Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Leeks and Wild Mushroom Stuffing! With the holiday season on the horizon, here’s a tasty side dish that is sure to please. If you have the time, I suggest substituting homemade breadcrumbs (which is about one loaf of day-old bread) for the stuffing mix. I split the difference and added homemade croutons on top of the casserole. 
LEEKS AND WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING 
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces shiitake wild 

mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large leeks, sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

6 ounce box chicken stuffing 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a covered casserole dish. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the wild mushrooms and sauté until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. Using the same pan, add one tablespoon olive oil. Sauté leeks and celery until translucent, approximately 7-8 minutes. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth, butter, and parsley flakes. Bring to a boil. Stir in contents of stuffing mix. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Fold in wild mushrooms, leeks, and celery. Stir until well combined. Transfer stuffing mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Bake covered for 20 minutes; remove lid and bake 20 minutes longer. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter R

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Rolled Fillets of Chicken! There seems to be a hundred ways of serving chicken, but I like this one best because it makes a savory meal that is also filling. Split one serving with your partner and add another vegetable side dish for a healthy alternative. I omitted salt in lieu of herbs. 
ROLLED FILLETS OF CHICKEN
Ingredients:

1 pkg. Stove Top Chicken Stuffing

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/4 teaspoon thyme 

1/4 teaspoon parsley

4 chicken breasts

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup chopped celery
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium pan, bring one cup chicken broth and seasonings to a boil. Add stuffing mix and diced celery. Mix, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes. Flatten chicken breasts with a rolling pin. Fill with stuffing and roll up. Place seam side down in covered casserole dish. Sprinkle herbs on top. Surround chicken with celery and carrots. Add one cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the dish to keep it from going dry. Cover tightly. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove lid and butter tops of chicken. Then sprinkle with parsley. Bake 5 minutes longer uncovered. 
*The pan drippings can be made into gravy or simply spoon the juice over the chicken for a moist finish. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Mushroom Caps! It you like mushrooms, you’ll be happy to know this is a meal in itself. If you wish to be the star of the next gathering, fix a platter and it becomes a very impressive appetizer to share!
MUSHROOM CAPS 
Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh white mushroom caps, stems removed

1 box of Low-Sodium Stove Top Stuffing 

4 tablespoons butter

1 pinch parsley

1 pinch rosemary 

1 pinch thyme

1 pinch sage

1 stalk celery, chopped finely

1 10-ounce can chicken breast in water, drained
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare stuffing mix according to directions on box but add extra herbs when preparing. Once the dressing is finished, gently add the celery and cut-up chicken breast pieces. Mix well. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange in a shallow baking dish, cavity side up. Bake 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through. The mushrooms should appear golden on top. Serve warm.