Rolled Foods

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
salt and pepper
4 oz. light cream cheese
2 Tbs. prepared pesto
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper or roasted red peppers in the jar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, opt.
1 cup corn flake crumbs

Preparation:

Pound each of the chicken breasts with a mallet between sheets of wax paper until thinned. Make a small slit in the thickest part of the breast to flatten equally. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the pesto and softened cream cheese. Spread each breast with 1/4 of the mixture, then sprinkle with basil and red pepper and roll.

Dredge the rolls in the corn flake crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool, then slice. Serve as an appetizer, or serve the rolls whole.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
4 green onions chopped
1 lb. minced turkey
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 heads Boston lettuce

Preparation:

Sauté garlic, ginger and green onions in a large frying pan for about a minute or until softened. Add the chicken and continue to cook until no longer pink--about four minutes. Add the coconut, peanuts and oyster sauce then combine and cook for one more minute or until all ingredients are warmed through. Serve the meat rolled in the lettuce.

Ingredients:

16 oz. (grams) jar vine leaves, rinsed and drained and with the stems removed
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup raw rice
1-3/4 cups water (approximately)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried dill)
1/4 cup dried mint
salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil

Preparation:

Sauté onions in oil. Add the rice and brown. Add the water, parsley, dill, mint leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer covered until water is absorbed, but the rice is only half cooked (approximately seven minutes). Add the raisins and pine nuts during the last two minutes of cooking. Add ground lamb if you like.

Place the leaf stem side up on the working surface. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center of the leaf and fold the sides up over it. Roll it up like a cigar. Layer the bottom of a large pot with grape leaves. Lay the stuffed leaves in the pot, open side down. Add enough water to the pot to half cover the stuffed leaves. Add the lemon juice.

Place a dish over the grape leaves to keep them from opening. Cover the pot and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and only a slight amount of oil remains for about 20 minutes. Serve on a platter with quartered lemons.

Turkey and Cream Cheese Roll

Spread crustless white bread with cream cheese. Layer with sliced turkey sandwich meat, roasted red pepper and basil. Roll and slice.