moving right along...

I wanted to post something, anything, to move beyond the last post. Suffer the little children...shouldn't be taken out of context. But what to put? I was saddened to read that Weird Al's parents died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Other than that I haven't really paid much attention to the news today. I am still reading through the stack of magazines I bought at my last lunch with Anne, and am working on the last article for this month's issue, the article I forgot I signed up for--"Painting your garage floor." My editor is also throwing some other work my way, some website copy writing. I need to come up with some special way to thank that woman for opening doors in the writing world for me that would have been closed to someone with no portfolio or professional experience.

Dinner tonight, for those who are playing along at home, is a beef version of "chicken cigars" as seen on The Food Network's "30 Minute Meals." Phyllo dough, two sheets, filled with ground chicken (or beef tonight). Here's how it's done in this house:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Fry a few slices of bacon till crispy. Brown and drain ground chicken (or beef), with small slices of celery, seasoned with chili powder and cumin, or whatever you like if you want to change the taste. Add toasted almond slivers and crumbled bacon, and spoon along one edge of the phyllo. Roll the phyllo up into a 1 inch "cigar" and brush with melted butter. Cut into 4 even pieces and brush on a little more butter. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Yum!

Play with the filling, it is delicious in so many different ways.

Here is Rachel Ray's original recipe for Chicken Cigars. Try it, it is delicious and EASY!

Something that would go beautifully with this is Italian-style green beans. Take fresh green beans and sautee them up in a little olive oil. Sprinkle Italian seasonings and Italian bread crumbs over the top and keep sauteeing till the beans are al dente, with some body left in them. Put them on a plate with a little more Italian bread crumbs sprinkled on top, and a shake or two of grated Parmesan cheese (not too much!) These also benefit from something with a little crunch added in, like some more of that crisp bacon or toasted almond slivers.

Remember, sometimes a cigar is just....dinner. :)