National Cordon Bleu Day – Kosher Style

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a relatively recent American creation, drawing upon techniques from both Chicken Kiev and similar schnitzel dishes. The earliest reference to “Chicken Cordon Bleu” in The New York Times is dated to 1967, while similar veal recipes are found from at least 1955. The French term Cordon Bleu is translated as “Blue Ribbon”.The chicken dish should not be confused with the cooking school of the same name. It is traditionally made with chicken, wrapped around ham and cheese, but there are many kosher versions that circumvent this. See below.

Five Fun Facts:

1. The first reference to chicken cordon bleu in the “Los Angeles Times” newspaper was in 1968. There are earlier references to its predecessor, veal cordon bleu.
2. The dish did not originate at any of the prestigious Cordon Bleu cooking schools of Europe as often thought. It is not exactly clear who was the first person to prepare and name the dish chicken cordon bleu.
3. The term cordon bleu has come to denote a chef of exceptional quality. The originator may have been playing off that perception when naming the dish. He may have simply been substituting less expensive chicken for veal in veal cordon bleu.
4. Chicken Kiev is a similar dish.
5. Chicken Cordon Bleu can be pan fried or baked in the oven.

Five Recipes:

1. Chicken Cordon Bleu– A staple in french cuisine is the Chicken Cordon Bleu. which is basically shnitzel with ham and cheese rolled inside. To make it kosher, we must 1st replace the ham which is easy, as Jews are known for our delicious deli, but harder to replace is the cheese, i have done that with a simple mayonnaise based dressing.
2. “Cheese” Stuffed Chicken– I found a package of vegan (parve) blue cheese and couldn’t wait to try it out. The flavor is there and it worked great stuffed in this chicken.
3. Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts– Looking for a Great Weeknight Recipe? Order organic chicken cutlets from your favorite kosher butcher and have him cut them “Butterfly Style.” Try this dish on your family- It will become a weekly favorite!
4. Teriyaki Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts– You can stuff and roll chicken with anything, but I love mushrooms. This came out great and was even better the next day.
5. Chicken with Spiced Mango Rice – Savor this fusion of ingredients as they combine to make a melody in your mouth.

Click for more stuffed chicken recipes.

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Nutrition information per serving of chicken Cordon Bleu:

Calories:    600
Fat: 27 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Cholesterol: 280 mg
Sodium: 1018 mg
Protein:  81 g
Sugars:  1 g