Salmon Pâté with Crostini

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced into 16 pieces diagonally
¼ c olive oil
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 T lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
½ cup Greek nonfat yogurt
1T fresh dill finely chopped
salt & pepper
fresh dill and capers for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.

2. Place the sliced bread onto a baking sheet. Brush each slice with a little olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of your food processor, add the cream cheese and pulse 2-3 times. Add the salmon, shallots, lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and dill. Pulse a few time until combined and reached desired smoothness (I like my pâté a bit chunky). Season with salt and pepper. Place the salmon pâté in bowl, terrine, or mold, and place in refrigerator until chilled firm, about 3 hours.

4. Remove ½ hour before serving. Decorate the top with dill and capers. Serve with crostini.

Tips & Tricks

• The differences between a mouse and a pâté are texture. A mouse is pureed smooth, where a pâté is a little chunky. So do as you prefer.

• This pâté can be made 3 days is advance.

• Serve the pâté with crostini, bagels, chips, or crackers. It is fantastic as a filling for tea sandwiches or if pureed smoothly can be used as a filling for stuffing cherry tomatoes or on top of cucumbers.

Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes & Arugula

Ingredients

1½ pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

6T oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped and drained; set aside 5T of the oil

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

4T capers, drained

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3T sherry, champagne vinegar

½ cup fresh basil, torn into bite size piece

Salt & pepper

8 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Olive oil

1 pound arugula, washed

2T lemon juice

1. Cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Chop the sundried tomatoes and place in a medium size bowl.

2. Peel and slice the shallots into thin rings. Add to the tomatoes.

3. Combine the tomatoes, shallots, capers, garlic, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil. Mix together and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit 10-15 minutes so flavors can combine. Right before serving, add the basil. Stir until combined.

4. Put a chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your hand flat on top of the chicken.

5. Using a sharp knife, slice the rounded side of the chicken breast working toward the other side, making sure not to cut all the way thought to the other side. Unfold the breast it should looks like a “butterfly”.

6. Take a piece of plastic wrap and place on top of the chicken. Lightly pound the chicken with a mallet until chicken breasts are of uniform thickness. If the piece is very large, cut the pounded piece in half. Set aside and repeat with each breast.

7. Place a sauté pan on medium-high heat; add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

8. Pat three or four chicken breasts dry with a paper towel; season with salt and pepper.

9. Place the chicken into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is brown and it releases and turns easily. Flip the breasts and cook the other side another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.

10. Transfer chicken breasts to a platter. If needed, add more oil to the pan. Continue cooking the breasts until all the chicken has been cooked.

11. Toss the arugula with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

12. To serve, place the arugula on a plate or platter. Top with sautéed chicken. Spoon the tomato mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Use any small tomatoes, whether they are red, yellow, or green. I like the cherry & grapes, but you could use chopped tomatoes too.

• Try to use sundried tomatoes with no sulfates. (I’ll save those for my wine! ☺)

• You don’t need to wash of the capers; the brine adds the perfect amount of saltiness.

• If you can’t find sherry vinegar, use champagne or balsamic. It adds just the perfect balance of acidity.

• This sauce is positively addictive, and goes well with so many things. Try it on top of pork, beef, or even a grill piece of fish. YUM.