Under those saucy mushrooms is a panko-breaded chicken breast stuffed with ham and asiago cheese.

The sauce is champagne and mixed mushrooms, broccolini, and a brown and wild rice pilaf.  Just your typical Thursday night supper.

Actually, I was having Cordon Bleu Cravings earlier today, and, knowing that I had chicken breasts at home, picking up the ham and cheese was a snap – and there’s enough left over for Victor to make a couple of sandwiches for lunch.  Plan ahead. That’s me.

The chicken was pretty basic.  I pounded the breasts thin, topped with the ham and the cheese, folded everything up (a couple of strategically-placed toothpicks helped, immensely) and then did a flour-egg-breadcrumb dip.  Into a 350° oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I diced a green onion and into a pot t went with a splash of olive oil.  Then a couple of handfuls of assorted mushrooms (chantrelles, oyster, crimini, whatever…) and a clove of garlic, chopped.  When they were looking cooked, I added a 187ml bottle of champagne (a bit more than 6 ounces) from my vast collection of 187ml bottles of champagne.  (I buy several at Cost Plus every time we fly home.  They’re great for cooking!)

I cooked it down by half and then added a cup of chicken broth, and reduced that, as well.  I thickened it with a tad of cornstarch.

The Pilaf was a half-cup of wild rice, a half-cup of brown rice, a green onion, diced, and sauteed in a pat of butter, and 2 cups of chicken broth.  Cooked for 45 minutes.  Also simple.

And then we had dessert…

A really tasty Mixed Fruit Crisp.

I mixed one bosc pear, 4 nectarines, and 6 plums with a half-cup of flour, a quarter-cup sugar, and 2 tbsp melted butter.  Into the dish it went.  It was then topped with a cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers, 2 handfuls of walnuts, and 3 tbsp melted butter.  Mixed everything together, sprinkled it on top and put it into a 400° oven for 30 minutes (I was in a hurry).

Really good, ripe, juicy fresh fruit doesn’t need a lot of spices, sugar, or much of anything else.  This was simplicity – and really, really good.  Maybe even too good for a scoop of vanilla ice cream – and I’d put a scoop of ice cream on almost anything!