , heat butter and garlic for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan, chicken, pasta and basil. Cook 2 minutes until sauce sticks to pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
This photo does not do this dish justice. Just know it's delicious!

Day two of Easter desserts: My Pavlova

I am not sure what I will make for Easter, but I have been whipping up these desserts for my columns in the Joplin Globe, MO and Claremore Daily Progress in Claremore, Ok. This will likely be on the menu.

 I made a Pavlova, which hails from New Zealand. 
I made a Pavlova, which hails from New Zealand (there

Pavlova is a meringue dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (a New Zealand chef created this in her honor). It has a crusty exterior but the center is soft and tastes like a marshmallow. I used vanilla and coconut extract to flavor my meringue, but you can be playful and use anything from almond to raspberry extract (just plan your filling accordingly).

You can fill a Pavlova with anything, too, but I filled mine with store-bought lemon curd, whipped topping and Grand Marnier marinated blackberries. If you don’t have Grand Marnier, it may not be worth buying a bottle because it’s expensive. You could substitute sherry, another orange liqueur, or omit the alcohol and just soak berries in 2 tablespoons orange juice, if desired. This also excellent with blueberries or raspberries or a combination.

Pavlova’s are light and so even if you’re stuffed after the meal, you can still squeeze in a little dessert.

Enjoy

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Grand Marnier Soaked Blackberries

For the Pavlova:

5 large egg whites

1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

2 teaspoons corn starch

Parchment paper

For the filling

1 (10-ounce) jar lemon curd

2 cups whipped topping

1 ½ cups fresh blackberries or raspberries

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

For the Pavlova:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Beat egg whites on high speed (or meringue setting if your mixer has one) for 1 minute. Then gradually start adding the sugar, only 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form. Then fold in both types of extract and corn starch.

Spread mixture onto parchment paper, making it an 11-inch circle of oval. Shape with spatula; you want the sides slightly higher than the center because you’re going to fill the center.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. Then turn off the oven, but leave the door ajar and leave the Pavlova in the oven another hour.

The center will be collapsed, which is fine because you want to fill it.

While it cools, place blackberries in a bowl and add Grand Marnier. Set aside.

When it’s time to fill Pavlova, fill with whipped topping and spread that in the center. Then take teaspoons at a time of the lemon curd and drop dollops around the center. Cover with blackberries and serve. Note: for the sake of the photo, I left space to see the lemon curd to show contrasting colors, but I would cover the top in berries when serving.

Easy Easter Macaroon Nests

It's not chicken, but it's delicious. For the next few days, I am taking a break from my rotisserie chicken and sharing some great Easter desserts with you.
These macaroon nests are the BEST macaroons I've ever tried.
Instead of just egg whites, I use sweetened condensed milk. My husband came home the other night and I handed him a cookie and he said "I only want half." I said "Trust me, you will want the whole thing. I used sweetened condensed milk." That's his weakness. He took a bite and said "You're right. Can I have another?"


If children are going to be part of the celebration, you have to try my macaroon nests. These are absolutely delicious, and so easy for children to make. There’s only five ingredients and you mix it by hand, so you don’t have to mess with a beater and there’s no flour to spill all over the floor.

If the cookies don’t bake up into perfect rounds, when you take them out of the oven, you can shave off any edges and reshape them slightly while still warm. My recipe only makes about 10 cookies, but they are good size and the recipe can easily be doubled if that’s not enough.

Once you’ve filled the macaroon nests with jellybeans or a candy egg of your choice, them place them on a long platter and use it to decorate the center of the table. 

If you don't like the idea of food dye, leave them white.

These are gluten-free!

Macaroon Nests

Makes 10

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

2 1/3 cups shredded sweet coconut

4 drops green food coloring (optional)

Jelly beans or candy eggs of some sort

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, whisk egg white for 20 seconds, until frothy. Whisk in vanilla and condensed milk and food coloring until combined. Stir in coconut until combined.

Spread a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spoon about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons onto parchment paper and form a nest. Use your thumb to press gently down on the center to make an indentation so you can fill it later, but be sure not to press all the way through. You just need a little spot in the center. If you press through, the cookie may not hold its shape.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool before placing candy eggs in the nest.

Jordanian inspired Chicken in Filo Dough

My initial inspiration for this recipe was a Moroccan filo pie, but it was extremely complicated and used tons of spices. So when I started to simplify this in my head, I remembered a dish I learned to make when I took a cooking class in Jordan. It was a delicious chicken seasoned with coriander, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.

So I combined both culinary inspirations and came up with this dish, which is excellent! I am thrilled with the results. I didn’t need to tweak, it’s simply delicious.

