Crispy Chicken Breasts with Baked Potatoe and Roasted Zucchini

This crispy chicken is made with panko breadcrumbs. I really don't know how I made it before I knew about panko. It seems like I use panko very frequently and I've probably only known about it for about 5 years. Panko is made from crustless bread, coarsely ground, resulting in a light extra crispy texture. Regular breadcrumbs can seem so dense, panko doesn't absorb your egg or oil and maintains a light and beautiful presentation. I also prefer panko for crab cakes or salmon croquettes or other mixed seafood cakes.

My roasted zucchini is made in my cast iron skillet. I used to do it in a regular All-Clad Saute pan, but the cast iron seems to yield crispier roasted vegetables. I also roast broccoli and asparagus this same way. I used to steam vegetables exclusively, but we all prefer them roasted.

In retrospect on the chicken, I would pound it a little in the future, to break it down a little/tenderize a bit, but this result was good and would work well sliced for a salad dish also.

1 c. flour
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/5 c. panko
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
canola oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Spread flour over one dinner plate. Mix eggs and water together in a wide, shallow bowl. Spread panko over another dinner plate. Season flour with salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. Dredge chicken in flour, coating evenly and shaking off any excess. Then dip in the egg and finally, the panko. Coat evenly.

Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat. Add canola oil to barely cover bottom, swirl for even coating and heat another 2 minutes or so. Test oil heat with a pinch of flour, if it sizzles immediately, you're ready. Brown chicken breasts in a single layer on first side 4-5 minutes, then turn and brown second side 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Watch heat and underside of chicken to prevent over browning, but use caution when flipping to avoid scraping off breading.

4 zucchini, halved then sliced into 1/2 inch moons
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Toss zucchini in olive oil, salt, and pepper, coating evenly. Roast in oven about 20 minutes, until liquid has released and zucchini are slightly shriveled. Turn once with wooden spatula to even browning.

Chicken, Carrot, Kalamata Olive Pasta Salad

This started as a what-do-I-have-on-hand meal. I wanted to run get some feta, but we decided that would defeat the purpose and could be added to the leftovers later. It had a very nice flavor and was pretty simple. We ate it warm, but I'm pretty certain that it would be good cold as well. *update - yep good cold, too*

My sister adopted an olive tree for me for Christmas last year. Nudo sent a very nice package including a description and picture of my tree, as well as a spring pressing package of olive oil and a fall flavored package. The olive oil was outstanding and I totally need to re-up my adoption as well as order some extra. I highly recommend this gift for any foodie friends or yourself. Caution, you may wind up wanting to drink the olive oil.

3 chicken split breasts

olive oil

kosher salt

paprika

fresh ground pepper

3/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, sliced

3/4 c. sliced baby carrots

3/4 c. Italian Parsley, chopped

1.5 c. penne pasta

1 shallot, chopped

2 tbsps olive oil

4 tbsps champagne vinegar

1/8 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

3/4 tsp murray river salt

Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken with salt, paprika, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add penne, cook for 6 minutes, add carrots cook another five minutes. Drain, add to large bowl.

Shred chicken with fork, add to pasta. Add, parsley and olives. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, and shallots. Stir then pour over pasta dish. Serve warm or cold.

Chicken Avgolemono: Round 2 With Gusto

I wrote a post on Chicken Avgolemono back in March. I'm remembering not being pleased with the way my sauce turned out and more than likely due to a messed up bedtime during the point of critical mass. This sauce is really delicious but takes focus and concentration like a gravy. Actually, it doesn't so much take focus, but constant stirring and occasionally paying attention to the heat and the thickness. I love that it's so light yet it feels totally decadent and creamy. I also remember being displeased with my picture, and in retrospect, I can see why! We were thrilled with the taste of tonight's dish and I liked the plating better. Check the link above for the recipe. The only things I did differently tonight were using 3 lbs chicken breasts instead of tenders, and I left out the broccoli. I wished I had asparagus on hand, but I didn't. To make up for the increase in chicken, I used about 3 cups of chicken stock, 5 eggs and 6 tbsps of lemon juice. But we have tons of leftover sauce, so that really wasn't necessary. If you can tell the color change in the sauce on this round, that's totally due to my doing a better job on browning my chicken from the get go. Cheers!

Cuban Inspired Chicken and Mojitos

I'm dying for summer. Borderline hysterical. I just feel like a better person with warm sunshine on my skin. Plus my Aerogarden is being totally overwhelmed by my mint. So I dubbed tonight mojito night and planned out a Cuban inspired chicken dish to complement. Not that I've been to Cuba, but I drove through Miami once and I read an enormous amount of food literature. Please don't flog me if this isn't Cuban at all. It just seemed to go with the mojito.

There's a link to the Orange Saltburst from Austin's own Spiceburst below. I found this company in a buy local project and loved them because I am always on the hunt for well thought gourmet food products. I highly recommend them!

It could have been spicier too. I'd definitely up the crushed red pepper next time, but if you don't like the heat, this will add the flavor without the pain.

