Recipe of the Month: Cheesy Chicken in Pablano Sauce

More great recipes! Here is our recipe for Cheesy Chicken in Pablano Sauce. Delicious! We hope you're all having a great holiday season!


Ingredients

2-3 medium pablano peppers,
seeded and stemmed, chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

handful of cilantro leaves

Salt & Pepper

4 Tbls butter divided

2 Tbls flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream or Mexican crema

1 tbls extra virgin olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese

1 tbls olive oil

thinly sliced red onions for garnish

Prep

In a blender or food processor, combine the peppers with stock, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper; puree. In a small sauce pot over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons buter. Whisk in the flour; add the milk and cream and raise the heat a bit. Add the poblano puree and simmer to thicken and cook sauce for 20-25 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add the 1 remaining tablespoon butter and melt. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and brown for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to casserole dish, spread the sauce over the top and cover with cheese. Bake for 15-20 min.

Serve garnished with cilantro sprigs and red onion.

Enjoy!

From Dr. Jennifer Martin & team

Braces-Friendly December Recipe!

A different take on traditional scalloped potatoes, from Dr. Jennifer Martin and team.

SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH CREME FRAICHE
2 cloves garlic smashed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds waxy potatoes (such as Yukon gold or Yellow Finn) peeled
3 cups half and half
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped chives

Preheat oven 300 degrees. Rub garlic all over the inside of a 3 quart baking dish, then mince it. Grease the dish with about 1/2 tablespoon butter. Slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick (a mandoline works well). Combine in a large saucepan with the minced garlic, the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, the half and half, creme fraiche, flour, thyme, mace, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chives and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, shaking it to distribute the potatoes evenly. Bake, uncovered until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour 5minutes, occasionally spooning some of the liquid over the top. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Yum Yum!

Happy holidays from all of us at Dr. Martin's office!

Holiday Recipe/Birthdays!

Check out this recipe for chocolate pixies! Happy Monday!
CHOCOLATE PIXIES
1/4 cup margarine or butter
4 oz (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
powdered sugar

In large saucepan over low heat, melt margarine and chocolate stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Stir in flour, sugar, walnut, baking powder, salt and eggs; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour for easier handling.
Heat oven to 300 degrees, shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll each in powdered sugar, coating heavily. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 13 to 18 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.
4 dozen

Also, congrats to the following patients of Dr. Martin who are celebrating birthdays this week!

Bridgette J
Nazeela R
Samantha R
Neha M
Courtney W
Jocelyn H
David N
Max V
Madeline W
Christopher L
Alyson M
Will R
Jocelyn W
Meghan C
Joseph E
Taylor K
Tiffany A
Drake H
Yuki O
Orazio D
Serena G
Johathan Q
Edward R

Ask Dr. Martin: Now that I have braces, which foods should I avoid?

Great question. There are a variety of foods our team at the office of Dr. Jennifer Martin want you to avoid while you’re wearing braces. Some foods can occasionally damage braces, but certain foods can bend the wires or even break the brackets on your braces. If you’re wearing braces, you should avoid starch, sugar and gummy foods, as these foods can be difficult to remove during brushing. Foods that are high in sugar and starch tend to cause plaque, cavities and even tooth decay.

Avoid tough meats, hard breads and raw vegetables such as carrots and celery. Before long, you’ll be able to bite a cucumber again. But you’ll need to protect your orthodontic appliances when you eat for as long as you’re wearing braces.

Foods you should avoid include:

• Chewy foods: bagels, hard rolls, licorice
• Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, chips
• Sticky foods: caramels, gum
• Hard foods: nuts, candy
• Foods you have to bite into: corn on the cob, apples, carrots
• Chewing on hard things (for example, pens, pencils or fingernails) can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer.

If you have any questions on which foods you should be avoiding and why, we invite you to give us a call or ask one of our team members during your next adjustment visit with Dr. Martin! We also encourage you to ask us on Facebook!

Finally, we would like to say good luck to all the students heading back to school in the coming days and weeks! Learn a lot and have FUN! And if you're planning on participating in fall sports, come in to get a mouthguard!!

Ask Dr. Martin: "Now that I have braces, what can I eat?"

You just got braces and Dr. Jennifer Martin has informed you that over the next several months you will want to avoid eating anything sticky, hard, crunchy, or chewy. What does this leave for you to eat? Lettuce? Nothing?

Luckily, there was someone else wondering the same thing when she first got braces! Brenda Waterman, 13, decided she was going to find a way to have her cake and eat it too, so she created a variety of “braces-friendly” recipes that allow you to enjoy your favorite treats without interfering with your orthodontic care! Her cookbook, “The Braces Cookbook: Recipes you (and your Orthodontist) will Love,” gives patients a variety of delicious recipes, safe to eat with braces; plus additional tips and advice for packing lunches, what to eat at parties, and braces-friendly restaurant dishes! There’s even a section with tips for dealing with the soreness that can occur when your braces or appliance are adjusted. Enjoy the foods you love – even with braces!

Here is a delicious, sneak peek recipe from “The Braces Cookbook:”

Wonderful Waffles

Forget the recipe that came with your waffle iron – this recipe will redefine fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The secret to delicious waffles is letting the batter "sit" for five minutes before pouring into the waffle iron. Top cooked waffles with syrup, jam, fresh fruit or even whip cream. Makes about 5 servings!

Preheat your waffle iron according to the directions. You may want to lightly spray it with vegetable oil before heating.

• 3 cups flour
• 2 Tbl + 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbl sugar
• 4 cups milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, whisk (or use electric mixer on low) together all ingredients. Let batter sit for about five minutes to activate the baking powder.

When waffle iron is ready, pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto each of the four squares (experiment with your iron – you don't want the batter overflowing). Gently close the cover and set your timer as the manufacturer suggests. Do not lift the cover while they bake. When done, carefully lift one edge with a flat spatula and pull the waffle away from the iron. Keep waffles warm on a plate under a clean dishtowel while the others bake.

Enjoy!