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 very large red onion (or two mediums)

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

½ cup Pomegranate infused dried cranberries (or substitute raisins)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup chicken broth

1 roll of Filo dough

1/3 cup melted butter for brushing

Directions

Thaw filo dough according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice onion and set aside. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat, then add onion and spices and saute for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook 5 more minutes. Then add dried cranberries, tomato paste and broth. Cover dish and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove lid and pop mixture in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Use a deep dish pie pan and layer several layers of filo dough on the bottom with the sides hanging over the pie pan. Brush with melted butter. Do this until you’ve used half the dough. Then fill the filo dough with chicken mixture. Place the rest of the filo dough, adding two sheets at a time and quickly brushing with butter, until you have added all the dough and tuck it all in the sides of the pie pan, like a little present.

Brush with remaining butter. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until golden on top. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

This dish can be served as an appetizer or main course.

It pairs well with a Riesling or a beer.

Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport is worth a visit

Here's an article I wrote today in the Joplin Globe. If you need a spring road trip idea, try this:

By Juliana Goodwin

For the Joplin Globe

Missouri’s third largest winery is tops in my book.

Les Bourgeois Winery, nestled on a bluff in Rocheport, has it all: a great selection of wine; a spectacular view of the Missouri River; a lovely restaurant; and an American success story.

This family-owned vineyard was started by Curtis and Martha Bourgeois who hailed from Louisiana. In 1974, they bought 15 acres of bluff top property on the Missouri River and relocated to the Show-Me state.

Initially, they planted grapes to beautify their land and make wine as a hobby.

But in 1985, they had a huge harvest- five tons of grapes that yielded nearly 500 gallons of wine—which they sold to a winery in Rolla.  It was then that the family realized the potential for a vineyard.

A year later, they renovated a building on their property, added a sales counter and opened as “Les Bourgeois Winery.”

 In two months, their entire vintage of “Jeunette Rouge” sold out.

In time, they began to buy more land and plant more grapes. In 1994, they purchased more bluff top property adjacent to their home to build a bistro.

 Their son, Stephen Bourgeois, an architect, designed the Blufftop Bistro, which is a gorgeous restaurant and a must if you visit. Aside from good food, the view is fantastic.

 If you visit the winery, first stop at the tasting room for a free tasting. You can sample six wines for free or the entire menu of 23 wines, for $8 per person.  The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I was just there to celebrate my birthday and the staff were friendly and helpful.

I prefer dry wines and Les Bourgeois has a good selection. 

Most of my favorites sips were in the “Collector’s Series” which are higher-end wines. Wine is all about personal taste, but my top picks were:

The Collector’s Series 2013 Vidal Blanc: it was a crisp, vibrant, dry white with citrus flavors.

The Collector’s Series 2011 Syrah: is one of the best Missouri reds I’ve tasted (but in fairness, they bring in California grapes for this wine). It was a full bodied red with hints of pepper, smoke and berries. I loved it and this was my overall favorite.

Collector’s Series 2012 Valvin Muscat: was very unusual. It struck a lovely balance between sweet and semi-dry. It had strong flavors of orange but hints of pineapple, melon, and strawberry.

I also loved the Vignoles. Vignoles tends to be my favorite Missouri varietal and I drink it in the summer when it’s hot because it’s a refreshing wine (even though I don’t typically like sweet wine and many Vignoles are sweet). This one was dryer than most and had a beautiful floral bouquet, with apricot undertones.

Again, I typically do not like Rose, but there was a sparkling Brut Rose that was light, lively, floral and had hints of berries.  This sparkling wine received a gold medal of excellence at the Jefferson Cup Invitational Competition, a wine competition.

The great thing about wine tasting is it opens you up to things you might never try but end up enjoying.

After the wine tasting, we headed to the Blufftop Bistro, which is one of my favorite Missouri restaurants.

First, the architecture is stunning and it has great ambience.  Huge windows look out on the Missouri River Valley.  You can sit a table draped in a white linen tablecloth and admire the scenery or the sunset.

 Dinner is pricey, but I think it’s worth it. My favorite main course is the filet: it’s melt-in-your mouth tender, served with mashed potatoes, and topped with a red wine demi-glace ($36).

This time, we were between meals so we only had salads and appetizers to choose from. We ordered the meat board and sent it back because we disliked it. They replaced it with a hummus board, which was great. We also had a nice house salad.

If you plan to have dinner in the bistro, make reservations in advance because it’s a popular restaurant in high season or on weekend.

If you don’t want to eat, you can savor a glass of wine on the balcony at the Blufftop Bistro and still enjoy the gorgeous views.

Spring is a lovely time to visit the winery, before it gets too hot outside. And if you’ve never been to Rocheport, be sure to pencil in a little time to walk around there, too.   Rocheport is a quaint town with lovely little antique shops, cafes and bed and breakfasts. The Katy trail runs through here the countryside is beautiful for a bike ride or short drive.

As the weather warms, Les Bourgeois Winery is a perfect place to explore.

 Want to go?

