We Grew Up Spoiled

     I have come to the conclusion that my siblings and I grew up spoiled.  Oh, I don't mean that my parents didn't discipline us or that they gave in to our every whim.  We had chores.  We were disciplined.  They even made us eat our (shudder) vegetables.  So when I say we were spoiled, I don't mean it in the traditional sense of the word.  I am talking about FOOD. 

     Our mother is an exceptional cook.  In fact, as I look back I am always in awe of how she took odds and ends out of the refrigerator and made a delicious meal out of almost nothing!  I like how some of those childhood favorites have become staples in my family and the memories those foods evoke when we sit down to eat them.  

     It wasn't until I got married and had to do my own cooking, though, that I came to appreciate Mom's prowess in the kitchen.  When there was nothing but dryer lint and taco shells left in my fridge, I couldn't think of a thing to do with them to make a delicious (or even close to satisfying) meal!  I began to wonder just how she did it.  I called her for recipes countless times during that first year of my marriage.  And while I enjoy cooking, I have come to appreciate the thought and work that go into it.  Unless you are the Kitchen Genie (mom) who takes those dryer lint and taco shells and turns them into a souffle with seemingly no effort at all.

     The mark of a truly amazing cook is when the person can taste something and duplicate it OR when they can take what seems like nothing and turn it into something spectacular.   After 13 years on my own, I like to think that I have somehow learned a thing or two about this.  I am not the Kitchen Genie, but I am the food supply clerk and chef in our family.  I have to be - because my husband knows how to make cereal, grilled cheese, and coffee.  (Besides, I don't like to share my kitchen unless someone wants to clean it for me!)  So the other night at 5:30 with my husband due to arrive at any moment from work, I looked in the fridge and freezer.   I saw chicken, muenster cheese, parsley, and phyllo dough.   I thought of my mom and dryer lint souffle, and then it came to me:  Chicken Strudel!!! My brother used to rave over it, and I thought, "How hard can it be?"  This is one of Mom's something-from-nothing recipes...

Chicken Strudel (kinda like Mom's)

3 chicken breast halves 

16 sheets phyllo dough

4 Tablespoons butter

4 oz shredded muenster cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper

1/4 cup italian dressing

1/2 cup water

1. Cook chicken in covered skillet with Italian dressing and water until browned and juices run clear.  (about 20 minutes on medium heat)  

2. Chop chicken into 1/2 inch cubes or shred.

3. Mix chicken with muenster, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.

4.  For each strudel, layer four phyllo dough sheets by brushing each one with butter and placing another on top.  Place 1/4  of chicken mixture on top, and roll up burrito-style, tucking ends.  Brush with 1 tsp of butter on top.  (makes 4)

5.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes.

* Mom used to serve this with a pimento-mushroom sauce, but you'd have to call her for that recipe - I am all out of taco shells!