Spring Chicken Ragout
Serves 4

2 whole chicken breasts, bone in, split and skinned
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons oil
1 and ¾ cup homemade or canned chicken stock
4 canned plum tomatoes, quartered
12 baby carrots or 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 leek, well cleaned, split lengthwise and sliced
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

1) Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet, add chicken and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides; about 7 minutes.

2) Add stock and tomatoes; bring to a boil and cover.  Cover on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, then remove the chicken and set aside.

3) Add carrots to skillet and cook, covered until almost tender, about 5 minutes. 

4) In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon oil.  Add asparagus and leeks and cook until golden on the edges; about 7 minutes.  Pull chicken from the bone and shred in large bite-size pieces.  Return chicken to skillet along with asparagus and leeks. 

Serve over egg noodles.  Garnish with parsley

Parslied Egg Noodles
Serves 4

1 tablespoon salt
8 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt and noodles.  Cook until tender; about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.  Transfer to pretty bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat noodles.  Serve immediately or keep warm with foil.

 

 

Vanilla and Blueberry Trifle
Serves 6

½ of a vanilla/yellow cake from a 9 x 13 pan cut into 1 inch cubes
Vanilla pudding
Blueberries

Vanilla Puddling:
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 and ½ cups milk
5 large egg yolks
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 and ½ teaspoon vanilla

In heavy-bottom sauce pan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Whisk in milk and eggs yolks.  Stir constantly over medium heat scraping down sides and whisking smooth.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.  Take off heat and whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of butter and the vanilla.  Let pudding cool.

Using small, pretty dessert bowls/cups, layer cake cubes, then pudding, and finish with blueberries.