Chicken and Broccoli Braid #HolidayRecipe and #Excerpt from "Son of Dragons"

Hi everyone, To day I have Andrea R. Cooper sharing her favorite recipe with us.

This recipe is really versatile – don’t like almonds? Leave them off and it tastes fine. Don’t have any red bell pepper? Leave it out. Want to save time? Use precooked diced chicken and frozen broccoli

 

Chicken & Broccoli Braid

Curtesy of Pampered Chef – notes/changes are my own

http://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Main+Dishes/Chicken+%26+Broccoli+Braid/10047

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (250 mL) chopped broccoli florets

2 cups (500 mL) chopped cooked chicken breasts (see Cook's Tip)

1/2 cup (125 mL) diced red bell pepper

1 cup (250 mL) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

2 tsp (10 mL) Dill Weed

1   garlic clove, pressed

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

2 pkg (8 oz or 235 g each) refrigerated crescent dough (or just 1 if you want less breading)

1   egg white, lightly beaten

2 tbsp (30 mL) slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop chicken and broccoli; place in  Bowl. Chop bell pepper; add to Bowl. Press garlic over vegetable mixture

2

Shred cheese and add to vegetable mixture; mix gently. Add mayonnaise, Dill Mix and salt; mix well.

3

Unroll 1 package of crescent dough; do not separate. If you only want a bottom/pizza type crust, go on to the next step below. If you want the braid effect – open 2nd can of crescent rolls. Peel off triangle and arrange larger portion to the bottom of the first flat square at the bottom of the pan, repeat. You should have a base, and triangle top ‘ends’ hanging over the back of the pan.

4

Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift two opposite strips of dough up, twist once, then lay over filling so that ends meet at the center. Lightly pinch ends together. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends up to seal at end of braid.

5

Brush egg white over dough. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Cook and chop 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves to get 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken.

It's best to keep crescent roll dough refrigerated until ready to use. Once the dough is warm, it becomes soft and sometimes sticky, making it difficult to work with.

 

Son of Dragons Book 2 Legends of Oblivion series

Blurb: In a time of false peace, the dead rise as soldiers for the Warloc’s scheme. For thousands of years he has stood ready for the final battle. Though the witch and her cursed Elvin have destroyed his physical body, now with his protégé, he has honed a new way to wage war.

Shunned by her own people and weary-hearted from centuries of lost loves, Elvin warrior Mirhana scours the land to silence the undead. Her heart has turned as cold as the sword she wields, until a prince seeks her aid.

Never has Prince Landon met a woman like Mirhana. Both beautiful and deadly, she haunts his dreams. The battle at hand becomes more enchanting than fighting to remain true to his unseen betrothed.

When a traitor emerges, new alliances are tested and the only remaining hope is to follow the prophecy and find the ... Son of Dragons.

Excerpt:

Clean from the bath, Landon let the air from the open window dry his hair. Dressed only in trousers, he leaned against the windowsill.

He thought he smelled the hint of roses and heat on the breeze. Movement from the street below caught his eye. He leaned out, squinting into the night.

Torches lined the cobbled street corners. A cloaked figure waited. Then the innkeeper rushed outside. His hands flew in gestures as the figure nodded.

Then he pointed to the window where Landon watched. At the same instant, the cloaked figure followed his finger’s path to Landon. Green eyes that seemed to glow met his.

Landon jumped up and cursed when his head hit the bottom of the window. When he looked back, both figures were gone.

Thinking the innkeeper would send guards, he waited with his sword in hand and his stare riveted on the door. No one came. He must be getting paranoid, thinking there was a ghost or enemy around every corner. His eyelids grew heavy as he waited for a fight that failed to materialize. Finally, he rolled his shoulders back to ease out the tension.

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about those piercing emerald eyes. They’d belonged to a woman; he could tell. There was intelligence and cunning in them. Her stare felt as though she saw through the façade he often wore as prince and to please others, and into his kajh.

A woman who was not afraid, but used to being feared. It unnerved him, yet excited him. His pulse quickened and his loins tightened at the thought of those eyes filled with passion for him.

Better get some sleep before the night was gone. Tomorrow, he’d tell Gillespie about what he saw. He doubted he could explain those captivating green eyes that continued to haunt him even now.

Legends of Oblivion series:

The Garnet Dagger – Book 1 in the Legends of Oblivion series

Cursed – Book 1.5 in the Legends of Oblivion series

Son of Dragons – Book 2 in the Legends of Oblivion series

Andrea’s Bio:  Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn't until she was in her late twenties that she wrote novels.
Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories, until she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).
She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaRCooper.author

Blog: http://andrearcooperauthorblog.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaRCooper

Buy Links:

Son of Dragons Amazon: http://goo.gl/jWX0cO

Son of Dragons B&N: http://goo.gl/JfWm6Y

Son of Dragons iTunes: http://goo.gl/dvOJpu