Panko Mustard Chicken

Another delicious, yet deceptively easy recipe. I recommend the panko (japanese style) whole-wheat bread crumbs - for their slightly nutty flavor and crisper texture; although regular crumbs as just fine. I also highly recommend making this recipe using Sugarbush Farm's Maple Horseradish Mustard...to die for!

Panko Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, washed & patted dry
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. Dijon or maple-horseradish mustard
• 1/2 c. whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Mix melted butter, garlic and mustard. Set aside.
3. Mix panko/bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper. Set aside.
4. Dip chicken in mustard sauce and coat on both sides.
5. Place chicken "cozily" in a small baking pan.
6. Top each breast with ample crumb mixture.
7. Bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe modified from Cooks.com

Maple Syrup Recipes

During late March and early April, you can't drive down a Vermont back road without the sweet and steamy aroma of boiling maple sap wafting in from a nearby sugarhouse. So I thought it timely to share some links to Maple recipes.

• Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association
• Vermont Public Radio (scroll down a bit)
• Vermonter.com
• RuralVermont's recipes from southern VT Inns
• Carman Brook Maple and Dairy Farm
• Pieces of Vermont Grade B recipes

And thanks to a soon-to-be-gone jar of fresh Maple Cream from our friends at Howling Hound Homemade, miniMaple's recommended recipe is a thin layer of maple cream spread on a blueberry Eggo waffle. A two year old, with sweet maple cream, on a waffle... a WHOLE new meaning to "Le'go my Eggo!"

1st image: "Sugaring" Oil Painting by Michael McGovern, courtesy of woodstockvt.com

2nd image: GRUPPE, Emile; American (1896-1978); "Maple Sugaring, Vermont"; Oil on Canvas, 1952; courtesy of clarkegalleries.com

Helen Hosmer's Wassail Recipe

I stumbled across this recipe today and wanted to ensure it didn't get lost as it was passed down through my music fraternity over the years. I was quite honored to sing at this amazing educator's bedside a week before her passing.

was·sail n. 1: an early English toast to someone's health. 2: a hot drink that is made with wine, beer, or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples and is traditionally served in a large bowl especially at Christmastime. 3: riotous drinking:revelry.

Wassail Recipe of Helen M. Hosmer

Ingredients and Directions

To each gallon of cider add:

• 3 tsp. Allspice
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• ½ tsp. Nutmeg
• 4 sticks of cinnamon
• 8 oranges, juice of (or 2 cans frozen concentrate)
• 4 lemons, juice of (or 1 can frozen lemonade)
• Up to 2 cups sugar

Let mixture slowly come to a boil and serve hot.
Recipe meant to be improvised.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

We tried this recipe the other night. A quick, family meal that is easy to assemble and generally nutritious.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients

• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
2. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.
3. PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.
4. BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 310 / Total fat 7g / Saturated fat 3g / Cholesterol 80mg /
Sodium 710mg / Carbohydrate 25g / Dietary fiber 2g / Sugars 4g /
Protein 33g / Vitamin A 10%DV /Vitamin C 15%DV /
Calcium 20%DV / Iron 15%DV / WW POINTS = 6
Recipe and photo courtesy of Kraft Foods.