Memorial & Mascarpone

Oh hey, another weekend recap, because apparently that’s just what I do now. I ended up taking Tuesday off work, and man, four days in a row away from work is almost too much. My typing speed is like 23 words per minute and I can barely remember how to log onto my phone to check voicemails. It’s like when you were a kid and summer break was over and at your first day back in school your handwriting was just horrible ‘cause it had been three months since you had to even write anything.

Did no one else have that issue??

Anyway, four days off means it was a good mix of hyper productivity and laziness. I purged about half my closet, did 5 loads of laundry, took a nap, took a trip to my fave thrift store, ate out for brunch at Hazel's, went boating at the lake, hung out with the parents and in laws, and cooked a dang good meal.

I have always loved fresh mozzarella in any form, but Caprese salad is always the classic. Pair that with a simple grilled chicken for your protein, and leave room for dessert. SHUT UP IT’S A HOLIDAY.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Mixed Greens Caprese Salad

-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed

-1 bag mixed greens

-1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed

-1 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch chunks

-4-5 large basil leaves, rinsed and torn into smaller pieces

-1/4 cup balsamic reduction (I bought premade- you could make your own, but it is time consuming)

-1 tablespoon olive oil (I had a basil infused olive oil on hand, but reg is just fine)

-Salt and pepper

Go heat up that grill (or grill pan). Place chicken between two sheets of plastic and pound with a meat mallet to 1/2” thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Go get those on the grill. Meanwhile, combine half the balsamic reduction with the olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper in a small dish. Whisk until blended. This is going to be our dressing for the salad. Combine mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil- don’t add dressing until you’re ready to eat.

Chicken is done when internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Brush on remaining balsamic reduction and grill for just one more minute.

You can slice up the chicken breasts and have on top of your Caprese salad, or eat them separately. The balsamic reduction adds a rich sweetness to the meal.

Toasted Pound Cake with Honey Caramel Sauce

-4 1” slices pound cake (can’t go wrong with frozen Sara Lee)

-1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (I find this in the deli cheese section)

-2 tablespoons sliced almonds

-1/2 stick butter

-1/4 cup honey

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-1/2 can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk

First let’s make the honey caramel sauce. This is SO easy. No candy thermometer needed. Like two steps. Let’s go. You can do this. Combine butter, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir fairly constantly. Bring to a full boil and keep it there for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in your sweetened condensed milk. That’s it. Boom.

Next, heat up a small skillet over medium heat. Stir almonds constantly until they start smelling nice and toasty and look slightly golden. Pour in a little dish immediately (otherwise the residual heat from the pan will scorch them).

Place oven rack on highest setting and turn oven to broil. Put your pound cake slices on a cookie sheet and toast both sides. This took my oven like 15-20 seconds per side. Keep an eye on these.

To assemble, spread mascarpone on pound cake, drizzle with honey caramel, and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Super delish. We *might* have had pancakes this same way the following morning, plus bananas. SHUT UP IT’S A HOLIDAY.