Solstice Recipe's # 3

Midsummer Chicken

Skin and de-bone 4 chicken breast halves and wrap them in thick plastic or wax paper. Using the edge of a saucer (not your best china, please!) or a mallet, beat the chicken until somewhat flatter. Take a rolling pin and press and roll the chicken even flatter, about 1/4 of an inch. Pour 4 tablespoons of soy sauce into a dish. Remove the wrapping and dip each chicken breast in the sauce. Save what’s left for later.
Next, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet. Cook the chicken in the oil over medium to high heat on each side until done. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Leave the drippings in the skillet.

Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the drippings, then the left-over soy sauce.

Mince 2 tablespoons of purple onion for lust; add to the skillet.

Mince 1 clove of garlic, if desired for lust; add to skillet.

Mince 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger for success and power; add to skillet. Sauté.
Add 4 tablespoons of orange marmalade. Stir the mixture in the skillet as the marmalade melts. For love and luck, peel 2 large oranges, separate the sections and remove pulp. Lightly chop. Stir into the skillet.

sprinkle 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro over the mixture; stir in.

To finish the sauce, warm thoroughly. When ready, pour or spoon over the chicken breasts.
Makes 4 servings.

Flower Sandwiches

White bread

Milk

Cream cheese

Mint jelly

Dill pickles

Cheddar cheese

Stuffed olives

Caraway seeds

Cut thinly sliced bread with flower cookie cutters. Gradually add a small amount of milk to the cream cheese, blending until smooth. Spread one-third of the slices with softened cream cheese. Outline the top of the flowers with mint jelly and use thin slivers of dill pickle for the veins in the leaves. On one-third of the slices place a flower cut with the flower cutter from a slice of cheddar cheese and garnish the centers with a slice of stuffed olive. Spread the leaves and stems with softened cream cheese, and decorate with thin slivers of dill pickle. On the flower portions of the remaining slices spread softened cream cheese. Sprinkle caraway seeds in the center for pollen and spread the leaves and stems with mint jelly.

Honey Cakes

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Warm the honey slightly and combine with the sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift the flour with the soda and spices and stir into the honey batter thoroughly. Let the dough rest overnight. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness; cut out with a cook cutter. Brush with the slightly beaten white of an egg, press half a blanched almond into each cook and bake at 375 degrees F. for about fifteen minutes.

Honey Poached Apples

4 to 6 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths

1 cup dry sherry or apple juice

1 cup honey

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. grated ginger (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Do not boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until apples are just tender. Remove from the heat and chill in the liquid. Serves 4 to 6. serve on ice cream, cake, or just with a Little cream..

Lemon Thyme Tea bread

2 c cake flour, sifted

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp dried lemon thyme leaves

5 large eggs

8 oz butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 c sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs to creamed butter and sugar. Add zest, thyme and extracts. Add flour 1/3 cup at a time to creamed mixture. When well mixed pour into loaf pan and bake at 350* for 45-50 min or until done.

Lemon-Kissed Honey Scones

3/4 cup honey, divided

1-1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

3 Tbsp lemon juice, divided

7 cups (2 lbs) biscuit mix

Whisk together 1/2 cup honey, milk, eggs, and 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir into biscuit mix until a soft dough forms. If mixture is too dry, sprinkle with 1-2 Tbsp of additional milk. Gather dough into ball. Knead several times on flour-coated work surface until dough incorporates. Roll out dough into 1/2-inch thick rectangle (8x12-inches); fold into quarters. Roll out again into 1/2-inch rectangle about 8x12-inches. Cut into 24 2" squares; arrange 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool slightly.
For glaze, warm together 1/4 cup honey and remaining 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Brush top of scones with mixture. Scones can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to six weeks.

Rosemary Biscuits

1 - 3 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups of biscuit mix

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp chopped fresh or dried rosemary

CUT cream cheese into biscuit mix with a pastry fork until crumbly, add milk and rosemary, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. TURN biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times. PAT or ROLL dough to 3/4 inch thickness; cut diagonally with a knife into one inch diamonds. BAKE at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or, until lightly browned.
YIELD : 2 dozen biscuits