Bastille Day Treats-Chicken Cordon Bleu-Sickles!

If you have been reading this blog and paying attention you would know that at Urban Hounds we are Anglophiles to the core.  However, we never like to miss a Holiday and Bastille day was Saturday.....plus Tubby has this shirt that testifies to his gift for  l'amour (In case you can't read it, it says: I'm Not French, but I Kiss That Way)

So all in all we had to do something with a French accent.    At the last NNJPE pug meetup we attended a clever pug mom made some awesome chicken broth pupsickles that the pugs went nuts for.   I decided to use the same contecept to make something more French, Chicken Cordon Bleusickles (though to be honest I'm not sure how French Chicken Cordon Bleu is, it seems fairly American).  Anyway this treat couldn't be easier and it could be adapted any of a million ways.

Chicken Cordon Bleusickles

Low Salt chicken broth, about 1 1/2 cups worth
Diced low salt ham (about 1/2 cup)
Diced chicken breast (about 1/2 cup) (I  used oven roasted deli chicken but you could boil some chicken if you wanted)
Chicken Cordon Bleu Dog Biscuits from Bocce's Bakery
ten small plastic cups

1)  Place the cups in a tupperware, tray or baking pan so they stay steady in the freezer
2) Put a little of the diced ham and chicken at the bottom of each cup

3) Pour in the chicken broth until it comes almost to the top of the cup.

4) Stick a biscuit in each cup and place in the freezer overnight.

Voila!

(Oh and don't worry bulldog Bob got one too, but he ate his so fast I couldn't get a good pic so he is not featured above.)

The pups looked so happy with their treats we had to make something French for the peeps too.


Mussels in White Wine

 3 lbs mussels
 1 cup chopped shallots
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes
1/2 tsp saffron
1/3 cup chopped parsley 
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 cup Chardonnay 
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper

Soak the saffron in 1/4 cup hot tap water for 15 min.  Scrub and debeard the mussels and discard any that are open or broken (gently tap any open mussels and if they close they are good).

In a large pot melt the butter and the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and saute 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute three minutes more.  Add the tomatoes, saffron and soaking water, parsley, thyme, wine, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and add the mussels.  Cook covered for 8 to 10 minutes until mussels are open.  Discard any unopened mussels.   

Serve with crusty french bread.