Les Bourgeois Winery, 14020 W. Hwy. BB, Rocheport. Wine tasting daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Blufftop Bistro is closed Mondays. There are limited winter hours, too. For a complete list, check the website. There’s a cool feature at the bottom of the website that allows you to try and calculate when the sun will set so you can be there for that. Visit: http://missouriwine.com/hours/

Read more about my trip to Iceland

I had an article in the News-Leader today about my trip to Iceland. Check it out

http://www.news-leader.com/story/life/2015/03/14/iceland-northern-lights-much/24713277/

Baby Kale, Strawberry, Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette (OMG)

 Baby Kale, Strawberry, Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette (OMG)

This salad is incredible and comes together so quickly. It's perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot summer night. It's a restaurant quality salad on the table in less than 10 minutes.

And it's healthy.

Kale is packed with vitamins K, A and C, (a serving has more than 800 percent of your daily vitamin K needs);  walnuts have Omega 3 fatty acids, and the nuts and chicken give it protein to keep you full longer.

However, sunflower seeds do add a lot of calories and fat, so if you're watching your waistline, you may want to omit those and double up on strawberries.

A sprinkle of goat cheese crumbles is great on this salad, too.

If you can't find baby kale, you can substitute spinach or arugula. I bought baby kale in a plastic tub next to other salad greens.

It's important to use honey roasted sunflower seeds as it adds sweetness. I used applewood smoked chicken, but that is not available at all stores, so regular is fine. I would stick with traditional and not use a lemon-pepper chicken.

Dress this salad with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette. I used Walmart's generic brand, Great Value, and it was awesome. Enjoy this healthy, EASY meal.



Baby Kale, Strawberry, Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette

3 cups baby kale greens
2 tablespoons honey roasted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons candied or glazed walnuts
4 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chopped rotisserie chicken
1 tablespoon dried cranberries (optional)
Your favorite raspberry vinaigrette

Spread kale on a large plate. Top with all the other ingredients. Toss with vinaigrette and serve.

 I like this with a crisp white wine.

Julianna Goodwin - 3/9/15 - OzarksFirst.com

Watch me make my bourbon banana shortcake on Ozarks Live Julianna Goodwin - 3/9/15 - OzarksFirst.com

Rosemary Chicken Salad

Last summer, my husband grew loads of rosemary and I still have some dried rosemary to use up before we start planting again. 

 I love rosemary and enjoy it in so many recipes. My husband didn’t like the idea, but when he tasted it, he was won over.

I love chicken salad, too, and I constantly experiment with different recipes. This is one of my favorites (although I make a killer curried chicken salad).

 I’d serve it on ciabatta or grilled Italian or French bread.  It’s also excellent as an appetizer on Ritz crackers.

Rosemary Chicken Salad

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2/3 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (could substitute red if you need)

1 heaping tablespoon chopped, dried rosemary

Garlic salt to taste

Combine chicken, onion and celery and set aside.

In another bowl, mix mayonnaise, vinegar, rosemary and garlic salt. I added ¼ teaspoon of garlic salt but I like it salty, so I would salt to taste.

Stir together both mixes and enjoy. This is better the next day so I suggest making it in advance.

Where have I been? Iceland. Check it out

My blog has been stagnant for a week because I’ve been in Iceland. I got back Monday, but yesterday was my birthday, so I just focused on me.


But today, I am back at blogging. Tomorrow, I will have a rotisserie chicken recipe, but today I want to share some of my adventure.

Iceland was awesome and so beautiful!

.Back in September, my sister called me and said there was a great Groupon to Iceland for about $800 with airfare and hotel from NYC. The trip included daily breakfast.

I was sold.

Seeing the Northern Lights has always been on my bucket list, so I bought the Groupon on the spot and on Feb, 25, my sister and I were Iceland-bound.

It;s only a five hour flight from JFK and six hours coming back,.









Iceland is home to 130 volcanoes and uses geothermal heat to power the island. It has about 320,000 residents in the whole country, with the majority in Reykjavik.

I came to see the Northern Lights, but I was also excited to see the Blue Lagoon. I have to say, I think the Blue Lagoon ended up being my highlight. It was spectacular.

That's my sister

We spent two hours in the geothermal water. There’s a bar there and they limit everyone to three drinks, which was a good thing because no one was drunk and obnoxious.

After soaking in the water for two hours, we ate lunch at LAVA, a restaurant that overlooks the lagoon. We had a three course meal and it was lovely.



I love how they served the butter on a slab of lava. This sundried tomato bread was unreal!


My beet salad




Pineapple and coconut sorbet

On our third day, we took a Golden Circle tour, which took us to the tallest waterfall in Europe.




Then we visited a geyser. I haven't seen one of those since I was a child




And on our last night, I finally saw the Northern Lights. We tried the first night but didn't see anything. They canceled the tour on the second night because there was a zero out of 9 chance of seeing them.

The last night, it was a 4 out of 9 and we saw plenty of them. Stunning stuff.





Courtesy Dennis Sawchuk








Dennis Sawchuk, a man I met on our tour, took these photos of the Northern Lights. I wasn’t able to capture them.








It was an incredible adventure and I would recommend Iceland for sure. It was my 57th country! Woo Hoo. My goal is to visit 100, so I am almost 60 percent towards my goal.