3 split chicken breasts

juice of 3 lemons

juice of 2 mandarins

1 c. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1.5 tsp cumin

1.5 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp Orange Saltburst

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Place chicken breasts in a large ziploc bag. Add juices, oil, and spices, shake until mixed. Let marinate in fridge for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Remove chicken from bag, letting any additional marinade drip into bag, then discard. Place chicken in a glass casserole and cook until it reaches an internal temp of 165. About 40 minutes.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

I'd kind of forgotten about stir-fry for some reason, probably in large part due to my ginormous wok currently being stored in my playroom cabinets. This is a quick meal, and has a very unusual (for me) advantage of nearly no dishes for cleanup at the end of assembly. The sauce was quite flavorful, but if you're trying to limit salt, definitely use a low-sodium soy sauce. You could also use almost any vegetables, fresh or frozen, this was just what was on hand in the fridge at dinner time.

Fish sauce is made from fermented fish, which at first hearing, sounds kind of gross. It is a staple ingredient in almost all Vietnamese and Thai cooking, and has historical use in China. I started using it in my Asian-inspired cooking, due to it's prevalence in recipes.

5 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed, sliced into thin strips



soy sauce



fish sauce



juice of one lemon



cumin



onion powder



fresh ground pepper



frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted



1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped in 1-inch pieces



1/2 white onion, sliced



hoisin sauce

Place chicken strips in a large bowl and cover with soy sauce, add 1 tbsp. fish sauce, lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp pepper, stir. Let sit for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat a wok on high heat, then add 2 tbsps canola oil. When oil is hot, add chicken to wok in a single layer, discarding any used marinade. Put lid on and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally. Add onions and asparagus. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes, then add other drained vegetables. Add 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1.5 tbsps hoisin sauce and stir. Cover and cook additional 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

Chicken Avgolemono

Tonight's Recipe: Chicken Avgolemono

Avgolemono is a Greek sauce comprising predominantly of chicken broth, lemon and egg. The thickened result is like a cream sauce, but much healthier and delicious.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders

Kosher Salt

fresh-ground black pepper

1 3/4c. chicken stock

2 tbsp fresh dill

2 cups gemelli pasta

2 carrots, quartered and cut into 2-inch lengths

1 small crown of broccoli, chopped

3 eggs

3.5 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with and add to the pan. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken brown 5 min; add the broth, dill, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer, 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the gemelli pasta for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and broccoli, continue cooking about 6 minutes longer. Drain. In a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, beat the eggs, lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper until frothy. Bring the chicken broth back to a simmer and add to the eggs in a thin stream, whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk over the medium low heat for 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook another 4 minutes or until you feel/see a definite thickening. Do not let the sauce come to a boil, or it may curdle. Serve pasta and vegetables on plates and top with the chicken and sauce.

Chicken and Goat Cheese Enchiladas, Food is Love

Tonight's Recipe: Chicken and Goat Cheese Enchiladas



6 chicken split breasts


8 oz fresh goat cheese


olive oil


10 sprigs leafy fresh thyme, stems removed


4 large basil leaves, chopped


sea salt


1 large red onion, chopped


4 large garlic cloves chopped


2 tsp cumin


2 tsp Mediterranean oregano


2 dried ancho chilies


1 cup dry white wine


20 oz purred tomatoes


3 cups chicken stock


kosher salt


fresh ground pepper


corn tortillas


shredded monterey jack cheese



In a large pot, cover chicken breasts with water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil gently for an hour.


In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, 3 tbsps olive oil, thyme leaves, and basil. Add finely ground sea salt to taste. Let sit to combine flavors.


In a pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add ancho chilies. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds. Place chilies and 1 cup of soaking water to a food processor and puree until smooth.


In a saute pan, add 3tbsp olive oil and onions. Saute on medium heat until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute, add cumin and oregano, cook 2 more minutes. Add chili puree and bring to a gentle boil, cook on medium 4 more minutes. Add wine, tomatoes and stock and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.


Remove the chicken from the water to a bowl and shred removing bones and skin. Place a stack of tortillas in a microwave between two damp paper towels. Microwave for 45 seconds.


Coat the bottom of two 9x12 glass casseroles with chili sauce. Take one tortilla and spread the middle portion with goat cheese mixture, then cover with shredded chicken. Roll and place seam side down in casserole. Repeat until filled. Cover with chili sauce and then top with monterey jack. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.




Ancho chilies are dried poblanos. They make a wonderful deep flavor. I used to have troubles finding these, and made this with green chilies, which just wasn't the same at all. They store nicely in your pantry though, so buy a bunch and keep them around.

Also, the goat cheese is excellent this way, but if you are trying to cut down on steps, CheesyGirl's Femme Fatale is a nice substitute. I imagine any herbed goat cheese would be good.

Enchiladas in any form are a bit of work. But they make good leftovers and freeze well. Also, they are a very easy food to portion out. If you're going to the trouble to make them, invite over friends or make a pan for a friend. This recipe makes about 20 enchiladas. Years ago, my friend Marti and her sister used to often make double portions then swap a dish. I was always truly envious of the arrangement. I've never managed to pull off a regular arrangement like this, but Sunday dinner has long-standing been an open invitation in my house. Actually, most any night is an open invitation. I've never been great at cooking in small portions, and love to feed friends. Food is Love in my book.