Saturday, May 7, 2011

Chicken Scaloppine and Lemon Orzo


Hi-ho everyone!

So like I said, I have so many backed up recipes that I'm going to try to post more often. Every time I sit down for a meal I pop back up to grab my camera! I'm probably pretty annoying to eat with.

This meal was an amazing light dinner that had good flavor, and was pretty simple. It would be the perfect weeknight dinner, for those nights that you come home exhausted and the last thing you want to do is make some elaborate meal. Unless you are like me. Food Nerd.

I would also just like to point out that I am an idiot. When it comes to cooking, I can be too impulsive. I measure things with terrible precision (yeah that looks good), I add things to the recipe whenever I want, and in this case I don't read through the directions all the way through. For this chicken dish, it was meant to have a lemon sauce. I should know this, as I've made chicken piccata before and the two are very similar. I will include the sauce recipe even though I didn't use it, so really just ended up making plain old chicken. Trial and error, right?

Chicken Scaloppine


What ya need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry


kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


1 cup all-purpose flour


2 eggs, beaten


1 tablespoon milk or water


1 1/2 cups bread crumbs or panko (I used Panko! Crunch and delish)


1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional, but cheese is never optional in my book)


2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (I used canola oil)

What ya do:

*Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place each chicken breast (I do two at a time) between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin flatten chicken breasts until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

*Set out three plates for the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs. On the first plate, put the flour. On the second plate, mix the eggs and water or milk. On the third plate, place the panko and parmesan cheese. Season each plate lightly with salt and pepper.

*Dip the chicken breasts in first the flour, then egg mixture and panko.
Heat a large ovenproof pan (or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Place the chicken breasts in the pan. Brown on both sides until golden (about 3 minutes per side)

*Transfer the pan to the oven (or the chicken to a sheet pan) and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rack to rest briefly.


Here's the sauce I didn't use...oops.

Ina's Lemon Butter Sauce
What ya need:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided


2/3 cup lemon juice (from 4 lemons), with lemon halves reserved


1 cup dry white wine


Sliced lemon, for serving


Parsley, for serving

What ya do:

*For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Melt two tablespoons of the butter over medium heat, and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

*Boil mixture over high heat until reduced in half, about 2-4 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter a little at a time and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and remove from heat.

*To serve, place one chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce over the chicken and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Lemon Orzo with Asparagus and Tomatoes


What ya need:

12 oz. orzo


1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces


1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved


1 lemon, zested and juiced


4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil


1 clove garlic, minced


2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced


Kosher salt


Fresh ground pepper


Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

What ya do:

*Bring 2 large pots of water to boil. Add a big pinch of salt in each.
To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

*To the second pot, add the orzo. Cook per package instructions. When tender, drain and place in a large bowl. Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

*Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir into orzo and vegetables. Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.





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