RELIEF FROM TURKEY AND DRESSING January 4, 2006 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Tired of the turkey and dressing routine? Here's relief.

Many food companies and commodity groups send media packets with articles and recipes to us newspaper folks. Of course, they are promoting their products, but some of the recipes look very good.

Leafing through some recent packets just before Christmas and knowing the dreaded turkey blahs were coming, I wanted recipes with some kick to try. I went with Cajun and Italian, two of my favorite cuisines. But, of course, I had to tinker with the recipes a bit.

With the chicken dish, I used reduced-fat Ranch dressing instead of regular to cut out some fat and calories. Likewise, I used a smaller piece of chicken. I also made some cosmetic changes, such as adding paprika for color.

The biggest change was that I baked the dish instead of grilling it. I'd like to credit the cold, rainy weather with this change, but the truth is I have a phobia of fire. You do what works for you. However, I can vouch for the baking directions; the grilling instructions were confusing to me.

Shrimp are expensive. I lucked up and found them on sale. You could also buy smaller shrimp than the jumbos called for in the recipe. It will take more shrimp, but smaller shrimp tend to be less expensive than larger. Think ahead to Valentines and splurge on making this recipe for that special person.

I plan to do this recipe again with another money-saving change. I'm going to coat small boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the Ranch/Cajun seasoning mix and then roll them in bread crumbs for baking (450 degrees for 15 minutes or till chicken is done). I think this should give me great Cajun faux-fried chicken.

The only change in the soup recipe was an accident. The original recipe called for sweet Italian sausage. I absentmindedly bought the mild form. You'll have a hard time convincing me that the sweet would have made a better soup.

Notice the soup calls for pickling spice. If this sounds odd to you, I assure you that this ingredient is weirdly wonderful.

Now cook -- start the new year off with good health and great taste.

The original version of this recipe was developed for Kingsford Charcoal® by a well-known barbecue chef in St. Louis, Kernis Louviere. I've included his directions for grilling along with my baked version.

Mix dressing and Cajun seasoning in medium bowl. Coat chicken with this mixture and set aside. In another bowl, combine shrimp, onions, and egg. Lay each chicken piece flat and place 1/4 of the shrimp mixture in the center. Fold sides of chicken over the filling and seal with toothpicks. Place prepared chicken in shallow baking dish and sprinkle with garlic powder. Refrigerate for 1 hour so filling firms up and chicken is easier to handle. (It's messy.) Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or till cooked and no longer pink. To serve, cut pieces in half and sprinkle with a little paprika.

Yields 4 - 6 servings.

To grill -- Light grill using Kingsford briquets. Place chicken on uncovered grill over high heat for 20 minutes, without turning. Carefully remove chicken and place each piece on an individual sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap tightly and place uncooked side of chicken on grill. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes more. Remove toothpick and cut chicken in half to serve.

Place pickling spice in center of a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Tie tightly with a long piece of string for easy removal from the pot. Cook sausage, onion, carrots, and garlic in 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring, occasionally, till sausage is cooked and vegetables are softened. Meanwhile, mash 1 can of beans in medium bowl till smooth. Add mashed beans, broth, pickling spice bundle, sage, and greens to sausage mixture. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 20 minutes or till greens are tender. Stir in remaining can of beans and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove spice bundle.

Yields 7 (1-cup) servings.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/06/06