Chicken Sliders with Balsamic Pear Marmalade

Sliders:

12 dinner rolls (sourdough or brioche)

4 chicken breasts, minced/ground

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup full cream ricotta cheese

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced/ground

1/2 cup panko crumbs

2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven 450 F

Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and black pepper. Scoop into a greased 12 cup muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Set aside.

Balsamic Pear Marmalade:

1 large pear, thinly sliced (remove skin and core)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons raw sugar

Juice of 1/2 an orange

On medium-high heat, bring all the ingredients to a rolling boil for 3 minutes and reduce heat to a low simmer for a further 30 minutes or until marmalade is thick and the pear is soft.

Assemble sliders with greens of choice and thick sliced tomatoes. Serve warm.

   

Orange Marmalade Sour Cream Loaf

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

2 tablespoons orange rind

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease a large loaf pan. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, orange rind and marmalade. Add dry ingredients, then sour cream. Mix well.

Bake for 1 hour or until baked through.

   

Strawberry Scones

2 cups unbleached wheat flour

1/3 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons frozen, unsalted butter

1/3 cup chopped, orange peel

11/2 cup thickly sliced strawberries

1/2 cup greek yogurt (full cream)

2 tablespoons cream

1 large egg

1/3 cup orange marmalade

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Mix cream, yogurt, and egg in a separate bowl. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix in the strawberries and orange peel.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal squares. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with melted butter.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Glaze with the orange marmalade. Place on wire rack to cool. 

(This is a "kid friendly" recipe made for my daughter's school lunch. Due to it's low sugar content, it's only mildly sweet.  If you prefer a sweeter taste, double the amount of sugar.)